The courage to blacklist

In the following days, Lin Yuan began to plan for the New Year.

New Year's Day 2025 had already passed before the final exams, school was dismissed, and the New Year was approaching. Lin Yuan was now entangled in countless matters, and he himself didn't know how he would spend the New Year.

He recalled that last year he hadn't returned to his hometown for the New Year. At that time, the single orders had high unit prices, and he was still delivering takeout on New Year's Eve. Naturally, it was to earn more money. Because for him, who was penniless then, holidays and festivals held no meaning.

But this year was different; three girls were living in his house.

Yet, another problem arose.

Song Xiaoxiao couldn't be sent away for the time being, so could he bring Xia Ye home for the New Year?

It wasn't that Zhang Yan disagreed; Zhang Yan didn't care whether Lin Yuan brought Xia Ye home. What she cared about was how long Lin Yuan would stay away.

According to Zhang Yan's idea, Lin Yuan could be away for a maximum of three days.

But how could one bring his wife back to his hometown for the New Year and only stay for three days, especially when those three days included travel time back and forth?

And although Xia Ye didn't refuse verbally, Lin Yuan could feel that she was very resistant to going back to his hometown with him.

'So annoying!' Lin Yuan didn't know if this kind of annoyance was called "happy troubles."

So, the four people in Lin Yuan's house simply remained silent about the approaching New Year. Because no one could offer a suitable suggestion.

Finally, Lin Yuan still focused his attention on work.

For a moment, he even felt that work was the easiest thing.

After returning from Shanghai, Mr. Zhang, the general manager of Lanbiao Factory's Purple Gold branch, contacted Lin Yuan almost every day. The content was nothing more than asking Lin Yuan to reconsider.

Lin Yuan was bothered by it, but he also knew that a branch manager didn't have that much authority. Mr. Zhang must have been pressured by those behind him to come and mend relations.

Later, Lin Yuan directly blacklisted Mr. Zhang, but before blacklisting him, Lin Yuan clearly told the other party: this was not a personal grudge against him, but to avoid making things difficult for the other party and to prevent himself from being constantly harassed. Blacklisting was the best way for adults to declutter.

Mr. Zhang was also speechless, caught between laughter and tears.

Because he never expected that someone at Lin Yuan's level would use a foolish move like blacklisting, which only a rookie in the workplace would use. This was the first time he had encountered such a thing in his more than ten years of professional life.

But upon second thought, what Lin Yuan said was indeed true.

He had originally arranged Lin Yuan's trip to Shanghai, but then Mr. Wang of the business group above him, for some unknown reason, decided to put on airs and ignore him, which ended up enraging him.

Currently, Good Group was conquering cities and territories nationwide, and Lanbiao Factory's annual financial report was about to be released. Those on the front lines within the company knew that this year's Q4 financial report would be very ugly.

For a large internet company, delivering such a terrible report, if there were no effective solutions or countermeasures, then a lot of people would be dealt with.

As the head of the Purple Gold branch, Mr. Zhang watched Good Group rise under his nose. He shouted himself hoarse at middle and high-level meetings but failed to gain the attention of the higher-ups. It wasn't until Good Group, carrying the force of public opinion, pressed down like a landslide that the executives of Lanbiao Factory and the business group re-learned the famous saying: An internet company is always only three months away from bankruptcy.

Subsequently, it was natural to find countermeasures. He had originally cleared the obstacles for Lin Yuan's joining. However, Mr. Wang of the business group felt that Lin Yuan was too arrogant, and the Alibaba DAMO Academy side also disagreed, insisting on being difficult with Lin Yuan at this critical juncture.

After that, Lin Yuan was offended, and then the hot potato was thrown back to him—to appease Lin Yuan.

The headquarters even asked Mr. Zhang to persuade Lin Yuan to go to Shanghai again, and Mr. Zhang couldn't very well question the leaders at headquarters.

Mr. Zhang was well-versed in the logic of large companies.

