Chapter 2: Building Relationships Based on Strength

Wang Cheng's mother is a middle school teacher, and Yang Yuxiang is a student she taught many years ago

Due to the relationship with his mother, Wang Cheng lacked a certain degree of reverence for his boss, which is why he dared to directly discuss the issue of overtime pay. However, Yang Yuxiang was also a person who had navigated the business world; the old relationship merely allowed him to feel at ease in hiring Wang Cheng. As for discussing overtime pay...

Regarding the distribution of bonuses, Yang Yuxiang often states that, of course, the likelihood of this statement being fulfilled is very high; however, one should not have overly high expectations regarding the amount of the bonus. This is because Yang Yuxiang frequently equates overtime pay with bonuses.

In this day and age, managers are as numerous as dogs. Zhao Xiaolan, who stands at the counter, is referred to as the "Manager of the Sales Department"; Wang Cheng is the "Manager of the After-Sales Department"; and Wu Yin is the "Manager of the Customer Department"—in the entire company of four people, there are three managers and one boss. Everyone holds a title, yet none have subordinates.

Wu Yin's arrival interrupted the skit performance among the three individuals. The boss pulled Wu Yin to the back to whisper privately. At this moment, the customer flow in the store gradually increased. Zhao Xiaolan was busy attending to the customers, while Wang Cheng was running back and forth, handing out items. He would run next door to the company to adjust the inventory, and then go arrange the delivery matters.

However, no one took these words seriously. Although Yang Yuxiang spoke with a solemn expression, he actually used this statement to amuse himself. The Yang Yuxiang who had stepped down from the street and * bureau * was most envious of the street leaders from back then. He often enjoyed mimicking the tone of those leaders when discussing lofty ideals and dedication, but this imitation frequently carried a mocking undertone. Over time, everyone understood the boss's quirks. For instance, today, Zhao Xiaolan was, as usual, making jokes on the side, while Wang Cheng stood there, putting on a good-boy demeanor, earnestly assisting the boss in sternly criticizing himself for being selfish and forgetting the revolutionary heirloom, while also subtly mocking the boss for being stingy, hypocritical, and selfish.

This assembly work falls under Wang Cheng's responsibilities, as he is also a manager of considerable standing

However, Teacher Gong is merely one of Yang Yuxiang's many middle school teachers. The students, preoccupied with exam-oriented education, hardly retain any memories of their teachers after leaving school. Furthermore, after Yang Yuxiang entered university, he remained in this international metropolis where the school is located, and over time, his memories of his hometown have become increasingly faint.

I didn't expect that once Zhenyi was hired, Wang Cheng would indeed be quite capable—this young man is reliable in his work. With him around, I can completely delegate tasks like working night shifts. With this time, I can accompany my wife and children, or perhaps under the guise of overtime, take Zhao Xiaolan out for a private meeting

By noon, Wu Yin and the boss had already agreed on the profit sharing for this order. The profit from this order with Dahe Publishing is substantial, and the boss is in a very good mood. He generously instructed Wang Cheng: "Hurry up, assemble five computers and deliver them to Room 1106 on the 11th floor of Xinlong Building tonight. They need the work urgently, and tomorrow there will be a batch of typing and copying equipment needed. I will go arrange the goods. I will treat everyone to lunch today; we will eat in the company. Hurry up and set aside this batch of goods first"

In this day and age, it is truly difficult to find a trustworthy person. If it were not for Wang Cheng's meticulous and conscientious work ethic, I could completely delegate tasks to him without worry. It is not just because Wang Cheng's mother is Teacher Yang Yuxiang; even if he were a relative of my second uncle, whether to hire him would entirely depend on Yang Yuxiang's mood at the time—more employees mean more expenses, and moreover, having an employee who dares to directly pound the table to negotiate overtime pay is quite displeasing

Boss, I worked until 10 PM last night and finally got the machine adjusted... Here is the final payment and the client's receipt... Boss, do you think I should also be compensated for the overtime?" Wang Cheng asked with a shameless grin.

