Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

The next morning, the snow in Xucheng had stopped.

Outside the window was a vast expanse of white. A few sparrows stared at the camphor tree in the garden of Villa 108, drawn by the scent of its fruit, but they didn’t dare to approach, as if some ferocious beast lay ahead.

”There, there, Mommy will hold you,” Song Yuncheng mumbled softly in her sleep, letting out a faint giggle.

Chen Yansen’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked at Song Yuncheng with a peculiar expression, then couldn’t help but chuckle.

But he didn’t disturb her sweet dreams. He simply lifted a corner of the covers, pushed open the glass door to the third-floor balcony, and scooped a small pinch of snow into his hand.

Icy cold!

President Chen glanced back at the soundly sleeping Song Yuncheng, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

He grabbed a handful of snow and packed it into a ball about the size of his fist.

’Oops, that’s a bit too big.’

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yansen pinched off a piece of snow the size of a fingernail. With a casual flick, he landed it perfectly in the opening of Song Yuncheng’s pajamas, where it slid down into the valley.

”Boss, run! It’s an avalanche!” Song Yuncheng grumbled, wriggling her body but still not opening her eyes.

A warmth spread through Chen Yansen’s heart. He couldn’t bear to tease her anymore, so he left the master bedroom and went into the study.

He turned on his computer, logged into the data backend, and quickly began to review the numbers.

With the end of the New Year’s Goods Festival, the approach of the Spring Festival, and the delivery industry starting their holidays, consumer demand was shifting offline, and e-commerce had entered its off-season.

Pinbei’s daily transaction volume had dropped from one billion to eight hundred million.

All other delivery companies had already stopped operations. Only Cloud Speed Express, relying on high overtime pay, had retained sixty percent of its couriers and was still able to maintain normal pickup and delivery services.

In Liao Wei’s opinion, business volume was low during the New Year, so keeping twenty percent of the staff on duty would be enough. But Chen Yansen knew well that they couldn’t let their guard down during the holidays.

The overtime pay was just a drop in the bucket; if they lost market share, it would take ten times the time and resources to win it back.

Therefore, although Cloud Speed didn’t mandate overtime, faced with the temptation of triple pay, most couriers still chose to stay at their posts.

In 2013, housing prices were about to skyrocket. Wage growth was far outpaced by property prices, and the cost of living was also rising. Ordinary people could only take the opportunity to earn more money—who could bear to rest?

BZZZZZ—!

Just then, the phone on his desk started buzzing.

Chen Yansen picked it up and saw it was a call from Cao Dahua. Without much thought, he pressed the answer button and joked with a smile, ”Calling your boss at eight in the morning? Are you trying to get fired?”

Cao Dahua gave an awkward laugh, knowing his boss was joking, and quickly explained, ”Hehe, it’s the annual meeting today. The workers all want to wish you a Happy New Year, and I was afraid of delaying your schedule for the day, so...”

”Start a video call,” Chen Yansen said with a sigh, not having the heart to blame him.

”Okay, right away.” Cao Dahua grinned, hung up the phone, and then started a video call.

「Meanwhile.」

In the Zhongsha Science and Technology Park, on an open-air lot at the Orange Phone Factory, round tables were set up and laden with drinks and alcohol. Not far away, chefs were busily preparing the luncheon, working off their feet.

Suddenly, Chen Yansen’s figure appeared on the large screen at the very center.

”Quiet! It’s the big boss!”

”Everyone, stop talking!”

”Shhh!”

Before Cao Dahua could even speak, the more than twenty thousand employees instantly fell silent.

”Brothers and sisters of Shencheng City, Happy New Year, everyone!”

Chen Yansen waved at the camera, offering a simple greeting.

Cao Dahua aimed the camera at the crowd.

”Happy New Year, Boss!”

”Wishing President Chen a prosperous new year!”

”Hope the boss marries a few more wives!”

”...”

Tens of thousands of people roared like a tsunami, and all sorts of noisy well-wishes filled the air.

Chen Yansen’s gaze passed through the camera lens, carefully studying every person before him.

These employees had all sorts of personalities—some were simple and honest, some cheerful, some hot-tempered—but right now, every one of them wore a sincere smile.

Smiling, Chen Yansen continued, ”Last year, the Shencheng Factory and the Luzhou Factory together produced 50 million Orange Mobile Phones, 8 million 360 Mobile Phones, 4 million NetEase phones, 10 million Huawei phones, and 7 million Xiaomi Mobile Phones, generating a total revenue of over a hundred billion. You, just like the R&D engineers at Orange Technology, are all heroes of the company. I’d like to propose a toast to everyone.”

With that, he picked up the teacup on his desk and raised it into the air.

Immediately, the sound of countless glasses clinking together came through the video feed.

Many people were so moved that their eyes filled with tears. Could they, a bunch of country bumpkins who had only a few years of schooling, really be compared to the research staff at headquarters?

In the past, they wouldn’t have dared to even imagine it, yet these words came from the big boss himself.

Boss Chen had given them a stable and generous income, and even more, he had given them respect.

A boss worth tens of billions of US dollars was calling them ”brothers and sisters.” Even if it was just polite talk, it moved them deeply.

”The Q4 quarterly bonuses should have all been deposited, right?” Chen Yansen asked through the screen.

”We got them last month!”

”Thank you, Boss!”

”May the boss have ten sons in one birth!”

”...”

The employees in the crowd tilted their heads back and shouted at the top of their lungs.

”For our brothers and sisters going home for the New Year, the company will reimburse your round-trip tickets. For those staying at the factory, everyone will receive a 1,000-yuan holiday bonus. Next year, based on the factory’s production capacity, yield rate, and other data, I will adjust the minimum hourly wage for everyone. Keep up the great work!”

Chen Yansen casually dangled a carrot in front of them.

’Right now, the hourly wage is twenty-five yuan, and the base monthly salary is 3,300 yuan. That’s not even as much as a junior office clerk earns. This is only the beginning.’

The implication was clear: another raise was coming next year!

”Another raise? Wouldn’t that be thirty yuan an hour?”

Cao Dahua had a wry smile. He wasn’t joking; some factory bosses in Shencheng City had actually put a price on one of his legs and even threatened to send him to make phones in the afterlife via a large truck.

But a few days ago, the number one secretary of the Central Bureau and a big shot from the Inspection Association had jointly visited the Orange Phone Factory. This move was tantamount to a public declaration: Anyone who dared to touch Orange would be severely punished without fail!