195: Chapter 195 The Annual Meeting Begins

Just as he reached the elevator, he saw a slightly familiar figure standing there.

Upon closer inspection, it was the company receptionist, the girl named Su Yao. She was quite pretty, and as she usually sat at the front desk, Chen Fan always saw her when he came in and out.

When Su Yao saw Chen Fan, a flash of pleasant surprise crossed her eyes, and she hurried over. "Hello, Mr. Chen. Let me take you to the banquet hall."

"Were you waiting here specifically for me?" Chen Fan asked.

"Yes," Su Yao nodded. "Sister Linlin said someone needed to meet you, Mr. Chen."

Chen Fan found it somewhat amusing. Su Yao looked a year or two older than Qiao Linlin, yet she called her "Sister Linlin" so naturally.

"Alright, let's go."

Su Yao walked quickly to the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator doors opened slowly.

After they entered, Su Yao pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator ascended and arrived quickly.

"Mr. Chen, this way," Su Yao said, stepping out of the elevator first to lead the way.

Passing through the hallway, they soon arrived at the entrance of a banquet hall. The moment he stepped inside, Chen Fan's eyes lit up.

The banquet hall was spacious with a circular layout. A large crystal chandelier hung in the center, and the refracted light made the entire hall shimmer with brilliance.

The floor was covered with a custom brown carpet with intricate patterns, soft and silent underfoot.

Ten large round tables were lined up in order, covered with festive dark red tablecloths. Delicate tableware and decorative flowers were placed on the tables, creating a great atmosphere.

By this time, it was basically full.

Chen Fan followed Su Yao to the table in the middle of the first row, then Su Yao left. Several people were already seated at the table—Zhang Tao, Wang Jing, Technical Lead... they were all key figures in the company now.

"Mr. Chen."

"Boss."

Several people looked up to greet him. The titles varied, but their tones were all filled with smiles. Zhang Tao even stood up, but Chen Fan waved his hand, signaling him to sit down.

"Everyone sit," Chen Fan said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Soon, the lights on the stage came on, and the music changed.

Qiao Linlin, wearing an evening gown and high heels, walked onto the stage step by step. The noisy banquet hall slowly quieted down.

She walked to the center of the stage, picked up the microphone, and swept her gaze across the audience.

She was wearing a white evening gown with a cinched waist design, the hem reaching her ankles, and her hair was styled in a beautiful ion perm.

She wore a pair of sparkling earrings that glinted under the lights. She was wearing makeup, with her eyeliner slightly flicked upward and her lips painted in a classic red lipstick; she looked much more mature than she usually did at the office.

The eyes of most of the male employees present drifted toward the stage involuntarily.

"Hello everyone, good evening."

A round of synchronized applause broke out from the audience.

"Today is the first annual meeting held by Fanyu Technology." Qiao Linlin's voice, amplified through the speakers, carried clearly and powerfully throughout the banquet hall. "First, let's invite our company's founder, Mr. Chen Fan, to the stage for a speech. Let's give him a round of applause—"

Chen Fan stood up and walked toward the stage.

He wasn't wearing a suit, still dressed in casual attire.

He couldn't help it; he had no interest in suits. Wearing one always made him feel restricted and uncomfortable.

So, in the end, he decided to just go on stage in casual clothes.

Qiao Linlin felt a bit regretful about his choice. She had wanted to see what Chen Fan would look like in a suit—he definitely would have looked handsome—but unfortunately, Chen Fan didn't fulfill her wish.

As for the speech script, Qiao Linlin had actually prepared one for him, and it was written quite formally.

But he didn't want to read from a script, nor did he want to give a long-winded speech; those empty words were useless.

He took the microphone and stood in the center of the stage, the lights shining on him.

"Hello everyone, good evening."

The audience quieted down, pairs of eyes fixed on him.

"This year is our company's first year, and today is our first annual meeting. I won't give a long-winded speech here." He paused, smiled slightly, and added, "Let's get straight to some good news."

Some people in the audience began to sit up straight.

"First, year-end bonuses."

As soon as these three words were spoken, some eyes in the crowd lit up.

"Although our company has been established for less than half a year, as long as you joined this year, you will receive a year-end bonus. For those who have worked for a full month, you will receive at least one month's salary as a bonus. For those who have worked less than a month, you will still receive half a month's salary as a bonus."

The moment he finished speaking, the room exploded.

Some people clapped, some pounded the tables, and some shouted "Great!"

Applause and cheers mixed together, and the entire banquet hall instantly erupted.

Chen Fan raised his hand to signal for quiet. The applause slowly died down, but everyone still had smiles on their faces.

"Second," he continued, "This year, both 'defend the carrot' and 'happy elimination' achieved excellent results. Therefore, for the employees involved in these two projects, salaries will be adjusted upward, effective starting in February."

This time, it was even livelier than before.

Some cheered, some whistled, and a few people even stood up to applaud. When something like a pay raise falls on you, who wouldn't be happy?

But Chen Fan also noticed that a portion of the crowd's reaction wasn't as enthusiastic—the employees from the 'archangels sword' project.

They were sitting at the tables near the edge. They were clapping and smiling too, but there was more or less a hint of disappointment in those smiles.

They had only joined recently; the two hit games had nothing to do with them, and the pay raises had nothing to do with them either. The feeling of being "left behind" wasn't easy for anyone to take.

Chen Fan had anticipated this.

"Colleagues on other teams, don't be discouraged." He glanced in that direction. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly. "Next year, after 'archangels sword' launches, if it performs well, there will still be opportunities for pay raises."

The expressions of the people at those tables visibly relaxed. Some clenched their fists, some clinked glasses with the colleagues next to them, and the applause rang out again—this time, more synchronized and louder than before.

Chen Fan waited patiently for the applause to subside.

"Third," he said, holding up his third finger, his lips curling slightly. "For this annual meeting, I had the administration department prepare 300,000 in prizes for a lucky draw. The draw doesn't depend on your position or your contributions; it just depends on how lucky you are."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire banquet hall exploded.

300,000.

Hearing this number from the boss's mouth carried a completely different weight.

"The boss is awesome!" Someone in the back row shouted, their voice loud and clear, piercing through the entire banquet hall.

Immediately after, as if ignited, cheers rose one after another—

"Long live the boss!"

"The boss is awesome!"

...

Qiao Linlin stood beside the stage, looking sideways at Chen Fan on the stage.

Although Chen Fan wasn't wearing a suit right now, even in casual attire, he was radiant in Qiao Linlin's eyes.

Chen Fan waited for a good while, until the applause and cheers gradually subsided, before raising the microphone again.

"Alright, that's all I have to say." His tone returned to that unhurried, casual manner. "For the rest of the time, enjoy your food and drinks."

He turned and walked off the stage, handing the microphone to Qiao Linlin.