Chapter 35 I Am the Villain (Purely Plot-Driven)

In the conference room on the 26th floor of the Yulong Building, Manager Li volunteered to dismiss Ye Baoling.

Vice President Cai Yongming is a relatively wise person. He said, "We can't let these cleaners get away with this! They can strike whenever they want. If there are any problems, we can report them directly to our superiors. Their reckless strike is pure blackmail! We absolutely cannot tolerate them."

Seeing her boss angry, Qi Yuxiu immediately chimed in, "Yes, we can't tolerate this kind of behavior. Zhang Laichi, go and talk to the cleaners first. They must return to their posts and work immediately. If they continue to strike, we will not tolerate it. As for Gu Baolin, we will decide whether to dismiss her after we have investigated the matter thoroughly."

She then looked at the vice president and asked, "President Cai, is this a suitable solution?"

Cai Yongming nodded: "Go quickly."

Zhang Laichi wanted to say something, but in the end he held back and went downstairs first.

The meeting was basically over, but there were still some minor issues that the various departments were arguing about, and Cai Yongming didn't want to waste any more time.

He glanced at his watch, then stood up abruptly: "The administration department should get people ready. Don't wait for the outcome of the mediation with the cleaning staff; there's no time. The chairman is bringing VIPs to the company later. Get the office staff moving quickly to remove the trash and clean up the mess. Prioritize cleaning the 28th and 30th floors first; there can't be any mistakes."

When the chairman arrives, he first goes to the 28th and 30th floors.

First, get through these two layers; the others can be postponed.

The administrative director, Wang, quickly agreed and then instructed the manager next to him to do so, and the manager went out first.

Several mid-level leaders accompanied Cai Yongming upstairs to see what was going on.

First, take the elevator to the 28th floor. Everyone in the department is busy with their own work, and the public areas are quiet.

The surrounding area was spotless, and the floor and tabletops looked even cleaner than usual, showing no signs of the mess and grime that followed the cleaning workers' strike.

What happened?

Has the aftermath already been dealt with?

They went inside to the restroom and saw a cleaner mopping the men's room floor.

It seems the clogged toilet has been cleared.

Qi Yuxiu saw Wang Simin talking to someone at the fire escape stairwell and hurriedly asked, "Amin, is it all done?"

Wang Simin turned around and said, "Manager Qi, the toilet is unclogged and all the garbage has been removed. It was all done in twenty minutes."

Very good!

Qi Yuxiu smiled with relief: "President Cai, this is Wang Simin, an employee of our logistics department. We in the logistics department have been keeping an eye on things, so don't worry."

Cai Yongming gave Wang Simin a serious look: "Did you arrange for everyone to take care of all of this?"

Wang Simin smiled and shook her head: "President Cai, it wasn't me. Cleaning and sanitation work is not under my jurisdiction. It was Gu Baolin. Yesterday, she had a meeting with the cleaning department and anticipated that the two former team leaders might quit and cause trouble, so she found part-time workers in advance. She was also worried that those people might deliberately block the toilets, so she contacted toilet cleaners in advance as well."

Everyone was stunned: "..."

HR Manager Li scoffed dismissively, "It's like we've rehearsed this."

Cai Yongming glared at him and demanded, "What rehearsal?"

Seeing that the leader was unhappy, Manager Li immediately changed his tune, saying, "He's just incredibly meticulous and efficient at his work, like he's rehearsed it perfectly."

Cai Yongming snorted: "This Miss Gu is very meticulous and forward-thinking. Luckily, I held you back and prevented you from firing her."

Manager Li smiled awkwardly: "When we were recruiting, I realized that Gu Baolin was a talented person. Although she didn't have a high level of education and little work experience, I still made an exception and hired her."

They really know how to pat themselves on the back.

Cai Yongming asked, "Where is Gu Baolin?"

Wang Simin replied, "She works on the 27th floor."

Fearing that Cai Yongming would want to see Gu Baolin, Qi Yuxiu quickly interrupted, "President Cai, what time is the chairman coming?"

"No rush, there's still half an hour."

Ye Baoling had already had someone keep an eye on things here. When she heard that the leader had arrived, she hurried up to see if he was someone she knew.

If it's a leader she doesn't know, she can come out and show off.

Wang Simin spotted her first, "President Cai, Gu Baolin is here. Ah Lin, Ah Lin, over here, President Cai is here to inspect the work and just praised you."

Ye Baoling jogged over and greeted him with a smile, "Hello, President Cai!"

