wavenovel Chapter 26 A Sudden Turn of Events
Chapter 26 A Sudden Turn of Events
Chu Kong's actions did not cause the unexpected uproar.
As viewers who followed the live stream throughout, no one felt anything was strange.
Because every step is reasonable.
He was just a kind-hearted young man who, with youthful enthusiasm, made a request to the powerful and influential General Manager Wu.
Although Mr. Wu and his company were somewhat frustrated by being forced to accept this, it wasn't a huge deal.
For established companies like theirs, setting up a foundation may require a significant investment, but it can also enhance their social influence and brand awareness.
The social credibility gained can also be effectively used for future corporate expansion.
Therefore, overall, it's just a small loss in the short term.
The official media of Yulan Middle School also praised Chu Kong, a caring young man with a heart for society.
Only a few conspiracy theorists believe that this was a staged event orchestrated by the company behind Fulekang, using the influence of "Chu Kong Show" to gain traffic.
Regardless, for Chu Kong, this ending was a happy one.
Everything seems to be moving in a better direction.
-----------------
On the last day of his work-study program, Chu Kong came to work as usual.
The weather was gloomy from early morning. Thick, dark clouds seemed to press down on Chu Kong's chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Since yesterday's program, he has been in a state of anxiety and apprehension.
He was mentally prepared for his little tricks to be discovered.
But as it turns out, he was overthinking it.
Everything was as usual: going to work, doing normal work, and interacting and communicating with everyone as usual.
There is no difference whatsoever.
According to Zhou Huaijin's information, Chu Kong learned that the production company also felt that this incident was just a coincidence.
This result undoubtedly thrilled Chu Kong.
This was the first time he had verified and experienced the power in his own hands.
But for some reason, he still couldn't feel at ease.
Could it be that something went wrong with Aunt Chen?
While taking a break to use the restroom, Chu Kong glanced at the fresh produce section.
Aunt Chen didn't come to work.
I asked one of Aunt Chen's close colleagues and learned that the company contacted Aunt Chen and offered to help her solve her family's difficulties, so they switched shifts with her.
At this point, Chu Kong could finally confirm that Aunt Chen's difficulties had a positive outcome thanks to his mediation.
Everything went so smoothly, so smoothly that it was unbelievable.
But this "unbelievable" success, like a thin sugar coating covering an unknown substance, always made Chu Kong feel uneasy.
This unease was soon confirmed.
An hour into the workday, a subtle atmosphere began to permeate the supermarket.
Several people dressed slightly differently from the ordinary employee uniforms appeared in the shopping mall carrying handbags.
They wore internal audit badges on their chests and carried action cameras tucked into their collars.
Led by their supervisor, they walked between the shelves with serious expressions, sometimes taking notes and photos on their tablets, and sometimes stopping to whisper to their supervisor.
Under their influence, the supermarket employees remained silent.
The usual relaxed atmosphere was quietly replaced by a cold, censorship-like atmosphere.
Chu Kong hadn't thought too much about it, since it wasn't unusual for large companies to conduct inspections occasionally.
He didn't see Ji Ran walk out of the supervisor's office until he saw her with red eyes.
Chu Kong hesitated for a moment, then picked up the mop and walked to Ji Ran's side, asking in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Ji Ran seemed to still be immersed in grief. She glanced at Chu Kong and wiped her slightly moist eyes.
Then, she handed a bound report to Chu Kong.
Chu Kong took the report, and the title in red font on the cover immediately caught his eye.
Explanation of Penalties for Violations
Chu Kong frowned, opened the report, which was full of high-sounding rules and regulations.
Without having time to look closely, Chu Kong flipped directly to the last page.
"The behavior of intern 'Ji Ran' has seriously damaged the company's image and had a very negative impact on the company's future development. However, given her internship status, the matter will only be reported to the school."
"Why?" Chu Kong asked, frowning.
Hearing Chu Kong's question, Ji Ran pouted: "I worked two shifts as a cashier, including the one with Grandma Rong. I paid for customers' money a few times."
Seeing Chu Kong's strange look, Ji Ran quickly added, "It was just some very ordinary stuff. An old lady brought too little money for someone else to sign for, and she was three yuan short. I was in a hurry to get off work, so I paid for it myself. Later, the old lady even came over and gave me the money back."
