After Eunuch Li finished posting, he figured that once they found the scumbag and cleared their name, everything would be fine. So, right on schedule, he slipped downstairs to the beauty salon for a SPA treatment to maintain his “beauty,” leaving Jiang Xiaoyi, unable to contact him or delete the post, to spend the rest of the day in constant panic.
Meanwhile, although the new boss still hadn’t shown up, he was already making big moves.
“Did you see the email announcement about the personnel adjustments?” Wang Yani held up her phone, looking shaken. “I heard this is only the beginning…”
Jiang Xiaoyi opened the email and looked.
The entire Integrated Operations Office had been dismissed. Half of the Strategy Office had been let go. Even auxiliary roles like Legal and Finance had lost people.
“People from HR said President Ye thinks Ruiyi’s departments are bloated and hard to manage. Although we’re considered a leading company in the entertainment industry, we’ve been losing money in our financial reports for five consecutive years, so he wants to streamline staff aggressively. For now, only some departments have been adjusted. Our Project Incubation Department hasn’t had anyone fired yet, but there’s no guarantee about what comes next… I wonder who he’ll fire. Could he eliminate a public nuisance and get rid of Eunuch Li?”
Wang Yani said it casually, but Jiang Xiaoyi felt desolate inside.
Eunuch Li was probably going to be dragged out and executed at the Meridian Gate, but she would likely be buried with him.
She hadn’t expected that although she had managed to save her full attendance bonus, she might now lose her job…
What made Jiang Xiaoyi feel even worse was that she had originally held some expectations for Ye Zhen.
Ruiyi was already a subsidiary under the Ye Group. The company did have many problems, but its internal relationships were complicated, with plenty of nepotism and interest groups. Reform had always been difficult to implement. Now that the “Crown Prince” had been parachuted in, it did make people feel that the group headquarters valued Ruiyi and was determined to reform it.
But…
But this Ye Zhen didn’t understand the industry at all!
In the personnel adjustment email, aside from layoffs and department streamlining, there were also transfers among senior executives.
President Zhang, who was familiar with the practical side of culture and entertainment industry planning, had been transferred from the Planning Department to the Analysis and Operations Department, which specialised in writing industry analysis reports.
President Miao, who was good at analysing industry trends, had been transferred to the Enterprise Research Department, which was responsible for liaising with and visiting culture and entertainment companies.
Meanwhile, the director of the Research Department, who was extremely familiar with companies, had been sent to do industry planning—something he knew absolutely nothing about.
This was basically transferring people to whatever role they were least suited for!
This Ye Zhen was a new official setting three fires, relying on his status as the crown prince and playing some chaotic reshuffling game!
Not only was he not easy to deal with, he was also a pretty-faced idiot!
Jiang Xiaoyi was lamenting internally when Wang Yani answered a phone call and immediately became nervous.
“Quick, quick! Notify Eunuch Li!” she said anxiously. “The Administration Department said President Ye will come to inspect our Project Incubation Department in half an hour!”
!!!
Jiang Xiaoyi’s vision went black.
Were her final days at Ruiyi down to only this last half hour?
**
“Jiang Xiaoyi! Are you trying to summon my soul?! I was only doing a SPA, and you called me more than twenty times! You nearly drained my battery! Would it kill you to talk about it later?”
Half an hour later, Eunuch Li returned to the office cursing and grumbling. Jiang Xiaoyi immediately went up to him, wanting to explain that yes, talking about it later really could kill them.
But at that exact moment, the elevator dinged.
Ye Zhen had arrived too.
This time, the man had changed clothes. He was no longer in casual wear, but in an obviously expensive suit. The Western cut did not look loose on him at all. It fit perfectly, making him look tall and broad. The well-tailored trousers made his long legs look even straighter and longer. He looked completely like a walking clothes rack.
Paired with that face, even though Jiang Xiaoyi had seen him not long ago, she still felt struck by the visual impact, as if the entire Project Incubation Department had been instantly elevated by his presence.
He was eye-catching, young, and handsome, but also had a powerful aura.
He really was handsome—unforgettably handsome.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xiaoyi was in no mood to appreciate it. She desperately lowered her head and prayed silently.
She hadn’t been the only one in the elevator earlier. The boss was busy every day, an important person with many things to remember. He might not remember her.
The administrative director followed behind Ye Zhen and was just about to introduce him when Eunuch Li angrily interrupted.
“Good, it’s you! Finally found you! With character this poor, it’s useless even if you dress like a proper person! Why are you dressed so formally on a normal day? Are you getting married? A man this flashy—no wonder your manners are terrible!”
Jiang Xiaoyi’s sketch had been so accurate that the moment Eunuch Li saw Ye Zhen, he recognised him on the spot.
Jiang Xiaoyi had calculated a thousand possibilities, but she had not expected that Eunuch Li, used to throwing his weight around, would suddenly attack without knowing the truth and send himself straight to his death.
After pointing at Ye Zhen’s nose and speaking so rudely, he glanced at the already stunned administrative director behind Ye Zhen.
“Old Ji, we’ve fought for so many years. I didn’t expect you to still have principles and a bottom line. You helped me catch this scumbag who caused our Project Incubation Department to be wronged!”
The administrative director was not just sweating—he was practically about to cry. He immediately tried to salvage the car-crash scene.
“Director Li, have you mistaken him for someone else…”
“No way!” Eunuch Li said smugly.
Apparently, dying alone wasn’t enough for him. He immediately looked at Jiang Xiaoyi, who had lowered her head and had originally been trying to erase her presence, and warmly invited her to join him in dying heroically.
