Mingde indeed lacked a front desk staff, but it wasn’t for Linjiang’s hire.

After Jin’s father had sorted out the paperwork for the Shenzhen office, Mingde quickly began preparations for the branch.

Of course, it was necessary to bring along some old employees from Linjiang to help with expansion.

Shenzhen was not far, about three hours by car.

Jin Yaotiao stepped out of the car, took a deep breath of Shenzhen’s air, and looked around—everything was far more modern and prosperous than Linjiang.

Linjiang was one of the fastest-developing new first-tier cities, but compared to the true first-tier city of Shenzhen, the gap was still huge.

Shenzhen not only had international connections and a developed economy, but its urban area was several times larger than Linjiang.

With millions of permanent residents and tens of millions of transient residents, the city’s food market was vast, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Mingde had developed into a well-known company in Linjiang over the years, but in this city, it was still far from enough.

Only companies like Jingmao, which had transcended regional limitations, could receive special treatment here.

As a result, the Jin family arrived quietly, bringing only three cars of headquarters employees, many of whom were Mingde’s chefs.

Some came to help prepare for the new store, while others came to help set up the company.

Old employees at the new company had to be guaranteed the same treatment as those at headquarters.

Land prices in Shenzhen were very high, and Mingde, being in the development stage, was short on funds.

Therefore, the company couldn’t afford to choose a particularly prime location.

Jin’s father selected an office in a location that was convenient but relatively inexpensive, surrounded by small companies of similar size.

Jin’s father smiled and said, “Yinyan’s new store requires a large investment, so we’ll have to make do with this branch office for now. Once the scale increases, we’ll get everyone a better environment.”

The employees were aware of this before they arrived, so when they did, no one was surprised.

They all smiled and said, “The office environment doesn’t matter. What’s important is the food. Mr. Jin, when can we start eating?”

Everyone laughed. Jin Yaotiao looked at the office area.

The front desk equipment was simple, and she asked Xu Wan, “Aunt Xu, can you adapt?”

With her status as a wealthy individual, standing here would indeed be out of place.

That diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist could probably buy a house in Shenzhen.

Xu Wan listened to the laughter around her and couldn’t help but smile. “I think it’s quite good here.”

Jin Yaotiao thought of something else. “By the way, we’re providing staff dormitories…”

Considering the high housing prices in Shenzhen, she had arranged dormitories for the employees who came along. But no matter how generous, they were still dormitories, and as for Xu Wan…

Xu Wan waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Jingmao has a park in Shenzhen. I’ve bought a few properties here after the lawsuit was settled. I’ll check and pick one out. If the dormitories are not enough, I can…”

“… No need.”

Jin Yaotiao turned her head.

The front desk had enough rooms that could be freed up for colleagues to stay.

Fine then.

This was no problem, so Jin Yaotiao started thinking about other things.

She peered outside at the empty security booth. “Dad, have we hired the security and cleaners?”

Jin’s father replied, “Not yet.”

Jin Yaotiao nodded. “Then I’ll have HR send out recruitment ads and hire locally.”

There was no need to look for people from Linjiang.

At this point, Xu Wan spoke up. “Do we still need to hire security?”

Jin Yaotiao answered, “Although we might not use them much, we still need to find them first.”

Xu Wan seemed to want to help. “What are the requirements? I know some local security companies in Shenzhen. The staff there are professionally trained…”

Jin Yaotiao, thinking about Mingde’s financial situation, interrupted her with a smile, “Aunt Xu, Mingde doesn’t have major security needs. We just need some people to watch the doors and clean. It’s fine to hire some retired elderly people locally.”

Xu Wan seemed to think for a moment. “Retired elderly? Any age requirements?”

Jin Yaotiao said, “As long as they’re in good health and can move around.”

Xu Wan nodded.

Jin Yaotiao thought she was just curious, but not long after, Xu Wan actually brought a few elderly people to the company.

One elderly man, whose hair was already graying, looked quite energetic and stood tall, like a pine tree. His eyes were sharp, though he looked a bit intimidating.

After introducing the others, Xu Wan introduced this elderly man: “Uncle Meng, this is Yaotiao. Yaotiao, you can call him Grandpa Meng.”

