Chapter 355: Do You Want a House or Cash?
In the afternoon, Qin Maocai came to Li Tang's office holding the printing invoice from earlier, seeking his signature.
For large expenses from the Investment Department, either Alice or Li Tang needed to sign off before the finance department could process the reimbursement. Smaller bills were typically handled directly by Qin Maocai himself. Since Li Tang and Alice were frequently away from headquarters, smaller bills like printing and transportation were generally approved by Qin, making operations more flexible and efficient.
However, when power is wielded without proper oversight, a person's mindset inevitably changes, often without them even noticing.
"12,000 yuan?" Li Tang glanced casually at the invoice.
"Yes, that's today's external printing fee. It's near year-end, and the internal printing room is busy. Moreover, one of the printers broke down," Qin Maocai explained, having managed to steady himself after an anxious morning.
"This amount doesn't require my signature," Li Tang replied curtly, tossing the invoice back onto the table.
Qin Maocai bent down to retrieve it, forcing a smile. "Actually, I wanted to come and clarify what happened this morning. Our employees genuinely didn't recognize you and unintentionally disrespected you. I sincerely apologize on their behalf."
"No need to apologize. They didn't insult or offend me," Li Tang responded calmly, sitting on the office sofa with his legs crossed, face expressionless.
"Still, they shouldn't have made you carry materials or caused a scene publicly. I'll ensure they understand their mistake thoroughly," Qin Maocai insisted nervously.
"Hmm," Li Tang said noncommittally.
"If there's nothing else, I'll return to work and won't disturb you any longer." Qin bowed, intending to leave quickly.
"Hold on," Li Tang said quietly, stopping him mid-step. "We're not finished yet."
Qin Maocai stiffened in place for a moment before slowly turning around, eyes fixed on the floor, afraid to meet Li Tang's gaze. "Please give me your instructions, Mr. Li!"
"This morning, I was already at the print shop. Indeed, the fee was exactly 12,000 yuan—but the invoice provided by the shop wasn't 12,000 yuan," Li Tang said coolly.
Though Li Tang hadn't seen the invoice himself—it had been carefully hidden by Shang Hongjie—he knew enough to make this claim confidently.
"Usually, the invoices match the actual printing cost," Qin Maocai stammered nervously. "It really was just 12,000 yuan."
"Stop pretending," Li Tang interrupted him, letting silence settle ominously in the room.
The quiet became oppressive, broken only by the sound of Qin's own racing heartbeat. Sweat trickled down his forehead, a chill spreading throughout his body.
He remained silent, barely able to keep standing under the crushing pressure.
Seeing no response, Li Tang continued sternly, "This is embezzlement—your accumulated amount has already surpassed one million yuan. Should I report this to the police, or do you prefer returning the money quietly and resigning on your own?"
Qin Maocai still didn't speak, his head hanging even lower, spirit completely drained as all hope vanished.
His worst fears had come true.
"You've been at the company for two or three years already, right?" Li Tang's voice was calm yet piercing, each word striking Qin's heart heavily. "You're considered a senior employee. Even without great achievements, you've put in considerable effort. There's no need to make this ugly. If you accept responsibility voluntarily, the company will allow you to leave with dignity."
After a long silence, Qin Maocai finally raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, tears beginning to well up.
"Boss, I was wrong—I admit my mistake," he finally confessed emotionally. "In the beginning, I never had greedy thoughts. I worked diligently, hoping my performance would earn recognition and rewards. But as time passed, my position became secure, and my mindset gradually changed. It's only been the past six months that I started inflating the printing and transportation fees."
Afraid Li Tang wouldn't believe him, his voice became louder. "At first, it was just a few hundred yuan each time, a couple thousand per month. Seeing nobody noticed, I grew bolder."
"Last month alone, there was one bill for 350,000 yuan, several others exceeding 100,000 yuan, plus numerous smaller ones previously. Altogether, it's more than two million yuan!"
Li Tang was unmoved by Qin's emotional breakdown. Adults must take responsibility for their actions.
"I also heard you introduced your brother and cousin into the company?" Li Tang pressed further.
"They're innocent! They're genuinely qualified and work hard," Qin quickly defended, trying to prevent collateral damage.
"I've also heard company cars have become your personal property—refueling and repairs charged back to the company regularly. Is this true?" Li Tang clearly knew even more details.
His morning surveillance at the print shop had confirmed all suspicions.
Realizing further denials were pointless, Qin finally admitted defeat. These transgressions, once examined, would always leave a trace.
"Maybe I became greedy outside of work, but I was truly dedicated to the company professionally," Qin attempted one final appeal. "Recent investments in the Congo and other African projects involved substantial foreign exchange transfers—all handled personally by me, without mistakes, timely and perfectly compliant! I've been the key facilitator of your directives!"
"Only because of your past contributions am I personally speaking to you now instead of the police," Li Tang snapped sharply.
"I'm not satisfied!" Qin Maocai broke down completely, his despair now evident.
"Didn't I give you enough?" Li Tang glared. "Name another mining company that provides similar treatment!"
"But without equity, I'm never truly an owner of the company!" Qin finally voiced his long-suppressed resentment.
