Yan Feng felt somewhat relieved. Although the young girl appeared a bit frail, her physical condition was decent enough. She didn't fall ill after getting caught in the rain, which meant he could go to work as usual the next day without any issues.

Upon returning to the company, the moment he stepped through the door, his gentle demeanor instantly transformed into a stern one.

"Xiao Zhang, the market research I asked you to do yesterday—send it to my computer later."

"Got it, Brother Feng!"

"Old Wang, remember to inform the finance department to double-check this month's unpaid salaries. Deduct what needs to be deducted, and make sure the bonuses are accurate. If there's any mistake, I'll personally look into it."

"Understood, Brother Feng!"

The same directives had been repeated countless times. Yan Feng was long accustomed to taking full responsibility for everything in the company. Besides handling documents and negotiating deals, employees could spot this boss anywhere.

Though strict, he was never unreasonable or biased. If he found a proposal unsatisfactory after several revisions, he'd take over the task himself, yet still credit the original person for the work.

Sometimes, employees would even see their "boss" sweeping the floor by himself...

His clear rewards and punishments, strict yet not oppressive demeanor, willingness to lend a hand personally, and ability to close million-dollar deals independently—combined with voluntary overtime and overtime pay—made his employees exceptionally obedient. The company was united under his leadership.

Of course, that was excluding a certain lazybones who loved to sleep.

"Hey," Yan Feng walked over to a corner workstation, tapping the desk with his fingers as he looked at the woman still asleep. "Wake up and sign this contract."

"Don't bother me... just a little longer..."

He was instantly exasperated, nudging Gu Qing's shoulder with a stern, uncompromising tone:"Get up quickly, review the contract, and sign it! We have a meeting later, and you need to oversee the salary distribution, along with some other details..."

"Ah~ Little Madman, give me a break~"

Listening to his list of tasks made Gu Qing's head spin, and she twisted around like a slippery eel, behaving like a child throwing a tantrum.

The freshly awakened woman had a rosy flush on her cheeks, looking shy and adorably petulant.

Unfortunately, Yan Feng wasn't in the mood to appreciate it; he just wanted to get the work done.

Unable to reach an agreement, he eventually compromised, placing just one contract in front of her, his tone tinged with helplessness.

A quick look at "pawread.com" will leave you more fulfilled.

"I can handle everything else for you, but not this one. Review it and sign. The profit from this deal is substantial."

But she didn't care at all, treating his words like background noise. She scribbled her name on the contract and handed it back, then lay down on the desk again.

"I've told you so many times, read the contract carefully before signing! What if someone plays a word game with you?" Yan Feng scolded, genuinely worried for the real boss in front of him.

"No need to read..." Gu Qing lazily replied, eyes still closed, "You've already checked it for me anyway."

"That's not the point! Are you the boss or am I?"

Upon hearing this, the woman suddenly opened her eyes, a teasing smile playing on her lips:

"You be the boss, and I am the boss's wife.~"

"Enough nonsense, get up and review the contract."

The man urged, but Gu Qing completely ignored him, closing her eyes again and waving her hand dismissively: "No worries, I trust you, Little Madman."

"Get up." Yan Feng sighed, deliberately raising his voice.

"I won't..."

"I'm telling you again, get up."

"No, no, no~ I just want to sleep, just want to sleep~"

Now it was his turn to have a headache.

Damn it, what did he do in his past life to deserve such an unreliable boss?

The man rubbed his forehead, shaking his head in resignation, suddenly feeling as if countless eyes were watching him...

He quickly turned around, but the employees seemed busy, not paying attention to the commotion here. Was it just his imagination?

He shook his head, thinking he might have caught a slight chill from the rain yesterday afternoon, and didn't dwell on it further. He returned to his office to prepare materials for the upcoming meeting.

As the man entered the office...

***

Wang Wenxin clutched her chest, exhaling a long breath of relief. She turned to Sister Li at the adjacent workstation, still shaken:"Wow, Sister Li, I almost got scared to death when Brother Feng turned around just now. How do you all react so quickly?"

Hearing this, Sister Li gave her a mysterious look, sipping her light tea with an air of a worldly-wise sage, and said calmly:"Nothing special, just practice."

***

Meanwhile, inside the office.

Yan Feng frowned as he looked at the printed materials in front of him.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and without looking up, he said, "Come in."

