Chapter 54

### Chapter 1: The So-Called National Mentality

When Lin Feng and Wang Meng arrived in Chu City, Lin Feng immediately took Wang Meng to the company. It was September 4th, a Monday, and the regular meeting day. Lin Feng had two reasons for coming: to tally his August income and to introduce Wang Meng to everyone.

"Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Wang Meng, who will be the new head of the security department." Lin Feng scanned the room. Apart from Ding Feng and Yang Guowei, who were not present, the finance department head, Accountant Zhang, the market sales department head, Su Xiaomei, the deputy head, Qin Sirong, the human resources department head, Liu Gang, and the secretary, Cheng Peijia, were all there.

Wang Meng nodded solemnly to everyone.

He was serious, focused, and strong. Everyone was taken aback, wondering where Lin Feng had found such a formidable person. However, they also admired Lin Feng's judgment, as Wang Meng was the perfect choice for the security department. Especially with the recent harassment at the barbecue shop, having someone like him in charge was ideal.

"Alright, Accountant Zhang, please give us the financial report for August," Lin Feng said.

"Yes, Mr. Lin. In August, Chu Feng Internet City had a total income of 393,000 yuan, total expenses of 128,000 yuan, and a net profit of 265,000 yuan."

"The Murder Club had no income, with total expenses of 10,200 yuan."

"The floral tea factory produced a total of 21,000 cups of floral tea, with a total income of 168,000 yuan, total expenses of 18,000 yuan, and a net profit of 150,000 yuan."

At this, Lin Feng's eyebrows raised. The floral tea factory was indeed highly profitable, especially since it was located in the suburbs near a flower farm, where labor and rent were cheap, and taxes were minimal. However, the substantial profit also made Lin Feng feel a bit proud. At least, he hadn't harmed his two friends by having them run the factory.

According to the 150,000 yuan net profit, Lin Feng would receive 76,500 yuan, while Ding Feng and Yang Guowei would each receive 24.5%, or 36,750 yuan. This far exceeded their previous monthly salaries. Their parents would likely have no complaints.

"The barbecue shop had a total income of 40,000 yuan, total expenses of 20,000 yuan, and a net profit of 20,000 yuan."

Lin Feng was puzzled, wondering why the expenses for the barbecue shop were so high.

Seeing Lin Feng's confusion, Accountant Zhang quickly explained, "During the days you were away, the Health Bureau fined us 3,000 yuan for environmental damage, the Environmental Protection Bureau fined us 2,000 yuan for pollution, and the police station charged us 1,000 yuan for public order management. Additionally, a few days ago, a group of thugs caused a disturbance, injuring one of our employees, and the company had to pay 3,000 yuan for medical expenses and related costs."

Lin Feng's frown deepened. He hadn't expected the barbecue shop to attract so many problems just after opening.

"Don't worry, with me here, you won't have to worry about thugs anymore." One of Wang Meng's pet peeves was bullying. He especially despised thugs who ate without paying and injured people. As the new head of the security department, he would ensure that such incidents did not happen again.

"Thanks, Brother Meng." Lin Feng had already become close to Wang Meng.

As long as there were no more thugs, the other minor issues could be dealt with. It was better to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Of course, he would need to visit the local authorities soon to smooth things over, or they would become even more troublesome.

"The company's expenses for water, electricity, and office supplies were 2,100 yuan, and employee expenses, including bonuses, totaled 13,000 yuan. If Mr. Lin agrees, please sign here, and I can transfer the funds later," Accountant Zhang said.

After Accountant Zhang finished, everyone looked at Lin Feng expectantly. Although the contract specified salaries, the bonuses were more variable and required Lin Feng's final approval.

Lin Feng glanced over the details, saw that everything was in line with the contract, and signed without hesitation.

After Lin Feng signed, Su Xiaomei and others couldn't hide their joy. With the bonuses, their monthly income would exceed 2,000 yuan, which was a high salary in Chu City. Given the current cost of living and housing prices, it was equivalent to a 6,000 yuan monthly income in a big city.

Although Accountant Zhang was pleased, he was older and didn't show his emotions. After calculating, he handed Lin Feng the final profit and loss statement for August. Only Lin Feng could see this document; others had no right to view it.

