Chapter 18: Yuan Shenqi Dong

The hot-tempered Miss Yuan was not as unscrupulous as Liang Kun; after all, this was a public place, but Lin Mo did indeed act as a sort of "fire extinguisher."

"Ah~~"

Yuan Meng took a sip of tea, swaying her head in pure enjoyment.

As for the brewing tools, they were the black toolbox Yuan Meng had brought along—yes, she had brought her own tea set.

"Your tea is still the best, kid. I've been brewing it myself at home these past two days, and it's bitter as hell."

Ever since she had tasted Lin Mo's tea at the teahouse that day, Yuan Meng had had the sudden whim to brew it herself several times, but it never had that same flavor.

At first, she thought the tea leaves were the problem; she even went home and "stole" her father's private collection to brew, only to realize the problem was the person.

Even her mother, Ms. Jiang, remarked that it wasn't as good as what Little Lin brewed, which led Comrade Old Yuan to pursue Lin Mo with intense curiosity to find out who he was.

It wasn't until Ms. Jiang mentioned that her daughter was likely "seeing" this Little Lin that Comrade Old Yuan nearly choked to death from anger.

What kind of nonsense was this? His own daughter was using his card to treat a "blonde" to meals, then coming home to steal tea leaves he wouldn't even dare to drink himself, and his wife was actually praising the blonde's tea-brewing skills? What was he supposed to be? A sucker?

As for Yuan Meng, she had explained long ago that she and Lin Mo were just friends, but clearly, Ms. Jiang didn't fully believe her. She knew her daughter was just as much of a "man-lover" as she was—otherwise, why would she spend every day looking at handsome guys with eight-pack abs on her phone?

Hearing this, Lin Mo chuckled. This was Dongting Biluochun from Mengqian; how could it not taste good? As expected, being rich has its perks.

"This kind of fine tea requires certain techniques when brewing. I'm just riding on your coattails today, Sister Yuan," Lin Mo joked.

"Of course! Even my dad is reluctant to drink this. I swiped it. But no worries, if you like it, I'll give you a pound!"

Lin Mo:...

He offered a silent moment of mourning for Comrade Old Yuan.

"By the way, Sister Yuan, what have you been up to these past few days? I haven't seen you at the company. And as for the money, why not just transfer it? This is way too flashy!"

He truly couldn't understand Yuan Meng's habit of carrying large amounts of cash.

"WeChat had a limit today. I was going to transfer it to you, but I was afraid you'd be anxious, so I brought cash. Mainly, I just extorted a hundred grand from my mom, so I definitely have to spend it!" Yuan Meng said righteously.

At this, Lin Mo couldn't help but sigh. As the old saying goes: dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes, and the children of rats know how to dig holes.

Children from wealthy families really knew how to make money. Although she was technically "making" her mother's money, it was still a form of ability—at least she had the guts to name her price. If it were him, he wouldn't even dare to dream of it.

So it really was

The children of the poor take charge early, managing the daily grind of rice, oil, salt, and vinegar;

The children of the rich play all day, playing their way into mastering the art of social graces and networking.

To him, two hundred thousand might be a fortune, but for a family like Yuan Meng's, it could vanish in a single meal or the purchase of a handbag.

Yuan Meng continued, "As for why I haven't been to the company... Hmph, that fat bastard Dong is looking for trouble. I won't let him off easy."

"Fatty Dong? What did he do now?" Lin Mo asked, a bit curious.

The reason was likely nothing more than their previous public disagreements. Fatty Dong was not a magnanimous man, and he would naturally seek revenge when given the chance. Lin Mo had never thought Fatty Dong could actually do anything to Yuan Meng, but it seemed there was a new development this time.

"Him? He's a petty man. He's been using his position to secretly contact several of my major clients, trying to poach them. He thinks that by stealing my clients, he can control me. To hell with him! The big orders I brought in were all thanks to my family's connections. Who does he think he is?

