Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

He was too proud to stoop to asking for money.

”What are your daily earnings?” Chen Yansen pressed.

”Counting the bonuses for hitting ride targets, 400 a day is no problem,” Huang Boxiang said with a satisfied smile.

But he didn’t tell Chen Yansen that he had to drive from six in the morning until after midnight before logging off, only taking short naps in his car when he got tired.

”That much?”

Chen Yansen was surprised.

’The starting fare for taxis in Chunshen is low,’ he thought. ’To make 400 a day, you’d have to drive for more than ten hours.’

”Are you running two accounts?” Chen Yansen asked in a low voice.

Huang Boxiang’s heart skipped a beat, and he hastily denied it. ”No, I’m not.”

Fast Taxi had strict rules: one car was to be linked to one driver’s license, one ID card, and one account, with a maximum online time of ten hours. Cheng Weixing’s main concern was to prevent people from working themselves to death for money.

Ride-hailing drivers were sedentary, often working for more than ten hours at a stretch, which made them highly susceptible to sudden cardiac death.

”Tell me the truth. Otherwise, I’ll make one phone call and have both of your accounts suspended,” Chen Yansen said coldly.

”President Chen, I have no other choice. The financial pressure is just too much,” Huang Boxiang said, looking at Chen Yansen with a pitiful, pleading expression.

He seemed like a completely different person from the cheerful instructor of three years ago.

”Alright, I get it,” Chen Yansen said with a wave of his hand.

Huang Boxiang gave a dry laugh, feeling completely ill at ease. He excused himself, moved to another table, hastily finished his lunch, and then fled without looking back.

He was terrified that if he were a step too slow, Chen Yansen would suspend his driver account.

”Are you going to suspend his account?” Ye Qiuping asked curiously.

”Take a guess,” Chen Yansen replied with a slight smile, unhurriedly eating his wontons and crispy, golden-brown potstickers.

When he got up to leave and pay, the owner informed him that someone had already taken care of the bill.

’Did he really think he could buy my silence for the price of a meal?’

Chen Yansen let out a wry chuckle. After getting in the car, he called Cheng Weixing and gave him two directives. ”First, crack down on drivers using fake license plates, stolen identities, and fraudulent driver’s licenses. Launch a rewards program on the passenger app for reporting such violations. This is for the safety of our passengers and the well-being of our drivers. Second, make accident insurance mandatory for all drivers. That way, they’ll have some protection if something goes wrong.”

Fast Taxi’s full-time drivers had social security, health insurance, and accident insurance, but they were a tiny minority. The vast majority were part-time drivers who had no benefits whatsoever.

As for Huang Boxiang’s account, it would still be suspended.

Once you let personal feelings get mixed in with the rules, things go sour.

Chen Yansen first had Xiaoli take Ye Qiuping back to her hotel. Then, he bought a bag of oranges on a street corner and casually strolled over to see Lao Chen.

「Meanwhile.」

Huang Boxiang was dumbfounded. His account had been suspended!

”That son of a bitch Chen Yansen! I was your goddamn instructor, and we’re from the same town! I even bought you that meal of noodles and potstickers, and you turn on me faster than you can flip a page!”

Fuming, Huang Boxiang cursed him out before driving home, completely dejected.

One of his two accounts was suspended, and the other had already maxed out its ten-hour daily limit. He wouldn’t be able to accept any rides until tomorrow.

After he parked the car and walked through the front door, he saw a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing glasses, sitting in the living room.

”Lao Huang, you’re back! Come in, quick! This is a hiring manager from the Kuai Pao Company. He wants to hire you to be a driver for their boss,” said Huang Boxiang’s wife, her face lit up with an unconcealed smile.

The monthly salary was twelve thousand, with full social insurance and a housing fund. It included room and board, plus a housing allowance, transportation stipend, quarterly bonuses, a travel fund, and other benefits. All told, the annual income would be at least 250,000 to 260,000.

It was much more than what Huang Boxiang was making by juggling jobs and working himself to the bone.

She was only in her early forties; she didn’t want to see her husband work himself into an early grave.

After listening to his wife’s explanation, Huang Boxiang’s eyes instantly reddened. He recalled how he had spent the entire drive home cursing Chen Yansen and was immediately filled with regret. ’I’m such a goddamn idiot!’ he thought.

In that moment, all Lao Huang felt toward Chen Yansen was overwhelming gratitude.