Chapter 13 Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

• Natalie thought that the issue would be completely resolved after the involved employees were fired, but within three days, rumors spread wildly around the company.
• "I never would have guessed that Natalie from the secretary department got promoted from her interview to a raise by cozying up to Mr. Foster. Now she's even pushed out her supervisor," a few colleagues openly gossiped in the break room.
• Another one snickered, "What's so surprising about that? From the moment I saw her, I knew she'd cling to someone powerful. I just didn't expect her to aim so high and latch onto the very top."
• "She's got skills, I'll give her that. Cynthia got pushed out, and I hear Mr. Foster wants Natalie to take the team leader position. It's a joke, really. Does she even deserve it?"
• These comments naturally reached Natalie's ears.
• Of course, she was most interested in the part about the job promotion because it wasn't just idle gossip.
• A promotion and a raise?
• How could she not be excited?
• The next day, when Isaac called her into his office, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
• Seeing her trying to suppress her laughter even made Isaac feel amused.
• He got straight to the point, "Do you think you can take over Cynthia's role and be the team leader?"
• Trying to contain her excitement, Natalie replied honestly, "I think I can."
• Isaac glanced over her employment record. "Then write up a work plan for the next year and present it to Mr. Marshman."
• He didn't do this out of personal bias.
• In fact, hardly anyone besides HR knew that Natalie had an impressive resume.
• She had skipped multiple grades in school and, at sixteen, was the top student in the city, gaining admission to a prestigious university. She had interned at a top 100 company for two years before finishing her master's degree and had organised several large-scale social events during her school years.
• Although she had made a few mistakes when she first joined the company, it didn't overshadow her capabilities.
• After Alvin approved her, Natalie happily stepped into her new role.
• To celebrate her promotion, she even bought herself two new professional outfits.
• At her first secretarial meeting as team leader, Natalie boldly announced several policy changes.
• "As you all know, the Galactic Group originated from a century-old company. Mr. Foster, with his forward-thinking and innovative vision, has implemented comprehensive reforms since taking over. However, many outdated and cumbersome rules remain, which we need to refine. Here are some new policies I've compiled. If there are no objections, let's proceed with implementing them."
• "Hah, making a mountain out of a molehill," a voice muttered from the corner.
• Natalie didn't get angry. She knew that as a new leader, there would be many who were dissatisfied with her.
• She smiled calmly and said, "Mr. Reed? Do you have an issue with me personally or with my work? If it's about the work, this plan has been approved by Mr. Marshman and Mr. Foster. If you find it problematic, you can raise your concerns now or take them directly to Mr. Foster. If it's a personal issue, I suggest you keep personal feelings and grievances out of the workplace."
• Her words left him with no room for argument.
• Hearing about this, Isaac smiled in satisfaction. His judgment had been spot on.
• From the earlier incidents, he had already seen that Natalie was level-headed and principled in her work, standing firm on her decisions. For someone so young, such qualities were even more valuable than her skills.
• Within two weeks, thanks to Natalie's excellent performance, the rumors and gossip died down.
• Work and life began to go smoothly for her. That was until she received news that the Fosters were hosting a grand birthday celebration and she was expected to attend. Her good mood quickly soured.
• "Damn the Fosters! Why do they have to make everything so complicated? If they want to celebrate a birthday, just buy a cake and light some candles. Why go through all this trouble with a big party? These nouveau riche just love to show off!"
• Grumbling all the way, Natalie headed to the Foster residence.