Chapter 379

Chapter 379

All of this mess started because of Bai Xiuxiu.

Previously, she and Lu Fang would strategize on how to handle Bai Xiuxiu, but now Lu Fang doesn’t pay attention to her anymore. Now, she’s powerless on her own, and Bai Xiuxiu always leaves with her husband at night.

She doesn’t even have a chance to take action against Bai Xiuxiu.

“Lin Yan, why aren’t you doing your work properly? Why are you wasting the office’s supplies?” Lu Fang gave Lin Yan a cold look, her voice loud enough to make everyone turn and look at them.

“Lin Yan, are you complaining about your job?” Director Gao noticed the shredded papers on Lin Yan’s desk and immediately confiscated the remaining usable ones.

“You don’t get to complain. I’m heading to a meeting, and we’ll soon decide what to do about your behavior and Lu Fang’s.”

Director Gao wished she could kick Lin Yan out; she’d already been reprimanded multiple times because of them.

“Director, I’m not…” Lin Yan tried to defend herself.

Director Gao didn’t even listen and left.

Lin Yan turned to Lu Fang, “Are you satisfied now? What do you gain by turning me into the scapegoat? Didn’t you promise to back me up that day?”

“Heh,” Lu Fang sneered. If she couldn’t win, neither could Lin Yan.

Now her parents didn’t care about her, and she only got scolded when she went home. Her life had spiraled out of control, all because Lin Yan had pushed her into it.

If it weren’t for Lin Yan suggesting asking Sister Zhang for help, she wouldn’t have gone along with it.

When the new colleagues arrived, she had thought about letting it go, but it was Lin Yan who secretly encouraged her to make trouble.

All of this stemmed from Lin Yan's ideas, and she pulled Bai Xiuxiu into it.

Bai Xiuxiu knows that she bears some responsibility for her current situation, but Lin Yan is equally to blame.

Over the past couple of days, Bai Xiuxiu has reflected on everything and now fully understands what happened.

Lin Yan has destroyed her life!

Bai Xiuxiu wasn’t surprised by the way things turned out between them.

Lu Fang always followed Lin Yan’s orders without question.

Now, after all the tasks Lin Yan made Lu Fang do, Lu Fang is filled with resentment.

Neither of them is worth trusting.

Director Gao's meeting lasted for two full hours, and it was almost lunchtime when Director Gao finally returned.

The moment Director Gao returned, everyone stopped what they were doing.

Everyone was eager to know what would happen to Lin Yan and Lu Fang.

They were curious about the consequences.

Director Gao addressed their concerns directly:

"Regarding Lin Yan and Lu Fang, they have bullied their coworkers and offloaded their responsibilities onto others, which led to multiple complaints against our street office.

Because of this, many people's difficulties were not properly addressed, and after an investigation over the past two days, it was found that more than 50 households were affected, with severe impact. Therefore, our street office has decided to terminate their employment. Furthermore, a public notice detailing their misconduct will be posted throughout the entire street office."

"Let everyone know who is responsible for this."

"Regarding the compensation they need to pay to Sister Zhang, the amount will be calculated based on the duration of her forced labor and will reflect the salary at that time."

"You two don’t need to come in this afternoon."

Director Gao looked at Lin Yan and Lu Fang, her icy tone making them feel as if the room had turned colder than the weather outside.

Lin Yan’s face turned pale. Her mother-in-law was waiting for her to bring buns home.

If I go home now, it’s like walking into a beating.

"Director, I’m begging you. Please help me. I can’t lose this job. Without it, my in-laws will literally starve me out.

Please, Director, I’m begging you."

Lin Yan pleaded desperately.

Director Gao couldn’t be bothered to look at them again. "You know you were wrong now? When Sister Zhang was being bullied by you, did you know you were wrong then?

The two of you are courting disaster, and I have to bear the consequences with you.

I also have to compensate Sister Zhang for the harm you caused. Just go, both of you."

After speaking, Director Gao turned to the others. "Help them clean up, and make sure they don’t take any of the office’s property with them. Xiao Qiong, this afternoon, help post notices about what these two did.

Alright, everyone else, get back to work."

Director Gao then started to attend to her own tasks.

Seeing that there was no hope left, Lin Yan took her things with despair.

After leaving the office, she didn’t go far but waited instead. When Lu Fang came out, Lin Yan, with red eyes, knelt in front of her. "Lu Fang, could you lend me some money? Just a little, please.

You know my family situation. If I go back like this, will they even let me live?"

"You dragged me into this mess, and now you’re asking me for help?" Lu Fang was incredulous.

"I know I harmed you, but can’t you watch me die? Can you at least…"

"Get real. You got me in trouble every day, and now you expect me to lend you money?" Lu Fang gave her a disdainful look and left with her things.

Lin Yan’s eyes darkened. She couldn’t do anything about Bai Xiuxiu, but could she really do nothing about Lu Fang?

In the office, everyone was eerily quiet.

Only after Lu Fang and Lin Yan’s belongings were cleared out did Director Gao’s anger subside.

"In our office, bullying colleagues is strictly prohibited. If anyone encounters such a thing again, it must be reported immediately." Director Gao warned the others. She didn’t dare to think about what would have happened if Xiao Bai had ended up like Sister Zhang.

In another couple of years, how much worse would they have gotten?

How many more complaints would there have been?

How much more responsibility would I have had to take on?

"Director, none of us dare to do that," Wang Qiong chimed in, and one by one, the others also voiced their agreement that no one would dare to do such a foolish thing.

Those who had previously asked Lu Fang and Lin Yan for help, passing their work to Sister Zhang, were also very nervous.

They were afraid that if the investigation continued, it would reach them.

Now that the issue was resolved, they were all very frightened.

Director Gao looked at the two empty workstations and began to think practically.

She would still need to hire people back, especially after causing such a big incident. Bringing in her own relatives was absolutely out of the question.

The thought of her relatives finding out about the hiring and then coming to bother her made her head ache.

Moreover, the people she would hire next would all be new.

They would need time to get used to the work environment, and by the time they did, it would already be New Year's.

This year is going to be insanely busy.

Ideally, she should hire people from the local area, as they would know more about the local matters and adapt faster.

By lunchtime, Director Gao still hadn’t cracked a smile.

The midday sun couldn’t warm the chill from the melting snow.

At the factory gate where He Huihui worked, He Ming was shivering from the cold. Ji Feng was waiting with him.

"Is your family really not going to be home today? And Wei Wei isn’t coming back either?" Ji Feng asked He Ming for the third time.

He had bumped into He Ming at the factory gate. Initially, he had intended to wait for Huihui but ran into He Ming instead.