Chapter 11
Chapter 11
In contrast, the author of Lin Ruiyang's next article was signed by her.
Although some loyal readers raised questions in the comment section, asking why Shu Yao had previously written all the articles related to Lishui Town and why he was replaced this time, no one responded.
Shu Yao asked his colleagues in the editorial department and learned that it was not a mix-up during typesetting, but that the website signature was just like that.
She called Zhou Yue, but she didn't answer. After several minutes, she replied with an apology: "Sorry, Sister Yaoyao, after Xiao Wang was fired, Brother Ruiyang hadn't hired a new assistant yet, so I was asked to post the early morning article. I was so sleepy that I accidentally mixed up the two articles."
Shu Yao's expression was blank: [What did the editor-in-chief say?]
The other end kept saying [The other party is typing...], but there was no reply.
Shu Yao instantly had the answer: [Such a huge mistake, and they didn't even report it? ]
Zhou Yue: [I'm sorry, Sister Yaoyao! I'm truly sorry. I can do anything to make up for this mistake. Can you please forgive me just this once? I'm finally about to be promoted to a full-time employee. If this mistake gets reported, the company will definitely not keep me.]
Shu Yao knew that there was no point in talking to Zhou Yue at this moment.
She turned off her phone and frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?" Shen Ye took the time to look at her.
Shu Yao pursed her lips and said, "I have to go back to the company. It doesn't seem to be on my way. Why don't you park the car on the side of the road and I'll take a taxi."
"Bowen Building?"
Shu Yaogang was wondering how he knew that, but soon remembered that he had mortgaged his work permit when he walked his dog.
She nodded.
The next second, Shen Ye turned the car around.
In less than twenty minutes, Shu Yao pushed the door and got out of the car, but she didn't expect Chen Ye to follow her into the office building.
Shu Yao: "What are you doing?"
Shen Ye answered confidently: "Watch the fun."
"..." Shu Yao was amused and thought to himself that it was okay. With Chen Ye around, he felt much more powerful. What if a fight broke out later?
What's more, no one knew what happened last night better than him except herself.
As soon as the two entered the office, they saw Zhou Yue with a guilty look on his face.
Zhou Yue lowered her eyes, her eye sockets were red, as if she had just cried. She twisted her hands and her voice was choked.
"Sister Yaoyao, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to confuse your article with Brother Ruiyang's. I was really confused. Please, can you not report it? I really need this job."
Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but loud enough for everyone in the office to hear.
Everyone looked sideways, seemingly not knowing what was going on.
Shu Yao said calmly, "Zhou Yue, this issue has touched my bottom line. I can't help but report it to my superiors."
Zhou Yue burst into tears and suddenly fell to her knees with a thud.
"Sister Yaoyao, my dad is still in the hospital. I became a regular employee this month, and after my salary is raised, I can pay for his hospitalization. If the higher-ups knew about this, they would definitely fire me, and my dad wouldn't be able to afford his treatment."
After listening to the conversation between the two and considering today's push, colleagues roughly understood what had happened and stood up:
"Although it was indeed a mistake, there's no need to make Xiao Zhou unable to stay here. It's not easy for the little girl either."
"Yaoyao, it's just one article. You have to write so many articles every month, so one less will be a big deal."
"Yes, and it wasn't just your article that was mistakenly signed. Wasn't Ruiyang's also mistaken? He didn't make a fuss about it. He just told Xiao Zhou not to worry and to take good care of her father."
…
Lin Ruiyang, who was mentioned, walked up to the two of them and said in a conciliatory manner: "Yaoyao, no one wants to do this, but Xiao Zhou really didn't do it on purpose. Why don't we just let it go?"
You say one thing and I say another.
It was like an invisible net that wrapped her tightly and put her in a position where she could neither move forward nor retreat.
It seems that only by choosing to forgive can she be worthy of being a human being, otherwise, she is a ruthless and cold-blooded monster.
But why?
Just when she was having a hard time, a lazy voice suddenly came from beside her: "It's too late."
Shu Yao looked in the direction he was looking.
Chen Ye raised the phone in his hand: "I'm sorry, I saw the editor-in-chief's email address at the end of your article, and I thought that this kind of mistake should be corrected in time, so I sent an email just now. Could it be that I meant well but ended up doing something bad?"
Although it was inappropriate, Shu Yao almost laughed out loud. She finally understood what he meant by "then throw it back" yesterday.
Everyone is well aware of the editor-in-chief's habits, one of which is that she takes time to check the editor-in-chief's email during her lunch break every day.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ruiyang and Zhou Yue's faces turned pale in tacit understanding.