Lin Feng saw that if it weren't for the high profit from the floral tea factory, he would have lost money this month. It was clear that to grow the company, he needed to accelerate its development. Especially with the potential retaliation from Xia Qianhe, Lin Feng needed to prepare quickly.

The stronger he became, the more cautious his enemies would be.

"Alright, let's discuss the plans for each department for the next week."

At that moment, Ding Feng and Yang Guowei rushed in, breathless. Seeing Lin Feng, they called out, "Lin Feng, why did you just come back? You didn't answer your phone, and you..."

Lin Feng, who was listening to the departmental plans, quickly gestured for Ding Feng and Yang Guowei to sit down and wait. They saw that a meeting was in progress, thought for a moment, and reluctantly sat down, but their faces showed their urgency.

After roughly outlining the plans for the next week, Lin Feng quickly pulled the two into his office.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Lin Feng asked.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? It kept going to voicemail," Yang Guowei said, clearly upset.

"My phone was dead. Was it you guys who called that night?" After Lin Feng and Wang Meng got on the sleeper bus, he had tried to check his phone, but it was dead.

"Never mind that, let's go to the hospital. Your father is in the hospital!" Ding Feng pulled Lin Feng out of the office.

"What happened? My father was fine, why is he in the hospital?" Lin Feng was alarmed. He remembered that his father would develop diabetes and hypertension complications in a few years, leading to a stroke. It was too early for that, and with the improved living conditions, he shouldn't have fallen ill.

"Your father was beaten. Let's go, we'll talk in the car." Ding Feng and Yang Guowei pulled Lin Feng into a taxi.

"I'll go with you, Lin Feng." Wang Meng, hearing that Lin Feng's father was beaten, was worried and also got into the taxi.

Ding Feng and Yang Guowei glanced at Wang Meng, finding him formidable and fitting his name. However, they didn't have time to think about it and quickly told Lin Feng what had happened.

It turned out that while Lin Feng was busy with the company, the expansion of Danya Chemical's production line had increased the smell in the neighborhood. Under the leadership of the neighborhood committee, a few representatives, including Lin Feng's father, had negotiated with Danya Chemical.

Initially, the negotiations were successful, and the smell decreased the next day. However, a few days later, it returned and even worsened. The neighborhood committee had to intervene again, and the smell would decrease and then increase again. This went on until a few days ago when Danya Chemical had a leak, and a green mist covered the entire residential area, forcing hundreds of residents to temporarily evacuate to a nearby open field to avoid the noxious smell.

After the green mist finally dissipated, the angry residents went to Danya Chemical to demand an explanation. During the confrontation, someone shouted to drive Danya Chemical out of Liao Yuan District, and the security guards attacked the crowd. Lin Feng's father, Lin Qixiong, was among those injured, with a broken rib and a sprained ankle. He was being treated at the First People's Hospital of Chu City.

Lin Feng was furious.

"Didn't you call the police?" Lin Feng asked angrily.

"Of course, someone called the police right away. But when the 110 arrived, they just asked a few questions, said both sides were at fault, and couldn't determine who started the fight due to the chaos, so they told everyone to settle it privately," Ding Feng said, clearly frustrated.

"Damn it, after the 110 left, we went to the Liao Yuan police station to report it, but they did the same thing. They asked a few questions and told us to go home, saying they would investigate. What a joke, we've been asking every day, and they keep saying they're investigating. They must have been paid off," Yang Guowei cursed.

"What about the others? Didn't the families of the other injured people report it to the city authorities?" Lin Feng was furious, almost telling the taxi to turn around and head straight to Danya Chemical to find the culprit.

"No, they said the other side is powerful and has connections in the city. They said to wait for you to come back, as you now have money and more connections, and it would be better for you to handle it," Ding Feng said with a bitter smile.

"Damn!" Lin Feng was almost fainting with anger.

Damn, this is the quality of the people. Everyone waits for someone else to take the lead. No wonder during the war, thousands of Chinese were forced to walk for kilometers and be buried alive by a few Japanese.

Damn, what kind of people are these!