Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 8: Lending a Helping Hand in the Eye of the Storm

“Xiaowan, I don’t think you’ll be in trouble. Otherwise, they would’ve issued a notice this morning,” Qi Xin'er said as she stuffed a large piece of meat into her mouth. She was a true carnivore through and through. What had once made Li Xiaowan feel both frustrated and envious about Qi Xin'er was that she belonged to the type of person who could eat as much as she wanted without ever gaining weight. “Maybe so!” Haha! There’s no way they’d let me off that easily—they’ll probably come knocking as soon as I get to work, Li Xiaowan thought to herself. And just as Li Xiaowan had predicted, the moment she sat down at her desk, she was summoned to the conference room for a meeting—reportedly, the entire Company had been notified to attend. “Has something major happened? This is the first time we’ve been called to a meeting in the afternoon—and it’s for the whole Company,” a voice asked in confusion. “I’m not sure either, but it’s definitely not a minor issue,” another voice replied with certainty. On her way to the conference room, Li Xiaowan overheard countless such comments. It was no wonder—after all, the Company was so large that even if word spread from one to ten and from ten to a hundred, it would still take some time. Moreover, the Company strictly prohibited idle chatter unrelated to work during office hours, so the time they had for gossip was limited. “Quiet, everyone!” The magnetic baritone of Yu Feilanfu, the Company’s general manager, rang clearly in everyone’s ears. He was a strikingly handsome and commanding figure—reportedly the dream lover of the vast majority of the Company’s female employees. Why “the vast majority”? Because that excludes the married ones—and those like Li Xiaowan. “Next, let’s discuss an incident that occurred here at the Company just this morning. I’d like to invite the Director of the Human Resources Department, Lin Yuantao, to recount the events.” ” After Yu Feilan’s brief remarks, he stepped down from the podium and took a seat in an empty chair below it. In the very last row, directly facing the podium, sat the two people who had entered last. Since most of the lights are typically dimmed once a meeting begins, even if someone had noticed them, they wouldn’t have been able to make out the newcomers’ faces. “Xiaowan, why does this feel like an execution ground?” Qi Xin'er said fearfully, her palms sweating profusely. “Look how nervous you’re getting. You’re not in any trouble, so there’s no need to be afraid,” Li Xiaowan reassured her. “I’m fine, but you’re the one in trouble!” Qi Xin'er said, her voice breaking. “It’ll be fine,” Li Xiaowan said, forcing herself to sound calm, as she gently placed her hand over Qi Xin'er’s and patted it. The “facts” presented on stage by Lin Yuantao were exactly as Li Xiaowan had expected. After he finished his statement, the person involved, Lin Zhenzhen, and those present at the time of the incident all chimed in, embellishing the story as if they’d rehearsed it—their accounts were so seamless that it was impossible not to believe them. “President Yu, we’ve said everything we needed to say. Please make your decision!” Lin Yuantao said with a serious expression. “No rush. Let’s hear the other party’s side of the story first,” Yu Feilan said impassively, leaving even Lin Yuantao—who was usually adept at reading people’s expressions—unable to fathom what she was thinking. “Very well, President Yu. Let’s invite our other party involved—Li Xiaowan, Assistant to the Director of Administration—to the podium to speak,” Lin Yuantao said with a composed expression. This was the first time Li Xiaowan had been called to the stage to speak in front of such a large audience. The only feeling the conference hall gave her right now was that it was like a review meeting—a review meeting all about Li Xiaowan! However, at this point, she wasn’t the least bit nervous. With a calm expression, Li Xiaowan walked onto the stage and said slowly, “Some say facts speak louder than words, but when it happens to you personally, you realize just how ridiculous that is. Even trying to defend yourself feels so powerless and hollow, let alone reconstructing the sequence of events. Nevertheless, as one of the parties involved, I must still do my best to present to everyone the truth of what I experienced—a truth that contradicts the ‘facts’ stated by the other party... The above is the account of what I personally experienced. At this point, whatever the outcome may be, I will face it with composure,Thank you, everyone!” After speaking, Li Xiaowan politely bowed to everyone in the conference hall. But just as she lowered her head, a single tear silently rolled down her cheek. By the time she looked up again, there was no trace of tears left. Then, Li Xiaowan calmly walked down from the podium and returned to her seat. The entire conference hall fell deathly silent, with everyone lost in their own thoughts, wondering who was right and who was wrong. Just as everyone was beginning to think the silence would continue indefinitely, Yu Feilan’s clear, magnetic voice rang out: “I believe the facts as stated by Li Xiaowan!” At that moment, her assistant, Xiao Ye, standing beside her, handed her a cell phone and said, “President Yu, you have a text message.” Yu Feilan opened the text message; his expression changed, and he immediately turned to look around. He only had time to catch a glimpse of two handsome, upright figures walking away, but he already understood. “President Yu, why are you so certain? Do you really think all of us are lying?” Lin Yuantao asked calmly. “Whether we’re lying or not is obvious at a glance! Xiao Ye, turn on the computer and the projector,” Yu Feilan instructed. “Yes, President Yu!” Xiao Ye replied respectfully and, following Yu Feilan’s instructions, turned on both the computer and the projector. Then, Yu Feilan pressed a key on the keyboard to play a video she had just received on her computer. Immediately, the scene that had unfolded early that morning in the Administrative Office replayed before everyone’s eyes—something none of those present could have ever imagined. “Didn’t you turn off the surveillance cameras?” Lin Zhenzhen asked, glaring darkly at her colleague Hu Meisi, who was sitting to her left, as well as Hu Meisi and the others who had joined in the commotion that morning—people who usually followed Lin Zhenzhen around, trying to curry favor with her. “I… I didn’t expect there to be a hidden camera either,” Hu Meisi replied tremblingly, knowing that Lin Zhenzhen would certainly not let her off easily. As for Lin Yuantao, his face was as dark as Judge Bao’s. Many people were already deeply dissatisfied with him, and now that this incident had occurred, he was likely in as much trouble as a clay Buddha crossing a river—hard-pressed to save even himself. That girl Zhenzhen had better pray for her own safety! With that thought, he instinctively glanced at Lin Zhenzhen, only to find their eyes meeting. He saw panic and desperation in her gaze, but with the situation having escalated to this point, what else could he do? So, he simply looked away, pretending not to have seen anything. Lin Zhenzhen immediately realized that her situation looked grim—and that even her uncle might be dragged into this. Sure enough, “Since the truth is now clear for all to see, everyone should be aware of the Company’s long-standing rules and regulations—especially those regarding individuals who deliberately launch personal attacks, recklessly frame others, and form cliques and factions. Once discovered, such behavior will be met with severe punishment without exception!” Yu Feilan’s words struck Lin Yuantao and the others like a heavy sledgehammer to the heart. Before they had a chance to recover, Yu Feilan continued slowly: “Therefore, I hereby announce the disciplinary actions for this egregious incident. As Director of the Human Resources Department, Lin Yuantao failed to distinguish right from wrong and blindly accepted one-sided accounts. However, in consideration of his long-standing, dedicated service to the Company, he will be relieved of his position as Director of the Human Resources Department and temporarily reassigned as a Human Resources Specialist;As for Lin Zhenzhen, one of the parties involved, for distorting the facts and twisting right and wrong, she is hereby transferred out of the Administration Department and must report to the Logistics Department immediately. Furthermore, all others who appeared in the footage, knew the truth yet deliberately concealed it, and colluded in the frame-up are all temporarily transferred out of the Administration Department and must report to the Records Management Department immediately;Finally, regarding Li Xiaowan, another party involved, who tends to act impulsively in such situations, her position as Assistant to the Director of Administration is hereby revoked, and she is reassigned to the position of Assistant to the General Manager so that she may be closely supervised and guided at all times. The above constitutes the resolution of today’s egregious incident. The official personnel order will be delivered to you shortly. With that, I hereby declare today’s meeting adjourned!” The room fell silent. No one had expected that Li Xiaowan, one of the parties involved, would actually turn misfortune into fortune by being directly promoted to Assistant to the General Manager—a position many young women dream of. Not only would her salary double, but more importantly, she would be able to work closely with her “dream guy” on a daily basis. Li Xiaowan herself was filled with mixed emotions. Had the General Manager made a mistake? She had expected to be fired or something similar, but instead, she had unexpectedly received an indirect promotion. “Li Xiaowan, don’t forget—go back and pack your things right away, then report to the top floor immediately.” Yu Feilan walked up to Li Xiaowan, catching her off guard, and said in a tone that brooked no refusal, before walking away. “Yes, President Yu!” Li Xiaowan replied as she watched Yu Feilan’s retreating figure. She really didn’t know whether this was a blessing or a curse, but the one thing she knew for sure was that she couldn’t refuse. After all, if it weren’t for