Chapter 82: Shameless

Liu Yue's image on the internet instantly stood tall.

Countless people applauded and cheered for her.

Some said, this is the true female lead.

Rich, beautiful, and idle, loved by her husband, with a powerful family—truly wonderful.

After the matter died down online, Shen Mo and Liu Yue also finished their vacation and returned to Jinghai, back inside the Liu Group.

There were still some matters here that needed to be resolved.

Liu Yue had just sat down in her office when Yan Jie came over to report that representatives of craftsmen from all over had arrived, requesting an audience with Liu Yue.

Liu Yue nodded.

【The moment has finally arrived.】

Shen Mo sighed inwardly.

The reason this incident could swell up so grandly was twofold: one, a competitor company of the Liu Group was stirring trouble; the other, within the Liu Group itself, those veteran craftsmen who had suffered losses from the reforms and could no longer secretly pocket materials were stirring trouble.

The competitor company attempted to bribe serving veteran craftsmen to produce shoddy goods, then have people report the Liu Group, thereby destroying it.

Unfortunately, Liu Yue and Liu Xinhua had long been prepared.

The Liu Group's strict quality-control and internal-audit department was entirely staffed by direct-line personnel personally cultivated by the Liu Family.

They controlled every single product that left the premises.

Although this department increased costs, it strictly guaranteed quality.

This time it rendered great service.

Coupled with the fact that Yan Jie and others had prepared early, they seized this batch of disloyal craftsmen at the first moment after the incident broke out.

Originally, there was no need for further talks between the two sides.

You betrayed the group, betrayed the people who paid your wages. The Liu Group, out of consideration that you once contributed to it and are old hands, chose not to prosecute—everyone parts on good terms, and that's that.

After that, you walk your broad sunny road, I cross my single-plank bridge.

How nice.

You have your reputations; after leaving, you can still find work.

Yet this group of craftsmen gathered together, wanting to meet Liu Yue once more, to negotiate once more.

Originally, Liu Xinhua should have come, but he directly declined, saying he wouldn't come—he found it troublesome.

Liu Yue was still soft-hearted, so she brought Shen Mo along.

In the conference room, Liu Yue, Shen Mo, and Yan Jie sat on one side.

Across from them sat the leading veteran craftsmen—not many, forty-two of them.

The one at the head was a white-haired old man named Zhao Shan.

The records showed he had already worked at the Liu Group for forty years.

He had been there since his apprenticeship.

Even the house he lived in now was provided by the Liu Group.

【I'm really curious how my wife will handle this.】

Shen Mo's heart stirred with excitement.

Liu Yue, on the other hand, was very calm.

After sitting down, Yan Jie pushed up her glasses and spoke bluntly: "Elder Shan and all the elders."

"Everyone is very familiar with the situation. The Liu Group believes its handling of this matter has not wronged any of you."

"Your betrayal of the company is an undeniable fact."

A flash of mockery passed through Yan Jie's eyes.

Shen Mo saw Zhao Shan across from her bend at the waist immediately.

【Is this guilt?】

"Therefore, I believe the company's handling of you is also reasonable and compliant."

"It can even be called weak."

"Other established enterprises, when dealing with betraying old hands, have always expelled them—killing one to warn a hundred, killing a chicken to scare the monkeys."

"Yet Boss Liu chose only to terminate the labor contracts, keep it quiet, and even gave you three months' severance pay. I think this is truly merciful."

"Not to mention we still hold evidence of your other illegal activities in our hands."

"So, I don't quite understand the reason you still want to talk."

【Badass.】

Shen Mo couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

To sum up this whole speech in four words: don't push your luck, you bully the weak and fear the strong; we still have evidence of your other illegal activities in our hands, and if you really want to make trouble, our Liu Group can send you straight in. So, take the benefits and get lost.

From the moment she entered, Liu Yue had only offered a greeting at the start and had not spoken.

The craftsmen opposite collectively lowered their heads.

After a long while, Zhao Shan slowly spoke, his voice full of dejection.

"Miss, President Yan, we all understand what the company means, and we know the company has spared our faces."

"We're not here this time to demand anything else, nor to cause trouble."

"We just want to ask one thing—can you give us another chance, let us return to work at the Liu Group?"

【So shameless—you might as well just ask for money.】

These words made Liu Yue's aura turn cold, and made Yan Jie laugh in anger.

Yan Jie was about to speak when Liu Yue stopped her, saying calmly: "Uncles and elders, if this is what you wish to discuss, I think we should forget it."

"Although the Liu Group is merciful and good-natured, it will not take in traitors."

"I've given you several chances regarding what you've done, but none of you seized them. You all gave up."

"You can also see that those who didn't take part in the betrayal, who seized the chance to reform and turn over a new leaf, are still enjoying the same treatment as before."

"I haven't been harsh."

"So, please forgive me for being unable to help."

Zhao Shan and the others were in despair. This was the most terrifying reality of all.

Those who hadn't taken part in the betrayal, who no longer engaged in petty theft, were living very well.

As for them, now nobody wanted them.

Liu Yue glanced at Zhao Shan and the others; she was already too lazy to keep talking.

It had been over ten minutes now, yet they hadn't even offered an apology.

There really was no point anymore.

"Husband, see these uncles and elders out for me."

Liu Yue rose and was about to leave.

One man across from her grew desperate, blurting out without thinking: "Liu Yue, what are you so arrogant about? Are you very pleased with yourself? You easily found our replacements and blacklisted us."

"If you hadn't blacklisted us, do you think we'd have come?"

"If your Liu family hadn't drawn us empty promises, would our descendants have kept learning this craft? Now that we've been blacklisted, not a single one of our families can find work?"

Fury—unparalleled fury—erupted from the middle-aged man.

【Oh, so they were blacklisted by the industry.】

【No wonder they came back to beg my wife.】

Thinking of this, Shen Mo shifted his body to block Liu Yue.

If the people across from them suddenly lashed out, Shen Mo had to protect Liu Yue at the first moment and block them.

Liu Yue was deeply moved by this.

Love or the lack of it lies in the small details.

Liu Yue stared straight at that middle-aged man: "I would never do something like blacklisting, because there's no need to utterly antagonize people."

"But I also won't let myself be bullied."

"Why doesn't anyone want you? Aren't you clear on that yourselves?"

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth. He wanted to keep speaking, but Zhao Shan stopped him.

Zhao Shan led the group away in dejection.

What little conscience he had left told him that if they kept making a scene, the last shred of goodwill between both sides would be lost, and there would be no turning back at all.

As for why, after leaving the Liu family, nobody wanted them.

And why even the companies that found them refused to take them on.

The reason was also very simple: the Liu family had treated them too well.

They were given cars and houses, high salaries with stable jobs, and the Liu family didn't even mind them taking private work on the side.

These were conditions most companies couldn't offer.

Yet they still betrayed the Liu family.

This forced other companies to consider one question: can people like this really be trusted?

For a boss, as long as someone is loyal, it doesn't matter if their abilities are a bit lacking—those gaps can be made up elsewhere.

But if there's a problem with their character, no matter how capable they are, they can't be taken on.

After all, today they might earn you ten million, but because they're unhappy with their pay, they could bankrupt your company and run off.

(End of Chapter)