Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 338: Where the Winter and Summer Temporary Labor Company Makes Money

Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan still argued whenever they met, but with Zhou Yuwen there to keep them in check, the two managed to maintain an invisible balance.Zheng Yanyan usually spoke to Zhou Yuwen in a slightly spoiled tone, though she wasn't overly cloying.

However, whenever Su Qing was around, she deliberately made her voice sweeter and more cloying.

She purposely clung to Zhou Yuwen with total dependence, murmuring excessively sweet nothings.

She would even brazenly drape her beautiful legs, wrapped in black tight pants, right over Zhou Yuwen's lap right in front of Su Qing.

Naturally, seeing this made Su Qing unhappy. She immediately demanded, "What gives you the right to put your legs on Zhou Yuwen? You are no longer his girlfriend, hurry up and move them."

Zheng Yanyan, adopting a look meant to infuriate her, retorted, "I want to. Zhou Yuwen doesn't even care, so what right do you have to tell me what to do?"

"Move them right now."

The two girls bickered like children. As she spoke, Su Qing reached over, trying to shove Zheng Yanyan's legs off Zhou Yuwen's lap.

Pouting her lips, Zheng Yanyan shot back, "No, I won't!"

Su Qing kept repeating, "You aren't Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend anymore."

Zheng Yanyan fired back, "Even so, I'm his ex-girlfriend. That's far better than being his ex-ex-girlfriend like you!"

The two traded barbs back and forth just like that.

Although their voices were not particularly loud and hadn't yet disturbed others, this was still the library after all.

With the two of them fighting over Zhou Yuwen from his left and right, it was hard to say whether strangers were bothered yet.

However, Shen Yu, who was sitting at the exact same table, was undeniably affected.

Shen Yu felt incredibly awkward. 'Come on, sisters, I am here for studying, alright?' she thought.

'Why do I feel like such an extra here?'

Faced with this situation, Zhou Yuwen naturally handed out "Fifty Lashes Each".

He flicked a coin hard against both of their foreheads.

The flicks left red marks on their foreheads. They clutched their little heads, looking incredibly pitiful, yet seeing the other person get flicked, neither was willing to admit her own mistake. Instead, they immediately began mocking each other.

Unable to hold back, Zhou Yuwen let out a cough and said, "Ahem, shouldn't you two know when enough is enough?"

This was the library, a place for studying. Even if they did not want to study, other people needed to.

"Hmph!"

Neither was willing to concede to the other.

Zhou Yuwen had originally planned to spend a week memorizing books in the library, but these two girls spent every single day vying for his favor.

Furthermore, company affairs were genuinely keeping him busy. It was impossible for Zhou Yuwen to return to his previous leisurely lifestyle. Over in finance, Jiang Xinyi called him several times a day, and the cultural media company also had a massive pile of issues to handle.

Zhou Yuwen answered phone call after phone call. Turning his head and seeing Su Qing looking completely unoccupied, he asked curiously, "Don't you have any planning activities on your end?"

"Of course I do, but I handed them all over to my subordinates," Su Qing declared with a proud expression.

Zhou Yuwen was mildly surprised. "Not bad. You really know how to delegate?"

"Hehe," Su Qing lifted her smiling face, clearly fishing for praise.

Beside them, Shen Yu spoke up with genuine admiration. "Right now, half the officers in the Student Union are working for Su Qing. It even has my heart stirred."

Claiming it was half might be a slight exaggeration, but it was certainly true for a quarter of the students.

In his past life, Zhou Yuwen had not mingled much in student circles, so his connections were limited. Su Qing, however, had been deeply involved in the Student Union in her previous life and knew a whole network of girls. Among them were those with management talents, painting skills, and natural-born hosts and masters of ceremonies.

Without Zhou Yuwen providing a platform.

They probably would have only picked up random part-time jobs off campus.

But with Zhou Yuwen's platform, they could all display their unique talents to the fullest. Su Qing put every single one of them to optimal use, simultaneously cementing her own status within the Student Union.

The first semester was not even over yet.

Yet Su Qing was already the hot favorite to become the next Student Union president.

A heavy sense of disappointment lingered in Shen Yu's words.

Speaking of this, Zhou Yuwen actually felt a bit apologetic toward Shen Yu.

After all, in his previous life, Shen Yu was the one who became the president.

However, Zhou Yuwen wasn't foolish enough to help an outsider bully his own ex-wife. He simply offered Shen Yu a few words of encouragement and asked if she had any interest in coming to work for his company.

For whatever reason, Shen Yu declined his offer, stating that she only wanted to focus on studying right now.

Nearing the end of the semester, the library was packed to the brim with people. To be completely honest, there was a massive gap in quality between university libraries. Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi had previously visited the library at Nanjing University. The atmosphere there was dead silent; a dense crowd of students sat shoulder to shoulder, doing absolutely nothing but burying their heads in studying.

Zhou Yuwen's university, on the other hand, fell somewhat short.

Although it was similarly packed with a dense crowd, the room buzzed with a chaotic layer of ambient noise.