Cai Yongming sized up Ye Baoling. He thought that someone who could stand up to the group of cleaners would at least be a woman who looked rational and had a strong physique, but Ye Baoling in front of him was much more delicate than he had imagined.

Cai Yongming first praised her for being conscientious, responsible, and proactive in handling the situation. Then he asked her, "What exactly happened? Why did the cleaning team leader go on strike?"

Ye Baoling glanced at Qi Yuxiu first; clearly, Qi Yuxiu was nervous.

Qi Yuxiu coughed subconsciously.

Ye Baoling laughed and said, "A few days ago, some colleagues complained that the cleaning on certain floors wasn't done properly. Supervisor Zhang Laichi asked me to communicate with the cleaning team about how to correct the problem. However, some cleaners were resistant to the complaints and didn't do a good job of correcting it. So yesterday afternoon, under Supervisor Zhang's guidance, we announced the penalties for the relevant cleaners and team leaders. At the same time, the cleaning department is undergoing internal reforms and implementing a new team leader rotation system. Today is the first day of the new team leaders' term. With these two things happening together, some people took the opportunity to incite emotions, encourage the workers to strike, and even deliberately blocked the toilets, trying to escalate the situation. I sensed yesterday that they might take action, so I made preparations in advance."

Ye Baoling had so much to say about this, but she only mentioned it briefly and didn't go into detail.

But Cai Yongming roughly understood what was going on: "Wherever there are people, there is a social hierarchy. Even a small cleaning department, with its tiny share of interests, is rife with infighting and instigating trouble. This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Those who instigate trouble must not be allowed to live."

Administrative Director Wang quickly replied, "President Cai, please rest assured, I will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly with Manager Qi."

Cai Yongming pointed at Ye Baoling, perhaps worried that she might be retaliated against, and said, "Gu Baolin was very vigilant this time, which is commendable. Let Gu Baolin participate in this investigation, and the three of you will jointly write a report for me in the end."

A joint investigation and a joint report.

This is like giving Ye Baoling a powerful sword!

Director Wang felt helpless, but he still had to maintain a smile on the surface: "Understood. We will investigate together as a whole."

Seeing that Ye Baoling never mentioned the paper money or that the two former team leaders were related to her and Director Wang, Qi Yuxiu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

This was Ye Baoling's first time meeting Director Wang of the Administration Department. Previously, Supervisor Qian had threatened her with the fact that Qi Yuxiu and Director Wang had an affair. In Ye Baoling's mind, any lover that Qi Yuxiu could be interested in would at least be someone whose appearance matched Qi's.

Who knew that this guy surnamed Wang was shorter than Qi Yuxiu, had a receding hairline, and looked bloated and fat.

Isn't Qi Yuxiu Ye Kaishen's classmate?

With such a powerful backer, why would she need to engage in workplace shady dealings with this guy surnamed Wang?

Unless this Director Wang is exceptionally talented and charismatic, but doesn't seem to fit the bill at all.

The things she can't understand usually have a hidden reason.

Just then, Xia ran up to report to Ye Baoling: "Miss Gu, the downstairs area has been completely cleaned. Should my neighbors stay or go back?"

Wang Simin couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "So fast! This is so much more efficient than the previous cleaners! I have to say, this auntie does the job much better. Those men don't do it well, they have bad tempers, and when they're not satisfied, they even incite others to strike."

Ye Baoling: "Sister Xia, tell the part-time aunties not to leave yet."

Cai Yongming nodded in agreement: "We should thank these cleaning workers who came to help temporarily. Also, we should take this opportunity to replace a group of those who caused trouble this time."

Director Wang didn't know what to say, so he could only reply, "We really have to thank them."

Cai Yongming then said to Director Wang, "You guys handle this. Don't downplay this. Make good use of your talents! And you guys, you bear a lot of responsibility for causing such a big mess!"

Everyone looked rather grim.

"Yes, we also bear a great responsibility."

Seeing that the chairman was about to arrive with VIPs, Cai Yongming and his entourage went out first.

After the leaders left, Director Wang glanced at Ye Baoling but didn't say anything. He only told Qi Yuxiu, "Go back and investigate first, and we'll meet again this afternoon."

*

Ye Baoling had to go and finish up the remaining work first, while Qi Yuxiu went back to her office first.

As soon as she stepped into the logistics department office, she saw the striking cleaning staff still sitting on the floor.

Zhang Laichi hurriedly came out of the cleaning staff's break room.

