In fact, Liu Chen had never discussed the matter of their respective suitors with Ren Yu, because Liu Chen had always adhered to a principle.
They were just dating. If Ren Yu changed her mind, she would wish him happiness and then decisively break up and find the next one.
Perhaps sensing Liu Chen's mindset, Ren Yu never proactively brought up such topics, fearing she would be heartbroken upon hearing the answer.
Therefore, Liu Chen had no idea that someone had approached Ren Yu's maternal grandmother to arrange a blind date. She was now focused on perfecting her new product research and development laboratory.
This was precisely why Professor He Long's students greatly benefited from their internship at Meimei Factory.
In just one summer, the doctoral students who followed Professor He Long were captivated by the spacious, new, and well-equipped research labs at Meimei Factory. After discussions, almost all of them signed employment contracts with her.
Liu Chen was also very generous to her senior classmates, offering them the highest salaries in the industry: twelve thousand yuan per month, plus a bonus for successful new product development upon its launch. Furthermore, as long as they remained with Meimei Company, they would receive ten percent of the annual net profit of the product as a yearly dividend.
Ten percent might sound small, but it's important to remember that this was before deducting new product development costs. The company, as an investor, needed to recoup its research and development expenses; otherwise, it wouldn't be a company but a charity.
At the beginning of the semester, the food science students were unaware of this. When the National Day holiday approached, they suddenly noticed something.
"Huh? Why am I seeing lab photos posted on QQ by the seniors Professor He Long brought along, and it looks like it's inside the Meimei factory grounds?"
"The person upstairs, your observation skills are impressive."
"The poster, you're only noticing this now? Are you a bit slow? Let me tell you, almost all of Professor He Long's students have joined Meimei Company."
"No way? We're from Tsinghua University, and they're all joining this new company that's been established for less than a year? Could there be some deal between Professor He Long and the school beauty?"
This question sparked heated discussion. After all, based on their knowledge, previous graduating doctoral students had almost all joined state-owned enterprises or listed food companies, never a nascent company established just a year ago.
Liu Chen didn't usually browse the school's campus forum. However, Sang Ling, a key member of the computer science department in her second year, had recently been tasked with managing the campus forum inherited from a senior.
Sang Ling then forwarded the post directly to Liu Chen, with a note:
"Someone is trying to create a narrative questioning an improper transaction between you and Professor He Long."
Liu Chen happened to have a free period. She was sitting at her dorm desk, reading a message from Guan Ning, the first "senior sister" to sign with her company under Professor He Long.
Guan Ning: Regarding the new product test success report.
[Attachment]
When Liu Chen saw this message, she instinctively glanced at the date in the bottom right corner.
Yes, 2010/9/28.
Including the summer break, it had been a little over two months. The research team led by "Senior Sister" had successfully developed a new product, complete with a test report and intellectual property filings in the company's name attached.
Liu Chen felt incredibly satisfied.
Not only did she now have a capable management team, but she had also successfully built a research and development department, which many large companies struggled with.
She could even confidently say that Meimei Company could now operate and grow well independently, even without her direct involvement.
Perhaps because Liu Chen hadn't replied immediately, "Senior Sister" sent another message, sounding a bit embarrassed.
Guan Ning: Because this is our first time conducting R&D independently of Professor He Long, there were some disagreements on the research direction, which took a bit longer. However, we have now finalized the future research directions and can save a lot of time.
Of course, if you, Boss, have a fixed direction for research, we will also develop new products according to your guidelines.
Liu Chen had been lost in thought and only snapped back to attention upon seeing these two messages on QQ.
For a moment, even Liu Chen felt a touch of shyness.
This was the first time she was receiving the results of someone else's new product development. With hands trembling slightly from excitement, Liu Chen clicked on the attachment.
As soon as she opened the attached recipe, the system, which had been appearing less frequently, chimed in.
'Detected a pack of Mint Candy (Good) recipe belonging to the host. The host has completed the hidden quest—Develop an independent product, and has received a Dangerous Warning Charm, which will emit different temperatures based on the severity of the danger for 99 years.
Received a Shapeshifting Charm, which can alter its effects (enlarge, shrink, lighten, or heavy) according to the host's requirements.'
