The café Ye Zhen had specified was quite far from the company, and it was raining today too. But money made people bow, so Jiang Xiaoyi eventually returned in a weary, wind-and-rain-battered state with the coffee.
But the moment she brought it to Ye Zhen’s office, Ye Zhen glanced at it, pursed his lips, and pushed the coffee back to her.
“This isn’t what I wanted.”
She hadn’t bought the wrong thing, had she?
But Ye Zhen’s expression made Jiang Xiaoyi panic a little. She even began doubting herself. Had she really forgotten some detail?
Just as Jiang Xiaoyi was desperately trying to recall, Ye Zhen said gravely, “This corner of the latte art is ruined.”
…Are you joking with me?
Jiang Xiaoyi leaned closer to look. “Which corner is ruined?”
Ye Zhen glanced at her. “The upper left corner. That feather is too long. It ruins the beauty of the entire design and fails to meet this shop’s usual standard. It instantly lowers the class.”
“…”
The man concluded in an infuriating tone, “Failed latte art like this is more unpleasant than having no latte art at all.”
“I won’t drink this cup of coffee. It’s no longer perfect.” Ye Zhen folded his hands and smiled. “Pour it away and make me a new cup without latte art using the coffee machine.”
…
Jiang Xiaoyi carried the coffee and left Ye Zhen’s office expressionlessly.
At first, Jiang Xiaoyi had secretly rejoiced over this temporary assistant job that paid five or six times her usual salary. Now, she finally understood: money was hard to earn, and shit was hard to eat. That saying was absolutely true.
The amount of salary was directly proportional to the boss’s level of abnormality.
So she had braved wind and rain for nothing?
Why the hell didn’t he say earlier that coffee without latte art was fine?
This was truly the first time Jiang Xiaoyi had ever met such a delicate, troublesome man!
Wasn’t a pretty-faced idiot supposed to be easy to coax? Did Ye Zhen have no basic ethics as an idiot?
**
But this was far from the worst of it. Not long after receiving Ye Zhen’s critical hit, Eunuch Li came to make trouble again with a dark expression.
“Meeting!”
He looked displeasedly at Jiang Xiaoyi. “What are you standing there for? Go prepare the meeting room and pour the tea!”
Jiang Xiaoyi had just finished five hundred psychology test questions until her head spun, and then learned there was still an in-person psychological consultation test waiting for her. She was already irritated and couldn’t help talking back.
“Director Li, didn’t we just hire a newcomer a month ago? Why does preparing the meeting room and pouring tea still have to be done by me?”
Before this, that worthless work had been Wang Yani’s responsibility. But after Jiang Xiaoyi joined the company, it had been passed to her as the junior.
The least senior person in the department handled miscellaneous tasks like serving tea and water. That counted as an unspoken workplace rule, and Jiang Xiaoyi could accept it. But now, after two years of waiting, she finally had a junior of her own, so naturally she planned to hand this work over.
But Eunuch Li replied matter-of-factly without thinking, “The newcomer is a man. Serving tea and water is naturally women’s work. Unless we hire a female newcomer next time, of course you’ll keep doing it.”
Why couldn’t a man serve tea and water? Were female employees in the workplace destined to spend their whole lives doing leftover tasks and acting as assistants who served others?
Jiang Xiaoyi was nearly furious. So serving tea and water was only passed down to women, not men.
“Men are more suitable for doing projects. Men still have to be the ones charging at the front. You women just need to handle logistics support.”
“This job is too important. Jiang Xiaoyi, you definitely aren’t capable of taking on such a heavy responsibility. You women don’t have strong enough psychological quality.”
…
Jiang Xiaoyi remembered Eunuch Li’s old excuses from when he stole her projects, and new hatred mixed with old grudges surged in her heart. At that exact moment, she received a WeChat message from Ye Zhen.
“Half an hour. Check this document.”
No please, no thank you. A complete command sentence.
Jiang Xiaoyi calmly put her phone away and did not reply.
Before long, Ye Zhen called. Jiang Xiaoyi ignored it completely and didn’t answer.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Ye Zhen appeared before Jiang Xiaoyi with a foul expression.
“Do you need me to personally come invite you before you do your work?”
