Wang Qiang paced back and forth in his office, his eyes filled with anxiety. He knew time was of the essence and he had to come up with a solution as soon as possible. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something. He quickly straightened his clothes, walked out of the office, and headed towards the workstation of a colleague with whom he had a good relationship. A new "contest" was about to begin.

Wang Qiang approached his colleague Xiao Zhang's workstation, forcing a smile, and patted Xiao Zhang's shoulder. "Xiao Zhang, how's work lately?" Xiao Zhang looked up, saw it was Wang Qiang, and a hint of unease flashed in his eyes. "Brother Wang, it's just so-so." Wang Qiang leaned closer to Xiao Zhang and lowered his voice, saying, "Xiao Zhang, I've run into a bit of trouble this time. You know, that girl Fan Shengmei is so arrogant, she actually went to the boss and complained about me. You've been with me for so long, could you put in a good word for me with the boss?" Xiao Zhang looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Brother Wang, this matter... I'm not really in a position to get involved, after all, the boss has already started investigating." Wang Qiang frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Xiao Zhang, what are you saying? I've taken good care of you all along, and you won't even help with this little thing?" Xiao Zhang sighed helplessly. "Brother Wang, it's not that I don't want to help, but everyone knows how serious this is, I'm afraid..." Before Xiao Zhang could finish, Wang Qiang sneered, "Hmph, what are you afraid of? If you help me, I won't treat you badly in the future. If you don't help... you know what I'm capable of." Xiao Zhang sensed the threat in Wang Qiang's words, and his face turned extremely ugly, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Wang, I'm sorry, I really can't help you with this." Wang Qiang's face turned ashen with anger, and he pointed at Xiao Zhang's nose, cursing, "You ungrateful wretch, Xiao Zhang!" After saying that, he turned and stormed off.

Wang Qiang then approached several colleagues with whom he had a fairly good relationship, but the responses were all similar. They either politely declined or simply avoided him. Wang Qiang felt like a wild beast trapped in a cage, constantly hitting walls but helpless. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing became rapid.

"These people, they all call me brothers all the time, but they're all unreliable when it matters!" Wang Qiang muttered to himself as he walked. Suddenly, he saw his colleague, Xiao Li, hurrying past with a stack of documents. Wang Qiang's eyes lit up, and he quickly chased after him. "Xiao Li, wait a minute," Wang Qiang called out. Xiao Li stopped, and seeing it was Wang Qiang, a hint of nervousness flashed in his eyes. "Brother Wang... what's wrong?" Xiao Li stammered. Wang Qiang smiled and said, "Little Li, don't be so nervous. I need to talk to you about something. You know, some people in the company are talking badly about me behind my back, and it really bothers me. Could you help me explain to the boss that I'm a very responsible and hardworking employee, and that it's all a misunderstanding?" Little Li hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother Wang, I... I'm just a small employee. The boss might not listen to me." Wang Qiang patted Little Li's shoulder. "Little Li, you're not right. If you help me, I guarantee you'll get your share of benefits in the future. Besides... if you don't help me, and I fall from grace, do you think you'll have a good time in this company?" Little Li sensed the threat in Wang Qiang's words and was terrified, but he didn't dare offend Wang Qiang, so he forced himself to say, "Brother Wang, I... I'll try my best." Wang Qiang nodded in satisfaction. "That's right, Little Li, I believe in you."

Wang Qiang circulated throughout the company, trying to win over colleagues to speak on his behalf, while also threatening those who knew the truth. He summoned several colleagues who knew of his misdeeds to a secluded meeting room. Wang Qiang closed the door, his face grim as he looked at them. "You lot better keep your mouths shut. If anyone dares to say anything during the investigation, don't blame me for being ruthless!" One colleague mustered his courage and said, "Wang Qiang, are you threatening us? You're the one who did wrong; you should be punished." Wang Qiang sneered, "Punished? Do you think the company will believe a few small fry like you? Let me tell you, if you don't want trouble, do as I say. Otherwise, whether you keep your jobs is uncertain." The other colleagues hesitated. They were afraid of Wang Qiang's retaliation, but also felt his behavior was excessive. Ultimately, under Wang Qiang's coercion and enticement, most chose to remain silent.

However, Wang Qiang's actions didn't have much effect. Most of his colleagues didn't want to get involved in the mess and avoided him. Wang Qiang became increasingly anxious; he knew that if he didn't come up with a solution soon, he might really lose his job.

At that moment, Wang Qiang suddenly thought of a higher-level leader in the company. He felt that if he could persuade this leader, there might still be a glimmer of hope. So, Wang Qiang carefully prepared a generous gift and went to the office of this higher-level leader.

Wang Qiang hesitated outside the office for a long time, torn between going in or not. He knew this was his last chance; if his gift was rejected again, he would be finished. Finally, he mustered his courage and knocked on the office door. "Come in," came the leader's authoritative voice from inside. Wang Qiang pushed open the door, his face plastered with a fawning smile. "Hello, sir. I'm Wang Qiang. I've always wanted to visit you, and today I finally have the opportunity." As he spoke, he placed the gift he was carrying on the table beside him. Upon seeing the gift, the leader's face darkened. "Wang Qiang, what do you mean by this?" Wang Qiang quickly explained, "Sir, this is just a small token of my appreciation for your continued support. I've recently encountered some trouble and would like to ask for your guidance." The leader looked at Wang Qiang sternly. "Wang Qiang, the company is currently investigating you. You should be aware of your problems. At a time like this, trying to use gifts and connections is simply compounding your mistakes! Let me tell you, the company will handle this matter fairly and will not favor anyone. You can leave now; I cannot accept this gift." Wang Qiang felt a chill run down his spine. He wanted to plead further, but the leader waved his hand. "You don't need to say anything more. Get out." Helpless, Wang Qiang could only slink away from the office.

Wang Qiang stood outside the office, utterly dejected. He stared at the returned gift in his hand, his heart filled with despair. He didn't know what to do, what awaited him next. Would his struggles be effective? What would his ultimate fate be?