CHAPTER 81: CHAPTER 81: HIRING A NEW EMPLOYEE

Some people even found surveillance cameras facing the park, recording the entire morning’s events.

In no time, the incident became a heated topic online.

Someone repeated the dog owner’s words verbatim, and netizens quickly found the owner’s account.

However, the account originally with over a million followers saw its numbers drop, leaving only a handful of inactive followers.

Netizens flocked to the dog owner’s account and commented.

[Do you know who I am? I have 103 followers!]

[Do you know who I am? I have 1,204 followers!]

[Do you know who I am? Can my hundreds of thousands of followers compare to your over a million?]

[Wrong, now he only has 20,000 followers left, hahaha...]

[Do you know who I am? I’m a small farmer from a village in Tang County!]

...

Soon, "Do you know who I am?" became the go-to line for jokes and quips.

Lin Xiaoyan was still unaware of all this.

She was nervously interviewing candidates for the shop.

Yes, she was even more nervous than the interviewees...

Lin Xiaoyan looked at the boy in front of her, Li Wen, eighteen, didn’t go to college, dropped out after high school.

"Why didn’t you continue studying?"

"At home... it’s just me and my sister. My sister is in her sophomore year, and I’m planning to earn money for her college tuition now."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoyan glanced at the boy. His clothes were old but very clean, and the edges of his shoes were worn but still brushed bright white.

He had a handsome and clean-cut appearance, the kind that seemed very popular with girls at school.

"Did you get into college?" Lin Xiaoyan asked.

Li Wen lowered his eyes and nodded silently.

"Where to?"

"Local Sea City University."

Lin Xiaoyan raised her eyebrows, impressed; Sea City University had high entrance scores.

She felt a bit sorry in her heart. Getting into college wasn’t easy, and not attending seemed too much of a pity.

"How about reconsidering? Once in college, finding a job becomes easier, and there’s upward mobility..."

Lin Xiaoyan advised him kindly.

Li Wen shook his head, "No need, thank you, I’ve thought it through."

"You..."

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xiaoyan decided not to push further. Everyone has their path to follow, and they must walk it themselves.

"Can you start working today?"

"Yes!" Li Wen agreed immediately.

Lin Xiaoyan stood up, "Alright, come to the workspace, change into your uniform, I’ll teach you how to make bubble tea..."

Li Wen quickly went into the workspace and changed into his uniform.

Li Wen had a strong learning ability; he could replicate perfectly whatever he saw once.

While Lin Xiaoyan made bubble tea for customers, he watched once and understood.

By the end of the day, Li Wen could make bubble tea on his own.

In the afternoon, when there weren’t many people, Lin Xiaoyan also taught Li Wen how to use the computer for ordering, ticketing, and cash register...

"Hello, Xiao Lin, oh? A newcomer?"

Mao Hong, in casual wear, was about to start her shift. She came by to get a cup of bubble tea first.

Lin Xiaoyan and Li Wen, hearing someone enter, raised their heads to see Mao Hong.

"Sister Hong, you’re here."

Lin Xiaoyan greeted Mao Hong with a smile.

"Are you here for work? A male officer answered when I called this morning. He said you’re on the night shift tonight."

Mao Hong, upon hearing this, became very curious, "You called this morning? What happened?"

Lin Xiaoyan glanced at Li Wen behind her as Mao Hong looked at the staff behind, covering her mouth.

"I won’t say more, I’ll find out when I get to the station later!"

Lin Xiaoyan apologized awkwardly, Mao Hong winked at her, indicating she understood.

"You hired him today?"

"Yeah, he came in the morning."

Mao Hong looked at Li Wen’s face, feeling it familiar, "Didn’t your boss come today?"

"By the way, the transfer notice on the door is gone; did you transfer it out, or did your boss change their mind?"

Lin Xiaoyan: "I took over."

Mao Hong was pleasantly surprised upon hearing this, "So, you’re now the owner of this bubble tea shop?"

Lin Xiaoyan nodded with a smile, "Yes."

Mao Hong immediately gave Lin Xiaoyan a thumbs up, "Great, congratulations!"

"Thank you."

Mao Hong quickly headed towards the police station opposite with her bubble tea. Li Wen glanced at the station across and then back at Lin Xiaoyan, his mouth moved, wanting to say something but stopped.

When Mao Hong returned to the police station, she asked what happened in the morning.

Yi Bian immediately recounted the morning’s incident.

"Oh my, so the old lady online is the one Xiao Lin saved by calling the police!"

"Yes!"

After knowing the morning’s incident, Mao Hong and Yi Bian changed shifts.

She shared the news in the police department’s group that Lin Xiaoyan had taken up the bubble tea shop across the street.

Everyone, upon seeing this message, promised to support Xiao Lin’s business often in the future.

"Ah! I remember who that staff member is now!"

An auxiliary police officer nearby suddenly heard Sister Hong speak, asking her what she meant.

Mao Hong frowned, "A few years back, wasn’t there a fire incident on Changling Street that was quite the sensation..."

The auxiliary police officer, hearing Sister Hong mention a case, focused intently.

"The fire was intentional. The man of the house cheated, discovered by the woman."

The woman, in a moment of impulse, set the house on fire with alcohol while the man slept...

The two children were sent to a hotel to stay overnight, which is why they survived."

"Oh my, why couldn’t the woman see the sense? Just divorce the jerk and live well with the kids!"

Mao Hong sighed, "Marriage and jerks bring so much harm to women; sometimes, situations like these drive people irrational."

"What about the two kids now? Was any property left?"

Mao Hong shook her head, "The remaining money was compensated to the affected neighbors."

"Today, at Xiao Lin’s shop, I saw that boy; I just found him familiar and now see, the boy’s grown handsome after these years, but so pitiful."

"Oh, how handsome?!" The auxiliary officer’s eyes lit up, "I’ll go buy bubble tea after my shift!"

Hearing the auxiliary officer’s words, Mao Hong smiled and nodded, "I think you’re not going for the bubble tea but to see the handsome guy instead!"

"Hehe..."

Mao Hong told Lin Xiaoyan about Li Wen, feeling she should know about her staff’s background.

When Lin Xiaoyan found time to check her phone, upon seeing Mao Hong’s message about Li Wen, she was silent for a long time.

Finally, it turned into a sigh.

This world has so many struggling to survive.

After spending a day together, Lin Xiaoyan realized Li Wen was a boy with a strong sense of pride.