Volume One, Chapter 18: The Vast Corporation, Deep and Mysterious Waters

The man appeared to be under thirty, dressed in a fitted white shirt and dark gray trousers, wearing black-framed glasses that gave him an air of refinement. Behind those glasses, his narrow eyes held a sinister gleam, and locking eyes with him was distinctly unsettling.

“Bai Lu, what a coincidence. Mind if I sit here?” he said, plopping down beside her.

A flicker of disdain crossed Bai Lu’s eyes, but she ignored him and instead smiled at Zhou Yang. “Zhou Yang, I’m full. See you tonight.”

“See you tonight!” Zhou Yang greeted Bai Lu, paying no mind to the man, continuing to eat his breakfast with his head down.

“Zhou Yang, right?” the man said. “How do you know Bai Lu? By the way, what are you two doing tonight?”

Zhou Yang frowned deeply, irritated by this man’s lack of boundaries.

“Sorry, that’s between us. Not something I’m going to share with you,” Zhou Yang replied firmly.

“Tsk tsk, no wonder you’ve got someone backing you up. You speak with such confidence!” The man’s tone turned mocking.

Zhou Yang lifted his gaze. “Someone backing me? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, playing dumb, huh?” The man pulled out a badge and clipped it to his left chest.

—Marketing Department, Sales Representative, Liu Yan.

Zhou Yang hadn’t expected this man to be a colleague from the marketing department. He had spent all day there yesterday but hadn’t seen him. Still, sales reps often visited clients outside the office, so his absence was understandable.

Since they were in the same department, Zhou Yang softened his tone. “Earlier, you said I had someone backing me and accused me of pretending to be clueless. What exactly are you implying?”

Liu Yan sneered. “Zhou Yang, you don’t need me to explain how you got into the marketing department, do you?”

Zhou Yang was taken aback. He put down his chopsticks. “Why don’t you just say it?”

Liu Yan frowned, unwilling to show him any courtesy. “Everyone in the department knows you got in through connections!”

“Oh? Then who exactly is the connection behind me?” Zhou Yang asked.

“You’re making this pointless,” Liu Yan’s expression darkened. “You know who’s behind you. We all know. You were still an intern when a certain leader secretly transferred you to our department!”

Zhou Yang was speechless.

Were people in the marketing department really this well-informed? Large corporations truly are labyrinths.

If what he said was true, who could have arranged for him to be transferred?

Previously, Zhou Yang had guessed it might be Tang Yumei secretly helping him, since her son Xie Feng easily helped Lu Wei secure a formal position.

But after yesterday’s events, he dismissed that idea.

Because Lu Wei’s transfer had to be thanks to Xie Feng’s father, Xie Yong.

Yet Tang Yumei and Xie Yong were on such bad terms, there was no way she would have asked Xie Yong to assist him.

So then, who exactly was behind his transfer?

Zhou Yang was filled with questions.

---

“Zhou Yang, the marketing department is full of elites, especially in sales. Without real skill, no matter how strong your connections are, you’ll be eliminated!” Liu Yan said.

“How do you know I lack skill?” Zhou Yang replied. “The sales department isn’t your family business. Who are you to decide who gets eliminated?”

“You...” Liu Yan didn’t expect Zhou Yang to argue off-script.

“Mind your own business!” Zhou Yang said, then stood and left.

“Damn it, Zhou Yang, just wait!” Liu Yan’s mouth twitched in anger as he also stood.

Several young women nearby whispered and pointed.

“Isn’t that Liu Yan from sales?”

“Yeah, last year’s top seller!”

“I heard he’s quite the playboy, secretly involved with many female colleagues. Now he’s got his sights on our company’s beautiful receptionist.”

...

Marketing Department.

The marketing department held a weekly morning meeting every Monday, but since Su Jing had an appointment yesterday morning, the meeting was postponed to today.

At this moment, the department’s sales staff, marketing personnel, and support team stood in three formations facing a large screen.

