Chapter 345: Embracing 996

Words : 1699 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

"Today we’ve come to the New International Building in Modu, and for those friends who might not know, there’s a very famous enterprise here, as well as that person!" "Exactly, it’s Mr. Lu Liang from Tianxing Investment that you’ve all been asking us to invite ever since this series began..." Wang Chuting’s face shone with a smile, radiant despite wearing an ordinary set of women’s work clothes—wherever she went, she could not be ignored. With every frown and smile, she exuded grace and elegance. Taking small steps with a delicate waist, she followed the usual practice and began with a brief introduction of the company that lasted less than a minute. As Wang Chuting spoke while walking, she took the elevator to Tianxing Investment on the 32nd floor. The receptionist had been notified in advance and directed them to wait in the reception room. Before long, Lu Liang entered, yawning, and said with a smile, "Miss Wang, hello." "Mr. Lu, hello." Wang Chuting, with a knowing smile, asked in feigned ignorance, "You don’t seem to be in high spirits. Have you been lacking sleep lately?" "Just returned to the country, haven’t gotten over the jet lag yet, and had to work overtime last night due to some matters," Lu Liang replied without losing his smile. Wang Chuting cast him a glance, not daring to play around with business matters, and quickly changed the subject, "May I take a tour of your company?" "Of course, but there might not be much to see. Assistant Chen has probably filmed it over and over." Lu Liang called over Chen Jinchun and asked her to join them. One was dubbed the National Darling, and the other was a National Goddess. The encounter between the two should be quite a talking point. "Miss Wang, this way, please." Xiao Chen looked aggrieved but dared not show it. She was the company’s mascot, the publicity ambassador, as well as the manager of an account with 15 million followers. To her frustration, someone outside the company had scored the first big scoop in the social media field. She felt like a salted fish that had lost its dreams. "Mr. Lu, today is Saturday. Does your company work overtime as well?" Wang Chuting brought up the hot concept of the 996 policy, eager to hear what Lu Liang thought. "Double days off are indeed wonderful. One day for rest and one for play, and you can even take short trips. It’s something that should be decisively enforced." Lu Liang knew that any statement that could work against him would be cut by A Cut of Plum Blossoms, but he was still accustomed to putting on his armor first to ensure minimal need for editing. He continued, "In the midst of rapid development, if you rest while others don’t, falling one step behind means you’ll always be steps behind." "So, in my view, 996 is acceptable, as long as the time spent is meaningful and comes with ample rewards." "The key is the ample rewards." In fact, companies like fund investment firms normally wouldn’t work overtime on Saturdays. It was just that a big move was coming up, and that was why overtime was necessary. Lu Liang also believed that most people were eager to work overtime. Since the average age at the company was just 29, it was the age when people were most eager for money. The salaries started at thirty thousand, and once overtime, overtime pay, and bonuses were included, figures easily reached over fifty thousand. With a bit of effort and a couple of years of hard work, one could gather a down payment for a house in Modu. This temptation was irresistible to them. Wang Chuting frowned slightly and asked softly, "So, Mr. Lu, in your view, working overtime is permissible?" She knew that in the financial sector and especially for a highly efficient company like Tianxing Investment, overtime was rare. Today was just an exception, not the norm. At a time when everyone vehemently despised the 996 policy, she wanted to earn Mr. Lu some good reputation, but didn’t expect him to openly acknowledge it. Even though she too believed that as long as the pay was right, not only 996 but even 007 would be acceptable. But saying was one thing, and doing was another. "Yes," Lu Liang nodded. He didn’t want to deceive on this matter because what goes around comes around. Financial companies might not need to work overtime, but the car production base that was about to rise in Su City would definitely require overtime, likely even with shifts day and night. Instead of resisting 996, it was better to embrace it. This was the trend of the times, and it couldn’t be changed by an individual. All Lu Liang could do was promote the right value of reaping as one sows, differentiating himself from other ’slave owners.’ The interview lasted well over two hours, But the final edited version would likely be less than 25 minutes. Lu Liang invited Wang Chuting and her team to the cafeteria on the 17th floor of the building. Since last July, this restaurant had been reserved for their exclusive use for a period of time. Since then, it had basically become their staff canteen, collaborating for the long term. Lu Liang would also occasionally come here for lunch. "Mr. Lu, should we cut the part about 996?" Because there were outsiders present, Wang Chuting still maintained politeness, respect, and a sense of distance with Lu Liang. Xiao Chen’s eyes were round and wide, constantly watching them, feeling a bit strange, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. "No need to cut it, just release it as is." Lu Liang shook his head; since he dared to say it, he wasn’t afraid of criticism. "Alright then." Wang Chuting nodded, then asked about other details such as the New York dinner, business meetings, and investments in Detroit. She informed him that, barring any unforeseen issues, the final version of the video would be completed by Tuesday and released during Wednesday evening’s time slot. When she mentioned the video release time, she gave Lu Liang a special look, seeking his opinion. As of now, Wang Chuting’s social media account had released a total of eight videos, yet she already had 4.75 million followers. Excluding the gentlemen attracted by her looks and figure, there had been two significant spikes in her follower count. The first was when Ningde Era went public and Lu Liang made headlines with his trillion-yuan valuation. At the time, she seized the opportunity amidst the buzz of public opinion, interviewing Zeng Minqun, and one video broke through 500,000 followers, now boasting over three million views. The second spike came when Wanda Group sold its core assets, a bold move to tide over bankruptcy, and she seized the opportunity again, interviewing Old Wang, which catapulted her followers past the three-million mark. Subsequent interviews, either through her personal connections or by leveraging Lu Liang’s influence, included people like Miss Wang and Chen Rui, but the results were less than satisfactory, and the growth in followers was slow. Lu Liang was her trump card; his mere presence could captivate netizens’ attention and even make a splash on TK. However, she wanted to wait for a more suitable moment. For instance, after Lu Liang’s next big move, releasing the video then would undoubtedly have an even greater impact. Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wednesday is good." Lu Liang smiled and did not elaborate. Wang Chuting understood perfectly, After the meal, she took her team and said their goodbyes to leave. Lu Liang and Chen Jinchun escorted them to the door. Xiao Chen, watching Wang Chuting’s departing figure, suddenly expressed her envy: "Miss Wang is really pretty and has such a nice figure." At a height of 177cm, she guessed that those long legs must be about 1.2 meters, which made her, standing only at 161cm tall, almost drool with envy. Lu Liang caught a glance out of the corner of his eye and sighed involuntarily. Xiao Chen’s face darkened, but she forced a respectful smile: "Mr. Lu, may I ask what that sigh meant?" Lu Liang turned and walked away, leaving a remark: "Pretty much the same as a doctor saying there’s no cure." Short arms and legs, flat chest, round face, and a mouth that could open wide—there was probably no saving her even in Korea. "..." Xiao Chen felt a lump of old blood stuck in her chest, grinding her molars while staring at Lu Liang’s back. If he weren’t her boss, she would definitely sprint over and give Lu Liang a slide tackle to make him fall flat on his face. On Saturday afternoon, Lu Liang made a trip home. During the days he was abroad, Li Manli had completed moving from Tangchen to the neighboring Sinograin No.1. Although it only had 4 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, and 4 bathrooms with an area of only 330 square meters, costing less than a billion, the environment was better, quieter, and there were no strange internet celebrities coming and going. "Am I not strange enough?" Li Manli gave a crafty smile, pointing at the tip of her nose. White silk shoes, a black and white striped jumpsuit, and her twin ponytails had turned into sleek, lustrous long black hair. Her whole attire was indescribably odd, Probably cosplaying a character, But he couldn’t figure out who. "It’s okay, I don’t mind you." Lu Liang chuckled, patting her head and glanced at his phone: "Let’s go out and see a movie later." "War Wolf 2" premiered yesterday. There had been a preview ceremony in Beijing a few days earlier, but he hadn’t attended since he was away. He happened to be free tonight and should go check it out, inadvertently generating some buzz for the movie; it was important not to neglect one thing for another. Tianxing Investment held a 52% stake in "War Wolf 2," Significantly more than in "First Rich" and "Iron Fist."

Chapter 345: Embracing 996

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