Chapter 29: Encountering Without Recognition

Dongping County Party School.

The recruitment site for Yuanfang Supermarket was set up in the square of Dongping Party School. The place was spacious, and many people had come today.

As for why it was called Yuanfang Supermarket, this was a name Li Dong had pondered for a long time. It was a homophone of the names Li Chengyuan and Cao Fang.

When Li Dong arrived at the Party School, he heard people nearby discussing, "Second Brother, why don't you leave your phone number as well? If they hire you, you can quit your current job."

"That won't do. I've been working at my current job for seven or eight years…"

"You're foolish! How much do you make at that job? It's just manual labor! Look at this, the security guard at the supermarket makes 1200 a month. Where else can you find such a good job?"

"But…"

The man referred to as Second Brother was obviously tempted but still hesitated, "Although the current job doesn't pay much, it's very stable. The supermarket hasn't even opened yet. Who knows if the business will be good? What if it fails?"

"Impossible! I heard the supermarket owner is a relative of a county leader, with assets of several tens of millions. How could they not afford to pay over a thousand for a salary?"

...

Li Dong's mouth twitched; he had no interest in listening further.

He didn't expect the rumors to be so outrageous—about leaders' relatives and assets worth tens of millions. He didn't know where such rumors came from.

When Li Dong found Sun Tao, Sun Tao was directing a few newly hired HR employees to maintain order at the venue.

Seeing Li Dong arrive, Sun Tao sighed in relief and introduced him to a middle-aged man with glasses, "Section Chief Wang, this is our General Manager Li."

Then, turning to Li Dong, Sun Tao said, "General Manager Li, this is Section Chief Wang from the Party School's Logistics Department."

Li Dong stepped forward with a smile, extending his hand, "Section Chief Wang, sorry for the trouble."

"Not at all! General Manager Li is truly young and promising!"

Section Chief Wang shook hands with Li Dong enthusiastically, showing admiration.

After all, Li Dong looked too young and did not seem like the self-made millionaire rumored.

Li Dong smiled modestly, exchanged a few polite words with Section Chief Wang, and then saw him off courteously.

Once Section Chief Wang left, Li Dong asked, "Brother Sun, many people have come. How many resumes have we received?"

"We haven't received many resumes, only about twenty or thirty. But we have collected a lot of phone numbers, roughly fifty to sixty. Many are interested."

Sun Tao briefly explained the situation. Dongping was not well-developed, and most of the resumes were for mid-level leadership positions.

For ordinary positions like sales clerks and security guards, some were settled with just a few words, even without interviews.

Li Dong understood this, felt relieved, and praised, "Brother Sun, the organization and publicity were well done. I didn't expect so many people to come today."

With this many people, it's possible to fill the positions today, and Li Dong could set up the framework earlier and feel more at ease.

Sun Tao also looked relieved but humbly said, "This credit isn't mine. If it weren't for the high salaries offered by General Manager Li, these people wouldn't be so eager."

Yuanfang Supermarket's salary was indeed high. Otherwise, Li Dong wouldn't have heard such remarks earlier.

In Dongping, where the average salary was only seven or eight hundred, Li Dong offered 800 a month during the training period and 1000-1500 after formal employment, which was comparable to typical state-owned enterprises.

Moreover, the work at the supermarket was not physically demanding, and the salary was higher than manual labor jobs, making it naturally attractive.

Li Dong smiled and did not elaborate further, casually picking up a resume to review.

After scanning it, Li Dong shook his head and said, "After all, a county seat is just a county seat. There are too few talents here."

"Hehe, General Manager Li, we're just hiring some grassroots leaders now. The supermarket is still in its initial stage, so the demand for talent is not so urgent. When we start a chain, we won't need to recruit in Dongping anymore. With six million people in Jiangbei, there's a shortage of everything but not of talent."

Sun Tao seemed to have anticipated this. Dongping did have talent, but the real elites were all in big cities.

Just like himself, if it weren't for unexpected circumstances, he wouldn't have returned to Dongping to develop.

Li Dong understood what Sun Tao meant and was just casually expressing his thoughts.

Avoiding this topic, Li Dong asked, "Did you find any candidates for the finance positions I asked you to keep an eye on?"

After scanning the circle of people he knew and finding no suitable candidates, Li Dong gave up on nepotism.

Furthermore, finance required professional talent. A broader recruitment market would increase the chances of finding a suitable candidate.

"I almost forgot to mention it. There are a few candidates, but I don't think they're very suitable," Sun Tao pulled out a few resumes from the stack and handed them to Li Dong.

Li Dong took them, flipped through them, and immediately looked disappointed.

There were candidates, but either they were too old or their qualifications were inadequate.

None of them had even received an official accounting certificate. Did they not take Yuanfang Supermarket seriously?

After all, it was an enterprise with an investment of over a million, not a small bag company on the roadside. Did these people think it was a charity shop?

Li Dong threw the resumes back onto the table and shook his head, "These won't work. The supermarket deals with a large cash flow. I don't trust these people."

Money matters couldn't be taken lightly. Even a small mistake could cause significant losses.

