10: Chapter 10 Take out all your anger on me

Zhang Wei was around forty-five or forty-six years old, short and a bit portly, with a noticeably protruding belly. His thinning hair was painstakingly combed into a "local supporting the center" style, but it still couldn't hide his expanding "Mediterranean" bald spot.

Wearing a polo shirt and casual pants, he looked like a friendly middle-aged neighbor, but his small eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light, reminding everyone that he was the ultimate decision-maker of the company.

As the meeting began, Zhang Wei gave the usual platitudes about company development and team spirit, but he quickly got to the point, his expression darkening.

"I've called this Sales Department meeting today mainly because of an incident that has had a very negative impact."

His gaze swept across the room and finally landed on Ji Guangli. "Guangli, I already know about what happened with Mr. Wang last night. The client even called me to complain, saying our Xingchen people don't know the rules and have huge tempers!"

He tapped the table. "I know that in sales, you meet all kinds of people, and some clients might cross the line with their words or behavior."

"But we rely on performance, and clients are our bread and butter! When problems arise, you must learn to handle them flexibly and resolve them tactfully. How could you just splash wine on a client?"

"If word of this gets out, what will happen to Xingchen Advertising's reputation? Who would dare to work with us in the future?"

Su Hongliang immediately chimed in from the side, looking pained. "President Zhang is absolutely right! Manager Ji, you're just too young and impulsive."

"Mr. Wang is an old client of our company; we've worked together for so many years. Is there anything that can't be discussed calmly? Even if he made an excessive joke, you could have just laughed it off. Why did you have to make things so tense?"

"Now look what's happened. A sure thing has slipped through our fingers, and we've ended up in a mess, damaging the image of the entire Sales Department."

Listening to Zhang Wei and Su Hongliang, Cao Kun was completely unimpressed.

Neither of these two was any good.

Su Hongliang went without saying.

As the boss, Zhang Wei didn't stand up for his subordinate when she was insulted; instead, he turned around and criticized her.

This kind of boss was truly disgusting.

Ji Guangli sat there with her back ramrod straight, her face flushing and then turning pale.

Under Zhang Wei's criticism and Su Hongliang's barbed accusations, she finally stood up and faced Zhang Wei. Her voice was a bit dry, but still clear.

"President Zhang, I handled this matter improperly, causing losses and a negative impact on the company. I am willing to accept any disciplinary action. I apologize to you and to my colleagues in Department One and Department Two. In the future... I will pay attention to my methods and approach."

After she finished, she gave a slight bow and sat back down, lowering her eyes and looking at no one.

But Cao Kun noticed that her hands under the table were clenched into tight fists, her nails almost digging into her palms.

Seeing that Ji Guangli had admitted her mistake, Zhang Wei didn't press the matter further.

He then briefly mentioned a few other issues.

The meeting ended in an oppressive atmosphere.

Back at the Department Two office, everyone was as quiet as cicadas in winter, even their breathing becoming light for fear of accidentally becoming a victim of Ji Guangli's wrath.

Ji Guangli stayed in her office, and no one knew what she was doing.

Time ticked away, and an hour passed quickly.

Just as everyone was beginning to relax.

The door to Ji Guangli's office suddenly swung open.

Ji Guangli walked to the door with a serious expression and spoke to those outside.

"Cao Kun, bring in the proposal you redid yesterday."

Instantly, almost all his colleagues' gazes turned toward Cao Kun, filled with either sympathy or relief.

Everyone knew that being called in alone when the manager was in her worst mood meant a definite scolding.

However, Cao Kun felt no ripples in his heart; a barely perceptible curve even appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He picked up the modified proposal from his desk, stood up calmly, and walked toward the frosted glass door that symbolized authority and pressure.

He had already made up his mind.

As long as Ji Guangli dared to shout at him today or put on that high-and-mighty act.

He wouldn't mind letting her see what it meant to see someone in a whole new light after just one day apart.

As Cao Kun's figure disappeared behind the Manager's Office door, a suppressed buzz of discussion immediately broke out in the Department Two Office Area.

"It's over, it's over. Cao Kun is in for it now; he's walked right into the line of fire."

"Exactly. He was lectured yesterday and told to redo the proposal. Today, he'll probably be blasted until he shuts down."

"The She-Devil is just looking for a place to vent her anger."

"Sigh, I hope Cao Kun can hold out. At least I hope he doesn't come out crying..."

Sister Zhang had an "I told you so" expression. She sighed and lowered her voice to the person next to her, "See? I said someone would be the punching bag today. Xiao Cao is really unlucky; yesterday's business isn't even over yet."

A few busybodies even quietly moved their chairs as close as possible to the Manager's Office's not-quite-soundproof frosted glass door, pricking up their ears to try and catch any sound from inside.

Inside the office, Cao Kun gently placed the printed proposal on Ji Guangli's large solid wood desk.

Then, under Ji Guangli's slightly surprised gaze, he naturally turned around, walked to the leather sofa against the wall, and sat down, even adjusting his posture to make himself more comfortable.

Ji Guangli's hand holding the pen paused slightly, her brow furrowing imperceptibly.

In the past, whenever Cao Kun entered her office to report on work, he always stood respectfully in front of the desk. Without her signal, he would never dare to sit down on his own.

What was... wrong with him today?

With a new hairstyle and new clothes, he looked like a completely different person.

Before, she just thought he was somewhat handsome, but today he felt exceptionally handsome, and even his temperament was different.

Had something special happened to him?

She temporarily suppressed this sense of strangeness, picked up the proposal, and opened it, preparing to quickly scan the modified content.

However, after reading only the core summary and table of contents on the first page, her face darkened.

She flipped the pages faster. The more she read, the heavier the coldness gathered between her delicate brows.

This wasn't a redone proposal at all!

There weren't even any modifications! It was clearly exactly the same as yesterday's.

An uncontrollable surge of anger rushed to her heart.

The frustration of losing an important client last night, the humiliation of being criticized by the boss and mocked by Su Hongliang at the meeting this morning, the anxiety that her chance at the General Manager position might fall through because of this...

All these negative emotions now seemed to have found a perfect outlet, directed straight at this subordinate who, in her eyes, had an extremely poor work attitude.

Cao Kun had been sitting leisurely on the sofa, calmly observing the changes in Ji Guangli's expression.

Seeing her go from serious to puzzled, then to suppressed anger, and finally to a point where the fury was about to erupt from her beautiful phoenix eyes, he didn't feel nervous. Instead, a strange sense of anticipation rose within him.

Of course he knew the proposal hadn't been changed.

It was nearly time to get off work when he was told to redo it yesterday. At that time, he was immersed in the sadness of being dumped; how could he have the heart to change a proposal?

He had thought about changing it after going home.

Who would have thought he'd later be bound to a system and be busy completing tasks and soothing the Landlady? Who would still remember this damn proposal?

Moreover, he was now a man with a system. Why bother changing this proposal for a job that paid only a few thousand yuan and required so much effort for so little thanks?

"Come on! That's it! Blow up! Ji Guangli!"

Cao Kun almost wanted to shout it out in his heart. He leaned forward slightly, like a spectator waiting for a good show to begin.

"Vent all your frustration, all your anger, on me!"

...