As soon as he spoke, a pot-bellied middle-aged man walked in, rubbing his hands with a smile, "Brother Feng, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Yan Feng nodded, his tone still calm. "You should know why I called you to the office alone. Do you want to explain, or should I do it for you?"

The man's face froze upon hearing this, a few beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead. He feigned ignorance, asking, "Brother Feng, what are you talking about? I don't understand..."

Yan Feng glanced at him, then stood up, slowly walking over, his tone turning icy:"Old Zhuang, you've worked here for years, seen a lot. Don't you know what happens to employees who make mistakes under my watch?"

He stepped closer, placing a hand on the man's shoulder:"For the sake of the years you've been with me, I'll give you one last chance, Old Zhuang.

Recite everything you've done from start to finish. It's just the two of us here. After you're done, leave the company. If you're lucky, you might find another job with your resume..."

His hand on the shoulder applied a bit more pressure, and the usually gentle man now seemed terrifyingly sinister, speaking word by word:"Otherwise, there won't be a place for you in the entire North."

"Enough!"

Guilt and anger intertwined, turning into resentment on the edge of a cliff. Old Zhuang stood up abruptly, glaring at the man, and cursed without restraint:"Yan Feng! Who do you think you are!? Just a damn employee, sitting in an office, and you think you're the company president?"

He crossed his arms, snorting arrogantly, "I'll tell you the truth, I was the one who leaked the bid price to Zhao's last time. What can you do about it!?"

Yan Feng's expression remained calm, even his tone softened a bit:"How much did they give you?"

"Nothing! I'm telling you, they didn't give me a single penny!" Old Zhuang gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with intense jealousy:

"I just can't stand you, bossing me around all day, thinking you're something when you're nothing!"

The man cursed without regard for his image, while Yan Feng stood silently listening to his rant, then smiled, picking up a thick dictionary from the desk behind him, asking cheerfully:

"Old Zhuang, does this look familiar? This dictionary has been here since I entered the office, but it's never been opened. Do you know why?"

Old Zhuang spat, continuing to curse, "I don't give a damn what it's for. Anyway, I'm not planning to work today, so keep it to cushion your ashes box!"

He cursed as he walked towards the office door, but when he grabbed the handle, it wouldn't open. Panic set in, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

He quickly turned around, only to be kicked in the upper leg by Yan Feng from behind, causing his hefty body to kneel with a thud.

"Damn, that hurts... Yan Feng! Are you really crazy!?"

Old Zhuang grimaced in pain, his bulky frame preventing him from retaliating or even standing up.

Bang!

Another kick, this time to the other leg, and the once single-knee kneeling position turned into a double-knee plea, accompanied by a piercing scream.

"Old Zhuang, after all these years, you still don't get it," Yan Feng said calmly, continuing:"I already told you, it's just the two of us here. Whatever happens, no one will know."

"Yan Feng... you madman... I'll call the police! I'll call the police and have you arrested!"

Yan Feng showed no fear at the threat, maintaining a faint smile as he retorted:"Call the police? Heh, Old Zhuang, I suggest you think carefully. Instead of telling the police you got hurt in an office without surveillance, maybe you should figure out how to explain the extra hundreds of thousands in your account?"

"Did you really think I knew nothing?"

For a moment, his face showed anger, but it quickly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

But Old Zhuang couldn't stay calm, his face paling, swallowing hard, and forcing a flattering smile:"Heh, heh... Brother Feng, I was just joking earlier. Everyone in the company knows you're the real boss, right?"

Unexpectedly, Yan Feng pursed his lips, thinking of the lazybones probably still asleep outside, and said naturally, "I'm no boss; anyone who wants the title can have it!"

"Yes, yes, anyone can have it. Brother Feng, you have bigger ambitions, surely not limited to a small company like ours..."

Old Zhuang kept flattering, seeing no further signs of aggression from the man behind him, he tentatively asked, "Brother Feng, you've been at it for a while, maybe you want a drink?"

"Sure!"

Surprisingly, Yan Feng agreed easily, and Old Zhuang was overjoyed, but before he could celebrate, he heard the man continue:"But since you love jokes so much, let me share one with you!"

With that, the man placed the dictionary on Old Zhuang's head, then opened it to reveal a small, exquisite hammer hidden inside!

Yan Feng's smile widened slightly as he said:"Do you know how they used to deal with stubborn criminals during interrogations?

No evidence left, and not too gentle either, just like now, with only the two of us, placing the dictionary on the criminal's head, then picking up the hammer... And strike down hard!"

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Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan