Chapter 83 - 82: Fishing
Chapter 83: Chapter 82: Fishing
June 15th.
The sky was clear, and the sun was setting.
The concrete of the highway was releasing the heat it had absorbed all day, making the air on either side of the road feel scorching.
A modified tricycle with a rear cargo bed emerged from Magong Town under the twilight glow, trundling slowly along the highway.
Xiaoli chewed on a piece of gum. The evening breeze caressed his face, carrying away the sweltering heat of the day.
Just a few minutes after leaving town, the company’s Salt Town Eel Farm came into view.
As he drove, he subconsciously glanced at a fisherman by the roadside and thought to himself, ’What’s there to catch in this crappy ditch? It’s just a few trenches. He’d be better off fishing by the sea.’
Suddenly, he saw the fisherman climb down into the ditch and then back up, now holding a bottle of mineral water.
’Strange... Why is that guy acting so sneaky? Could it be?’ Xiaoli pulled the handbrake, stopping the tricycle at the entrance to the farm while he waited for the security guard to open the gate.
Xiaoli turned his head to look further down the ditch at the vaguely familiar fisherman. He noticed more than a dozen mineral water bottles scattered around the man, and it immediately struck him that something was wrong.
Then he saw the several drainage outlets that were currently discharging water, and understanding dawned on him.
After the security guard opened the gate, Xiaoli twisted the electric throttle on the handlebar and drove toward the farm’s cafeteria entrance.
Arriving at his destination, he pulled out the key, swung his leg over, and jumped off. He shouted to two feeders who were lounging in the cafeteria, "Ah Zhe, the food’s here! Come get it. Where’s Manager Zhang?"
The feeder, Ah Zhe, who was lying on his side on a cafeteria chair playing on his phone, let out a yawn. "Haa... The manager is probably in his office. You looking for him?"
"Yeah!" Xiaoli said nothing more and jogged directly to the manager’s office.
BANG BANG BANG...
A series of urgent knocks echoed on the door.
Zhang Xincheng, his eyes fixed on the monitor feed from the security room, said without looking up, "Come in."
Xiaoli opened the door and said hurriedly, "Manager Zhang, I saw a sneaky fisherman nearby. I think he’s stealing the water being discharged from the fish ponds."
Hearing this, Zhang Xincheng instantly looked up. Seeing it was the deliveryman, Xiaoli, he smiled and nodded. "Oh, it’s you, Xiaoli! Good observation. I also noticed that guy acting suspiciously just now."
"Then let’s round everyone up! Just watch me break his legs..." Xiaoli immediately cracked his knuckles, eager for a fight.
"Alright now, we live in a society governed by law. Stop talking about fighting and killing all the time." Zhang Xincheng waved his hand with a smile, then opened a drawer and took out a box. "You did well reporting this today. Take this."
Seeing the stainless steel medal Zhang Xincheng was handing him, Xiaoli excitedly took it.
This stainless steel medal was a special item within Hailufeng Company, and also a new experiment by the company to supplement its Employee Level and promotion system:
The Medal Reward System.
This system was primarily for internal employees, used to reward them for special contributions to the company. It was divided into five main categories and twenty subcategories: Stainless Steel Medals, Aluminum Alloy Medals, Brass Medals, Silver Medals, and Gold Medals.
The stainless steel medal in Xiaoli’s hand was engraved with the Hailufeng Company logo and name, as well as the traditional Chinese character for "one," signifying that it was a First-Class Steel Medal.
Of course, the reason Xiaoli was so excited was that this medal wasn’t just an honor; it came with tangible benefits.
For example, this First-Class Steel Medal in his hand meant he would receive a 1,000 yuan bonus this month, and it could also be used as a reference for future promotions.
"Don’t tell anyone about this. The boss and I already have a plan. Just act like you don’t know anything. We don’t want to alert the target, understand?"
Hearing this, Xiaoli nodded quickly. "I understand."
"Good. Go deliver the meals now."
"Okay. I’ll let you get back to it, Manager."
The reason Zhang Xincheng could award medals directly was that he was Jiang Miao’s brother-in-law. Other department heads didn’t have this authority.
Even so, Zhang Xincheng still had to report the matter to the company’s attendance department afterward. After all, these medals weren’t just handed out casually.
He gave Xiaoli the medal because the man had the company’s best interests at heart, promptly reporting someone suspicious he had seen.
At the farm, others had naturally seen these sneaky fishermen as well, but some chose to report it, while others chose to mind their own business.
To those who chose to report what they saw, Zhang Xincheng awarded medals across the board, while also instructing them to keep it confidential for the time being. As for those who turned a blind eye, he said nothing to them, but he couldn’t help but feel more wary and distant toward them.
He arranged for all the employees who made reports to come help him feed the eels. These were also the few employees who were allowed to handle the confidential feed.
There was no other way. Zhang Xincheng and his father-in-law, Jiang Dahai, were simply too busy to handle it all. After all, they were managing several hundred acres of fish ponds. Even with a tricycle and a specialized feed-spraying machine, the two of them were still stretched thin.
Naturally, the employees who chose to report what they saw were more trustworthy.
But this trust had its limits. Zhang Xincheng deeply agreed with something Jiang Miao had once said: betrayal is just a matter of the stakes not being high enough. If the potential gain is great enough, most people can’t resist their inner greed.
He was now just doing his best and leaving the rest to fate.
He had to delay the leak of the feed formula for as long as possible, striving to extend the company’s period of high-profit earnings.