The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er’s words caused an uproar.

In this era, just getting paid on time was considered a blessing. Almost no factory offered anything like a perfect attendance bonus. Showing up for work on time every day was expected—it was your duty. Why would anyone get a reward for that? And eight yuan was no small sum.

"For real? You’re really going to give us an eight-yuan perfect attendance bonus? You’re not just stringing us along, are you?"

"Yeah, if it’s real, I swear I’ll be here on time every single day. I’ll never take a day off."

"Exactly. You’d never find an offer this good anywhere else."

As the crowd kept shouting, Mayor Jin glanced over at Gu’er. ’The terms she’s offering are quite generous,’ he thought.

"Since I’ve said it out loud, it must be true. Besides, Mayor Jin and the Secretary are both here. I wouldn’t dare try to fool you in front of them."

Gu’er had no intention of deceiving them. She always did what she said she would. As long as these people worked hard, she would not mistreat them.

"This is amazing. We never had benefits like this at the factory."

The crowd was buzzing with excitement.

"Everyone, please quiet down and let me finish."

Gu’er raised a hand, signaling for silence.

"I knew it was too good to be true," someone muttered. "There’s got to be a catch."

When Gu’er said this, someone in the crowd immediately spoke up, but she paid it no mind.

"What I just said is only one part of it. There’s more. At our department store, you can retire at the age of sixty. And don’t worry about what happens after you retire. Just like at the state factories, we will give you a retirement pension, paid on time every month. As long as this department store is standing, we will never be late on a payment. So you don’t need to worry that we won’t provide for your retirement just because we’re a private business."

Gu’er spoke with conviction. At her words, the crowd grew even louder. They never imagined they could still get paid after reaching retirement age.

"Furthermore, I’ve noticed a few of you folks aren’t in the best of health and might not be able to come to work every day. But since you’ve come to my establishment, I will be responsible for you. You can get a certificate from the hospital, and as long as you have a genuine health problem—no fraud or deception—I can process a medical retirement for you. You can stay at home and focus on your health. You won’t need to come in to work, and we will still pay your wages."

Gu’er had just dropped another bombshell. Many work units and factories offered no such benefits. If you got sick, you had to give up your post. At most, you might get a small allowance. In fact, several people in the crowd with poor health had been forced to leave their original factories and work units for precisely that reason.

"Really? We can really get paid without having to come to work?"

A sallow-faced, middle-aged woman asked Gu’er in disbelief, her body swaying as if she were about to collapse.

"Ma’am, it’s true," Gu’er said. "Like I said, once you’ve joined us, you’re one of our employees, one of our people. As long as you follow our regulations and work hard, I will take responsibility for you. When you reach retirement age, we’ll pay you. If you take medical retirement due to poor health, we’ll still pay you. Furthermore, whether you’re retiring normally or for medical reasons, you will all have the right to recommend one family member or relative to come work here. But let me make one thing clear: anyone you recommend must be of good character and willing to follow our rules. Otherwise, we won’t have a place for them here."

Gu’er spoke with great sincerity. ’If we’re going to run a department store, we have to do it right. And the few of us aren’t enough to do that—we need good employees. I have to win their hearts and get them to work hard. That’s the only way we can make this department store a success.’

"Thank you, thank you, dear."

The corners of the sallow-faced woman’s eyes grew moist. She had been let go from her factory because of her illness, and life had been hard for her family. When she was assigned to this new job, she had already resolved to work herself to death if necessary, all for a wage that could support her family. But now, she could get paid without even having to come in. How could she not be moved to tears?

"I’ve never heard of anything like this! You can recommend someone else for your job when you retire or get sick? Everyone has family and friends, so this is an amazing opportunity! You’ll never find another boss like this. Plus, the pay is great! I’m in! From now on, whatever the boss says, goes. I’ll do whatever she says."

A young man in his twenties shouted.

"I’m in too! With terms this good, you’d have to be less than human not to work hard."

Someone else shouted.

As they shouted, many others nodded in agreement.

Gu’er gestured for quiet once more and continued, "For all department store employees, if you get sick in the future, we will reimburse your medical expenses on a case-by-case basis. After we open, we will give out gifts for the New Year and other holidays. If you perform well, we will also give out additional bonuses. Furthermore, every month I will select the ten most outstanding employees. First place will get a fifty-yuan bonus, and tenth place will get ten yuan. Everyone has a chance; it all depends on whether you want it. As long as you do your job well, take responsibility for the store, and work hard for it, then we will absolutely not treat you unfairly. This is a promise from us, the managers, and you can count on it! Before the grand opening, we will sign contracts with you that will include every one of these benefits, so you can put your minds at ease. How much money you make each month from now on isn’t up to us—it’s up to you. So tell me, do you still want to leave? Do you still think our terms are unreasonable and that we’re trying to oppress you?!"

"We’re not leaving! We’re staying to work here! We’re going to work hard, get first place, and make lots and lots of money!"

Many people were shouting, and the noise was so loud it even startled Gu’er.

’But I’m not truly surprised,’ she thought. ’These are all ordinary workers. Why are they here? To earn money to support their families. Before, they might have earned twenty or thirty yuan a month, but here they can make much more. If they work hard, they could earn a hundred yuan in a month. That’s as much as an ordinary person makes in several months. How could they not be fired up? How could they not be excited?’

Liu Yuan watched Gu’er’s back and then the crowd’s fiery enthusiasm, his heart filled with admiration and wistful reflection. ’If I had been offered terms like these back in the day, I would have been just as excited as they are,’ he thought. ’But thanks to Gu’er, I’m a boss now. I’m one of the people who pays their salaries and manages them.’

Sun Jiaming watched Gu’er as well. ’The girl who used to dig for wild vegetables on the mountain and haul them to the city to sell, the one who got excited over earning a few measly cents, has now grown up to be someone who pays other people’s wages.’

Li Zhi was also watching Gu’er. ’I never realized she had such a powerful presence, that she was so good at winning people over,’ he thought. ’Look how fired up everyone is. If anyone were to speak ill of Gu’er or try to stop them from working here now, these people would probably fight them to the death.’

Dingzi didn’t say a word, but he was also deeply moved. ’My life has changed completely since I went into partnership with Li Zhi and Gu’er,’ he thought. ’But I love my life now.’

Seeing the crowd’s excited expressions, a look of satisfaction appeared in the mayor’s eyes. ’Gu’er knows how to rally people. As long as she follows through on her promises, I’m sure this department store will do well. The fact that she’s willing to sign contracts with them proves she’s serious,’ he thought. ’Lin Shan’s daughter is truly impressive. She understands what these people want and knows how to win their loyalty.’

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Thank you to Qing Bojun for the peace charm, and thank you to Dandan Ru Liu, Qiu Bao’er 1, Haidao Maochongchong, and Dian Dian NvNv for the monthly tickets. Thank you all for your support.