But it's too late.
After a while, the editor-in-chief posted a video conference notice in the group in a stern tone.
*
After Shu Yao walked into the conference room, Lin Ruiyang, holding a computer, and Zhou Yue, trembling with fear, also pushed the door open one after another.
So everyone is in a heavy mood.
Except for Shen Ye.
He leaned leisurely on the sofa, perfectly interpreting the nine words "quite interested spectators".
Zhou Yue tugged at Shu Yao's sleeve and asked awkwardly, "Sister Yaoyao, isn't it a good idea for outsiders to be present at this kind of meeting?"
Shu Yao pulled his hand back and said firmly, "He is not an outsider, he is my witness."
One sentence shut up two mouths.
Lin Ruiyang sat opposite Shu Yao, connected the computer to the projector, and opened the conference software, but strangely, the person on the screen was not the editor-in-chief, but General Manager Chen, who never paid much attention to the editorial affairs.
Mr. Chen was about fifty years old, wearing a well-ironed suit and a serious expression. “Since your editor-in-chief is not feeling well, I will be the one to lead this meeting in her place.”
You were fine just now, but suddenly you feel unwell?
Shu Yao suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart. This sounded very similar to what happened in high school when the main subject teacher told everyone that the physical education teacher was not feeling well, so he would be teaching the class.
"Shu Yao, I know this isn't fair to you, but you have to consider the company. We'll compensate you financially. Is that okay with you? The WeChat platform has already surpassed 1 million views, and the feedback on the website and Weibo has been very positive. Deleting and reposting it would undoubtedly disrupt traffic. And as you know, WeChat can only push content once a day. If we wait until tomorrow to post this kind of hot news, it will be out of date."
"I can't accept this." Shu Yao looked as calm as ever. "My minimum request is that all channels revise the article and correct the signature."
"Isn't this just telling the public that we made such a low-level mistake? Besides, didn't Ruiyang's article mistakenly include your name? You see, they can understand the company's difficulties and not make a fuss about it."
"Mr. Chen, Yaoyao has only been in the company for a few years, so it's understandable that she doesn't have such a deep affection for the company."
Lin Ruiyang was usually in a sullen mood, but Shu Yao pretended not to notice.
But I don't feel that way right now.
She snorted coldly, "If my writing was of that quality, I would also want to use someone else's name."
In the lower right corner of the screen, Lin Ruiyang's expression changed as expected.
President Chen frowned and scolded, "Shu Yao, no matter what, Lin Ruiyang is your senior! Headquarters has already made a decision on this matter. If you can't accept it, you can resign."
Was it headquarters' decision or his own? The answer is obvious.
Shu Yao finally understood at this moment. It was such a simple matter to prove the ownership of the article. Why could Lin Ruiyang be so unscrupulous? It turned out that he had already found shelter.
Shu Yao said calmly, "I can resign, but even if I do, I won't allow my manuscripts to be monopolized by others."
"You!" Mr. Chen saw that hard tactics weren't working, so he resorted to soft tactics. "Shu Yao, you're still young. Let me tell you this: if you go against the company, even if you resign, do you think any other company in this industry would dare to hire you? Staying with the company, earning tens of thousands of yuan in compensation for one article, why not? As for how to punish Zhou Yue, it's all up to you to decide."
Zhou Yue's face turned pale and he lowered his head: "I accept all punishments."
"Shu Yao, what do you think?" Mr. Chen asked again.
Before this, Shu Yao had a bad impression of Mr. Chen, but because one was in the headquarters and the other in the branch, they didn't have much contact, so she didn't care too much.
But when he said in a condescending manner why not, Shu Yao suddenly felt that people with different ideas cannot work together, and no matter what, she could not stay in this company anymore.
Since he had already decided to resign, Shu Yao was too lazy to defend others' interests.
She raised her eyes and looked directly into Lin Ruiyang's eyes: "Senior Lin..., do you dare to say that this incident was just Zhou Yue's mistake and has nothing to do with you?"
Mr. Chen was incredulous. "Shu Yao, what are you talking about? Today's article was just pushed, and Ruiyang reported it to me as soon as he saw it. He also asked if he should delete it and repost it. How could it be related to him?"
Lin Ruiyang was also confused: "Yaoyao, I understand that you are in a bad mood, but isn't it a bit hurtful to blame others like this?"
"Sorry, there is no love between you and me." Shu Yao responded coldly.