Jin Yaotiao always respected the elderly. After greeting, she glanced at the information and was surprised. “Grandpa Meng, you’re already seventy? I thought you were in your early fifties.”

Grandpa Meng put his hands behind his back and finally revealed a slight smile. “This young lady really knows how to flatter.”

The other elderly people were similar in age—although old, they all had clear eyes and healthy complexions.

Xu Wan explained, “These are some relatives from my maternal side, who retired and settled in Shenzhen. After retiring, they had nothing to do, so I brought them to Mingde to have a look.”

They were indeed retired elderly, and they met the requirements for Mingde’s recruitment. Jin Yaotiao felt both relieved and a bit guilty. “Is this okay? Mingde doesn’t pay much salary.”

Grandpa Meng didn’t respond.

One of the other elderly men, Mr. Liu, smiled and said, “We all have pensions. We’re not depending on the salary for food. Xiao Wan said the atmosphere here is great and lively, so we came to have a look.”

Jin Yaotiao didn’t quite understand what he meant by “great atmosphere,” but Xu Wan had brought them at lunchtime.

Mingde’s small new company didn’t have as large a cafeteria as Linjiang, but it had a dining area.

The new store hadn’t opened yet, and the chefs who had come along were free, so they gathered together to help.

The staff had prepared a meal, and over the next few days, everyone slowly got into their work routine.

During the lunch break, the office area was quiet, but the dining area had been opened, and soon, the aroma of food wafted over.

Grandfather Meng leaned his head out to take a look, then asked, “What is that smell?”

Jin Yao Tiao sniffed and immediately knew, smiling, “Shall we go try it together?”

Grandfather Meng nodded reluctantly.

The other elderly people didn’t seem to object.

Sure enough, the staff had gathered in the dining area, where laughter could be heard.

As they entered, they saw a large stone pot near the door, bubbling away with soup inside.

Old Liu, who was near the door, peeked in and said, “Oh, fish soup with rice! When I was young, I loved this dish when I was in the military. Haha. But back then, we didn’t have much rice. When we were on the battlefield, we had no rice, and sometimes we’d catch a fish and cook it in a helmet. No salt, but it was still very tasty.”

So, he was a retired soldier.

Jin Yaotiao felt a deep respect and quickly ordered a bowl of the rice soup for him.

She then called to the other elderly people, “Please sit down. If you want anything, just let me know, and I’ll have someone bring it over.”

Grandfather Meng frowned but disagreed, saying, “If we need to line up, we should line up! This is discipline!”

However, the younger Mingde employees who were in line didn’t listen to him.

A few of them, seeing the elders, came over even before Jin Yao Tiao could speak.

They smiled and said, “Uncle, you were probably a soldier before retirement, right?”

“You don’t have to worry so much about discipline. Come on, there’s an empty seat over here. You sit down first. I’ll help you with your plate. Ah Hua, please take care of the line for me.”

Grandfather Meng was dragged to a seat, scowling. “No special treatment because of my identity!”

“Hahaha.” The young Mingde employee, not at all afraid, laughed. “What identity are we talking about? Respecting the elderly and loving the young is more important than any identity, Uncle. You’re really interesting.”

Grandfather Meng froze for a moment, looking at the young man who wasn’t at all intimidated by him.

The young man, standing in front of him without much formality, looked back at the display case and said, “Uncle, you must be the new security guard hired by our company, right? You probably don’t know our cafeteria’s dishes well. Let me tell you, the best dish today is the braised pork with preserved mustard greens. How about I get you a portion?”

Another young man, who had also forgotten his manners, leaned over and added, “Uncle, don’t listen to him. You must try the meatloaf steamed eggs. Trust me, it’s amazing. You won’t regret it.”

With that, he held out his tray.

Grandfather Meng hesitated. “No need.”

The young man, who had been looking at the line, kept glancing back and forth, walking in a hurry. “What would you like to eat, Uncle? If you’re not sure, you can check the menu on the wall and call me once you’ve decided. I need to get back to the line.”

Hearing the rare tone of urgency, Grandfather Meng’s eyes shifted slightly, and he said firmly, “Just the meatloaf steamed eggs.”

“Hi!” The young man who had recommended the braised pork with mustard greens stomped his foot.

