When I am reborn, I just want to be a top student

It was late at night when I left the lab, and the corridor was brightly lit.

Instead of going straight back to his office, Wang Donglai went into the tea room and made himself a cup of tea.

He leaned against the window, watching the twinkling lights of the High-tech Zone outside, enjoying the peace and quiet alone.

The television in the corner of the break room was still playing news updates on the flu outbreak on a loop. The expert team assessed that the epidemic had been initially brought under control, and the first batch of critically ill patients who received effective treatments had been transferred out of the ICU.

He pressed the remote control to turn off the TV.

The core of the Shennong Project is not just to develop super seeds, but to plant these seeds in the soil and use real yields to prove to the world that a food revolution has arrived.

But farming requires land, a lot of land.

The initial 20,000 mu was just the starting point; rice was planted in the south and soybeans in the north. Let the real data speak for itself.

However, there is no upper limit on the final contracted area; the more the better.

More importantly, it's about employment.

After contracting out the land, a large number of people are needed for planting, management, and harvesting, as well as supporting processing plants, logistics networks, and sales channels.

Once this industrial chain is established, it will not only solve the problem of food security, but also create a huge number of jobs in rural areas.

The cooperation model with local governments also needs to be thought out in advance. How to share profits, how to share risks, and how farmers can participate are all details that need to be carefully considered.

These are things we can't wait until the seeds are developed; we must start planning now.

……

December 31st, Tang capital.

In Conference Room 1 at Galaxy Technology's headquarters, a hastily convened press conference is underway.

Without any prior announcement or media invitation, Galaxy Technology simply posted a brief notice on its official website and Douyin account: "Galaxy Technology will release its 2020 fiscal year group financial report and employee compensation and benefits adjustment plan at 10:00 AM today."

Less than half an hour after the message was sent out, the number of viewers in the Douyin live stream room exceeded one million.

These days, not many people look at financial reports, but there are always more people looking at the benefits that big companies give out, especially Galaxy Technology's benefits, which have become a legend on the internet.

From the list of shareholders that Pinduoduo posted when it went public, to the pay slips shared online by employees of Xinghuo Express and Pinhaofan, the company's benefits have always been legendary among working people.

But despite the rumors, the group has never officially disclosed its compensation system to the public in a systematic way.

This press conference, held on their own initiative, clearly indicates that they are planning something big.

In the live stream's comment section, people were already commenting: "Waiting for the million-dollar year-end bonus," "Look at other people's companies," "Why am I not an employee of Galaxy Technology?" and "If only I had scored a few more points back then."

At 10:00 sharp, Wang Donglai entered the conference room on time.

He was wearing a dark shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up, and he had no speech notes in his hand, only a glass of still-steaming lukewarm water.

He walked to the podium, and without any pleasantries or opening remarks, went straight to the point.

"Today I'll mainly talk about two things. First, Galaxy Technology's group financial report for fiscal year 2020. Second, the adjustment plan for employee compensation and benefits."

The first set of data appeared on the huge screen behind him.

The group's total revenue exceeded two trillion yuan, and all major business lines were profitable.

Xuanwu Battery continues to expand its global market share, its lithography factory is operating at full capacity, its lunar landing mission was a complete success, and Wanwusheng completed large-scale deployment during the flu pandemic.

In terms of revenue structure, energy and semiconductors account for nearly 25%, biomedicine and aerospace each account for about 25%, and e-commerce, express delivery and food delivery together account for 35%. The profit is not high, but it supports more than half of the group's employees.

"You can take your time looking at the revenue figures; I'm not going to read them aloud."

He pressed a button on the remote control, and the screen switched to the second set of data: "Let's focus on the second thing."

A salary structure table popped up on the screen, and the dense numbers instantly silenced the entire live stream.

"Starting January 1, 2020, all employees across all business lines of Galaxy Technology Group will see a uniform 12% increase in base salary, a 20% expansion of the performance bonus pool, and the quarterly bonus payment cycle will be moved from the end of the quarter to the beginning of the quarter. Meal allowances will be increased from 30 yuan to 50 yuan per day, housing allowances will be doubled, and transportation allowances will be changed from a fixed monthly amount to reimbursement based on actual expenses, with a maximum of 1,000 yuan. All employees will be covered by supplementary commercial insurance, including themselves, their spouses, and children. Employees with one year of service and their immediate family members will receive one free annual medical check-up, covering routine examinations and early cancer screening. Employees with three years of service will be entitled to five days of paid professional development leave per year, which can be accumulated and converted into a learning fund."

He paused, then turned to the next page.

The contents of this page made everyone present gasp.

