Volume One, Chapter 40: Expelled?

Yu Lingyan’s sudden declaration of "You’re fired" left everyone stunned.

Yu Feng frowned. Although she was merely the head of the Finance Department, she had been with the company since its inception, held a close relationship with the Chairman, and wielded considerable power. Dismissing an individual was certainly within her capability. However, Lin Chen was no ordinary employee; he had been personally brought in by the Matriarch. Could someone like that really be fired so easily?

After venting his frustration at Yu Lingyan, a wave of regret washed over Lin Chen. He had acted on impulse. He had offended a "princess" who happened to have powerful connections. If he lost this hard-earned job, it would be a terrible injustice—he still had a wife to support!

Lin Chen quickly turned to Shen Wei. "Manager Shen, I haven't done anything wrong. You can't just fire me on a whim, can you?"

Shen Wei replied immediately, "Don't worry. You are part of my Marketing Department. Even if you were to be fired, that decision would rest with me, not anyone else."

Beyond the fact that Lin Chen had done nothing wrong, even if he had, how could Yu Feng, a member of the Finance Department, come to his department and demand someone’s termination? Where would that leave his authority?

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief and shot a mocking smirk at Yu Lingyan.

Yu Lingyan, nearly choking with rage, stamped her feet. "Auntie!"

Yu Feng had originally intended to say a few words and have Lin Chen apologize to smooth things over, never intending to actually fire him. But seeing Lin Chen’s attitude, compounded by Shen Wei’s defiance, her temper flared.

"Shen Wei, is this how you manage your subordinates?!"

"What is wrong with my subordinate?!" Shen Wei retorted, exasperated. "Please, your niece is the one in the wrong here. Lin Chen clearly stated he is married, yet she keeps pursuing him and demanding he take her out to dinner. When he refuses, she claims he’s bullying her. What is this? Is she some kind of celestial being that everyone must bow down to?"

Yu Lingyan interjected, "I don't believe he’s married! No marriage certificate, no ring, not even a single photo together. Isn't it obvious he’s just lying to trick me?!" She curled her lip. "And even if he has a wife, she’s certainly nothing special—definitely not as good as me. I’m a graduate of a prestigious university, beautiful, and talented. It’s your honor that I’m interested in you, so what right do you have to refuse me?!"

At this moment, she was no longer just trying to pursue Lin Chen; she wanted to save face and crush his spirit.

Shen Wei: "???"

Lin Chen could no longer hold back. He slammed his hand on the table. "So what if I lied to you? Is it a crime? Aren't you tired of this? You claim to be beautiful and talented—if you really had talent, why aren't you focused on your work instead of obsessing over men? What a piece of trash!"

"I’ll say it again: I have a wife! And she is a hundred times more beautiful than you. Someone like you isn't even worth a strand of her hair! Do you not have a mirror at home, or even a puddle of water to look into? You act like a nymphomaniac every time you see a man—aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Lin Chen had truly reached his limit. She could harass him, but he would not allow her to belittle his wife.

Yu Lingyan was stunned by the barrage of insults. When she finally came to her senses, she burst into tears.

"Enough!" Yu Feng barked, glaring at her niece. "Stop crying! Isn't this embarrassing enough?" She then turned to Lin Chen. "And you, Lin Chen. I was going to let the previous matter go, but you have openly insulted a colleague. The situation is severe. You are fired! Pack your things and get out!"

She had enough authority to dismiss an intern without issue.

Shen Wei panicked. "Wait, Department Head Yu, you can't do things this way! Did you ask for my opinion before firing my staff? Besides, Lin Chen is..."

"I don't care who he is!" Yu Feng glared at Lin Chen. "Honey Tech does not need people who disrespect women and openly insult their colleagues!"

So what if the Matriarch had brought him in? The Matriarch had long since retired from the front lines, and the Chairman was ill. She didn't believe that with her twenty years of service, she would be punished over such a trivial matter.

"Why are you still standing there?" Yu Feng said coldly. "Are you leaving on your own, or do I need to call security to drag you out?"

Yu Lingyan wiped her tears and smiled triumphantly. "Hmph! Know your place now?"

Lin Chen, having vented, actually felt a pang of regret. Jobs were hard to find. But seeing Yu Lingyan’s smug look, his anger returned. "Fine. If a company tolerates people like you, it won't last long anyway. I’ll leave—who’s afraid of whom?"

He turned and strode away.

"Hey, Lin Chen, wait..." Shen Wei called out, but seeing that Lin Chen wouldn't turn back, he turned to Yu Feng. "Department Head Yu, look at the mess you've made! Haven't you read his resume? He was brought in by the Matriarch. Aren't you afraid of offending her by firing him like this?"

Yu Feng’s expression remained indifferent. "The Matriarch? If not for the Chairman’s illness, she would have stepped back years ago!"

Shen Wei was speechless. "Fine. You fired him, so if the Matriarch asks, this has nothing to do with me." What a disaster!

...

Lin Chen returned to the office and began packing. Jiang Yao, busy with his work, looked up in surprise. "What’s going on? Moving offices again? Don't tell me they gave you a company car and now they think a shared office is beneath your status, so they’re upgrading you?" He wailed in exaggerated mock-despair.

Lin Chen rolled his eyes. "Think again. I’ve been fired."

"What?!" Jiang Yao’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "No way! How did that happen? Fired?" He had only been driving the Mercedes for two days. "Did you go and sell the company car or something?"

Lin Chen sighed. "Use your brain. Why would I do that? I was fired because I offended a 'princess'."

He recounted the entire ordeal.

Jiang Yao was dumbfounded. "Damn it, just because you rejected her, she felt her ego was bruised, so she used her connections to have her aunt fire you? What kind of entitled nightmare is she? This is absurd!" He added indignantly, "This is too much! Shouldn't we report this to the higher-ups?"

Lin Chen gave a bitter smile. "Forget it. You know who Yu Feng is. She’s the Chairman’s person. Firing an intern is nothing more than a flick of her wrist. Reporting it won't help; even if I made a scene and managed to stay, she’d have plenty of opportunities to make my life miserable later."

"If this place won't have me, there’s plenty of room elsewhere!"

He packed his things and turned to leave with a flourish. "Be a good boy and work hard. If I can't find a job soon, I’ll be counting on you to support me!"