Chapter 595 - 385: Tokyo Trip (14)
In a centrally located building on Gongming Road Street, Mingzhu City.
A woman waited anxiously in the tidy reception room, clutching a cup. She wore a light, orange-red gauze jacket over a tangerine top, and a pair of long, flared trousers that perfectly accentuated her well-maintained figure. Her mid-heeled shoes were also an exceptionally suitable match.
Under the soft light, her flaxen hair gleamed faintly. The tassel earrings she wore were a similar shade to her lipstick, lending her a warm aura.
The beauty mark under the corner of her eye was especially well-placed.
Yet, for such a beautifully dressed woman, an anxious look flickered across her face. If the cup hadn’t been so sturdy, it felt as though she might crush it in her grip.
CLICK—
Hearing the crisp sound of the door opening, the woman shot to her feet, her eyes filled with hope.
But when she saw it was still only the assistant, her disappointment was palpable.
"Where is she?"
"I’m so sorry, Director Tan..." Assistant Qin looked apologetic.
"Don’t apologize to me yet. Did you find President Jiangg?"
"I called many times. She must have been busy at first. I kept calling every few minutes, and she just got back to me."
"She got back to you? What did she say? Is she coming to the office? If not, you should go pick her up right now."
"She’s not coming. President Jiangg said she’s completely tied up in a meeting at the Dongpu Building. However, she did answer me about the research funds. She said to ask you to please stall for two more days, Director Tan. After two days, she guarantees the overdue payment will be settled. She’ll deliver it to you personally."
"Two more days? How am I supposed to stall? The people demanding the money are all camped out in my office! I’m here waiting for her, and they’re over there waiting for me. The payment can’t be made, they can’t cash the payment slip from the finance department at the bank... There has to be an explanation for this, right?"
"Well... I’m not sure. President Jiangg said she knows where the money is and asked you to do your best to stall a little longer."
"Stall with what?"
Anger flared on Tan Xiaoying’s face. She slammed her hand on the table, and the teacup and other items on it trembled from the impact.
It startled the assistant.
"Director, please don’t be so angry."
"The funds can’t be released, but she’s the one who signed the slip! I ask the finance department, and they know nothing. So who the hell took the money? Two months ago, I promised the manufacturer we would pay. The only reason they agreed to let us take the goods before payment was because of my personal relationship with them! We delayed from March to April, then April to May. How can I even show my face anymore?"
Tan Xiaoying grew more and more heated, finally erupting, "This is clearly a case of someone embezzling company funds! What a bullshit guarantee! If I could trust President Jiangg’s guarantees, would I be in this humiliating position? Someone is forcing me to lose face, so now, no one gets to have any!"
"Oh my god, Director Tan, please don’t say that. Since President Jiangg said she has it under control, she’ll definitely handle it. You have to calm down. Here, have some water."
"I don’t want it! The money was supposed to be in the account. I already checked with the finance department! Jiangg Ruxue claimed there was a problem with the company’s books that she had to handle first. This is obviously intentional! Half a year ago when I joined your company, what did President Jiangg tell me? I overcame every obstacle to complete this project, and this is how she treats me?" Tan Xiaoying grabbed the cup and smashed it on the floor. "You tell her to wait for me. This isn’t over."
"Hey—Director! Director, where are you going?"
Director Tan grabbed her bag and slammed the reception room door shut with a BANG. Then, the rapid, sharp clicks of her high heels on the floor outside were particularly jarring.
Assistant Qin flinched, shutting her eyes against the strong gust of wind from the slamming door. She only opened them after a long moment.
A moment later, she stared at the shattered porcelain from the teacup on the floor, her heart still pounding.
’I thought she was going to throw it at me. That scared me to death...’
「Meanwhile.」
After leaving the reception room, Tan Xiaoying didn’t return to her office. Instead, she went downstairs, got in her car, and sped straight toward the factory. She was driving so fast that if it weren’t for traffic lights, she would have arrived more than ten minutes earlier than usual.
With a SCREECH, her Volkswagen Golf skidded to a stop right in front of the supervisory workshop’s main entrance.
"Wang, where are you? I need to talk to you, come here! Where are you?"
"Director Tan," a middle-aged man in work clothes poked his head out. "Wang isn’t here. He went to the company."
"What’s he doing at the company? I just came from there."
Tan Xiaoying froze at his words.
"Sigh, we haven’t been paid in over five months. Wang had a fight with his girlfriend this morning. He can’t make his mortgage payment, and he’s been borrowing money from colleagues for the last few months to cover it. Today, he said he had to get his wages no matter what. He took a cab over as soon as his shift ended at noon."
"I’ll call him then. Tell him to wait for me at the finance department."
"Alright... Director Tan, did you see President Jiangg?"
"See her? My ass. She’s deliberately avoiding me. Just you wait. I’m not taking the fall for her on this."
Her eyebrows shot up in fury. Having been at the factory for less than a minute, she got back in her car and started the engine. She made a sharp turn at the gate, her tires leaving black marks on the rough concrete road.
Then, she sped away.
...
Inside the Finance Department of Meiruxue Company.
A young man with square-rimmed glasses was agitatedly stating his case to a finance department employee.
"Why can’t I have my own wages? Is it right to withhold pay?! You made me sign an IOU, and I did it! But now you’re telling me there’s no money in the account? So not only do I not get paid, but now I owe the company ten thousand yuan?"