Chapter 225: So, I Came
Li Tang called Alice, He Runqi, and Lin Xiaoshu into his office.
"Alice, I need you to draw up a recruitment plan. We're going to be seriously understaffed next year—the scope of our projects is expanding fast, and we need more people."
"Recruitment?" Alice, who had a knack for finance and investment, looked a little lost when it came to HR.
"What kind of people are we looking for?"
"Primarily technical talent," Li Tang said. "But we also need people for finance, HR, PR, legal—you name it."
He had been feeling the pressure from the talent gap more and more.
"On one hand, we need to cast a wide net and offer attractive compensation packages. On the other, many companies are already reaching out to top universities, recruiting future stars and training them in-house. People you cultivate yourself tend to be more reliable."
"I'll review our annual work plan and draft up the number of hires per department," Alice said, accepting the assignment with a deep breath.
"You're already handling all our finances and coordinating the funds for each project—you've really worked hard. Once our team grows, we'll be able to delegate more, and your workload will ease."
Li Tang offered a few words of encouragement, then turned to Lin Xiaoshu.
"Boss Xiao came to Yanjing recently and said he was going to bring you home for the holiday. Why didn't you go back?"
"He came too early—almost two months before the New Year," Lin Xiaoshu said softly, her cheeks slightly red.
"Everyone else in the company was still working. I couldn't leave early."
"After the Gongcun Copper-Gold Mine project is done, you're not going back to Gaolu Potash?"
"I…"
She glanced up at Li Tang, then quickly lowered her head and stared at her toes.
"I want to stay in Yanjing. I'd like to keep working at either Li Tang Shengshi Holdings or Zhenguan Exploration."
"Most people want to work closer to home, and you're related to someone at Gaolu Potash—they could help you a lot more."
Li Tang was surprised she didn't want to leave.
"Why do you want to stay here?"
"I just like it here," she mumbled, her voice trailing off.
"Then stay," he said.
"We do need more people in finance. Over the past year, you've proven yourself to be a capable accountant—definitely worth keeping."
He nodded at her.
"Draft a salary and bonus system—different base salaries for different levels and years of experience, along with project incentives and annual bonuses. If anything's unclear, come talk to me."
"Okay," she said, nodding.
At the moment, they were short-handed and relying heavily on their younger team members. Hopefully, they'd grow into their roles quickly.
Li Tang then looked to He Runqi.
"Students will be going on break soon—and so will we. Use this window to talk to our professors and see if they can recommend any top graduates."
"They don't graduate until June or July," He reminded him.
"But seniors don't have classes during the final semester—just a thesis or graduation project. They can intern with us and work on their thesis at the same time. If they do well, we'll hire them directly—no probation period."
"I'll reach out to Professor Zhang Zhongyu. He teaches geophysics and knows all the students."
He Runqi accepted the task, then added,
"Recently, quite a few people from Wukuang Exploration have heard that our company pays well. They've been asking if we're hiring—they're thinking of switching over."
"Poaching from Wukuang?"
Wukuang had tens of thousands of employees. Li Tang didn't mind if some of their talent came over.
"Talented birds choose the right tree—it's only natural. But if anyone wants to join, vet them carefully. We don't keep freeloaders here!"
"If I find suitable candidates, I'll bring them over for you to review," He said.
"No need," Li Tang replied.
"You're a VP and head of the technical department. You can sign off on regular hires. I only need to interview people applying for mid-level leadership roles or top-tier talent like PhDs and postgrads."
"Got it."
He Runqi felt a new level of pressure settle on him.
He was two years older than Li Tang—just 25 himself.
He'd followed Li Tang through multiple projects and co-founded the company, learning by doing. But he still felt like there were many areas where he wasn't quite ready. He didn't want to screw things up.
The job postings were published across multiple platforms. The listed positions and salaries were generous.
But surprisingly, few people applied.
Maybe it was because names like Li Tang Shengshi Holdings and Zhenguan Exploration sounded like small private firms. Not very convincing.
Most people still dreamed of a "golden rice bowl"—a secure job in the public sector.
Some, however, were drawn by the generous pay—well above the private-sector average in Yanjing—and submitted résumés. They hoped to get hired before the holiday and collect two weeks of paid leave. Who could say no to that?
Li Tang left the recruitment process to others. Alice, He Runqi, and their teams were handling interviews.
He sat in his office, staring out the window at the busy street. People bustled past—some full of joy, others clearly burdened.
He looked like the most relaxed person in the building.
But his mind never stopped.
The company had three main projects underway: the Gongcun Copper-Gold Mine, the Talego Copper-Gold Mine, and the soon-to-begin Shazhai Molybdenum project.
The domestic projects were relatively stable.
But Talego still had many uncertainties—issues that kept him up at night.
Knock knock!
