The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 400 - 107: Gratitude for Meeting a Mentor

Chapter 400: Chapter 107: Gratitude for Meeting a Mentor

The next day, James Brown went to accompany the exam-takers again. However, Melody Yoody didn’t come today, which left James feeling a bit disappointed. His heart was in turmoil—while he wanted to see Melody, every time he did, he found himself unable to say much to her, burdened by a deep sense of guilt.

Sarah Grandy performed quite well today. She was always naturally bright, but the poor relationship between her parents had also affected her. Fortunately, in recent weeks, her parents’ relationship had miraculously improved—they no longer fought and spent their days supporting her studies. This made Sarah incredibly happy, and she put extra effort into her studies, consequently achieving better results.

However, James only stayed to have lunch with Sarah before returning to the company. There were plenty of things to deal with in the afternoon, and he had received a call from Linda Campbell urging him to get back to work.

Sarah didn’t mind—after all, James had accompanied her for a full day and a half, which had already made her very happy. Before James left, she grabbed his arm and said, "Uncle, I’m finishing my exams soon. Can I come over to your house to hang out?"

Not wanting to dampen her mood, James smiled and replied, "Of course you can; I’ll even ask Emma to keep you company when you come."

Sarah pursed her lips, but in front of her parents, she didn’t dare say that she wanted to spend time alone with James. She simply said, "It’s a deal, then."

"Sure thing, just give me a call if you decide to come. The company’s workload is hectic during this period, so I have to work overtime often."

"I know, alright, you can go now."

James arrived back at the company before one o’clock. Since work began at 1:30 PM, most people were either out and about or resting in their offices. A few offices were noisier, where people were playing games together.

Gina Lopez hadn’t strictly prohibited employees from playing games online, but she had limited it to lunchtime only. After all, everyone was young, and a bit of gaming could help them relax and boost their mental energy. Additionally, team-based games could foster better teamwork spirit.

James went directly to his office. When he pushed the door, he found it locked, so he took out his key, unlocked it, and went inside.

As soon as James stepped inside, he softened his movements because Linda Campbell was lying on the sofa, taking a nap.

Linda was dressed in a tailored work suit today—a fitted blazer, a knee-length skirt, and beige stockings. She was lying flat on the sofa, her head resting on a cushion, her hands folded over her stomach, and her legs crossed. Her feet were bare, and through her semi-transparent stockings, one could see a faint shade of pink nail polish on her toes.

Usually, even attractive women don’t necessarily look great while sleeping; take Emily Jenkins, for example—her lack of composure while sleeping was a classic case. Even Gina Lopez or Emma Campbell couldn’t be expected to look perfect while asleep—mussed-up hair and facial impressions left from pressing against pillows would naturally detract from their usual demeanor.

But looking at Linda now, James couldn’t help but admit that even while asleep, Linda was a stunningly beautiful woman. She reminded him of the fairy-tale Sleeping Beauty, only Linda seemed even more beautiful than the one in the story.

James couldn’t bear to destroy such a tranquil sight. Although he initially thought of leaving quietly, he hesitated and decided to sit on his chair instead.

The sound of James sitting down immediately woke Linda up. She sat up quickly, brushing aside a few loose strands of hair from her forehead, and smiled apologetically. "I fell asleep," she said.

"Sorry for waking you. There’s still some time before work starts. If you’re still tired, you can sleep a little longer," James replied.

Linda stood up and said, "No more sleeping. Here you are, the big manager already back, while I, the little secretary, am napping. How inappropriate!" With that, she smiled brightly, walked over, and brewed James a cup of tea before placing it on his desk.

Amused and resigned, James said, "Not everyone can afford a secretary like you."

Linda pursed her lips and replied seriously, "I’m just a regular working secretary. Manager Johnson, please don’t fire me! If there’s anything I’m doing wrong, do point it out—I’ll definitely improve."

Seeing Linda acting like this, James couldn’t help but chuckle. Feeling suddenly playful, he said, "I’m feeling a bit tired today; my shoulders are sore. How about giving me a massage?"

"Sure!" Linda agreed readily and walked behind him.

James thought Linda was joking, but unexpectedly, she placed her hands on his shoulders and began massaging them.

"Linda... I was kidding," James said, feeling awkward.