Jiang Xiaoyi pretended to know nothing. “Sorry, President Ye. Did you call me just now? I’m sorry, I was busy pouring tea for Director Li and preparing the meeting room, so I didn’t check my phone…”
Hearing this, Ye Zhen’s face darkened as expected, and he looked at Eunuch Li.
“Do you not have hands or feet? Can’t you pour it yourself?” He pointed at Jiang Xiaoyi. “Is she here to pour tea for you?”
Eunuch Li’s face turned pale with fright. “No, President Ye…”
Jiang Xiaoyi felt a little moved. Although he had boss disease, perhaps Ye Zhen occasionally had flashes of humanity. Was it a bit immoral of her to use him against Eunuch Li?
Unfortunately, before she could finish brewing that emotion, she heard Ye Zhen declare loudly:
“She is specifically here to pour tea for me!”
“…”
Ye Zhen was still displeased. “From now on, you’re not allowed to order her around. She is my temporary assistant. If she pours tea for both you and me, wouldn’t that mean you’re on equal footing with me?”
“I wouldn’t dare, President Ye. I’ll never ask her to pour tea again…”
…
Forget it. She really shouldn’t have too many expectations of Ye Zhen.
Looking at Eunuch Li, who was bowing and scraping, and Ye Zhen, whose face was sour, Jiang Xiaoyi thought: Eunuch Li was poisonous, and unsurprisingly, Ye Zhen was no less toxic. Better to let these two dragons and tigers fight poison with poison, and defeat magic with magic.
**
Although she had been enslaved for a long time, a working person’s endurance was extremely strong. Jiang Xiaoyi successfully passed the psychological test. Her mental state was very healthy, and she was officially hired as Ye Zhen’s temporary assistant.
“Call a meeting this afternoon. Gather all middle and senior management. Print the meeting materials so everyone has a copy. Record the entire meeting.”
For Ye Zhen, calling a meeting was just one sentence. But when it was Jiang Xiaoyi’s turn to actually carry it out, she realised how much mental and physical labour it required.
First came booking and confirming the meeting room, and making sure all the equipment inside, including the projector, was ready for use. Then came the name cards. Preparing name cards was quick, but placing them was subtle and particular. Who sat in the central main seat, who sat to the left and right in order—if even one placement was wrong, it would definitely offend people.
Sending the meeting notice by email alone was completely useless, because most middle and senior managers might not read emails at all. Jiang Xiaoyi had to call them one by one to confirm again.
“I’m ill. It’s inconvenient for me to attend.”
“I have a client appointment. The time conflicts, so I can’t come.”
“I have something on. I’m on leave.”
…
The department middle managers were relatively obedient and responded positively to the meeting, but many senior managers with real power either had connections or backgrounds and did not take Ye Zhen seriously. Some at least made excuses, while others simply ignored Jiang Xiaoyi.
Although Ye Zhen was the group’s crown prince, as a young parachuted-in manager with little seniority, he clearly could not convince everyone. Yet the moment he arrived at Ruiyi, he made personnel adjustments, which had obviously touched the cake of those with vested interests.
Therefore, several senior power groups at Ruiyi were probably planning to state their position at this meeting and give Ye Zhen a show of force: warning him to behave, be a leisurely “crown prince,” and not interfere with the company’s real power.
After Jiang Xiaoyi went around notifying everyone, out of five senior managers, only one claimed they would attend—and even said they would arrive half an hour late.
As the person responsible for calling the meeting, she had a duty to ensure attendance. Jiang Xiaoyi was extremely anxious. This was simply city gates catching fire and innocent fish in the moat getting burned.
Sure enough, during the afternoon meeting, Ye Zhen saw the senior management seats uniformly empty, and his expression instantly darkened. However, Ye Zhen did not ask Jiang Xiaoyi to call and urge them again. He simply began the meeting and then dropped a heavy bomb out of nowhere.
“Everyone who did not attend today does not need to come anymore in the future.” Ye Zhen smiled. “In simple terms, they’re all fired.”
The middle managers present were obviously shocked. Jiang Xiaoyi was also dumbfounded.
Among the middle managers present, there were several spies for the senior managers. Relying on the backing behind them, someone immediately stood up and gave Ye Zhen no face at all.
