ilies.Combining his past experiences and careful observation, Su Can deduced this conclusion but then shrugged offhandedly; what difference did it make if he knew who they were or not Everyone was hav...Chapter 77: Addicted

ID:1000413528 Chapter 77 - Addicted Xu Jiang's stationery business had a dedicated agent visit Xia Hai for an inspection. After assessing the scale and location of the shops, they agreed to supply directly via logistics. In reality, the franchise system was yet to be fully established, still operating under traditional sales methods. However, being able to secure direct supplies from provincial agents is already quite impressive, offering a certain profit margin while avoiding constraints imposed by local wholesale markets.

The recruitment for Shushan stationery store was handled discreetly by Su Can and Wang Ming. They hired mostly people aged between twenty and forty, regardless of gender, with an average of three to four employees per shop. None of the candidates were the future stars that Su Can had expected—individuals who would shine in their careers but were currently underutilized or possessed unique skills.

Among these female employees, some were former clothing business owners who had suffered losses, while others had experience working at supermarkets and retail stores. There were also young people from nearby villages with poor academic records, as well as those with experience managing internet cafes or watching shops for others, even a few with tattoos proclaiming that no one would dare to provoke the boss if they hired them.

They were quite surprised by Su Can's youth and his ability to open five stores at once.

But what truly astounded everyone was when the high school-aged boy beside the young girl spoke up. "No matter your previous experiences or reasons for changing jobs, from today onwards, you are part of Shushan Chain. I won't talk about corporate culture or ask you to build a sense of belonging because that's abstract. Instead, I will present a clear reward plan." Salaries were divided into fourteen levels, starting from the lowest at 40 yuan per day and going up to the highest at 150 yuan per day. Each level had corresponding sales targets contributing to performance evaluations. Additionally, there were three star-sales criteria for five stores based on monthly total sales rankings: first place received a bonus of 300 yuan per employee, second place a bonus of 200 yuan per employee, and third place a bonus of 100 yuan per employee. These incentives would also depend on the store's total monthly sales figures. "Just to clarify, this is the minimum standard."

The crowd was collectively stunned; in Xia Hai at that time, an average worker earned around 600 yuan per month, while a decent salary for a waiter would be around 800 yuan. Here, however, the lowest starting wage was set at 100 yuan and could go up to 500 yuan—the crowd couldn't help but sit up straight.

Su Can smiled upon seeing their expressions, "Therefore, there's no need for you to envy civil servants with secure jobs nor worry about job security if you're newly unemployed. In Shushan Chain, from the lowest level to higher positions, as long as you dare to dream and reach out, opportunities are endless. Here, it’s not about hierarchy but salary levels; after working here for a year, every employee automatically gets promoted to the next wage grade. This is merely a platform—how high you wish to climb determines how far this place can take you!"

Leaving the meeting room, where everyone was frantically studying the new wage system, Su Can winked at Wang Ming and asked, "How's it going"

"You're such a charlatan!" Wang Ming could only praise him sarcastically. It was amazing how he came up with ideas that were unheard of but proved effective in practice.

Su Cen heaved a sigh of relief, "Let them work for a month first. Haven't you seen the obvious doubt on those aunties' faces Our age limits their confidence in this chain store. Now they are hanging by a thread; to truly win their loyalty, we need to provide them with tangible benefits."

On a hazy afternoon, Su Cen and Wang Ming sat atop an old tiled roof. This branch was located beside a traditional Qing-style building just outside the city’s top high school. A staircase leading from the shop could take one up to the second-floor rooftop, which overlooked a continuous expanse of rooftops and various cables stretching across them under the warm sunlight.

Next to them was a water tank with droplets falling from its tap. They had a full view of the city’s key primary school; when the wind blew, Wang Ming's long hair fluttered around, some strands entangling in Su Cen's face, tickling him and making his mind wander.

"From opening the store to handling all these small procedures up until now, you wouldn't understand that feeling – like I can’t stop. There's something inside driving me; sometimes when tired, lying down means sleep, but early in the morning I wake up with the same urge, as if doing anything is invigorating and never tiring."

Wang Ming turned to Su Cen with a smile, "I knew you were exceptional from the start. Even after seeing all the money you've collected since then, I still can't forget that initial shock when you gave me ten thousand dollars; my hands were shaking and I couldn't sleep at night. It was the most cash I had ever seen in one go."

Su Cen chuckled, "There will be even more to come. I promise."

"I believe it," Wang Ming stretched out her hand, shielding the distant sun and grasping as if holding something intangible, knowing that this was called fate. "How far can we go"

"No idea," Su Cen stood up, stretching in the twilight, "me too. I wonder how far I'll get."

Seize opportunities when they come; let us rush towards our destination.

The total cost for opening the store and purchasing stock was nearly 800 thousand dollars, consuming a large portion of the original 1.5 million; Su Cen felt it worthwhile if he could reap greater rewards later on.

Regarding Liu Cheng's place, Su Cen planned to retrieve illicit funds in phases. Most of his money from the future had uncertain origins anyway, so leaving sufficient proof of illegal gains would suffice. However, given that these were ill-gotten gains, their use should be prudent; even though rebirth endowed him with a foresight edge, such an effortless method of acquiring cash made him seem too much like a privileged second-generation rich kid, blessed by fortune.

