Stuck in a Chinese novel - Chapter 486
Chapter 486: Charity or kindness?
Chapter 486
“And then we have to deal with…Boss?” Li Wei was in the middle of a briefing in the meeting room when she noticed Wei Jun out of focus.
“What?” Wei Jun snapped out of his reverie and looked at the three girls before he shook his head and said, “Sorry, I’m a little preoccupied.”
“Everything alright?” Lin Ruan affectionately asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Wei Jun smiled and dismissed the issue. But even when he was focused on the meeting, his mind went back to the conversation he had had a day ago with the overseer about his brother.
Wei Jun hadn’t asked anything further, but that last bit of it was stuck in his mind.
‘Monstrous, huh?’ Wei Jun mused once again. Even though the overseer could tell what Wei Jun was thinking, he didn’t raise the issue as well, leaving it as it was. It wasn’t like that was what Wei Jun had questions about.
While they were in the middle of the meeting, the door to the meeting room opened and Mark Wilson and Morial entered, a duo that was totally out of sync but worked flawlessly by covering each other’s flaws.
“We’re done.” Those were the first words Morial said before he flopped down on an empty couch without saying anything else.
“I’ll submit the report, my lord.” Mark Wilson said in his usual cringeworthy way and said, “As it turns out, everyone on the list was guilty of severe and twisted crimes as you had predicted, so we dealt with all of them accordingly.”
“Good.” Wei Jun replied.
“You’re both free for now. Focus on your training.” Wei Jun said, to which Mark Wilson nodded and excused himself while Morial just left with a harrumph.
“Even women aren’t that grumpy.” Yue Peng couldn’t help but comment and mumble.
“What?!” Morial suddenly stopped and said in a gagster like tone.
“Hiek!” Yue Peng immediately took cover behind Lin Ruan and yelled, “How could you hear that?”
“Dragons have incredible hearing,” Morial replied before a glint passed through his eyes that made Yue Peng jump once again.
“Enough.” Wei Jun said, which made Morial quit his threats, and he left with another harrumph.
“Way to use me as a shield.” Lin Ruan commented.
“Oh, you know how it’s like.” Yue Peng said bashfully as she added, “I was scared.”
“Sure you were.” Lin Ruan replied but didn’t shake off Yue Peng, a detail Li Wei didn’t miss, but fortunately for them, no one else in the room was as perceptive as her.
“Everything looks good.” Wei Jun said, lost more than one would have thought, and added, “Hurry and begin.”
“Yes, boss.” Li Wei replied.
“What about what we discussed yesterday?” Wei Jun asked.
“Warm blankets, daily rations, and portable toilets have been provided to the citizens in droves. In total, we spent about 14 million yuan yesterday.” Li Wei gave an overview of the report while she handed him the document with more details.
Checking the document, Wei Jun gave it a quick look and nodded. Fourteen million wasn’t even an amount to him now, considering they made that much by raiding a few low-level dungeons, not to mention the higher-ranked ones.
“Up the cost. Up the rations. Up the comfort.” Wei Jun said as he handed the document back to Li Wei.
“But, boss, the soonest we can complete the first part of the project is within half a year. If we keep on spending money like this, then we’d lose a tremendous amount. Perhaps so much so that we wouldn’t be able to make enough to raid dungeons.” Li Wei said.
“That’s my job to worry about.” Wei Jun simply replied before he thought for a moment and said, “Then how about this…”
~~
“A job?” A woman in the massive crowd asked.
“Yes.” Yue Peng replied before she added, “We’re offering jobs in construction, in cooking, in farming, and in tailoring. Mostly men in construction, while the rest of the jobs are open to everyone.”
A girl in the crowd raised her hand and asked, “Are there any jobs for underage girls like me?”
“For underage boys and girls, we offer different sorts of jobs such as delivery, catering, waitressing, and such.” Yue Peng replied.
“Is there another reason for the jobs you’re offering?” A young man, about twenty years old, asked.
“Yes.” Yue Peng replied before she explained, “As you know, the Ruan family has provided you with rations and daily utilities for the past few days. I don’t want to say it since my boss says it’s alright, but we’ve been hit hard financially due to that. These jobs were a proposal from our directors who think we’re losing money. This way. Not only will we save some money, but you will all get funds to purchase the rations yourself.”
“Will they be expensive?” An old man in the crowd asked.
“Um… yes. Whatever you earn in a day would probably be used to buy the rations for one family.” Yue Peng replied.
“That is fine with me. I don’t want to take free food as well.” The old man said before he asked, “What kind of jobs do you have?”
“None for you, old man.” They all heard a cold voice as they saw a man appear on the platform, perched to deliver Yue Peng’s message out of nowhere.
The handsome man who immediately captivated the crowd looked at the hunched old man and said, “You now only have one job. Sit back and relax.”
“But I’m the only breadwinner in my household.” The old man argued.
“Didn’t I say your job is to sit back and do nothing?” Wei Jun asked before he said out loud, not in the microphone, but strangely, everyone heard his voice, “All elderly and children are exempt from jobs. Children below the age of ten, if they have no one to look after them who can work, will be provided with food and clothing. The same goes for the households where only the elderly are the main earners.”
As much as that announcement shocked everyone, the people it shocked the most were Wei Jun’s own companions. That was not what was discussed a few days ago, so they didn’t know what to say or do about it.
“But… would that not be a loss for you?” The old man asked.
“I’ll receive my pay from god when I die.”
With those simple words, Wei Jun once again said out loud, “Even if you don’t work, you will be provided for. But, do you really want to set such an example? Not only for the future generations, but also for yourselves?”
“In these trying times, it is exactly now to pick yourself up. If you had no opportunities before, you have them now. Because once this ends, and you’re back in your homes, you won’t have what’s being given now. What will you do then?”
The crowd looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Seeing that reaction, Wei Jun nodded to himself and finally said, “Now is the time to make a name for yourself. This opportunity is for everyone, equally. You can make something out of yourself using this; otherwise, you’ll simply go back to where you were once this crisis ends.”
“Think long and hard and sign the contracts.” With those words, Wei Jun disappeared just as he had magically appeared out of nowhere.
Yue Peng and Lin Ruan looked at each other, unsure of what to do now, but Li Wei, ever so loyal, yelled with Qi in her voice, “What are you waiting for?!!! Get to thinking! NOW!!!”
Her voice woke up the crowd, and once again, after exchanging looks and nods, the old man was the one to come forward and say, “There’s no need to think.”
Just as he said that, a woman in a nun’s uniform, probably a nun from an orphanage, came forward and said, “I know tailoring. Where do I sign?”
It was as if a chain reaction began just after the nun, and more and more people began to come forward.
“I have a background in construction work.”
“I’m an accountant.”
“I’m an excellent cook.”
“I may not have any work experience, but I can wash clothes at least.”
“I’m a mechanical engineer.”
“I’m a civil engineer.”
Looking at the overwhelming crowd, Lin Ruan and Yue Peng exchanged looks while Li Wei nodded proudly to herself as if it were her own achievement and said, “That’s what I expected from the boss all along.”
Standing far away from the massive crowd, where no one could see Wei Jun, Wei Jun looked at the wave he had created and couldn’t help but doubt that it was he who had done that. Something he would have never expected to have done when he came to that world.
[I agree]
[You’ve come a long way from your anger issues]
[Though you still become angry over some things]
‘…’
[Feels good, doesn’t it?]
‘…’ Wei Jun remained silent for a while before a soft smile involuntarily appeared on his face as he replied, ‘It does.’