CHAPTER 75: THIS IS OUR CAFETERIA.

Lu’s jaw almost hit the tiled floor. Free? This is really free?

His mind raced back to what Jiang Cheng had bragged about last week—double days off, full insurance. He hadn’t believed a word. Now, staring at LCD TVs on the walls and massage chairs upstairs, he started to wonder if he had been a fool.

If this is real... I need to find out more. If I can join a place with treatment like this, I’ll never eat cold lunchboxes on the curb again.

Just then, as if fate was playing a prank, Jiang Cheng himself walked in wearing the new factory work clothes.

"Old Lu? What are you doing here?" Jiang Cheng blinked in surprise.

Caught red-handed, Lu scratched his head. "Ah, nothing, nothing. Just thought it was a new restaurant."

Jiang Cheng chuckled. "This is our cafeteria. I can’t entertain you now, but I’ll treat you properly another time."

Lu nodded and left, but his mind was racing.

Meanwhile, in Boston City, Son Nami was on the phone with her mom, Dong Hong.

"Nami, your dad and I have a good boss now. Nearly twenty thousand yuan a month! You don’t need to worry about us. Buy yourself clothes; don’t skimp. Last time I asked you to come home, and you didn’t!"

On the other end, Nami sighed. "Mom, I really have too many classes. Don’t send me money—I have scholarships. Use it for little sis; she’s growing."

Before Dong Hong could nag further, Nami hung up, staring at the transfer record with a bitter smile. Twenty thousand? As if.

But at least... her parents were happy. And she’d find a way to save that money and give it back quietly later.

Lunch break at the garment factory was livelier than usual. A brand-new shuttle bus stood proudly at the gate, gleaming under the sun.

"Oh my god, where did this bus come from?"

"I saw Minister Li get off it just now. Don’t tell me the boss actually bought it."

"Quick, ask him!"

Soon, Lee Wonho strutted out, chest puffed, an unfamiliar man trailing behind him.

"Perfect timing," Lee Wonho said loudly, clapping his hands like a village mayor. "Everyone gather round. This bus... was purchased by Mr. Chen himself!"

A ripple of gasps spread through the crowd.

"And of course," Lee Wonho paused dramatically, milking the suspense, "its purpose is..."

"WHAT?!" workers shouted. "Just tell us already!"

Lee Wonho grinned. "For you! For employee commuting. No more griping about inconvenient travel. Mr. Chen spent over a million dollars on this."

The factory workers erupted in cheers. But Lee Wonho’s face turned serious as he jabbed a finger at them.

"So, if I find anyone slacking off during work hours, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

"Minister Li, don’t worry! Mr. Kim treats us so well; anyone who dares to slack off is insulting all of us!" One worker roared.

"That’s right!" another chimed in. "We’ll supervise each other. If someone dares fish in troubled waters, I’ll drag him out myself!"

The crowd’s voices rose like a football stadium chant.

Lee Wonho basked in it, nodding with satisfaction. This must be what Mr. Chen wants—a united workforce, high morale, and unshakable loyalty. Truly, a company destined for greatness.

Upstairs, Suho paused mid-bite as the chants carried in through the windows.

He slowly put his chopsticks down.

His braised pork belly suddenly tasted like cardboard.

Outside, Lee Wonho’s booming voice carried up like a proud rooster: "Together! We will guard this company with our lives!"

Suho pinched the bridge of his nose.

Lee Wonho... that betrayer. Even when I promote him out of the workshop, he still manages to stir up this kind of drama.

"Boss Kim, is this lamb chop not to your taste?"

Cho Rin leaned over curiously. Suho had picked up a lamb chop from the cafeteria tray, sniffed it, and then set it down like it was a tax bill.

"Not bad," Suho muttered, waving his hand. Truth was, he wasn’t disgusted. He was just tired. Too much food, too much noise, too much of Lee Wonho’s voice echoing outside earlier.

When the meal ended, Cho Rin quietly slipped back to her desk. She pulled out a tiny notebook, a secret ledger of her boss’s quirks.

She flipped past the first page. On it:

Boss Kim can’t drink alcohol.

Boss Kim prefers iced tea over coffee.

Boss Kim hates lamb chops. (just added)

She tapped her pen. One day, this notebook would be worth more than the company itself.

Meanwhile, Son Choku was in salesman mode, grinning across the cafeteria table at his dust-covered old buddy, Lu Pengtao.

"How is it, Lao Lu? Did I lie? Look at this spread! Where outside are you going to find a cafeteria that serves braised prawns and roast duck, huh? Boss Kim personally hired chefs from five-star hotels. That guy treats employees better than their own parents!"

Lu Pengtao picked up a prawn, eyes misting. He had unloaded cement for fifteen years. His "employee meals" used to be cold rice and pickled vegetables. Now, star-chef food was sitting in front of him for free.

He swallowed hard and finally croaked, "Thank you."

Son Choku chuckled. "Why thank me? Just drive carefully and don’t crash Mr. Chen’s new million-dollar bus. That’s all."

"I will."

And he meant it.

Horny Princess Interactive

Over in the game company, Jin Wu and Fen Su were sipping tea.

"Director Jin, I really admire you," Fen Su said, holding his cup like a scholar. "You bargained that office down to sixty-one thousand a year. From seventy-two thousand! That’s more than ten thousand saved."

Jin Wu smirked. "Simple math. Their office has been empty for months. If they didn’t rent it to us, they’d lose two months of rent anyway. Unless they’re psychic and know someone will sign tomorrow, they’d rather give us the discount."

Fen Su whistled. So that’s how you squeeze landlords.

"Alright, enough talk," Jin Wu said, brushing dust off his jacket. "I’ve already ordered the desks and chairs. You just need to coordinate with Mr. Chen." Then he wandered back toward the studio, muttering about needing to study more.