“Everyone politely calls you President Ye, but randomly transferring personnel is already unacceptable. And now you’re acting like this. Do you really think you’re the crown prince? That you can act however you like? Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish?”
Being challenged on the spot like this was enough to destroy authority and face. With things torn open like this, how was Ye Zhen supposed to step down?
Jiang Xiaoyi was nervous by herself, but Ye Zhen was calm and composed. He very patiently waited for that middle manager to finish, then smiled.
“What’s your surname?”
“My surname is Lin. Lin Kai!”
Lin Kai was Old Fox President Miao’s man. Based on Jiang Xiaoyi’s understanding of the company’s internal relationships, this move had clearly been discussed by several senior managers beforehand. Lin Kai would step forward, then other middle managers would join in.
Lin Kai pressed the advantage and angrily scolded, “If you act like this, we will definitely jointly submit a letter to all the company directors. Even if Old President Ye is the controlling shareholder, this company is the result of all our hard work. If you continue acting recklessly like this, I, Lin Kai, will be the first to resign!”
Sure enough, the other middle managers with backers immediately echoed him.
“I also can’t accept the company being like this. Otherwise, I’ll resign too!”
“Me too!”
…
For a moment, the meeting room was filled with voices of resignation.
Ye Zhen remained calm. Not only did he not stop this resignation wave, he even called HR in front of everyone.
“Lin Kai wants to resign. Come over and take him through the resignation procedures.”
After hanging up, he glanced at Lin Kai. “You do know your surname isn’t Ye, right? With the way you spoke to me, I almost thought you were my father’s illegitimate son living among the people.”
Ye Zhen’s face darkened. “Since I’m an only son, if my father were the emperor, then who would be the crown prince if not me? You?” He said gloomily, “Did you think you could rebel?”
This man’s face changed as quickly as the sky. A moment ago, his face had been dark, and in the next second, a smile blossomed on it. He looked at the stunned Lin Kai.
“Now you may leave.”
Ye Zhen added, “After all, you’ve resigned. You’re no longer part of the company, so it isn’t appropriate for you to attend an internal company meeting.”
Lin Kai had not expected this development at all and immediately looked awkward. “I…”
But Ye Zhen ignored him completely and looked around the entire meeting room.
“Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish. That is my style. I won’t change it. Lin Kai said that as long as I continued acting recklessly in this style, he would resign. He is a man with backbone, so I respect him and granted his wish. This meeting was recorded from the start, and it truthfully recorded that Lin Kai resigned voluntarily, so there will be no severance compensation.”
Ye Zhen smiled. “This is the consequence of rebellion.”
He glanced at the others present. “Who else just said they wanted to resign together?”
…
Lin Kai’s palace-coup-like tactic had originally been intended to give Ye Zhen a show of force. It would probably have worked on normal people. After all, one person could not fight the masses. A young parachuted-in manager with no experience managing a company absolutely would not dare offend all the middle and senior management teams. Therefore, once Lin Kai reached this point, under normal circumstances, the other party would retreat.
Lin Kai had planned very well. Once Ye Zhen showed any sign of softening, Lin Kai would immediately use the opportunity to step down gracefully and give the other party a way out. By then, the effect of beating the mountain to scare the tiger would already have been achieved. Everyone would reconcile on the surface, Ye Zhen would recognise reality, and next time, he would not dare attack so forcefully.
Unfortunately, Ye Zhen was abnormal and not a normal person. He would not consider the company’s operations. He was clearly an unpredictable supreme tyrant who fired whoever he wanted.
“Firing all management will indeed temporarily throw company operations into a certain amount of chaos, but the consequence of chaos is merely loss. I have enough money. Even if Ruiyi operates without senior executives, I can afford to burn money. If one month isn’t enough, then two. If two months aren’t enough, then three. As long as the salary is high enough, I can build a new obedient team and management layer.”
“Every single one of you sitting here is replaceable. To me, if someone doesn’t work, I just change them.” Ye Zhen smiled. “And I’ll make a bet: as long as I throw enough money at it, someone with equal ability will take over your positions the next day.”
Ye Zhen sneered. “So don’t think collective resignation can threaten me.”
