“Are you ready Ms. Biaz?”

The female reporter smiled kindly as she asked Hina.

“Sure thing. Let’s get started”

“Thank you. Let me just start this recorder first…There you go”

With the recorder placed on the tea table between Hina and the reporter, the interview began. We’ve already exchanged our greetings and pleasantries before this, so we are now getting straight to the point. I hope Hina’s ready for this.

“So, Ms. Biaz, could you please tell us how you feel about becoming the CEO of Biaz Group?”

“I will be honest and tell you that it was a surprise to me too that my father has made this decision. It will be a lie if I told you this was all part of a plan that our family prepared beforehand”

“So the rumours are true? That it was only found out after Mr. Biaz’s passing that you would lead the company?”

“Yes, that is correct”

“Do you have any of your own theories why Mr. Biaz might have made such a choice?”

“No. And neither do I feel that I need to make and prove any such theory”

“Could you elaborate a bit?”

I was curious myself how Hina was going to answer this. Just yesterday she was saying she’s trying to figure out why Mr. Biaz left me for her, so she clearly is trying to figure out the intentions of Mr. Biaz in making this arrangement. Now she was saying something else though it seemed.

“My father has too much respect for the responsibility of our company to leave us with a riddle, making us waste our valuable time trying to solve it for the amusement he’s not even here to enjoy”

That was a fastball from her.

“It was the last decision he made as the CEO of Biaz Group. What I accept is the duty to execute his order, not to spend my time speculating”

“Right. But some people are concerned whether someone with, let’s say, less experience in the business world can lead such a great organisation to success. What would you say to that?”

“Who are these ‘some people’?”

Huh.

“Er… let’s say, ‘words on the street’”

The reporter seemed a little taken aback.

“On which street? Are YOU the one saying it?”

“Oh no, Ms. Biaz-”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to confront you, heh”, Hina suddenly switched to a friendly smile again, “if there are ‘some people’ who are concerned, I would like them to come and tell me what they are concerned about. Then I will gladly listen. I will know who they are, and what their concerns are, and if need be, I will do what I can to help relieve such concerns”, a little pause here. “But before that, I don’t see the reasons to worry about it. Surely, if someone is seriously concerned about something, they will want to resolve it? If they are just hanging around ‘the street’ murmuring what they are concerned about, then I don’t think they are really concerned”

Some warped logic and words twisting there but Hina did come across as someone who doesn’t mess about, ironically, because in a way she’s messing about now.

“Ri, Right. Er.. Next one - Do you plan to bring any of your own vision to running Biaz Group or should we expect the business as usual?”

“It is business as usual and there is no new vision to bring in”

“Okay. Business as usual sounds reassuring, but what do you mean there is no new vision?”

“As I see it, there really isn’t any room for the vision to change. Here we are developing and making products that are meant to protect people’s lives, rights, freedom, and our country that enables all this, right? That is our mission that cannot, and will not change”

Ah, I’m happy she said that.

“Thank you. That is a rather inspiring thing to hear”

“Thank you”

“Okay - so the next question…”

This went on for a while but Hina answered most things rather tactfully. In truth there really wasn’t much substance to what she said, they were all general statements that, well, a 19 years old girl can make, just a bit boldly phrased thanks to her confident demeanor. But she was never expected to woo the public with some genius new ideas here. I think the main impression that despite her age she is taking her new responsibilities genuinely seriously came across well and that was enough for now.

“So, let’s switch to some light-hearted topics”

“Sure”

“I’m sorry if this is intrusive, but there was news earlier today that featured pictures of you and an unidentified man having what seemed to be a romantic night out. Are you in any relationship at the moment?”

“Hahaha. That unidentified man is right here”, Hina laughed and pointed directly at me. Oh, don’t put me on the spot like this here, man.

The reporter then quickly referred to the pictures on her tablet and looked at me.

“Oh my, it is him indeed. So what is your answer?”

“To be honest I only really got to know him very very recently”

“So are you saying we are seeing the start of something here?”, the reporter asked with a cheeky smile.

“Yes, but not in the way that gossip column suggested”

“What would you say your relationship with him is then?”

“He’s my henchman”

LOL, Hina.