In late July, Liu Chen was at the factory listening to Jiang Huai recount the new automated monitoring system he had developed under Ren Yu's guidance.
"As long as someone appears within the monitoring range but not during regular working hours, the system will issue a warning on screen and save a screenshot."
As Jiang Huai spoke, Liu Chen's gaze fell upon the surveillance screen displaying hundreds of monitors. It was eight in the morning, a time when employees were not yet preparing to start their day.
"Miss Liu, please look."
As soon as Jiang Huai finished speaking, red circles popped up on three of the surveillance screens in front of them, enclosing a person.
"It's not regular working hours, so these three employees who arrived early are circled as a warning."
Liu Chen nodded, patted Jiang Huai's shoulder, and gave him a thumbs-up.
Seeing Liu Chen give him a thumbs-up, Jiang Huai couldn't help but smile.
"Well, Miss Liu, I'm glad you're satisfied. I haven't yet thanked you for assigning me a dormitory, which allowed me to bring my grandparents from my hometown to live here. They're now helping other colleagues in the dorm who have to go to work by looking after children during the day and earning some money."
As he mentioned this, beads of sweat trickled down Jiang Huai's forehead. He had tried to prevent his grandmother from doing this, but they believed that coming to the city and not being able to farm meant no income, making them a burden. They insisted on returning home.
Even though he had already told them that his salary was high, that after three months of internship it would be eight thousand yuan, with social insurance and housing fund, and weekends off, they could live in the dormitory as long as they worked for the company.
Liu Chen was somewhat surprised by Jiang Huai's sudden mention of his grandparents earning money. Then she realized:
"Senior Jiang Huai, it must be that I've been too busy recently. Yes, our company's network security is entrusted to you, but beyond that, your time is your own. If you're willing, you can be a slash youth, and I have no objections."
"No, no, I don't want to be a slash youth."
Liu Chen shook her head, stopped Jiang Huai, and advised him earnestly:
"Senior, although I will definitely give you a raise if you do well in the future, housing prices are already exorbitant now. I advise you to seize the time to save money and buy a house in the city you want to stay in. It doesn't matter if it's a large one. We contribute a lot to the housing fund, and the loan deduction can be managed.
So, your difficulty is the down payment. The more down payment you can save, the larger the house you can leverage with a loan in the future. Keep at it, and you'll thank yourself for your efforts later."
Jiang Huai was dizzy from Liu Chen's words. He couldn't understand why, with his eight-thousand-yuan salary, he could already buy two square meters in City C per month, yet Miss Liu was still urging him to work harder.
Why?
That evening, back in the dormitory, Jiang Huai was somewhat absent-minded. After being questioned by his grandparents, the elderly couple exchanged glances. Then, his grandmother put down her chopsticks and returned to her room.
After a while, her grandmother emerged, holding a rectangular object wrapped in a faded red cloth. She looked up, her face weathered and tanned from years of labor in the fields, with dry, drooping skin, yet she possessed a pair of eyes full of tenderness.
At that moment, those gentle eyes looked at Jiang Huai as she slowly unwrapped the red cloth, smiling as she spoke:
"Xiao Huai, this is what Grandma and Grandpa have saved for you to get married over the years. I've heard from everyone that your boss is a genius. She told you this without telling anyone else, which shows she genuinely wants to promote you.
Take this money and buy a bigger house. We'll help you look after the children in the future. If the girl doesn't want to live with us old folks, your grandpa and I will rent a place near you and cook for you during the day before returning at night."
Jiang Huai looked at the savings passbook in his grandmother's hand and suddenly tears welled up.
Because he knew how much hardship his grandparents had endured in their hometown, how they had scrimped and saved every penny they earned to prepare this money for his wedding.
With what kind of emotions did they save this money? Hope, the hope that he would one day get married, have children, and have a complete family.
And himself?
He almost wanted to perish together with a certain inhuman mentor. He was a coward, a coward!
Jiang Huai's grandmother saw her grandson holding a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, tears falling without warning, and she panicked.