In every workplace, power groups that loved banding together were mostly bullies who feared the strong. Those who came together for profit scattered when profit disappeared; those who joined for power collapsed when power was gone. Once they encountered an even more unreasonable authority, they immediately became scattered sand in order to protect themselves.
No one dared mention resignation again. After realising Ye Zhen was not joking, those spies quickly notified the senior managers. Before long, the senior managers who had claimed to be ill, meeting clients, or on leave all arrived one after another.
“President Ye, we didn’t receive any notice.”
“We really didn’t know. No one notified me.”
Ye Zhen didn’t play by the rules, but he seemed bad-tempered, dictatorial, and not like a soft persimmon. These senior managers were all old workplace foxes, so they immediately dumped the blame onto Jiang Xiaoyi.
Ye Zhen looked at Jiang Xiaoyi and interrogated her. “How did you send the meeting notice? You can’t even do something as simple as notifying people?”
Jiang Xiaoyi had no way to defend herself.
What could she do? Say that she had actually notified them? Wouldn’t that offend the senior managers? She could only painfully swallow this grievance and take the blame.
At a time like this, she definitely could not be the one to speak first. But as long as Ye Zhen asked whether she had sent emails and made calls, Jiang Xiaoyi would be able to defend herself.
However, Ye Zhen clearly had the common problem of all bosses—because he had never started from the grassroots level, he knew nothing about how work was actually pushed forward. He took it for granted that calling a meeting could be handled with one simple notice, and he had no idea how difficult it was for a “sandwich biscuit” like Jiang Xiaoyi to survive in the cracks.
He did not ask at all. He simply looked at Jiang Xiaoyi and accepted by default that it was her fault.
“When I hold a senior management meeting, I absolutely do not allow anyone to be late, leave early, or take leave. Anyone with these issues leaves immediately. Don’t let your inadequate notification cause me to fire the wrong people.”
Ye Zhen’s tone was cold, like a jade-faced King of Hell. “If this happens again, you can leave. I won’t hold it against you this time, but your performance bonus for this month will be deducted.”
He looked at Jiang Xiaoyi. “I have a bad temper, but I’m not short of money. Firing people only means paying severance compensation, and to me, that is only a number. In work, no one is irreplaceable. I only have one principle: whoever makes me unhappy, I’ll make them unhappy.”
“I’ll say the ugly words first. This is just how the workplace is. Either endure it, or get lost.”
Ye Zhen paused. “So Jiang Xiaoyi, as my temporary assistant and employee, you’ll have to work with me long-term from now on. I hope you remember this. I won’t adapt to others, so I hope you learn to adapt to me as soon as possible.”
…
During the rest of the meeting, Jiang Xiaoyi heard nothing. Her face burned.
It wasn’t that Eunuch Li had never scolded her. For money and survival, she was also quite capable of enduring. But since childhood, she had always been a well-behaved good student. She had never been reprimanded so ruthlessly in front of so many middle and senior managers. Now her heart alternated between cold and hot. At first, there was grievance and embarrassment, then anger and injustice. She felt her self-respect had been deeply wounded.
In workplace infighting, the ones ultimately dragged down were always bottom-level cannon fodder like her!
Why should she, Jiang Xiaoyi, work for trash like Ye Zhen?
Wasn’t it just a bit of stinking money? It wasn’t like she couldn’t find another job!
“President Ye, I’m unable to handle this job. I voluntarily resign.”
After the meeting ended, in Ye Zhen’s office, Jiang Xiaoyi said this with a cold face.
She would not earn this money!
Ye Zhen was clearly a little surprised. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jiang Xiaoyi without speaking. He slowly poured himself a cup of tea, calm and composed, as if he had already concluded that Jiang Xiaoyi didn’t have that kind of backbone.
Looking down on people like that—she, Jiang Xiaoyi, was a person with integrity!
To show her attitude, Jiang Xiaoyi said angrily, “I can’t endure this high-pressure, harsh working environment for even one more day. I clearly notified them. You should have scolded them, not me!”
Ye Zhen took a sip of tea and assumed a boss-like sitting posture. He glanced at Jiang Xiaoyi. “Ten times.”
