“Mr. Norton.” Vivian bowed at Finnick’s presence, indicating she was there as his subordinate.
“Have a seat.” He beckoned her over to join him.
Vivian cut the small talk and took a seat as instructed, showing him the summary of the progress over the past week.
Finnick felt awful because Vivian had made herself clear; the sole reason she was there was for work. He couldn’t do anything about it because he ran out of better ideas to reach her.
“Mr. Norton, Hunter is the candidate for our upcoming issue because we wish to ride the wave of the last issue’s success.” After she finished reporting the summary, Vivian brought up the proposal to acquire Finnick’s consent.
“No!”
When Finnick turned her down without a second thought, Vivian got worked up. “Why? The decision has been collectively made after much consideration. Hunter is the best candidate. Can you please reconsider your decision, Mr. Norton?”
“Do I need a reason to turn down the proposal? Is there anything else?” Finnick’s expression darkened out of the blue.
He couldn’t be bothered if Hunter was the best candidate or not because he would never allow her anywhere his rival.
At the end of the day, Finnick was her supervisor. Therefore, she couldn’t possibly defy him during work. Albeit reluctantly, Vivian had no choice but to listen to Finnick.
After he turned down the proposal, Finnick directed a few simple questions at Vivian, including the composition of text, the areas to be focused on, and the corresponding market research.
Vivian was infuriated because she had included those in the summary a few minutes ago. Is he trying to waste my time? Has he not paid attention? If he doesn’t really care, why has he summoned me here?
Although she was fed up, she managed to keep her composure and put on a calm front.
She knew she was there as Finnick’s subordinate. Therefore, she had no right to throw a tantrum in front of him. In the end, she repeated herself and answered his questions.
“Do you prefer Pillere Island or Moranta?” Finnick asked a completely irrelevant question out of the blue.
“Pillere Island.” Subconsciously, Vivian answered the question before she could grasp the situation. “May I know what this is about, Mr. Norton?”
Smiling, instead of answering her queries, Finnick instructed Noah, who happened to be in the office, “We’ll throw a party to celebrate the magazine company’s success on Pillere Island. Can you please get everything ready?”
Noah took note of Finnick’s instruction and bowed at Vivian before making his way out of the office.
When Vivian heard Finnick’s instructions, she got increasingly confused. “Why are you throwing a party abroad out of the blue?”
“Consider this an effort to appreciate the staff’s hard work since the last two issues topped the chart! We need to motivate them and nurture their passion with appropriate compensation,” Finnick explained the rationale behind his action.
“Don’t worry. The holding company has the expenses for the trip covered. You just have to bring your staff with you and enjoy yourselves. I’m sure they’re going to have a great time.”
Vivian found Finnick’s words reasonable. In fact, they would have to work harder than ever before to ensure the consistency of quality. Thus, it would be necessary for them to break every now and then.
“If that’s the case, on behalf of my colleagues, allow me to express our utmost gratitude.” Vivian’s expression finally eased up.
He felt awful because she had been addressing him as Mr. Norton since she stepped into his office. Nonetheless, the fact she was willing to talk to him indicated things had improved.
He had no choice but to play along and beat around the bush in a similar manner. “They totally deserve it. The tentative date for the trip is next Friday. Once you’re back, tell them the great news and get them to get ready.”
Vivian nodded and wrapped up their conversation. She couldn’t get used to the overly formal conversation they had either.
“Mr. Norton, is there anything else you need? If there isn’t, allow me to excuse myself. There are quite a few things that require my attention back in the office. The team is still waiting for my instructions.”
“There’s nothing else. You’re free to go.” Finnick was afraid his action would be over the top and irritate her. Therefore, he stopped getting in her way.