"Manager Qi, I've discussed it with the two team leaders. We've withdrawn both announcements, dismissed Gu Baolin, and they'll resume work immediately."

"Stop! Don't say anymore!" Qi Yuxiu was furious. "Get out of here!"

She walked toward her office. Zhang Laichi was a little confused, wondering if the chairman had arrived early and the cleaning hadn't been done properly, causing the logistics department to be punished.

He quickly told the cleaner to go back to the break room.

Then he followed Qi Yuxiu into the manager's office.

After hearing Qi Yuxiu's explanation, Zhang Laichi swayed in disbelief. "Gu Baolin was prepared all along? Why didn't she explain the situation to us? Was she deliberately playing me for a fool?!"

Qi Yuxiu placed her hands on the table: "Zhang Laichi, you have many years of work experience, how can you be so easily fooled by a young girl? What other methods are there? You have to go on strike?! I only missed one day of work, and you've already caused such a big commotion!"

Zhang Laichi hurriedly explained, trying to distance himself from the situation: "It was that Ah Cai who instigated the others to strike. I just went to find out from the two group leaders, and neither of them was directly involved."

Qi Yuxiu: "The two team leaders weren't directly involved? Did they go to work as usual? Just because they didn't come to the sit-in doesn't mean they weren't involved. Sitting in the break room without moving, directing from behind, who would believe they weren't involved? Do you think the bosses above are all idiots? Not coming to work doesn't mean they're all in cahoots, that they're all on strike!"

Zhang Laichi knew this was a bit unreasonable. "Then what should we do? Do these two team leaders have any connection? If not, we can just fire them."

Qi Yuxiu glanced at him and said, "Let me think about it. You can go out now."

Zhang Laichi could only leave awkwardly.

Qi Yuxiu stood by the window for a while. It wasn't convenient for her to go to Qi Xiaofeng to find out what was going on, so she called Wang Simin and said, "When Gu Baolin comes back, have her come in and talk to me."

About half an hour later, Ye Baoling knocked on the door and came in.

"Manager Qi."

"sit."

After Ye Baoling sat down, Qi Yuxiu asked with a smile, "How is it? Is everything settled?"

Ye Baoling placed the folder on the table. "It's basically all taken care of. Those aunties will stay and continue working today, and we'll cover their lunch."

"Okay." Qi Yuxiu smiled, somewhat guiltily, then tentatively asked, "Next, what do you think would be the most appropriate course of action?"

Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Manager Qi, you weren't here yesterday, so you might not know the specifics."

In short, she was the first to defend Qi Yuxiu.

Qi Yuxiu nodded hurriedly: "Yes, I really don't know the specifics. Others can't explain it either, so please tell me."

Ye Baoling: "It started because someone complained about the poor hygiene on the relevant floor, and Supervisor Zhang asked me to order them to rectify it..."

Qi Yuxiu knew about this.

Ye Baoling continued, “If the changes are good, the fines will be smaller; if they are not good, the fines will be larger. I explained the situation to the cleaning department, but their attitude wasn't very good, and the results after the changes were only so-so. The day before yesterday afternoon, I discussed with Supervisor Zhang how to punish them. Since the cleaning department doesn't have a reward and punishment standard, I suggested that the fines be smaller to avoid strong resistance. However, Supervisor Zhang had his own ideas and insisted on imposing larger fines, so in the end, the person in charge was fined two days' wages. Ah Cai was fined the most, and he was dissatisfied, so he stirred up trouble and went on strike everywhere.”

"So this is the main cause of the strike?"

Ye Baoling shook her head: "No, this is just a trigger. The real reason is—paper money is the culprit."

We've finally gotten to this.

Qi Yuxiu tried to maintain her smile and gestured for her to continue.

"Manager Qi, are you aware that the Yulong Building's recyclables and cardboard from Warehouse No. 2 are being used to offset part of the cleaning staff's wages?"

Qi Yuxiu couldn't say she didn't know, so she smiled and nodded: "I know. There were originally two cleaners in Warehouse No. 2, but they were laid off to cut costs. Our cleaning department wasn't working hard enough, so the cleaning of Warehouse No. 2 was handed over to the cleaning department. In addition, Warehouse No. 2 gave the cleaning department folded cardboard as an extra bonus."

Ye Baoling had already learned about this through other channels.

