"How much money are you planning to ask for?" Zhou Rui asked.

"How much money is in the company's account?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

"Around three hundred million." Zhou Rui replied, "However, you need to understand that this money is the initial funding for the Changlin District project. If this money is gone, we might not have enough left."

"Ugh..." Lin Chuan scratched his head, saying, "I really wish I owned a bank. That way I wouldn't be short on money."

"Great, then you should open a bank in the future," Zhou Rui laughed playfully.

"Since you said it, I'm taking it seriously," Lin Chuan laughed.

"I hope so," Zhou Rui glanced at Lin Chuan and said, "If you open a bank, it'll be much easier for me to get a loan. Right now, it's almost impossible to get approval from a bank. Ugh, banks are like ancestors now; we have to find all sorts of ways to please them and cater to them."

"Hmm, this proposal deserves serious consideration." Lin Chuan said earnestly, "Let's shift our focus abroad and then find a way to open a bank."

"Sounds good." Zhou Rui laughed as she heard this, "I like it, let's open banks all over the world."

"Definitely," Lin Chuan nodded and said, "If we're going to do it, let's make it big."

"I wish you success!" Zhou Rui laughed playfully.

Half a month flew by, and during that time, Lin Chuan and Tang Yumeng only managed to meet three times. Tang Yumeng was extremely busy at the end of the year. With Song Ming gone, the position for the executive deputy secretary remained vacant, and several deputy secretaries approached Tang Yumeng multiple times to talk, volunteering for the position. However, due to her year-end obligations, Tang Yumeng hadn't addressed the issue.

Although Tang Yumeng didn't have the authority to appoint the executive deputy secretary, she had the significant power to recommend candidates to the organization. If the candidate is recommended by the city's secretary, the organization would surely prioritize them, considering that the executive deputy secretary typically works closely with the city secretary. Therefore, the organization has to consider the principle of harmonious coexistence. Generally, the candidate recommended by the city's secretary is the first choice, with few exceptions.

Because of this, deputy secretaries continuously sought out Tang Yumeng for talks, offering their loyalty and even bringing "gifts." However, while Tang Yumeng listened earnestly to their self-recommendations, she absolutely refused to accept any gifts.

The Sichuan University Group has been busy lately, preparing for a grand year-end gala.

This will be the largest and most grand year-end meeting in the history of Jiangbei City. Mu Bai helped Lin Chuan get in touch with television network staff, and reporters from over a dozen media outlets flocked in.

The meeting was set at a resort with an outdoor event, and a planning company was specifically hired to decorate the venue. The entire outdoor park was newly adorned. The ground was covered with lush grass, with a long red carpet laid down without sparing expenses.

It spanned over a thousand square meters, surrounded by flowers and decorations. Long tables were neatly arranged on both sides of the area, with plates of delicious food, exquisite fruits, and pastries laid out.

At this time, several buses pulled up in front of the resort. Then, many people got off the buses, dressed simply, with nervous yet excited faces.

"Oh, Old Zhang, is that you?"

"Wow, Old Liu, you're here too? That's wonderful, just wonderful."

A lively atmosphere erupted among them, as these people were none other than the former residents of the Changlin Factory, and all of them were the families of the brothers from Jvyi Gang. This time, Lin Chuan specifically arranged for the families of all the Jvyi Gang brothers to be brought to the event, for which the Sichuan University Group rented several buses and shuttled people back and forth multiple times.

The brothers from Sichuan University Group had also gathered at the venue.

On the open lawn, hundreds of chairs had been neatly arranged, prepared for the families, and at the front of these chairs, a huge stage had been set up, big enough for a group of twenty to perform on.

"It's so grand."

"Yeah, Sichuan University Group really went all out this time."

Many family members laughed. Just contracting this resort must have cost a lot, and it's decorated so beautifully. The lighting at night was spectacular, with several huge xenon lamps illuminating the scene, making it as bright as day.

Lin Chuan, Zhou Kai, and a group of others stayed in a nearby house.

"Brother Chuan, do we really need to do this?" Zhou Kai, with a flushed face, said, "Spending so much money, the brothers feel it's unnecessary."

"But I think it's very necessary," Lin Chuan laughed and said, "This year, our company made a lot of money, and even though most of it needs to be invested in a real estate project, we can't let that change our quality of life or affect the brothers' incomes."

At this point, Zhou Kai awkwardly said, "Brother Chuan, actually... the brothers feel unworthy."

