Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

BZZZT—

A sudden vibration from his phone interrupted Chen Yansen’s thoughts.

"Hello? Speak."

"Boss, are you not up yet? Our train is at ten," Song Yuncheng asked quietly, standing by the school gate with her suitcase.

"You’re usually the one who’s late. Have I ever rushed you?" Chen Yansen said irritably.

"Yes, yes, Boss Chen." Having just gotten paid, Song Yuncheng didn’t dare talk back to Chen Yansen right now.

Chen Yansen hung up and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up.

After getting dressed, he tossed a few changes of clothes into his suitcase, then unhurriedly went downstairs and drove toward the East Gate.

"Get in."

Two minutes later, Chen Yansen stopped the car and said to Song Yuncheng.

Song Yuncheng tossed her suitcase into the trunk. Just as she was about to get into the back seat, Chen Yansen shot her a glare. "What do you think you’re doing? Treating your boss like a chauffeur?"

"Oh." With a deflated look, Song Yuncheng obediently sat in the passenger seat.

"I have to do all the driving on every business trip. If you still haven’t gotten your license by the next trip, I’m transferring you back to the design team," Chen Yansen threatened.

"I’m on it! I’m about to take my ’Subject Two’ test. I’ll definitely pass on the first try," Song Yuncheng quickly promised.

’She had taken home 59,000 yuan last month. There was no way she’d want to go back to the design team for a fixed salary of five or six thousand.’

"I’m bringing you along for two main reasons. First, President Lei promised to introduce me to Amazon’s new channel director, and also Chen Nian from Vancl. You’ll be in charge of liaising with them. Second, we’re going to discuss a joint game promotion partnership with Xiaomi."

After giving his instructions, Chen Yansen sped toward Xucheng East Station.

’A new channel director?’

"Did Zhang Hanhua resign?" Song Yuncheng asked in surprise.

"Didn’t you see the news? He got caught taking kickbacks. He’ll probably be eating prison food for five or six years," Chen Yansen said casually.

Song Yuncheng fell silent, staring at Chen Yansen with a very certain look in her eyes.

"It had nothing to do with me," Chen Yansen flatly denied.

’FoxTao was a third-party channel. It didn’t matter what kind of person Zhang Hanhua was; accepting kickbacks was an unspoken rule for most business reps. If word got out that he was the one who put Zhang Hanhua away, he’d likely get a reputation for not playing by the rules. A reputation was the kind of thing that was worthless when you didn’t need it, but priceless when you did.’

Song Yuncheng clearly didn’t believe him. She had a strong feeling that Zhang Hanhua’s downfall was definitely Chen Yansen’s doing.

She just smiled and didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she began to study the mechanics and profit models of joint game operations. Once she had a clear understanding, she started pondering what methods a third-party channel like FoxTao should use in distribution and promotion to maximize its profits.

Soon, Chen Yansen parked the car at the high-speed rail station. He pushed his suitcase inside, with Song Yuncheng following close behind.

The journey from Xucheng to Yanjing was a total of three and a half hours.

The two of them sat down in the waiting hall. Song Yuncheng unzipped her backpack, took out a still-warm bag of steamed buns, and began eating them in small bites.

Chen Yansen had woken up late and hadn’t eaten yet. He had planned to buy a boxed meal on the train, but the aroma of the steamed buns made him swallow involuntarily.

Then, he unceremoniously snatched the bag from Song Yuncheng’s hands and started devouring a bun. Mmm, it was even his favorite: pickled long bean and pork.

The other one was a tofu and vermicelli noodle bun, which he also finished off in a few bites.

"Tastes pretty good. Which cafeteria window did you buy this from?" Chen Yansen asked with satisfaction, licking his lips.

"Cafeteria Number Two, first floor, the third stall from the entrance," Song Yuncheng answered huffily, opening her mouth but not daring to say more.

"From now on, remember to get me a portion when you buy breakfast," Chen Yansen ordered.

Song Yuncheng nodded. Unlike a few months ago, she no longer foolishly asked why.

"Attention passengers, boarding for train G106 has now begun. Please have your ticket and valid ID ready and proceed in an orderly line through the ticket gate to wait at the designated platform."

An announcement played over the speakers.

They found their designated car and seats according to their tickets.

Partway through the journey, Chen Yansen ate a boxed meal and took a short nap. By the time he opened his eyes again, the high-speed train had arrived at the station.

The two of them took a taxi to the hotel first. As usual, he had only booked a single suite.

Song Yuncheng knowingly pulled her suitcase over to the sofa, plopped down, and reclined comfortably.

"We have a gathering tonight. Dress nicely," Chen Yansen said before turning and walking into the bedroom.

’Dress nicely?’

Song Yuncheng froze for a moment. The only presentable outfit she had was the "work uniform" Chen Yansen had bought for her in Shencheng City last year—a white pantsuit.

It was still a bit chilly in Yanjing in March, so Song Yuncheng put on a base layer shirt. She walked to the mirror and tucked her voluminous long hair behind her ears.

