Chapter 25
Half an hour later, Qian Song appeared in the conference room carrying a large black bag.
Ten employees were already waiting there, and the air was thick with suppressed anger.
Old Li sat in the front row, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his face gloomy.
The smug blush on Qian Song's face deepened.
He slammed the large black bag he was carrying onto the nearest empty desk with a loud "thud".
The zipper was roughly pulled open with a ripping sound. He reached in and pulled out several neatly bundled, brand-new hundred-yuan bills! The bright red color was dazzling under the stark fluorescent light.
Without even looking, he grabbed one of the bundles and, with all his might, slammed it hard onto Old Li's broad chest, which was slightly open in shock! The bundle of banknotes hit its target with a muffled thud, then scattered, the pink banknotes like a flock of startled birds, scattering all over the ground.
"You two are so opportunistic! You see I've been too busy to deal with you these past few days, so you're inciting everyone to cause trouble for me, huh?! Have you forgotten who's paying you all?" Qian Song pointed at Lao Li's nose, spitting everywhere, his voice distorted with excitement, a kind of frantic outburst. "Open your dog eyes and look! What is this? Money! Do you think I need your little bit of money? Let me tell you, I just signed a few big deals, the money'll be in my account soon, understand? You!" He held up five fingers, waving them vigorously in front of everyone, as if trying to pierce the air. "With your meager salary, why would I need you?!"
Old Li was completely bewildered by Qian Song's outrageous spending spree. His face turned red and then black, and he stammered, opening his mouth to protest in a hoarse voice, "Mr. Qian, no, no, this month's salary is already ten days late... My daughter needs formula, and we still have a mortgage to pay..."
"Mortgage, mortgage, idiot, if you don't buy a house, you won't have a mortgage?" Qian Song glanced at Lao Li's flushed face and sneered, "Alright, take this 10,000 yuan, count it carefully, and go report to Xiao Kang later."
Old Li's embarrassment was witnessed by everyone present. The others were also stunned by the large orders that Qian Song had mentioned. For a moment, they forgot their anger and just subconsciously looked down at the banknotes scattered at their feet. Then they looked up at Qian Song's face, which was distorted with excitement but also flushed. They pursed their lips, looked at each other, and their momentum instantly diminished.
Qian Song seemed quite satisfied with the deterrent effect.
He glanced at his young subordinates who were sitting there dumbfounded, then bent down and grabbed a few more bundles of money from his bag. He turned around and looked at the employees who had just been shouting about going to arbitration but were now staring in disbelief.
As if the insults from before weren't enough, his gaze returned to Old Li's face, who had been shouting the loudest, and lingered for a moment, filled with undisguised contempt and a vengeful satisfaction.
"Did you all hear that? The company will be rich soon!" Qian Song's voice was filled with an arrogant sense of control. He walked up to Lao Li, but instead of handing him money, he stretched out his slightly dry palm and slapped it heavily on Lao Li's thick shoulder with an insulting force.
"Slap! Slap!" Two slaps made Old Li stagger.
Qian Song grinned maliciously, leaned close to his ear, and said in a low but clear voice, "Old Li, weren't you shouting a lot just now? Going to arbitration? Go ahead! Now you know who you have to follow to get anything, huh?"
The "hmm" was drawn out, full of threat and mockery.
Old Li's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, his shoulder burning with pain, but more than anything, he felt humiliated.
He stared at Qian Song's smug face, so close to his own, his fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white, teeth grinding together. But in the end, the surging anger was forcibly suppressed by the fear of unemployment and the bewilderment at the "fifty million US dollars." He abruptly turned his face away, his chest heaving violently, like a wounded, trapped beast.
Old Li stood frozen, not moving an inch. Qian Song's insults were too nasty, but seeing the red banknotes flying around him, he didn't dare to yell at Qian Song, "I quit!" Thinking of his six-month-old daughter's fair and tender face, and the tuition fees for his eldest son's English training class, he gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and lowered his head.
He thought to himself, "Just bear with it."
At least for now, staying by Qian Song's side as an idiot, I can still earn more than 10,000 yuan a month. Although he often delays paying, I can still get it every month.
