Chapter 20: Tomorrow Will Be Better

"Knock, knock, knock—"

"Come in!" a commanding voice rang out.

Tang Song pushed open the frosted glass door and greeted him, "Director Chen."

Chen Yunteng took his eyes off the computer screen and looked up. "Have a seat, Xiao Song."

Tang Song nodded and sat down in the chair beside the desk.

Chen Yunteng was also a programmer by trade; his attire was casual—a thermal undershirt, a jacket, and jeans. He was in his mid-thirties, had an ordinary appearance, and messy hair. He looked quite kind and sincere on the surface.

"Xiao Song, I heard your attendance has been a bit lax lately?" Chen Yunteng shifted in his office chair, his expression turning serious.

"Director Chen, I have always strictly followed company regulations. I never arrive late or leave early," Tang Song replied, meeting his gaze calmly, without a hint of retreat or hesitation.

The only reason he chose to stay at the company was for the identity of [Jinxiu Trading - Development Engineer]. Until Du Shaokai gained the ability to fully take over the SCM project, the probability of him being laid off was extremely low. He could essentially just lie flat.

Hearing Tang Song's answer, Chen Yunteng's eyes flickered. He spoke earnestly, "Xiao Song, you should know that I have always concurrently served as the Backend Team Lead. In a while, the company will undergo a structural adjustment, and I will likely step back to focus entirely on management. To be honest, I have high expectations for you!"

Tang Song suppressed a smile and nodded. "Thank you for your confidence, Director Chen."

If this were him when he first joined, he might have actually believed it. But after experiencing a series of workplace bullying incidents, he had seen through this Director Chen's character completely—he was a textbook "old schemer" and a master of "painting pies" (making empty promises). Even if they were to select a new team lead, it would undoubtedly be Du Shaokai; no one else stood a chance.

Chen Yunteng paused for a moment before continuing, "Regarding your salary increase, I have already brought it up with HR. We are currently waiting for news from President Xu. At this critical juncture, you mustn't drop the ball. Work more overtime, do more work!"

"Understood, Director Chen! I'll get back to work then." Tang Song lowered his head to hide the sarcastic smirk at the corners of his mouth.

Since April 1st, Chen had promised him a 10% raise in May. Yet, half a month had passed, and Tian Jing, the person in charge of payroll, still hadn't contacted him to sign anything. He hadn't even received any performance review notifications; everything relied solely on Director Chen's word.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Chen Yunteng tapped the desk lightly. "Oh, one more thing. I've assigned quite a lot of work to Shaokai lately. Regarding the development of the new SCM features, please lend him a hand. We are colleagues in the same department; we rise and fall together."

"Understood."

"Alright, you can go back now."

Tang Song nodded inconspicuously and walked out of the office.

As soon as he returned to his workstation, a new notification popped up on DingTalk. It was a requirement document sent by Du Shaokai. Tang Song looked up and saw Du Shaokai waving at him triumphantly. He smiled slightly, deleted the email directly, and ignored him.

*Ding—* His phone screen lit up.

"[China Merchants Bank] Your account ending in 6800 received a salary deposit of RMB 7,424.84 on April 14 at 16:14."

March's salary had been paid!

Generally, salary was paid on the 15th of every month for the previous month, but since tomorrow was the weekend, it had been moved up to Friday. Opening his corporate email, he saw that Tian Jing had already sent over the payslips.

Tang Song opened it and read carefully.

Base salary: 9,500 RMB; Meal allowance: 225 RMB. Since the company paid the full amount for the "Five Insurances and One Fund," his personal contribution for insurance and housing fund was approximately 2,280 RMB. After calculations, his take-home pay was a bit over seven thousand, with relatively low tax deductions. Of course, Jinxiu Trading offered overtime pay, but it required application and approval.

This was the first time he had received a full salary after passing his probation. Having longed for it for so long, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

He held no ill will toward Jinxiu Trading; in fact, he was quite grateful. The company management was human-centric, the benefits were good, salaries were paid on time, and there were year-end bonuses of 2 to 5 months based on performance ratings. It had allowed him, having returned from the capital, to establish a foothold in Yancheng, providing a stable income that put his parents at ease and allowed him to envision a future.

