Chapter 577: How Could It Be a Raise?
Yu Xinghan didn’t explicitly mention the reason for his recent absences in his Spirit Realm communication, only hinting that he had been taking too much time off lately.
Whether he feared information leaks in the Spirit Realm or intended to discuss the matter face-to-face with Zhang Yu, the message immediately made Zhang Yu frown, sensing something was amiss.
After reviewing Yu Xinghan’s work hours, Fu Ji remarked, “I initially assumed he was busy with the massage platform, but now it seems… his work hours are steadily decreasing. Could he have contracted Dual Rest Disease?”
“If that’s the case, the entire construction site is at risk!”
Fu Ji suggested, “Why not just convert all your employees into my believers? With the ritual’s blessing, the Dual Rest Virus won’t affect them.”
Zhang Yu naturally didn’t agree to Fu Ji’s proposal so easily. Instead, he countered, “Let’s try a raise first and see if it can cure Yu Xinghan’s Dual Rest Virus.”
“We can’t just stand by and watch him be taken to the Restraint and Rest Institute. Not only would it waste his time, but what if they uncover something during the investigation?”
After a pause, Zhang Yu added, “While we’re at it, let’s give everyone in the company a raise. It’ll help prevent the Dual Rest Virus.”
In Zhang Yu’s view, employees like Ying Xin, Shi Huaiyu, Xiao Qingxuan, and Shi Yunxiang — those he knew well — couldn’t be left vulnerable to the Dual Rest Virus, let alone be taken to a Restraint and Rest Institute.
As for the remaining Soul Cultivators, Zhang Yu figured a small raise wouldn’t make much difference.
Fu Ji, however, reacted sharply. “Are you insane? A company-wide raise?”
“How can you just throw money around like that? If you’re giving raises over such a minor issue now, what will you do later? Start giving employees paid vacations? The company will be ruined!”
Though she received no salary or dividends, Fu Ji, as one of the original shareholders who had painstakingly built the company from the ground up, considered it her life’s work. She couldn’t tolerate Zhang Yu’s reckless spending.
Zhang Yu simply stated, “Raise it.”
Fu Ji pleaded, “You can’t just raise wages arbitrarily! Employees are insatiable. Give them a raise now, and they’ll take it for granted in no time. It’ll be a complete waste.”
“Besides, what do they need all that money for? The most important and worthwhile investment for the company is you.”
Fu Ji felt like a loyal minister in ancient times, desperately advising the emperor against reckless actions.
But Zhang Yu’s mind was made up. Seeing Fu Ji’s persistent objections, he directly issued the order to Ying Xin.
Ying Xin stared at Zhang Yu’s message, momentarily stunned. “A raise? A raise? How could it be a raise?”
A raise after less than a year with the company? Ying Xin had never seen or even heard of such a thing.
As a sixth-generation Civil Engineering professional, Ying Xin knew better than anyone how difficult it was to get a raise. It required enduring countless hardships, adapting to the times, aligning with the cosmic forces, and seizing the opportune moment — akin to being favored by Qi Luck in ancient times, like a miraculous encounter or a stroke of fate.
Watching Zhang Yu actually start giving raises to the employees, Fu Ji’s heart ached more with each passing moment. “With so many people in the company, are you really going to give everyone a raise of a few Spirit Coins? That would mean an extra 5 to 10 Spirit Coins in monthly payroll!”
“That’s an extra 15 to 30 Spirit Coins per month before the Ten Greats League in September.”
“Over a year, that’s an additional 50 to 100 Spirit Coins!”
“In ten years, that’s 500 to 1000 Spirit Coins!”
“All from our company accounts!”
Hearing Fu Ji’s calculations, Zhang Yu had to admit he felt a pang of heartache and regret, as if he were actually watching thousands of Spirit Coins being drained from his account.
“Sharing the wealth…” Zhang Yu thought with a wry smile. “It still stings a little, doesn’t it?”
As news of the pay raise spread among the company’s employees, the company group chat erupted in a frenzy of activity.
Ying Xin’s Grandfather: “Grateful to President Zhang! This act of generosity will never be forgotten!”
Zhao Tianxing: “[fireworks][fireworks][fireworks]”
Mo Tianyi: “President Zhang, watch me! From now on, I’ll treat every day at work like it’s my last, working overtime!”
Hu Yuntao: “Dad! [bowing] 24 hours of overtime isn’t my limit — it’s the limit of time itself!”
Seeing the flood of messages in the company group chat, Zhang Yu replied: “As I’ve said before, I won’t hoard the company’s profits for myself.”
Che Yufei: “Born a company man, die a company soul! Loyalty!”
Shi Huaiyu: “Loyalty!”
Shi Yunxiang: “Loyalty!”
Ying Xin: “Loyalty!”
Watching the messages still flooding the group chat, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but reply: “Alright, everyone, stop spamming the chat and focus on your work.”
At Zhang Yu’s command, the entire group chat immediately fell silent.
He then sent a message to Yu Xinghan: “How are you feeling?”
Zhang Yu: “The raise should help with that.”
Zhang Yu: “See if you feel any better now.”
Although Yu Xinghan was only a part-time employee, he had also received a raise this time.
When Yu Xinghan saw Zhang Yu’s message, he was initially taken aback, but he quickly understood its meaning.
“Has Zhang Yu already realized I might be infected with the Dual Rest Virus?”
