(Yesterday, Little Lai's kindergarten held a sports day, and Old Lai attended it. It delayed my writing a bit, but to make up for it, I stayed up late last night to write two chapters. I'll update another two to three chapters tonight!)

With the connections of the Paradise Group, such an ordinary company was quickly registered successfully. It was already settled before the holiday.

However, it was just a shell company, lacking an office address or employees. Li Yan wasn't in a rush, planning to deal with it after the New Year.

The holiday has started!

On the last day, in the morning, there was no need to work, and the year-end bonuses had already reached everyone's accounts; the tasks were mostly taken care of. However, there was a routine meeting for the company's executives and each department to read out various audit results, announce holiday arrangements, and commend outstanding departments and employees, etc.

Aside from these, there was also a year-end lunch in the noon.

The lunch venue wasn't in a hotel restaurant but in the company's own canteen, in the form of a buffet. Generally speaking, it was quite simple, and no one expected to eat much—rather, it was about creating an atmosphere, an atmosphere where everyone could gather joyfully.

Of course, even at a simple gathering, certain formalities were observed. For instance, the chairman of the board led the board and several executives to express thanks to all headquarters employees and representatives from subsidiaries; the president gave a speech summarizing the company's achievements this year and looking forward to next year's goals; a collective commendation of the advancements. These were not what everybody cared about; what was most pertinent was following custom, distributing New Year's fortune bonuses, or festive red packets on the spot.

As a listed company, every expenditure must enter the financial report, whereas these red packets are merely an expression of gratitude from the boss to the employees, or a New Year's fortune that doesn't fall under regular benefits, hence can't use corporate funds. Generally, it's spearheaded by Zhang Tianyi as the major boss, along with the major shareholders capable of entering the board contributing privately.

The income at Heaven Headquarters is quite substantial, and the welfare benefits are excellent; employees don't really lack these small red packets, yet the feeling of holding them in hand makes one feel joyful. Everyone often speculates about the amount of this year's red packet. It's not fixed; for auspiciousness, it's said there was once an 888 yuan amount, which kept the finance department busy overtime. More often, it was rounded numbers, like 600, 800, or 1000 yuan, and uniformly given out regardless of whether you're a director or a receptionist, even security guards receive the same.

Li Yan was participating in such an event for the first time. In the morning, he also gathered colleagues from Heavenly Film for a meeting, offering encouragement since the company's movie would premiere after the holiday. During the holiday, directors and producers might need to contact everyone for work, so they couldn't go missing.

The company just opened a few months ago, and Jiang Xueyin, the strict financial supervisor, wouldn't allow additional benefits distribution. However, last night, he had already invited everyone for a private dinner. Jiang Xueyin and others, all first-timers, were quite fond of joining the hustle and bustle.

Although Zhang Tianyi spends most of his time recovering at home, it doesn't mean he doesn't go out; he still attends board meetings, just not daily at the office. He naturally appeared at this year-end dinner, looking in great spirits.

Besides his physical improvement, what gratifies him even more is the successful succession of his daughter. Last year's year-end dinner he attended, he was there while sick. At that time, everything seemed peaceful on the surface, though many showed him concern and respect. However, Zhang Yurong's grip on the presidency wasn't solidified; if anything happened to him, the company would certainly face factional power struggles, and even if Zhang Yurong wasn't sidelined, her authority would be greatly weakened.

In such circumstances, for the sake of his daughter and the company, he had to endure and persist. Precisely because he worried he wouldn't withstand, he insisted that Yang Yun, Zhang Yurong—mother and daughter—and Li Tang and his wife agreed to let Li Yan marry Zhang Yurong. From his perspective, even if Li Yan wasn't particularly capable, having been educated by Li Tang to high school, he certainly wouldn't be a wicked person. Coupled with Li Tang's connections, he could at least be a good guardian for Yurong, allowing her to focus on her career outside, with family support at home. No one would covet or fixate on her beauty and wealth. Even if it couldn't bring her happiness, it wouldn't mislead her into unhappiness.

It was just around New Year when Li Yan received a call from home; his parents ordered him to a blind date under the threat of severing ties, only to find out it led directly to marriage...

A year has passed, and now, everything has turned around!

Not only has the daughter achieved stable management rights, but she also enforced many administrations with an iron hand, swiftly resolving problems he hadn't seen due to limited knowledge and vision or hadn't dealt with due to social courtesy. She coldly dealt with instances, unafraid of being the 'villain': for those who relied on seniority without progress, she showed no mercy, advancing young and capable individuals exceptionally. Even positions like the director of the planning department and public relations department were affected!

The new policy has created a catfish effect, prompting everyone to be more self-aware. Even the more mediocre old employees know that they should use diligence to make up for their deficiencies, as seniority no longer represents everything. The company's performance is clearly rising, and there have been significant breakthroughs in overseas expansion... All of this makes Zhang Tianyi very gratified.

