On September 24, Ma took workers to a BMW showroom under the pretext of a meeting, surprising two with cars.A restaurant owner in China has surprised two of her employees with brand-new BMWs after a simple observation about their daily commute made her rethink how she could reward their hard work.Ma Yanli, who runs a beef hotpot chain headquartered in Jiaozuo, decided to buy the cars after noticing that some of her employees braved the cold on electric scooters to get to work. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the two BMWs were handed over on September 24.The idea took shape last winter when Ma saw Li Jie, an employee who had been with her restaurant for eight years, arrive at work after riding her electric scooter in the cold. Li’s face was red, her ears had turned purple, and her hands were stiff from the biting wind.Watching her employee struggle through the morning commute made Ma think about the comfort she enjoyed while travelling to work in her own car. “I said to myself: I can sit in my car and enjoy warmth and convenience during transportation. Why can’t she?” Ma was quoted as saying by SCMP.That moment stayed with her, and Ma began considering buying cars for employees who had worked hard and contributed to the business.On September 24, she took a group of workers to a BMW dealership, telling them they were heading to a meeting. The employees had no idea what was waiting for them until they arrived at the showroom and discovered that two of them were about to receive new cars.Each BMW reportedly cost around 300,000 yuan, or approximately Rs 43 lakh. According to Henan TV, Ma had paid the full amount for both vehicles about two weeks before the presentation.Story continues below this adLi received a white BMW, which was registered in her name that very day. She was not asked to pay anything towards the car or sign an agreement in exchange for it.“I am so thrilled! I dared not think about this before,” Li said. Recalling the journey to the showroom, she added, “On the way to the BMW showroom, Boss Ma just told me she would gift me a big toy.”The second car, a grey BMW, went to another employee, Liu Yingying. “My boss told me you work hard and your performance is excellent. You deserve this car,” Liu said.For Ma, the gesture was about more than recognising two employees for their individual performance. She believes the success of her business is closely tied to the people who work for her and wants them to share in its achievements.Story continues below this ad“I have achieved success in my career. But my company’s prosperity is attributed to the collective efforts of all my employees. So I must let my workers also benefit from the success of my company,” she said.The BMWs are not the first gifts Ma has given her staff. She has also distributed daily essentials and cash bonuses during traditional Chinese festivals, according to reports.