After the system's announcement, a small pendant resembling jade floated before Liu Chen, along with a blank charm. Liu Chen put the charm into her inventory. Although it was called Shapeshifting, its functions were clearly limited to four.
Liu Chen reached out and took the pendant. As soon as she held it, she sensed that this jade piece could change its appearance at will. With a thought, the jade piece quickly transformed into a plastic Meimei Company logo.
She attached it to her phone, and with a bright smile, Liu Chen replied to Guan Ning with a [Thumbs Up] emoji.
Liu Chen: Thank you all for your hard work. Since National Day is approaching, I will instruct the finance department to disburse the new product development bonuses to everyone before the holiday.
Guan Ning: Boss, don't you need to personally taste it? What if this product doesn't suit your palate?
Liu Chen paused at Guan Ning's words. She then remembered that she knew the new product was excellent due to the system's evaluation, which was almost like cheating.
After all, a product rated as "Good" by the system could be considered a market leader.
Thinking about it, she couldn't let "Senior Sister" and her team, who had put in so much effort, feel that she didn't value their achievements.
Liu Chen: I naturally trust your taste, Senior Sister. Moreover, the future sales of the product are directly related to your own dividends.
Guan Ning: Understood. Knowing you trust us so much makes everyone very happy. Since we didn't go home during the summer, we would like to visit our families during National Day.
Liu Chen: Senior Sister, I'm not a cruel taskmaster. The National Day holiday is seven days long. You don't need to inform me of your plans... Of course, I'm not worried about you leaking new product information, as our company contract includes confidentiality clauses...
Guan Ning: Just letting you know, so you don't find the lab empty when you return.
Liu Chen: Senior Sister, with a seven-day National Day holiday, it would be abnormal if people *were* here!
Guan Ning: Alright then, goodbye.
While chatting with "Senior Sister," Liu Chen also took out her phone to call the finance department.
Since it was a last-minute request for bonuses, Liu Chen thought it best to make a phone call to avoid the finance department thinking her account had been hacked.
The call was quickly connected.
"Boss?"
"Mm-hmm. The salaries are usually paid on the afternoon of the 31st, right?"
"Yes, Boss. The basic reconciliation is complete; only the adjustments for the remaining three days are needed."
Liu Chen nodded, then realized the other person couldn't see her nod over the phone, so she spoke affirmatively:
"Good job. I have a temporary expenditure to add. The lab employees will receive new product development bonuses, ten thousand yuan per person. Please add it to this month's payroll."
"No problem, Bo—Boss, ten thousand?? Did you mean ten thousand RMB? Is it ten thousand per person, or ten thousand for the team?"
The voice on the other end sounded somewhat confused. As the finance manager, Zhu Xi was very aware that the company's salaries far exceeded industry standards. However, she couldn't recall Meimei Company launching any new products recently.
So, was this a situation where bonuses were being issued before the product even hit the market and was validated by sales?
*Waaah!* Why wasn't she in the new product R&D department? This rotten finance manager job was not worth it!
Wait... she wasn't in the R&D department, but she heard that most people there were single. Let her think if she could introduce her cousin to someone there...
"Zhu Xi?"
"I'm here! Boss, rest assured, I'll relay the work immediately!"
"Mm-hmm, alright, bye."
"Goodbye, Boss!"
After hanging up, Liu Chen glanced at the post on the campus forum again.
Sometimes, when others don't believe you, the more you try to explain, the more you put yourself in a passive position. Once the salaries and bonuses are disbursed, she believed someone would inevitably post about it.
Ahem, after all, her contract didn't include salary confidentiality clauses like most companies.
With the finance department having the funds, their operations were highly efficient. By two o'clock on the afternoon of the 31st,
The members of the new product R&D department, who were packing their belongings in the dorm to return home, didn't pay much attention to the phone's notification sound.
It wasn't until they had finished packing and were about to take a taxi to the airport that "Senior Sister" Guan Ning, sharing a taxi with three junior sisters to save on fares, noticed it.
Compared to the three junior sisters, Guan Ning didn't get motion sickness, so she was using her phone to browse Weibo for new food spots in her hometown. As soon as she opened her phone, Guan Ning saw a new message notification.
