As Liu Yutong announced the commencement of the third core promotion ceremony of the year, Yu Xin stepped onto the stage and picked up the microphone.
Brothers and sisters, please be quiet!
The entire venue fell silent instantly.
Today is an extraordinary day for the Wanlong Society. We are not only warmly welcoming new colleagues but also witnessing a group of outstanding brothers and sisters formally promoted to core members of our Wanlong Society, to walk hand-in-hand with us and forge a brilliant future!
After strict assessment and evaluation by the company, the following members have deeply understood and identified with the mission of the Wanlong Society. They possess outstanding abilities and are loyal and reliable, fully meeting the standards for core membership. The list has been finalized and approved by The Young Lady.
Now, those whose names I call, please come to the stage!
Li Ming, Wang Haitao, Sun Xiaoli, Chen Gang...
As Yu Xin called out the names one by one, those mentioned were beyond excited, stepping out from the audience and onto the stage.
The black suit!
That was the attire everyone in the Wanlong Society Group dreamed of. Today, they finally had the chance to wear it!
Soon, about three hundred people had gathered on the stage.
Zhang Dalong and the others looked at the three hundred or so people on stage, then instinctively looked back at the countless tables of black-clad men. They thought to themselves: Are all these people still not enough?
If this continues, the underground forces of the entire planet might all turn into black-clad men...
Just then, Yu Xin's voice rang out again.
The final one, and the most special one of this promotion ceremony!
He, though a newcomer, possesses extraordinary talent and limitless potential. His joining will open a new chapter for the Wanlong Society. Nominated personally by The Young Lady and approved unanimously by the entire senior management...
Yu Xin's gaze shifted to Zhang Dalong below the stage, announcing each word with emphasis: Zhang! Da! Long!
Buzz!
Zhang Dalong felt a roar in his head, standing there dazed. Him? A core member? How was that possible!
Brother Long, get up there! Zhang Tao, beside him, gave him a smiling nudge.
The banquet hall's spotlights instantly focused on Zhang Dalong, as over two thousand pairs of eyes turned toward him in unison.
Even his former Big Goose colleagues behind him were stunned.
It wasn't that they didn't realize the importance of being promoted to a core member; one only had to look at the reactions of the people on stage.
Their boss had become a core member of the Wanlong Society right after arriving—what did that mean?
It meant their boss had hidden himself damn deep in his daily life!
He looked so honest and simple, yet he had been part of the underworld for a long time.
Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover!
Zhang Dalong was practically led onto the stage in a trance, standing at the very front of the three hundred-plus new core members, feeling completely out of place.
Liu Yutong walked up to him and took a neatly folded, high-quality black suit uniform and a red-covered book from the attendant.
Engineer Zhang, welcome to the core of the Wanlong Society.
As she spoke, she solemnly handed the black uniform—the symbol of core membership—and the red book to Zhang Dalong.
Work hard in the future!
Zhang Dalong took them instinctively. He opened his mouth to say something but found he couldn't utter a single word, only managing a clumsy nod.
At that moment, someone in the audience took the lead and shouted: Brother Long!!
Immediately after, the entire venue roared in unison.
Brother Long!!
Brother Long!!
Brother Long!!
...
The frenetic atmosphere instantly infected everyone present, and they all began to shout together.
Zhang Dalong, however, became even more nervous. Being held in such high regard wasn't necessarily a good thing; if he didn't produce results later, there was no telling how he might be dealt with.
It wasn't until Yu Xin, smiling beside him, handed the microphone to him and signaled with her eyes that he should say something that he snapped out of it.
Uh... thank you... thank you, The Young Lady. Thank you, everyone.
I... my name is Zhang Dalong. I'm just a coder. I'm not good at speaking. In the future, I will use my expertise to repay The Young Lady's trust. I will do my best to complete the projects given to me... uh... that's... that's all.
His speech was very brief and even a bit clumsy, but in such a setting, it seemed exceptionally sincere and down-to-earth.
Everyone, let's have a round of applause!
Instantly, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall.
Yu Xin took back the microphone: The promotion ceremony continues!
The ceremony was basically the same as before. The three hundred-plus prospective core members lined up to receive their clothing from Liu Yutong one by one. After receiving their items, each person held their clothes and book in one hand and struck their chest with their fist with the other.
The Young Lady!
Greetings, The Young Lady!
The Young Lady, I will study diligently and strive to achieve the unity of knowledge and action!
I will resolutely fulfill my duties as a core member, execute The Young Lady's orders, and carry out company decisions!
I am willing to struggle for the great cause of the Wanlong Society for the rest of my life!
Ready at any time to sacrifice everything for the company and The Young Lady!
Never betray!
...
Liu Yutong also wore a constant smile, encouraging every person.
Work hard!
Keep it up!
...
These impassioned speeches and frenzied expressions once again shocked the former Big Goose employees.
To be honest, if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that there was still a company in this society with such strong cohesion.
It just felt like something was off.
Time passed bit by bit.
As the last new core member received their clothes and book, Yu Xin announced directly: Congratulations to everyone on officially becoming core members of the Wanlong Society!
Instantly, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from below the stage. All the black-clad members stood up to send their warmest congratulations to their newly promoted companions.
After Zhang Dalong changed into the suit like the other new core members, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
The clothes were indeed handsome, but he feared that from now on, he was completely bound to this giant ship known as the Wanlong Society.
There was no turning back...
