Chapter 41 - 40

Chapter 41: Chapter 40The Deputy Minister’s office was tightly shut. Michelle stood in front of the desk, nervously looking at Zhao QingSheng, the Deputy Minister, and stammered, "Minister Zhao, what did you want to see me for?"

In the Deputy Minister’s office, there was only one room but three desks. Zhao QingSheng sat behind his desk, squinting at Michelle. He was a lascivious man who usually liked to take liberties with the female staff. Shen Yajuan had been taken advantage of many times, but compared to Michelle, she was far inferior. Michelle was young and beautiful, as well as gentle and timid, with a small courage—unlike Shen Yajuan, who was brash. It was fine to take small advantages from Shen Yajuan, but if he went too far, she would dare to scream. Therefore, Zhao QingSheng no longer troubled Shen Yajuan and had shifted his focus to Michelle.

However, there were usually more people in the Deputy Minister’s office, and Michelle also often did not give him an opportunity. But this time, he finally had a chance and he intended to make good use of it.

"Little Michelle, it seems that your work hasn’t been quite up to par lately?" Zhao QingSheng said, rocking in his chair, his face stern, looking every bit the boss discussing work.

Michelle was startled and hurriedly said, "Where have I not done well? Please instruct me, Minister Zhao, I will strive to correct it."

Zhao QingSheng had no idea where Michelle had fallen short; he simply intended to scare her. He shook his head and said, "The work in our department is indeed quite average at the moment, and you must bear some responsibility."

"Yes, I am responsible." Michelle, being young and naive, was completely fooled by Zhao QingSheng’s words.

Zhao QingSheng was very pleased with Michelle’s reaction and nodded, saying, "However, it’s normal for young people to make mistakes, and as a leader, I can allow my subordinates to err. You don’t need to be too nervous. Let’s talk about something else. Do you really want to work at the branch company forever?"

Michelle immediately said, "I think our Huayang Company is very good."

"Huayang Company is indeed not bad right now, but it is, after all, just a subsidiary. Compared to the head office, it is still far behind. Haven’t you ever thought of making a move and aiming for the head office? As long as you get there, not to mention the benefits and salary, but in the future, if you were to be transferred to a subsidiary, you could at least get a position as a Minister. Isn’t that a great way to get promoted?"

Seeing Zhao QingSheng sitting across the desk from her, Michelle had let her guard down considerably and said, "But I’m just a junior employee, how could I enter the head office so easily?"

"That’s the wrong way to think. People should always aim high, and water flows low; you need to have the ambition to climb higher, only then can you do better."

"Thank you for your encouragement, Minister Zhao, I will work hard."

"You’re still so young. Do you think just by working hard, you will become a Minister anytime soon? In this era, everything is about relationships and favors. Without knowing people at the head office, it won’t be so easy to advance."

"But I don’t know anyone, do I?"

"You may not know anyone, but I do. As long as I help you, I can definitely get you to the head office quickly." As Zhao QingSheng spoke, he had already stood up, pretending to go pour a glass of water, and when he came back, he had moved next to Michelle.

"Minister Zhao, you want to help me?" Michelle said, somewhat excited.

"Yes, I see you as a fine young person who will definitely have opportunities for development. Of course, I would like to help you." As he spoke, Zhao QingSheng reached his hand toward Michelle’s shoulder, as if a leader showing concern for his subordinate.

Michelle’s heart leaped, and she quickly sidestepped, causing Zhao QingSheng’s hand to hit the air. She said, "Thank you, Minister Zhao."

Zhao QingSheng missed his mark but didn’t get angry. Instead, he grinned and said, "Little Michelle, in this society, you must give something to get something in return. I’m helping you get to the head office; haven’t you thought of repaying me somehow?"

Michelle’s face twitched slightly and she said, "Minister Zhao, I’m sorry, I think it’s better for me to work my way up step by step in the branch company." With that, she tried to leave, as she had already sensed the danger from Zhao QingSheng.

Zhao QingSheng had long been captivated by Michelle’s beauty and was not about to let such a good opportunity slip away. Moreover, he assumed that Michelle, because of her timid nature, would not dare to protest even if wronged. He quickly blocked her way, spread his arms to embrace her, and said with a sleazy smile, "Little Michelle, you know, I really like you. If you agree to my terms, I can give you money and also pave the way for your promotion."

Michelle was taken aback, not expecting Zhao QingSheng to be so bold. She quickly stepped back, her hands guarding her chest as she dodged Zhao QingSheng. But just as he had said, she was indeed afraid to raise her voice. On one hand, she did not dare to offend Zhao QingSheng too deeply, and on the other hand, never having had a boyfriend, she was frightened that if others in the company learned she was harassed by Zhao QingSheng, it would damage her reputation.

After retreating only a couple of steps, she found herself against the desk. Trying to run to the side, Zhao QingSheng blocked her path with extended arms, his leering faces saying, "Little Michelle, just give in to me. I promise you won’t lose out in the end."