Yu Feilan’s help, she would likely have been left to take the fall for everything. What she didn’t know, however, was that there was actually another key figure who had played a decisive role in the matter—but that person didn’t want Li Xiaowan to know and had specifically instructed others not to tell her. Only after Yu Feilan left did Li Xiaowan realize that countless cold, piercing glances were now fixed on her. She knew full well that the people whose eyes were fixed on her wouldn’t let her off easily. But so what? Was she supposed to cower in fear or resign and flee this place of turmoil? Sorry, she couldn’t do that. The only thing she had to do now was follow the general manager’s instructions, finish packing up immediately, and report to the top floor. Qi Xin'er, standing beside her, tugged gently at Li Xiaowan’s sleeve and whispered, “Thank you, Xiaowan. I never imagined you’d nearly get fired again just for my sake. Fortunately, we have a General Manager who’s incredibly reasonable—otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how to face you in the future.” “Xin'er, there’s no need for all that between us. If you really feel bad about it, just treat me to some skewers tonight. It’s been ages since I’ve had some—just thinking about how they taste makes my mouth water,” Li Xiaowan said dramatically. “Xiaowan, look at you—you’re such a kid. No problem. After work, we’ll head straight there. We’ll definitely eat our fill. Okay, now go get ready!” ” As Qi Xin'er spoke, she nudged Li Xiaowan forward. While she felt a twinge of guilt, she was also genuinely happy for Li Xiaowan’s promotion. That’s what true friends are like—they don’t get jealous or envious when their friends do better than them, nor do they say one thing and mean another. Li Xiaowan’s desk was extremely uncluttered. Aside from the documents she needed to print and organize, there was only a single folder and a teacup. After quickly tidying up and handing over her duties to another colleague, she headed to the top floor. This was her first time having the privilege of going there. In this Company, access to the top floor wasn’t granted lightly, so she’d only ever heard about how grand it was,but she never imagined she’d actually see it with her own eyes today. It was indeed just as the rumors described, though the grandeur was tempered by a touch of refined elegance, so it didn’t feel oppressive at all. The first thing that caught her eye was the reception room. Upon entering, she could see the secretaries’ office; the two spaces were separated only by a translucent glass door. The secretaries’ office faced the General Manager’s office, which had a lacquered rosewood door with carved designs, giving off a sense of both simplicity and mystery. When Li Xiaowan entered the secretaries’ office, one of the secretaries smiled at her and asked, “Hello, are you Miss Li Xiaowan?” “Hello, yes! Just call me Xiaowan.” Although Li Xiaowan was initially a bit surprised that the secretary knew her name, she quickly realized it must have been mentioned earlier. “All right, Xiaowan, no need to be so formal. I’m Li Lingling, and she’s Fu Xiyue. From now on, just call me Lingling and her Yueyue. Come with me—President Yu just asked about you a moment ago, wondering why you hadn’t come up yet,” Li Lingling said warmly. Since Li Lingling was urging her on, Li Xiaowan could only give Fu Xiyue a casual greeting before hurrying to follow her. However, both Li Lingling and Fu Xiyue struck her as approachable—after all, if anyone else were in their position, who knows how arrogant they might be. When they reached the door to the general manager’s office, Li Lingling elegantly raised her hand and knocked gently twice on the door, then said in a soft voice, “President Yu, Xiaowan is here.” Immediately, a voice as clear as jade came from inside: “All right, let her in!” Just hearing that voice was enough to spark endless imagination—let alone seeing the person in person. Fortunately, Li Xiaowan possessed remarkable composure. When she saw the lacquered redwood carved door open automatically, she walked in without hesitation, her expression calm. However, her heartbeat was steadily accelerating—after all, the person she was about to meet was no ordinary individual, but the head of the company. Previously, caught up in the whirlwind of a terrible incident, she hadn’t given it much thought, but now that everything had settled down, it was inevitable that her mind would wander a bit more. “Xiaowan, you’re here. Please, make yourself at home!” Yu Feilan said to Li Xiaowan as he signed the documents. Huh, I didn’t realize the general manager’s office had an inner and outer room. If I’m not mistaken, the outer room must be the assistant’s office! “All right, President Yu, please go ahead with your work.” Through the glass door, Li Xiaowan saw Yu Feilan bent over, writing something. She must be busy, so Li Xiaowan decided to sit quietly on the sofa nearby and wait until President Yu was finished. But she never expected that, as she sat there, she’d fall asleep. In her dream, she seemed to be back at the hotel last night, reunited with Feng Lingzheng—and she jolted awake.