Ye Zhen smiled. “This month, I’ll pay you ten times your salary. I also won’t deduct your performance bonus. I’ll reimburse one personal hobby expense for you, and I can agree to one reasonable request.”
He paused, then showed a hint of insincere regret on his face and said in an infuriating tone, “That was the offer I originally planned to make. But since you want to resign, I’ll find another assistant.”
…
Ten times? And no performance bonus deduction?
Wait… Even Han Xin endured the humiliation of crawling between someone’s legs…
Jiang Xiaoyi pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, President Ye. I was joking with you just now. I don’t plan to resign.”
The expression on Ye Zhen’s face was quite amused. “Didn’t you just say you couldn’t endure it for even one more day?”
Jiang Xiaoyi said calmly, “I think I can endure it a little longer.”
Ye Zhen played with his teacup. “Didn’t you say the working environment was high-pressure and harsh?”
Jiang Xiaoyi’s expression did not change. “Mainly, you are too outstanding and too perfect. Being with you makes me feel inferior. Every moment, I fear my imperfection will affect you, so I feel inferior and my self-perception lowers. That’s why I subconsciously wanted to escape. But as the saying goes, ‘Even when strong winds rise, one must never give up on life.’ Working with someone like you is the only way to improve myself. I should face difficulty head-on.”
What was integrity?
Integrity was hiding one’s strength and preserving one’s power! The green mountains would not change, and the flowing waters would run long!
Ye Zhen was very hateful, but who told him to have money power?
Now this man’s face showed the understanding of someone who had everything under control, as if he wasn’t surprised by this result at all. His expression was one of great mercy.
“So tell me, what hobbies do you have? Whatever you want to learn, I can reimburse you for a year’s fees. Go back and think it over. After you pay, bring me the receipt for reimbursement.”
What hobbies did Jiang Xiaoyi have? Her mind was blank. Even if she had things she liked doing, after work every day she was like a dead dog. Where would she find the energy to develop hobbies?
But saving Ye Zhen money would be cruelty to herself!
If she couldn’t think of a hobby for the moment, she could immediately manufacture a new one!
After returning to her workstation, Jiang Xiaoyi thought it over and suddenly remembered the club where she had worked part-time during university. Enlightenment struck her. Wasn’t this a hobby?!
So she immediately opened the club’s webpage and topped up a yearly membership card.
Half an hour later, she entered Ye Zhen’s office with the electronic bill and payment proof.
“Fire Extinguishing Club?” Ye Zhen took the bill and frowned. “What is this?”
Jiang Xiaoyi remained calm and composed without blushing or her heart racing. “President Ye, my dream used to be becoming a firefighter. Although I didn’t succeed in the end, firefighting became my hobby. At this club, I can get an ultra-realistic firefighting experience. It soothes the soul and feels like finding a home.”
This time, Ye Zhen showed genuine surprise. He looked at Jiang Xiaoyi twice with an indescribable expression. “Your hobby is quite unique…”
But although he said that, he reimbursed Jiang Xiaoyi readily.
After getting the money, Jiang Xiaoyi did not leave immediately. She pursed her lips and looked at Ye Zhen.
“Also, President Ye, you said before that you could satisfy one request of mine, right?”
Ye Zhen raised an eyebrow. “You should cherish this opportunity and think carefully. But it can’t be excessive. Have you already decided?”
“Mm.” Jiang Xiaoyi nodded. “I want an electronic photo of you.”
Ye Zhen had thought he would hear Jiang Xiaoyi say she wanted a promotion or overseas training. At worst, perhaps she would ask him to get concert tickets or something like that. Unexpectedly, she wanted nothing else and only wanted a photo of him!
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Why do you want my photo?”
“Because last time I drew your portrait, many details weren’t handled well. If I have a photo to copy from, my drawing skills will surely improve.”
Ye Zhen frowned, full of vigilance and disbelief. “Do you think I’m stupid? What exactly do you want the photo for? Do you think I’ll buy your lie about practising your drawing skills?”
Jiang Xiaoyi was determined to get the photo. At this point, she could only brace herself and say, “I lied. I want your photo because of my vanity. I want to show off to my friends how handsome my boss is.”
After spouting such nonsense, she mentally prepared herself to receive Ye Zhen’s scolding. Unexpectedly, Ye Zhen did not scold her. He even readily accepted Jiang Xiaoyi’s explanation.