Ye Baoling: "A couple of days ago, I had the cleaners register the paper money they received over the past few months. All of them added it up, and the paper money for each person was about 2,000 yuan per month. This is basically consistent with the amount Liao Zhihui told us. But from everyone's usual conversations, I found that some cleaners were very dissatisfied with the current distribution, and it seemed that there was something else going on. So, I went to the product department on the 6th floor to check the amount of materials used in warehouse number 2 each month, and based on this, I deduced that the amount of paper money was definitely not only 2,000 yuan."

Qi Yuxiu frowned slightly: "Just having the quantity of cardboard isn't enough, since different recycling stations offer different prices, which leaves room for negotiation."

"Yes, I was also worried about this issue, so I specifically asked someone to check the receipts from the recycling center."

This is what Ye Baoling asked Chen Weiqiang to investigate for her last time.

Qi Yuxiu hadn't expected Ye Baoling to have investigated so thoroughly. This young girl was truly remarkable; she was indeed a talented individual.

Ye Baoling opened the folder in front of her, turned it around, and handed it to Qi Yuxiu.

"Manager Qi, take a look at this receipt I copied from the recycling station. For three consecutive months, May was 5802 yuan, June was 7566 yuan, July was 6910 yuan... I checked the receipts for the past year, and the lowest amount was 5200 yuan during the Chinese New Year. There's so much money in cardboard, but Liao Zhihui only gave everyone 2000 yuan. Where did the rest go? Over two years, it's at least 100,000 yuan."

This is not a small amount.

Qi Yuxiu looked at the accounts in front of her. Fortunately, the other party did not reveal them to Vice President Cai. Otherwise, even with Ye Kaishen's help, she would not have been able to salvage the situation.

Why didn't you mention the paper money issue to President Cai just now?

Why not say it? Because Ye Baoling's goal this time is not to defeat Qi Yuxiu.

She just wanted to use this incident to become Qi Yuxiu's confidante and someone Qi Yuxiu couldn't do without.

Qi Yuxiu, a mere logistics manager, was able to intervene in the feasibility study of Ye Qingtang's investment in mainland China, demonstrating that her influence around Ye Kaishen should not be underestimated.

Ye Baoling smiled and said, "The evidence I collected before was not complete, but I know that the two team leaders are definitely problematic, especially Liao Zhihui. Yesterday I finally got the recycling station's receipt list. I wanted to report the situation to Manager Qi immediately, but unfortunately you took leave. I was thinking of waiting until you came to work today to give you a detailed report."

Why didn't you tell Zhang Laichi?

"To be honest, I don't trust him." Ye Baoling smiled sincerely. "I always feel like he's targeting me."

Ye Baoling's sincere complaint made Qi Yuxiu feel once again that Ye Baoling was one of her own.

Zhang Laichi was indeed deliberately targeting Ye Baoling in order to curry favor with her. This was at Qi Yuxiu's behest, and she was responsible for it, so she couldn't comment much. She only said, "Zhang Laichi is indeed a bit petty."

Ye Baoling said with a slight reproach, "Yeah. You always talk to me in a sarcastic tone."

"Can't handle things."

“Yes.” Ye Baoling agreed and continued, “The reason I didn’t mention the paper money to President Cai is because I wanted to check the evidence with you, Manager Qi, first, and decide whether to report it to higher-ups. This is a big matter, and it’s up to you, Manager Qi, to make the decision. Also, Qi Xiaofeng also has the surname Qi, and I was worried that she might be some kind of relative of yours. So I didn’t dare to act rashly. I was afraid that if things got out of hand, it would implicate you.”

Qi Yuxiu was suddenly moved for some reason.

It wasn't for Ye Baoling's genuine feelings, but for the unexpected joy of discovering that this difficult person could become one of their own.

"Thank you, Arlene. To be honest, Qi Xiaofeng is indeed a distant relative of mine. However, I had absolutely no idea about their strike today. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in such a passive position."

Ye Baoling nodded: "I believe you definitely don't know. This is too stupid and impulsive. If it blows up, it won't do us any good."

Qi Yuxiu nodded emphatically.

Two recent incidents involving Gu Baolin show that she is willing to fight for her own interests, but she is also sensible and will avoid making a big fuss if possible.

This is what Qi Yuxiu appreciates.

Qi Yuxiu asked her, "What do you think is the best course of action now?"

"The trigger was Supervisor Zhang's excessive punishment, and he will definitely step in to defend himself." Ye Baoling seemed to be pouring out her thoughts. "As for the two team leaders, if they are our own people, we can protect them, but protecting them will not benefit us, and we will have no way to explain it to General Manager Cai. Manager Qi, you will have to weigh this."

