Chapter 4
The voice was so loud it was practically inhuman; the ground seemed to tremble as the last word was uttered.
Xie Xubai didn't turn around, focusing intently on the computer screen as he deftly pulled up the toolbar. He was a clerk, his main job being to process documents and data.
A sharp, knife-like gaze pierced his back, and a tall, muscular shadow loomed over him, making the temperature seem to drop several degrees.
But the man's target was not Xie Xubai, who moved swiftly and just managed to avoid his surveillance.
After a casual glance that revealed nothing amiss, his cold gaze abruptly shifted to the person standing at the door.
The junior employee, caught red-handed, looked terrified and stammered, "But...but Supervisor Zhao, it shouldn't be 9 o'clock yet."
Manager Zhao is a middle-aged man over 50 years old with thinning hair and an average appearance.
In Xie Xubai's memory, he was only about 1.7 meters tall, maybe even less. But the middle-aged man in front of him was broad-shouldered and burly, and could block the aisle when he stood up straight.
Supervisor Zhao stared at the junior employee, his eyes sharp and undeniably authoritative: "Don't I know it's not even 9 o'clock yet?"
His shouts grew louder and louder: "Look at everyone sitting here! Don't they know it's not even 9 o'clock yet? Why can everyone else clock in an hour early, but you can't?"
"My home is quite far away..."
"Still trying to deny it!" Manager Zhao roared, spitting as he spoke, making the junior employee turn pale with fright. "You live far away, why don't you get up earlier? Why do you have to save a few minutes of sleep? You're lazy as a pig all day long, what company would want you! Useless! Useless!"
"And you lot, what are you all looking at?"
The gloating glances that had been secretly watching the spectacle vanished instantly, and the huge office area became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
But Manager Zhao wasn't going to let it go so easily. He sneered, "Since you all have so much free time, then you'll all stay and work overtime tonight."
“And you!” He turned around, pointed at the junior employee’s nose rudely, and scolded him with disgust, “Two months’ salary deducted, now get back to your workstation!”
The junior employee's face had turned pale, but he was intimidated by Supervisor Zhao's imposing manner and ruthless gaze, and dared not refute anything, slinking back to his workstation in disgrace.
Manager Zhao looked at the crowd who didn't dare to utter a sound, seemingly satisfied that no one dared to defy his authority. He chuckled and swaggered away.
After he left, hushed discussions arose, and the junior employee realized that the matter was not over yet.
His colleagues seemed to blame him entirely for being forced to work overtime, their gazes filled with accusation.
"What an idiot! Why didn't you come earlier? You've made everyone work overtime."
"Manager Zhao is right, he is a pig."
"Knowing that he had done something wrong, instead of obediently waiting to be scolded, he planned to question his superior."
"Working with this kind of person would trigger my aversion to stupidity."
The junior employee opened his mouth.
He glanced at the time displayed on his phone screen; it was only 8:01.
In other words, if Supervisor Zhao hadn't stopped him, he would have had time to clock in on time.
He wasn't late at all.
But the junior employee couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
The critical and disdainful looks from the crowd were like heavy steel knives, their blades cutting through his spine, pressing him down so he couldn't lift his head or straighten his back.
Xie Xubai stopped holding the mouse and stared at the commotion without saying a word.
His colleague at the next table nudged his arm with his elbow: "I didn't know you were such a fan of gossip, huh?"
His voice was devoid of any laughter.
Upon hearing the sound, Xie Xubai looked at the young man in the white shirt, whose eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing no emotion.
This person was an intern who joined the company at the same time as him, a year younger than him, named Lü Xiangcai. However, because they both had a lot of work and were extremely busy, and were potential competitors, they had hardly spoken a few words to each other before.
Xie Xubai didn't know why Lü Xiangcai, who had always been indifferent to him, had kindly reminded him just now, and whispered a thank you.
Lu Xiangcai didn't respond to him, coldly shifting his gaze back. Suddenly, he noticed Xie Xubai getting up and walking towards the junior employee.
The young man approached the junior employee from behind, his slender frame blocking most of the ill-intentioned gaze. He politely smiled and asked, "Excuse me, I'm out of folders. Could I borrow one?"
Upon hearing the gentle question, the junior employee, whose head was almost drooping under the desk, sat up a second later and stared blankly at Xie Xubai's harmless face.
"...Ah." The junior employee seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly rummaging through his desk. "Yes, yes! I remember there are a few left, wait a moment."
"It's alright, no rush." As he spoke, Xie Xubai looked around.
Those gazes hadn't left yet, seemingly puzzled as to why Xie Xubai dared to approach a junior employee considered a black sheep at this critical juncture, and even act so friendly.
Confused, awkward, uncomfortable.
Xie Xubai looked back at each of those gazes.
But there were also a few troublemakers, whose gazes were as sharp as nails, filled with malice and unwavering, their necks stiff and their faces full of mockery.
Lu Xiangcai, who had just been indifferent, suddenly stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Supervisor Zhao, why are you back again? Everyone is working hard, except for those few who are looking around and slacking off!"
Instantly, those cowardly bullies snapped to attention, hurriedly turning around to stare at the computer screen, ready for anything: "We didn't slack off, we didn't slack off!"
*Pfft*
No one knows who laughed first, but when they turned around in a panic and found that Manager Zhao was not there at all, their cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and they wanted to crawl into the ground.