Li Dong preferred to be cautious rather than settle for mediocrity.

...

Just as Li Dong and Sun Tao were discussing finance candidates, another employee brought over a few resumes and placed them on the table.

Li Dong casually pulled out one and looked at it. His face immediately brightened, "Has this person left?"

The HR employee who had just brought the materials saw the boss asking and looked at the resume, quickly replied, "It was just submitted. The person should still be here."

He looked around and pointed to a figure not far away, "Over there!"

Li Dong hurriedly chased after them, calling out, "Ms. Yang Yun, wait a moment!"

...

Yang Yun had just submitted her resume and was about to leave when she heard someone calling her from behind.

Turning around, she saw a young man running up to her.

Yang Yun asked, somewhat puzzled, "Who are you?"

Li Dong smiled and extended his hand, "Hello, I'm Li, the General Manager of Yuanfang Supermarket!"

"Hello, General Manager Li," Yang Yun instinctively shook hands with Li Dong, then frowned slightly.

"You're the General Manager of Yuanfang Supermarket?" Her tone carried clear doubt and disbelief, evidently not expecting the supermarket's GM to be so young.

Li Dong cleared his throat and pointed to a few Yuanfang Supermarket employees nearby, "Ms. Yang, you don't think I'm here to deceive you, do you?"

Yang Yun relaxed, realizing that it was too bold to deceive someone right under their nose.

Confirming Li Dong's identity, Yang Yun's wariness diminished a bit, and she asked, "General Manager Li, is this about the job application?"

"Yes, I just reviewed your resume. The position you're applying for, Finance Manager, is very important to me. Can we sit down and discuss it?"

Yang Yun nodded. She came to find a job, and being interviewed by the GM was a sign of hope, so she had no reason to refuse.

She was just a bit unsettled by Li Dong's youth. Yang Yun was in her forties, looking for stability, and a very young boss seemed somewhat unreliable to her.

But it was best to discuss things first. If she wasn't satisfied, she could refuse afterward.

...

In the meeting room.

This was a small conference room specially allocated by the Party School for Yuanfang Supermarket, intended for interviews.

At this moment, the meeting room was occupied by Li Dong, Sun Tao, and Yang Yun.

Only when they were seated did Li Dong have time to observe Yang Yun carefully.

She looked to be in her early forties, well-maintained, with a good demeanor, and appeared to be a sharp and capable person.

Of course, this was not the key point.

No matter how attractive she was, she was in her forties and could easily be old enough to be Li Dong's mother. Li Dong had no other thoughts.

What mattered to him was Yang Yun's expertise and ability.

"Ms. Yang, did you graduate from Pingchuan Finance University?" Li Dong asked first.

"Yes, I graduated in 1983. Back then, it was still Pingchuan Finance Institute. It's been over twenty years."

"Your resume says you've been working in a state-owned enterprise. The benefits there should be good, and after so many years, why did you choose to leave?"

Li Dong reviewed the resume carefully. Yang Yun was not only an accountant in a state-owned enterprise but also a financial department supervisor. It was unusual for someone with her background to leave at this age.

Yang Yun paused for a moment and replied, "My daughter is taking the college entrance exam this year. I took unpaid leave last year to take care of her. When I returned, my position was taken by someone else, and the old leader retired, so I decided to

 resign."

Li Dong understood. There were no issues with her other aspects, which was reassuring.

Li Dong continued with a few more questions, and Yang Yun answered smoothly, leaving a very good impression on him.

Sun Tao also added a few professional questions, and Yang Yun answered them effortlessly. Even Sun Tao felt quite satisfied.

A university graduate from the 1980s, a department supervisor in a state-owned enterprise, with experience and capability—she was a perfect fit!

Moreover, she was interested in working at Yuanfang Supermarket, otherwise, she wouldn't have applied.

Thinking this, Li Dong said directly, "Ms. Yang, I don't have any more questions. Do you have any questions for us? You can ask them now."

Yang Yun, not hesitating, asked directly, "General Manager Li, what is the salary and work schedule?"

"The basic salary is 3000 per month, with additional bonuses. Working hours are from 8 AM to 6 PM, with a one-and-a-half-hour lunch break, six days a week."

In Dongping, a salary of 3000 was quite rare. Li Dong believed few people could offer higher wages.

Yang Yun was clearly satisfied. As for working six days a week, it was common; even state-owned enterprises rarely had five-day work weeks at that time.

Satisfied with the salary and leave, Yang Yun still had some reservations, mainly due to Li Dong's youth.

After a moment's hesitation, Yang Yun asked, "General Manager Li, will the salary be paid monthly?"

Li Dong and Sun Tao looked at each other. Was this a sign of mistrust in their ability?

Though slightly displeased by the question, Li Dong nodded, "Yes, you'll be handling finances. Are you worried I might withhold your salary?"

Yang Yun felt a bit awkward but was relieved.

The main concern was Li Dong's youth; otherwise, she wouldn't have questioned it.

Li Dong then briefly discussed the start date and other details, and the conversation ended with Yang Yun becoming a member of Yuanfang Supermarket.

Li Dong probably didn't realize how much impact this decision would have on him.