After the man left, Jiang Chengxuan’s face was flushed with excitement. “Boss, I didn’t expect your method to actually work for recruiting people!”

Meng Suihuan shot him an impatient glance. “Obviously.”
What did he think she was doing, putting on a one-person show?

Perhaps the man’s success in joining opened the floodgates, as quite a few others around them, eager to give it a shot, came to apply. However, they didn’t accept everyone indiscriminately. Only those who met the requirements and had a certain level of expertise were hired.

While many were just trying their luck, a few did catch their eye and were brought on board. At this rate, with just a bit more effort, they’d likely have enough people in a few days.

But Meng Suihuan hadn’t anticipated that by the next day, she would already have filled all the positions—and other things.

The catalyst for this success was naturally Zhao Chen, the man from the day before. Early in the morning, he showed up outside their company and said the first thing that came to his mind:

“Boss, are you still hiring? I have a few brothers who want to work with me.”

“They’ve been working with me for years. I can vouch for their skills—they’ll definitely meet your requirements.”

Meng Suihuan was, of course, delighted and immediately agreed. What she didn’t expect was that Zhao Chen had such strong connections; he brought over more than a dozen of his brothers!

Looking at the crowd of heads bustling about, Meng Suihuan forced a dry laugh. “Haha, you didn’t bring the entire team from your previous site, did you?”

Zhao Chen looked a little embarrassed. “Not the whole team.”
Just one-fifth of it.

Truthfully, Zhao Chen hadn’t held high hopes, but since these were his good brothers, he couldn’t refuse their request. He decided to take a chance, whether or not it worked out.

“Boss, we’re all genuinely interested in working with you and Chen-ge. Please take us on.”
“We’ve worked with Chen-ge for so long that we’re sure to be highly efficient together!”
“Boss, you’re so pretty—you definitely have great judgment. You won’t regret hiring us!”

“…”

As if a few compliments could sway her! Did they think her good judgment needed validation? It was self-evident, thank you very much.

Still, these men seemed worth keeping. Although it would cost a bit more, the increased efficiency made it a worthwhile investment.

“Fine, you can all stay for now. But if anyone takes this as an opportunity to slack off, I won’t hesitate to ask them to leave.”

Her declaration was met with a unified, resounding “Thank you, boss!”

Meanwhile, Jiang Chengxuan had been out inspecting potential dormitories and found several suitable locations for shared housing. As he walked back, he wondered how many applicants might show up today.

When he arrived at the company, he was stunned to see a large crowd gathered inside—all there to apply for jobs.

Excitedly, he shouted a few “Make way, make way!” commands, struggling to squeeze through. After finally reaching the front, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and grinned. “Boss, so many people came to apply today!”

“Mm.” Meng Suihuan glanced around. “Your task today is to find housing for all of them.”

“…All of them?” Jiang Chengxuan eyed the crowd doubtfully.

“Yes, all of them just joined our company. And make time to get them ID badges.”

With that, Meng Suihuan addressed the new hires, “If you have any issues in the future, you can bring them to our general manager—Jiang Chengxuan here.”

Jiang Chengxuan: “?”
“When did I become the general manager?”

“Just now,” Meng Suihuan said without a hint of guilt.

Jiang Chengxuan: “…”

Before he could protest, he was swarmed by the newcomers, each addressing him as “Brother Jiang.”

Honestly, the feeling of being surrounded like this wasn’t too bad.

—

Meanwhile, the original project manager responsible for Zhao Chen and his team was livid upon hearing the news, fuming as he yelled at his subordinates. “How could you let them just leave without stopping them? Useless!”

The others didn’t dare respond, silently cursing him in their minds. If you don’t rein in your little brother’s behavior, the rest of us might leave too.

Just then, a figure entered the room.

“Zhao Chen left because he’s headstrong and doesn’t respect me as the newly appointed project executive. So be it.” The person’s tone was arrogant.

His gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on the man in the center.

“Besides, it’s not like we can’t find replacements. Just a few days ago, another team approached me, expressing interest in joining this project. I’d say they’re just as capable as Zhao Chen—if not better at playing their cards right!”

The manager’s face darkened. “I told you to hold off on any disputes and finish the project first. But no, you had to push him out immediately!”

“I did hold back. Zhao Chen kept giving me attitude, and I let it slide. But when he publicly defied me, making me look bad, I couldn’t tolerate it anymore. At this rate, people might forget I’m the project executive—or that you’re the manager—and just follow Zhao Chen!”

The manager’s face turned ashen. “Fine! If Zhao Chen wants to leave, let him. I refuse to believe this project will fail without him!”