What gratifies him even more is that after six months of interaction, his daughter and son-in-law, who initially only pretended to be loving when they came back for meals, developed genuine feelings for each other. They successfully married first and fell in love later, and their relationship is now very good. Of course, he deliberately arranged for the two of them to move into a new home. If not for their happiness, never mind that Yang Yun was reluctant; back then, when he felt he couldn't hold on much longer, he was even more reluctant, fearing he wouldn't be able to see them one last time.

Putting aside heavy burdens to recuperate, along with his daughter's continued success, makes him feel more at ease, and his health has greatly improved. After a year, he is now in a basically healthy state.

Paradise Group was founded single-handedly by Zhang Tianyi, and the headquarters is not short of loyal ministers. His presence is akin to Liu Chuanzhi's to the Association, or Zhang Rumin's to Haier - a spiritual leader. Regardless of the position, as long as he hasn't fallen or left, he instills confidence in people. Seeing the chairman in good spirits, everyone feels invigorated.

Following Zhang Yurong's speech, Li Yan was also surprised. According to his understanding, when leaders make public speeches, people usually pretend to listen while actually feeling impatient. But Zhang Yurong's personal charm is so great that everyone felt her speech was too short, leaving them longing for more! Especially for the male employees, it is not only a rare chance to see the company's top beauty but also an opportunity to openly admire the ice-cold goddess!

Even when they encounter Zhang Yurong, they only dare to sneak peeks from the side or behind. Whenever she appears, they are quite nervous. Unlike the fear they feel toward Hai Fu, this is a tension mixed with inferiority. Given her excellence in all aspects, apart from those as outstanding as the former business director Ye Jiahong, most men would feel unworthy, and even Ye Jiahong would be more nervous in her presence than usual. Now it's different; facing her directly, and with the crowd, they can openly appreciate her, hence everyone hopes Zhang Yurong's speech could be a bit longer.

The ceremony following her speech, honoring excellence and handing out red envelopes, sparked a lively atmosphere. When it was time for the buffet, everyone relaxed, sitting with colleagues they are close to, discussing holiday plans, travel, going back home, recharging, dating...

The company leaders didn't care about eating at this point but engaged warmly with colleagues at different tables, showcasing a personable approach. Li Yan, considered a junior leader, stayed with the Heavenly Film crowd, casually picking some food without having to go to other tables.

After a while, Zhang Tianyi and a few other board directors could be seen mingling and shaking hands with employees as they approached their table.

Li Yan felt slightly uncomfortable, as it was his first face-to-face interaction with Zhang Tianyi at the company. Glancing at Jiang Xueyin, he noticed she appeared a bit nervous too, just like him.

"These are the colleagues from Heavenly Film, and this is Manager Li Yan."

Seeing the board directors approach, everyone stood up. Li Yan heard someone introduce him to Zhang Tianyi and noted that the person seemed to have a hint of a smile, which puzzled him. Looking closely, he suddenly remembered. Isn't this Sun Qilin, the vice chairman of the board? He wasn't often around at the company, and Li Yan almost forgot about him. Thinking back, Zhang Tianyi had arranged for Sun Qilin to bring him into the company, in the business department, he clearly knew that Li Yan and Zhang Tianyi were acquainted!

"Chairman Zhang, Chairman Sun..." Li Yan greeted them one by one.

With a smile, Zhang Tianyi looked at everyone, shook hands with Li Yan, and openly encouraged, "You are pioneering into a new realm we haven't ventured into before, work hard, the company will strongly support you. In the future, you will all become influential figures behind the scenes in the film industry!"

Li Yan dismissed it lightly, knowing it was just the usual leadership talk. But for the employees at Heavenly Film, it was a huge encouragement. To have the big boss's attention and support, the company surely has a bright future. These new employees were very excited.

As they proceeded forward, just as Heavenly Film's crowd, excited, sat down again, Li Yan heard a commotion behind him, more intense than when Zhang Tianyi came to greet them. Turning back, he realized Zhang Yurong had arrived! Alongside her was Hai Fu.

Since unveiling a new image during the New Year's holiday, Hai Fu has consistently showcased this new appearance at the company. Yet, so far, people have only come to recognize her new image, still struggling to fully adapt. She didn't exhibit any special expression now, yet still exuded an imposing pressure, a queenly aura that hit one in the face. Combined with the ice-cold goddess Zhang Yurong, their approach stirred excitement along with tension, and even left people bewildered.

Laughing inwardly, Li Yan also formulated a plan in his mind, preparing to make a somewhat affectionate gesture in this public setting toward these two figures known for their stern demeanor!

(Grateful for recent donations: dongmin8061, CP Pampas, T-MACForever, Passionate*Wanderer, Obba, JK Liang, Yagami Light II) (To be continued. For further developments, please visit www.qidian.com for more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)