Chapter 148 Challenge for a Salary Increase
Fourteen-year-old Niu Dan climbed out of his door-plank bed before dawn without any difficulty getting up.

Niu Dan lovingly put on his newly issued blue work clothes and brand new shoes and socks, then carefully picked up the provided tooth powder box from the windowsill, picked up a little with his fingers, carefully cleaned his teeth, and then rinsed his mouth.

This is the rule of their industry. They must keep their clothes and themselves clean. Not only are they required to brush their teeth and wash their faces every day, but there must be no obvious odor on their bodies. Their hair is cut once a month, and they all have short hair like monks. Although it is a little strange to get used to, it is indeed a lot cooler and cleaner, and at least there are no lice.

While Niu Dan was taking care of himself, his mother had already prepared dinner. Because he could earn money and had to work, in addition to a bowl of sweet potato porridge, there were also two cornmeal cakes and a pickled vegetable, which made his sister drool with greed.

The little boy was old enough to eat, so this little bit of food was just enough to fill his stomach. However, there was only so much food rations at home. If he ate one more bite, his mother and sister would eat one less bite. So Niu Dan was very sensible and wiped his mouth and went out. He decided to work hard today and try to earn as much money as possible.

There were two other teenagers in the alley wearing work clothes like Niu Dan. The three of them came to the teahouse on the street together. This was their base for Lulutong Logistics and they had to report here every day.

A group of young boys skillfully helped to remove the door panels and clean the teahouse. When they were almost done, the shopkeeper came out.

"It's okay, you've improved a lot compared to the beginning, but it's still not fast enough. You have to know that in this business, you have to be quick and agile. If you are clumsy, forget about making money, and it's good enough if you don't lose money." Reaching out to touch the table, the shopkeeper first nodded, then warned.

Then I held a ruler and asked them to stand in a row, correcting their posture so that they would look more energetic. They would not stand or sit in an awkward manner, which would disgust people. After all, we were in the business of door-to-door service and the first impression was very important.

Then they were taught how to talk and respond when they met different employers, and their personal hygiene was checked, including whether their clothes were clean, their teeth were cleaned, etc. If they failed to meet the requirements, they would be punished mercilessly and asked to clean up in the backyard quickly. If they failed again, they would not be able to get any work today.

"You guys are so lucky, you should cherish the life you have now." The shopkeeper warned them, and Niu Dan and the others nodded quickly.

Their lives are much better now because they are protected by Guandi. Even the gang of thugs occupying this street will smile at them when they see them. Not only no one bullies them anymore, but even their families don't have to worry. This makes Niu Dan and his friends cherish their current jobs even more.

After giving them a lecture, the shopkeeper took out the key, opened the wooden box nailed to the pillar outside, and took out the accumulated notes inside. Niu Dan and the others' eyes lit up immediately because they all wanted to get a good job.

The shopkeeper ignored the guys and skillfully divided the papers in his hand into two piles. One pile was for errands that did not require any professional skills, while the other required a certain level of craftsmanship.

The Lulutong Logistics company started by Yan Xu is not limited to running errands. In fact, this group of young boys do everything from buying groceries and delivering meals, purchasing goods on behalf of others, to washing clothes, cooking, and repairing houses. If they can do it, they do it themselves. If they can't do it, they find others to do it. They earn some errand fees in the process. Anyway, at the end of the day, it's no problem to earn a few copper coins, which can be exchanged for coarse grains, enough for the family to eat for a day.

But we also have to take a commission, 10% of which goes to people like the teahouse owner.

Their teahouse shop is Lulutong's base. They are responsible for managing this group of guys on weekdays, distributing tasks as fairly as possible and providing them with a meal during their time, so they earn hard-earned money.

But this job is very popular, because once you are chosen, the store can enshrine the statue of Guandi given by the Guandi Society, and no one on this street can accept money from the store anymore. If anyone dares to cause trouble, the people from the Guandi Society will help him to seek justice.

In fact, not to mention the gangsters, even the arrogant policemen would come in and burn incense to Guandi when they saw it, to pray that they would not run into the ruthless people of Guandi Society.

They have helped the Guandi Society to clean up aftermath many times. Many times, even though they reported that nothing had happened, they still knew how many people had died at the scene, so they naturally did not dare to offend them.

This alone can save a lot of money and make life more peaceful, not to mention those who need someone to run errands. After finishing their work, they will inevitably order a bowl of tea in the store to relieve their fatigue. The store also has cigarettes and matches sent by the Guandi Society, so business is even better.

But not everyone can do this job. It is said that there will be people secretly patrolling Guandi. Once a problem is found, the Guandi statue will be directly taken back. At that time, the more arrogant he was before, the more miserably he will cry afterwards.

Apart from this 10%, the other 20% was handed over to Caihuashe, who supported a group of thugs under him. These thugs would not be strong enough to fight, but they knew the area well and were familiar with all kinds of dirty tricks, so they were the most suitable to protect the errand boys.

After all, not all ordinary people are kind. You can never be sure that someone will be jealous and do something to sabotage you, such as smashing a wooden box or deliberately hiring someone without paying them. At this time, you need a thug like Caihuashe to take action.

Such a person's crime is not punishable by death, but he is disgusting. If he happens every other day, the reputation of Lulutong Logistics will be ruined. If someone else follows his example, this business that can support hundreds of young people will be gone.

Thugs are suitable for dealing with people like this, as they have plenty of means.

Beat them first and then scold them. If that doesn’t work, block the door and throw feces at them.

There are really some tough rascals who will not let you have a good life no matter how you beat or scold them.

That's easier to deal with. The death of a scoundrel is not a big deal.

In this way, with the support of both the black and white worlds, both the factory and the road developed very smoothly.

As Yan Xu's industry continued to expand, the pressure he faced became less and less, and some people's vigilance towards him was gradually decreasing.

Before, he was alone, good at fighting and killing, and everyone was afraid of him. But after he became rich and powerful, they felt relieved.

In fact, this is inertial thinking, because they believe that no one will give up wealth and be willing to give up power.

In short, these people believe that Yan Xu will become as greedy as they are, and will maintain the existing ruling class for the sake of wealth and status, so they will not be afraid that he will break the rules.

In addition, Yan Xu did not encroach on their interests much, but instead created the market and made the pie bigger.

Isn't it natural to sell well when there is no conflict of interest between the two parties?

After sensing these changes, Yan Xu officially promoted the name of the Guandi Society and built a Guandi Temple to attract more people to join.

However, the core personnel are still only Master and Seven Wolves, and the others including Rabbid Snake can only be regarded as peripheral personnel.

There is no way. The foundation is too shallow. Yan Xu can only ask for loyalty and righteousness. As for other things, he has to relax them, otherwise he will not be able to recruit people.

Just like the Seven Wolves, although they have a bottom line, they used to do business without any capital. It is unrealistic to say that they have not taken many innocent lives. These days, there is no way to survive for good people.

With the joining of a group of desperate criminals, the name of Guandi Society became famous throughout the Magic City for a while. Naturally, it was able to protect its current industries and territories, making Yan Xu qualified to challenge the unspoken rules, such as getting a salary increase.

(End of this chapter)