In a large organization, what's important isn't achieving results, nor is it avoiding mistakes. It's about following procedures.

Take the current situation, for example: even though Mr. Zhang found the headquarters' idea of treating Lin Yuan like a grandson utterly ridiculous, he still had to cooperate and execute the headquarters' will: to constantly contact Lin Yuan and ask him to go to Shanghai to be treated like a grandson.

The only thing Mr. Zhang could do was to be as kind as possible when communicating with Lin Yuan.

In short: it was to kindly ask Lin Yuan to make another trip to Shanghai to be treated like a grandson.

Even though Mr. Zhang felt his actions were foolish, he had no choice but to do so. Because he also had to submit feedback to the headquarters. Some actions were mandatory, even if he knew they were useless.

But if he didn't perform these actions, Mr. Zhang would be held accountable.

Fortunately, Lin Yuan pulled the rug out from under him by blacklisting him.

Now, Mr. Zhang had a reasonable and sufficient excuse to deal with the headquarters.

He blacklisted me, so how can I contact him?

My work simply cannot proceed; it's fantastic.

Speaking of which, if blacklisting is used well, the person you blacklist might even thank you.

When Zhang Yan learned that Lin Yuan had blacklisted Mr. Zhang, she could only admire him.

"The general manager of Lanbiao Factory's Purple Gold branch is considered a prominent figure in Zijin City. To be able to pull off blacklisting in that level of social circle, Senior Brother, you are definitely the first."

Lin Yuan was calm, "Without madness, there's no life. You guys have tortured me enough, so I just had to vent it out at work."

"We? Xia Ye and I? Torture you?"

"Otherwise?"

Zhang Yan smiled, "Xiao Xia just hasn't been severely disciplined by life. Every time she encounters trouble, either you or Song Xiaoxiao cleans up her mess. Living too smoothly makes it easy to develop rebellious tendencies. I really don't know what she's dissatisfied with."

Looking at Zhang Yan's playful expression, Lin Yuan felt a hint of danger, "You seem to be plotting something."

"Me? I'm not. I'm very simple. I'm just thinking, since Xiao Xia wants to get into Purple Arts so much, why don't I help her?"

"Why would you want to help her?"

"We all live under the same roof. She can't always be like a naive young person, holding her supposedly proud head high. Otherwise, you'll be very tired too, right, Senior Brother?"

Lin Yuan had to admit, "On this point, you understand me best."

Zhang Yan had a knowing expression, "I can guess. How much you have to consider her little heart. To be honest, if Xiao Xia really had the ability, she should leave you."

"It's me who won't let her leave."

"She also doesn't have the courage to leave."

Lin Yuan was speechless, tacitly agreeing.

"Xiao Xia will eventually understand that neither I nor you are her parents, and we won't always spoil her."

Lin Yuan retorted, "I actually want to spoil her forever."

"Senior Brother, please. Your own nerves can't take it first. Are you still a delicate young lady?"

"I like it."

"Then you deserve to be her dad."

"I'm willing. Uh, can you really help Xiao Xia get in?"

"Art exams, it shouldn't be a big problem. But I plan to give Xiao Xia a little setback first."

"What setback?"

"Help her after she fails."

"You're being cruel?"

"Not at all. She can choose not to accept it if she has the guts. Senior Brother, can you be a bit more realistic? I don't object to you raising a little kitten, but you can't be down all day because of her mood. I tolerate Xiao Xia to make you happy, not to make you frown."

"I feel like a bird in a cage, and I want to resist."

"Too lazy to bother with you. Xiao Xia just doesn't have your courage to blacklist people.

If she really had that spirit, given your indecisive personality, you would definitely give her a large breakup fee. If she were to run away with a child in the future, wouldn't you still have to support her for the rest of your life?"

"Zhang Yan, I suddenly feel you're a bit scary."

"That's how it will stimulate your desire for exploration, isn't it, Senior Brother?"