Chapter 6: Salary

Li Weijie followed Xu Rong up to the third floor and discovered another surprise. The third floor had the same amount of space as the other floors, but it consisted of several offices and a conference room.

Observing the structure of the offices, Li Weijie noticed that they were independent studios, unlike the glass compartments on the lower floors. There was still a glass panel on the wall facing the corridor, allowing a glimpse inside.

As they walked past, Li Weijie saw two offices with the lights on.

One office had a man with long hair, while the other had a beautiful, cool-looking woman. Both of them were busy and didn't notice Xu Rong and Li Weijie passing by.

Li Weijie casually asked, "Are these the studios of senior hairstylists?" He recalled Xu Rong mentioning that they had a small number of management personnel, so he assumed these were the higher-level hairstylists.

Xu Rong nodded and led him forward. "You could say that. They are not only top-level hairstylist designers but also top-level image stylists, so they can be considered senior hairstylists."

Image stylists? Li Weijie had some knowledge about this because hairstyling design wasn't just about the hair; it was also related to the overall image of a person. In other words, the hairstyle had to be designed in conjunction with the client's overall image.

A good hairstyle that didn't align with the overall appearance would be ineffective or even highlight certain flaws.

Therefore, a good hairstylist not only excelled in hairstyling design but also understood image styling. These individuals being referred to as top-level image stylists meant they were highly skilled.

Xu Rong led Li Weijie to an office door and opened it with a key. "This is my office."

Li Weijie remembered that Xu Rong's business card mentioned her title as General Manager. He used to think it was just a fancy title, but now, after seeing the grandeur of "Shijue" along the way, he realized that the title of "General Manager" was not an exaggeration.

"So, after taking a quick look, what's your impression of Shijue?" After they both sat down in the office, Xu Rong poured a glass of water for Li Weijie and asked with a smile. She didn't have a secretary or assistant; she handled everything alone.

Li Weijie sincerely replied, "It's far beyond what I imagined. I never thought a hair salon could be developed to such a scale."

Comparing his hair salon to this, was like comparing a small restaurant to a grand hotel.

When Xu Rong heard his joking remark about a "hair salon," she couldn't help but smile. Then she earnestly began her introduction.

"You've already seen the overall environment. The first floor is our foundation, with dozens of assistants who handle the daily visits from customers.

The hairstylists on the second floor cater to our regular clients who make appointments.

To put it simply, they specifically serve wealthy individuals who have high demands and spending power, and who are willing to become regular customers.

As for the senior hairstylists on the third floor, there are only four of them. You saw two of them just now, and one of them is currently on tour with a celebrity and will return after the tour ends."

"And the last one is you?"

Xu Rong nodded with a smile.

"That's right, but I've mostly stopped taking clients, so you can say there are only three of them. The three of them primarily handle the needs of our most important clients and spend their spare time researching in the studios."

"But didn't you mention there were over a hundred people? It seems like there aren't that many here," Li Weijie expressed some doubt.

He did a quick calculation and realized there were only around eighty to ninety people, which, although already a large scale, still couldn't account for the need for so many staff members.

Xu Rong chuckled lightly and said, "You think that's enough staff? We also have a group of hairstylists working on some film and television sets; we have a team of publicity staff; we have spokesperson models in various adult industries; and we have a group of models who collaborate with us."

Li Weijie was stunned and could only say after a while, "That's quite a lot, and it must be quite expensive! Do we need that many people?"

Sighing, Xu Rong replied, "Of course, the attractiveness of the storefront and regular advertisements can only bring business to the first floor.

Think about it, how many times do models or celebrities have the time to watch TV commercials?

Even office workers rarely watch TV commercials.

Customers with spending power need recommendations from acquaintances, and the same goes for some adult advertisements.

That's why we need spokesperson models.

Collaborating with film and television crews is also for increasing our reputation and attracting more celebrity customers.

Do you know that in the past, even a simple haircut by Aaron Kwok would cost 5,000 yuan? That's the difference with celebrities.

In addition, we regularly publish new hairstyles and designs in professional magazines and famous fashion magazines.

Some professional competitions in the industry require top-notch designers and models to cooperate.

So we also need a group of excellent collaborating models."

It's all very costly! After listening to Xu Rong's words, Li Weijie couldn't help but be amazed. It seemed that there was a big difference between running a barber shop and a hair salon!

"Sister Rong, I understand. In terms of business, I may not have the ability. Let me start as an apprentice at the headquarters, and I will work hard!" Li Weijie quickly said.

While he had been confident in his skills at the beginning, he now realized that there was indeed a gap between him and top designers.

Xu Rong smiled and looked at him, saying, "How can that be? Although you may have limited practical experience, I have high hopes for your skills and creativity. I hired you because I wanted you to be a hairstylist. Why would you think about starting as an apprentice?"

Li Weijie smiled awkwardly and said, "Sister Rong, I know you have good intentions, but after hearing your introduction just now, I think Sejue has strict regulations. I'm a newcomer, so how can I become a hairstylist all of a sudden? It's better to start from scratch."

Xu Rong nodded appreciatively, "You're right. Shijue has its system. Do you know why they're not called ordinary employees or workers, but apprentices? This is our system for selecting and cultivating talent.

Apprentices who show talent, good performance, and hard work can also be trained to become assistant hairstylists.

Assistant hairstylists with the right abilities and charm can eventually become hairstylists and even have their studios on the third floor."

Li Weijie silently praised, "Employees" often lack a sense of belonging and loyalty, but "apprentices" give them hope. Besides selecting and cultivating future talent, it also has significant positive meaning for their daily work.

"While I recognize your abilities, we still have to follow the rules. However..." Xu Rong smiled slightly, "You will start as an assistant hairstylist. Do you have confidence?"

Li Weijie wasn't too surprised, but he understood that it might be a test for him, considering he lacked experience in such an environment. "No problem! I will live up to Sister Rong's expectations!"

"Good! I'll prepare the contract for you right away. Once your abilities and charm reach the requirements, we'll promote you to a hairstylist." Xu Rong got up and went to her desk, opening a drawer to find a blank contract.

Why is charm repeatedly mentioned? Li Weijie understood the importance of skills, but what does charm refer to? He pondered on this.

"For now, let's set your monthly salary at 10,000 yuan."

Contracts were standardized, and Xu Rong found an assistant contract and began filling in the blank spaces for name, compensation, and other details.

"What? A monthly salary of 10,000 yuan? Sister Rong, are you not mistaken?" Li Weijie exclaimed.