"Why?" Lin Chuan frowned and said, "Everyone earns their living through labor and ability. Every penny you earn is clean. Why do you feel undeserving?"

"Well..." Zhou Kai awkwardly glanced around and said, "Brother Chuan, you might not be fully aware of the Sichuan University Group's situation, even though it's yours. But..."

"But what?" Lin Chuan looked at Zhou Kai with confusion and said, "Why are you hesitating like this? Is this how a man behaves?"

"Sigh..." Zhou Kai gritted his teeth and said, "We just feel unworthy of it!"

"Explain clearly!" Lin Chuan questioned.

Zhou Kai kept his head down and remained silent.

There was something he had been hiding deep in his heart for a long time, and he never dared to speak of it, mainly because of Zhou Rui. Zhou Rui didn't let him mention it. Moreover, they had a verbal gentleman's agreement between them.

However, even though the situation had reached this point, Zhou Kai still found it hard to hold back. Especially seeing Lin Chuan handing out cash as rewards, he couldn't contain it any longer. But he was worried about his gentleman's agreement with Zhou Rui; he feared causing trouble for himself if he spoke up.

"Say it!" Lin Chuan seemed to realize that Zhou Kai was hiding a secret in his heart.

"I... I don't dare say." Zhou Kai said awkwardly.

"Are you even a man?" Lin Chuan frowned.

"I'm afraid something will go wrong if I say it." Zhou Kai helplessly looked at Lin Chuan.

"If you don't say it, things will get worse." Lin Chuan looked at Zhou Kai seriously and said, "Zhou Kai, I'm asking you to say it immediately in the name of a brother from Jvyi Gang."

"Yes!" Zhou Kai nodded repeatedly upon hearing this and said, "Brother Chuan, there's something I really must speak out. You're handing out so much money to reward the brothers and help the folks of Changlin Factory, but have you considered one person? She works hard for you every day, is the first to arrive at the company and the last to leave every day. For your sake, she's been running to the Changlin Factory site for half a month straight, wearing out several pairs of shoes, and her hands and feet have gotten cut and bruised several times at the site. But she..."

At this point, tears welled in Zhou Kai's eyes, and he bit his lip, unable to continue.

"Keep talking!" Lin Chuan urged.

"But, she never took even a penny of salary from you." Zhou Kai looked at Lin Chuan with gritted teeth and said, "Brother Chuan, we shouldn't treat people like this, let alone use them like livestock."

"Are you talking about Zhou Rui?" Lin Chuan asked, puzzled.

"That's right!" Zhou Kai nodded and said, "It's Little Pepper. Though she's straightforward, she's more astute than anyone else when it comes to important matters. You know she's never taken a single penny from the company since she started working. The money she's using now is all from her savings, which she earned doing odd jobs abroad. She's been in Jiangbei City for two years, and her savings are used up now. Have you noticed she hasn't bought new clothes in a long time? Have you noticed her shoes never change? You probably don't know that her daily breakfast is just two buns and a cup of soy milk. At noon, she eats fast food with the brothers..."

As Zhou Kai spoke, tears started to fall.

"How could this happen?" Lin Chuan frowned and said, "Didn't I set her salary at a million a year?"

"Yes." Zhou Kai wiped his tears forcefully and said, "But she never took any of it. Whole Jvyi Gang knows about it; probably only you didn't. All our brothers are aware."

Lin Chuan was completely stunned: "Why would she do this?!"

"Because Sichuan University Group is struggling financially." Zhou Kai said helplessly, "We've never had a surplus from start to finish. Although we've partnered with Glory Group and our revenue increased a lot, most of our income has been invested in other industries. Even though most of our industries under our name are quite profitable, we're now investing in real estate, and the funding required for real estate is a bottomless pit."

"So she's not taking a salary?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Yes!" Zhou Kai nodded and said, "Zhou Rui tries hard to save every penny for the company. Meanwhile, we're recklessly spending money here."

"That's not related to us." Lin Chuan patted Zhou Kai's shoulder and said, "I think I really should have a good talk with Zhou Rui."

"Brother Chuan, do have a good talk with Little Pepper." Zhou Kai sighed and said, "It can't go on like this; otherwise, the brothers will feel guilty."

After Lin Chuan understood the situation, he immediately turned and left.

There was still an hour until half-past six. Quite a few people had already arrived on site. About half of the residents from Changlin Factory had come, and familiar faces like Aunt Zhou and Sister Hong were gathered together.

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