These words struck a chord with Qi Yuxiu, and she nodded: "Anything else?"

"As for the paper money, here's what I'm thinking: taking out 2,000 to distribute now is definitely too little. We should take out at least 3,000 and distribute it equally. That way, everyone can get at least 150 yuan, which is more than a raise, and everyone will feel comfortable. Manager Qi, you can keep the rest of the money. This is the best distribution plan."

Ye Baoling wants to give all the surplus from the paper money to Qi Yuxiu.

Qi Yuxiu couldn't possibly be dissatisfied with this plan, but she was still wary. Instead of directly commenting on its feasibility, she asked, "And what about you? What do you want in return?"

Ye Baoling smiled slyly and said very directly, "I will follow Manager Qi's example."

The implication is that you can give me as much as you want.

Qi Yuxiu was finally relieved after Ye Baoling spoke up.

Only those who reach out to the company together can be qualified and reliable partners.

No one wants to have a ticking time bomb like Bao Zheng next to them.

Qi Yuxiu smiled as she closed the ledger Ye Baoling had given her, promising her, "The paper money is all small change. Just do your job well, and as long as you work diligently, you'll eventually get whatever you want."

I will not treat you unfairly.

Ye Baoling understood what she meant. "Thank you, Manager Qi."

"Call me Sister Xiu."

"Thank you, Sister Xiu."

Qi Yuxiu concluded: "The main responsibility for today's incident lies with Zhang Laichi, whose punishment was excessive and his methods too radical, which triggered the employee resistance. Zhang Laichi is still in his probationary period, and I will make him resign voluntarily. The two former team leaders and the ringleaders violated our labor contracts by going on strike and leaving their posts without authorization, causing financial losses to the company, and they will be dismissed. You should communicate with them first, and then the HR department will follow up. The cleaning staff vacancy can be filled by today's part-time workers."

Ye Baoling: "Okay, I'll go and communicate with them in a bit."

“If possible, we should finalize the two new team leaders and not use a rotation system.” Qi Yuxiu lowered her voice slightly. “A rotation system is inconvenient.”

It's inconvenient to sell the cardboard privately and split the profits.

Ye Baoling understood, but she asked with concern, "Won't the two outgoing team leaders reveal the cardboard sales?"

Qi Yuxiu looked at Ye Baoling, still somewhat reserved in her heart, and said, "Probably not."

They were all his own people who had received benefits, so he didn't dare to overturn the table at this moment.

After the tasks were assigned, Ye Baoling went out to talk to the two new team leaders.

She then went downstairs to seek security backup. When she returned to her office, she found that Qi Yuxiu and Zhang Laichi had broken up.

Zhang Laichi was unwilling to become a scapegoat.

Qi Yuxiu was too lazy to waste any more words. She went upstairs to find HR Manager Li, intending to have him dismiss Zhang Laichi.

For someone who has only been working here for a few days, dismissing him is very simple.

Watching Qi Yuxiu leave, Zhang Laichi wanted to vent his anger on Ye Baoling.

He rushed out, pointing at Ye Baoling and yelling, "You surnamed Gu! You deliberately set a trap to harm me, didn't you?"

Seeing that Zhang Laichi was very agitated, Uncle Yuan, Sister Mei, and the others quickly stopped him.

Ye Baoling tidied up the documents on the table and calmly replied, "Weren't you setting a trap for me? It was just a small hygiene issue, which was easily fixed before. But after I took over, you insisted on deducting two days' wages. Why? Wasn't it because you wanted to get me attacked by the cleaners? You didn't expect things to escalate and you'd be brought down yourself, did you?"

Zhang Laichi pointed at her and said, "Since you knew in advance that the sanitation workers would be on strike, why didn't you tell me?"

Ye Baoling: "First of all, I didn't know they would strike. I was just being prepared for the worst. Secondly, why would I tell you, just so you could continue to frame me? Are you stupid, or am I stupid?"

Seeing that he couldn't win the argument with Ye Baoling, Zhang Laichi became so angry that he was almost incoherent: "Do you know who I am? Do you even know who I am? Boss Ye Qingtang is my relative! You've really run into a brick wall this time!"

Ye Baoling couldn't help but laugh out loud.

They have relatives like that in the Ye family? How come she didn't know?

Seeing her laugh, Zhang Laichi became even angrier. "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm just curious, what's your relationship to the Ye family?"

