Chapter Eight: You Are Fired

“Slap!”

Liu Rui slammed the file down hard on Lin Ye’s desk. The gust of wind from the impact swept Lin Ye’s bangs aside, revealing his somewhat surprised eyes.

“Lin Ye, do you even want to see what kind of nonsense this is?” Liu Feng said coldly, a faint, inexplicable gleam flickering in his pupils.

Lin Ye paused briefly, took the file, and flipped through a few pages, looking slightly confused. “This is last month’s performance report. What’s wrong with it?”

“What’s wrong? It’s a big problem!” Liu Feng’s voice suddenly rose, drawing the attention of nearby colleagues who glanced over to see what had made their team leader so angry.

“Look at the part you’re responsible for—the data is clearly inaccurate. Is this how you write reports? Or is this just your work attitude now?”

“What kind of rubbish is this? Is this data even meant for people to see? I could scatter some rice on the keyboard and chickens would produce better reports than you!”

After this barrage of words, Liu Rui still didn’t seem satisfied. Clearing his throat, he seemed ready to say more.

Zhang Wen, standing nearby, had long since lost patience. Rolling up his sleeves, he was about to get up and teach this idiot Liu Rui a lesson. After all, it didn’t matter to him; as long as Liu Rui had no ambitions to climb higher, Zhang Wen was invincible in this company.

Lin Ye knew his partner’s temper well. He quickly grabbed Liu Rui’s sleeve, signaling him to hold back. The problem was likely not as simple as it seemed.

Once his partner was calmed, Lin Ye furrowed his brows slightly. He knew the report he submitted before going to the hospital had been meticulously calculated by him and Zhang Wen. The chance of errors was almost negligible.

Still, he said in a low voice, “There might have been some errors during data entry. I’ll check and correct them immediately.”

Zhang Wen’s motion to stand up was noticed by Liu Rui. He understood Zhang Wen somewhat—his family was well-off, and he was brave enough to make a scene if needed.

To avoid trouble, Liu Rui seized the opportunity to back down alongside Lin Ye.

“Then check it now! This issue isn’t resolved, no one leaves! Our team can’t be held back because of you,” Liu Feng said mercilessly, folding his arms as he stood by the desk.

It looked as if he was confronting Lin Ye directly, with no intention of leaving before the corrections were done.

---

Suppressing his frustration, Zhang Wen watched Lin Ye open his computer and begin verifying the data item by item. He really didn’t want to see Liu Rui’s face—he feared he might lose control and turn it into something unrecognizable.

Minutes ticked by, and the curiosity of the surrounding colleagues faded. They returned to their own work, leaving only the sound of keyboard tapping in the quiet office.

“Fix it properly! No slacking off. Bring it to me before noon for inspection. If there are issues, keep fixing. Don’t even think about leaving until it’s done,” Liu Rui coldly threw out before turning on his heel and walking back to his small office.

“This isn’t right, Old Lin. Although Liu the Skinflint usually isn’t very sharp, there’s no reason for him to act like this today—as if he got cuckolded by his own wife and has nowhere to vent,” Zhang Wen mused, stroking his chin as he scrutinized Lin Ye’s profile.

Lin Ye kept his eyes on the screen, his head unmoved. “Who knows? I’ll send him the revised version. If he stops nitpicking, then it’s fine. If he keeps finding faults, there’s probably something fishy going on.”

Zhang Wen agreed. Together, they finally completed the massive data overhaul just five minutes before the afternoon clock-out.

Lin Ye rubbed his forehead, then quietly took the corrected file and approached Liu Rui’s office. After knocking, he pushed the door open and caught Liu Rui sitting stiffly behind his desk, flustered and clearly trying to hide something.

In his panic, there was a sudden thud—something like hitting his head on the desk. Lin Ye’s sharp mind caught sight of a glimpse of a high heel beneath the desk’s gap.

It was obvious Liu Rui was hiding something.

Yet Lin Ye had no intention of exposing him. He placed the file on the desk and met Liu Rui’s eyes, waiting for him to speak.

Liu Rui picked up the file, glanced over it with a pretentious air, then his expression darkened. “Look here—why is this month’s sales forecast so low? Are you slacking off? Did you just make up numbers without properly calculating?”

Though prepared for this, Lin Ye still felt a chill run down his spine at Liu Rui’s audacious accusation.

With a helpless shrug, Lin Ye explained, “These forecasts are based on the current market situation and historical data. I’m confident the data is accurate. They were all compiled by the Information Department.”

Liu Rui impatiently cut him off. “I don’t trust your data. The Information Department or whatever, you must be slacking somewhere. Go back and verify with them again. Redo it, or I’ll have to report your work attitude to the higher-ups.”

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No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Rui waved his hand repeatedly, signaling Lin Ye to leave his office immediately.

The baseless accusation made Lin Ye laugh bitterly in his heart. He already knew no matter what he did, Liu Feng would find a reason to make things difficult for him.

His fists clenched, then unclenched, over and over, until he finally sighed and turned, closing the door behind him.

Still no money. If only he had money, he wouldn’t have to endure this kind of humiliation.

“Lin Ye, right? I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ve been fired.”

The office door swung open, and Lin Ye was stunned to see Department Manager Zhao Zhi standing there. Even more shocking was the news—he was being dismissed?

Liu Rui, who had been sitting behind his desk, froze too. Though arrogant in front of Lin Ye and others, he was meek as a rabbit before Manager Zhao.

Lin Ye was speechless. Though he had anticipated this, hearing it out loud was still hard to accept. “Why?”

“No why. It’s a decision from above,” Zhao Zhi said expressionlessly.

“Don’t bother thinking about it. Pack up your things and come to my office,” Zhao Zhi added, scrutinizing the young man who had only been with the company for a few months. A strange glint flickered in his eyes.

He himself had received a sudden call from above and just learned there was a new employee named Lin Ye in the company. Connections were everything—everything had been arranged smoothly.

Zhao Zhi had no idea how many resources and hardships he’d endured to climb to his current position.