Liu Huamin hadn’t expected so many people to be in the conference room waiting for him and Lin Yu.
He was clearly taken aback.
Seeing Liu Huamin, Lu Chunxue asked impatiently, “Liu Huamin, where’s Lin Yu?
Why isn’t he back with you?”
“Did the people from the Wu-style Group beat him so badly he can’t get up?”
Liu Huamin realized that all eyes in the room were suddenly on him, as if everyone was eagerly waiting for what he would say.
Xie Mingcheng and Dong Liya grew even more animated, their faces flush with excitement.
“Hurry up, Liu Huamin!
What are you dawdling for?
Manager Lu is talking to you.”
“You didn’t go to the Wu-style Group with Lin Yu only to be scared witless by their people, did you?
So, did you get beaten up or not?”
Seeing Liu Huamin just standing there, stunned and silent, the people in the conference room grew more insistent.
Liu Huamin looked troubled.
He didn’t dare admit that he had chickened out earlier and hadn’t gone upstairs.
Scratching his head, he said, “Well, I didn’t get beaten up.
As for Lin Yu, I’m not really sure.”
“What?
You’re not sure?
Weren’t you with him?
Where is he now?” Lu Chunxue’s face fell as she demanded an answer.
Liu Huamin said, “He said he was going to the restroom and would be right back.”
Suddenly, Lu Chunxue slammed her hand on the table and said sharply, “Going to the restroom?
I bet you two never even went to the Wu-style Group to collect the debt!
Did you use this as an excuse to go wander off somewhere?”
Liu Huamin quickly waved his hands in denial.
“Manager Lu, we really did go to the Wu-style Group!
I swear we weren’t just wandering around.”
Lu Chunxue’s face was pale with anger.
She sneered, “Not wandering around?
Are you sure?”
Just then, Lin Yu returned from the restroom and walked into the conference room.
When he saw how many people were there—and that Xie Mingcheng and Dong Liya were among them—he immediately understood the situation.
The sight of Lin Yu made Lu Chunxue even more furious.
Xie Mingcheng and Dong Liya, seeing Lin Yu return completely unscathed, grew restless in their seats.
‘Weren’t they invited here to watch Lin Yu make a fool of himself?’
Lu Chunxue was puzzled as well.
‘Did Lin Yu actually go to the Wu-style Group or not?
If he did, how could he have come back without a single scratch?
I don’t believe it!’
She immediately launched into a tirade against Lin Yu.
“Lin Yu, you and Liu Huamin are really something else!
I sent you to the Wu-style Group to collect a debt.
Not only did you fail to get the money, but you two just ran off to have fun?”
“This is a clear dereliction of duty!
I’m announcing it now: you two will be docked half a month’s pay, and all your performance metrics for this month will be voided.”
“I want everyone to take Lin Yu and Liu Huamin as a cautionary tale.
Don’t be like them.
Otherwise, I don’t care if you have friends in high places—I will hand down the harshest punishment.”
Having said her piece, Lu Chunxue raised her head smugly.
Even if Lin Yu hadn’t gotten hurt and the debt remained uncollected, she was still determined to punish him and Liu Huamin severely.
Dong Liya was delighted to see her best friend get some payback for her.
She glanced over at Xie Mingcheng, who was also wearing a smug, mocking smile.
Dong Liya was a bit scared of Lin Yu, but in a setting like this, she was certain he wouldn’t dare do anything to her.
Mustering her courage, she jeered.
“See, I told you.
People like Lin Yu are useless screw-ups no matter where they are.
They do more harm than good.
Chunxue, you were right to punish him!”
Xie Mingcheng chimed in, “Exactly.
In fact, I think you were too merciful, Chunxue.
If Lin Yu worked for me, his punishment would have been far more severe.”
The employees below all started murmuring and gossiping about Lin Yu.
Liu Huamin wanted to explain, but he was too afraid of Lu Chunxue to say anything.
Lin Yu glanced at Liu Huamin and shook his head in disappointment.
Then, he said calmly, “Lu Chunxue, you called Dong Liya and Xie Mingcheng here just to see me make a fool of myself, didn’t you?”
“Well, I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you today.
Who says I didn’t collect the debt?”
The expressions on Lu Chunxue, Dong Liya, and Xie Mingcheng’s faces changed.
But they quickly decided Lin Yu must be lying.
That was ten million, not some funny money from the Heaven and Earth Bank.
Lu Chunxue grew even more furious.
She shot to her feet, pointed at Lin Yu, and shouted, “Lin Yu, you ex-convict!
You’ll never change, will you!”
“You clearly didn’t collect the debt, and now you’re going to lie about it in front of all our colleagues?”
Dong Liya also stood up, about to chime in to support Lu Chunxue, but a single cold glare from Lin Yu made her shrink back.
Xie Mingcheng quickly stood up, put an arm around Dong Liya’s shoulders, and jutted his chin.
“Liya, don’t be afraid.
Lin Yu is definitely going to be humiliated today!
All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.”
Dong Liya mumbled her agreement and said no more.
Everyone in the conference room stared at Lin Yu, waiting for his response.
They looked at him as if he were a clown.
Lin Yu took out a check, waved it in his hand, and said, “I told you I got the money.
You don’t believe me?”
Lu Chunxue frowned.
“Bring that check here.
Let me see it.”
Lin Yu walked over to Lu Chunxue and placed the check on the table.
Lu Chunxue picked it up and examined it carefully for a moment.
Her expression immediately turned foul.
“Manager Lu, you’re not going to claim this check is a fake, are you?
If you think it is, we can go to the bank and have it verified right now.”
A mocking smile played on Lin Yu’s lips as he spoke.
Lu Chunxue couldn’t fathom how Lin Yu had managed to get the money back.
She was utterly shocked, as were Dong Liya, Xie Mingcheng, and every other employee in the room.