Complaints rose everywhere.

On the first day of the long holiday, Chen Ruowen’s new phone finally arrived. Assistant Pan had already installed her usual apps and transferred the data from her old phone, but over the holiday Chen Ruowen spent almost all her time at the Bai family’s home. She only glanced at the screen to see whether there were any urgent messages, so naturally she had missed the notices that had been circulating in the department chat during the break.

That was why, when she came back to the company after the holiday and found the office deserted, Chen Ruowen was a little baffled.

Had she remembered the date wrong? Was today still a holiday?

She checked her phone. No, it was definitely a workday.

Then maybe the company was holding some event today, and she simply had not been informed?

That was possible.

Chen Ruowen spent a while scrolling through her contacts before finding the human resources department group.

At first glance, there were still quite a few unread messages, and several cash envelopes had been sent. When she scrolled back to the first message, her expression grew faintly amused.

On the day before the long holiday, Yu Yan had posted a notice in the department group saying the company would organize a unified employee event the next day, and everyone in the department was required to attend. Anyone who did not show up would have three hundred deducted from that month’s salary under the heading of a corporate culture bonus. Anyone who did attend would still have to pay a hundred per person as the event fee.

An event organized during a holiday, mandatory for all, with money deducted if you stayed away, and money deducted if you came.

That was rather nauseating.

And that was not all. Just after midnight, Yu Yan had sent another message asking whether everyone had gotten home safely. A few people replied promptly, while others had probably gone to sleep as soon as they got home and missed it.

Then, ten minutes later, Yu Yan had tagged the employees who had not replied in time and fined each of them a hundred.

That was how those cash envelopes had appeared in the group.

But this morning there had been no fresh messages, no notice of a holiday, no notice of an event. So where had everyone gone?

After sitting alone in the office for about half an hour, Chen Ruowen finally saw her colleagues return one by one, each of them wearing a terrible expression.

As soon as Yang Xiaojun came in, she slammed her backpack down onto her desk in a fit of anger.

“Are they insane? I was only two minutes late, and not only did they dock my attendance bonus, they also made me write a self-criticism. Do they think I’m a schoolgirl or something?”

“The worse the company, the more they care about attendance. Damn it, if it weren’t for the fact that this rotten company is backed by Double Star, who would even want to come here?”

“If I’d been late on my own, fine. But the elevator was broken, and they’re still blaming me for that? Their own property management failed, and instead of showing any sympathy to late employees they’re docking pay and making people write self-criticisms. I wasn’t late on purpose!”

Zhang Liling, who had come in behind her, patted Yang Xiaojun on the shoulder.

“Forget it. Say less.”

“If they keep pushing me, I’ll resign tomorrow. I’m done with this nonsense! A self-criticism, too? I never even had to write one in school, and now that I’m working I actually have to write one? I got to the building downstairs twenty minutes early, and they still want to punish me because the company elevator broke down? On what grounds?”

“Hey, Xiaojun, say less,” Liu Shaopeng said as he came into the office behind them. Rarely, he joined the women in venting his own frustration. “It’s not just you who has to write one. The rest of us do too.”

“Exactly! So many people were late together, and they still want to fine us and assign blame!”

So these people had all been collectively late and then dragged off for a scolding.

No wonder the office was empty.

“We actually got off lightly. Manager Yu wasn’t late, but she was called up to the general manager’s office and chewed out over this matter too,” Zhang Liling said, shaking her head.

Hearing that, Yang Xiaojun looked a little more cheerful.

“Well, that’s why I’m feeling a bit better. She punished me with a hundred yuan just last week. It made me so furious.”

“What’s there to be happy about?” Pang Qi, who had been silent all this time, said. “She got scolded outside, and when she comes back, doesn’t she just take it out on us?”

“Damn it, just thinking about it annoys me!”

“Forget it. Just write the self-criticism properly,” Zhang Liling sighed. “It’s not worth ending up like Li Zichun.”

Chen Ruowen’s eyes sharpened.

“Like Li Zichun? What happened to her?”

“Oh, you don’t know yet.”

As they spoke, Li Zichun also came into the office from behind them. When Yang Xiaojun and Pang Qi saw her, they both rolled their eyes and returned to their desks to write their self-criticisms. Zhang Liling, by contrast, patted Li Zichun on the shoulder without much hesitation.

“When Zichun first joined the company, she got caught in something like this too and was punished with a self-criticism, but it wasn’t because she was late,” Zhang Liling said, then turned to Li Zichun. “What was it again for you?”

“Because my voice was too soft when I sang the company anthem at the morning meeting,” Li Zichun said in a low voice.

Chen Ruowen nearly spat out her water.

What kind of absurd reason was that? She had to write a self-criticism for singing the company anthem too softly?

Then what about her first day at Lightstream, when she had not even opened her mouth?

Zhang Liling smiled.

“Yes, that was the bizarre reason. It just happened to be seen by the general manager when he came down to patrol the sixteenth floor, and he dragged her out to lecture her for more than ten minutes. Afterward, Yu Yan told her to write a self-criticism as an explanation, but Zichun is stubborn too. She refused to write it no matter what. Because of that, she’s been left off the promotion list all these years.”

Li Zichun let out a muffled huff.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I have to criticize myself?”

“True, but what could she do when the general manager happened to see it? It’s not worth ruining your promotion over a piece of paper.”

“Anyway, I wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t disrespecting the company’s rules. I just didn’t belt out the song like everyone else. Even if they wanted to fire me, that wouldn’t be enough reason. If it happened all over again, I still wouldn’t write it.”

Hearing that, Zhang Liling said nothing more. She only shook her head and gave Chen Ruowen a helpless look, as though to say, You see? She really is that stubborn.

So she had never been given much responsibility simply because she refused to write a self-criticism?

Chen Ruowen wheeled her chair over beside Li Zichun’s desk.

“How much do you make a month?”

Li Zichun froze.

Salary was a sensitive topic. In most companies, employees were not allowed to discuss it privately. But with Chen Ruowen’s status and background, she clearly would not care about such a small amount of money.

Still, having been burned a few times before, Li Zichun looked around cautiously before answering in a low voice.

“Three thousand five.”

“That little?” Chen Ruowen lifted an eyebrow. After taxes, that probably did not even come to three thousand. Could one live in Nan City on that? “How long have you been working?”

“Uh... five years in total. Three years at Lightstream.”

“Three years here, and still only this much? With your ability, that shouldn’t be the case. Haven’t you thought about changing jobs?”

Chen Ruowen had seen several of Li Zichun’s work reports. Over the past month and more, Li Zichun’s output had also been the highest in several departmental events. In terms of overall ability, among the six employees in human resources, Li Zichun was definitely the most outstanding, and the most well-rounded. With a few months of training, she could even be competent as a department manager.

At Chen Ruowen’s question, Li Zichun gave a wry smile.

“I only have a high school diploma. It wasn’t easy getting into Lightstream in the first place. If I went somewhere else, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even get past the first resume screening.”

For an administrative role, the barrier to entry was generally low, which was precisely why educational requirements were especially strict. Since Li Zichun’s highest qualification was only high school, most HR departments would not even open her resume.

“In that case,” Chen Ruowen said, taking a business card from her pocket and placing it on Li Zichun’s desk, “how about coming to work for me as my assistant? I’ll double your salary for now, and we can adjust it later depending on performance.”

“Are you... joking with me?” Li Zichun stared at her, dumbfounded.

The work problem that had troubled her for years had been solved so suddenly, without the slightest warning?

“I’ll probably still be at Lightstream for another half month,” Chen Ruowen said, patting her on the shoulder as she slid her chair back to her own desk. “Think it over carefully.”