Zhao Chengguang respectfully said to Yu Changhe, "Dad, Xiao Hu is here."
Yu Changhe's gaze swept across Zhou Xuan's face, sharp and piercing, as if trying to penetrate his heart, but his face was full of smiles as he said, "Little Hu, please sit down, please sit down."
Zhou Xuan sat down on a chair opposite Yu Changhe, neither humble nor arrogant. Then Wu Ma quickly came over and brought Zhou Xuan a cup of tea.
Zhou Xuan took it, nodded, and said, "Thank you."
Yu Changhe narrowed his eyes. Zhou Xuan didn't seem as ordinary as he appeared. Some things couldn't be faked. These simple manners and etiquettes couldn't be imitated by just anyone from the countryside. One could imitate the form, but not the spirit.
Yu Changhe then asked about Zhou Xuan's identity and background, and Zhou Xuan answered each question with prepared answers without revealing any flaws. However, it was clear that Yu Changhe would not believe him so easily. What Zhou Xuan could not have known was that Yu Changhe had unspoken thoughts in his mind.
"Little Hu, I'm a straightforward person. After listening to Cheng Guang's words, I can tell you're quite capable! Hehe, come, come, sit down and let's talk. Don't be shy."
The more Yu Changhe said this, the less Zhou Xuan believed he was a straightforward person. However, he naturally didn't hold back. In front of Yu Changhe, he didn't need to be humble at all. He just needed to do things discreetly according to his own ideas. Although he hadn't been very discreet before, he was still considering to tone it down. He would just fish and keep his job. He shouldn't make his other harvests too obvious. A little bit every one or two months would be enough. If all the harvest was from sea fish, the profit wouldn't be so amazing.
Yu Changhe chatted and laughed with Zhou Xuan, but the more he talked, the more he felt that Zhou Xuan was like a mystery. No matter what he asked, Zhou Xuan's answers were always watertight.
Yuqi was sulking, not at Zhou Xuan, but at her father, Yu Changhe. Her second brother had done such a thing to her, and all he did was send someone abroad and arrange everything for him. He received no punishment whatsoever and continued to live a life of luxury with plenty of money and possessions.
Despite being born into a wealthy family like the Yu family, Yuqi couldn't help but feel sorrow. The favoritism towards sons had reached such an extreme. Although she didn't want to do anything to her second brother, Yuxiang, her father shouldn't have been so biased. Not punishing such a rebellious act was not a good thing for Yuxiang. It was indulgence, which would only make him bolder in the future and cause him more harm.
In fact, Yu Changhe did want to punish Yu Xiang, but time was of the essence, and there was simply no time to allow Yu Xiang to stay in the country. If the higher-ups started their operation, Yu Xiang would not be able to leave even if he wanted to. Yu Changhe could not predict what would happen to him.
To some, perhaps he is just an ordinary person, but in their eyes, Yu Changhe is like a god. To think that he can compete with the Yu family is just wishful thinking.
But Yu Changhe himself understood very well that to the state apparatus in power, a businessman like him was nothing. He could be born or die at will, with no power to resist whatsoever.
"Xiao Hu, do you have any requests or ideas about working on the ship?"
After talking for a while, Yu Changhe finally brought up the topic they wanted to know: what Zhou Xuan's requirements were, such as the issue of the bonus.
Zhou Xuan smiled faintly, then casually said, "I don't have any other requests. Manager Zhao and Uncle Yu both said last time that an annual salary of one million, plus commission, is enough for me."
Yu Changhe was secretly delighted, but his face remained impassive. He examined Zhou Xuan's expression to see if he meant anything sarcastic, but he couldn't see any other meaning in Zhou Xuan's expression. He was indifferent, seemingly neither satisfied with his annual salary nor eager for bonuses. In short, he had a very calm expression.
Yu Changhe even felt that this expression was somewhat like that of an old monk who had transcended worldly affairs.
Wu Ma spent two hours preparing a lavish spread of dishes. After setting them out in the restaurant, Yu Changhe invited Zhou Xuan over, and Yu Jinshan also went to keep him company.
There were eight people eating in total: seven from the Yu family, Yu Changhe, Yu Jinshan, the Yu sisters (Yu Qi and Yu Jiao), Zhao Chengguang, Yu Qi's grandparents, and only one outsider, Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan doesn't drink alcohol, and Zhao Chengguang and Yu Jinshan also refrain from drinking because the two elderly people were present. Therefore, Zhou Xuan quickly finished his meal and politely stood up, saying, "Grandpas, Mr. Yu, Second Uncle, Manager Zhao, please continue your meal. I'll take my leave now."
Yu Changhe smiled and said, "Why don't we sit for a while longer, chat, and talk about everyday things?"
Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Yu. I just haven't had much rest on the boat and I'm feeling a bit tired. I'd like to go upstairs to rest for a bit."
Yu Changhe nodded and said, "Alright, go upstairs and rest. You should rest well when you're tired; health is the most important thing. We can talk again another time. Go ahead."
After Zhou Xuan left, Zhao Chengguang said in a daze, "Dad, we've talked for so long, but we haven't mentioned his bonus. How much bonus should we give him this time?"