Su Cen was actually worried that there might be some kind of luck counter, and he felt his arms ache from carrying so much money; the next time he went out, a car might speed by him, causing him to lie there.

When Su Cen had free time, he would go to Wang Bo's house for meals. The dishes made by Zhang Aiping (Peach Beauty) in their household were very palatable, and Wang Bo was quite welcoming of Su Cen coming over for free meals. Even Wang Weiwei and the others couldn't understand why Wang Bo treated Su Cen with such enthusiasm at times and would drag him to his study room to play a few rounds of chess.

The arrival of a provincial-level Wang system bigwig seemed not to have affected Wang Bo, possibly due to Lin Guozhou's covert efforts. The funding issue for the expressway project that Liu Cheng was most concerned about had surprisingly eased up. The economic task force dispatched by the province hadn't produced any significant results; thus, no opposing forces continued to exert pressure on Wang Bo.

This was naturally due to Lin Guozhou's dominance, as the Lin system rapidly expanded after he saved the country from major losses and became the most powerful ally of the Wang system. The opposing factions aiming to uproot the Wang family in Southwest Province found that they didn't have the necessary preparations to align with the Wangs and Lins against each other. Therefore, Wang Bo narrowly escaped a crisis.

However, this also made Wang Bo drift further towards the periphery of the Wang system. With Zhang Zhimao already eliminated as the main force in Southwest Province, Wang Bo had become an outsider and a disposable pawn. If not for Lin Guozhou's covert control, Liu Cheng could move against him at any time.

However, contrary to his previous stance, Wang Bo recently seemed more relaxed. At meals, he often mentioned hoping that Wang Weiwei would mature soon, find a good wife, and have grandchildren so he could relax and take care of them.

The tone suggested that he had already made up his mind to retire from politics, completely giving over power during several standing committee meetings, allowing Jin Donghai full control over the public security and judicial system. The originally intended successor Zhao Lijun was sidelined entirely; Wang Bo wasn't unaware of Zhao's grievances.

After this round of provincial efforts, some people began realigning their support. At least Deputy Secretary Wang Jinrong sided with Jin Donghai, further diminishing Wang Bo’s influence.

To lose such a valuable ally after so much effort to bring him on board would be extremely disappointing for Su Cen. No matter the circumstances, it was impossible to replicate Wang Bo's trust in him.

Now, they were at their lowest point and faced with critical challenges, but this also represented a significant opportunity.

Of course, it wasn't time for him to play his card yet; this confusing game still had a long way to go. When he finally made his move, it would be the most foolproof one.

After eating dinner, Su Cen and Lin Luoran walked around in the compound of the Municipal Committee家屬院. Recently, Lin Luoran had been working very hard on her studies, which left both Lin Zouwu and Wang Weiwei feeling rather unenthusiastic about their own efforts to learn from her. After eating dinner, they would gather in Lin Zouwu's room under the pretense of discussing study issues, but it was actually just an excuse to play around. Su Cen only found out later that Lin Luoran had lost her top position in class due to being distracted recently and because final exams were approaching, she started studying diligently day and night.

Walking with Su Cen through the compound of the Municipal Committee家屬院 to breathe some fresh air was something they hadn't done for quite a while.

In the glow of the lampposts, some children in the compound were playing games. They walked up to a swing set and seesaw area, where Lin Luoran gently sat on one of the swings, her face illuminated by the bright full moon above, so much that it even reflected the contours of her eyelashes and cheekbones. "Aren't you the guy who chased after a girl for your basketball practice recently" she asked.

Su Cen was taken aback but then chuckled, "She has already transferred schools."

This question had been lingering in Lin Luoran's heart for some time. Sometimes she even wanted to ask about it, but she always held back. Now that they were alone and talking quietly together again, plus the fact that they had just shared some amusing stories and she remembered how he had accompanied her through difficult times when Wang Bo was at a low point and her father faced crisis situations, Lin Luoran felt somewhat relaxed in his presence.

But after hearing Su Cen's casual response to her question, it seemed like he could read her mind. She panicked momentarily and said hurriedly, "Don't misunderstand me; I don't have any other intentions. I'm just curious about what happened. Don’t think that I’m interested in you or something." Realizing she was making things worse, she quickly added, “You’re too silly! How did the meat in your mouth slip away”

The 'meat' in her mouth Su Cen was speechless, looking at Lin Luoran's clear beauty and a hint of blush on her cheeks. His heart fluttered slightly as he leaned closer to her, "I see you more like a piece of meat."

Thinking back to the intimate moments they had shared before, this bold little girl was surprisingly gentle under certain circumstances. In such close proximity, she wouldn't have shown that side of herself due to her character. Su Cen couldn’t resist wanting to see her at a loss for words, finding it somewhat addictive.

Today's update is complete. The ones released during this period due to promotion will not count as an outburst; there will be one later this month. Please support me with votes and subscriptions, thank you!ht have said something wrong. Raised in an affluent environment since childhood, although taught by her father to be modest, the fact remained that she had been treated like a princess and it was impo...