Before walking away, he pouted and said, “Uncle, I told you the braised pork with mustard greens was really good. Why didn’t you believe me?”

After the young staff went to the line, the other elderly people were treated in a similar fashion.

When they sat down and exchanged looks, Grandfather Meng was the first to laugh.

Xu Wan, carrying a tray, approached.

She was surprised to see such clear smiles on the faces of the elderly men, who were usually so serious. “Uncle Meng, Uncle Liu, what’s so funny?”

Having known these elders for a long time, she was used to seeing them serious and reserved, but never this outwardly joyful.

Old Liu didn’t answer right away. He took a sip of the fish soup with rice.

The soup, made from fish heads, had a milky white color, and the soft tofu floating inside made it even more delicate.

The rice had absorbed the soup and was soft and tender, deliciously sweet and easy to chew.

The rich flavor of the soup spread in his mouth, the aroma filling his nose and stimulating his appetite.

After several mouthfuls, Old Liu put down his bowl and nodded. “Good. This is really well made. It’s far better than what we had back in the battlefield when we were young. Life is definitely getting better.”

Xu Wan smiled. “Of course, otherwise, why would you have gone through the gunfire back then?”

Old Liu pointed at the soup. “To make sure everyone can eat some fish.”

Just as they were talking, several young staff returned with their trays.

The young man put a tray with thick meatloaf steamed eggs in front of Grandfather Meng. “Uncle, I really recommend the braised pork with mustard greens,” he insisted.

Grandfather Meng teased him, “I just want the meatloaf steamed eggs.”

The young man, who had recommended the braised pork, gave an exaggerated sigh. “Uncle, you and I have a generation gap. I can’t deal with it.”

Grandfather Meng wasn’t angry at all.

He smiled as he watched the young man walk away.

As he took a bite of the meatloaf steamed eggs, his brows lifted slightly.

The Mingde cafeteria really put effort into their dishes.

The meatloaf was slightly smoked, soft and tender, moist and juicy, with just the right amount of saltiness.

The rich juices from the meat exploded with each bite, making him want to eat more.

Xu Wan watched him eat, still unsure.

After all, she had brought these elders to see her favorite place, Mingde, but she wasn’t sure if they would want to stay. She asked, “How do you like it here?”

The elders smiled and nodded. It was indeed a warm and welcoming place.

Old Liu said, “Being here makes me feel younger. After all, I’m just sitting around doing nothing most of the time anyway.”

Xu Wan turned to look at the toughest of the group, Grandfather Meng, who had come only to see the excitement.

He had even criticized her for taking a job at the front desk instead of doing something useful.

When Jin Yao Tiao was talking about work earlier, he didn’t say a word, clearly not interested in messing around with his old comrades.

But now, after finishing the meatloaf steamed eggs, he wiped his mouth and said, “You said Mingde is still short of people, right?”

Xu Wan: “Yes.”

Grandfather Meng: “Those old folks at the nursing home, always sighing and complaining about their mood, their wounds. I think they’re just not moving enough. Why not bring them here to exercise?”

---

As a result, all the security positions at Mingde were filled.

The elderly people who came were all quite well-off.

They didn’t mind the company’s salary, claiming they didn’t live off wages and just wanted something to do to make their lives more fulfilling.

When Jin Yao Tiao heard this, she understood. These were people from families that weren’t struggling financially.

Later, when the technician came to install air conditioning in the security booth for Grandfather Meng, she casually asked if it was convenient for him and the other elders to come to work.

Grandfather Meng, with his hands behind his back, looked at the technician, standing straight as a pin, and casually said, “What inconvenience? We all live in the same place. It’s just a short ride here, only takes a few minutes.”

Jin Yao Tiao nodded. So they lived together. There were six or seven elders, and they all took the same ride from the city center, likely along the subway line.

In a first-tier city like Shencheng, it was common to see all kinds of unusual situations.

While young people struggled to make a living, there were many wealthy older individuals. News reports often highlighted such examples.

She had seen enough and was no longer surprised.

It was one of the strangest things she’d ever witnessed—someone like Aunt Xu, a woman on the rich list, working at the front desk.

For elderly people like these, working as a security guard in a small company like Mingde, without caring about the salary, probably meant they were well-off from property sales.

Living along the subway line in Shencheng, these elders were truly winners in life.