"The layoff list is out! Let's see who's on it!"
"What? Let me see! Good heavens! How could I be here! I've worked at this company for fifteen years!"
"And me! I have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, what am I going to do!"
"This isn't fair! Why are we being laid off!"
An uproar erupted inside the Lin Group's office building.
The employees gathered around the bulletin board, looking at the newly announced layoff list, their faces ashen, as if they had lost their parents.
The notice board, with its stark black and white lettering, was a shocking sight. Each name represented a family's livelihood and touched the hearts of countless people.
"Why? Why me? I've done so much for the company, why can you fire me like this?" A middle-aged man, his eyes bloodshot, grabbed his colleague's arm tightly and shouted hoarsely.
"Old Zhang, don't be like this..." His colleague sighed, patted him on the shoulder, but didn't know how to comfort him.
"I refuse to accept this! I'm going to confront that bastard Lin Yaozu!"
Old Zhang abruptly shook off his colleague's hand and rushed towards the president's office.
"Old Zhang! Don't be impulsive!"
"Stop him!"
"..."
Several security guards rushed over, trying to stop Lao Zhang. But Lao Zhang had lost his temper; he frantically shoved the guards, shouting angrily.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! I need to see Lin Yaozu! I need to ask him why he laid me off!"
"Old Zhang, calm down!"
"Get away! Don't touch me!"
The scene was chaotic. In the shoving, Old Zhang stumbled and fell to the ground. His head hit the ground hard, and blood gushed out instantly.
"ah!"
"Murder!"
"..."
A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd; everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
"Call an ambulance immediately!"
"Call the police!"
"..."
Several employees hurriedly helped Lao Zhang up, trying to stop the bleeding. But blood continued to gush from his scalp, staining his clothes and the eyes of everyone present.
"Lin Yaozu! You murderer! You'll die a horrible death!" A young female employee pointed towards the president's office and shouted hoarsely. Her voice was filled with anger and despair, and tears streamed down her face.
"Lin Yaozu! Get out here!"
"Give me back my job!"
"..."
More and more employees gathered outside the president's office, shouting and demanding an explanation from Lin Yaozu.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Someone started banging on the door, trying to rush into the office.
"Lin Yaozu! You coward! Come out here if you dare!"
"You've ruined the company like this, and you still have the nerve to hide inside?"
"..."
A torrent of insults and accusations flooded into the CEO's office.
"Security! Security! Where the hell are you all?! Get these people out of here!" Lin Yaozu, hiding in his office, turned pale with fright upon hearing the commotion outside. He yelled into the phone, his voice filled with fear and unease.
“President Lin…we…we can’t stop him…” came the trembling voice of the security captain on the other end of the phone.
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Lin Yaozu angrily hung up the phone.
He walked to the window, looked down at the dense crowd below, and felt a surge of fear.
"Damn it! These scoundrels! How dare they rebel!" he said through gritted teeth. "Once I get through this, I'll make them pay!"
This layoff controversy quickly spread in the media.
"Lin Group lays off large numbers of employees, who then gather to protest!"
"The Lin Group is in deep trouble, and the layoffs are escalating!"
"..."
A barrage of negative news followed. The Lin Group's reputation plummeted.
"How did the Lin Group come to this?"
"I heard it was all Lin Yaozu's doing!"
"What a pity! The company was so much better when Lin Fan was in charge!"
"..."
Public opinion overwhelmingly condemned the Lin Group, severely impacting the company's business. This further exacerbated the already strained cash flow.
"Mr. Lin, the court summons has arrived..." Secretary Li walked nervously into Lin Yaozu's office with a document in hand.
"What summons?" Lin Yaozu asked, frowning.
“It’s…it’s the supplier’s lawsuit…” Xiao Li’s voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible.
"An indictment?" Lin Yaozu's face turned deathly pale. "They...they really sued us?"
"President Lin, what... what should we do now?" Xiao Li's voice was trembling with tears.
"What to do? How the hell should I know what to do!" Lin Yaozu slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and paced back and forth in the office.
He felt like an ant on a hot pan, restless and anxious, yet helpless.
In court, Lin Yaozu sat in the defendant's dock, his face ashen.
"Plaintiff, please state your claims," the judge said.
"Your Honor, we demand that the defendant, Lin's Group, immediately repay the outstanding payments owed to us, totaling RMB 13 million," the plaintiff's lawyer stated.
"Defendants, do you have any objections?" the judge asked Lin Yaozu.
“I…we…” Lin Yaozu stammered, unable to speak.
"Defendants, please provide evidence to prove that you have repaid the plaintiff for the goods," the judge said.
"I...we..." Large beads of sweat appeared on Lin Yaozu's forehead.
"Defendants, if you cannot provide evidence, we will consider it an admission that you owe the plaintiff money for goods." The judge's voice carried a hint of authority.
“I…we…we admit…” Lin Yaozu lowered his head, his voice filled with despair.
"The verdict is now announced!" The judge struck the gavel. "The defendant, Lin's Group, shall repay the plaintiff 13 million yuan in goods payments within 15 days from the date this judgment takes effect, and shall also bear the corresponding interest and litigation costs."
With a sharp "snap," the gavel fell, as if striking Lin Yaozu's heart.
“It’s over…it’s all over…” Lin Yaozu slumped into a chair, his face ashen.
The court's verdict is undoubtedly adding insult to injury for the Lin Group.
"Mr. Lin, the court people are here..." Secretary Li rushed into Lin Yaozu's office in a panic.
"What are they here for?" Lin Yaozu asked weakly.
“They…they’re here to seize the company’s assets…” Xiao Li’s voice was trembling with tears.
"What? Seize the company's assets?" Lin Yaozu suddenly stood up, rushed to the window, and looked down.
Several court vehicles were parked downstairs at the company, and a group of uniformed staff members were getting out of the vehicles.
"No! We can't let them seize the company!" Lin Yaozu rushed out of the office like a madman, trying to stop the court staff.
"Mr. Lin, calm down!"
"Stop him!"
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