[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp":3,"chapter-i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-148":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Get Stronger Every Payday—With One Billion Employees!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264361,4419,"Chapter 148","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-148",148,"\u003Cp>The next morning, in the Orange Factory dormitory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Ge, still half-asleep, heard the noise in his ears, struggled to open his eyes, saw the clock read 8:20, and instantly jumped up, grabbing his toothbrush cup and sprinting for the bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhu Ge, it’s your day off—why get up so early?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fellow worker lying on his bed, scrolling on his phone, asked curiously at his frantic rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunzhu, just reaching the door, suddenly stopped, remembering he’d worked seven straight days and was now forcibly mandated a day off by his team leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck! I was half-asleep—I thought I was still at Big Strawberry Factory. What were you guys just chattering about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunzhu slapped his own head, suddenly realizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big Strawberry Factory was his previous job, where he twisted screws for ten yuan an hour, with overtime pay always ten yuan, whether weekend or weekday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To earn five thousand a month, you really had to risk your life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course we’re talking about wages—damn, pay’s coming on the 1st, this boss deserves to get rich!” the worker grumbled even as he praised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunzhu turned, walked to his bed, set down the toothbrush cup, picked up his Big Pineapple knockoff phone, and opened his messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, one unread message from 8:05: Your account 4178 received 5136.40 yuan on September 1 at 08:05; current balance 42846.70 yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After deductions for social insurance and housing fund, he took home just over five thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last month he worked twenty-seven days, rested only four—but this five thousand was far easier to earn than at Big Strawberry Factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Big Strawberry’s base pay and overtime rates, Li Yunzhu would have had to work eighteen hours a day to earn this much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhu Ge, how much did you make last month?” the worker asked, smiling as he noticed Li Yunzhu staring blankly at the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not much—definitely under ten thousand,” Li Yunzhu smiled, slipped his phone into his pocket, and didn’t tell the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, Orange Factory’s pay was only a thousand or so higher than other factories, but the workload was nearly halved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young guys hung around the dorm a bit, then agreed to head into town for a stroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They used to work sixteen hours a day, with no energy left to go out—now, with shorter hours, they were slowly regaining the vitality of youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunzhu and the others walked out, chatting and laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the Orange Tech Factory gate, a long line still waited for interviews.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhu Ge, wasn’t the second round of hiring already over? Why are people still lining up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worker scratched his crotch, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably the boss wants to expand capacity. I heard we’ve sold over two million Orange phones—last month we shipped only 400,000. With just our current staff, when will customers even get their orders?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunzhu thought quickly and spoke sweetly, always cozying up to his team leader—he had better info than ordinary workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True! More sales mean more job security.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For line workers like them, they feared empty orders more than the boss did—no orders meant machines stopped, and they earned nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan sat on the sofa and summoned the system panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>August’s Human Dao Flame had 1,847 strands, plus 19 remaining from July, totaling 1,963 strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After synthesizing 19 strands into Divine Dao Flame, he poured all of it into his Spirit attribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiar sensation washed over him—a relaxing warmth like soaking in a hot spring; the burning ache in his mind vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These recent attribute boosts had left him increasingly clear-headed and refreshed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his Spirit value rise to 10.49, Chen Yan sighed, feeling the pace was too slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Orange Tech had grown from sixty to two hundred people, and the factory had hired six hundred more, the rate of Human Dao Flame gain remained unsatisfactory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never once thought low labor costs could be a bad thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan let out a quiet, weary laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Orange phone priced at 1,999 yuan—even fully compliant with labor law on overtime—gave each worker just twelve yuan per unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than one percent of the retail price!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No good—I need to raise wages. As my employees, earning so little makes it look like Orange Tech can’t make money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan frowned, then decided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acted immediately, calling Cao Dahua: “Hey, Lao Cao, from September, raise worker hourly wage to twenty yuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Cao Dahua, just entering his office, thought he’d misheard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Overtime pay rate is adjusted from fifteen to twenty yuan,” Chen Yan repeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last month, labor costs for Orange Factory, including R&D, Marketing, Branding, and E-commerce, totaled only 13 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gross profit from 400,000 Orange phones reached over 66 million; additional software revenue (ads, game partnerships, tech licensing) added at least 80 to 100 million more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, Orange phone gross margin hovered around 20%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan insisted he didn’t want to make so much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’ll raise factory labor costs by 40% this month—you’re sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Dahua did a quick calculation and warned seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So little?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 40% increase meant only two or three hundred more Human Dao Flame strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do as I say. Also, how’s hiring going at Factory Two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan’s tone was firm, then asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory One’s output clearly couldn’t keep up with Orange phone sales—so when pre-orders broke one million, Chen Yan had ordered Cao Dahua and Zuo Hongyu to begin preparing Factory Two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About three hundred hired so far—we limited overtime hours, or more would’ve applied. But with hourly wage at twenty yuan, we’ll fill all spots in three days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Dahua thought Chen Yan was wasting money, but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty yuan an hour, full overtime pay per labor law, meals and lodging included—this was heaven on earth in Shencheng; workers would fight over it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, that’s it.” Chen Yan hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew this kid was a spendthrift—paying twenty yuan an hour with full overtime? The workers in Huaqiangbei will probably worship him as a god of wealth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Dahua shook his head, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving instructions to Cao Dahua, Chen Yan walked straight downstairs toward the Innovation Park.