When it came to salary, Zhang Qinsheng looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then took out a forged receipt that looked like a bank's cross-border remittance slip from his wallet. "This is the salary for a new employee last month, look," he pointed at the number on it, his voice lowered even more, "after deducting fees, the net amount is 2985 US dollars. Of course, this is a company secret, just take a look and forget it." He quickly took back the slip, as if he had just revealed some incredible "business insider information."This number was like a bombshell, exploding in Chen Yu's mind.Over twenty thousand yuan!Chen Yu felt his breathing stop. This number had been carefully calculated. The official exchange rate in 1997 was 1 US dollar to 8.3 yuan. Nearly three thousand US dollars was equivalent to twenty-five thousand yuan. At that time, the average monthly salary for a university graduate in China was only six or seven hundred yuan, and for a junior college student like him, finding a job with a monthly salary of one thousand yuan would have been a godsend.Seeing the shocked expression on Chen Yu's face, Zhang Qinsheng was secretly pleased, but he maintained a sincere look on the surface. He deliberately added some details to increase credibility: "The salary is paid through a Chinese bank in Thailand and will be directly remitted to your designated bank account in China every month. Of course, a handling fee of about 5% needs to be deducted for cross-border remittances, and it also has to go through the review of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, but the company has dedicated financial staff to handle these for you. Even so, you can still get over twenty thousand yuan a month."He paused, observing Chen Yu's reaction, then threw out the final killer move: "Although the Asian economy has been a bit turbulent recently, our boss has vision. He believes this is a good time to bottom-fish and is preparing to expand trade with China against the trend. That's why they are in urgent need of Chinese-speaking talent like you. This is a typical 'window of opportunity,' which ordinary people can't see. If you miss it, it's really gone!"At that moment, Chen Yu's heart was filled with a strong desire. He thought of his recent job-hunting frustrations, of those indifferent rejections, of being looked down upon because he didn't have an English major. The image of Yang Yuling also began to appear in his mind, and the memory of not being able to express his love due to poverty resurfaced.He began to calculate frantically in his mind: twenty thousand a month, two hundred and forty thousand a year! This was more than his father could earn in a lifetime of toiling in the fields! With this money, he could return home in glory, let his parents live a good life, have the confidence to pursue Yang Yuling, and make all those who once looked down on him admire him!"Such a high salary?" Chen Yu couldn't believe it, but his voice was already trembling with excitement. "Is there... really such a good thing?""Of course, it's working abroad, the salary is definitely higher than in China," Zhang Qinsheng continued to tempt him, his every word like sowing seeds of greed in Chen Yu's heart. "And the cost of living in Thailand is not high, you can easily save over ten thousand yuan a month. Think about it, after working for two or three years, you can build a beautiful big house in your hometown, marry a good wife, and live a good life!"Zhang Qinsheng's words were highly evocative. He didn't just talk about abstract numbers, but quickly translated the money into concrete life scenes: a big house, a beautiful wife, a good life. These were the things Chen Yu most desired deep down.