Another time, a woman was holding a child. Her clothes were patched and very worn. The child, too young to understand, had taken a lollipop and wouldn't let go. The woman hit and yelled at the child, eventually bursting into tears and begging the child to release the lollipop. I couldn't bear to watch, so I paid for the lollipop.
As Ji Ran spoke, she angrily pointed to the report in her hand and showed it to Chu Kong.
"Conducting unauthorized financial transactions with customers, indirectly increasing the company's operational risks? I really don't understand..."
Hearing Ji Ran's words, Chu Kong fell into deep thought.
Ji Ran was clearly a student from a relatively wealthy family, and given her kind heart, it's not surprising that she did such a thing.
The key point is why the other party should be punished for this.
It's important to understand that although Ji Ran's behavior was indeed irregular, ultimately, she was just a student participating in a work-study program.
If her actions result in losses, she can shift the blame to the school.
Moreover, Ji Ran's actions not only did not cause any losses to the company, but also greatly benefited it.
At least they can still write extensively about their corporate image as they did yesterday.
So why do they have to do this?
Is standardization really that important?
Chu Kong's heart sank slightly, and a terrible guess arose in his mind.
-----------------
Before lunchtime, Chu Kong had already arrived at the cafeteria.
Sure enough, the familiar cafeteria worker was gone, and a young man with a blank expression was busy serving food.
"Brother, why haven't I seen Uncle Wang?" Chu Kong stepped forward, pretending to be nonchalant, and asked casually.
"Well... according to the company's review, Uncle Wang did not serve the food according to the standard proportions, which constitutes malicious waste, so he was transferred to the warehouse."
As the young man spoke, he scooped a spoonful of food onto a plate and handed it to Chu Kong.
For the same price, the portion was half the size of what Uncle Wang ordered.
Chu Kong sat in the cafeteria until the break ended.
Everyone who came to get food complained incessantly.
But they only dared to talk about it in private; no one dared to bring it up in public.
As soon as lunchtime ended, the young man dumped more than half of the leftover food into the swill bucket.
Seeing this, Chu Kong walked out of the cafeteria expressionlessly.
-----------------
However, the scrutiny did not end there.
When Chu Kong was summoned to the supervisor's office, he saw that Li Lingchuang, who was already waiting in the office, did not look well.
"Please sit down." A serious-looking investigator sat down at the supervisor's desk, scrutinizing Chu Kong.
Chu Kong nodded and sat down on the stool opposite the supervisor's desk.
"Do you know why I called you two here?"
The two looked at each other, but neither spoke; instead, they shook their heads.
The supervisor stood up, walked over to the two men, and placed a copy of "Explanation of Penalties for Violations" in each of their hands.
Chu Kong glanced at Li Lingchuang, who was looking down at the documents in his hand, expressionless.
Chu Kong also opened the document.
Compared to Ji Ran's punishment, Chu Kong's punishment was more concise and to the point.
Ultimately, the reason for the punishment was: changing job positions without prior notification.
The reasons for the penalty were also detailed: companies should ensure that responsibilities are assigned to specific individuals to avoid oversights and safety issues that may arise during the handover process.
The punishment wasn't severe; it was just a verbal warning and a deduction of performance points for the day.
Grand and imposing.
Chu Kong looked at Li Lingchuang's expression again, guessing that given the other's volatile temper, he might have a serious confrontation with the investigators.
But in the end, Chu Kong's guess did not come true.
Li Lingchuang did not meet Chu Kong's gaze, nor did he look at the investigators.
He simply closed the penalty notice and stared straight ahead expressionlessly.
"It seems you have no objections," the investigator asked.
The two remained silent, only nodding.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the supervisor's office.
"Please come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, a young investigator walked into the room.
He completely ignored Chu Kong and Li Lingchuang sitting to the side and said, "Team leader, the surveillance footage has been reviewed, and the problem does exist."
The reviewer, referred to as the team leader, nodded: "Explain the specifics in detail."
"Seventeen employees, including Chen Shumei, were found to have taken waste materials without authorization. The surveillance footage clearly shows this, and the evidence is conclusive."
The team leader nodded, signaling the other person to continue.
"This behavior is a serious violation of the employee code of conduct and company rules and regulations. According to the rules, it should be..." The investigator looked at Li Lingchuang and Chu Kong present, and hesitated to speak.
"It's alright, it's none of their business, continue," the team leader said.