Linda replied earnestly, "Manager Johnson, you work so hard every day. As your secretary, it’s only right for me to give you a shoulder massage. Isn’t it a secretary’s job to help their boss focus wholeheartedly on work and handle all the other trivial matters?"

"Linda... Oh, fine, carry on." Seeing how seriously she was playing her part, James decided not to argue. But a sudden thought popped into his mind: wasn’t there a saying, "When there’s work, the secretary does it; when there’s none, the secretary gets done"? If put into practice, that would be...

Of course, James shook off the thought quickly. Not to mention Linda’s status, even if she were an ordinary secretary, James wouldn’t entertain such ideas.

His past indiscretions were behind him. If he messed around with another woman now, Gina Lopez would never tolerate it.

The relationship between him and Gina was different from his past casual affairs. It was rooted in marriage, which brought a stronger sense of duty. In fact, James felt more responsibility toward Gina Lopez than he did toward Emma Campbell or Melody Yoody.

Although Linda’s technique wasn’t top-notch, the mere sensation of her delicate hands pressing against his shoulders was a treat. Her proximity filled the air with a subtle, intoxicating fragrance.

As Linda massaged his shoulders, she also began discussing the past couple of days’ work. James listened attentively and quickly became engrossed, focusing seriously on the conversation.

Suddenly, the door was knocked, and Gina Lopez walked in. Seeing James and Linda’s current interaction, Gina froze for a moment.

Feeling awkward, James started to explain, "Gina, I..."

Linda smiled at Gina and interjected, "Gina, am I doing a good job as a secretary? Even giving the manager a shoulder massage!"

Gina initially felt a pang of jealousy, but seeing Linda’s calm demeanor and remembering her role, the sourness quickly faded. She glared at James playfully and said, "Well, you’re really living it up, huh? Actually having Linda take on the secretary role properly?"

James reacted quickly this time and laughed, "Even if she were a real secretary, I wouldn’t casually ask for a massage. I was just joking with Linda to see how committed she is to the role."

Gina rolled her eyes and said, "Linda, I have some matters to discuss with you. Put your secretary duties aside for now."

Linda removed her hands from James’s shoulders, smiled, and took a seat on the sofa. "What’s the matter?" she asked.

Gina sat down beside Linda and began discussing the company’s plans. These matters were crucial—they involved funding, development strategies, and other important decisions that Gina couldn’t make alone.

Linda listened carefully but didn’t voice her opinion immediately. Instead, she turned to James and asked, "James, what do you think?"

Having spent every day with Gina recently, James had heard her ideas and gained some understanding of corporate management. However, this wasn’t his area of expertise, so he laughed and said, "Asking me is pointless; I don’t understand this stuff. When Gina talks about it at home, I feel like she’s reading me the Holy Book. I’m fine managing the HR department because it doesn’t involve the company’s operations. Otherwise, I’m really just fit to be a security guard."

Linda chuckled softly and said, "I think you just don’t like this stuff. Otherwise, you’d be capable enough. Alright, I won’t ask you again. Gina, your ideas are excellent. If executed well, they’ll greatly boost the company’s development in the early stages. Go ahead; if there’s trouble, I’ll help you resolve it."

Gina eagerly agreed. The biggest challenge with her plan was getting the necessary approvals from higher-ups. If they didn’t approve, the plan couldn’t proceed. Handling such matters on her own would involve immense difficulty—not only substantial cost but also significant effort and time, which could be overwhelming.

Though Gina was confident in her management skills, she disliked interacting with government officials. The higher their rank, the more difficult they were to deal with. With Linda’s help, these tasks suddenly felt much more manageable, giving Gina the opportunity to fully unleash her potential.

Confidently, Gina said, "Mr. Smith, as long as these issues are resolved, I am sure I can make the company profitable within one year!"

Linda nodded and said, "When I recruited you to manage the company, it was because I saw your capability. I have full confidence in you—go ahead and do it."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith." Gina felt deeply touched. For capable people, the greatest fear was failing to meet a mentor or supporter. Back when she worked at the JYPP Region headquarters, Gina often felt furious at the decisions made by higher-ups, as she believed they were mismanaged. But under Linda’s leadership, she finally felt like she had found her soulmate. The gratitude she felt was beyond words; if Linda asked her to sacrifice herself now, Gina wouldn’t hesitate.