If he were to hold a grudge now, slam his fist on the table, and walk out, he would lose his monthly salary of over ten thousand yuan.
Finding another job would mean starting all over again, and more importantly, he's already 37 years old, with the unemployment rate so high right now...
Qian Song, of course, had no idea what Lao Li was thinking. He stood in the conference room and burst into laughter, as if he had won a great victory and vented his long-suppressed anger.
"Everyone!" Qian Song clapped his hands, his voice loud and clear. After venting his anger, he looked at everyone and softened his attitude, especially towards those who hadn't joined Lao Li in causing trouble. "I know everyone has been working very hard lately. It's my responsibility that our wages have been delayed for so long."
He paused for a moment, looked around at everyone, and saw several young employees looking at each other with their own hidden meanings in their eyes. He felt a shiver in his heart, but quickly straightened his back.
"But!" he raised his voice, "I have some good news to share! We just met with Mr. Zhang from Hongshan yesterday, and he is very optimistic about our company's smart project. The advance payment of 500,000 yuan has already been received!"
As he spoke, he pushed the large bag he was carrying in front of Xiao Wang, "You and Xiao Kang count the money in here. Today, we'll give everyone a month's salary, not a penny less! We'll give them all out."
Xiao Wang felt like he had been granted a pardon. With trembling hands, he took the black bag, unzipped it, and revealed stacks of hundred-yuan bills inside, totaling at least 100,000 yuan, enough to pay everyone's wages. His face lit up with joy, and he quickly called on Xiao Kang, the accountant, to check the accounts and start distributing wages.
The deathly silence in the office was broken by a low, incredulous commotion.
The employees looked at each other, their expressions complicated as they stared at the crisp new banknotes Xiao Wang handed them.
Although everyone inevitably felt that Qian Song was showing off by bringing a bag of cash to the company to distribute salaries, the impact of the bundles of cash being thrown down temporarily suppressed the anger in everyone's hearts.
The anger was suppressed, but it did not disappear; instead, it was replaced by a deeper sense of doubt and unease.
Qian Song's arrogant face, the hand patting Lao Li's shoulder, those big orders that seemed like a fantasy... all of this exuded a strong sense of unreality and danger.
Those who received the money wore smiles on their faces, but a sense of heaviness and bewilderment, known only to themselves, welled up inside.
Is this money really a deposit from a client after Mr. Qian landed a big order?
"Mr. Qian." One of the older employees, wearing glasses and somewhat plump, who had worked for Qian Song the longest and was usually quiet, spoke slowly as everyone was busy counting money. "Mr. Qian, who are those big clients you've been dealing with? What products have they ordered? When do we need to deliver them? What's the next step?"
Qian Song knows best how he got the 500,000 yuan.
Things that aren't true are the least likely to stand up to scrutiny.
Caught off guard by his female subordinate's sudden question, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment with a smile, but quickly relaxed again. "They are a few of my friends. They all do online business and foreign trade. Their brands aren't big, but they have many sales channels."
Then, he made a few polite remarks to respond to the old employee's question, which also served to reassure his subordinate.
The atmosphere in the meeting room changed instantly.
The employees looked at each other, their anger replaced by surprise and hesitation.
Old Li took the banknotes and pay slip from Xiao Wang, and his tense and angry expression softened a bit. He even gave Qian Song a few flattering words, "Qian Song, it's great that you have your own resources. You should have told us sooner, then we would have been at ease. We hope the company will have even better development and more business in the future."
"Of course!" Qian Song patted his chest and guaranteed, "When have I, Qian Song, ever gone back on my word? Follow me, and I guarantee you'll all live the high life!"
As he spoke, he observed the employees' reactions, and as the doubt in their eyes gradually gave way to hope, a twisted sense of pleasure welled up inside him.
These idiots are always so easy to fool.
After receiving their salaries, the employees gradually returned to their work stations.
Qian Song also planned to return to his office.
Xiao Wang promptly reminded him, "Mr. Qian, the person being interviewed is still waiting in our lounge."
Qian Song paused, then nodded. "Understood. Tell him to come to my office in five minutes."
