[Chapter 457: Exclusive Personal Staff]
At 12:30 PM, Linton arrived at the restaurant in the first courtyard with the group.
Having received the news, the chef team had already put their heart and soul into preparing a grand spread of their signature dishes. Over the past month, since the big boss hadn't come by, they had been twiddling their thumbs and was eager to showcase their talents.
The menu showcased tamal tolimense wrapped in plantain leaves, braised shark fin, double-boiled bird's nest soup, Sichuan-style garlic king prawns, Tuscan slow-braised beef shank, oak-smoked Peking duck, Colombian sobrebarriga stew simmered for hours, abalone with oyster sauce, shrimp with black mushrooms, an imperial bird's nest specialty, steamed fish maw, ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach, and New England lobster rolls…
Everyone enjoyed the feast with visible delight, offering nonstop praise between bites.
They were especially stunned to hear that braised shark fin dish had taken three full days to prepare, and the oak-smoked duck had been cooked low and slow over two. Each detail left them dazzled and deeply impressed.
With all their experience, none of them had imagined that food could be crafted with such precision and artistry -- this was the kind of cuisine even world leaders rarely touched.
The slow-braised beef dish drew particular admiration. It was made from Wagyu cattle raised directly on Anderson Farm. Known as a luxury ingredient, the cattle were fed nutrient-rich grasses enhanced with special supplements, producing remarkably tender meat. After the chef's careful preparation, the flavor was beyond compare, and the dish disappeared quickly from the table.
...
During the meal, only the housekeeper, Erica, was at hand serving them, with little Lina occasionally causing a bit of playful trouble, making the task somewhat challenging.
After lunch, Erica delicately reminded Linton, "Boss, don't you think it's time to choose the service staff for the inner courtyard?"
"How many staff do you think we need in the inner courtyard?"
"I'd say around 15 for the main yard, plus one or two personal assistants for each lady."
"How have the girls in the outer courtyard been performing?"
"Excellent. They are all diligent, capable, polite, and follow the rules. You can't find better girls to serve right now."
"Good. Bring me the roster of these girls and notify them to be ready. When the four ladies arrive, we can select from them together."
"I've already prepared the roster for your review."
Linton took a look and was impressed. Erica was truly skilled -- within just a month and a half, she had compiled simple profiles for all 116 girls. Although each profile was brief, every sheet contained detailed information, including English names, photos, ages, education, skills, hobbies, personalities, and even Erica's personal assessments.
...
Then Linton took the women on a tour of the inner courtyard's scenery, where each spot featured innovative design that drew continuous admiration.
The highlight was the sprawling 80-acre backyard garden, with its lakes, stacked stones and rockeries, meandering corridors, pavilions, exotic flowers and plants, and rare trees. Covered in a soft blanket of snow, the views were simply breathtaking.
Winona and Jennifer couldn't resist starting a snowball fight.
...
By around 4 PM, those on the second flight finally arrived.
They, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Michelle Reis, and Noriko Sakai, too were stunned by the estate's grandeur, as if dreaming.
After they selected their rooms in the main courtyard and settled their luggage, Linton gathered all the women together to discuss the management of the estate.
"Each of you can choose one room within this main courtyard, and in addition, you may select a villa in the inner courtyard to serve as your private space, including for entertaining your family.
There are currently 148 staff members serving this entire estate, including Housekeeper Erica. Among them, 116 are young female attendants. Deducting two who handle finances, there are 114 women -- all carefully handpicked. Here are their profiles.
You each may select two personal assistants from this group to be exclusively yours. They will also take care of cleaning and managing your villa and rooms in the main courtyard when you're away.
Of course, if you find better candidates elsewhere, you may bring them in and not choose from this list -- but no matter what, each of you may only have two personal assistants.
I will personally select 15 staff members to serve the main courtyard, attending to my needs and the estate's operations."
"Darling, are you saying that I can have two personal assistants here at the estate?" asked Akina Nakamori in disbelief.
"That's right."
"Can I choose my personal assistants from these girls or bring in my own? Is it okay to pick one from here and one from outside?" Madonna raised her question.
"Yes, but the total number is capped at two. However, for every child you have, you may add two more assistants to help with childcare and take care of the child's rooms in the main courtyard. So, you may choose four this time."
"How do we make the selections? We don't know much about them."
"No worries. You'll be staying here on vacation for 10 days, so you can observe them at your leisure and select accordingly. Also, these profiles have basic information for reference."
"Where will the personal assistants we choose live? Will they stay in the outer courtyard?"
"The ones selected for inner courtyard service will naturally move into the inner courtyard. The 15 staff members I select for the main courtyard service will live in the second courtyard. I recommend having your personal assistants live in your villas, but it's not mandatory. They can also stay in the second courtyard if preferred."
"Are the personal assistants under our management? Can we discipline or replace them if we're not satisfied?"
"Absolutely. Since they are your personal assistants, you have full authority over them. Currently, their base salary is $10,000 per year. For those selected for inner courtyard service, I suggest increasing their monthly variable pay by $500, which you will fund directly. You can reward or penalize them based on their performance. If you're truly unhappy, you can send them back to the outer courtyard and choose someone else, or bring in new candidates from outside. Any questions?"
"Nope."
"I'll get started on selecting the 15 staff for the main courtyard. Since we're moving in, the estate service can't be left unattended."
"Come on, we'll go with you and watch how you pick."
*****
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