Yang Xin was momentarily stunned by the remark before it dawned on him.
The young mistress’s words made perfect sense.
Their Wanlong Association wasn’t just any company—you couldn’t come and go as you pleased.
Wasn’t he himself a living example of that?
With this thought, Yang Xin suddenly felt a surge of confidence. Straightening his suit collar, he fixed his gaze intently on the supermarket’s store manager, Yao Qianshan, who was inspecting the fresh produce section.
The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, with a neat, short haircut and a professional demeanor that exuded energy.
From what Yang Xin had observed over the past few days, he couldn’t help but admire the supermarket’s management. Its unique operational model and the morale of its employees were unparalleled nationwide.
Becoming a store manager in such an enterprise undoubtedly spoke volumes about one’s competence.
Through some discreet inquiries, Yang Xin had also gotten a rough idea of the store manager’s salary—around 7,000 yuan per month after taxes and social security deductions. While that might sound modest at first glance, factoring in pre-tax income and benefits, the total compensation was comparable to what an ordinary person might earn with a monthly salary exceeding 10,000 yuan.
And this was in a third-tier city, where the cost of living was relatively low. Even store managers in first-tier cities might not enjoy such generous pay. When year-end bonuses and profit-sharing were added to the equation, the store manager’s annual income wasn’t far off from what Yang Xin had earned as a deputy general manager back in Bright Pearl City.
Back then, he had held a much higher position—deputy general manager—and Mingcheng Trading had been a far larger enterprise with more branches than this supermarket.
To put it into perspective, Bright Pearl City was also a third-tier city with a similar cost of living, yet supermarket store managers there typically earned only 3,000 to 5,000 yuan—nowhere near the figures here.
Beyond the high salaries and excellent benefits, what was even more astonishing was that this supermarket closed for an entire day every week, even during peak seasons like the Lunar New Year.
The New Year—a time of explosive consumer spending—and they still shut their doors?
It was downright unbelievable!
Moreover, employees at this company enjoyed at least 100 days off per year. Yang Xin had never encountered such a dreamlike workplace before.
To an outsider, it might seem like the owner was running a charity.
If his former boss were to comment, he’d likely say that such high salaries and excessive time off would only breed laziness, discouraging employees from striving harder—a terrible approach.
In the retail industry, where profit margins were already slim and labor costs accounted for a significant portion of expenses, such generosity was exceptionally rare.
Of course, his current boss wasn’t lacking either. The compensation they received was on par with—if not better than—what this supermarket offered, especially for core team members.
Yang Xin had also learned that the company had adopted a dual-compensation system, effectively doubling his income. The young mistress had initially guaranteed him a base salary of 20,000 yuan, and with additional benefits as a core manager, he now earned 28,000 yuan monthly—10,000 yuan more than his deputy general manager salary in Bright Pearl City.
That said, Yang Xin wasn’t overly concerned about the base pay. What truly mattered to him was the young mistress’s promise: shares in the supermarket.
That was the real acknowledgment of his worth, and he was determined to make Wanlong Supermarket thrive, repaying her trust in full.
Having witnessed firsthand the supermarket’s strengths and its stellar reputation locally, Yang Xin now fully grasped the purpose behind the young mistress sending him here to investigate.
This supermarket’s success was no accident. From the meticulous arrangement of goods to the professionalism of its staff, every detail reflected excellence.
There was so much they could learn.
Truthfully, replicating this supermarket’s model wouldn’t be difficult—as long as their company executed it well and provided comparable benefits, Wanlong Supermarket could easily match, if not surpass, its competitor.
And on that front, the young mistress seemed more than capable. She had never been stingy, and Yang Xin even believed that under her leadership, Wanlong’s employees exhibited even greater drive.
Now, all they needed was to transplant this supermarket’s model, adapt it to their circumstances, and refine it further. He could already envision the bright future awaiting their supermarket.
But for now, the most pressing task was poaching the right talent.
Yao Qianshan had noticed her fellow townsman’s intense gaze, and though it unsettled her, her professionalism kept her composed as she continued inspecting the supermarket’s details.
After completing her rounds and returning to her office, she found Yang Xin following her inside.
Without preamble, he cut straight to the point.
"Manager Yao, let me introduce myself. I’m the head—well, the person in charge—of Wanlong Supermarket’s operations in Bright Pearl City. I’d like to invite you to join our company as the store manager of a new branch."
Yao Qianshan wasn’t surprised. She’d seen Yang Xin around frequently these past days and had sensed he wasn’t an ordinary shopper. They’d even exchanged brief conversations a few times.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Yang," she replied. "I’m very satisfied with my current job and have no plans to switch companies at the moment."
She was telling the truth—within the domestic supermarket industry, the benefits this store offered her were absolutely top-tier, so naturally, she had no intention of jumping ship.
"Store Manager Yao, don’t be so quick to refuse. After all, we’re fellow townspeople. Your parents are still back in our hometown, aren’t they? As the saying goes, it’s hard to leave one’s roots. Don’t you want to spend more time with them?"
"Besides, I guarantee your compensation won’t be any worse than what you’re getting here, and the growth opportunities will be even greater. At your current place, you might remain a store manager indefinitely—moving up into management won’t be easy. But if you’re willing to join Wanlong Supermarket, I promise you’ll be promoted to regional supervisor by next year. Your base salary will start at 10,000, after taxes. Think it over carefully."
"Of course, if you don’t believe me, you can visit our locations in person first. Wanlong Supermarket currently has four branches, and the fifth will likely open by the end of this month. You could take a short trip back during your vacation to see for yourself."
Yang Xin understood perfectly how difficult it was to poach talent from a company with such excellent benefits.
Sometimes, offering a higher salary alone wasn’t enough to sway someone. After all, too many companies made grand promises when recruiting, only to renege once the person had switched jobs. By then, even if they wanted to return to their original workplace, it might be impossible. A cautious approach was only natural.
Hearing Yang Xin’s heartfelt words, Yao Qianshan did feel somewhat tempted.
Truthfully, if possible, she would prefer to be closer to her parents.
In life, from birth to entering society, people might initially yearn for distant horizons, eager to explore the world. But once they’ve truly seen those far-off places, they often look back and realize that what they miss most is the very land that raised them.
She had worked here for several years now. Though she had plenty of vacation time, she still couldn’t visit her parents often.
Now, she was fully capable of settling down here and bringing her parents to live with her.
But her parents had spent their entire lives in that small town, surrounded by familiar neighbors and friends—how could they bear to leave?
The last time she visited home, watching her mother cheerfully head out to play mahjong with her friends, she knew her parents would never willingly leave their hometown.
Yang Xin noticed Yao Qianshan’s visible hesitation but didn’t press further. Instead, he simply handed her his business card. "You can reach out anytime once you’ve made up your mind. My offer stands."
With that, he left decisively, without any lingering fuss.
When dealing with talented individuals like her, it was crucial not to cling like a persistent nuisance, badgering them for an answer. That would only backfire.
He had said all he needed to say—now it was up to her to weigh the decision.
As long as she agreed to visit their hometown branches, his job was done. The rest—how to keep her—was someone else’s responsibility.