"We haven't even chatted since she joined the company. The only time was today when I questioned her about the manuscript." Afraid that everyone would not believe him, Lin Ruiyang took out his mobile phone, opened the chat interface with Zhou Yue, and then turned the phone screen to the computer so that Mr. Chen could see clearly what he sent to Zhou Yue in the morning.
"Yes, Yaoyao, look—"
Mr. Chen was still speaking for Lin Ruiyang, but for some reason, he suddenly stopped talking.
Moreover, his expression became increasingly ugly.
Lin Ruiyang noticed something and quickly looked at the projector.
Damn it!
He had deleted the chat history between him and Zhou Yue on his phone, but the one on his computer was not synced. Now, for some reason, his computer screen was suddenly projected onto the conference software, and WeChat chat messages were still sliding down one by one.
Lin Ruiyang: [When you publish your article, please switch our signatures.]
Zhou Yue: [Why?]
Lin Ruiyang: [Why do you say that? The chairman has the final say on who will be the branch editor-in-chief. While I have connections and experience, I lack a manuscript that will impress the chairman. Headquarters is closely watching this Guqiao incident, and this is my last chance to show my worth. When the time comes, just insist it was an accidental mix-up and don't say anything else.]
Zhou Yue: [But if that happens, Sister Yaoyao will definitely be very angry. She's been pretty nice to me...]
Lin Ruiyang: [Didn't you say she's the softest-hearted one? Just plead with her not to report it. If you can't stop her, Mr. Chen will help me.]
Lin Ruiyang: [She treats you well, but your husband treats you badly? ]
Zhou Yue: [That's not what I meant. I made such a big mistake, the company probably won't keep me anymore, right? I was almost ready to become a full-time employee after my internship.]
Lin Ruiyang: [It's just a job. Once I become the branch editor, it'll be a piece of cake to recruit you back. Just listen to me, okay?]
Zhou Yue: [Okay.]
…
Zhou Yue fell into a daze, and Lin Ruiyang's face turned pale. He tried to turn off the computer in a panic, but the computer was like it was suddenly possessed by an evil spirit and was completely out of control.
This is so weird.
Shu Yao instinctively looked at Chen Ye who was not far away. He was looking at his phone with a comfortable posture, looking as if it had nothing to do with him.
Shu Yao didn't think much about it, retracted his gaze, and quickly took a photo before the screen disappeared.
Lin Ruiyang stammered and explained to Mr. Chen: "Mr. Chen, it's not like that, I..."
"Lin Ruiyang, I'm not blind." Mr. Chen interrupted him. After calming down, he waved his hand and said, "I'll discuss it with headquarters. Let's go now."
Judging from Mr. Chen's expression, it seemed that he really didn't know that Lin Ruiyang was the mastermind beforehand. Shu Yao guessed that Lin Ruiyang probably put all the blame on Zhou Yue in front of Mr. Chen, and he was just taking advantage of the situation.
Mr. Chen’s face disappeared on the projector, but Lin Ruiyang’s computer screen did not. Instead, it was magnified N times and occupied the entire screen.
Shu Yao and Zhou Yue also saw the latest contact notes and the last chat content next to them.
【Jiaojiao: Good night, husband! 】
[Lanlan: See you then, at the usual place.]
【Xinxin: Should I get married or not?】
…
The entire conference room fell into silence.
Shocking, very shocking.
Until a sneer came from somewhere, Shu Yao looked over and saw Chen Ye with his legs crossed, his elbows resting on the armrest of the sofa, his right hand against his temples, his posture lazy and his eyes contemptuous.
He seems to have always been like this, self-willed and casual, not afraid of anyone, and never giving face to anyone.
Perhaps it was this laugh that completely angered Lin Ruiyang.
Completely unable to control the situation, he suddenly picked up the computer and smashed it against the opposite wall. With a "bang", the wall was left with marks and the computer was scattered all over the wall, making a mess.
The projector finally fell into darkness.
Shu Yao stood up with his phone in hand as if nothing had happened: "Let's go."
Zhou Yue thought she was talking to him, but when he looked up, he saw a tall black figure, stroking the back of his neck with his right hand, lazily following Shu Yao out.
He remained silent throughout the whole process, like a loyal guarding wolf.
*
The final result of the discussion at the headquarters was:
Modify articles across all channels and correct attribution issues.
She was officially promoted to branch editor.
Lin Ruiyang, due to his significant contributions to the company in recent years, will remain in his position for the time being, but all commissions and year-end bonuses this year will be canceled.
