Nighttime.
When Liu Yutong stepped into the Wanlong Hui company, the place was already filled with a crowd of core members, all dressed in black.
As soon as she entered, the lively chatter died down, and everyone immediately stood up, greeting her respectfully in unison.
"Miss!"
"Miss!"
"Miss!"
"..."
Liu Yutong gave a slight nod and walked straight into the meeting room.
Inside, the most senior members had already gathered, including Ma Da, Yu Xin, Chu Yang—the former head of Wushui County—along with four supermarket store managers and one restaurant manager.
Upon seeing Liu Yutong, they all rose to their feet once more, calling out in unison:
"Miss!"
"Miss!"
"Miss!"
"..."
Liu Yutong took her seat at the head of the table and gestured lightly with her hand. "Sit."
Only then did everyone sit down in perfect order.
"Yang Xin, begin."
The moment she spoke, Yang Xin stepped forward to report on the current state of the supermarkets.
But first, he took the time to introduce the store managers he had selected.
These managers had all been chosen from among the core members, most of whom were part of the first group to join.
To be honest, asking Yang Xin to pick store managers from the Wanlong Hui ranks had been a challenge.
After all, most members didn’t have much formal education or prior work experience, requiring him to teach and guide them step by step—a task that had exhausted him.
Still, though they struggled at first, their loyalty, diligence, and relentless effort made up for it.
There was something unique about the Wanlong Hui.
While ordinary people worked just for the sake of working, things were entirely different here.
They knew that the better they performed, the greater their chances of rising to become "big brothers."
Ever since Liu Yutong proposed dividing the organization into departments—like treating the supermarkets as a separate business unit, with HR and finance as their own divisions—during a gathering in Wushui County, everyone had been buzzing with excitement.
They saw it as their chance to prove themselves.
The names of these business units and departments were rather unconventional, each labeled as a "hall."
Liu Yutong was aware of Ma Da’s naming choices but simply saw it as part of the company culture.
After all, wasn’t it normal? Some e-commerce companies even had titles like "Eighteen Arhats," so calling departments "halls" wasn’t so strange, was it?
What she didn’t realize was that these names had a profound effect on the members.
On the surface, they were just store managers, but in their minds, they were "helm masters" of their respective supermarket divisions—instantly elevating their status.
This boosted their motivation far beyond that of ordinary employees.
"This is Zhou Yong, manager of the Wushui County branch."
"This is Liu Yu, manager of the Gu County branch."
"..."
After briefly introducing each store manager, Yang Xin moved on to report the revenue figures for each supermarket.
Wushui County’s revenue for the month was around 920,000 yuan, while the other three stores, having just opened, were bringing in between 100,000 and 200,000 yuan each.
Overall, September—the first month of operations—had seen combined revenues exceeding a million yuan.
Projections for October estimated total sales across all four stores could surpass 8 million yuan.
Once the financial report was finished, Liu Yutong set a new target for them: 15 million yuan.
8 million was already a solid figure, averaging 2 million per store, but considering the spending potential during the upcoming holiday season, it still felt conservative.
Even in 2007, the consumer market’s potential was undeniable.
"Don’t hold back on promotions. Run whatever activities are necessary."
"Yes, Miss."
With the supermarket updates covered, Yang Xin brought up their biggest current challenge: a lack of management.
"Miss, we still don’t have a proper training system for managers, and many leadership positions remain unfilled. Honestly, I’m stretched too thin—I need a deputy to share the workload."
"Also, our financial system is underdeveloped. Very few of our brothers are suited for finance roles. Should we consider hiring professionals from outside?"
The topic of external recruitment was a sensitive one within the Wanlong Hui.
It meant outsiders would be parachuted in above the existing members.
Unless absolutely necessary, Liu Yutong was reluctant to consider it. The Wanlong Hui’s strong cohesion came precisely from its unconventional structure—different from ordinary companies.
The capable rose, the incompetent fell. Strength commanded respect. Simple, brutal, and perfectly aligned with their way of doing things.
When Yang Xin had first joined, many had privately doubted him.
When Chu Yang took over Wushui County, there had been skepticism too.
But in the end, both had proven their worth through sheer competence.
Yang Xin had single-handedly managed the sprawling supermarket chain while keeping operations running smoothly—a testament to his ability.
Chu Yang, from the moment he joined, had demonstrated exceptional combat skills, earning everyone’s respect.
Another key point: so far, only those two had been "outsiders" brought in. No others.
But what if more external hires joined the management ranks?
Would too many outsiders disrupt the internal balance?
The question stumped even Liu Yutong for a moment.
Then, Yun Cheng spoke up.
"Miss, I think you might be overthinking it. Our brothers don’t care about titles—what matters is a recognized identity."
As he spoke, he tapped the emblem on his left chest—the mark of a Wanlong Hui core member.
"External hires can be supervisors, store managers, or whatever management roles we need—but they’re just 'employees,' not 'brothers.'"
"Our people, even if they’re just stock clerks, as long as they wear these clothes, they’re family."
Liu Yutong looked up at Yun Cheng and instantly grasped his meaning.
Everyone else in the room brightened as well.
This was a brilliant idea.
A dual system.
Separate roles from identity.
External managers could hold high positions and give orders, but their status would remain peripheral, bound by standard employment terms.
Core members, however, would enjoy special privileges—direct access to leadership, priority for promotions, extra benefits, and more.
In short, the Wanlong Hui needed two parallel systems—one to maintain external flexibility, the other to preserve internal unity.
This way, the brothers would have no reason to complain.
Even the way people were addressed would reflect the distinction between regular employees and core members.
For example, if you were just a hired employee, people might call you "supervisor," "manager," or—for higher-ups—"Director [Surname]."
But if you wore the black uniform with the Wanlong Hui insignia, you’d be addressed as "Brother [Surname]."
Perfect.
Yang Xin, sharp as ever, immediately understood Yun Cheng’s point.
He couldn’t help but glance down at his own black attire.
Seriously, why didn’t you say so earlier?
If you had told me earlier that society operates under two separate sets of rules—one for the underworld and another for regular employees—I wouldn’t have had to worry about getting stabbed in the back.
Now, is it too late to take off this persona and just be an ordinary professional manager?!
Liu Yutong’s gaze swept across the faces of everyone present. "What do you all think of Yun Cheng’s proposal?"
"Feasible!"
"Brother Yun’s idea is brilliant!"
"I agree!"
"I’m on board too!"
".........."
Liu Yutong nodded and made the final decision. "Good, we’ll implement it starting today. Ma Da, you’re in charge of recruitment and performance reviews. I’ll approve the monthly candidate lists."
Ma Da immediately stood up and responded solemnly, "Yes, Miss Liu!"
As the meeting neared its end, Liu Yutong briefly outlined the expansion plan for the Yu Yue Fang chain of restaurants.
Restaurants were trickier than supermarkets—flavor consistency and chef training were major challenges. They ultimately decided to test the waters by opening the first branch across from the university campus supermarket.
Just as she was about to adjourn the meeting, Yu Xin suddenly stood up.
"Yutong, once the restaurant opens, I’d like to request a transfer—to learn the ropes there."
