Two or three o’clock in the afternoon is the peak hour for employees to feel tired and muddle-head in the office. But today is different, all Huading’s employees feel energetic. This is because they have heard some gossip and know that this afternoon’s meeting will be tense. They don’t dare to think the outcome of this meeting. It is not easy to find a better job nowadays. Many people are worried that the company will lay off its employees because of the recent recession. So at the beginning of the meeting, many employees waiting for the conclusion about dismissing staff.

Lu Chengyu followed Cao Jingshen into the conference room on the 28th floor. Cao Jingshen gave him a laptop and said, “You will take notes of today’s meeting.”

Is this his job as a stenographer? Lu Chengyu looked at the silver-enclosed notebook in front of him. It looked very new and seldom being used.

“In the future, if you are using your own laptop, you can bring it to work. If you don’t have any laptop, the company will provide one for you.” Cao Jingshen looks at Lu Chengyu and found that he was checking on this laptop. Cao Jingshen pushed his eyeglasses and said, “Rest assured, this notebook is new.” He implies that no one is doing something to the laptop.

Lu Chengyu said while laughing: “Is this laptop is free of charge?”

“If you sign a contract with the company for more than two years, you can get it for free.” Cao Jingshen opened a folder and stopped looking at Lu Chengyu. “The premise is that you can formally pass the probation period.”

“Then I’ll use this one,” said Lu Chengyu, as if he hadn’t heard anything from Cao Jingshen, he opened a blank document on the laptop and wait leisurely for the meeting to begin.

Cao Jingshen looked up at him and said nothing. The meeting room became quiet, but neither of them felt awkward and they do their own thing.

Soon several major shareholders and managers of various departments’ branches came one after another, and basically, everyone had a secretary behind them. Lu Chengyu finally understood why Huading still had a Secretarial Department and Cao Jingshen was the chief-secretary. Indeed, Huading’s internal organization is very complicated.

At 2:50 p.m, all the related people have arrived. Just when everyone thought the big boss would be late, Cao Jingshen suddenly stood up and went to open the conference room’s carved door. A young looking man, aged around 27 – 28 years old, in a black suit and tie came in. To Lu Chengyu’s surprise, he felt familiar with him. Where he had seen him?

“The meeting can begin now. Let’s discuss our views about the company.” Yan Mu sat down on the boss’ chair. Without looking at anyone he threw one file straight onto the table.

“Er shu?(Second uncle)?and San shu?(Third uncle)?are the old people in this company, so it’s better to start with you two.” After Yan Lao Er?(Yan second old man)?and Yan Lao San?(Yan third old man)?exchanged look, Yan Lao San opened his somewhat unhappy mouth and said, “Why does it sound like you are asking for guilt when you said that?”

Yan Mu look at Yan Lao San for a while before he said, “Since you don’t want to talk about it, let’s have a look some good things that I have here. There is strength in the number, so if anyone sees any wrong information, feel free to point it out.” He turned to Cao Jingshen, who was sitting beside.”Jingshen, give out a copy of the information to everyone.”

Cao Jingshen opened a folder and took out a stack of papers. He hand over half of the papers to Lu Chengyu.

Lu Chengyu did not hesitate. He went to the other side and give out the papers, one by one in order. When he gives it to Yan Lao San, he received a sneer of disdain. Chengyu saw Yan Lao San taking a picture of the information that he just gives out, page-by-page. When he gave the papers to Yan Lao Er, Chengyu saw he was very calm. It seems like the second uncle was calmer than the third uncle.

The indifference attitude of people in the meeting who take the information change as soon as they read it. After they read it, many people start sweating, especially Yan Lao San. It was splendid to see his face change from red to green and green to white.

Lu Chengyu did not look at the contents of the information. The remaining papers were placed casually in front of Cao Jingshen. As soon as he sat back in his position, he heard a bang. He looked up and saw Yan Lao San smashing a teacup. The secretary behind him was bowing awkwardly to pick it up.

