NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9:
Chapter 9: The Banner and the Award Ceremony:
“Surprise? What kind of surprise?”
Vice President Zhang gave a sly grin, dramatically pulling a red banner from behind his back.
“Ta-da~~~! The family of the rescued victims brought this banner to our office!”
“They couldn’t give you a gift since you refused, so they sent a few crates of fruit to the company instead.”
Lin Xian looked at the vibrant red banner, its bold golden letters shining:
“Selfless and Courageous, A Hero of Righteousness.”
In the top right corner, a smaller line read:
“Presented to Comrade Lin Xian.”
“Lin Xian, how about you leave this banner here at the company? We can use it for some promotion!”
“Oh, we’ve got to hang it in the best spot… Little Wang! Get on a chair and take down that ‘Top Ten Design Companies’ plaque. Replace it with this banner.”
Little Wang, a new employee, stood up, looking puzzled. “But Mr. Zhang, that plaque is the company’s highest honor. Should we really take it down?”
Vice President Zhang waved dismissively. “You don’t get it. That so-called ‘Top Ten Company’ award is just a bogus title we bought with some gifts and cash.”
“But Lin Xian’s banner? Its significance was witnessed by the entire nation! Haven’t you seen the short videos trending online? Every clip of Lin Xian’s heroic act has tens of millions of views!”
“Having an employee like him is the best promotion our company could ever have! It speaks volumes about our corporate culture, doesn’t it, Lin Xian?”
Sipping on his soy milk, Lin Xian shrugged. “Do as you like. I don’t mind.”
Seeing Lin Xian agree to leave the banner, Vice President Zhang was overjoyed. Grabbing a leek bun, he walked off while instructing Xiao Li to post an article about Lin Xian’s heroic deed on the company’s public account, with the banner’s photo pinned to the top.
“Oh, right! I almost forgot another surprise.”
Mr. Zhang doubled back, handing Lin Xian a newspaper and pointing to the photo on the front page.
“Check it out for yourself! I approved your day off for this. Remember to give our company a shoutout during the event!”
Lin Xian unfolded the newspaper.
It was the Donghai Daily, the city’s official newspaper. Truthfully, few people still read newspapers these days—they were mostly subscribed to out of obligation.
The headline on the front page highlighted Lin Xian’s bravery:
“Salute to the Hero! Let’s Spread Warmth Through Courage!”
The entire page detailed Lin Xian’s righteous act, ending with a bolded section:
“Following an investigation by XXXX, an award ceremony honoring Lin Xian’s heroic actions will be held on June 10, 2021, at the City Cultural Exhibition Center.”
“So that’s the surprise…”
After getting off the subway earlier, Lin Xian had already received a call from the relevant department about this.
They informed him that a senior city official would personally present the award and requested his attendance to deliver a speech, hoping it would further promote positive values and social morality.
Feeling that it would be difficult to refuse such a gesture, Lin Xian agreed. He also believed that inspiring more people to be brave and helpful through his story was worthwhile.
After Zhang left, Brother Li hurried over with a large meat bun in hand.
“Brother Lin, tell me the plan for today! The market’s already open!”
Glancing at the clock on his computer, Lin Xian realized that the opening bell had rung while he was chatting with Zhang. It was now 9:31 AM.
“How much has Changhe High-Tech risen?”
“The major positive news from yesterday hasn’t been fully digested yet! It opened high and is already up 5%! I think it might hit the upper limit again today. Should we wait to sell?”
Lin Xian smiled and shook his head, pulling out his phone.
“Trust me, Brother Li. Sell now. Yesterday we made 10%, and today another 5%. That’s enough. Greed will only lead to losses.”
Without hesitation, Lin Xian placed an order to sell all his shares. At a 5% gain, he fully liquidated his position in Changhe High-Tech.
With an initial holding of 1.57 million yuan in stocks, the additional 5% increase brought his total cash balance to 1.65 million yuan.
“Isn’t it too early to sell? It’s doing so well—it could easily hit the 10% limit or at least 8%!”
Brother Li’s impulsive investor instincts flared up, but his respect for Lin Xian ultimately won out.
“Fine, I’ll follow your lead. Yesterday, if it weren’t for you, I’d have lost a fortune.”
“Like you said, better to make less than lose everything.”
With that, Brother Li also sold all his shares.
The moment they finished selling, something unexpected happened.