Yue Ling's calm voice resonated inside the conference room, silencing everyone. Her bluish-green eyes skim across the room like a hawk ready to strike.
"Wang Zhan, Luo Xin, Li Jing Ke, Li Xiang, Wang Yi tong, and Gong Tang."
She spoke the names of the people who were against her. At the same time, she also made sure to look each person in the eyes.
"Of the names mentioned, you all should know better as to why you are being removed."
She leans forward and places her left elbow on the table. Her chin rested on her palm as her right forearm settles on the table.
"Or should I refreshen your memories?"
Her posture was taxed and far from that of a CEO. However, her words pierced the heart of each individual she mentioned.
"Han Yue Ling, have you gone insane?"
Wang Zhan was the first to react. He stamps his palm on the table before pointing at Yue Ling.
"I am the head of the board. HOW dare you slander us on your first day here?!"
His entire body trembled like he was hyperventilating, and his nostrils flare.
"You say you gave us our positions when the truth is we…"
He growls his words, but before he could finish, he was suddenly reminded of an occurrence when Chen Limei was still CEO.
He had tried to convince Chen Limei to collaborate with his nephew's company. He expected an answer right away, but she said she would think about it.
When he was about to leave her office, he remembers hearing her murmuring the lines of getting approval first.
"Miss Han, I do not understand what you are implying. You claim we went against company policy, so you removed us, but what exactly is it that we did?"
In the middle of Wang Zhan's thoughts, he was brought back to reality at the words of a woman.
This woman is Luo Xin. She is one of the younger board members and one of the people removed. She held her head high and made sure she was of equal standing with Yue Ling.
"I have been working for An Qing for many years now and have put my heart into my work. I have never made any mistakes or made enemies with anyone."
She scoffs in disbelief at how Yue Ling is trying to get rid of her.
"But you claim that I have crossed the line. Do you know that once I am gone, all the connections I have in the fashion industry will be gone with me?"
Quickly as the woman opened her mouth, the remaining four people on the removal list did not hesitate to voice their opinions. No one is willing to give up their position because of a few mistakes.
The once calm room turned upside-down again. However, despite hearing each person's anger, Yue Ling's eyes lazily flutter as if she was tired from a long day.
"Miss Luo Xin. Graduated overseas with a fashion degree. You applied at An Qing as an accountant and climbed your way to be a member of the board."
A woman's voice cuts in the conversation. It wasn't Yue Ling but Jiang Shengyi. She stood by Yue Ling's side with a tablet in her hand as she reads from it.
"Two months after you became a board member, you proposed the collaboration with the company Style Connection. However, due to the company's high-interest rates and poor management, your proposal was rejected."
Luo Xin felt proud of her achievements, but the more she listened, her face turned red. She glares at Jiang Shengyi, who was revealing her greatest mistake.
"Y-YOU… how dare you reveal-"
"However, despite your proposal being rejected, you went behind An Qing's back and started the collaboration on your days off."
Jiang Shengyi could feel the intensity of Luo Xin's glare. However, she wants to prove to Yue Ling that she can be a trusty and capable secretary.
"What I revealed is only one of the many mistakes you committed against An Qing."
She doesn't stop at Luo Xin and proceeds to read aloud all the crimes of the names her boss had mentioned.
Bribery, embezzlement, extortion, money laundering, tax fraud, public corruption, lack of securities, assault, harassment, stolen property, forgery, computer crime, and revealing company secrets to other businesses.
As Jiang Shengyi read each crime, Liu Shan held a slight smile on his face. He had given the woman a few doc.u.ments stating the situation within An Qing, but he noticed that she had done her research.
He pushes his smile aside and takes a step away from Yue Ling's side before taking another.
He places a new folder in front of each individual. When he returned to his boss's side, Jiang Shengyi had also finished.
"In front of you is the proof you've been asking."
Hearing this, the six people on the removal list were rooted to their chairs. Each person stared with trembling eyes at the new folder in front of them.
Jiang Shengyi had given them a white folder, but the one Liu Shan gave them was black.
It was like they were staring at the door to Hell.
* knock knock
In that second, a knock sounds from the door before it opens. Qi Li enters the room and walks to his boss. He doesn't say anything but stands behind Yue Ling's chair.
Following his entrance were a woman in her thirties and a man in his late fifties. The woman looked calm like this was normal for her. However, the man held a nervous expression with his head lowered.
Yue Ling turns her head to the door. She looks at the woman than at the man.
"Human Resource Manager, Yi Sheng, and cleaning Manager, Tong Biao. You both came just in time."
Yi Sheng smiled at Yue Ling and stood not too far from the table. Her posture held proudness like she was a very important figure in the room.
"Good morning, CEO Han. I heard you would be coming today, but I did not expect you would call someone like myself to join the meeting."
She had been in her office when Qi Li, whom she never met before, suddenly told her to attend the meeting.
At first, she thought she was in trouble, but considering it being Yue Ling's first day as CEO, she decided to take advantage of it. If she can put on a good impression, maybe she will get a raise.
Yue Ling kept her smile in place, but it did not reach her eyes. She looks away from Yi Sheng to Tong Biao.
The older man was indeed nervous. Anyone who saw him can see that he was trembling like a criminal caught red-handed. He neither looked up or return Yue Ling's greeting.
However, Yue Ling did not mind it.
She turns away from the two individuals Qi Li had brought in and looked at the board members.
"Judging from everyone's expression, I can assume you've all read the contents of the folder. However, I would like an answer for what I am about to say."
"When I built An Qing, its purpose is to be the pillar of those who seek a future in the fashion industry. The policy I made clearly stated that no matter what background one comes from, they will be treated fairly."
She looks at Wang Zhan then tilts her head to look in the direction of Yi Sheng and Tong Biao.
"But why is it that half of my employees are not in their rightful place and freezing at their desks?"
Her words were strange and sounded ridiculous, but the people in the room felt like they were electrocuted by lightning.
The smile and confidence on Yi Sheng abruptly shatter while Tong Biao seemed to tremble more.
Wang Zhan felt like his whole world was crumbling. His face turned red, like he was going to be sick.
"This… this is all a misunderstanding…"
He was able to force out his words despite knowing everything was true. He inhales a deep breath and calms himself.
"Everything reported here is a lie. We have always been loyal to An Qing. You can't slander us with this little information."
"Hahahaha!"
What came after Wang Zhan's words were the sound of Yue Ling's laughter. It was as if she heard the funniest joke in the world.
However, quickly as her laugh echoed inside the room, it also disappears.
"The proof is in front of you, and yet you claim it is a lie."
She chuckles again and stares at Wang Zhan with eyes that could pierce his soul.
"Since everything seems to be all a misunderstanding, then explain something to me."
Her head tilts to the side, and her demeanor no longer gave the appearance of a CEO. Instead, she resembles a police officer interrogating a criminal.
"You said, WE, as in every employee here, have been loyal to An Qing. So why is it that MY employees on the first to the twentieth floor are doing their best despite freezing in that cold temperature while the rest are taking credit for doing nothing?"
She scoffs after her words and looks at the other individuals removed from their position.
"Is it because they come from wealth? Is that why?"
Her eyes scan the room until they landed on Wang Zhan again.
"If so, then the loyalty you claim is beneficial to An Qing is immoral."
She leans back on the chair and crosses her arms over her c.h.e.s.t.
"An Qing is the company I built not to separate its employees based on their background."
Her eyes once again scan the faces of the people who thought she would never know their wrongdoings.
"What An Qing needs is not the wealth of others but those who are strong-minded and have potential."
