Chapter 4

"Everyone, I know that all of you are still trying to get used to the new policy." I called all team leaders to the meeting room on the afternoon of the third day.

"I asked everyone here today to inform you of two things.

"One, from next Monday onward, the attendance system will be formally linked to performance evaluations. Anyone late more than three times will have their performance rating downgraded a level."

Jack's mouth went agape, but he said nothing.

"Second—"

This time, Charlie interrupted me, "Mr. Samson, may I just say that maybe we should be a little flexible about this? How about giving everyone a ten-minute grace period? Most of us live a distance from the office, and if there were any emergencies on the way here…"

"Mr. Jenkins, you objected the loudest when we implemented the flexible hours policy. Yet now, you're the one asking for a grace period and blurring the lines of office hours."

The meeting room turned silent for a few seconds.

"It was different before…"

"Did you manage to fulfill the standard monthly working hours the last time?"

Charlie remained silent, and his fingers kept drumming the table.

"Second, Eddie Lundly's labor hours issue has been handed to Legal Affairs to handle. He has posted misleading information on his social media and given a false account of the truth, causing the company major damages.

"It has affected the company's reputation, which caused a direct revenue loss to the company. Legal Affairs is now compiling required evidence and will be issuing a lawyer's letter to him soon."

Mike looked up and exchanged a look with Charlie. "Mr. Samson, isn't this a little over the top? Eddie is just a fresh grad, and he was just being impulsive…"

"When your mother was admitted to the hospital, I permitted you to be in the office for only half a day without deducting your salary. You've benefited the most from the flexible hours policy, Mike, but in your post online, you claimed that many of your colleagues were complaining about this privately, and no one dared to voice it to the company.

"May I ask who was unhappy with this policy? Can I have a name, Mike?"

His face turned red. "I… I didn't think much of it when I wrote the post."

"When you wrote it, all you were thinking about was the online traction you would gain. Your little post now has 20,000 shares, and the angry comments from it are all directed at me. Who do you think benefited from the angry comments?

"Was it you? Did it help pay for your mother's hospital bills? Or did it help Eddie Lundly, whose hours last month only hit 60% of the standard hours?"

Mike lowered his head.

When Charlie saw this, he stopped drumming the table. "Mr. Samson, there is no need to create a mountain out of a molehill over a few words posted online."

"Mr. Jenkins, have you replied to any of your superiors' texts at midnight? Did you receive any texts from me in the middle of the night? Please take a screenshot to show it to me."

Charlie's mouth twitched. "I was just stating a general…"

"A general what? What is it that requires you to 'teach' others a lesson?"

No one else dared say another word in the meeting room.

"That's all for today. From tomorrow onward, please conduct the new policy with the strictest standard possible. No grace period will be granted, and there will be no review of any special cases. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone left after that, and I stayed five minutes longer in the meeting room.

Jenny entered with a printed document in her hand. "Mr. Samson, another email has arrived from Mr. Cross."

[Mr. Samson, my team and I have conducted a preliminary assessment of the current issue faced by your company. To be honest, based on your current company crisis and the internal reaction of your team, it has given our management ample concern about your team cohesion and your management team's ability to withstand pressure.

[We will be reevaluating the investment risk on your company and have decided to base the outcome on the actions taken by your company in the next two weeks.]

Jenny glanced at my expression as she asked cautiously, "Mr. Samson, how important is Mr. Cross' investment for our company?"

"Without his investment, the company will have to let go of 50% of our workforce."

Jenny took a sharp breath and folded the printed email to keep in her pocket.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Eddie. It was a screenshot of the latest post on his social media.

[I just found out that I have been issued a lawyer's letter. The capitalist has finally torn off his mask. You can always find a pretext to find fault in someone. I have rights even if I'm just an employee.]

At the end of the screenshot, he texted: [Afraid yet?]

Jenny was trembling with anger when she saw the text. "That little jerk is really something…"

"He's not your average employee." I put my phone into my pocket. "He thinks that he has the right to go head-to-head with me because he's earned the sympathy of hundreds and thousands of people."

"What do you plan to do?"

I pulled open the meeting room door. "We should let this storm get bigger. Let him have his fun for now."