Henchman

So Hina, with some absurd sense of responsibility, vowed to follow her late father's wish to become the CEO of the Chan Group. Some of her siblings were explicitly hostile like Jiko, while some were not convinced but respected the late Chairman Chan's wish. Some didn't care anymore as they had gotten enough share of the wealth to give up on the idea of contesting for any power in the company, and some just didn't have any other option than to roll with it - like me.

I knew Chairman Chan was very fond of his daughter. It's not that she was his favorite child. I think he actually only really liked Hina and looked down upon his sons as just sons of a bitch, but maybe that said more about his wife than his sons.

But even then this was just insane. You can't let a 19-year-old girl with no work experience take charge of a company that is a pillar of this country's defense industry. While the Chan Group had some smaller, more specialized commercial services and products, its biggest business was in developing, manufacturing, and selling defense products. It has been like that for the past centuries, and Hina's grandfather - Chairman Chan's father - was considered a national hero who funded the resistance movement during the sorry period in our history when we were once a colony. 

I looked out of the car's window to see if Hina was coming. Man, why is she taking so long? Maybe I have time for one more cigarette? But although I have known Hina since she was younger it was not like I was ever an auntie figure to her or anything like that. She was just the daughter of my boss. Someone I should greet politely with a friendly smile when I see her, but irrelevant in my work life. 

So that boss's daughter is now my boss huh? I thought to myself and decided against having a smoke. Would not be the best first impression on her very first workday morning if she saw me casually chilling out and smoking while waiting for her.

Then the door of the mansion opened and Hina walked out accompanied by Ema, Hina's personal assistant slash maid slash butler slash bodyguard slash tutor slash actual mother figure slash probably the only real friend slash whatever I don't care anymore. Having been the right-hand man of Chairman Chan for a long time, I knew Ema well. I have seen her only a few times in the past years, but I have overheard Chairman Chan talking to her over the phone countless times as he frequently called to ask about how his daughter is doing. It seemed that this Ema dressed up Hina with a rather good taste. Hina was wearing a jet-black suit jacket and trousers with a pristine white shirt inside, not a blouse. 

"Ms. Sin?"

"Please, just call me Sin"

"OK"

"How are you today, Miss?"

"Please call me Hina"

"I can't do that Miss, and the sooner you get used to it the better it is"

Hina turned around to look at Ema as if to ask what was going on, and Ema gave an understanding nod which Hina seemed to have found reassuring without actually understanding.

"Ok, Sin. You are now... My chauffeur?"

"Yes, Miss. Among many other things"

"Like what?"

"Whatever you require, I will try my best to be of good use"

"But I have Ema for that"

"Miss", Ema interrupted, "Please understand that there are differences between someone who runs errands for you, like little old me and someone who will aid and guide you in your profession in the industry - like Sin" - well put Ema, although I knew that her definition of these errands was pretty broad.

"Fine. Let's go to work then"

I just bowed my head and opened the back door of the car for her.

"I call the shotgun!", and just like that, Hina took the passenger seat in the front.

"Miss..."

As Ema was trying to correct her little girl I waved to her that it was okay. I got into the car and started to drive.

"So, what can you do?"

"What do you mean by that Miss?"

"Like, you were like my Dad's henchman right?"

"Miss, I'm flattered you saw me as a close assistant to our late Chairman, but 'henchman' is not the appropriate word here"

"Hmph, but that's what my brother said" - it could not have been Jiko, as he would have used a less kind word for me.

"Then let me put it this way - what was your job for my Dad?"

"Now, that's a more appropriate way to put it. I did whatever Chairman Chan requested me to do to help our operation"

"That sounds awfully like a henchman to me"

This girl is not gonna be easy to train, but if Chairman Chan thought I should be the one, I shall be the one.

It's time for some lecturing.

"Miss. We are working in a company. It is an organization where everyone has his or her role, duty, and opportunity. Just as any good business should be, our company culture is built on meritocracy. The primary goal of any business is to make money and Chairman Chan was extremely good at it. From your perspective, I could look like someone who 'served' your dear father. But if I was not useful to Chairman Chan in achieving his business goals, he would not have kept me around. It was generous of him to give me the chance to start, but it wasn't a favor that he kept me on the payroll" 

"Right. Well, you sure can talk"

"Please let me continue - you need to see that a boss and his worker relationship is not exclusively vertical. We are working together for mutual success. I have deepest respect for Chairman Chan but I've worked for money and my own career just like any professional should do. Chairman Chan hired me because he judged that having me around would make his business more successful than not having me around"

I took a side glance at Hina and at least she wasn't fiddling with her phone or anything like that. 

Good.

"Please understand that this is what 'work' and a company is. There is a fundamental difference between people hired to work at your house and people hired to work in the company"

"You make it sound all so business-like"

"Because it is"

"Well, then fill me in Sin, what business do I have today?"

"I am not your secretary"

"What are you then?"

"I'm your henchman"

That made Hina chuckle and she asked no more.