The door opened. He Runqi entered with someone beside him.
"Guess who I brought with me, Li Tang!"
Li Tang had been leaning back, nearly asleep from thinking too hard. He rubbed his eyes and looked up.
The man beside He looked familiar.
"Class rep?" he asked, uncertain.
But that 1.9-meter height and broad frame were unforgettable.
He leapt up to greet him.
"Come on, have a seat."
"I thought you'd forgotten our class rep," He joked.
Clearly, he too was surprised to see Dai Yingchi.
"Forget our class rep? Never!" Li Tang said warmly.
"Our old class rep!"
For Li Tang, university memories stretched much further back than for most of his classmates. Technically, more than twenty years.
The details were fuzzy, but the joy of those years remained crystal clear.
"You two have changed so much," Dai said.
He wore a Zhongshan suit and black leather shoes, carrying a black briefcase—already with the air of a seasoned bureaucrat.
"Especially you, He Runqi. I didn't recognize you at first."
"You've changed too," He replied, tugging lightly at Dai's collar.
"Looking sharp. Are you some kind of leader now?"
"Nothing like that—just a junior staffer. It's not easy to rise where I am."
Then he opened his briefcase and took out a résumé.
He handed it to He.
"This is my résumé. Take a look—if you think I qualify…"
"What do you mean?"
He took the papers, confused.
"You sent the job posting to my email, didn't you? Why are you surprised?"
Dai didn't think there was anything embarrassing about applying to work with his classmates. He was calm and serious.
Back in college, everyone had still been a bit immature—except for Dai, who had always seemed more grounded and mature from the first year.
"You sent the job postings to all our classmates?" Li Tang asked.
"Yeah," He admitted. "I figured some might still be job hunting and might be interested."
He had assumed it would be someone still struggling to find a position.
He never expected their old class rep Dai Yingchi to be the one to show up.
"You don't want me here?" Dai teased.
"No—it's not that. I'm just surprised," He said, chuckling.
"Back when we graduated, besides those who went to grad school, you had the best job. What was it called again?"
"Selected Civil Servant," Dai reminded him.
"Right, that one!"
He had always envied Dai's position.
"Our professors said being a selected civil servant meant you were being groomed by the local government—basically guaranteed to become a senior official!"
"That's what it sounded like," Dai said.
"But reality is tough. Every family has its struggles. I took the job thinking it'd be stable and meaningful, but after three years, I just want out."
Li Tang listened quietly. When Dai finished, he asked seriously,
"So what's on your mind now?"
Dai looked at both of them.
"Who's in charge of HR?"
"I'm VP and technical director. He's the CEO," He said, pointing to Li Tang.
He grinned. "We used to call him 'boss,' but he prefers 'president'—says calling someone 'boss' sounds like they sell vegetables on the street."
Li Tang rolled his eyes at him.
Dai glanced between them—besides joy, his eyes held admiration. But he didn't show it.
He cleared his throat and formally introduced himself.
"My name is Dai Yingchi, 26 years old. At Yanjing University of Geosciences, I served four years as class rep and held roles in the student union as head of organization, external affairs, and even president."
"We remember all that," He interrupted.
But Dai continued seriously.
"After graduation, I returned to my hometown and worked in the party organization office, secretarial department, and land bureau. My strengths are personnel management, sponsorship acquisition, and event planning."
He delivered it all with a calm, professional tone—exactly like someone facing a real job interview.
Li Tang looked into his eyes.
"You're impressive. And clearly, you had a promising path ahead. So why choose to apply here?"
Dai's eyes darkened slightly.
"My work back home is safe and slow. I feel like I can see the rest of my life in one glance. I don't believe it's a future I want. I've been trying to leave for three years—to live a life that feels brighter and more meaningful."
"Does your family support your decision?" Li Tang asked.
"They don't," Dai said. "But I believe I can choose my own path."
"And your girlfriend?" Li Tang remembered they were a well-known couple back in school.
"We broke up."
Dai's expression became complex.
"That's one of the reasons I decided to leave."
He almost asked for details—but after exchanging a glance with Li Tang, He chose to hold back.
Li Tang didn't push either. Instead, he asked,
"Why us?"
"Li Tang Shengshi Holdings and Zhenguan Exploration, right?" Dai replied.
"I was curious when I saw your names on the job posting. At first, I didn't intend to apply—just wanted to see what kind of work you were doing."
His voice grew more animated.
"But then I looked you up—and I was shocked. That hundred-ton gold deposit that made the news? The world-famous Talego mine? They're your company's projects!"
"You're right. Those are our projects. That's why we're recruiting more talent now," Li Tang said.
"I realized you guys are already doing something incredible," Dai said, his eyes gleaming.
"This might sound shameless, but I want to join you. I want to succeed too. I want a life worth remembering. So, I came."
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