Yan Mu ignored him and began to talk about the company’s new regulation. Lu Chengyu listened to it while typing quickly on the blank document to record. For a while, only Yan Mu’s voice and Lu Chengyu’s keyboard-tapping noise were heard in the quiet conference room.

After Yan Mu finish explaining the new regulation, he looked solemnly at everyone in the conference room. “I heard that some people are going to resign. We always talk about democracy in Huading. If anyone wants to leave, I will never persuade them to stay.”

Lu Chengyu recorded the last sentence. When he heard Yan Mu’s last statement, he could not help but lit a candle to the people present. It seems that Yan Mu is forcing some of them to leave their jobs voluntarily so that the company can pay less dismissal compensation fees, which is quite perfect.

The people in the meeting understand what Yan Mu try to imply. In this situation, anyone who has any record of illegal operation in the company has to leave their post voluntarily. Since Yan Mu dares to say such things, he must have any kind of evidence in his hands.

“Ah Mu, is this something proper for you to do?” said Yan Lao Er while holding his teacup. Then he laughed and say “After all, if so many people quit their jobs in such a large company as Huading, wouldn’t it show instability in outsiders’ minds? Now we have a lot of problems in Huading, if we fall down again..and if the eldest brother who is in Heaven now knows it, he wouldn’t be in peace and wants to come back.”

For Chengyu, it is a disgusting tactic when someone tries to take advantage by being older than you and saying things like ‘I’m doing this for your own benefit’, just like what Yan Lao Er trying to do to Yan Mu now. This person has a serious moral problem. Chengyu takes a look at Yan Mu. Although his face doesn’t change, Yan Mu’s eyes seem cold when he looks at Yan Lao Er, as if he were looking at a rat in a garbage dump.

“Since this company has become mine, I have the final say, and my father has passed away. As for the reason why this company has so many problems, you should be the one who knows best from everyone else”. Yan Mu sneered, “What’s more Er Shu, you have added a new family member recently, a healthy baby boy, it is not good to mention about the deceased.”

Hearing this, Yan Lao Er’s face cannot remain calm because of shame. Because of this illegitimate son, he has lost his face in front of other staff when his wife goes to the company and makes noise. Now that Yan Mu mentions it again, naturally, he was not in a better mood.

“Nonsense. Yan Mu, you are absolutely being disrespectful. Since eldest brother is not here, I will take his place to teach you a lesson today.” Yan Lao San who already lost his face long ago, at last, unable to remain calm as he has a fierce temper, he picked up the teacup in front of his neighbour seat and threw it at Yan Mu.

The?teacup in this conference room is opaque with white background and blue flower [1], it is impossible not to bleed if someone was hit by it. Everyone here, including Yan Lao Er, was shocked. If it really hit someone, even resigning wouldn’t be enough to solve the problem.

[1]

In this instant, a folder flew over towards the teacup and collided with it on the air. The teacup crash in the middle of the conference’s table. The tea inside the teacup splashed all over Yan Lao Er’s head and face. He was covered with it.

The atmosphere in the entire conference room suddenly became extremely weird. Nobody expected Yan Lao San to do such mindless things, not to mention that someone would able to stop the teacup. Now they are having a meeting, not holding a?Wulin [2]?competition, aren’t they?

[2] 武林 [wǔ lín]: martial arts (social) circles

At the same time, a pair of eyes is looking towards the man who throws the document before, only to find that he (Chengyu) was a young man he has never seen before. Is this Yan Mu’s new appointed bodyguard? But it doesn’t look like it, this man looks pure and has white-snow-like skin.

“I’m sorry, my hands slipped.” Lu Chengyu smiled, he gets up calmly and takes the folder back. He pulls out a handkerchief from his trouser’s pocket, wiped the water stains on the folder and returned it to Cao Jingshen, who was sitting on his left-hand side. Just now, the only thing near to Chengyu was a laptop in front of him. Only the folder in front of Cao Jingshen is suitable to throw.

