Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Begging for Mercy
Chairman Sun’s expression remained as calm as ever, but only she knew the storm that surged in her heart the moment she looked into Xu Ke’s eyes.
"The fault lies with me, as the company has faced too many issues recently, and I have been busy running around, causing me to forget about this matter. I didn’t expect it to be such a huge inconvenience to you. I’m really sorry, but if you must blame someone, blame me. It’s because I haven’t disciplined them well that today’s situation has happened."
Although Chairman Sun spoke with polite language, her expression and tone seemed to apologize for her work mistake, yet the content of her speech was filled with provocation towards Xu Ke’s arrival.
Chairman Sun’s sharp claws, hidden under her docile exterior, silently challenged Xu Ke, as if expressing her displeasure at him stepping into her territory.
Xu Ke gave Chairman Sun a deep look and then spoke with a meaningful tone, "Indeed, you haven’t disciplined your subordinates well. At least, none of the employees I’ve seen so far have satisfied me. I hope that under Chairman Sun’s leadership, I can soon see something that will satisfy me."
When Chairman Sun and Xu Ke spoke, it was like a steel nail fiercely driven into the woman’s spine, causing her legs to go weak and her to collapse to the ground, unable to even remember the pain in her fingers due to panic.
Thinking about the foolish things she’d done, the woman couldn’t help but wish time could reverse, just so she could slap herself twice.
The commotion of the woman falling to the ground was so loud that it couldn’t be ignored.
"Let her go. She’s neither a qualified receptionist nor a competent employee." Xu Ke glanced at the woman crumpled like a rag, speaking without any hint of softness.
Hearing Xu Ke say she was to be dismissed, the woman panicked instantly, instinctively directing her gaze for help towards her brother-in-law, her eyes emitting a stunning brightness, like someone who had stumbled upon an oasis after wandering in the desert for a long time, her eyes dazzlingly bright.
Fatty was startled by the woman’s gaze and instinctively took a step back, but the woman quickly propped herself up and crawled over, grabbing Fatty’s pant leg.
"Brother-in-law, please plead for me. I can’t lose this job. You know I can’t lose this job. If my mom finds out I lost my job, there’ll be hell to pay for me. I’m begging you, haven’t you always loved me most? If you help me stay, I’ll listen to you from now on, alright?" The woman looked at Fatty with hopeful eyes.
She should have been pleading with Xu Ke, but as soon as her gaze met Xu Ke’s eyes, she couldn’t help but think of the foolish things she’d done, the painful pinch on her finger, and in that instant, she didn’t dare to, choosing instead to seek her brother-in-law.
Every time she got into trouble before, her brother-in-law would always smooth things over for her, and she believed this time would be no different, ignoring the unease in her heart and thinking nervously.
But Fatty himself was in no position to help, breaking into a cold sweat under Xu Ke’s gaze, and lacking the courage to plead for her.
Fatty tugged his pant leg from the woman’s grip, "Don’t look to me. I can’t help you in this matter. It’s no use, and I can’t help you. Instead of wasting time here, you might as well go pack your things and prepare to leave." Fatty looked at his sister-in-law, speaking under Xu Ke’s icy gaze.
In Fatty’s mind, Xu Ke was from Shangjing and couldn’t possibly stay in Yunzhou forever. As long as he could keep his position, it would be easy to arrange for his sister-in-law to return after Xu Ke left. Wouldn’t that be a simple task?
But in her current state of panic, the woman couldn’t think straight, her mind filled with her mother’s words. If she lost this job that supported her, she would be forced to marry a dead man. She was still young and had her whole life ahead of her; how could she be bound to a dead man for eternity? No, that was absolutely unacceptable.
The woman clung to Fatty’s pant leg as if it was the last strand of hope she had left. No matter how much Fatty struggled or how many kind or harsh words he spoke, her grip did not loosen.
"You can’t give up on me. Brother-in-law, everyone can give up on me, but you can’t. Brother-in-law, you have to help me." The woman seemed trapped in a trance, unaware of everything else, repeating this phrase incessantly.
Fatty, entangled by the woman, lost all patience, "It’s no use looking to me. It’s not me who wants to fire you. What’s the point of tangling with me here? If you really don’t want to leave, beg the person who wants you gone. As for me, I have no power to keep you."
Fatty’s shout, born of lost patience, did indeed make the woman stop her actions, but he immediately regretted it, cursing his mouth for being faster than his brain. Before Fatty could say more to mend the situation, it was too late: the woman, heeding Fatty’s words, abandoned him and turned to cling to Xu Ke instead.
"Don’t dismiss me. I can’t be without this job. As long as you don’t dismiss me, you can do whatever you want. Please, I beg you." The woman looked at Xu Ke with tear-filled eyes, hoping that he would change his mind.
"If you fire me, my life will be ruined. I’ll die." The woman stared straight at Xu Ke’s cold eyes, and seeing no sign of him softening, she bit her lip and continued, "What does your life have to do with me? Don’t try to use these to blackmail me. A person’s future isn’t given by others. I run a business to make money, not for charity." Xu Ke coldly expressionless as he pried open her hand again from his pant leg.
"No, you can’t. If you don’t let me stay here, I’ll jump from the building. Losing this job is like ruining my life, and it’s better to be dead than alive with such a life. At that time, I’ll take this company down with me. Let’s see how you can keep running it after it pushes an employee to their death!"
The woman roughly wiped her face with her hand, her eyes crazed as she looked at Xu Ke.
"Mr. Xu, it doesn’t strain our company to keep one more person. Why not let her stay?" Chairman Sun glanced at Xu Ke and suggested.
Upon hearing Chairman Sun’s words, the woman gave her a grateful smile, then turned her head back to Xu Ke, her eyes carrying a hint of expectation, hoping he would change his mind for the sake of Chairman Sun.
Chairman Sun looked at Xu Ke without worry, as she believed he wouldn’t refuse this favor. After all, she was speaking entirely from the company’s perspective, and from any angle, there seemed no reason for Xu Ke to refuse. Therefore, Chairman Sun’s gaze carried a hint of calm and composure, along with a well-hidden disdain for Xu Ke.
In Chairman Sun’s view, Xu Ke was just a wet-behind-the-ears young lad. Even with his title-like pressure, so what? Even if he had control of the Xu Family at a young age, in Yunzhou, wouldn’t he still have to listen to her? This thought brought a touch of pride to Chairman Sun’s expression.