In truth, Zhou Yuwen ran into quite a few acquaintances while in the library.

Not to mention the people he had met while setting up campus cards at the start of the semester.

He even bumped into plenty of his own classmates.

Class monitor Gu Yaoyao and her roommates did not come over to say hello, but upon seeing Zhou Yuwen surrounded by a group of females, the Gossip Sisters, Ma Tian and Li Jing, could not resist discussing him.

They whispered, "Isn't that female Zhou Yuwen's ex-girlfriend? Why is she still friends with him?"

Sitting alongside Ma Tian and Li Jing, Li Qiang chuckled upon hearing this. "Isn't that a stupid question? Who told you people can't be friends after a breakup? Right, Brother Hao?"

Well, a place like the library was somewhere most students would inevitably spend a day sitting at as finals approached.

Of course, once Chang Hao realized Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan were there, he decided he definitely wouldn't be coming back tomorrow.

A while ago, he had been beaten up by thugs hired by Xu Wenbo. Even though the matter had eventually escalated to the police station, it ended up fizzling out with no consequences. That beating had actually been quite severe. It was hard to describe the specific details, but ever since that incident, Chang Hao had become increasingly withdrawn and silent.

In truth, the current Chang Hao was deeply regretting his choices.

During a phone call with his parents, he had admitted that he no longer wanted to stay in Jinling. He wanted to transfer back home to study.

As a result, his father gave him a harsh scolding. "When we tried to talk some sense into you back then, you refused to listen!"

"Now you're halfway through the year! How do you expect me to pull strings for you now?"

"Even if you want to come back, you'll have to wait until next semester at the very least!"

Hearing this, Chang Hao felt incredibly helpless.

Right now, the girl of his dreams was still happily laughing and chatting with Zhou Yuwen.

Even if the two weren't an official couple.

It did not affect their intimate behavior in the slightest.

Sometimes, Li Qiang would whisper in front of Chang Hao, "Brother Hao, look, they're cuddling again."

Chang Hao would simply reply, "What does that have to do with me?"

Honestly, the visual appeal of Zhou Yuwen's table was exceptionally high, so most people restricted themselves to gossiping from a distance.

Very few actually went over to disturb them.

A couple of days before the final exams.

Liu Shuo actually dropped by once, bringing along several burly, thick-set guys.

These guys were all students, but every single one of them was genuinely built like a tank. Dressed uniformly in black down jackets, they looked entirely unapproachable. Leading these four or five hefty young men, Liu Shuo swaggered right up to Zhou Yuwen.

He called out, "Brother."

Seeing that many people in the library were looking his way and whispering, Zhou Yuwen said, "Let's talk outside."

So, Zhou Yuwen led the group outside.

Witnessing this scene, Ma Tian and Li Jing could not help but gossip again, sighing over how cool he looked.

"I heard rumors that Zhou Yuwen is a gang boss off-campus. Looks like it's actually true," Ma Tian and Li Jing murmured in hushed voices.

Li Qiang chimed in, "Boss? Heh, you guys are seriously underestimating my Brother Zhou."

And with that, Li Qiang started blowing hot air again.

Liu Shuo actually had no other reason for seeking out Zhou Yuwen this time.

It was simply that, as the semester drew to a close, a labor agency had proactively contacted them, looking to recruit winter break jobs.

For a forty-day period, they were offering a commission of one thousand five hundred yuan per head.

Meanwhile, students at Liu Shuo's vocational college had been complaining that the winter break jobs offered by those agencies were a complete trap. They only paid 12 yuan an hour, and on top of that, anyone applying to work had to provide a photocopy of their identity card. A single photocopy, along with a photo, incurred a processing fee of five or ten yuan.

Beyond that, some agencies would seize the opportunity to peddle bedding, toothbrushes and cups, and a whole slew of daily necessities for about two hundred yuan.

Essentially, before the students had even earned a single cent, the agencies had already profited off them.

Liu Shuo's school was undeniably subpar, but there were still plenty of honest, hardworking kids there.

What did they do wrong? They merely wanted to use their holidays to make a little extra money to subsidize their family's living expenses.

Liu Shuo also felt that these practices were incredibly exploitative, but he didn't understand the inner workings of the business, so his only option was to come find Zhou Yuwen.

Hearing Liu Shuo's explanation, Zhou Yuwen found himself somewhat lost for words.

In the labor dispatch industry, temporary workers for the winter and summer breaks were truly the most lucrative demographic.

Normally, factories and agencies had two modes of cooperation. One was paying the agency directly at a rate of 22 yuan an hour, leaving it entirely up to the agency to decide how much profit to skim off the top.

The other mode was that for every temporary winter or summer worker who completed two full weeks, the factory would pay the agency a kickback of one thousand yuan.

This meant that a university student toiling away in a factory might only earn three thousand yuan a month, while the agency effortlessly pocketed two thousand yuan without lifting a finger.

And that was only looking at things from a purely monetary perspective.

There were also some totally unscrupulous agencies that would specifically single out the prettier girls.