Wang Cheng hummed a popular song as he walked towards the company. At this time, the only person who had arrived at the company was the receptionist, Zhao Xiaolan. She was a local resident, living closest to the company, and thus she was the one who opened the company’s main door with the key every day and prepared the necessary materials in advance. As a newcomer to the company, Wang Cheng generally tried to arrive a bit earlier to help with some cleaning tasks.

Zhao Xiaolan is quite the chatterbox, unable to hold back her words. While she swiftly wipes down the doors, windows, and counters, she engages in casual conversation with Wang Cheng about sisterly gossip, clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, strange tales, and urban rumors... In short, no matter the topic, she can talk for hours without missing a beat. This is likely a survival skill honed from her years of experience in reception work.

Watching Wang Cheng prance about, Yang Yuxiang felt a subtle sense of conflict regarding Wang Cheng's mother. In his memory, the youthful and beautiful Teacher Gong, although kind to her students, rarely displayed a smile due to the burden of her ailing husband. In Yang Yuxiang's recollection, Teacher Gong always wore a serious expression, and she had never been particularly kind to him, nor had she placed much importance on their interactions; their relationship was merely ordinary.

Therefore, when Wang Cheng's mother sought someone to convey her message, Yang Yuxiang accepted Wang Cheng with a somewhat indifferent attitude. After all, the company consisted entirely of women except for him, and there was a need for someone to handle the physical work. Moreover, he was now the boss and did not want to be as hands-on as he was during the startup phase. Besides, the salary of an employee was merely equivalent to the cost of a few meals at a restaurant, so whether to hire someone was inconsequential; it was all the same regardless of who was employed.

The next to arrive at the company was the boss, Yang Yuxiang. As soon as he entered the company, he first greeted Wang Cheng: "Chengzi, were you able to fix a few machines yesterday?"

Three people were speaking, each using the language typical of a conference report. Passersby, caught off guard, might think that some organization was holding a meeting here. After stopping to listen for a few sentences, they would generally leave, clutching their stomachs and laughing uncontrollably.

Shuttling between various companies, sourcing components from each, and then assembling the machines before programming them... Once the five computers are installed, the required labels will be affixed for the client, and this batch will be considered complete. Shortly after, Yang Yuxiang tossed the keys of the company van to Wang Cheng: "Since the client hasn't finished work yet, hurry up and go. If you can complete the installation tonight, allowing the client to use it normally tomorrow, I will give you a bonus."

The late morning hours passed in this atmosphere of banter, as several individuals engaged in witty exchanges while tidying up the shop, taking inventory, and cleaning the display windows. It was not until the arrival of the client manager, Wu Yin, that the morning's organizational meeting came to a close. Of course, Wu Yin's arrival also signified that all the employees of the company were present.

Client manager Wu Yin is the person in the company who most disregards the work schedule, yet she has the qualifications to be so audacious. This is because she is responsible for bringing in business for the company. Given the influx of revenue, the boss never cares whether Wu Yin arrives at work on time. Only after several days without any news would he make a phone call to inquire about the "business progress." Each time Wu Yin appears early in the office, it signifies that she has secured another major deal.

Chengzi, I regard you as my own brother. I am doing this for you, yet you are so calculating about it. How can you even bring up a small amount of overtime pay? Remember back when... Yang Yuxiang invoked the "recalling hardships and cherishing sweetness" principle, gently guiding Wang Cheng to remember the difficulties he faced when looking for a job, and to keep in mind the joy and happiness of his current stable income, further encouraging Wang Cheng to contribute more to the company

In this day and age, everything relies on connections. With this network of acquaintances, Yang Yuxiang was able to accept Wang Cheng, who specialized in accounting. Naturally, due to this relationship, tasks such as collecting client payments could also be entrusted to Wang Cheng with confidence.

Wang Cheng possesses a driver's license. Although his driving skills are not particularly exceptional, he is always very cautious. Over the past few months of driving a small van, he has had some minor scrapes, but he was never at fault. This carefulness and diligence have made Yang Yuxiang often grateful for having hired Wang Cheng; it was truly worthwhile. Therefore, even though Wang Cheng has only been on the job for six months, Yang Yuxiang has already confidently entrusted him with the car keys.