Having received her salary twice already, Guan Ning quickly recalled that the company paid salaries at the end of the month. She assumed it was a salary deposit notification and clicked on the message.
'Meimei Food Co., Ltd. has transferred 112,000 yuan to you. Remark: Salary plus bonus. Current bank card balance: 134,000 yuan.'
The long string of numbers dazzled Guan Ning's eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, then quickly opened them again. Her vision was a bit blurry, but Guan Ning couldn't care less. She lifted the phone screen from her lap to her eyes.
"Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands..."
Even though Guan Ning was counting the transfer amount in a very low voice, the other three junior sisters in the car heard her. They all tilted their heads slightly out of curiosity, pretending to nonchalantly sneak a peek at Senior Sister.
However, they saw that Senior Sister, who was usually somewhat serious, was now smiling like a sunflower?
"Senior Sister..."
The girl sitting next to Guan Ning called out to her curiously. She then saw Guan Ning turn around, her eyes as bright as the stainless steel cabinets in the lab after they had just been cleaned.
"I have some good news to tell you later."
It wasn't that Guan Ning wanted to keep her happiness to herself, but rather, the four of them in the car were all women, and the three junior sisters were simple students. If they got too excited and started shouting the salary amount in the taxi, it might attract unwanted attention from the driver.
With Senior Sister's assurance, the three stopped asking questions and just gazed at the scenery outside, eager to reach the airport sooner.
The driver also heard what the girls in the back were saying and silently increased their speed, doing his best to reach the airport as quickly as possible within the legal speed limit.
Fortunately, Meimei Company's factory was not far from the airport. Moreover, Liu Chen always made sure the company's holiday releases were timed to avoid the rush hour traffic.
At 3:30 PM, Guan Ning and the three junior sisters alighted from the taxi. This was not the first time the three junior sisters had flown; they had accompanied their doctoral advisor to City C by plane during the summer break.
The four of them were from different hometowns, but Guan Ning, as the senior sister, still felt compelled to give them some instructions.
Leading the three to a less crowded wall at the airport, Guan Ning finally said:
"You were curious about what I was doing in the car just now, right? Take out your phones now, open your message notifications, and click on that salary deposit message."
Guan Ning didn't mention her own bonus amount. Although her salary and those of her junior sisters were the same, when they signed their contracts, she was the deputy head of R&D, so her annual salary was calculated based on 15 months, while the junior sisters were on 13 months.
They were all aware of this, and it didn't matter. However, this was Guan Ning's first new product development bonus, and she was unsure if everyone had received the same amount.
"Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands... Wow, Senior Sister, pinch me, I think I'm dreaming. Am I still in the taxi?"
The quickest girl had already seen the absurd bonus amount. The other two girls, after a scream, quickly covered their mouths. Then, with eyes sparkling like puppies, they looked at Senior Sister Guan Ning.
"Wuwu... Senior Sister, so much money... Wuwu, I, I'm so happy. My mother endured pressure to send me to pursue a doctorate, and I, I can finally repay her. Wuwu..."
"Wuwu, I, I can't let my mom know, or she'll definitely make me use it to buy a house for my brother. Wuwu, Senior Sister, I love Meimei, I want to work in R&D for the company my whole life!"
"So this isn't a dream? A new product development bonus of one hundred thousand yuan? Senior Sister, I suddenly regret it. The company treats us so well, is it really appropriate for us to go home for National Day like this?"
Upon hearing this, Guan Ning gently tapped the youngest junior sister on the head.
"Silly, when I informed the Boss about the new product development results, I already mentioned that everyone wanted to go home for National Day. I suspect the Boss rushed to disburse the bonuses before National Day so that you could have a more comfortable holiday."
As soon as Guan Ning finished speaking, the three young girls' eyes lit up, and they silently vowed:
This is such a good company, I will definitely work in R&D here for my entire life!
Twenty years later, as Meimei Company, the "king of competition" in new product R&D, a reporter asked:
"Since its establishment, your company's new product development speed has far surpassed that of its competitors. Ms. Liu, could you share whether your company's stringent high standards are the reason for such high-quality R&D speed?"
At that time, Liu Chen, then thirty-nine years old, paused for a few seconds before shaking her head.
"No, it's mainly because I offer high bonuses..."