Li Tang paused, slightly shocked. Apart from a select few early employees, hardly anyone had shares—even senior staff received limited stock options.
"When the company hired me, they promised I'd receive equity incentives if I performed exceptionally and stayed long enough," Qin continued bitterly. "I've been here long enough, and my performance is exceptional. My position is irreplaceable!"
"No excuse can erase criminal acts," Li Tang replied coldly. "Return what you've stolen and resign voluntarily. It's your only chance."
"But I truly love this company!" Qin pleaded desperately.
He clearly saw Li Tang Shengshi Holdings' immense future potential. Working as a department head here was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Leaving would mean fading into mediocrity—he knew he'd never secure a comparable position elsewhere, given today's intense competition.
Li Tang didn't waver, avoiding further eye contact.
"Boss, please give me another chance!" Qin suddenly dropped to his knees, sobbing. "My child is still young, and my wife is a housewife! After taking your advice, I bought a big house with monthly repayments of over 10,000 yuan. Without this salary, my family won't survive! My parents are proud I'm part of such a prestigious national enterprise. I beg you!"
Tears and snot fell onto the polished floor.
Li Tang, without disgust, attempted to lift him but couldn't. Reluctantly, he let go.
"For your family's sake, accept my offer—return the stolen funds, and previous offenses will be overlooked. Persist in denial, and jail will only make your family's situation worse."
Resolute, Li Tang rose and walked away from the conversation, leaving Qin Maocai shattered.
The next day, Qin voluntarily returned part of the embezzled funds and resigned. Shang Hongjie and other accomplices either quit or were fired, and many connected employees were also implicated.
Undoubtedly, this marked the largest personnel upheaval since the establishment of Li Tang Shengshi Holdings.
Approaching the New Year, everyone had been cheerfully anticipating generous year-end bonuses, eager to return home to their families. This sudden upheaval filled the company with anxiety, as employees feared becoming collateral damage. After all, salaries were high, work manageable—who would willingly leave?
Alice rushed back from Austria upon hearing the news, quickly noticing several familiar faces missing in the Investment Department.
"I made him resign voluntarily," Li Tang said, relatively calmly. However, noticing Alice had rushed back in a hurry, he apologized sincerely, "Qin Maocai was your right-hand man. Firing him was my decision without discussing it with you beforehand. I owe you an apology."
Alice wasn't angry, only slightly surprised. Apparently, she'd already understood the situation before arriving, so she didn't dwell on the issue further. Instead, she asked, "Did the company suffer a big loss?"
"We caught it early, so the loss wasn't significant," Li Tang explained, sighing slightly. "I must thank Minister Zhou from the supervision department. Without his alertness, one bad apple could have spoiled the entire barrel. If we'd let Qin Maocai continue unchecked, I can't imagine what could've happened."
"That's a relief." Alice visibly relaxed.
"You're not upset?"
"Why would I be upset? People like him are terrible. If it were up to me, he'd be in prison right now," Alice said firmly, showing a ruthless side.
"The investment department is now without a leader, aside from you," Li Tang sighed again. "Before leaving, Qin Maocai warned me that the department would struggle without him. It turns out he was partially right. For example, our investment of 25 million USD in the copper exploration project in Congo now lacks someone to handle financial approvals."
"No individual is indispensable to the company," Alice stated confidently. However, upon seeing Li Tang's worried expression, she amended her statement. "Actually, there's one person we really can't do without."
"Who?" Li Tang asked curiously.
"You!" Alice replied sincerely.
Li Tang picked up his tea cup, sipping it leisurely, before remarking lightly, "I've even thought about retiring soon. Maybe it's time to start grooming a successor."
"If there's nothing else, I'll return to the investment department and quickly select a new deputy director," Alice responded, already shifting back into work mode. "I'll stay here for now to stabilize the department during this turbulence."
"Wait," Li Tang called after her.
"What's wrong?" Alice turned back, puzzled.
"You just flew back, rushed to my office, didn't even sit down, spoke two words, and were about to dive straight into work again." Li Tang was genuinely concerned. "Sit down for a moment."
"What... what's the matter?" Alice nervously took a seat, feeling both apprehensive and expectant. Was her boss about to say something personal? Should she close the office door?
"Look at these floor plans and choose one," Li Tang said, placing several pictures of villas in front of her.
"What are these?" Alice glanced down, noticing the various architectural styles and sizes of several luxurious villas.
"This year, the company decided to reward you with a villa here in Yanjing. You can pick whichever you prefer, as long as it's within 10 million yuan," Li Tang explained, observing her reaction carefully. He anticipated she'd jump up excitedly.
But she didn't.
Surprisingly, Alice's expression remained calm, even slightly disappointed.
"You don't have to pay for it—it's a company reward," Li Tang clarified, thinking she misunderstood. "Of course, there's one condition: you must continue working for the company for at least five more years to officially own the property. However, you'll have full rights to live there in the meantime."
"Whenever I return to Yanjing, I usually stay in the apartment rented by the company. It's small, but I've grown accustomed to it." Alice gently put down the villa photos, seeming disinterested. Perhaps due to fatigue from the soft sofa beneath her, she reclined lazily, staring absently at the ceiling.
