Chapter 189: Employee Benefits
Zhou You really hadn’t expected Yina to give him such a generous gift. Tsk, tsk. Foreigners sure knew how to have fun. Once it was over, she went back to her country without any emotional baggage.
When he woke up in the morning and saw that scene, all he could say was that he was a normal guy. After once again bringing glory to the nation, he strolled back to his own room at a leisurely pace.
The villa was actually livable now, but Zhou You valued his life too much to stay long—he only dropped by occasionally.
Over the next few days, everyone rested and recovered. Zhou You slipped back into his usual laid-back routine: training, swimming, attending classes.
Now, walking around campus, he was something of a minor celebrity. He often ran into students who politely called him "Teacher," and though he didn’t recognize them, he always smiled and nodded. Maybe it would fade after a while—once the buzz died down, no one would remember him.
...
Wang Fangfang had finally finished her period of seclusion, buried in self-study exam prep. Zhou You hadn’t disturbed her. Today, right after the exam, she couldn’t resist running over to his place.
Zhou You thought for a moment and decided to take her to the villa first to try out the big bed. You get what you pay for—the custom-made one was a world apart from the small bed, way more comfortable. She could roll around as much as she wanted. Crawl on it. Walk on her hands. Even do splits. No more worrying about complaints from downstairs. Oh, right—forgot, downstairs was his place too. Haha.
"How’d it go?" Zhou You asked with concern. "Feels okay, no big deal. It’s just a self-study exam, not that hard," Wang Fangfang finally said with pride. After grinding through so many practice questions, she’d even run into some original ones on the test. "Good. Now that the exam’s over, I’ll give you a break. I’m planning to send the employees on a trip in two batches to dodge the peak swimming season. You’ll lead the first group, and Wang Ping will handle the second. We’ll combine it with the martial arts gym and the folks from the hometown farm," Zhou You said, acting on a sudden whim.
Wang Fangfang had never really traveled before, except for competitions. After retiring, she’d been busy nonstop with little free time. "Okay, I’ll tell them when I get back. Are you coming?" she asked, hoping he’d join. "I’ll skip this time—I just went last time. I’ve already arranged everything with the travel agency; someone will coordinate with you," Zhou You said, having other things to do.
They rested a bit, and Wang Fangfang gave him a massage. As she worked, she was startled. Even as a former professional athlete, she could see how much Zhou You’s physique had improved. Not only did she experience it firsthand, but every massage revealed clear progress. His muscles weren’t the stiff kind—they were packed with explosive power. What would she do about this later? It was a happy kind of trouble.
After the massage, Wang Fangfang got up to clean, but Zhou You grabbed her arm. "Over a thousand square meters—you’d exhaust yourself cleaning alone. I’ve hired a cleaning service to come regularly. You don’t need to do it." "Tonight, I’ll treat you and Peng Fei to dinner to celebrate your academic success." "Okay, but maybe I’ll cook at home instead. Eating out every day isn’t great. I’ll go buy some groceries," Wang Fangfang said.
Zhou You thought that was a good idea. Why not seize the day and fire up the kitchen for the first time? A housewarming feast to christen the new place. He called Li Houliang and Wang Ping over too—let them breathe in some fresh air and act as human air purifiers.
Wang Fangfang went shopping for groceries. Zhou You called He Mei.
"Hey, Brother You, what’s up? If you didn’t call, I’d think you’d forgotten me," He Mei answered right away. They chatted occasionally on WeChat, but it was always her initiating—this was the first time Zhou You had called. "I’m planning to send a few groups to Thailand for a trip. You need to handle the arrangements," Zhou You said bluntly. "No problem. I’ve expanded the business—now we cover all of Thailand. With *Lost in Thailand* being such a hit, tons of mainland tourists are specifically requesting our tours. Brother You, you’re amazing," He Mei chattered excitedly.
She’d started with a mid-sized company and modest business, barely scraping by. But after *Lost in Thailand*, the workload became overwhelming. At first, she’d referred some clients to other companies, but then she scrambled to hire more staff and got things under control. "Brother You, I’m working with lots of domestic travel agencies now. I’ll have them contact you to handle the paperwork on your end—no need for you to worry," He Mei, a true travel pro, preempted all his questions. "Good, just make sure nothing goes wrong," Zhou You stressed repeatedly.
This time, he wanted his parents to go too. If they went with a group, they’d have company. If he tried to send them alone, they’d refuse, so he included the martial arts gym folks.
He Mei noticed his seriousness. "Brother You, I’ve got an idea. I’m thinking of partnering with a security company to hire more armed guards. What do you think?" Zhou You knew Thailand didn’t ban guns and that civilian firearms were common. The guns had to be in their hands. "Can we hire them ourselves? It’s fine if the cost is higher—safety and loyalty are what matter."
Hearing this, He Mei thought about how fast the money had been rolling in lately and felt a bit uneasy. She’d been hesitant before, but now she seized the chance to hire more, partly to protect herself. "Okay, I’ve already hired a few, but not many. This time, I’ll recruit more. With the business growing, we can’t afford weak security."
Finally, He Mei asked, "Brother You, are you coming this time? I miss you." Zhou You laughed heartily. "Not this time. Next time, you can come with me alone—find some fun spots." He Mei was a little disappointed. She was making money now, but she knew it was a house of cards. Without protection, it could easily be taken. She’d met some local dignitaries through Xu Zheng before, but that was borrowed prestige—they respected the power behind her. Still, if she handled this well, there was always hope.
After sorting things out, Zhou You called Li Baoyin and explained the plan. At first, Li Baoyin refused, saying he was too busy to leave. Zhou You countered with, "Money never runs out, but you need rest. It’s not just one department going—the swimming center and martial arts gym are joining too. It’s all arranged." That convinced him.
Zhou You didn’t tell his parents yet—they’d go in batches anyway.
That evening, Zhou You informed Li Houliang and told him to organize it. Li Houliang said it was no problem but decided to stay behind himself, letting others from the gym go. He figured if something came up, Zhou You would need backup here. He was slowly adapting to his new role—no one said it outright, but it was understood. Zhou You agreed. Li Houliang would come with him later anyway, so skipping this trip was fine. He didn’t push it.