"Maternity Support Program. For the first child, the company will award 20,000 yuan, extend maternity leave by one month beyond the national statutory period, and extend paternity leave to 30 days. For the second child, the company will award 50,000 yuan and extend maternity leave by two months. For the third child or more, the company will award 100,000 yuan and extend maternity leave by three months. For dual-income families, both parents will receive the same reward. Pregnant and breastfeeding employees will be on a flexible work schedule and can apply to work from home three days a week. Employees who have worked for the company for five years and have two or more children will have priority for their children to enroll in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools under Galaxy Education, with a 50% tuition reduction."

The live stream chat was already buzzing with excitement.

Maternity incentives are not uncommon, and most large companies offer some form of support. However, Galaxy Technology's level of support—up to 100,000 yuan in cash, double benefits for couples, flexible working hours, and comprehensive education for children—is more than just a "gift"; it means the company is directly shouldering the costs of raising children.

Wang Donglai ignored it and turned to the next page.

"Year-end bonus plan: This year, the group's total year-end bonus pool is 15% of the annual net profit, which will be distributed to individuals based on performance evaluation. The lowest bonus is 12,000 yuan, the average bonus is about 60,000 yuan, and core positions and high-performing employees can receive more than one million yuan. All year-end bonuses will be distributed before January 15th."

The last thing displayed on the screen was a line of bold numbers: As of now, Galaxy Technology Group has a total of 1,098,727 full-time employees.

This figure was enlarged and bolded, and placed at the bottom of the compensation plan. According to this plan, the group's additional human resource costs next year will be astronomical.

Wang Donglai placed the remote control on the podium, took a sip of his tea, then looked up at the densely packed cameras below the stage and uttered the last words of the press conference: "This is Galaxy Technology's attitude towards its employees. Meeting adjourned."

The news spread across the entire internet within minutes.

The first to react were not the media, but the internal employees of Galaxy Technology.

At the same time, their corporate emails received a mass email from the group's human resources department titled "2020 Salary and Benefits Adjustment Notice." The adjustment plan for each person's compensation was detailed down to the individual level, listed item by item according to seniority, position, and performance, with no ambiguity.

Old Zhou, who was squatting next to the conveyor belt at Xinghuo Express's Tangdu distribution center, was eating a boxed lunch when his phone vibrated.

He opened the email, his chewing motion slowly stopping. The meal allowance had increased from thirty to fifty yuan per day, the housing allowance had doubled, the year-end bonus was sixteen thousand yuan, and supplementary commercial insurance covered the entire family.

He stuck the chopsticks into the lunchbox and carefully traced each line of text on the screen with his rough fingers, as if afraid that these things would suddenly disappear.

Old Zhou from Xinghuo Express squatted next to the conveyor belt, staring blankly at his phone screen for a while, then stood up, dusted off his pants, and grinned.

Xiao Li, who was unloading goods nearby, peeked over and almost dropped the package in his hand. He had only been with the company for half a year, but he had already received a year-end bonus of nearly 20,000 yuan.

After finishing his lunch rush at Tangdu Bus Station, Xie Tao, a delivery rider, was drinking water on his electric scooter when his phone rang.

He opened the email, letting out a very soft sound, as if something was choking him.

It's not about the money.

The company took him into consideration. He was a food deliveryman who had been with the company for less than two years. He was on the list of those who would get a raise, receive a year-end bonus, and enjoy supplementary commercial insurance.

At the Yinhe Supermarket Tangdu No. 1 Store, several employees were passing their phones around, checking the numbers they had received.

An aunt who had worked in the deli section for more than two years repeatedly asked the store manager, Zhao Mingyuan, to confirm whether the housing subsidy had really doubled and whether the year-end bonus was really 16,000 yuan. After receiving confirmation, she did not cheer or applaud, but simply wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.

She used to work at another chain supermarket, standing for more than ten hours a day, and earning less than four thousand yuan a month, which wasn't even enough to cover her social security contributions.

Now the company is even covering her rent costs and has even thought about her life after she retires next year.

She plans to discuss with her husband about buying a house in Tangdu and bringing their child from their hometown to attend school there.

Zhao Mingyuan helped her do the math: the couple both work at Galaxy Supermarket, and based on their current income and housing provident fund, they can save enough for a down payment in two or three years.

After listening, she remained silent for a while, carefully folded the inventory list in her hand, put it into her pocket, and said only two words: "It was worth it."

Similar scenes are happening simultaneously in Galaxy Technology's employee dormitories, production lines, sites, and stores across the country.

Some people repeatedly checked the numbers on their phones and then screamed; some grabbed their work jackets and ran out to treat their colleagues to a meal; some stayed in a corner and called home to say they could send more money back this year, their voices soft but unable to contain their joy.