Zhang Laichi swallowed hard. "Why should I tell you! If you're so bold, just fire me."

“Oh. I suggest you go to the main gate and plead your case. Isn’t the chairman here today? Go and complain to him. Then replace our entire logistics department. But…” Ye Baoling changed the subject, “Are you sure Ye Qizu knows you?”

Everyone laughed.

No one believed that Zhang Laichi was a relative of the Ye family.

Wang Simin chuckled and teased, "If you were truly royalty, you would have been showing off by now. How could you not even know Manager Qi? You wouldn't happen to be related to the cleaning lady at the Ye family's house, would you?"

That's really true!

Zhang Laichi blushed instantly after being told the truth.

Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Simin, you might be right."

Wang Simin immediately said, "I didn't mean to look down on the cleaning lady."

Zhang Laichi blushed all the way down to his neck.

Just then, four or five security guards entered. Zhang Laichi took a few steps back and said, trying to save face, "I'm too lazy to talk to you."

He then hid in his office and slammed the door shut.

The crowd laughed and whispered among themselves.

"A relative of the Ye family would come to our godforsaken department as a lowly supervisor? Are you kidding me?"

“Really wealthy people are very polite, unlike him.”

Ye Baoling thought to herself, "That's probably not the case!"

Her father, her uncle, and her cousin are all polite in public, but scheming against each other in private. It's not that being rich makes you noble; it depends on the person.

Ye Baoling smiled and didn't interrupt. She had hired the security guards, but not to deal with Zhang Laichi.

Dealing with Zhang Laichi doesn't require that many security guards.

She led the security guard to the cleaning department's break room.

The striking cleaners were sitting scattered in the break room; the men were smoking, and the women were doing handicrafts.

Ye Baoling stood at the door and glanced at them: "Those who are willing to resume work, come out and stand on the left."

The air was silent for a moment. Some people wanted to get up, but under Uncle Cai's threatening gaze, none of them dared to stand up.

Uncle Cai: "We've already agreed on the terms with Supervisor Zhang. According to those terms, we'll resume all work; otherwise, there's no point in discussing it. Right, Brother Hui?"

Liao Zhihui, puffing on his cigarette, sneered, "That's right! Either agree to our conditions and resume all work, or we'll continue the strike."

Ye Baoling was too lazy to waste words with them. "Fine, since you insist on going down this path to the end, then I have no choice but to grant your wish. You have been dismissed! The HR department will come to talk to you about the dismissal soon. After that, please leave Yulong Building before this morning."

Uncle Cai's expression immediately changed.

That can't be!

Liao Zhihui and Qi Xiaofeng exchanged glances, somewhat disbelieving Ye Baoling's words, but seeing four or five security guards standing behind Ye Baoling, they felt a little uncertain.

Uncle Cai shouted first, "I want to see Manager Zhang."

Ye Baoling: "There's no need to see him. He's barely able to take care of himself right now."

A man came in and called Liao Zhihui and Qi Xiaofeng out for a brief chat.

Liao Zhihui, who had initially held some hope, instantly deflated.

That person was probably sent by Director Wang.

Qi Xiaofeng quickly turned to Ye Baoling and said, "I'm willing to resume work."

Seeing this, the other people who were already wavering quickly chimed in, "Miss Gu, I'm also willing to resume work."

"Miss Gu, please help me. I have elderly parents and young children to support, and I can't afford to lose this job."

Ye Baoling smiled and shook her head: "I'm sorry, I've already given you a chance, but unfortunately you didn't think about your families. Talking to me now is useless; the initiative isn't in your hands, nor in mine. You should talk to the HR department. Liao Zhihui, Qi Xiaofeng, and Xu Youcai instigated a strike, almost causing significant losses to the company. You've been directly dismissed; there's no point in negotiating. As for the others, I can only wish you good luck."

Being laid off just means changing places and finding a new job. It might not be as comfortable or pay as much as here, but it won't leave you starving.

Ye Baoling smiled slightly, then turned and left.

It feels so good to be the bad guy.

Yes, she wanted to become the villain next to Qi Yuxiu, a villain that Qi Yuxiu could trust.

In her original world, she was able to climb up the social ladder by starting as a villain.

High-level hunters often appear in the form of prey.

She is now Qi Yuxiu's prey.

Of course, as mentioned above, her target was not Qi Yuxiu, and Qi Yuxiu was not worthy of being her opponent.

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Author's note: Wishing everyone a happy National Day in advance! ^_^ [kissing emoji]