"You must really be exhausted," Li Tang said softly. "There's a blanket in my cabinet I occasionally use for naps. If you don't mind, I'll bring it out so you can rest here."
"Alright," Alice agreed quietly.
Li Tang took out the blanket, spread it gently over her, and exited the office silently, turning off the lights and closing the door behind him.
A burst of excited cheering erupted from downstairs at that moment.
The sounds came from the large auditorium half a floor below, spacious enough to accommodate all company employees. Dai Yingchi was holding a company-wide meeting to announce this year's bonus policy.
When employees heard the company had purchased two residential buildings to reward staff with housing or dormitories, everyone erupted in joy, their cheers echoing loudly throughout the building.
Upstairs, Li Tang didn't attend the meeting, but the loud noises startled him. Thinking something serious had occurred, he quickly rushed downstairs to check.
Someone with sharp eyes spotted the boss appearing at the door and shouted excitedly, "Long live the boss!"
"I love you, boss! You're like my second parent!"
"We finally have our own homes—we're officially residents of Yanjing!"
The excitement showed no signs of calming. Despite Dai Yingchi's repeated attempts to quiet the crowd, the high spirits persisted for a long while.
Following everyone's gaze, Dai Yingchi spotted Li Tang standing at the door, offering only a helpless expression.
Li Tang smiled, waved at everyone, and promptly closed the door, quickly retreating from the chaos.
Returning to Dai Yingchi's office, Li Tang waited patiently. After some time, Dai returned, looking visibly exhausted.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Li?" Dai Yingchi tried to appear energetic.
"No, nothing particular. There's someone resting in my office, so I'm waiting here instead." Li Tang gestured casually. "Are the employees going crazy?"
"They're extremely excited after hearing the housing rewards," Dai Yingchi sighed. "Not everyone can get a house, of course; some will live in dormitories. However, even dorm conditions will be much better than their current rented accommodations."
He handed Li Tang the housing allocation plan for review. "According to employee needs, we're purchasing two apartment buildings, each slightly over 10,000 square meters. Initially priced at 5,800 yuan per square meter, we got a discount down to 5,500 yuan due to bulk buying. Overall, the investment totals around 120 million yuan."
"That averages around 30-40 square meters per employee," Li Tang quickly calculated.
"Only those who've worked more than three years and performed exceptionally are eligible for apartments," Dai continued. "Even then, the housing isn't completely free—they'll need to deduct a portion from their bonuses and sign long-term contracts."
"Sounds good." Li Tang approved readily, signing the documents.
Spending over 100 million yuan at once was undoubtedly bold, but necessary to secure employees' loyalty and well-being. A company's success depended significantly on employees genuinely benefiting from its growth.
"The buildings we selected are near the company, already topped-out, and will be ready to move in after renovations following the Spring Festival," Dai Yingchi carefully stored the documents. "Staff morale has never been higher; everyone's united as never before."
"You've done well," Li Tang praised sincerely. His expression then shifted. "But Qin Maocai's incident made me realize our current salary structure isn't thorough enough. After the New Year, draft a more detailed salary system with five, seven, or nine tiers. Clearly differentiate salaries and incentives based on roles and seniority. Perhaps top-level employees could receive stock options or dividends."
Dai Yingchi immediately felt pressure for the upcoming year, but nodded anyway. "I'll carefully plan this. After the Spring Festival, I'll present a comprehensive proposal promptly."
"The New Year is almost here—don't push yourself too hard. Finish up work soon and go home early!" Li Tang knew Dai Yingchi planned to marry next year, so he wanted him to have ample preparation time. "Regarding your year-end bonus, just a few of us senior staff have performed exceptionally this year. What reward would you prefer—a bigger house for your marriage, or several million yuan in cash to prepare for your wedding?"
Deeply moved, Dai Yingchi smiled warmly and shook his head. "I'm not greedy. My current salary and performance bonuses already allow Xiao Lu and me to live comfortably."
"But the whole point of hard work is making life better," Li Tang gently insisted. "Tell me your preference."
"When I first joined you and Runqi, I had very modest expectations—just a stable job. But what I've already received has far exceeded my initial hopes. Truly, I'm already satisfied."
"Stop talking nonsense. Just tell me—do you prefer the big house or money?"
"I... I genuinely don't want either," Dai Yingchi stubbornly declined.
"Fine, I understand." Li Tang didn't push further.
"What do you understand?" Dai suddenly grew anxious. "The house I have now is already spacious enough, and I've saved enough money for a wonderful wedding. Don't worry about me!"
"Alright, I understand you're easily satisfied. You're rare nowadays—someone who works tirelessly without complaints and is happy with minimal rewards." Li Tang smiled warmly, fondly recalling Dai Yingchi's grounded personality since their college days.
"I'll ask He Runqi later about his preference," Li Tang joked suddenly. "Knowing Runqi, he'll definitely want cash. When he first started earning money, even a few thousand yuan excited him enough to count it all night in bed. This time, I'll give him a few million and watch him count until his hands cramp!"
"I think he'd rather have a wife," Dai Yingchi laughed.
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