Chapter 39 Don't I Count as Connections?
Sophia suppressed her laughter—her parents' flustered reactions were quite amusing.
In the Smith family, having an extra daughter was no different from having an extra servant—both were just outsiders who received no attention anyway.
But for the Johnson family, it truly meant gaining another family member—someone they could live with day by day, someone they could support each other with.
This difference felt refreshingly new to Sophia.
"Sophia, what did you want to talk about?" Ray had mentally prepared himself. Even if Sophia said she was leaving tomorrow, he could handle it.
"It's nothing major." Sophia suppressed her mischievous smile and became serious. "Mom's beauty salon just opened, so it won't be profitable in the short term. Our family's financial situation is pretty rough. If you want to start a new business, just relying on rideshare driving won't be enough to raise sufficient startup capital. So, have you considered changing jobs?"
Ray was confused for a moment, so she wasn't leaving after all?
As long as she wasn't leaving, that was good. Ray's tense nerves instantly relaxed. As long as Sophia didn't leave, everything else was manageable.
His eyes gleamed with amusement. "From what you're saying, you have a good suggestion?"
"Yeah, you should get a regular job."
The smile froze instantly on Ray's face. His gaze remained fixed for a long while before he dejectedly lowered his eyes. "Sophia, it's not that I'm too proud to work for someone else, it's that I'm too old. Right after we went bankrupt, I interviewed at many companies, but no one was willing to hire me. When we had no income at home and were nearly starving, that's when I took out a loan to buy a used car and started rideshare driving."
Mentioning this, James also sighed softly.
During that period, he'd often seen Ray after school, sitting under a tree with a worried expression, sighing. The tree's shadow bent Ray's back, while the harsh sunlight whitened his hair.
Ray always acted nonchalant in front of them, swallowing all the cold stares he received during interviews, yet still had to endure Emily's accusations of being useless. The family's burden weighed on Ray's shoulders, forcing this middle-aged man to curl up in corners day after day, licking his wounds alone.
Taking out a loan to buy a car for rideshare driving was his suggestion to his father. Once they had a steady income to cover daily expenses, the pressure in his father's heart finally eased somewhat.
"Sophia, Dad knows you want to make this family better, too. I'll start taking evening rides as well, save up more money, and eventually rent a shop to start a small business. Life will get better and better." Ray didn't want to dismiss her good intentions, but he'd already tried finding work; no one wanted to hire someone in his fifties.
Seeing Ray and James's troubled expressions, Sophia could guess how difficult it had been for Ray to find work. She leaned back in her chair, grabbed a throw pillow to hug, and continued with her suggestion.
"Dad, nowadays the streets are full of college graduates who can't find jobs. When you interview for entry-level positions, naturally, there are loads of competitors who are younger and more educated than you. But you built your business from scratch—the Johnson family was wealthy for over twenty years. Your biggest advantage is management experience. Why not interview directly for management positions?"
Ray pressed his lips together. "They won't even hire me for entry-level positions, let alone management?"
"Sophia, have some grape juice." Mary handed Sophia the juice with a straw already inserted, sitting on the armrest of Ray's side of the sofa. Looking at her daughter, who always seemed so composed, she worried Sophia didn't understand how harsh the real world could be.
She couldn't help but say, "Sophia, it's not that your dad won't try, it's just that finding work is incredibly difficult these days. In today's companies, without connections or background, even working for five or six years doesn't guarantee a promotion. How would they hire some unknown person as management?"
Sophia took a small sip of juice and tilted her head toward Mary. "Don't I count as connections?"
Mary was stunned. She exchanged glances with Ray, nearly forgetting that Sophia had an impressive network of connections.
"The Johnson family used to be in the automotive business, right? I have a friend who recently acquired an automotive manufacturing plant and wants to hire someone to manage it. Dad's experience would be a perfect match. If you want to give it a try, I could recommend you to my friend for an interview. Plus, getting into this industry would make it easier to understand current market trends, which would help with future entrepreneurial ventures too."
Sophia lowered her gaze to her drink, her tone so casual it sounded like she was discussing something as simple as buying clothes.
Ray was floored again, asking tentatively, "What kind of company does this friend of yours run?"
Please don't tell him it was another big shot like Benjamin.
Sophia blinked innocently and said matter-of-factly, "You've probably heard of it—AstraVelo."
"AstraVelo!"
Ray's speech became stuttered. AstraVelo was an automotive brand that had suddenly emerged in recent years. Currently, they only produced one SUV model, priced above $200,000, featuring fully reinforced glass and the latest chip technology, renowned for its exceptional safety ratings.
It belonged to NovaDrive Automotive Group, a well-known domestic conglomerate with several automotive brands whose sales volumes ranked in the nation's top ten. The company had expanded internationally, and NovaDrive Automotive Group cars could be seen everywhere on Eldoria's streets.
Sophia actually had connections at NovaDrive Automotive Group?
"I wouldn't say I know people at NovaDrive Automotive Group exactly. My friend is mainly responsible for the AstraVelo brand. Car manufacturing involves multiple processes and components, so naturally, there are many factories. He recently acquired a plant that handles automotive painting and parts assembly."
After hearing Sophia's explanation, Ray's eyes were still wide with amazement. Modern automotive factories were fully automated with robotic arms—incredibly advanced technology he'd never seen in person. If he had the chance to witness it firsthand and understand the current automotive market, it would naturally be ideal.
"Would this be too much trouble for you?" He wanted to go, but worried about Sophia owing favors that would be hard to repay.
"What trouble could there be between family members?" Sophia set down her grape juice and turned to meet James's eyes. "Right, James?"
James smiled knowingly. He had been the one to tell Sophia that family members didn't need to keep score with each other. This showed Sophia was beginning to accept them.
"Dad, I can only recommend you for the interview. Whether you pass will depend on your own performance." Sophia spoke honestly—they were all businesspeople, and if Ray's qualifications weren't up to standard, she couldn't force her friend to accept someone to manage such a large operation.
"Of course! Dad's pretty confident about this!"
Ray took a sip of water, unable to suppress the gratified smile at the corners of his mouth.
The Johnson family was like a sailboat, and Sophia was their paddle.
Without a paddle, the boat could only drift aimlessly on the water, at the mercy of the waves.
With a paddle, they had direction for moving forward.
With the whole family working together toward the same goal, he believed that someday they would reach the shores of success.