"That's right. I've raised another 3 million to pay everyone's salaries and to fund one last, desperate stand," Feng Feifei announced.
"Three million? What good will that do? Is that enough to support us until the new product is finished?"
"Yeah, and even if we finish it, what happens if we have another problem with the R&D direction?"
"I understand everyone's concerns. I'm grateful for your unwavering support for the company and for me through all of this. The future is uncertain, and I don't have much confidence either. Therefore, to thank you for your hard work, anyone who chooses to resign now will still receive a severance package of N+1 months' salary!"
Never mind for voluntary resignations—many companies would do anything to avoid paying severance even during layoffs. For Feng Feifei to make such an offer in these difficult times, you had to admit, her character was admirable.
"You've got to admit, even though President Feng is a woman, she handles things with real class!"
"So what should we do? Stay or go? After how well President Feng is treating us, it feels a bit cold-hearted to just walk out."
"Cold-hearted? If we leave now, we get the N+1 severance. Once she goes bankrupt, she won't be able to pay you even if she wants to."
"That's true. We can't afford to be soft-hearted. Let's just take the money and go."
In the end, the vast majority chose to take the severance and leave. Only two people remained.
Feng Feifei had mixed feelings: part relief, part sadness, and part surprise.
With everyone gone, it was like she was starting a new business from scratch, unburdened. She would no longer have to face her old employees with a sense of guilt.
Everyone had left. Not a single veteran employee was willing to stay and weather the storm with her. Although she had expected it, experiencing the cold realities of human relationships firsthand still left a complicated, bitter taste.
What surprised her was that anyone had stayed at all. One was the accountant, and since accountants are usually trusted insiders, her staying wasn't strange. The other, however, was a new employee who had just joined a month ago.
She had interviewed Chen Xiao herself and remembered him. He was a young man with no prior industry experience, had just been with the company for a month, had just finished his pre-job training, and hadn't even dealt with a single client yet.
"President Feng! They're all gone!"
Everyone had rushed off to the human resources department to settle their final pay and severance. Xia Yun, the accountant who had stayed, said this with a hint of sadness.
"Yes. The ones who shouldn't have left are all gone."
Chen Xiao's expression soured. 'What's that supposed to mean? That the person who *should* have left is still here?'
Feng Feifei obviously noticed his sour expression and quickly explained, "Chen Xiao, don't misunderstand. I meant that even the R&D and marketing staff left. We'll have to rebuild the core team from scratch!"
Chen Xiao thought to himself, 'It doesn't matter if it was a misunderstanding. Even if she really thinks I should be the one to go, I'm not leaving. Not when my daily basic stipend is on the line.'
He took a few steps forward and said, "President Feng, don't lose heart. With a tech guru like you and me on the sales side, we can definitely turn things around!"
His words made Feng Feifei crack a smile. She had no idea where he found such confidence. She wasn't worried about the technical side; she was serving as the chief scientist herself. As long as they could clearly determine the customers' needs, she was fully capable of handling product development. The key issue was whether the funding would last.
As for him handling sales, Feng Feifei didn't have high hopes. He had only been there a month and hadn't even finished his probation period.
"Chen Xiao, thank you for your encouragement and support! To be honest, I'm not that confident. Three million is just a drop in the bucket for product R&D. Besides, after paying out everyone's severance, we'll have less than two million left. That's my entire fortune!"
Perhaps it was because he was the only person outside her inner circle who had stayed, or perhaps because the concern for the company written all over his face seemed so sincere. She even got the feeling that Chen Xiao was more worried about the company's future than she, the owner, was.
But as a new hire, he was oversimplifying things. A business like Dr. Feng's Robot Company operated on a B2B or B2G model. Without strong personal connections, making sales was incredibly difficult.
The company's previous sales team hadn't landed any significant orders all year; the few they had were just renewals from past contracts.
Perhaps not wanting to crush his enthusiasm, she said gently, almost apologetically, "Chen Xiao, the company obviously can't run with just the three of us. We'll have to hire new people immediately, especially for the sales team."
Chen Xiao nodded. That was a given. Not only did they need to expand the sales team, but they also had to hire pre-sales staff. Pre-sales personnel were responsible for developing product proposals, conducting demonstrations, and explaining technical details, working in close coordination with the sales team.
"However, the company's cash flow is extremely tight right now. For the new salespeople, I'm planning to recruit them on a model with a lower base salary and a higher commission rate. That way, if there are no orders, the company's expenses stay low. And if there are orders, the salespeople are rewarded for their performance."
There was an ulterior motive to this: it was a screening method. People who weren't confident in their ability to land orders wouldn't even apply. The ones who dared to would be self-assured, believing they could earn a much bigger payout from the high commission. These were often the people with excellent industry connections and access to major clients.
Right now, she desperately needed that second type of person.
Announcing the company's financial situation today served two purposes. On one hand, it was a gesture of responsibility towards her employees. On the other, it was a way to let those who were unwilling to weather the storm with the company leave of their own accord, effectively downsizing the workforce. The ones who remained would be those truly willing to strive with her, forming the foundation of her future core team.
The first goal was achieved, though the downsizing was a bit more extreme than she'd anticipated. Furthermore, the people who had chosen to stay were not who she expected.
Chen Xiao's expression turned grim. Seeing Feng Feifei hesitate, he said, "President Feng, you can be direct with me."
Feng Feifei said apologetically, "As you know, we have a policy of equal pay for the same position, so your compensation structure will have to be adjusted as well. Your new base salary will be 4,000 yuan a month, and your commission rate will increase from 2% to 5%. I know this is a difficult change, so if you don't want to accept it, I completely understand. I'm willing to give you an extra month's salary as compensation."
By "same position," she meant sales staff of the same grade. For example, Chen Xiao was in the sales department at grade P5, and new hires would also be P5, so they were entitled to the same pay. Of course, seniority was a factor—long-term employees might get small raises—but having been there only a month, Chen Xiao obviously didn't have that issue.
Of course Chen Xiao didn't want to accept. His heart was bleeding. 'Lady, do you have any idea how much this one policy change of yours is going to reduce my daily basic stipend?!'
"I'm sorry, Chen Xiao. You can take some time to think about it. Whether you stay or leave, I'll accept your decision."
Chen Xiao looked as if he were severely constipated. He ground out through clenched teeth, "I've thought it over. I'm staying!"
Feng Feifei was touched. 'What a wonderful employee,' she thought. 'Even when his job abuses him a thousand times, he still treats it like his first love.'