The next morning began quietly in Ashrock, sunlight spilling through the thin curtains of Ashburn's room. The air carried a sense of change — calm but charged with purpose. After weeks of restless effort, the factory had finally stabilized its first line of snack production, and now, a new goal awaited: establishing their company's first head office.
Ashburn sat at the breakfast table, maps and property listings spread beside his cup of tea. Aisha and Kainat joined him, still a little drowsy from another late night of calculations and packaging reviews.
"We need something independent," Ashburn said, adjusting his glasses slightly. "A space we can modify as we want — not just a room inside another building."
Aisha nodded. "So, no commercial plaza or shared space?"
"Exactly. A small house would be better," he replied. "Quiet, flexible, and affordable."
Kainat smiled softly. "It'll feel more like our own territory too."
They spent the next few days driving through Ashrock's narrow lanes and outskirts, visiting modest properties. One stood out — a single-story home with three rooms, a kitchen, and a small courtyard. The walls needed a coat of paint, but the structure was sound, private, and filled with light.
Ashburn walked through it silently, envisioning desks in the main hall, a small meeting space in one room, and storage shelves lining another. He turned to the girls, expression unreadable. "This one feels right. We can rent it for now — later we'll build something better."
By the end of the day, the paperwork was done.
Within a week, furniture arrived — polished wooden tables, two computers, and a gleaming nameplate for the gate:
"Khan Enterprises."
The modest home was transformed into an office. Its simplicity carried an elegance born from ambition.
Meanwhile, word spread quickly among the workers of the three shops and the new factory. Ashburn had announced new management positions — heads for sales, supply, quality control, and production — with better pay and benefits.
The response was immediate.
Employees began working with renewed energy, smiling even under long hours. Whispers of "promotion" and "head of section" ran through every aisle and corner.
Ashburn observed silently, noting details others would miss — punctuality, initiative, cooperation, and even how one worker handled a small dispute calmly. He didn't say anything, just quietly kept track.
In the evenings, after the shops closed, he'd meet Aisha and Kainat at the office. Stacks of files covered the main desk — applications, performance charts, resumes from new candidates.
Aisha leaned over a spreadsheet, her brow furrowed. "We'll need at least six positions: Sales Head, Production Head, Logistics Manager, Accounts Assistant, HR Coordinator, and a Maintenance Supervisor."
Kainat added softly, "And someone for advertisement and welfare — I can manage that department directly."
Ashburn nodded, half-smiling. "Then that's settled. You'll handle welfare and advertisement. Aisha will be our CFO."
She looked up in surprise. "CFO?"
He chuckled. "You've been managing the finances better than anyone. You deserve the title."
Kainat grinned. "And you, our big CEO?"
Ashburn shrugged lightly. "I just push things forward."
Aisha rolled her eyes. "And take all the stress with you."
They all laughed. For a brief moment, the pressure disappeared, leaving only quiet joy and the sound of ambition breathing life into the small office.
As the day ended, Ashburn locked the gate and looked up at the newly placed board glowing faintly under the streetlight.
Khan Enterprises — it wasn't just a name. It was the foundation of something far greater.
Back home, he opened his diary before sleeping, jotting down the last few notes.
Tomorrow, interviews would begin — and so would the real test of leadership.
The sixth month of 5th cycle of evaluation was ending.
And dawn would bring a new phase — not of struggle, but of structure.