Even if he can't poach them, I definitely have to pay him a visit to 'explain' things. They are all doing business with us because of my family's reputation; I can't let them feel uncomfortable, can I?"

Although Yuan Meng didn't understand the intricacies of business, she had been immersed in such social dynamics since childhood and naturally understood how to navigate interpersonal relations.

Hearing this, Lin Mo realized that people could indeed be this shameless. It was a learning experience.

"So, Sister Yuan, are you just going to let this go?"

"Let it go? Hmph, in your dreams! Fatty Dong is dead meat," Yuan Meng said with absolute certainty.

Lin Mo thought Yuan Meng was looking for an opportunity for revenge, but he didn't expect the opportunity to arrive so quickly.

At 4:40 PM, Fatty Dong, who hadn't been seen for days, suddenly appeared at the company and called everyone into a meeting.

Soon, everyone gathered in the company lobby, finding their places to stand, with Fatty Dong at the very front.

"I assume everyone is here. Some rumors have been circulating in the company lately; I won't pursue whoever started them. The most important thing right now is company business.

I have a few things to announce. First, starting today, everyone is required to work overtime until 8:00 PM. Especially the groups with unfinished projects—those must be completed by next Monday.

Second, the company's recent performance has been poor. In the spirit of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, employee salaries will be adjusted downward to a certain extent. Specific amounts will be notified by each department individually.

Third, bonuses for all departments will be reduced, especially commissions for the sales department, starting this month.

Lastly, all positions that previously had two days off per week will now move to a single day off."

As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of wails erupted. Overtime was one thing—it was normal for workers to put in extra hours—but not paying overtime and instead cutting salaries? What kind of logic was this?

Dong Dawei had anticipated this reaction. He spoke up immediately: "Now, return to work. If you are dissatisfied with the company's decision, you are free to resign."

In short: if you don't do it, there are plenty of others who will.

Just as everyone was at a loss for what to do, Yuan Meng pushed through the crowd and walked up to Fatty Dong, staring him down.

Lin Mo and Zhang Wei, standing nearby, felt as if they were seeing the shadow of an old legend.

Yuan Meng took a deep breath and spoke slowly

"Now, President Liu has just arrived to inspect our work and help the company develop, yet you seek to exploit the employees. What are your true intentions?!" *(Just as the imperial court is newly established, and you are summoned to the capital to assist the Emperor in stabilizing the people, you repeatedly criticize the legitimacy of the heir and advocate for the commoner—is this not deliberate treason?)*

Hearing this, Fatty Dong's face turned bright red with rage. He shouted, "I am the manager! This is a decision made by the company! Do you intend to violate company regulations?!" *(The affairs of the world are in my hands, and I act now; who dares disobey?)*

Yuan Meng sneered, "Hmph. When it comes to company matters, President Liu has the final say. You? You're nothing but a sycophantic waste. Stop acting like you're something special!" *(The affairs of the world belong to the Emperor and his loyal ministers. You are merely a traitorous rogue; what do you intend to do?)*

Fatty Dong completely lost his composure. He pointed at Yuan Meng and roared, "Do you even want to keep this job? Do you want to be fired?!" *(Do you wish to test the sharpness of my blade?)*

"F***, bring it on! If you have the guts, fire me! I'd actually like to ask President Liu if this was her intention!" *(My blade is not dull!)*

In an instant, Fatty Dong withered. He trembled with rage, looking as if he might drop dead at any second.

As the two stood in confrontation, the way everyone around them looked at Yuan Meng changed. How could a person be this incredibly gutsy?

Lin Mo and Zhang Wei felt the same; this was exactly the version of themselves that every man dreamed of being.

The two exchanged a glance. Lin Mo said, "I just thought of an idiom."

Zhang Wei replied, "Perfect, me too. Shall we say it together?"

Lin Mo nodded, and then both spoke in unison

"Yuan Shen Qi Dong!" (Yuan Meng is a God/The Divine Yuan) *2

(End of Chapter)