“Our Jiang Xiaoyi here studied art properly. Her drawing is vivid and lifelike, almost a one-hundred-percent restoration! Didn’t you see it on the company’s internal forum too? Otherwise, how could you help me catch this ill-mannered man so quickly? Don’t worry. In the future, I’ll put in a few good words for you in front of President Ye.”
At that moment, if Jiang Xiaoyi had a grenade in her hand, she would have wanted to hug Eunuch Li and perish together with him.
Shut the hell up!!!
If you say a little less, maybe I can still leave behind a respectable corpse!
Sure enough, as soon as Eunuch Li finished speaking, Ye Zhen’s cool gaze swept over Jiang Xiaoyi.
Eunuch Li glanced at his watch.
“But isn’t President Ye supposed to come for an inspection? Why isn’t he here yet? Perfect timing. We can drag this uncultured man in front of President Ye and clear our department’s name. After all, high quality has always been synonymous with our department…”
Before Eunuch Li could continue praising himself, Ye Zhen interrupted him with a cold expression.
“Li You’ai. Leaving your post during work hours. According to company regulations, your performance bonus for one month will be deducted.”
“Huh? When did I leave my post? Aren’t I right here?”
“Unfortunately, I happened to see you enter the building from the beauty salon downstairs. Of course, everything requires evidence. I’ll have the HR director request your records from the beauty salon to see what treatments you had done and calculate exactly how long you were away from your post. Since we’re going there anyway, we’ll also review your past records to see whether you’ve left your post during working hours before and deduct performance bonuses accordingly.”
In the entire company, no one had ever dared to challenge the authority of Eunuch Li, His Nine-Thousand-Year Majesty, like this. He immediately flew into a rage.
“Who do you think you are?”
The administrative director was sweating buckets.
“Th-This is President Ye…”
Wang Yani was shocked. Eunuch Li cracked. The other colleagues’ expressions were also awkward. Only Ye Zhen remained calm, as if awkwardness had nothing to do with him.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, glanced meaningfully at Jiang Xiaoyi, and then slowly said, “Mm. Perfect time to introduce myself. I am Ye Zhen. From now on, I will be directly managing the most well-mannered Project Incubation Department. I hope that one day, your high quality will be able to reform the low-quality me.”
“…”
“Also, Jiang Xiaoyi, is it? You drew my portrait? And spread it widely across the company intranet?” Ye Zhen smiled. “I heard it looked very much like me? A one-hundred-percent restoration?”
Eunuch Li had already recovered from the shock. He immediately went to his desk, took Jiang Xiaoyi’s drawing, and drew a clear line between himself and her.
“President Ye, I’m sorry. I acted rashly. I listened to Jiang Xiaoyi’s instigation and malicious report, and misunderstood you…”
“…”
Damn Eunuch Li. They had clearly been brothers in the same trench, agreeing to fight the enemy together. Yet the moment Imperial Commander Ye Zhen entered the village, before any torture had even been used, he sold Jiang Xiaoyi out and became a traitor without the slightest burden!
Ye Zhen looked at the drawing and smiled. He didn’t seem angry.
“The drawing is pretty good. I didn’t expect the Project Incubation Department to have such a talented employee.”
Many bosses cherished talent and could tolerate the strange tempers and defiance of capable people. So with Ye Zhen’s attitude, was he planning to let bygones be bygones? Had she earned the Imperial Commander’s appreciation through her skill?
With that guess in mind, Jiang Xiaoyi carefully raised her head and found Ye Zhen smiling at her.
So this was over?
Should she thank him now?
But just as Jiang Xiaoyi was about to speak, Ye Zhen withdrew his smile.
“But I never authorised it, so you infringed on my rights. Drawing a portrait unrelated to work during working hours—performance bonus deducted.”
“…”
“Also, ignoring the first-come, first-served order in the elevator is indeed ill-mannered.”
What did he mean? Did this boss still have some conscience and know how to reflect on himself? Had things taken a turn again?
Ye Zhen smiled and shattered Jiang Xiaoyi’s fantasy in seconds.
“But giving way to the boss in an elevator is an employee’s basic morality and cultivation.”
“…” A devil was still a devil.
“Considering that you didn’t know who I was, I won’t hold it against you this time.” Although there had been a smile on his face just moments ago, Ye Zhen withdrew it in the next second and said coldly, “There won’t be a next time.”
“As for this drawing, redraw it.” He looked at the portrait Jiang Xiaoyi had drawn and said with dissatisfaction, “The proportion of the eyes in relation to the whole face doesn’t match the real me. You drew too few eyelashes. I cannot forgive such a basic mistake. To be my employee, you must be absolutely rigorous. A drawing like this cannot be called a one-hundred-percent restoration at all.”
Ye Zhen smiled again with that flawless face.
“Remember not to use working hours.”
“There will be job transfers in a few days. I hope you’ll cooperate. If anyone feels the adjustments are unsuitable, you may contact HR and go through resignation procedures.”
After saying this, he swept a cold glance over everyone before leaving with the administrative director.
…
What kind of new breed of pervert was this???
Jiang Xiaoyi had originally thought that after experiencing Eunuch Li, she could withstand any type of boss. She hadn’t expected that only today would she truly see the world. Her mentality instantly became humble. She realised she still wasn’t capable. Far from capable…
While Jiang Xiaoyi was furiously roasting him internally, Wang Yani and the other female colleagues were gazing after Ye Zhen’s retreating back with admiration.
“President Ye is so handsome!”
“That’s how a boss should talk! It was just like watching a drama! Even more real than a TV actor! And he has such presence!”
“His face and body make food taste better. He made me immediately order pizza and milk tea…”
…
Easy for you to say—you weren’t the ones being scolded!
A group of mortals whose values completely follow appearances!
Leave a Reply