Chapter 467: If You Don’t Work Hard, You Will Be Eliminated! (2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Is there something you need?”

“Boss, it’s already 2 p.m.!”

Zhou Chao glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of his computer, realizing it was indeed past 2 p.m. He hadn’t realized that two hours had passed so quickly.

“I see, I’ll be right out.” After saving the content he had been working on, Zhou Chao placed the laptop back in the storage room.

Zhou Chao washed his face in the bathroom at home and then opened the door.

“Let’s go!”

They left the hotel and got into the Alphard, which had been waiting outside the hotel entrance for some time.

When Zhou Chao and the others arrived at Canghai Technology, Xu Yu and her team were already waiting in the conference room. Many middle managers were whispering and discussing.

“Why do you think the boss suddenly called for a meeting and even summoned us middle-level executives? Did something happen?”

“I have no idea. I haven’t heard any rumors lately.”

!!..

“Do you think the boss is going to give us bonuses?”

“You? Dream on. If there are bonuses, they’ll go to those three labs. You’re far from their level.”

“Hmph, as if you know the inside story.”

“Enough, stop talking. Haven’t you noticed that the big shots up front aren’t saying anything? Something must have happened!”

Everyone turned their gaze toward the senior executives in front, and just as they did, they met Xu Yu’s stern gaze, causing them to quickly lower their heads.

As Xu Yu continued to contemplate, Zhou Chao arrived at the entrance of the conference room. He pushed open the door and walked in, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

“Wow, Boss looks so young!”

“Lao Ding, what were you doing when you were that young?”

“Me? I was probably screwing in bolts at some factory back then.” A middle-aged man sighed with a hint of nostalgia.

Zhou Chao walked over to his seat, and everyone else immediately stood up.

“Please, have a seat.” When Zhou Chao spoke, everyone promptly sat down.

He scanned the room and noticed that all the middle and senior managers present were in their thirties or older, with no one appearing to be significantly younger.

“I’ve called this meeting today for three main reasons. Since the inception of Canghai Technology, we’ve come a long way, and 1 want to thank each and every one of you for your dedication to our company.” With that, Zhou Chao stood up and gave a slight bow to the audience.

Thunderous applause filled the conference room, lasting for several seconds before finally subsiding.

“The first matter is related to the classification of personnel, which affects everyone’s year-end bonuses. The classification is based on the traditional levels, ranging from Level Four as the lowest to Level One as the highest. Level One employees will also participate in the company’s profit sharing.”

Upon hearing Zhou Chao mention profit sharing, everyone’s eyes widened. They all knew that their products were highly popular, generating annual profits in the billions. Even if they received just a fraction as a bonus, it would still be a substantial amount, guaranteeing millions of bonuses each year. No one could pretend to be unaffected by the prospect, not even Lan Ling, Zhou Jilong, and others, who were beaming with excitement.

“Boss, how are these levels determined?” asked one middle manager eagerly.

“At first, the levels are determined based on your respective titles. For example, if you are an Assistant Researcher, you’ll be at Level Three, while a Senior Researcher is Level One. However…”

Zhou Chao’s words were interrupted by Zhou Jilong’s excited question, “Boss, are you saying that I, Lan Ling, Old Xiong, and Chai Lao are all Level One?”

Zhou Chao shook his head lightly in response to Zhou Jilong’s question.

Everyone in the room froze, their eyes fixed on Zhou Chao, waiting for him to continue.

“I haven’t finished yet, so what’s the rush?” Zhou Chao scolded Zhou Jilong with a touch of annoyance.

Seeing that his boss was displeased, Zhou Jilong quickly acted as if he were an ostrich, burying his head.

“Continuing from what 1 was saying, everyone will be one level lower than their initial title. At the end of the year, promotions will be based on individual performance. Middle managers will assess lower-level employees, while upper management will be evaluated by project completion. Employees meeting the promotion criteria will receive a 20% increase in their annual salary next year!”

As soon as Zhou Chao finished speaking, the entire conference room erupted in excitement.

“My current annual salary is 500,000. If 1 get promoted by the end of the year, it’ll be 700,000. That’s a 140,000 increase, equivalent to two months’ salary!” “Hehe, I make 2,000 more than you!”

“What are you guys talking about? If you get promoted to Level One, not only will your salary increase, but you’ll also be eligible for profit sharing. That’s at least eight digits annually!”

For a moment, the middle managers’ eyes lit up, and each started calculating their potential gains.

“Boss, are there any potential issues with this evaluation process?” Xu Yu, although excited, voiced her concerns.

As Xu Yu raised her question, the conference room fell silent.

“I understand your concern about possible collusion between lower-level and middle-level employees,” Zhou Chao said with a smile as he looked at everyone. Seeing that they were all looking at him without evasion, he nodded in satisfaction.

“We will have mutual oversight. If anyone engages in fraud or betrays the company’s interests, lower-level employees can report directly to upper management. If the report is substantiated, the reporting employee will be promoted by one level and receive a 200,000 bonus. This standard applies to any level, including senior executives!” Zhou Chao said with a smile.

The expressions of everyone in the room varied greatly, and Zhou Chao, in a relaxed manner, leaned back in his chair, observing their reactions.

After a considerable pause, everyone quieted down, and Zhou Chao sat up straight, saying, “The first matter, Xu Yu, please implement it promptly and ensure that everyone is informed.”

“Yes, Boss!” Xu Yu promptly made notes in her notebook.

“The second matter is the confidentiality system. As our company grows larger, with more personnel and research projects, we need to strengthen our confidentiality measures. Zhou Jilong, do you have any thoughts on this?”

“Boss, I’m already working on this, and I’ll have a detailed plan soon.”

“Well, 1 have a suggestion: prohibit cross-project communication. Each project must operate independently without any unauthorized exchanges. If any issues arise, the project leader will bear the primary responsibility. In severe cases, relevant individuals will be reported to the respective departments. 1 believe you, as research personnel, should understand the importance of these measures.”

“Understood!” Everyone responded in unison.

“The third matter concerns bonuses.”

“Bonuses? Am I right in guessing this? Quick, praise me!”

“Praise you? What for? What does this bonus have to do with you?”

“Uh, you make a good point.”

After Zhou Chao and everyone had discussed these matters and quieted down, he continued, “1 won’t go over the basic bonuses, as they will follow the company’s policy. 1’11 focus on bonuses related to project research or patents. Similarly, projects are classified into four levels: Level Four with a bonus of one million, Level Three with ten million, Level Two with fifty million, and Level One with one billion!”

When Zhou Chao mentioned the one billion bonus, he intentionally emphasized it, causing everyone’s breathing to become heavy. Particularly, the managers at or above the Deputy Researcher level had a gleam in their eyes, fantasizing about how much money they would receive if their research projects reached Level One.

Seeing everyone with big smiles and unable to close their mouths, Zhou Chao gently tapped the table and said, “The harder you work, the greater the rewards. Well, let’s adjourn the meeting; 1 won’t take up any more of your time.”

With that, Zhou Chao got up and left the conference room, with Xu Yu following closely.

Once most of the people had left, only Lan Ling and Zhou Jilong remained in the room.

“Hey, Zhou, it looks like we’ll have to work harder. We can’t slack off anymore. If we’re overtaken by newcomers, where will we hide our faces? But on the other hand, our boss really knows how to motivate us,” Lan Ling remarked with some sentiment.

“Do your job well and worry less about the rest. What research topic are you planning to pursue?”

“Photolithography, a 311m photolithography machine. We must strive to achieve some results! After saying this, Lan Ling got up and left, leaving Zhou Jilong sitting alone in his chair, lost in thought..