"What's wrong? What's wrong, child? Are you feeling wronged? Grandma and Grandpa are useless, we've only saved a few tens of thousands of yuan over the years. If you think it's too little, just wait. Your grandpa and I can earn over a thousand yuan a month by looking after children now..."
Before Jiang Huai's grandmother could finish speaking, her grandson suddenly stood up and hugged her tightly.
He heard his grandson Jiang Huai's choked voice by his ear:
"Grandma, Grandma, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"My child, what are you sorry for? You've always cared about Grandma since you were little. You were so greedy for meat that you even talked about meat in your dreams at night, but you insisted you loved cabbage and gave the meat to Grandma. It's Grandma who's failed you. If such a sensible child like you were born into a city family, imagine how much happiness you'd enjoy!"
Jiang Huai remained silent, shook his head, and embraced his grandmother's shriveled body, which felt like it had been spun dry in a washing machine. He closed his eyes and said:
"Grandma, I'll save up and see if there are any small games I can make. We'll go house hunting by the end of the year. It's just that... it's just that I'm grateful to Miss Liu. Without her, I... I might be in jail."
Jiang Huai's words greatly frightened his grandmother. Her withered hands trembled as she gripped Jiang Huai's arm.
"Child, what are you saying? What did you do that was illegal?"
"I..."
After Jiang Huai told his grandmother what had happened that semester, his grandmother slammed her hand hard on his back.
"You, you! Sigh! You must repay your boss well, understand? Your boss is your savior! If you dare not work hard, you'll be heartless!"
Jiang Huai nodded repeatedly at his grandmother's words:
"Grandma, Grandma, I know. I won't. I... I'll stay with the company my whole life, and I won't go anywhere!"
Thus, countless hackers in later generations couldn't understand why a food company named Meimei ranked among the top domestic defense systems. What was even more outrageous was that this company's security department seemed to be fanatical, constantly working on upgrades.
If they upgraded, they also sold their security system to other companies! Just from selling security systems and providing subsequent maintenance, their annual revenue reached tens of millions.
It was simply monstrous!
Little did they know that this was the result of a talented individual working diligently.
---
Far away in the United States, the bosses of various companies in the food industry were well aware of the subtle actions of Aimeili Company.
But who cared that Meimei was a company run by outsiders trying to grab market share in their homeland?
If you have the courage to compete, you must be prepared to be attacked!
On July 25th, people arranged by Aimeili Company began posting their physical reports on Twitter.
Acute nephritis!
Admitted to the hospital for treatment, the cause of his acute nephritis was drinking a functional beverage recently promoted online – Meimei Niu!
He then posted a receipt on Twitter showing that he had purchased five bottles of Meimei Niu along with Meimei Niu milk chocolate.
Johnny's post on Twitter was quickly reposted by some sensationalist Twitter bloggers, who also raised questions.
'Could the functional beverage Meimei Niu cause health problems for its consumers?'
'Are the products of the newly emerging brand Meimei qualified?'
Soon, people on Twitter began to create a trend, with a large number of people questioning and demanding a reasonable solution from Meimei Company.
And the original poster of the medical report, Johnny, demanded compensation from Meimei Brand.
Five hundred thousand US dollars.
"Five hundred thousand US dollars? Hmm, doesn't sound like much," Liu Chen said when she received the cross-country call. She had just woken up at half past six in the morning in the peak of summer, the air still thick with mist, likely the moisture from the night transforming into mist as the sun rose.
"It's not about whether it's a lot or not. If we can't resolve this crisis perfectly, then next time more people will demand this five hundred thousand US dollars in compensation, and it will drag us down!"
Zhang Jiawang, on the other end of the line, heard Liu Chen's somewhat indifferent tone and was extremely anxious, wishing he could rush into the phone and explain the urgency of the matter to Liu Chen face-to-face!