Lu Xiangcai gave Xie Xubai a thumbs-up from afar, and Xie Xubai couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle.
The laughter reached the ears of the junior employee who had just looked up. The employee looked up and immediately noticed the young man's smooth profile.
The corners of the man's mouth curved slightly upwards, seemingly glowing faintly under the incandescent light.
The junior employee was momentarily dazed until Xie Xubai looked down at him and quickly handed him the folder: "Here, take it."
"Thank you." Xie Xubai accepted it, and gently patted him on the back with his other hand. "Ten years of hard study didn't break it, how could it be broken by a few sycophantic people?"
The junior employee seemed to be burned by the heat of his palm and immediately straightened his back.
"What are you implying?" The person next to him was embarrassed and looked like he was about to lose his temper.
Xie Xubai suddenly turned his head, his expression changing: "Ah, Manager Zhao."
The man instinctively pulled his head back, his anger extinguished as if doused with a bucket of cold water, sizzling and steaming.
He only realized he'd been tricked when he heard faint laughter again and saw nothing at the door.
Wow, a second goal!
Lu Xiangcai and Xie Xubai, those two scoundrels who are full of lies!
Xie Xubai patted the junior employee on the shoulder and turned back to his workstation.
Lu Xiangcai glanced back and saw the junior employee's eyes shining. He looked over from several workstations away as if he were a hero and joked with Xie Xubai, "Aren't you afraid of offending all your colleagues like this?"
They showed absolutely no awareness of being "accomplices in the crime".
"I'm scared," Xie Xubai said. "If they start group bullying later, I can't take it, and I'll have to resign."
He said it casually, but his expression was calm and showed no sign of wavering.
Lu Xiangcai looked at him and suddenly said in a cryptic tone, "Don't worry, they wouldn't dare."
Xie Xubai took this as a consolation.
You look exceptionally pleasing to the eye today.
Lu Xiangcai's gaze swept around, stopping at Xie Xubai's face, then he revealed the same amazed expression as the breakfast shop owner: "Strange, were you this good-looking before?"
Being praised by the breakfast shop owner is just a friendly greeting from an acquaintance.
It feels a little strange to be complimented on my looks by a female colleague I'm not very familiar with.
Xie Xubai smiled politely but did not respond.
Lu Xiangcai didn't mind, glancing at the fried dough sticks and soy milk under his table, and said, "I just saved your life, so it's not too much to ask you to treat me to breakfast, is it?"
He was referring to the sound he used to bring Xie Xubai back to his senses.
The boss happened to give him an extra fried dough stick, so Xie Xubai handed it to him.
Lu Xiangcai didn't care about getting his hands dirty; he picked it up and started eating, wolfing it down as if he hadn't eaten for several meals.
Seeing how quickly he was eating, Xie Xubai thought for a moment, then broke off half of his own portion and handed it over.
This time, Lu Xiangcai's eyes were filled with genuine gratitude.
After everyone finished eating, Xie Xubai asked again, "You came so early, why didn't you buy breakfast?"
"Don't even mention it. Last night, that skinny Mediterranean guy went crazy for some reason. After you left, he came over and assigned a ton of work. We didn't have time to go home at all and just slept on the chairs."
Lu Xiangcai raised his hand and pointed behind him to several people who looked haggard with dark circles under their eyes, the kind of people who could be carried away on a stretcher at any moment.
Looking at Xie Xubai, who was full of energy, he muttered enviously, "I should have left with you last night."
Hearing this, even the usually composed Xie Xubai couldn't help but be surprised: "They won't even let us go home, doesn't anyone have any objections?"
"How could there not be! But what's the use? We still have to work overtime obediently." Lu Xiangcai waved his hand, went back to work, and sighed, "Let's work hard. According to the company's regulations, as long as we perform well, we can expect to be promoted to a permanent position within three years. If we work two more years, we might even be able to get insurance."
His tone even carried a hint of longing.
You get a permanent position after three years of work, and insurance is only provided after five years, and even then, you have to have outstanding performance.
Such a shocking statement made Xie Xubai's temples throb.
It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head; he suddenly realized that this company's absurd rules didn't stop there.
For example, employees are required to clock in at 8 a.m. even though the work starts at 9 a.m., being a few minutes late will result in a two-month salary deduction. Supervisor Zhao forces all employees to work overtime without pay, and no one dares to object even when the employees are exhausted to the point of near collapse.
Why didn't he feel there was anything wrong with his work during those two months?
Xie Xubai quickly took a sip of soy milk to calm himself down, then calmly opened his phone and searched for "Labor Law".
The result was a blank page; no such entry was found, even after refreshing several times.
The network is working properly, and the phone is not malfunctioning.
There are hundreds of legal provisions; it's impossible that he just made them up.
Xie Xubai turned to Lü Xiangcai: "Do you know about labor laws...?"
Lu Xiangcai looked bewildered: "Labor law? What's that?"
Seeing that the young man in the shirt didn't seem to be faking it, Xie Xubai realized that things might be even stranger than he thought, and slowly furrowed his brows.
He continued his search, covering civil law, constitutional law, criminal law, economic law... He searched through almost every law he could remember, and the results made him suddenly feel cold.
There is no...law?
How is that possible?
Author's Note:
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