—

Now that they had enough manpower, Meng Suihuan’s team officially launched their project. Jiang Chengxuan oversaw materials and logistical details, while Zhao Chen handled the technical aspects.

Although there were some initial hiccups as they adjusted to working together, the team gradually found their rhythm. By the time the project was a quarter complete, they had become a cohesive unit.

When they reached the halfway mark, Meng Suihuan called an emergency meeting.

The tense atmosphere left everyone feeling uneasy. Jiang Chengxuan, Zhao Chen, and the rest of the team couldn’t help but speculate, their nerves growing with each passing moment.

Finally, Jiang Chengxuan broke the silence. “Boss, did you call us back because there’s an issue with the project?”

After all, no matter what happens, you have to find a way to solve it rather than sitting idly by.

“This urgent meeting has two main purposes,” Meng Suihuan began. “First, according to newly issued directives, our project needs to be completed half a month ahead of schedule.”

The faces of everyone present immediately turned grim. The project timeline was already tight, with many late nights required to keep up. Now, having to move up the deadline by half a month would make things exponentially more difficult.

The group broke into murmurs of discontent:
“If we have to finish this two weeks early, we’ll have to work day and night without rest!”
“If we keep this pace up, we’ll all end up in the hospital before the project’s done.”

Meng Suihuan, unfazed, looked directly at Zhao Chen. “If we allocate more manpower, how confident are you that we can meet this new deadline?”

After a brief pause, Zhao Chen responded, “Seventy percent.” He then elaborated, “The most critical parts of the project are nearly complete. The remaining tasks aren’t as technically challenging, but they are time-consuming. With extra hands, I’m seventy percent confident we can pull it off.”

Meng Suihuan nodded. Seventy percent was better than half.

“What if, on top of completing the project early, I want to develop a commercial street in conjunction with it? How confident are you then?”

Zhao Chen was momentarily stunned and repeated, “A commercial street?”

“Yes. What are the chances?”

“Maybe thirty percent?” he hesitated before answering.

Meng Suihuan mulled over the numbers silently. Only thirty percent?
“What if we don’t factor in budget or manpower—just the time and feasibility of completion?” she pressed.

Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and held up five fingers. “At best, fifty percent.”

Hearing that number, Meng Suihuan let out a quiet sigh of relief. A fifty-fifty chance wasn’t bad.

“The second matter,” she continued, “is that the government has announced a new policy. Projects that contribute to urban economic development can qualify for recognition as an outstanding initiative. Moreover, the city and government will provide generous rewards—totaling about 1.1 million yuan.”

The room fell silent as everyone processed the staggering figure.

For the team, currently working on a project that would yield only 400,000 yuan if successful, this reward was astronomical.

Everyone’s eyes lit up with a fiery determination. Jiang Chengxuan, overcome with excitement, even stumbled and fell to the ground, too focused on the thought of “1.1 million” to notice the pain.

“So, I’ve decided,” Meng Suihuan declared. “We’ll develop the commercial street and aim for that reward.”

The room remained silent, heavy with tension. Everyone understood the risks. Success would mean unprecedented gains, but failure would render all their hard work meaningless.

“What if we don’t win the reward?” someone asked, dousing the room’s fervor with a dose of reality.

“I can’t make any guarantees,” Meng Suihuan admitted. “This is a gamble, with success and failure both possible outcomes. The choice is yours. If you’re willing to take the risk with me, the rewards will be shared among us. If not, I won’t hold it against you—your salaries will still be paid in full, but our collaboration will end here.”

Her voice was steady and resolute. Life, she believed, was inherently risky.^[1]T/L’s note: I like this lines, so I italic it hehe Challenges and opportunities went hand in hand. Avoiding difficulties out of fear meant a life of mediocrity.

As minutes passed in silence, Meng Suihuan remained patient. Suddenly, two voices broke the quiet in unison:
“Since I, Jiang Chengxuan, already boarded your pirate ship, why would I fear a little challenge?”
“As long as there’s food and shelter, count me in,” Zhao Chen added with a grin.

One by one, others raised their hands with determined expressions.

“I’m in.”
“Count me too.”
“If Zhao Chen’s in, I’ll follow his lead!”

Watching her team step up, Meng Suihuan felt a complex mix of emotions. At first, forming this group had been purely transactional—she needed people to help her make money, nothing more. But now, looking at their motivated faces, she felt a newfound sense of responsibility and camaraderie.

She was no longer alone. Behind her were Jiang Chengxuan, Zhao Chen, and a team of partners united by a shared goal, bound by their determination and willingness to face challenges together.