Hengyi
The day Ren received the remaining armbands from Hengyi.
Back at Hengyi's residence, two people can be seen enjoying a steaming cup of tea.
After finishing his third cup, Ren wipes his mouth with a satisfied sigh. "Thanks again for the immaculate work, Hengyi," Ren says as he stares at the three armbands on the side of the table.
Hengyi puffs up his chest with pride, "It's no problem, Master Ren. I would only give the best for one such as yourself."
"Right…" He was still getting used to Hengyi's unique mannerisms, so having him talk about him so highly was uncomfortable.
"Though I must ask, do you not only have three employees?"
"That would be correct."
"Doesn't that mean you will have four in total?" Hengyi gives him a curious stare, "What would you need the fourth one for? I doubt it would be of much use to someone of your standing."
Ren waved his arms, "No, no. The fourth one is for a… unique situation. Let's just say that I will need it to assist someone."
"A secret?" Hengyi raised an eyebrow and chuckled. He took another sip of his tea, "Very well, I shall not pry."
'What secrets could a man who could make artifacts on a whim have?' He thought with admiration, 'I would not be surprised if Master Ren was also acquainted with the Adeptus.'
"I appreciate that."
The two sat in comfortable silence once more, and Ren helped himself to another cup of tea.
"There is something I am curious about, if you don't mind me asking." Hengyi suddenly said.
"Sure, go ahead."
He paused to find the right words, "It's regarding the contract you plan on giving your employees. I mean no offence, but I find it hard to believe."
Ren tilted his head, "What do you mean?"
"The bonuses you plan to give your employees… Forgive me, but it sounds too good to be true, and impossible to sustain from a business standpoint." Putting down his cup, he gave Ren a curious look, "How do you plan on keeping your business afloat with a contract such as that?"
Hengyi expected Ren to look slightly offended, as he was questioning someone of higher standing than himself.
But what he didn't expect was for a mischievous look to appear on Ren's face as he started cackling quietly.
"Well, I suppose I can tell you," Ren said, putting down his cup. "Having so many bonuses for distance would drain my funds quickly, but as it was written, bonuses would only apply if they hit a target amount of deliveries at that distance."
"I-I see," Hengyi didn't know why he stuttered. He felt like he was seeing a part of his employer that was usually hidden. "But that still wouldn't—"
"I'm getting there, hold on," Ren cut him off, "What I won't mention is the fact that getting deliveries for such distances is very rare. In a single month, I usually only get four or five of them."
Hengyi was left speechless and slightly afraid at the revelation. "Isn't that… legally questionable?"
"Nope!" Ren responded cheerily, "I wrote it up with some help from my Legal Advisor… Though admittedly, I did not mention that specific detail."
"..."
"..."
'I was too hasty in my initial assessment of Master Ren,' Hengyi felt a shiver down his spine, 'Of course, someone of his status wouldn't be opposed to exploitation!'
As if he could read Hengyi's mind, Ren waved his hands in reassurance. "Don't worry, it's not like I'm actively stopping them from getting bonuses." He said casually, "It's just that it would take them months to get them. So I'm not exploiting them at all!"
"Don't you think so too?" He asked Hengyi with a terrifying smile.
"Y-yes! It's definitely not exploitation." Hengyi responded quickly, "Master truly is an honorable man."
"You're too kind."