Xiao Wang ran to the lounge, sweating profusely, a forced smile plastered on his face. "Xiao Chen, right? Sorry to keep you waiting! Mr. Qian is available now, I'll take you to his office."
He stepped aside to make way for the doorway.
The young man looked at Xiao Wang's fake smile and hesitated visibly.
The frosted glass door to the conference room was not closed properly.
He had just gone to the toilet because he needed to urinate. When he returned, he saw the absurd and violent farce unfolding inside through the gap.
He saw the moment the boss threw banknotes at the employees, saw him grinning and patting the old employee on the shoulder, and heard the harsh words, "You'll only get to eat meat if you work for someone else."
This is outrageous.
When HR notified him to come for an interview, didn't they say that the company was already in the Series A funding round?
How can a boss have such poor character?
Also, there was the supplier who angrily demanded payment and came to the company, and the employees with their various expressions...
He sat on the sofa, his fingers holding the exquisite product brochure of Pure-bule were icy cold, and his fingertips trembled slightly.
My stomach churned, and my throat tightened.
Is this the company he researched so much about online?
Is this his future boss?
A chill ran up his spine, causing him to involuntarily shrink his neck.
The resume was crumpled beyond recognition in his hands.
"What's wrong?" The boy's expression was off, and Xiao Wang noticed it and couldn't help but reassure him, "Don't be nervous, our CEO Qian is very easy to talk to."
"Oh," the boy replied softly, head bowed. "Could you please lead the way for me?"
Xiao Wang let out a soft sigh. He actually guessed why the boy in front of him had such a reaction. He just felt that the company was really unlucky today, with all sorts of bad things happening at once.
But he couldn't help but take a deep look at the young man who was bowing his head and obediently following him toward President Qian's office. He wondered if the kid was lucky or unlucky.
It's actually quite good that I didn't join this lousy company.
The two remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, and soon arrived at Qian Song's office.
As Xiao Wang pushed open the frosted glass door, the young man being interviewed looked up and saw Qian Song sitting inside, dressed in an expensive suit, intently looking at his computer. Upon seeing them, Qian Song put on a professional smile, extended his hand, and said, "Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Are you Chen Mo?" He casually took the boy's personal profile from Xiao Wang and glanced at it.
"Mr. Qian." He shook hands with him silently, his voice neither humble nor arrogant.
Qian Song gestured for him to sit down, then sat down on the other side of the single sofa, adopting the demeanor of a boss. "Your resume is quite good. Why do you want to join our company?"
His voice carried a deliberate casualness and arrogance.
Chen Mo looked directly into Qian Song's eyes. "I admire your company's 'Wilderness' series. Although the market response has been lukewarm, the design concept is very groundbreaking."
The "Wilderness" series is a high-end product line launched by the company two years ago. Despite huge investments, sales have been dismal, directly leading to the current financial crisis.
Qian Song's heart sank, but he smiled and said, "It seems you've done your preparations carefully."
Then, he frowned slightly, "'Wilderness' has indeed received a lukewarm market response."
"That's because they don't know how to appreciate it! Today's consumers just follow trends and don't understand what real denim culture is at all!"
Mo Chen frowned slightly. "Mr. Qian, if I may be frank, building a brand cannot be about self-expression alone; market demand and positioning are the key."
The smile on Qian Song's face disappeared.
How dare someone who's only been in the industry for a few years lecture him?
“Xiao Chen.” His voice deepened slightly. “I’ve been in this business for over ten years, starting from a small street shop. I have some experience in marketing and branding.”
Because I had some thoughts in my mind.
Chen Mo responded calmly to Qian Song, "Mr. Qian, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that as someone applying for the design director position, I believe we should have an open and honest exchange of views on the brand."
Qian Song stared at the young man for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Good! You have ideas! I admire your straightforward personality!"
He leaned back slightly on the sofa behind him, his posture casual. "I've read your resume. With your qualifications, you're not quite qualified to be our company's design director. However, we also have other vacancies in our design department. If you're willing, I'll have my assistant, Xiao Wang, discuss your monthly salary with you. You can start work next Monday. How about that?"
Chen Mo was visibly taken aback. "Mr. Qian, we haven't discussed the specifics of the work yet..."
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