C3 A Punishment

Over the past few years, the four vice presidents, including himself, had been neck and neck, each experiencing their share of victories and defeats. But now, the landscape had shifted. His protege, Shea Rongfan, had stirred up a scandal that, while not quite severing his arm, certainly chopped off a finger. This blunder would undoubtedly put him at a disadvantage in the ongoing power struggle with the other vice presidents.

The issue at hand was the unspoken rule of favoring female subordinates for personal gain—a common but discreet practice. Shea Rongfan, Xie Bi, and the other vice presidents had all engaged in such behavior. The unspoken agreement was simple: without concrete evidence, no one would call out the others.

Yet, Shea Rongfan had not only crossed the line, but he had also boasted about his actions to the entire Planning Department staff, as if he had accomplished a noble feat. This left Xie Bi incensed, his rage simmering to the point of eruption. Offering Shea Rongfan protection was now out of the question; the other vice presidents would surely seize this golden opportunity.

"Director Xie, what's our next move?" Zhou Yuan, undoubtedly one of Xie Bi's most trusted confidants and hence his secretary, inquired. It was a position only the most reliable could fill.

"What else can we do? Tell that fool to pack his things and get out!" Xie Bi's face was a portrait of stormy anger, nearly dripping with disdain.

"And what about Wan Li?" Zhou Yuan ventured another question.

Xie Bi shot Zhou Yuan a frosty look. "Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

Chilled by the response, Zhou Yuan quickly nodded. "Understood." It was clear that Wan Li was also to be shown the door.

...

Ten minutes later, as the effects of the True Word Talisman wore off, Shea Rongfan regained his composure, his face draining of color. He might not understand why he had spilled the beans, but he was acutely aware that his career was over. Admitting to exploiting a female subordinate and abusing power in public was a career-ending move, and not even the support of Xie Bi could save him now.

Sure enough, Zhou Yuan strode into the Planning Department, his face set in a frosty mask, eyes blazing with fury.

Shea Rongfan's legs shook uncontrollably. Zhou Yuan's purpose for showing up at this moment was crystal clear.

"Brother Zhou Yuan," Shea Rongfan called out, his voice tinged with unease. Despite technically holding a higher position and being over a decade Zhou Yuan's senior, he knew that Zhou Yuan's standing with Xie Bi was beyond comparison. This was especially true now that Shea Rongfan had made a misstep and was consumed by guilt.

Zhou Yuan gave Shea Rongfan a chilling look and said without a trace of emotion, "Manager Shi, CEO Xie is already aware of the situation. You and your companion are free to leave the company now."

"Brother Zhou Yuan, please, let me explain. I..." Shea Rongfan's face was ashen.

But Zhou Yuan cut him off with an icy tone, "No need to explain to me. Actions have consequences, and since we're colleagues, let's try to avoid a spectacle."

Shea Rongfan's face flickered between hope and despair. Moments later, he seemed deflated, his future shrouded in uncertainty.

Resigned to his fate, Shea Rongfan stood defeated, but Wan Li at his side was not ready to give up. "And what about my position as team leader?"

After all, she had endured a week with Shea Rongfan, the corpulent man, for the coveted role of Planning Department team leader.

Zhou Yuan spared her a glance and delivered his verdict mercilessly, "Middle Distance Group is an organization that prides itself on its principles and procedures. If you think you can bypass hard work with under-the-table dealings, you're sorely mistaken about your eligibility for the team leader position."

Wan Li's complexion drained of color. So, her week with Shea Rongfan had been for naught?

The thought of Shea Rongfan's repeated advances, now all for nothing, turned Wan Li's despair and revulsion into a surge of rage.

With a sharp slap, the sound echoed through the room.

No one had anticipated Wan Li's reaction—a slap across Shea Rongfan's face. She was frenzied, screaming hysterically, "This is all your doing! All of it! You wretched lecher, you've toyed with me for so long, and now you've ruined me! I'll kill you!"

The fighting strength of a woman can be extremely formidable, especially when she's pushed to the brink of madness.

The incident unfolded in the blink of an eye, catching everyone off-guard. No one could have predicted that Wan Li, a woman of such allure, would lash out.

By the time everyone came to, Shea Rongfan's face bore a vivid palm print and two bleeding scratches. "Damn it, you crazy woman!" Shea Rongfan was already seething. He had dedicated over a decade to Middle Distance Group, earning the manager's position under Xie Bi's wing. Now, to have it slip away due to Wan Li's seductive antics was infuriating. Her attack was the last straw, pushing him over the edge.

In the Planning Department, in full view of their colleagues, a man and a woman with a combined age of over seventy... came to blows.

"Everyone, stop this instant!" Zhou Yuan bellowed, his face contorted with rage. The staff hurriedly intervened, prying the two apart.

"That's the situation. Regarding the manager and team leader roles in the Planning Department, new appointments will follow," Zhou Yuan declared before storming out, leaving Shea Rongfan and Wan Li with no choice but to exit in disgrace.

...

Within thirty minutes, the announcement for the new team leader of the Planning Department was made. The promotion was internal, but the appointee wasn't Faang Yu as expected; it was Luo Zhenghong, who ranked second.

The choice was somewhat surprising, yet acceptable to all. Luo Zhenghong's performance had been consistently strong over his three-plus years with the company. Had it not been for Faang Yu, Luo could have easily clinched the top spot for three consecutive years.

The manager position, however, remained up for grabs, a clear sign that the corporate power play was far from over.

Faang Yu wasn't shocked by the company's decision. While Shea Rongfan got what he deserved, without Faang Yu's involvement, he might not have fallen so hard. The executives might not know exactly how he did it, but they were sure Faang Yu played a role.

This ordeal, however, had dampened Faang Yu's enthusiasm for staying with Middle Distance Group. The allure of the System Shop and a future of unparalleled coolness and swagger aside, remaining could mean becoming a target for Shea Rongfan's powerful backers or his influential lineage.

Instead of remaining at the company, constantly on the lookout for deceit and trickery, it made more sense for him to strike out on his own.

Over the last couple of years, Faang Yu had distinguished himself with exceptional performance, earning a salary significantly higher than his peers. As a result, he had managed to save a decent sum of money. It wasn't a fortune, but it was certainly enough to start a small business!