After Zhao Chengguang finished speaking, he added, "I mean, after rewarding him with a house, how much additional cash reward should we give him?"
Yu Changhe frowned, then replied, "Here's what I'm thinking: Cheng Guang, Jin Shan, I have no objection to you taking a million, or even more. But the other crew members don't need such high rewards. In the end, these two big wins have nothing to do with them. If it weren't for Hu Yun, where would they have had this opportunity? If anyone else had been on the ship, the situation would have been the same. So I think..."
Yu Changhe glanced at the group of people and then said calmly, "I think we should give Fu Gui and the others 100,000 each. Of course, you shouldn't reveal your bonuses, nor should you disclose the details of the pearl transactions and prices. We're not afraid of them being dissatisfied or threatening to quit. I'm giving them this bonus in consideration of their hard work. The only person we need to consider is Hu Yun."
Hearing Yu Changhe's decision, Yu Jinshan and Zhao Chengguang were both surprised, but not surprised. Yu Changhe was right. The other crew members on the ship received high bonuses entirely because of Zhou Xuan. If it weren't for him, the others would have only earned a few thousand yuan. It's the off-season now, so low income is inevitable. The bonuses Zhou Xuan received after joining the ship were enough for them to earn in several years.
Zhou Xuan, upstairs, was naturally using his supernatural abilities to investigate. This Yu Changhe was indeed a cunning and ruthless old fox. The 700,000 to 800,000 yuan bonus that Zhao Chengguang had prepared for each person had been reduced to 100,000 yuan in Yu Changhe's mouth.
Yu Changhe continued, "What I'm considering is Hu Yun's problem. He's a talented person, that doesn't need further proof. The most challenging thing for me is figuring out how to arrange things for such a talented person. What I find hardest to understand is why he came to Donghai. Is he a country bumpkin with ability but no discerning eye who came to Donghai to work and earn money, or is there another reason, that he's actually a worldly, knowledgeable, and capable person who's pretending to be weak while actually being strong?"
Yu Changhe voiced his concerns, put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and paced back and forth in thought.
Yu Jinshan and Zhao Chengguang also frowned as they thought about it. They hadn't thought of that at all. Yu Changhe's mind was indeed more far-reaching and comprehensive than theirs.
Yu Changhe thought for a moment and said, "Cheng Guang, Jin Shan, this Hu Yun, I don't deny that he is a talent I've never seen before. As you said, even if we give him a house and find him a wife to keep him tied down, we can't judge a book by its cover. Who knows if he will leave or be poached by someone else? If it were before, I would have believed that anyone within the Donghai area would give the Yu family face and wouldn't be likely to poach someone from us. But now..."
He sighed, his voice filled with worry, "These are turbulent times. Yuxiang is a disappointment, but he's still a member of the Yu family. The higher-ups are going to catch him red-handed, and I can't protect him from what he's done. If we don't clean things up quickly, our entire Yu family will be implicated. So I can only ask Qiqi to suffer. It's not that I'm being unreasonable or biased, it's just that time is of the essence. The company's reforms and cleanup must be carried out immediately, and your second brother also needs to be sent away right away. He can only come back after this matter is settled. And this is just my estimate. If the situation becomes dangerous, your second brother... I'm afraid he may never come back."
Yuqi was taken aback. Looking at her father's deeply furrowed brows, she realized that the seriousness of the matter far exceeded her expectations. This made her feel much more relieved. It wasn't that her father didn't want to punish her second brother, but time simply didn't allow him to delay any longer.
"Dad, I understand. Just make the arrangements with peace of mind. I won't blame my second brother anymore." Yuqi sighed and comforted her father. After all, they were family. Her second brother had gone too far, but he had driven him abroad and made him leave for the ends of the earth. That was enough.
Yuqi thought for a moment, then asked, "Dad, I really want Hu Yun to help me. I'm confident I can restructure the company, and Hu Yun is key to my success. I'm not just saying this out of anger."
Yu Changhe pondered for a moment. He had to consider his daughter Yuqi's words. Among his four children, Yuqi's abilities were the strongest. All she lacked was a platform for her to showcase her talents.
However, Yu Jinshan immediately said, "No, Qiqi, it's not that your second uncle is trying to take him away from you, but this Xiao Hu can bring our Yu family far more benefits on the ship than working for you. Maximizing his abilities will only benefit us and not harm us."
Yu Changhe frowned. He felt that his daughter's and cousin's opinions both made sense, but it was impossible to split Hu Yun in two.
After thinking for a moment, Yu Changhe suddenly looked up and stared at Yu Qi, staring intently for a long time, which made Yu Qi feel uneasy.
"Dad, what's wrong with you?"
"Qiqi, come here," Yu Changhe beckoned to Yu Qi and said, "I have something to tell you."
Yuqi didn't know what her father wanted to say to her, and followed him out of the restaurant in a daze.
In the living room, only Yu Changhe and Yu Qi were there. Yu Changhe then asked Yu Qi in a low voice, "Qiqi, Dad wants to ask you something. What do you think of this Hu Yun?"
Volume 1, Chapter 466: Visitors from the Capital
Chapter 466 Visitors from the Capital
What he does is none of my business.