Chapter 148: Luring with Advantage

The members of the legal department were remarkably proactive. They were practically the newest additions to the company. The legal department had originally been established by Chen Aijia to deal with Wang Hu's clique of vested interests. Never had she expected that those people would completely ignore the framework of the law, relying instead on sheer bullying and intimidation to have their way. Yet, the legal department was now playing a monumental role in resolving internal issues that Chen Aijia had never truly worried about in the first place.

Yang Changfeng strongly supported the idea of letting the legal department flex its muscles. They should not merely appear during the signing of contracts and partnerships; they ought to also function as an internal disciplinary committee, serving a supervisory role over the company.

Yang Changfeng explicitly made his stance clear to the several lawyers: "Objectively speaking, perhaps I shouldn't be saying this, but I want to make my position clear. If you lawyers can successfully play your part in this internal disciplinary cleanup, I will recommend that the company establish an inspection department, with each of you serving as designated inspectors. Should anyone violate the company's discipline, especially those who betray the company's interests or engage in corruption, every one of you will have the authority to bring it up at the senior management meetings. I will consult the leadership and arrange for you to sit in on senior executive meetings whenever possible. By then, every single one of you lawyers will be regular supervisor-level executives. As for promotions and salary increases, there will certainly be room for that."

Luring people with benefits is a strategy that almost never fails.

Hearing this, the group of lawyers instantly grew excited. What they were currently earning was barely above the second-lowest tier of salaries—and what of it? Talk about pursuing a traditional career as a lawyer!

Either one took the civil service exams for government departments, which paid even less than their current jobs, and if you dared to take bribes there, you never knew when you might be hauled away. The higher-ups were not just blowing hot air; they were genuinely cracking down hard on the management ranks.

Alternatively, one could join a law firm, but in Jiangzhou, that industry was basically saturated. The competition was cutthroat and did not rely entirely on competence; without powerful connections and resources, you could forget about making any progress in that field!

Working at the company, however, a monthly salary of over ten thousand yuan might not be astronomical, but it was certainly substantial.

If they could be promoted to supervisor level—exempt from operational chores while wielding massive inspection authority and attending high-level executive meetings—that would be a true symbol of status and prestige, with their salaries nearly doubling. To have both power and perks handed to you on a platter, where else could one possibly find such a fantastic deal?

So what if they had to offend a few people? Siding with a capable boss was all that mattered. Were those people who were once so amiable going to pay their salaries?

"We will give it our all!" As they looked at Master Kang, these fellows looked as if they were eyeing a plump, fattening sheep.

Splendid! Bringing down this fat sheep would be a piece of cake. As long as they exercised caution and sharpened their knives, it would be done.

Of course, this wasn't some grand achievement yet, nor did it fully showcase their true capabilities. They had to root out all the glaringly obvious problems riddled throughout the company; only that would prove their real worth.

The boss was a generous person, and a portion of the recovered funds would inevitably be used to reward the staff. At this point, it was certain that Zhang Baode had backed the right person, and the bonus he would receive this time around would undoubtedly be massive.

Even beneath Zhang Baode, however, there were still numerous positions available, depending entirely on who was willing to follow the boss.

Such a magnificent opportunity—to miss it would make one an utter fool!

Yang Changfeng was quite satisfied. He told Zhang Baode, who had hurried over, "For matters like this, just let a team leader lead the way. You need to focus on the comprehensive development of the security department. Old Zhang, you carry a heavy responsibility now, so you mustn't let minor distractions make you lose sight of the bigger picture."

Quite a few people looked at Zhang Baode with envy. What merits did Old Zhang possess to become a supervisor with such ease?

That was a position with an annual salary hovering around two hundred thousand yuan, and with bonuses factored in, it easily exceeded sixty thousand yuan!

Zhang Baode smiled with honest humility and said, "I've been used to doing odd jobs for so long that I always feel uneasy delegating things to others without watching them myself. Very well, I'll go back to the People's Armed Forces Department. This time, I'll definitely recruit some more fine young lads. Within two days, I guarantee I'll whip the security department back onto the right track!"

Making such a commitment was no small feat. Zhang Baode had a cautious temperament; he would never speak of things he hadn't done. Once he gave his word, he would find every possible way to see it through.

Barely a day or two had passed, and Zhang Baode had lost nearly a kilogram, yet his spirits were soaring.

Many employees grumbled inwardly—who wouldn't be in high spirits? Put any of them in that position, and they guaranteed they could do an even better job than Zhang Baode.

Really?

Word of these miscellaneous complaints reached not only Yang Changfeng, but Chen Aijia as well.

Before Yang Changfeng returned that afternoon, Chen Aijia had already instructed the human resources department to adjust Zhang Baode's compensation from Supervisor Grade D to Grade B—just one tier below the rank of a deputy general manager.

This turned far too many people green with envy. It proved that Zhang Baode was now fully qualified to participate as a leader in any future high-level executive meeting.

Having arranged these matters, Yang Changfeng beckoned to Master Kang's apprentices. The few individuals dared not approach, yet they lacked the courage to refuse. Trembling with fear and bracing themselves to be beaten, they instead heard Yang Changfeng ask in a very pleasant and amiable tone, "Tell me, roughly how much illicit profit does the cafeteria manage to rake in every month?"

If they didn't speak up, they would certainly take a beating.

And if they did speak...

They glanced at Master Kang, who was staring with wide, furious eyes yet lacked the nerve to lash out. Since these young apprentices possessed no backbone whatsoever, they immediately rushed to answer. Their revelations not only left Yang Changfeng dumbfounded and speechless, but who in the entire lobby could remain anything less than utterly thunderstruck?

Their figures were mere estimates, yet they were delivered in meticulous detail.

Out of the funds allocated for purchasing rice and flour every month, at least fifty thousand yuan worth was bought, while a cool one hundred thousand yuan was embezzled. There was always a middleman involved in procurement, and this middleman happened to be the cafeteria's other master chef. Through the channels recommended by this intermediary, purchasing rice, flour, and cooking oil was slightly cheaper than elsewhere. Consequently, items that actually cost ten thousand yuan to buy would have invoices totaling thirty thousand yuan approved without fail.

The truly massive profits, however, lay in purchasing vegetables.

Vegetables were indeed expensive, but they certainly hadn't reached the point where a single pound of Chinese cabbage cost eighteen yuan. They purchased the cheapest greens available, yet submitted monthly grocery expense reports amounting to one hundred thousand yuan, when in reality they spent at most twenty thousand. The remaining balance landed entirely in the pockets of the cafeteria staff.

Naturally, quite a few people in logistics had been bought off as well. Handing out three to five hundred yuan per person each month was enough to keep those people tight-lipped and compliant.

The finance department hadn't exactly been bribed, but there were those among them who chose to turn a blind eye. With the upper and lower levels colluding and various parties cooperating, over one hundred thousand yuan was siphoned from the cafeteria into these people's wallets every single month.

Did you think that was the biggest money-maker?

Not at all!

The cafeteria underwent renovations twice a year, with each overhaul costing at least one million yuan, including the replacement of pots, bowls, ladles, and basins.

Out of this sum, at most one hundred thousand yuan was actually spent; the rest went entirely into the pockets of Master Kang and the other master chef, leaving everyone else without a single penny.

No wonder they could afford three apartments in Jiangzhou! So that was how quickly the money rolled in!

The eyes of quite a few people instantly turned red with envy. They had previously thought the cafeteria staff worked hard for meager earnings; who would have guessed that these people were actually quietly making a fortune in the shadows!