Michelle, pale with fear, stuttered, "It’s not okay... not okay. If you don’t stop... I’ll scream."

Zhao QingSheng chuckled darkly and said, "Go ahead and scream, and make it loud. I, a man, am not afraid. You, a girl without a boyfriend—if it gets out, it will ruin your reputation. And I will claim you slept with me, ensuring everyone looks down on you, making it impossible for you to find a boyfriend."

"You... you’re shameless!" Michelle finally got a real taste of Zhao QingSheng’s shamelessness but, unfortunately, didn’t know how to handle it.

Zhao QingSheng let out a haughty laugh and said, "I am shameless, but if you follow me, I will definitely treat you well, and you will even go to the headquarters. Don’t you think these advantages are worth it? Come on, let me give you a hug." As he spoke, he reached out to hug Michelle again.

Just then, the door to the office was suddenly pushed open, which startled Zhao QingSheng, causing him to quickly withdraw his arms, and Michelle seized the opportunity to forcefully push him away and frantically run toward the door.

"Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, wrong room." The person who came in was none other than Li Yifei, who immediately put on a smiley face, apologized repeatedly to Zhao QingSheng, and quickly retreated, closing the door behind him.

Zhao QingSheng was stunned for a moment and then became furious, he was about to succeed when Li Yifei ruined it all. What wrong room? That guy was obviously doing it on purpose.

"Damn it, kid, you’ve got guts, daring to spoil my plan, let’s see how I deal with you." Zhao QingSheng slapped the desk angrily, knowing that Li Yifei was a new employee in the logistics department, and as the Deputy Minister, it would be too easy for him to deal with Li Yifei.

By this time, Li Yifei had returned to the office, where Michelle was leaning on the desk, her shoulders trembling non-stop. Shen Yajuan was sitting beside Michelle, comforting her.

At this moment, Shen Yajuan looked up at Li Yifei and shook her head, "Little Li, be careful from now on, he will definitely come after you for ruining his plans."

Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and smiled nonchalantly, "It’s fine. I couldn’t just stand by and watch Little Mi be bullied by him."

Shen Yajuan whispered again, "Little Mi didn’t suffer any losses, right?"

"Shouldn’t have; I was listening at the door. As soon as Zhao QingSheng made a move, I went in."

Shen Yajuan let out a sigh of relief, patted Michelle on the shoulder, and said gently, "You didn’t suffer any losses, so stop crying. It’s because you’re too weak that Zhao QingSheng dares to be so bold. Do you think he dares to mess with me? I’d squash his balls."

Li Yifei immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Shen Yajuan really was bold, saying such things right in front of him.

Michelle also got quite a shock from Shen Yajuan’s words, her crying stopped abruptly, and she raised her head to wipe away her tears, her eyes red as she said to Li Yifei, "Brother Li, thank you."

"What are you being formal for? In the company, I still rely on you showing me the ropes. I haven’t even taken you out for a meal yet."

Michelle wiped her eyes again and turned to Shen Yajuan, "Sister Shen, do you think Minister Zhao will really make things difficult for Yifei?"

Li Yifei, seeing that Shen Yajuan was about to nod, immediately said, "Don’t be scared. I was personally arranged to come here by President Xu. No matter how powerful Minister Zhao is, he can’t override President Xu. If he dares to mess with me, I will go straight to President Xu and see what he can do to me."

The fact that Li Yifei was arranged by Xu Yingying to join the company was clear to everyone, and it mystified them. They couldn’t understand why Xu Yingying, the most unsentimental president, had arranged for Li Yifei to come in. Now, from what Li Yifei was suggesting, his relationship with Xu Yingying didn’t seem ordinary.

Shen Yajuan looked at Li Yifei with a puzzled expression and asked, "Little Li, do you really have a connection with President Xu?"

"Yeah, of course, we have a connection or else how could I have gotten a job inside the company?"

While he was speaking, Li Yifei noticed that Shen Yajuan and Michelle were giving him strange looks and turning to look behind him. Li Yifei quickly turned his head and saw Xu Yingying, who was staring at him with a murderous gaze, sending a chill down his spine instantly.

"President Xu, hello!" Li Yifei’s face changed swiftly, and he greeted her with a beaming smile.

Xu Yingying snorted coldly and said, "Li Yifei, I’m warning you. Although I arranged for you to come here, I have no personal ties with you. But if you continue to flaunt my name around the company, I’ll have you fired on the spot."

Xu Yingying was so angry because she had heard Li Yifei claiming they had a relationship when she came in, and nowadays implying that kind of a relationship could only mean something deeper. If others came to believe that they had a romantic relationship, it was something Xu Yingying absolutely could not tolerate.

But Xu Yingying also had a guilty conscience. In fact, Shen Yajuan had not thought of it that way at all; she merely thought there was some sort of kinship or personal favor between them. Despite Li Yifei seeming decent enough, in her heart, he couldn’t possibly compare to the president, Xu Yingying, let alone have that kind of romantic relationship with her.