In his previous life, Chengyu has spent more than half a year in the martial arts hall, and work for some time in a bar. He is embarrassed to say that he has both skills.

“Oh, that’s all right.” Cao Jingshen holds his glasses, unconsciously accepts the folder and looks at Lu Chengyu in a different way. Which part of this boy does his boss take a fancy to??(T/n: well, I bet it was all his part (?ω?*))

After a strange silence, Yan Mu looked at Lu Chengyu, who was calm from beginning to end and turned to Yan Lao San. “It seems that my San Shu is very dissatisfied with me. In this case, you don’t have to come to Huading tomorrow. I will send the dismissal letter to your office in the afternoon.” When Yan Lao San was about to get angry again, he added quickly, “If San Shu didn’t agree, we’d leave it to the police to deal with the things you did before.”

Yan Lao San’s face was red and he held his breath for half a day. He hit the table and stood up. “Okay, now you have?strong wings [3], thinking that we old man are useless.?Lao Tzu [4]?doesn’t need any dismissal letter from you. From today on, Lao Tzu doesn’t work anymore!” After that, he slammed the door and left the conference room.

[3] 翅膀硬了[chì bǎng yìng le]: person have grown up (and become independent);

[4] 老子 [lǎo zi]: “I, your father” (in anger, or out of contempt) or I (used arrogantly or jocularly)

Originally, the others were harbouring intention to stay in Huading, but after Yan Lao San compromise, they gave up their initial intention. It’s better to quit the company now. If Yan Mu really get angry and expose their affairs, they won’t be able to mingle in this circle anymore in the future.

Yan Mu saw everyone in conference room understand this immediately. Therefore, those who in Huading wouldn’t dare to do anything funny in the future. He uses the?best steel to make the knifes edge[5], it’s enough to do this kind of things once so that everyone knows his means.

[5] 好钢用在刀刃上 [hǎo gāng yòng zài dāo rèn shang]: use the best material where it is needed most;

Yan Lao Er is more sensible compared to Yan Lao San. Now that he knew the whole situation was settled and it was useless to make trouble, he finally signed his name on the resignation letter.

The people in the conference room gradually sign the resignation letter. Yan Lao Er was still sitting in his seat with a smile on his face and looked at the Yan Mu who didn’t show much expression from beginning to end. He lit a cigarette, walk to the window and said, “You are not like your father.”

“Not being like him is the luckiest thing in my life.” mocked Yan Mu and he laugh. Although his father is somewhat capable, he was a schemer and trickster. If it wasn’t for the woman he kept outside the house come and make noise about their son, his mother?(Yan Mu’s mom)?wouldn’t die because of illness. If it wasn’t for his grandfather have power in politics, his father’s mistress and illegitimate sons would have entered the Yan Family.

Lu Chengyu hung his head lower silently. He seems to listen to something he shouldn’t hear.

Yan Mu sneered. Those days, the Yan family depended on the Mu family to get a firm foothold, until today, they didn’t dare to offend Mu Jia.

When Yan Lao Er heard this, he put extinguish his cigarette in the ashtray: “Anyway, now your surname is Yan, not Mu.”

Yan Mu raised his lips and laugh sarcastically.

Yan Lao Er felt somewhat chilly on his back when he listens to Yan Mu’s laugh. He picked up his suit jacket on the chair and walked past Lu Chengyu. He said with a smile, “Young man, you are healthy and has good hands.”

Lu Chengyu laughed and said, ” You will be healthy if you sleep and wake up early.”

Yan Lao Er felt that the Lu Chengyu was laughing at the fact that he went out to find a woman at night and made an illegitimate child. His smile sank down, he turned around and left.

Lu Chengyu helplessly shrugged his shoulders. Yan Lao Er’s temper is bad, in spite of the fact that he was older than him.

He looked back and saw his big BOSS is looking at him.