Zhou Yue, who was fired, became the biggest victim.
In the eyes of most people, this may be the best outcome.
But Shu Yao's mood did not improve, especially after learning that the fire on the ancient bridge was caused by a cigarette butt thrown by a tourist. He felt even more depressed, just like the weather outside, dark and suffocating.
The cold white light in the office was dazzling. As Shu Yao was staring at the computer in a daze, someone knocked on the door.
It’s HR Zhang Yanqiu.
Zhang Yanqiu placed several resumes in front of her and pointed with her index finger: "Here, here are a few that look good. Take a look. If you're interested, I'll arrange a second round of interviews."
Shu Yao remembered that Zhou Yue had left and the position of reporter assistant was vacant again.
Shu Yao put his resume aside, propped up his chin with his left hand, and said dejectedly, "I'll take a look later."
"What? Are you still unhappy?" Zhang Yanqiu is considered an "old man" in the company. She has extensive connections and knows all kinds of gossip.
When Shu Yao heard her tone, he knew that what happened that day had probably spread throughout the company.
"Actually, I'd say this is a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, it's hard to say who would become the branch editor-in-chief, you or Lin Ruiyang." Zhang Yanqiu glanced back at the closed door, then lowered her voice and told her mysteriously, "I haven't told anyone that you're the first one. I heard that Lin Ruiyang is Mr. Chen's nephew and has everything under control. How can you, with no background and less experience than him, win over him?"
Although Shu Yao knew that Mr. Chen took good care of Lin Ruiyang, he was not clear about the specific relationship between the two. Thinking back to the last time at the mall, when Lin Ruiyang had actually managed to spread rumors about his uncle, Shu Yao couldn't help but feel a little ironic.
He is really Mr. Chen’s good nephew.
Shu Yao asked casually, "So Lin Ruiyang wasn't fired, but was kept by Mr. Chen?"
"On the one hand, it's Mr. Chen's plea, and on the other hand, there seems to be another reason. I heard Xiao Zhang from the department next door say that Lin Ruiyang, through some unknown channel, said he had established a relationship with the people at Sudden Rain Technology, the production company of "Treasure Chronicles". Do you know how mysterious they are? They have never appeared in public-"
"No? Isn't his name Zhou Jinghuai?" After it was mentioned in the previous meeting, Shu Yao went to look up some information.
Although Zhou Jinghuai is also quite mysterious, his name is still well-known.
"That's just the surface. I heard there's a technical expert behind it who's been overseas." Zhang Yanqiu was still sighing, "Headquarters is eager to cooperate with Chuiyu. If Lin Ruiyang can help with this, all the mistakes we made in the past can probably be written off."
There was a slight sound outside. Shu Yao looked out and through the glass door, he vaguely saw Zhou Yue packing his things, while his colleagues next to him were whispering to each other.
Zhang Yanqiu sighed, feeling a little regretful. "Actually, Zhou Yue is a nice girl, and she works hard. Who would have thought she was so obsessed with love?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Yue suddenly knocked on the door.
Zhang Yanqiu pursed her lips, shrank her neck guiltily, and mouthed, "I'll be out first."
As soon as one went out, another came in.
Zhou Yue clenched his hands and remained silent.
Shu Yao stood up and put away the notebook on the table, then looked at the time: "I still have ten minutes, what do you want to say?"
Zhou Yue hesitated, her eyes evading: "I'm sorry."
Shu Yao stopped what he was doing and looked at her calmly: "Zhou Yue, you don't have to say sorry to me. If you really want to say something, maybe you should say sorry to your past self."
"I……"
"I remember when you first joined the company, you said that your family wasn't well off, and your parents wanted you to take the civil service exam or become a teacher, but because you loved it, you didn't want to give up. So I can't understand why a man could do it so easily when your parents couldn't make you give up."
Zhou Yue pursed her lips tightly, tears welled up in her eyes again, and her hands were clasped in front of her, trembling slightly.
"I don't know...but I'm awake now," she repeated over and over again. "I'm really awake."
"Then let me ask you, when did you two get together?"
"About a month after I joined the company, I was working overtime to organize some documents. He happened to be coming back to get something, so he gave me a ride home... and that's when we started contacting each other."
"Anything else?"
"Also, I often ask you about the topic for next week. Actually, it was he who asked me to ask, but luckily you always say you haven't decided yet..."
He stopped talking mid-sentence.
Zhou Yue suddenly looked up, uncertain, yet a little shocked as if waking from a dream:
"Sister Yaoyao, did you know this a long time ago?"
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