Her oval face was full of youthful collagen. Paired with the very business-like attire, she had both the endearing naivety of a young girl and the aura of a sophisticated woman.

Chen Yansen, having changed into a casual suit, pushed open his door and happened to see Song Yuncheng in front of the mirror.

"Why are you wearing that again?" Chen Yansen asked with disdain.

It wasn’t that the outfit looked bad, but that President Chen was tired of seeing it.

"Is it not okay?" Song Yuncheng looked puzzled. She had privately crammed on the dos and don’ts of business settings and didn’t think there was anything wrong with her outfit.

"You must have been Scrooge in your past life," Chen Yansen joked.

He took out his phone, glanced at the time, and said to Song Yuncheng, "Let’s go."

"Then you must be the reincarnation of Zhou Bapi," Song Yuncheng muttered under her breath, afraid Chen Yansen would hear.

"Fine. I’ll transfer you to the customer service team next month," Chen Yansen said with a smile, his eyes narrowed.

"You can even hear that?" Song Yuncheng stared, her face a picture of disbelief.

"Have you forgotten? I have very sharp ears," Chen Yansen said with a mischievous smile, pointing to his ear.

"Boss, you must have misheard. I didn’t make a peep," Song Yuncheng said with a placating smile, refusing to admit it no matter what.

Chen Yansen ignored her and walked straight out.

Song Yuncheng hurried to catch up.

After leaving the hotel lobby, Chen Yansen hailed a taxi, gave the destination, and then sent a message to Lei Yijun on Mi Chat.

About twenty minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of a quaint, antique-style roast duck restaurant. The exterior was impressively decorated, and with a number of luxury cars parked out front, it was clear this place wasn’t cheap.

Just as Chen Yansen got out of the car, a man of about thirty came up to greet him.

The man was of average height with a crew cut and glasses. He wore jeans with a suit jacket and had a brilliant smile.

"President Chen, I’m Li Wanqiang from Xiaomi. President Lei specifically instructed me to wait for you at the entrance. He said that when I saw a young man who was over 1.8 meters tall and even more handsome than him, I should bring him right in."

Although Li Wanqiang had started as a UI designer, after becoming the head of Xiaomi’s Market Department, his inner social butterfly had been awakened. He had a real knack for channel integration and immediately lifted the atmosphere upon meeting.

"President Li, you’re too kind. Let’s talk inside."

Chen Yansen nodded humbly, his expression composed.

’After all, in his past life, when Feiyu’s market value was at its peak, his net worth had been no lower than Li Wanqiang’s. Not to mention in this life, the Xiaomi Mobile Phone hadn’t even been released yet; its valuation wasn’t as high as FoxTao’s. The one with money right now was Lei Yijun, not Xiaomi. A big shot like Li Wanqiang, who relied on stock options from his technical expertise, would have to wait another seven or eight years before he could make a name for himself on the rich lists.’

"Alright! President Lei and President Zhou are both here," Li Wanqiang said with a smile.

"President Zhou?" Chen Yansen asked, confused.

"The boss of 360, Zhou Hongyi," Li Wanqiang explained as they walked.

’Didn’t he run off to Hong Kong Island to lie low?’

"Someone from up high stepped in and smoothed over that business from last year," Li Wanqiang explained in a low voice, sensing his confusion.

’Last year’s 3Q War had caused a huge sensation; everyone in the industry knew about it. If Lao Zhou hadn’t been well-informed and quick to flee, he might have been "working a sewing machine" by now.’

Chen Yansen just grunted in acknowledgment and said no more. ’Speaking carelessly can easily offend people, and I’m not about to make such a rookie mistake.’

Li Wanqiang led the way, bypassing the main hall to the back courtyard, and stopped in front of a private room that was classical and elegant in style.

Inside were two middle-aged men. One, with his hair parted 70-30, was wearing a polo shirt under an indigo suit jacket, chatting casually with the man across from him while holding a teacup.

Hearing the sound at the door, Lei Yijun turned his head, stood up, and greeted him. "President Chen, my apologies for making you come all this way."

His smile was sincere and his tone earnest, but a flash of guilt crossed his eyes. He hadn’t been entirely straightforward about this matter, using the pretense of an investment to actually discuss a partnership with Chen Yansen.

Chen Yansen stepped into the room and politely shook his hand, exchanging pleasantries. He knew Rebus had no real intention of investing, but he wasn’t exactly coming to the table with good intentions himself.

The two of them began to talk, smiling.

Lei Yijun felt that he was simple and honest, without much cunning. Chen Yansen, on the other hand, felt that Lei Yijun was different from what he had expected. On the surface, he was all smiles, but his words hid sharp edges. His presence completely overshadowed Li Wanqiang’s and even Zhou Hongyi’s, who was still seated.

’A person who could climb to this level could never be as simple as they appear on the surface.’

Of this, Chen Yansen was absolutely certain.