They would sugarcoat their intentions, claiming, "It's not easy for a young girl to come out and make money, so I'll arrange an easy job for you."

Anyone running a labor business couldn't avoid dealing with winter and summer temporary workers, and this sector was genuinely highly profitable.

The problem, however, was that the waters here ran far too deep. Right now, Zhou Yuwen basically controlled the labor dispatch for three university towns. Counting conservatively, there were at least a thousand students with a demand for winter and summer jobs.

That meant he could make two million yuan in a single winter holiday alone!

Zhou Yuwen was fine; he was not lacking money, so he definitely couldn't bring himself to earn that kind of dirty money.

But Liu Shuo was different. His heart stirred.

Labor agencies had already tracked Liu Shuo down, treating him to drinks and coaxing him, "Good brother, as long as you recruit people for me, I'll give you one thousand five hundred per head. How about it?"

That was one and a half million yuan.

If it had been the Liu Shuo of the past, he definitely wouldn't have been tempted. He might have even cursed them out, shouting, "Screw you! What kind of person do you think I am?!"

But things were different now. Now that Liu Shuo was dating, he also wanted to show off by buying a car and buying a house.

And besides, that was one and a half million yuan!

Earning that much money in just a single semester—who wouldn't be tempted?

Upon hearing about this, Lu Hui couldn't help but proactively press her chest against Liu Shuo, whispering, "One and a half million! We could buy our own house with that!"

Liu Shuo replied, "No, this is too much money. I have to discuss it with my brother."

Hearing this left Lu Hui speechless. She complained, "What is there to discuss?!"

"They approached you! They approached the Xuhuai Association!"

"Didn't you say you were the boss of the Xuhuai Association?"

"Wouldn't you make even more if you just handled it yourself?"

Liu Shuo firmly replied, "I definitely can't do that!"

"Damn it, this is my brothers' hard-earned blood and sweat money. What kind of scumbag would I be if I took a cut? I have to talk it over properly with my brother. My brother will definitely figure out a solution!"

At this point, Lu Hui was completely exasperated.

Your brother this.

Your brother that.

Why don't you just go marry your brother!

Despite her words.

Liu Shuo still sought out Zhou Yuwen in the end.

After listening to his full explanation, Zhou Yuwen felt rather helpless.

Alas, the starting point for anything was usually good, but once it grew to a certain scale, it inevitably veered toward the darkness.

After all, the faction that Zhou Yuwen and Liu Shuo had organized.

Was no longer some petty operation. Making money was genuinely simple now.

It was just a matter of how they chose to earn it.

At this point, Liu Shuo was actually very tempted. He came to Zhou Yuwen with a simple question: "Brother, are we doing this?"

Zhou Yuwen asked, "How do you want to do it?"

"At worst, we just make a little less profit," Liu Shuo suggested.

"If you want to do it, then go ahead," Zhou Yuwen said. "After all, if we don't do it, someone else will."

"Let's just offer better compensation to the students."

Zhou Yuwen pondered for a moment before saying, "How about this: bypass the agencies and negotiate directly with the factories. Have Lu Hui compile a list to see how many people want to work a winter break job. Then, go to the factories, tell them how many people you have, and ask them to pay a solid wage of eighteen yuan an hour directly into the students' hands."

"Then, process it through our Winter and Summer Temporary Labor Company's accounts and charge a headhunting fee of five yuan per hour. Additionally, I will wire a sum of money to the company's card shortly. You and Lu Hui will use that money to purchase daily necessities like bedding. If possible, buy some thermal underwear and similar items too. Distribute them to the part-time students in advance, and clarify to them that the company will collect a certain commission from the factories to cover operational costs and the purchase of these living supplies."

Although doing things this way was slightly akin to burying one's head in the sand, it at least shifted the conflict away from the company and the students. It demonstrated that the company was charging the factories directly, while the students could still take home an hourly wage of eighteen yuan—far higher than what other labor companies offered. Moreover, by proactively purchasing heating supplies and providing compassionate service, they could truly be considered an ethical, conscientious company.

If they took a commission of five yuan per hour, and calculated based on a ten-hour workday, each person could bring in fifty yuan a day in revenue for the company. That amounted to one thousand five hundred yuan a month.

For one thousand people, that was one and a half million yuan.

"Holy crap, Brother. Wait, I just did the math. If we calculate it this way, isn't that roughly the same amount of money the labor agency offered me?" Liu Shuo counted on his fingers for a good while before he couldn't help but blurt out.

Zhou Yuwen nodded. "It seems so."

Liu Shuo couldn't resist asking another question: "But doing it this way, will the factories actually agree to it?"

Smiling, Zhou Yuwen replied, "Won't you find out once you go and see for yourself?"

Originally, Liu Shuo felt that the agency offering him a headhunting fee of one thousand five hundred per person was already highly lucrative. He had never expected that after Zhou Yuwen's explanation, one and a half million yuan would seem like small change.

This...

Wasn't this way too profitable?

And furthermore, were there truly factories willing to hire winter and summer temporary workers at a rate of 23 yuan per hour?

At this moment, Liu Shuo couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.