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The campus was full of new students and parents; driving was inconvenient, and the distance was only a few hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan arrived at the park in two or three minutes; from afar, the entrance was packed—Song Yuncheng stood aside, unable to squeeze in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?” Chen Yan asked, approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yuncheng turned, saw him, quickly pulled him aside to the dormitory front, waited until no one noticed, then exhaled: “These are all this year’s freshmen—they came straight to the Innovation Park after registering.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Visiting? FoxTao?” Chen Yan understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, lots of younger students came to study at the School of Humanities just because of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yuncheng looked at Chen Yan, a flicker of admiration in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan was a year younger than her, yet in just one year, had built FoxTao from nothing to a hundred-billion-yuan valuation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even she, employee #1, felt like it was a dream—let alone those prospective students outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I get it.” Chen Yan shook his head, called Security Chief Zhan Guowei, and told him to bring people over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visiting the Innovation Park and FoxTao was fine—but not if it disrupted operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhan Guowei, hearing the situation, agreed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within minutes, Zhan Guowei arrived with a team of security officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you all doing here? Break up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhan Guowei shouted through a loudspeaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, had served in the military—his voice carried authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The freshmen, seeing the display, obediently parted a path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan finally saw: the first-floor lobby was packed, and people still queued for the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staircase was narrow—if a stampede happened, Zhan Guowei would be the first to suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhan Guowei instantly realized the danger and shouted: “Which department? What major? Everyone—get out now! Or you’ll get a major demerit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few girls had resisted, but hearing “major demerit,” they instantly obeyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People upstairs also began filing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhan Guowei’s face turned grim—he hadn’t realized so many people had flooded the park.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Chen Yan’s timely warning prevented chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Wenbo, Xiang Pengfei, and others sighed in relief as the crowd finally dispersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you Senior Chen Yan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl in the crowd stared at Chen Yan for a few seconds, then stepped forward to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan was 186 cm tall—even from a distance, he was recognized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Chen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow! He’s even hotter than his photos!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Chen, can we take a photo with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, I want to join FoxTao—where do I sign up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of girls swarmed around him, chattering excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd surged, threatening to swallow Chen Yan whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Break up! Want a demerit?” Zhan Guowei roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, quiet! Stay where you are. I’m Chen Yan. If you’re interested in FoxTao, contact our website customer service and book a visit under your class name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Students interested in part-time jobs, please check the website’s job board, the notice board at the startup park entrance, and the campus BBS forum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen said loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there were too many people, Chen Yansen could only decline each request for photos and autographs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he smiled throughout, speaking warmly; the girls who were turned down didn’t mind much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the urging of Zhan Guowei and Chen Yansen, most people gradually dispersed along Yixing Bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, I’m one of the first users of Orange Phone—can you sign your name on the back cover?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a young girl approached with a pen and an Orange Phone, clearly prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen smiled and agreed—he simply couldn’t refuse a loyal user of Orange Phone, especially a junior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen took the phone and signed his name on the silver back cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Senior! My name is Ge Hui—Ge as in ‘stop the spear,’ Hui as in ‘wisdom.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Hui’s eyes crinkled into slits; she was overjoyed inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these three summer months, she had gone from a longtime Fox Tao  user to a new Orange Phone user, and she was deeply curious about this senior who was just one year older than her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After getting the signed phone, she felt as if she’d successfully chased a star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, thank you for supporting Orange Phone,” Chen Yansen replied vaguely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you want to ask what major I’m in?” Ge Hui countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ask next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen gave a faint smile, tossed out “Maybe next time,” and walked toward the second floor, Song Yuncheng following closely behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Chen, you finally showed up! These kids are treating our place like a tourist attraction—some are even taking photos, it’s insane!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Pengfei, seeing Chen Yansen and Song Yuncheng arrive, couldn’t help complaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen thought to himself, what’s this? In ten years, people would still squat with their hands on their heads outside the Police Inspector’s office taking photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One generation just lived more abstractly than the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell Xu Dan to gather all team leaders in one hour to discuss salary adjustments for the second half of the year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen instructed, gesturing for Xiang Pengfei to find Xu Dan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox Tao  didn’t open salary adjustments in the first half of the year; most people were still earning the same monthly salary from the end of last year, except for a few promoted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, I’m on it! By the way, you look really handsome today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Pengfei paused for a moment, then sprinted toward the door; at the threshold, he added with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get lost!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yansen laughed and cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Weilin had already been in talks with LeTian, SoftBank, Ali, and Augusta—this might be his final chance to adjust Fox Tao ’s salaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the start, Chen Yansen never intended Fox Tao  to be a long-term project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that a suitable buyer had emerged, he could use this opportunity to step away and focus entirely on the phone industry, opening a new frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2004,"2026-06-19T19:17:18.227Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b54a609914cf777427e9d0c80fb90c7cfe92e9f47b39ab1799b8acd5d7ae616a","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-149","i-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-chapter-147",387,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-get-stronger-every-payday-with-one-billion-emp-cover.jpg"]