“Is he trying to combat the virus with a raise?”
Looking back at Zhang Yu’s message in the company group chat, Yu Xinghan felt a warmth spread through his heart. “Did he raise everyone’s salaries for this reason too?”
The thought sent his Magic Power and vital energy surging through his body. He felt an overwhelming urge to stand up and work tirelessly, doubling his output immediately.
But this surge of motivation lasted only a moment before gradually dissipating. Yu Xinghan felt as if he were glued to the ground, unable to move.
Yu Xinghan: “I’m done for.”
Yu Xinghan: “Don’t worry about me anymore.”
At that moment, Yu Xinghan resolved to enter the Restraint and Rest Institute and finally cure himself of the Dual Rest Virus.
He thought to himself, “Zhang Yu, I’ll work overtime for the company again once I get out.”
Besides Yu Xinghan, Zhang Yu also chatted with other employees about their recent situations, confirming their current work status.
Fu Ji analyzed, “With the salary increase, the other employees should have no problem preventing the Dual Rest Virus.”
“But Yu Xinghan… he’s likely deeply infected. A simple salary increase won’t solve his problem.”
Fu Ji continued to urge, “I told you, just turn him into one of my believers. Isn’t that more reliable than a salary increase?”
Zhang Yu remained silent, knowing that becoming a believer wasn’t a simple matter. He also didn’t know if Yu Xinghan would agree or be willing to become a follower of an Evil God.
If he refused… would they have to eliminate Yu Xinghan?
Just as Zhang Yu was pondering this, Zhang Pianpian sent him a message.
Zhang Pianpian: “Remember the Fourth Division? They’re planning to send people to the construction site to investigate whether your company has any members of the Dual Rest Cult.”
Zhang Yu was startled. He replied: “Why? Is someone trying to sabotage me?”
Zhang Pianpian: “What I can confirm at this point is that we’ve received reports from all four divisions.”
Zhang Pianpian: “Whether someone is targeting you and who exactly is behind it, I still need to investigate further.”
Zhang Pianpian: “In any case, be careful. Resolve any issues at the construction site immediately.”
Zhang Yu’s expression turned grave. He recalled the last time True Person Rising Sun had questioned him aboard the flying boat.
“This repeated pattern clearly shows someone is trying to frame me, pushing me toward the Dual Rest Cult.”
“But who could it be?”
Zhang Yu couldn’t come up with an answer. He quickly left the laboratory and headed to the construction site.
“And just when Yu Xinghan contracted the Dual Rest Virus, they started sending inspectors everywhere.”
“Could Yu Xinghan be the real target?”
“Are they trying to use Yu Xinghan to drag me down?”
Whether the construction site was sealed off because of Yu Xinghan or Zhang Yu himself was being investigated because of Yu Xinghan, neither outcome was acceptable to Zhang Yu.
Regardless of the consequences, the time wasted on the investigation would hinder his preparations for the Ten Greats League. A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Yu’s eyes.
Moments later, Zhang Yu’s figure shot skyward from the rooftop of University City, piercing the atmosphere and hurtling toward the battlefield construction site.
Simultaneously, a black streak like a shooting star followed closely behind him — a black sword sheath.
Within the sheath lay the twelve Great Sky Sacred Law Flying Swords Zhang Yu had recently refined, now being carried into battle.
Battlefield Construction Site.
Shi Yunxiang, fresh off a 10% raise, was brimming with fighting spirit and energy, wishing he could split himself into multiple clones to tackle all the work on the construction site.
Meanwhile, one thought kept echoing in his mind:
“Zhang Yu wasn’t lying or making empty promises. He really did give us a raise.”
“Isn’t he even more impressive than Golden Core or Nascent Soul Bosses?”
But before Shi Yunxiang could work for long, a massive earthquake shook the entire construction site, nearly bringing operations to a standstill.
Sensing the tremor, Shi Yunxiang whipped his head around to look at another construction site in the distance.
He knew it was a project contracted by Celestial Monsters University, and their large-scale construction had frequently disrupted their work recently.
This time was particularly severe, making Shi Yunxiang feel like the entire site was about to collapse.
After an hour of forced inactivity, Shi Yunxiang felt he couldn’t endure it any longer.
Hu Yuntao shouted in the Spirit Realm, “An hour! We’ve been idle for a whole hour!”
“How can we repay President Zhang’s generosity with this raise if we don’t work?!”
Che Yufei chimed in, “We just got a raise! How are we supposed to earn if we don’t work?”
Although Zhang Yu had initiated the pay raise, the construction site still operated under the old system, distributing wages based on workload. For everyone at the company, the raise had ignited their spirits, making them eager to work overtime and earn more.
The group headed to the monsterfolk’s construction site, only to find Xiang Shan, the top monster in Celestial Monsters University’s Civil Engineering Department.
Listening to Shi Huaiyu, Shi Yunxiang, and the others, Xiang Shan said coolly, “Your work stoppage… what does that have to do with me?”
Xiang Shan snorted, his trunk curling slightly. “We’re remodeling the Earth Vein here. Do you expect us to halt operations just to accommodate you?”
“Just bear with it for another half-month. It’ll be over soon.”
Shi Huaiyu snapped, “Half a month? You mean we have to stop working for half a month?”
Xiang Shan replied calmly, “You’re welcome to continue working if you can withstand the environmental effects.”
“If you can’t, that’s your own incompetence. Just endure it.”