Chapter 76: Not Seeking to Share Hardship, Only Hoping to Share Joy

"Chairman!" As soon as the police had left with the others, Zhang Yingguo finally lost all support and collapsed to his knees before Huang He, drenched in sweat as if he had just been pulled from water.

"Get up," Huang He said. "Since the police didn’t take you away, it means I’m willing to let you go this time. After all, for someone as clever as you, there are only two options: either I make use of you, or I destroy you entirely, leaving no room for mercy." Though his words implied forgiveness, the sweat on Zhang Yingguo’s forehead only grew heavier, leaving his child thoroughly frightened.

"Thank you, Chairman! Thank you, Chairman! I’ll go back and immediately disperse everyone. I’ll do exactly as you say!" Zhang Yingguo replied hastily. Huang He said nothing, merely motioning for him to sit, then spoke in a calm tone: "Everyone, do you know why Zhang Yingguo is allowed to stay while the others were taken away?"

Silence fell over the room; no one dared to speak. Huang He continued, "The reason is simple. Although Zhang Yingguo recruited so many people behind my back, he did one thing right—he maintained the blind box price at ten yuan, never opened boxes ahead of time to take what was inside, never printed his own packaging to siphon off company profits, and, most importantly, never tarnished the reputation of Jiangnan Group or invited disaster upon our name."

"So, Yingguo, you have no need to be afraid. You can sit here and finish your meal in peace." Huang He’s face relaxed into a smile, and only then did Zhang Yingguo feel his heart settle, grateful for his own restraint.

In fact, Zhang Yingguo had once considered following in the footsteps of those who’d been taken away. But at the crucial moment, his mother dissuaded him with a simple reason: Wenzhou was right next door, and Huang He’s eyes were never far away. Too many people were watching him; he had to be cautious. Besides, selling blind boxes at ten yuan each already brought in more than enough profit—there was no need to risk everything for more.

It was thanks to his mother’s advice that Zhang Yingguo stayed on the right path, and at this moment, he felt endless gratitude toward her. Without her, he would have been completely finished.

"As for the rest of you," Huang He went on, "there are more than a hundred others who have made mistakes, and I’ve written every name in this little notebook. But, like Zhang Yingguo, though your faults are many, you held fast to the bottom line. So you’re all safe."

He held up the plain black leather notebook, a memento from the tenth anniversary of Jiangnan Leather Factory, with the anniversary inscription still visible if one looked closely. Yet now, this little book had become a symbol of doom for everyone present—who could know what damning deeds might be recorded within?

"I am not Cao Mengde," Huang He declared. "I have no interest in burning this book. On the contrary, I will keep it—not to threaten you, but to remind everyone never to forget today."

"At the same time, I assure you all that matters end here. Nothing that happened before will be used as a pretext for settling accounts later. I, Huang He, have at least this much integrity. From now on, as long as you follow company rules to the letter and carry out my orders, I guarantee your income will grow alongside the company’s. The more the company earns, the more you will earn as well. In the future, a monthly income of a million, even ten million, is not out of reach."

"I am stingy with my enemies, but always generous with my own people. When there’s profit, we share it; when there’s trouble, I shoulder it. I don’t ask you to suffer with me—only that we can enjoy prosperity together." Huang He sighed. In the audience, people let out long breaths and exchanged glances of emotion and admiration. Not asking for shared hardship, only shared success—what a boss! Where could one ever find another like him?

"Now," he continued, "let’s talk about the company’s plans for blind box sales. As I’ve said, we will establish regional branches at the prefecture level, strictly controlled by headquarters. You have no choice in this and must accept it." He shot a glance at Shen Yuequn, then added, "Yuequn, the same applies to you. You are special, though; your shares in the branch will be preserved, but control remains with me. Do you have any objections?"

"None," Shen Yuequn replied without hesitation.

"Good," Huang He nodded in satisfaction. "Once these branches are established, their subordinate areas will be divided and authorized accordingly. In general, each county, prefecture-level city, or district within a provincial capital will become a basic unit, assigned to a distributor who will be fully responsible for sales in that region."

"The branch will provide products, sales plans, control pricing, and organize or respond to marketing activities. The authorized distributor can purchase goods from the branch at a set price, freely choose sales outlets and activities within their area, and as long as they do not violate company restrictions, they may act independently. The branch will supervise but not interfere."

"This is my plan for the future of blind box sales. The entire system should be in place by early 2002. Until January 2002, you may continue with the old methods. After that, the new rules will apply."

"Yes!" came the chorus of assent, swift and resolute.

"Now, regarding your specific options, I’m giving you two choices. First, you may continue selling blind boxes as before, but you must establish your own companies and obtain authorization from the branch as official distributors."

"As a compensation, according to company policy, authorizations for each region would normally require an annual fee. Next year, however, you may waive the fee for up to three regions. Any beyond three, you must pay according to branch regulations."

"In addition, you have priority selection rights. At the same price, whoever pays first receives the corresponding region’s authorization with no competition from others. The exact fee will be calculated by the branch based on local sales volume—a fair rate that ensures everyone profits."

"Second, you may choose to stop direct sales and remain a part of Jiangnan Group. Based on your abilities, I’ll assign you roles as heads of various branches, responsible for provincial or municipal operations. Your income will be directly linked to your branch’s profit submissions; I guarantee the share will never fall below two percent. So, as long as you work hard to grow the market, your income will far surpass your peers in the industry."

"But let me be clear: if you choose the second path, no immediate family member of yours may become a blind box distributor. For non-immediate relatives, the company will strictly audit your conduct for any signs of favoritism. If found, punishment will be severe and without mercy."

Having laid out these options, Huang He sat back and sipped his tea, while the audience exchanged glances and whispers. In truth, the new arrangement was far better than they had feared. Some had thought Huang He would demote them all to ordinary employees, selling blind boxes for a meager fixed salary.

It turned out their worries were unfounded. Real sales rights were still being granted, although there would be more oversight and authorization fees, and the days of unchecked freedom and shady dealings were over.

But those inclined towards such mischief were already gone. Those who remained valued stability above all, so the new supervision was hardly a burden.

Especially for Zhang Yingguo, who realized he could now bring his company into the open, secure authorization for a dozen regions, and sell blind boxes openly and legitimately—no more living in fear. He let out a long sigh of relief.

The second option, however, was less clear. If provincial branches grew large, the positions might be attractive. For now, though, it looked like opting for the second path would mean a fixed income—hardly enticing.

"Very well," Huang He concluded. "You have one day to consider. Before six o’clock tomorrow evening, report your decision to Secretary Leng for registration. The company will arrange everything by year’s end. Once you’ve registered, you may return to your blind box business."

"As for now, let’s enjoy our meal. You have no idea how delicious the kidney is today!" Huang He chuckled and began eating heartily, finally bringing back some semblance of a dining hall’s lively spirit.