"Uncle Zhang, don't worry. I didn't say I would pay the fifty thousand US dollars. How about this, I'll transfer five million US dollars to your private account. You find the best commercial law firm in the entire United States and tell them that if they win this case, we will hire them as our company's legal counsel in the United States with an annual consultation fee of five million US dollars.
Then, you ask them to introduce you to a professional laboratory to conduct research data. Drink ten bottles, twenty bottles, thirty bottles, and more at one time, to see the different human body responses. I want a clear and comprehensive data report.
Next, have the law firm conduct a comprehensive examination of the person suing. Can a component of traditional Chinese medicine be extracted from his blood?"
With her three sentences, Liu Chen stabilized Zhang Jiawang, who was sweating profusely and felt that his good life was about to collapse.
"Phew... Then, I'll leave now to find them. Um, Miss Liu, I have to say, your reasoning is clear, and you've grasped the key points. I, I boasted about starting from scratch, but when something happens, I still have to rely on you."
As Zhang Jiawang spoke, he felt a sense of emotion and truly realized.
Sometimes, when facing these young people, he truly had to step back.
Oh well, after this incident, he would gradually reduce the profit margin of the supermarket, no longer expecting it to make money, and would no longer hire only two cashiers for 24 hours. He would hire three, operating in shifts, providing food and accommodation, and taking care of more compatriots.
What Zhang Jiawang didn't know was that because of these measures, his supermarket was later passed down by word of mouth among a large group of Chinese students, referred to as the Chinese people's relatives in Los Angeles. Even many who came to Los Angeles to study or travel would specifically visit Zhang Jiawang's nearby supermarket for shopping and memories.
And so...
Zhang Jiawang actually earned more!
Of course, that's a story for another time. For now, Zhang Jiawang went to the top law firm in the US, Andre & Associates, as per Liu Chen's instructions.
The PR department of Aimeili Company had been closely monitoring the sentiment on Twitter, seeing everyone questioning and openly rejecting Meimei Brand products unless they provided an explanation.
However, Meimei Brand, which usually spent a large amount of money on advertising on Twitter, remained silent.
"These people, if you don't teach them a lesson, they really think they can snatch this market at will."
The boss of Aimeili Company, smoking a cigar, looked at the news on Twitter on his phone, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled with narrowed eyes.
A slight upward curve of his lips indicated his current good mood.
"Knock knock."
There was a knock on the office door.
"Enter!"
The office door was quickly opened. Aimeili's boss glanced at the incompetent manager of the PR department:
"What is it?"
The PR manager swallowed, lowered his head, and looked at the carpet beneath his feet, not daring to meet his boss's gaze. "Boss, Meimei Brand has hired Andre & Associates as their legal representative and is suing the person we hired for commercial fraud, seeking fifty thousand US dollars in damages."
When the Aimeili boss heard the name Andre, he instantly stood up from his chair.
"What! Andre & Associates?! Don't they claim they don't even look at cases below one million US dollars?!"
"Boss, I heard that Andre & Associates said Meimei Brand has used five million US dollars as the legal fee for this case and promised that if they win, they will hire Andre & Associates as their legal counsel for five million US dollars annually in the future."
Hearing this, the Aimeili boss clenched his fists in anger and slammed them on the desk.
"Shit! Shit! It's all shit! Damn it! So much money, so much money you're in the food business! Why don't you make medicine with so much money! Damn it! Damn it!"
"You! Tell that person to stick to their story and don't let go, otherwise, we'll all go down together! As long as he doesn't admit it, even if Meimei Niu is fine, we can say it's individual physique differences that caused his nephritis, understand?"
Aimeili's boss quickly turned around, having devised a countermeasure. However, as he spoke the last part, he still gritted his teeth in a low voice.
If the boss of Meimei Brand were standing in front of him at this moment, he would swear that he would bite this hateful rich second-generation to death!
"Yes, boss!"
As soon as the PR manager finished speaking, he turned around and opened the office door.
At that moment, police officers who had been waiting outside rushed into the office with guns drawn.
"Liam, you are under arrest!"