37: A scholar will die for one who understands him.

Half an hour later.

He Jibao, the General Manager of the Customer Service Department, walked out of the elevator in a daze.

He didn't return to his department; instead, he turned and entered the deserted fire escape.

He practically collapsed onto the steps, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

"An apartment, 150 square meters, near Star Tower."

He Jibao began calculating in his mind, just as he had on countless nights in the past, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, calculating.

"Star Tower will definitely be the core business district in the future. Land there is extremely valuable. Based on the conservative average price of surrounding properties..."

"200,000 per square meter, 150 square meters is 30 million!"

30 million?

He Jibao, with an annual salary of a million.

In the eyes of relatives and friends back home, he was a true success story, a source of pride for his parents, and 'the son from another family' in the eyes of outsiders.

But only he knew that in Modu, a million-dollar annual salary only meant living slightly better than the average person.

His BMW 5 Series, which he used to keep up appearances, had monthly car payments.

The 120-square-meter apartment his family rented in the Central Ring had rising rent every year.

His wife's desired luxury handbags that she couldn't bring herself to buy.

His child's exorbitant future tuition fees... What made He Jibao most anxious was his son's schooling.

Modu's enrollment policy was closely tied to real estate; without a house, it would be incredibly difficult for his child to get into a good school.

With his son approaching school age, the couple had been extremely worried recently.

The only fallback was to send his child back to their hometown, with his wife taking care of his schooling.

But this meant he and his wife would soon be separated by distance.

To be honest, He Jibao was a hundred percent uneasy about it.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his wife; it was because his wife was very beautiful, having been a campus belle back in the day.

Letting her return to their hometown alone with their child, while he struggled alone in Modu?

This plot, no matter how he looked at it, resembled the beginning of some adult films.

This unspeakable worry kept him awake more than financial pressure.

But now, everything was different.

That mysterious boss from Xinghai had directly given him a sharp sword that could cut through all his anxieties.

An apartment worth 30 million.

It would be his after ten years of service!

This not only meant that He Jibao's family could finally truly settle down in Modu.

His son would also be able to enjoy top-tier educational resources.

And he would no longer have to worry about his beautiful wife being coveted by the 'old Wang next door'.

An indescribable mix of complex emotions surged to his head.

Bitterness, ecstasy, grievance, gratitude... they intertwined complexly and finally broke through his psychological defenses.

After a long while.

He Jibao finally calmed his turbulent emotions.

He stood up, tidied his slightly wrinkled suit, and pushed open the fire door leading to the Customer Service Department.

In the hall, the atmosphere was still somewhat dull and lax.

Someone noticed He Jibao's slightly reddened eyes, but only glanced at them, not paying much attention.

Recently, Xinghai had been under too much public pressure. As the frontline department directly facing external scrutiny, which colleague hadn't secretly hidden away to relieve stress?

It was perfectly normal.

He Jibao clapped his hands after standing still.

"Customer Service Department, and a few colleagues from HR over there, please come over. We're having a brief meeting."

Scattered employees quickly gathered, their faces showing curiosity and a hint of unease.

The few employees who had come over from HR for a visit exchanged glances, their hearts pounding.

Such a big setup, could it be that Xinghai couldn't hold on and was going to lay people off?

Was Xinghai going out of business?

Many people thought this in their hearts, and the atmosphere instantly became somewhat tense.

Lily and Group Leader, the two best friends, hurried over and stood in the front row of the crowd.

He Jibao looked around and cleared his throat.

"I just received news from above; it's the boss's personal instruction."

"To commend all employees who chose to stick with Xinghai Technology during its most difficult period."

As soon as these words fell, the gathered employees erupted into ecstasy.

Since Xinghai's establishment, it had issued extra bonuses twice, and the HR and Customer Service teams received the biggest benefits.

Not only was the boss not laying people off, but he was going to lavishly spend money again?

"The boss has decided to gift every remaining employee a residential property title of no less than 150 square meters near Star Tower in Modu city center!"

As his voice faded, the entire Customer Service Department hall fell into an eerie silence.

Based on past experience, most employees were thinking of cash incentives.

But what was Manager He just saying?

An apartment in Modu city center, 150 square meters?

The expressions on everyone's faces froze.

From initial tension, it transformed into extreme bewilderment and disbelief.

For several seconds, no one spoke, only the faint hum of the central air conditioning system.

"Manager He, you're not joking, are you?"

Someone spoke first, immediately triggering a chain reaction.

Suddenly, questions echoed throughout the Customer Service Department hall.

It was no wonder the employees were surprised; it sounded like a fairy tale.

Directly giving away houses—this wasn't a legendary benefit only enjoyed by the company's top executives. How could it fall upon them, ordinary employees?

He Jibao chuckled, very pleased with the employees' reactions.

"You heard right. The construction funds for Xinghai Garden have already been allocated, and everyone gets a share."

Boom!

The atmosphere on site exploded like a pressure cooker.

Some people were cheering with their fists raised.

Others were jumping around, shouting like mad: "I finally have a house!"

The cheers almost blew the roof off.

"From today onwards, I live for Xinghai, and I'll be a ghost for Xinghai even in death!"

"Damn it, if anyone dares to badmouth Xinghai in front of me again, I'll fight them to the death!"

...Amidst the joyful atmosphere, Lily finally reacted.

She covered her mouth, tears streaming down like a flood that could no longer be held back.

Recalling the suffering of enduring external public opinion and the immense pressure from her family during this period, she felt that it was all worth it.

She was incredibly grateful that she had persevered and not resigned.

And the strength that sustained her came from her carefree best friend, Group Leader.

"Group Leader, this is great!"

Beside her, Group Leader's vacant eyes finally refocused... She couldn't believe her ears, an apartment in Modu?

It was like saving several lifetimes of struggle!

The immense surprise almost made her unable to breathe.

After the employees' emotions had somewhat stabilized, He Jibao clapped his hands loudly, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

It took a while for the hall to become quiet again.

"Your names can be written directly on the property deeds. This isn't just an empty promise from the company."

"You only need to stay at Xinghai for ten years, and the transfer of ownership will proceed normally. It's something tangible you can hold."

As his voice fell, the atmosphere in the hall became even more fervent.

At the same time, the entire Star Tower erupted in similar cheers, causing passersby to look up curiously.

On the other side, Brother Zhe's team was already excitedly and frantically producing short videos. Xinghai's first shot in countering public opinion began with giving away houses!