NABC Chapter 112: New Year’s Eve
Chapter 112: New Year’s Eve
Chapter 112: New Year’s Eve
Yang Lu glanced at Xiao Han and then said, “Let me handle this matter.”
“But let me do it,” Xiao Han said with a faint smile. He took a slow step forward, glanced over everyone in the store, and noticed that each person’s face bore a hint of resentment and anger. Once the skin was torn, fists would soon follow. However, Xiao Han was not in the mood to exchange blows with them.
He chuckled and then said, “You all think that I am not doing my proper job tomorrow, that I’ve been slacking off. Do you feel that I’ve stolen the fruits of your labor that you work hard for every day?”
The crowd was angrily silent.
“Then you are gravely mistaken,” Xiao Han said with a faint smile. “We all work for Hanmen Technology Company. We all strive to create benefits and profits for this company. An individual’s labor result should not be measured solely by the amount of labor expended but by how much profit they’ve created for the company. How much benefit do you think you bring to the company in a day?”
The crowd was speechless.
“At the very least, we’ve worked hard,” a man surnamed Li spoke up. “Without us, this store wouldn’t be able to keep going.”
“Is that so?” Xiao Han smiled and said, “The company could hire other people. The world keeps turning without anyone.”
“The person the company needs least is probably you,” a woman behind the man with the Li surname said acerbically.
“As I said, an individual’s labor result should be measured by the amount of profit created for the company,” Xiao Han swept his gaze over everyone and said, “Who among you believes you’ve created more benefits than I have?”
“Why don’t you first talk about what you’ve done for the company?” the man surnamed Li looked at Xiao Han. Everyone had seen the content of Xiao Han’s work every day, which always involved him sitting in a corner with a laptop, and nobody knew what he was doing.
“Every day I promote Hanmen Technology on major forums and mainstream online media,” Xiao Han said with a smile. “On the local forums, I’ve posted advertisements, written quite a few soft ads, and done many planning campaigns. I could say this: for every ten people who come into the store to buy a phone, there’s likely one who I brought in.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd was dumbfounded.
“That’s right!” Yang Lu stepped forward and said, “I can attest to this point, Xiao Han has indeed always been tirelessly advertising on websites, and the top advertisement on the local forum was personally negotiated by him. Moreover, the most renowned account on the forum is his.”
After listening to this, the face of the man surnamed Li sank. He was ashamed, not only him but others also showed embarrassed expressions. They all felt very sorry for Xiao Han.
“Xiao Han, I... I hadn’t realized,” the man surnamed Li said with an embarrassed expression. “I’m truly sorry!”
“It’s okay,” Xiao Han shook his head and said, “Actually, let’s not hide or hoard our feelings. If there’s something to say, just say it. There’s no need to discuss behind each other’s backs. This is a company, and everyone should consider the company’s interests.”
“That’s right,” Yang Lu nodded and said, “Xiao Han is right. In the future, everyone should learn from him.”
“Yes!” The crowd nodded in agreement.
“Alright, get back to work!” Yang Lu instructed as she said, “With so many customers in the store, what does it look like with you all standing around here?”
The crowd dispersed.
Mother Xiao vented all her dissatisfaction and repression from inside her heart. It was as if Xiao Han’s father had not died but was sleeping here, as if he could hear Mother Xiao’s confessions and calls.
Xiao Han knelt on both knees and earnestly listened to his mother’s outpourings.
After more than ten minutes of talking, his mother finally finished. She then instructed Xiao Han to offer incense to his father, following the ritual steps of the memorial service. Although he didn’t understand the rationale behind these actions, since the ancients had passed them down, there must be some reason. Xiao Han completed the entire process with utter seriousness.
“Mom, did dad really die in a car accident?” Xiao Han asked, frowning.
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t,” his mother looked at her son seriously and then said, “For now, all I can tell you is that he died in a car accident.”
“This...” Xiao Han frowned, clearly, he felt there was a problem, but since his mother didn’t want to discuss it, Xiao Han couldn’t press her. As he grew older, Xiao Han’s skepticism about his father’s death grew. Was that car accident really just a traffic incident, or was it a homicide? Xiao Han was always very skeptical and curious in his heart.
“Alright, let’s go home,” Mother Xiao cut off Xiao Han’s words.
On the way back, Xiao Han maintained deep skepticism.
His mother’s words obviously had a deeper meaning. And then there was Brother Bao, who seemed to have a significant connection to his father, who seemed to know some truth about his father’s death. Xiao Han was even more confused. What kind of person was his father really? If it was a simple accident, why would his mother remain tight-lipped?
If it was a murder, who would go to the trouble of targeting him, given his father’s status as an ordinary worker?
This certainly did not make sense. Therefore, Xiao Han concluded that there must be a secret behind it all, and a huge one at that. Otherwise, why would his mother keep silent, and why would Brother Bao stay in LJ city? Secrets were always meant to be uncovered. The truth would emerge one day.
After returning home, Mother Xiao gave Xiao Han five hundred yuan.
“Xiao Han, it’s New Year’s, take this money and buy yourself some new clothes,” Mother Xiao handed the money to Xiao Han.
Xiao Han trembled, feeling the weight of the five hundred yuan. His mother lived frugally, begrudging the need to spend even the smallest amount of money. Yet, she still took out five hundred yuan to buy him clothes. What did five hundred yuan mean to his mother? It was roughly one-third of her monthly income.
If she earned it by shining shoes at night, it could represent the income of ten consecutive days. The five hundred yuan felt hefty, very hefty to Xiao Han.
“Mom, it’s not necessary,” Xiao Han shook his head, “I have clothes to wear!”
“Silly child, wouldn’t I know if you had clothes or not?” Mother Xiao replied, “Take it, you’re grown up now, and you should wear some clothes that fit well.”
After all, Mother Xiao had been through life’s experiences. She knew children Xiao Han’s age had strong pride. Though Xiao Han never complained, Mother Xiao had to consider her child’s feelings. Who wouldn’t want to provide the best life for their child? Who wouldn’t wish to bring a more affluent life to their child, even though her abilities were limited?
“Thank you, Mom,” Xiao Han nodded, accepting it.
With Xiao Han’s current income, the five hundred yuan did not matter much to him. However, the significance of these five hundred yuan was greater than the five thousand or even fifty thousand yuan he earned. Xiao Han pocketed the money carefully, tucking it into the pocket of his inner clothes.
Before they knew it, the New Year’s Eve arrived...
Every household was busy pasting couplets.