This was also the main reason he hadn't resigned despite the workplace bullying.

However, a corporation is ultimately composed of individuals, mixed with too many personal interests and small calculations. When the interests of certain managers do not align with the interests of the enterprise, they are highly likely to prioritize their own. After all, the company doesn't belong to them; if the company folded, they could simply take an N+1 severance package and run, perhaps finding an even better position next.

Director Chen was exactly that type of manager.

...

9:00 PM.

Having finished his "30-minute Sweat-Inducing Fat-Burning Workout," Tang Song sat on his yoga mat, panting heavily. After resting for a few minutes, his body gradually relaxed.

He opened Xiaohongshu, created a note for "Day 10 of Transformation," uploaded his current weight, today's fat-loss meal, comparison photos, and exercise volume, and clicked publish. Tang Song glanced at his follower count; it had unconsciously grown to 661, but he was still some distance from 1,000. Most of them had been attracted by the "Bowl Cut" note; his subsequent notes had been relatively plain and lacked "viral" points, so follower growth had naturally slowed down.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz—* His phone vibrated with a new message.

[Operations - Guo Peng: "Xiao Song, send me your address. I'll drive to pick you up tomorrow."]

After thinking for a moment, Tang Song replied, "No need, Brother Guo. Just send me the location of the repair shop. I'll take a taxi there; it'll be faster that way."

Guo Peng lived in the Yuhua District; coming to get him would involve a massive detour, which was unnecessary.

[Operations - Guo Peng: "Mingjun Auto Repair Shop.map"]

The two chatted for a few more sentences and agreed on a meeting time.

Tang Song put away his phone, washed up, and stood before the full-length mirror without clothes, observing his post-weight-loss self. In just 13 days, his body had undergone a world of difference. His previously protruding lower abdomen had disappeared; though he didn't have abs yet, it was quite flat. A layer of fat had been stripped from his thighs, chest, and back.

The changes in his face were equally significant. Under normal circumstances, his double chin and the flesh around his mouth had vanished, and his nasolabial folds had faded. His facial contours were much clearer, and his neck looked much better. Overall, he looked like a decent, energetic young man—neither fat nor thin.

The biggest issue was still his skin condition: complexion, spots, acne, blackheads, comedones, eye bags, and bloating. He still had all these elements that affected his appearance, which he would need to improve bit by bit under Zhao Yaqian's guidance.

Tang Song was not unattractive. He had a high nose bridge, thin lips, and double eyelids. Combined with his sufficient height, he had been the type of handsome, popular male student in high school who possessed a strong sense of youthfulness. However, after entering university, in an attempt to keep up with his "White Moonlight" (unrequited love), he had become taciturn and hardworking, completely neglecting his appearance. He studied his major better than anyone, earned numerous scholarships and various certificates, and even obtained a motorcycle license and a teaching certificate. In his senior year, he successfully entered a major internet giant in the capital, standing by her side once again, but unfortunately...

Shaking his head, Tang Song bit his lower lip, forcing himself out of the memory. Taking a deep breath, he opened the system interface to check his personal information.

[Player: Tang Song (28)] [Role: Jinxiu Trading - Development Engineer] [Height: 180cm, Weight: 81.6kg] [Constitution: 57, Endurance: 55, Agility: 50, Comprehension: 76] [Asset Status:] Balance: 26,020.50 RMB (Debt: 20,000.00 RMB) Enterprise: None Real Estate: None Vehicle: Yadea Electric Scooter ...

Agility had increased by 1 point, and his weight had dropped to 81.6kg. He was only 0.6kg away from completing [Restraint and Perseverance]. This amount of weight fell within normal human fluctuations; he could basically handle it with a good night's sleep or a trip to the bathroom.

The [Lung Strengthening Potion], a body-strengthening item, was right before his eyes!

In addition, there was his first car, which was about to be in his hands, along with the accompanying [Vehicle Gift Pack].

Tang Song could not wait for tomorrow.

(End of Chapter)