18: Hiring a Female Secretary

The Nicholas website was thriving, and now, with its success in selling video tapes, the time had come to expand into music tapes. Since the film company saw significant profit from the collaboration, it was only natural that securing agreements with record companies would be easier. Subsequently, Gilli Hutt organized a team to engage with various record labels to discuss partnerships. Meanwhile, Nicholas.com planned to establish four large warehouses across the United States and create its own logistics company simultaneously.

However, this progress had to be gradual, as everything couldn't happen all at once.

The first warehouse was situated in the suburbs of Los Angeles, covering an area of 100,000 square feet. The land acquisition cost $10 million, with construction anticipated to be completed in 1990. This was anything but a simple warehouse build; it would incorporate advanced technology, mechanization, automation, and sophisticated systems, making it a large-scale project!

Currently, Nicholas.com collaborated with FedEx for logistical support. As an e-commerce giant, having its own logistics company would better support the business!

The formation of a logistics subsidiary remained undisclosed.

The partnership between Nicholas website and FedEx was going smoothly. If FedEx discovered that Nicholas website had its own logistics company, the relationship could turn sour. Furthermore, due to capital and operational constraints, Nicholas Logistics would initially only operate within California and wouldn't have the nationwide reach of FedEx, which already had an impressive international logistics presence.

With Nicholas website's spending rapidly increasing, Henry found himself increasingly distressed.

However, he accepted that initial losses were necessary to establish Nicholas website as an e-commerce giant. Competing with similar platforms in the U.S. was critical; if Nicholas didn't take a stand, it risked falling behind or worse, being eliminated entirely! The "Matthew Effect" was starkly evident on the Internet: the strong only get stronger while the weak languish!

For instance, when QQ dominates the market, other instant messaging apps falter and struggle to compete.

The same could be said for Alibaba and Taobao, which showcased similar monopolistic tendencies.

If Nicholas website did not continue to grow strong, it could easily be overtaken, possibly leading to its downfall.

Given the increasing responsibilities and expanding companies under Henry's command, he felt overwhelmed. Gilli Hutt suggested hiring a personal secretary to help manage his workload. After consideration, Henry agreed, and in Nicholas Group's name, they began recruiting a female secretary.

The choice for a female secretary was intentional; it was hard for Henry to imagine a male secretary in this particular context.

Although Nicholas Group was not a large corporation, it had gained significant recognition in the tech industry, offering a competitive salary of $10,000 per month, which was an attractive proposition for job seekers. After the job listing was posted, a multitude of applicants expressed interest, and the company organized interviews, with Henry serving as the chief interviewer.

The candidates varied dramatically, spanning freshly minted graduates to corporate elites. Yet after interviewing throughout the morning, Henry found none of the applicants met his criteria. He wanted a secretary who was not only competent but also possessed a pleasing appearance. Although many female applicants hailed from prestigious institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT, they often failed to impress in the interview process.

Henry had a tendency to place importance on looks.

He thought to himself, "A portable secretary who lacks attractiveness is not desirable!"

At noon, Henry stepped outside to grab some Chinese food. Just as he was exiting the building, a girl rushed in, unwittingly colliding with him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, quickly nodding and bending down to apologize.

As a result of the bump, her advertisement flyer for the secretary position fell to the ground. Noticing it, Henry asked, "Are you here to apply?"

"Yes..." the girl answered bashfully, "I'm so sorry, I was just rushing to catch the job fair and got a little too eager!"

"Oh, the morning job fair is already over," Henry stated. "It's lunchtime now. The afternoon fair isn't set to begin until two o'clock."

"Oh, thank you!" the girl said, visibly relieved. "I thought I was too late!"

"It's no problem..." Henry replied as he continued on his way.

After lunch, Henry returned to the office and noticed the same girl sitting alone in a corner of the lobby, clutching her resume, looking very nervous. After contemplating for a moment, he decided to approach her.

"Did you have lunch?" he inquired.

The girl looked up and was surprised to see it was the same boy she had bumped into earlier. "No, I'm not hungry right now," she replied.

"Are you feeling nervous?"

"Yes, this is my first interview."

Henry studied her more closely. Judging by her clothing, she appeared to be from a modest background, wearing old and obviously oversized garments that obscured her figure. At a distance, she didn't seem remarkable, but upon closer inspection, she possessed fair skin and was quite attractive. However, Henry found himself puzzled, realizing that this girl seemed to be no older than 16. How could someone her age be attending an interview for such a competitive position?

Given the level of qualifications required, it seemed improbable.

"Are you under 16 years old, by chance? What prompts you to attend this job fair at such a young age?" Henry asked.

"I... I'll be 16 next month," she defended.

"This job fair is targeted at young professionals, all college graduates from prestigious institutions. Why are you here?"

"Because the salary is very high!!!" the girl stated resolutely. "I need money now, so I just wanted to give it a shot!"

Henry was intrigued. Although nervous before, she now exhibited conviction. Curiosity stirred within him as he probed, "What do you need the money for?"

At this, the girl's tone faltered, and she hesitated, struggling to articulate her thoughts.

Taken aback, Henry sensed there was something troubling her.

"Do you mind if I take a look at your resume?" Henry inquired gently.

"Oh, sure, no problem," she replied, handing it over.

Henry skimmed through her resume, noting her impressive accomplishments.

She had achieved a perfect SAT score and excelled in the National Mathematics Olympiad, even securing first place. Furthermore, her acceptance letter to Harvard University was included…

"Why aren't you going to Harvard?" Henry asked.

The girl bit her lip, hesitated for just a moment, and finally revealed the truth: "My mother is sick, and I need to take care of her at home…"

Henry's comprehension washed over him as he considered the girl before him. She had sacrificed an opportunity that many would envy to look after her mother. This spirit of dedication struck a chord with Henry, reminding him of why she needed money. It didn't take long for him to surmise that she was likely seeking funds for her mother's medical treatment.

Filled with empathy, Henry looked at her and said warmly, "May God help kind souls like you, and I hope for your mother's recovery!"