But what truly made this incident go viral wasn't the official announcement or employee feedback, but a short video of only a few dozen seconds on Douyin (TikTok).

Zhang Fan, an engineer at Galaxy Semiconductor R&D Center, is a recent graduate who joined the company last year.

He pasted his payslip and termination agreement—or more accurately, the document he signed when he left his previous company—side by side on the LCD screen at his workstation. Then, facing the phone camera, his voice was calm, but every word seemed to carry the power of something long suppressed and finally released: "I've been with Galaxy Technology for a year, I've already received my stock options, and my year-end bonus is two and a half months' salary. The company even provided us with talent apartments, with a monthly rent of 500 yuan. Don't you guys always say that Galaxy Technology exploits its employees? This time last year, at my previous company, my payslip said my monthly salary was 12,000 yuan, but I received less than 10,000 yuan. The year-end bonus was a lottery, a lottery." Do you understand? The top prize was a cell phone, the bottom prize was a box of chocolates. I got chocolates, and they were almost expired. Two years ago, I worked so hard at that company that I had a stomach hemorrhage and was hospitalized for three days. My boss sent me a message asking when I could come back to work. This is my resignation agreement from back then, which stated "voluntarily giving up my year-end bonus" and "voluntarily giving up my unused annual leave." My hand was shaking when I signed it. Now I keep this document next to my workstation, not to hold a grudge, but to remind myself to cherish this job. I'm not speaking for the company; I'm speaking for myself, because I don't want such a good company to be destroyed by people's complaints.

After the video was posted, it garnered over 10,000 likes within minutes, and the comment section completely spiraled out of control.

"Hey bro, is that chocolate you have a Dove brand? I also won a box of Dove chocolates last year. It was purchased by the administration department and has less than two months left on the shelf life."

"The stomach bleeding story is so true. I was working overtime at a big factory two years ago and ended up with rectal bleeding. My boss said that young people should strive."

"My hands were shaking when I watched this video because it was about me, and about every worker who has endured the hardships of sweatshops."

"Wouldn't any boss with a conscience feel ashamed upon seeing this?"

"I'm jealous, I admit I'm jealous. I've worked at my current company for five years, and my year-end bonus has never exceeded one month's salary. My housing provident fund is paid at the minimum base, and meal allowance? It doesn't exist. Seeing other people's treatment, I realize how much I've been exploited all these years."

“You’re not alone upstairs. I just showed my wife the birth support policy from Galaxy Technology, and she said, ‘Why don’t you try Tangdu too?’ I fell silent because I know I have a very low chance of getting in.”

"Any boss with a conscience would feel ashamed seeing this, right? I'm not asking you to reach the level of Galaxy Technology, just pay the social insurance and housing fund contributions based on your actual salary and pay overtime according to labor law, that's enough. Is that so difficult?"

"It's difficult because it means several percentage points less profit. They'd rather earn less to treat their employees well; that's called having a broad vision."

"That maternity leave and birth support plan is what I envy the most. It costs 20,000 for the first child, 50,000 for the second, and 100,000 for the third. The maternity leave is extended, and there are flexible working hours, so both parents can receive the benefits. In this era where people are afraid to have children, there is actually a company that is willing to cover the cost of childbirth for its employees."

"It's not just about covering the costs; they've also taken care of the aftermath. Tuition is halved for children enrolled in schools under Galaxy Education. What does that mean? It means they're covering everything from childbirth to raising and educating your children. Being able to afford to give birth, raise, and educate them—that's what true childbirth support is all about."

That afternoon, a topic suddenly appeared at the top of Weibo's trending search list: "Galaxy Technology's financial report and employee benefits".

Under the topic, tens of thousands of netizens spontaneously shared screenshots of benefits shared by Galaxy Technology employees. Some posted pay slips, some posted text messages showing year-end bonuses, some shared free lunches in the company cafeteria, and some took photos of rooms in the talent apartment. What was most shocking was not the high figures, but some small, inconspicuous details.

A courier who has worked for Xinghuo Express for two years posted his supplemental commercial insurance policy online. The coverage amount covers critical illness and accident insurance for his entire family. In the comments section, he said that what he feared most in the past few years of delivering packages was not being tired, not being in the sun, and not being in the rain, but getting sick, because he couldn't afford to get sick. Now the company is covering it for him.

Another post on Douban was shared tens of thousands of times. A female packaging worker who had worked on the production line at Galaxy Energy for over three years posted her company's paid training leave approval form. She said that her former colleagues all thought there was no future in working on the assembly line, but she used her company's training leave to learn quality inspection, passed the exam, and has now transferred to a quality inspection position, with a salary increase of over 1,000 yuan. When someone asked her age, she replied, "Forty-three." (End of Chapter)