Chapter 30 - The Text Message Notification
Much to Song Guangyuan's surprise, after hearing these words, his precious daughter Song Jia breathed a sigh of relief and then put on a very strange smile.
"Ah, so that's how it is. It would be best not to give him the 30,000 yuan bonus."
"Okay, then I'll go back to my room and play on the computer."
After speaking, a satisfied Song Jia walked back to her room.
Before entering, she still didn't forget to turn her head and say, "Dad, we have a deal! Don't give the 30,000 yuan bonus to Liu Shang!"
Just as the door to Song Jia's room closed, Song Guangyuan, still in a surprised daze, was pulled into the bedroom by his frowning wife, Wu Caiyun.
"I say, Lao Song, what did we agree on last time?"
"When it comes to our daughter's love life, especially concerning Liu Shang, didn't we agree that the key was to guide her?"
Song Guangyuan spread his hands. "That's right. Didn't I just guide her?"
"It's Jiajia... she seems a little abnormal today."
Wu Caiyun sighed. "Lao Song, what you just did wasn't guiding. You were clearly giving your daughter a stern warning to stay away from Liu Shang."
"Think about it. She must have heard the news from someone at the company that Liu Shang was about to receive a technical bonus of 30,000 yuan."
"A student who's only a freshman can get such a large bonus. Our daughter must have felt curious, excited, and amazed."
"That's why she rushed home from school full of joy, and then you threw cold water all over her."
"You know your daughter's personality. She's always been a maverick. The more we forbid her from doing something, the more she'll want to do it."
"If she's only at the stage of being curious about Liu Shang, I'm afraid our actions will just push her right into his arms."
"There's an even worse possibility. She might feel that the 30,000 yuan bonus rightfully belonged to Liu Shang, but that she ruined it for him."
"Do you think she might try to compensate Liu Shang in other ways?"
Wu Caiyun didn't say the rest, but from Song Guangyuan's gloomy and worried expression, it was clear he had started to worry about this matter.
"Sigh, you're right. This girl, why is she still such a handful even now that she's in university?"
"Let's leave it at this for now. I'll see what Mr. Zhong has to say when I meet with him tomorrow."
...
Early the next morning, Mr. Zhong, who had just arrived at the company, was invited by Song Guangyuan to his office.
"Mr. Zhong, I took a look at the list for the technical bonus distribution you submitted yesterday. Was there a mistake in the amount for Liu Shang?"
Mr. Zhong looked up in surprise. "I marked Liu Shang's bonus as 30,000 yuan. I checked the list carefully, so there shouldn't be a mistake, right?"
Hearing this, Song Guangyuan was obviously taken aback for a moment. He then smiled, lit a cigarette for Mr. Zhong, and said gently in a conversational tone:
"Mr. Zhong, Liu Shang is a very good kid and very likable."
"But he is only a freshman, and he's only been with our company for a week. Don't you think you're spoiling him a little?"
Regarding Song Guangyuan's relatively tactful question, Mr. Zhong also smiled, then stared into Song Guangyuan's eyes and asked, "Mr. Song, I, Zhong Gaokuang, have been working for so many years. Have you ever heard of or seen me abuse my position for personal gain, or let my personal feelings interfere with my work?"
Song Guangyuan quickly explained with a smile, "Mr. Zhong, please don't misunderstand."
"Over the years, you, Mr. Zhong, have been known for being serious about your work and for keeping a clear line between public and private affairs."
"If that's the case, could it be that Liu Shang really made such a great contribution in such a short period of time?"
At this, Mr. Zhong sighed softly. "Actually, it's understandable that you have doubts about this, Mr. Song. If I were in your position, my reaction would probably be even stronger than yours."
"However, the fact is that in this technical project, Liu Shang's contributions were even greater than this bonus reflects."
"Because of his involvement and his technical suggestions, the development of the entire technology was accelerated by at least one and a half months."
"Mr. Song, think about it. How much manpower, materials, and financial resources do we consume in just one and a half months?"
"So, allocating 30,000 yuan to Liu Shang is, in fact, me short-changing the kid, not truly distributing the bonus according to his contribution."
"In my original plan, Liu Shang should have gotten at least 35,000, or even 40,000."
"However, considering many other factors, we finally set it at 30,000 yuan."
Hearing Mr. Zhong's words, Song Guangyuan still frowned. "To be honest, Mr. Zhong, even now, I can't imagine that Liu Shang could make such a big contribution."
"However, I absolutely believe what you said. But as you mentioned, this incident will have a great impact on the entire technical department and even the entire company."
"I'm afraid that many people will come forward to question this, or even protest in person."
Mr. Zhong waved his hand indifferently. "Mr. Song, don't worry about this matter. I will take full responsibility for it."
"We'll see when the time comes. Who, in front of me, Zhong Gaokuang, has the nerve to jump up and find fault?!!!"
"You get a bonus proportional to your contribution. Distributing it based on work is fair and aboveboard."
"Never mind that we're a private company now. Even back in the state-owned oil fields, I would dare to do this, and I would do the same!"
"Not convinced? Fine, then show me your skills!"
"If someone doesn't have the skills to back it up but still jumps up to nitpick and criticize, then they can get out of our technical department. I, Zhong Gaokuang, don't need people like that!"
This was Zhong Gaokuang's character, a technician through and through. Throughout his entire career in the oil fields, he had always operated with this style, and everyone admired him for it.
Seeing his determination, Song Guangyuan signed the document directly and then handed it over to the finance manager for the next step.
Under the joint efforts of Song Guangyuan and his many hard-working managers, the work efficiency of Huahai Company was very high.
Before lunchtime, Liu Shang received a text message notification from his bank: his bank card had received a transfer of 30,000 yuan.
This was a small step forward. At least now, he no longer had to worry about the basic necessities of life.
Like Liu Shang, other members of the technical team also received text messages from the bank.
This was originally something to be joyful about, but for many of them, the news somehow soured their mood.
If it were Mr. Zhong himself, forget 40,000. Even if he took 140,000, no one would question him.
When it came to Mr. Zhong, everyone was convinced of his strength and technical expertise.
But you, Liu Shang, a freshman who had just joined the company a week ago, how could you get such a large share of the money?
It wasn't just the members of their technical team. Other people in the company who weren't even involved in the project almost all shared the same opinion, believing that Liu Shang must have gotten the bonus by going through the back door and was not at all worthy of so much money.
---
$5 Tier – Early Access!
Read 30 chapters ahead of public platforms like RoyalRoad and Scribble Hub — with plans to increase to 40 chapters ahead once I reach 10 members!
Chapters are posted as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
Support the story and unlock early access:
Patreon is linked in My Profile or About.
Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing. If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it will be cheaper for you, and I won't have to wait 2 months for payments. Thank you!