Chapter 77: A Hard and Humiliating Fall

Su Weimin pleaded repeatedly, nearly dropping to his knees before Li Jiaojiao—a scene that could hardly have been more humiliating! Gao Yulan, too, was all nerves, completely at a loss for what to do.

Little did they know that, at this very moment, Li Jiaojiao herself was more flustered than anyone. Yet faced with Su Rulan, she simply could not bring herself to swallow her pride; her self-esteem would not allow it.

After half a minute’s hesitation, Li Jiaojiao still could not set aside her dignity. She reasoned that the Wang family in Yandu was not yet aware of the situation, and there might still be a turn for the better. At worst, if there truly was no alternative, she could admit fault privately rather than suffer such embarrassment before so many people. So, gritting her teeth, she turned and left.

Watching Li Jiaojiao leave without a word, Su Weimin felt a sense of impending doom. In abject panic, he muttered, “It’s over, it’s all over—this time we’re doomed!”

“It seems Li Jiaojiao is determined to leave us with no way out. This must have already reached Vice Chairman Zhang’s ears. I bet we’ll get the notice any moment now!” Gao Yulan’s face was a mask of despair.

Su Rulan sighed and shook her head helplessly. “Since things have come to this, there’s nothing more we can do. We’ll just have to leave it to fate.”

At that moment, Ye Tianlin stepped forward and said, “You’re being far too pessimistic. From my perspective, things are not as you imagine. Li Jiaojiao is simply unwilling to lose face. In the end, she’ll come to me for help. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and ask around. I guarantee the Wang family partnership in Yandu has already been completely vetoed!”

“Go out and ask around? I wouldn’t embarrass myself like that! This is all your fault, you idiot. You’ve made our whole family look ridiculous. You as general manager—what a waste! Even I could do ten times better than you!” Su Weimin erupted in a tirade, showing Ye Tianlin no mercy in front of all their colleagues.

“How could the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce possibly abandon such a major partnership? You really overestimate your own importance. You have no business sense at all. All the praise I gave you before was for nothing!” Gao Yulan huffed.

“There won’t be any punishment, believe it or not!” Ye Tianlin retorted, then turned and entered the general manager’s office.

Su Rulan remained outside, quickly urging her parents, “Dad, Mom, please say no more. This isn’t our home. No matter what, you should at least save some face for Tianlin, shouldn’t you?”

“Rulan, have you lost your mind too? After what Ye Tianlin has done, how can you still defend him? And what face does he even have left?” Su Weimin crossed his arms, so angry he seemed ready to explode.

Their colleagues all shrank back, pretending not to have seen the outburst, but inwardly, they were unanimous: Ye Tianlin was letting personal grudges interfere with work, and punishment was inevitable!

Noticing the shift in those around them, Gao Yulan lowered her voice in worry, “What do you think Vice Chairman Zhang will do to us this time? He lost a lot of face yesterday, after all.”

“What can he do? Of course he’ll report this to the top, then come here to announce it himself, slap us in the face in public, and throw our whole family out!” Su Weimin ground his teeth so hard they almost cracked.

At that very moment, Zhang Kun walked in.

The instant he saw Zhang Kun enter, Su Weimin shrank back like a frightened quail, all his earlier bravado gone.

Gao Yulan’s heart raced, her face turning pale as she silently cursed the swiftness of their comeuppance—surely this meant punishment was imminent!

Su Rulan held her breath and hurried forward. “Vice Chairman Zhang, are you here to…”

“I’m here to see your general manager,” Zhang Kun said gravely.

“Vice Chairman Zhang, my son-in-law is young and inexperienced. Please don’t take offense. Why not just let the matter drop? Whatever you need in the future, we’ll do our best to handle it!” Su Weimin mustered a stiff smile.

“I’ll go in first.” Zhang Kun, his mind a tangled mess, ignored the questions and strode straight into the office.

The Su family trio remained outside, pacing anxiously.

Once inside, Zhang Kun immediately fell to his knees.

“Lord!”

“I came to admit my mistake. I—I shouldn’t have taken it upon myself to approve the partnership with the Wang family in Yandu, causing you so much trouble!”

He was all but in tears, trembling on the floor.

Ye Tianlin, sitting on the sofa, cast a cold glance at Zhang Kun before speaking. “I thought you might not come. Is that all you have to say? Or do you think I can’t guess the rest and will just pretend nothing happened?”

Zhang Kun pressed his hands to the floor, cold sweat streaming down his face. He dared not hide anything and stammered, “I—I shouldn’t have accepted bribes from Li Jiaojiao.”

“I broke the chamber’s rules. Please, Lord, forgive me. Don’t remove me from my post—I swear I’ll make amends and prove myself!”

“I promise to cooperate unconditionally with your plans for Yunhai Commerce!”

Ye Tianlin’s voice was icy. “As vice chairman of the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce, you think a few words are enough to spare you from punishment after so serious an offense?”

“As for the Wang family partnership, I acted thinking President Shen had already approved it. I later realized I was wrong, and I deserve to be punished. I only beg your mercy—please don’t fire me.” Zhang Kun’s contrition was sincere and unreserved.

“In that case, since your attitude is proper, I might give you a chance. But remember, I only ever give one chance,” Ye Tianlin said sternly.

“Thank you, Lord. What are your instructions?” Zhang Kun dared not relax, inwardly cursing his own blindness. Whatever happened next, he knew he must do his utmost.

Ye Tianlin pointed toward the door. “You’re demoted. From now on, you’re just a regular employee in the business department. Whether you advance again will depend on your performance. As for the vacant vice chairman seat, I’ll inform Shen Wanjun to appoint someone else.”

“Yes, yes!” Zhang Kun nodded vigorously, as if pounding garlic.

A moment later, Zhang Kun emerged from Ye Tianlin’s office, visibly relieved.

The moment he stepped out, the entire Su family stared at him, eyes wide with anticipation.

“Vice Chairman Zhang, what did you say to Ye Tianlin in there? What’s the situation?” Su Weimin asked anxiously.

Zhang Kun coughed awkwardly. “I—I’ve been demoted. I now hold the same position as you. President Ye is my direct superior. I was just reporting to him.”

A gasp swept through the business department, as if an earthquake had struck.

Zhang Kun, demoted from vice chairman to the bottom rung? If that was true, it was a stunning fall from the heights—an utter humiliation.

Su Rulan and Gao Yulan exchanged incredulous glances. If anyone was to be punished, it should have been Ye Tianlin—how could it possibly be Vice Chairman Zhang?

“Vice Chairman Zhang, you’re not joking with me, are you? How could this be? Please, just tell us the truth, so we can meet our end with clear hearts!” Su Weimin looked like a man resigned to his fate, ready for the executioner’s block.