"The actions of these seventeen employees have harmed the company's interests, and there is even a possibility that they exploited loopholes in the company's rules to discard high-quality products and pocket the money. They should be dismissed."
"That's what the reviewers said."
"How could that be?" Chu Kong suddenly stood up from his seat, but he quickly realized the inappropriateness of his behavior, adjusted his tone, and explained unhurriedly, "I've worked with Aunt Chen before, and I know her character..."
As he spoke, Chu Kong's voice grew softer and softer.
This is not a question of how the employee is a good person, but a management loophole.
This refers to the potential losses that may occur during the product disposal process for businesses.
"So, it seems you understand now. This isn't targeting Chen Shumei, an employee you know, but rather a policy issue clearly stated in the employee handbook."
The team leader smiled, exchanged a few polite words, and then asked Chu Kong and his companion to leave the supervisor's office.
Not long after, Fulekang's corporate announcement listed the penalties imposed on seventeen people, including Aunt Chen.
Ultimately, only two people were dismissed, and there was ample evidence that they had indeed discarded non-defective products and taken them away to resell.
Others issued warnings and demanded a review.
However, the penalty notice clearly states that "there is insufficient evidence to show that any reselling has occurred."
Following this, these explanations of the penalties reached a chaotic climax, fueled by those with ulterior motives.
Speculation, doubt, conspiracy theories—all sorts of voices appeared online, in places Chu Kong could and could not see.
The kind auntie that Chu Kong described as shining brightly turned out to be filthy in the face of ambiguous discussions and a judgment-like explanation of punishment.
"They definitely did it, it's just that the surveillance cameras didn't capture it."
"She probably comes from a poor family and uses the money for food and drinks to supplement her income, right?"
"Tch, it's precisely because her family isn't well-off that she's likely to sell the good stuff at a low price. Anyway, she's the one responsible for the worthless goods."
"No matter how nicely they talk, how many of them aren't doing it for themselves?"
"Regardless of whether she's pitiful or not, this kind of behavior is intolerable. What would happen if everyone in our company took a part?"
……
The online discussion is in full swing.
Chu Kong stood outside the screen, powerless.
In just half a day, the winds of change shifted dramatically.
The whispers and comments cut through Chu Kong's thoughts like knives.
Even Chu Kong himself began to have some doubts.
Could it be that I'm doing something wrong?
Will it be...
But in the end, Chu Kong forced himself to stop those associations.
He tried to tell himself that this was just a normal measure of the company's standardized management, and that Aunt Chen would be properly taken care of.
But a chilling premonition grew clearer in his mind: his help to Aunt Chen was dragging her into an even deeper abyss.
In a corner of the lounge, Chu Kong looked out at the still gloomy sky and pondered quietly.
Why would this happen?
Was it arranged by the production company?
But what is their motivation for doing this?
Although Chu Kong facilitated this outcome, there shouldn't be any need to target Aunt Chen like this, right?
Could it be that Mr. Wu and his company did all of this?
Are they really that narrow-minded?
Or is this really just a coincidence?
Is it just a routine audit of a company?
His thoughts were in complete disarray, and Chu Kong closed his eyes in anguish.
He thought he had resolved everything properly.
but……
A sense of helplessness welled up in my heart again.
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On the rooftop of a hospital, Shu Wenxue stood quietly on the edge, watching everything below.
Just then, her phone rang.
She glanced at it, sighed softly, and still pressed the answer button: "Hello, Tangtang."
Perhaps because of the overcast sky, Shu Wenxue felt that it was colder than usual today.
"I just woke up and I feel a little dizzy, so I'm standing on the balcony getting some fresh air," Shu Wenxue lied.
……
"Don't worry, see you at the botanical garden."
……
After hanging up the phone, Shu Wenxue sighed again and muttered to herself, "I really am hopeless."
Behind her, the iron gate to the rooftop opened, and a woman in a black suit walked up first.
"Young Miss, the person has been summoned."
Behind her, Aunt Chen was watching Shu Wenxue's back with unease.
Shu Wenxue turned around, waved her hand, and signaled her subordinates to leave.
Then, she walked up to Aunt Chen and said, "Nice to meet you, Aunt Chen. I know that the money Fulekang provided is just a drop in the bucket for your husband's condition, so I'm willing to pay the rest, but I need your help."
……