Below the screen stood Su Jing, dressed in a deep blue tailored suit, her hair pinned up. Her expression was stern, her gaze sharp—a consummate professional, embodying the phrase “career woman” perfectly.

Su Jing possessed an angelic face and a devilish figure. Remarkably, she combined youthful beauty with mature femininity, all while exuding commanding authority.

Such a woman was the pinnacle of excellence, nearly flawless.

She held a laser pointer and clicked through the PowerPoint slides. Her voice was cold: “Second quarter sales figures are dismal. I have no idea what you’ve all been doing for the past three months.”

Her red lips pressed into a straight line as she paced before them. The sharp clicks of her high heels on the floor sounded like a death knell in the ears of her audience.

All the salespeople lowered their heads, silent and unwilling to meet her gaze.

“I think it’s necessary to reactivate the department’s secret weapon!” Su Jing clicked to the next slide: “Bottom Elimination System!”

“Ah?”

The sales team’s faces instantly filled with dread.

The bottom elimination system meant that the person with the worst performance would be kicked out.

Su Jing continued, “To instill a sense of urgency, we’re implementing the bottom elimination system. Within one month, the person with the lowest new sales in the marketing department will be forced out. Everyone, prepare yourselves mentally!”

“Zhou Yang!”

Suddenly, Su Jing called out, startling Zhou Yang.

“Ms. Su, I’m here,” he said.

“Though you’ve just joined the department, timing is everything. This system applies to you as well!”

Hearing this, Liu Yan glanced at Zhou Yang with a secret smirk.

Liu Yan was last year’s top seller, secure in his position with many clients in hand. He had no fear of elimination.

Zhou Yang, on the other hand, was new, still unfamiliar with how to approach major clients, yet forced to compete fiercely with seasoned veterans.

---

It was clearly unfair to him.

Throughout the meeting, Zhou Yang felt stifled, barely able to breathe.

Luckily, the meeting ended quickly. Zhou Yang wanted to speak with Su Jing, so he stood and went to knock on her office door.

“Ms. Su went to the restroom! Do you need something?” her assistant Chen Xue asked stepping out.

“Yes, I have a question for Ms. Su.”

“Then wait in her office. She should be back soon,” Chen Xue said.

Zhou Yang entered Su Jing’s office and saw a briefcase on her desk, its flap open, revealing a black pack of sanitary pads inside.

He smiled wryly—Ms. Su was dealing with her period.

The next moment, Su Jing pushed the door open.

Her face was pale, her hair loose, and she clutched her lower abdomen, clearly in great pain.

“What are you doing in the office? Need something?” she asked coldly as she sat down.

It was obvious she was hurting; a fine sheen of sweat dotted her forehead.

“I...” Zhou Yang began.

“Ah!” Before he could speak, Su Jing let out a soft moan, bracing herself on the desk as her body trembled from the pain.

“Ms. Su!”

Zhou Yang rushed forward.

“Get to the point if you have something. If not, leave!” she snapped.

A strand of wet hair clung to her forehead, making her look somewhat disheveled, yet there was a wild beauty in her disorder.

“Ms. Su, with you like this, it’s hard for me to say what I need to say,” Zhou Yang said. “Let me try to help ease your pain first.”

“How will you do that?” Su Jing asked through gritted teeth.

“In traditional medicine, certain acupressure points can relieve menstrual cramps. Done in the right sequence, it’s very effective.”

This was also mentioned in the “Golden Scales,” which contained not only prescriptions but also acupuncture and therapeutic techniques.

Su Jing was skeptical but the pain was overwhelming—dizzy and with her abdomen stabbing as if pricked by needles. She was miserable beyond words.

Yet before her subordinate, she couldn’t afford to lose face.

Seeing this, Zhou Yang stepped around the desk and gently took her delicate pale hand.

“The first acupoint is He Gu, located in the webbing between your thumb and index finger,” he explained softly.