Chapter 257: Extra Income
But with Sara, it was a bit different.
Sonya knew that, based on the personalities of Kael and the others, they would undoubtedly take care of Sara during her early days in the Void Sect when her strength was still developing. However, Sara herself wasn't the type to feel comfortable accepting help without contributing. Therefore, it was essential to raise her salary quickly, or she might end up skipping meals.
"You raising my salary? That's fantastic!" Sara exclaimed joyfully upon hearing Sonya's words.
However, she knew that even with a salary raise, her yearly income of 12 million wouldn't compare to many of the other members on the island, some of whom could casually offer millions during the New Year's worship. Tony and Lix had each donated 10 billion, which was beyond her imagination.
But for Sara, 12 million a year was a dream come true—equivalent to decades of work at the Prestige Hotel. With that kind of money, she could buy whatever fancy clothes she wanted and indulge in delicious food. And once she had some savings, she could even consider investing and making more money.
"Yes, we're raising your salary. Now, let go of me, and I'll transfer your pay for this month," Sonya smiled warmly. "Also, due to the nature of your job, you'll receive an additional 500,000 per month as a meal allowance. I've already informed the dining hall, so from now on, when you buy food, they'll deduct it from your allowance first."
"500,000 meal allowance? Really?" Sara gasped, her mouth open in shock.
"Of course! Would I joke about that?" Sonya chuckled, lightly tapping Sara's nose.
This decision was made after discussing it with Lord Kassadin. Although 12 million a year was a significant amount for most people, it wasn't that high compared to the average earnings of Void Sect members. During the New Year's worship, most members contributed between 3 and 5 million each. Some of their donations for the ceremony were equivalent to a quarter of Sara's yearly salary.
To ensure that all members felt valued and were willing to work hard for the Void Sect, it was essential to provide good benefits. People needed to feel that their pay wasn't sky-high but also not too low, allowing them to focus on their duties without resentment.
"Sonya, I love you!" Sara exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
"Alright, alright," Sonya replied, amused by Sara's enthusiasm.
After transferring the money to Sara, Sonya stayed for about ten more minutes before heading off to take care of other matters. Meanwhile, Sara, with her heart full of joy, immediately made her way to the dining hall.
Days passed, and soon it was January 1, 2013, on Earth.
Tony began working with the scientists Lix had sent from Mogri Star to research space-time wormhole technology. In addition to the scientists, Lix had also delivered some equipment that wasn't available for purchase anywhere else. This made Tony realize why he had been stuck at a bottleneck for so long.
Harvey, aware that it was now 2013 on Earth, knew that this year wasn't packed with major events. If there were any significant developments, it would be the appearance of the Reality Stone and the troubles Thor would face. Malekith would try to make a comeback, seeking to plunge the entire universe into darkness.
But to be honest, Harvey wasn't sure if Malekith's defeat was because he had slept for too long or if his power simply wasn't enough. He was defeated by Thor and Loki, who were both still developing their powers.
While Harvey acknowledged that Thor wasn't weak, the God of Thunder was still far from his peak. And now, with the changes happening, if Thor asked Tony for help, dealing with Malekith would be even easier.
As for Dr. Killian's Extremis virus, that was even less of a concern. If Steve or Banner caught wind of it, Killian would probably get crushed in no time. Heck, if Pepper discovered Killian's plot, she might even take him down herself.
So, Harvey's focus remained on the Reality Stone.
Obtaining the Reality Stone wouldn't be difficult for him since he knew where it was. As long as he could get to it before Thanos did, he was in no rush. Harvey wasn't obsessed with collecting all six Infinity Stones. After all, using all of them at once carried serious risks. It was far more practical to use individual stones when needed rather than making enemies of the powerful beings who coveted them.
He only needed to ensure that Thanos didn't use the stones to erase him. Given enough time, Harvey knew he could achieve everything he wanted without the need to gather all the stones.
After the New Year's worship, Void Island returned to its usual peaceful and serene state. Sonya, meanwhile, gathered up the offerings that had been left at the Void God's altar.
"Wow, we've collected a lot of money this year!" Sonya beamed as she tallied the total.
"How much?" Harvey asked, curious as he noticed how pleased she seemed.
"A total of 4.86 billion," Sonya replied with a wide smile. "Including this, after subtracting the island's annual operating costs, we now have 20 billion in liquid funds. This means I can push forward with some of the plans I've been working on."
Harvey was impressed by the number. "That much, huh? Go ahead with your plans, then."
"Of course! I'll focus first on upgrading the island's facilities, and after that, I'll start working on the smaller islands. We need to ensure that Void Island feels like home for everyone, with all the modern conveniences they're used to."
"Sounds good," Harvey nodded, still surprised by the 20 billion figure but trusting Sonya to handle the details.