“Now I understand.” The man’s tone was perfectly at ease, and his expression was rather merciful. “I’ve sent you the photo, but don’t spread it widely. I’m afraid someone will submit it online and it’ll go trending.”
“…”
Men. So ordinary, yet so confident.
Who gave him this confidence? If Ye Zhen went trending, it definitely wouldn’t be because he was handsome, but because he was abnormal!
**
Half an hour later, the moment it was time to get off work, Jiang Xiaoyi sneakily printed more than a dozen colour copies of Ye Zhen’s photo and hid them in her bag. As soon as work ended, she rushed out.
It was time to go to the Fire Extinguishing Club!
The Fire Extinguishing Club was not large and was rather niche. Not many people knew about it, and it had barely ever done any marketing, but its bookings were almost full every day.
The founder was Shan Hui, a senior several years above Jiang Xiaoyi. In her second year of university, Jiang Xiaoyi had learned from the campus forum that the club was hiring part-time workers. Out of trust for a senior, she went to apply. Unexpectedly, the work atmosphere was relaxed and lively. Shan Hui also took good care of her. The wages were quite generous. If Jiang Xiaoyi had something come up at school or at home and asked for leave at short notice, Shan Hui never criticised her. During holidays, whatever benefits the club’s formal employees received, Jiang Xiaoyi, as a temporary worker, also got a share.
Thinking of this, Jiang Xiaoyi felt somewhat emotional. All things considered, although the Fire Extinguishing Club had not been her proper job, Shan Hui had been the best boss she had ever met.
Now, after several years, the Fire Extinguishing Club’s operations had become more mature. The professional receptionist was very polite.
“Miss Jiang, what kind of fire would you like to choose? We have small fire, medium fire, large fire, extra-large fire, and super-super-super-large fire. The larger the fire, the more venting scenarios there are, and the richer the tools…”
“Give me large fire!” Jiang Xiaoyi said heroically, then pulled out the colour photos of Ye Zhen. “These. Stick them on for me!”
Ten minutes later, Jiang Xiaoyi was led into the prepared large-fire room. Inside, all the mannequins and sandbags had thoughtfully been pasted with Ye Zhen’s photo. Beside them were venting tools such as inflatable hammers and boxing gloves.
In addition to mannequins and sandbags, there was also a whack-a-mole set. Naturally, the moles all had Ye Zhen’s face.
The large-fire room cost more to book, but you got what you paid for. It unlocked more scenarios too. Not far from the whack-a-mole equipment, there was also a balloon shooting game. Every balloon had Ye Zhen’s punchable face on it.
Jiang Xiaoyi walked into the room and smiled coldly. First, she picked up an inflatable hammer…
**
After establishing his authority in front of several senior managers, that night, Ye Zhen met with friends for drinks and shared his recent troubles.
“I suspect my temporary assistant has feelings for me.” He swirled his glass, expressing his worries in a humblebragging tone. “Although using her today as a warning to others was indeed not very appropriate, after I gave her financial compensation, she forgave me very quickly, as expected.”
“Then I told her I could satisfy one request, and she actually asked me for a photo. She claimed she wanted to show off to her friends. Does she think I’m stupid? Isn’t she obviously going to keep it for herself too?”
Ye Zhen took a sip of wine and sighed. “I’ve already treated her so badly, but I didn’t expect she would still be like this. Looks like I need to treat her even worse and hope she wakes up during work later.”
“However, her hobby is firefighting. That’s a plus point. If a fire ever breaks out, I believe she’ll definitely be able to protect me.” Ye Zhen smiled. “I hope she accumulates firefighting experience properly.”
…
**
Meanwhile, at the Fire Extinguishing Club, inside the large-fire room, Jiang Xiaoyi was sweating freely as she “exercised,” accumulating precious “firefighting” experience.
She was mercilessly beating a sandbag with Ye Zhen’s face.
“Ye Zhen, today I’ll deliver justice on behalf of heaven and beat you to death!”
“I’ll kick your crotch!”
“Punch your face!”
“Pummel your chest!”
“Rip out your hair!”
… This was what professional firefighting looked like!
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