Predator, Trap, Fury

When Bennett watched as Qiao Geliman affectedly removed his gloves and sat down, he also sat down in the chair opposite Qiao Geliman, with a huge desk between them.

Although everyone, including themselves, knows that there are irreconcilable conflicts between them, no one will show it; they will even pretend that the conflicts do not exist.

"You can go to Ball Field course and you'll have a much better experience hitting the ball than here..." Bennett shrugged. "You know, the feeling of swinging a club and hitting the ball is completely different from the feeling of having to control it so it doesn't fly off course. Plus, you get other enjoyment out there."

The fun here refers to the more complex terrain, which has become a way for golfers to attract attention and gain enjoyment.

The feeling of hitting the ball into the hole on flat ground is completely different from hitting it in complex sandy terrain or shallow water. The sense of accomplishment is definitely much greater than what you get in the office.

Actually, there's another layer of meaning behind these words. It's something like, "Since you've already given up, why not give up more completely?"

Bennett believed that Qiao Geliman's concession meant he had withdrawn from the match, and that they already knew the outcome before the result was revealed.

Since we've already chosen this outcome, let's be more decisive and not drag it out, otherwise no one will be happy about it.

Qiao Geliman smiled nonchalantly. "Until the new transfer order comes through, I must adhere to my work principles and be available to people at any time during work hours."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject, "So, what brings you here today?"

Getting back to business, Bennett didn't dwell on the overt and covert exchanges. He placed the document on the table and pushed it towards him, saying, "The bank manager wants you to sign this document."

Qiao Geliman nodded, picked up the document, and instead of signing it as readily as he had done recently, he slowly began to review it. This made Bennett feel a little uncomfortable; he felt that Qiao Geliman only needed to sign his name and there was no need to go to such lengths.

But he also knew that he couldn't rush things at this point; he had to preserve some dignity for Qiao Geliman.

Thinking of this, his mood improved again, and he silently hummed a passage from the opera he had listened to the previous night.

About ten minutes later, Qiao Geliman put down the document. He didn't write anything, but calmly looked at Bennett and said, "I can't sign it."

In that instant, Bennett's consciousness went blank for a moment.

"Can't sign?"

"Why can't I sign?!"

Bennett stood up, picked up the document, and quickly glanced at it, asking as he read, "Is there a problem with this document?"

Qiao Geliman's sudden change in attitude was hard for Bennett to handle; it was like someone who always said "Yes, sir" suddenly saying, "No, sir."

The stark contrast is enough to leave many people speechless and momentarily blank in their minds. This is the shock caused by the disruption of habits and norms.

Qiao Geliman sat upright, his arms resting on the armrests of the chair, his fingertips touching. "There are many problems, but before that, we need to deal with some other things."

He reached out and pressed the blue button on the phone, which was the line to the Secretary Office. The call was answered immediately. "This is Qiao Geliman. Who assigned the work in the office today? Have him come to my office."

After releasing the button, Qiao Geliman looked at Bennett with a smile. Bennett gradually came to his senses, his face looking somewhat grim, but he did nothing. He didn't know what trick Qiao Geliman was up to.

Shortly after, a male employee appeared in the office.

In institutions like banks, which handle a lot of messy things every day, the office has a whole set of rules and regulations.

The person in charge each day will categorize these miscellaneous matters, and then they will select and send these categorized documents to different desks for processing. This is also the main job of the Secretary Office; they must prevent unnecessary troubles for the middle and senior management of the department.

Looking at the young man who had worked at the bank for seven or eight years, Qiao Geliman pursed his lips and said, "Go to the finance department and settle your salary. You've been fired."

This statement shocked Bennett and the only male secretary standing in the room. Before the former could say anything, the latter shouted excitedly, "Mr. Qiao Geliman, you have no right to do this!"

He argued his case, fighting for his rights, saying, "This is against the bank's rules. You are not a manager in the Personnel Department, much less the bank's president. And I haven't done anything wrong. You have no right to do this. I will complain to the president, the branch, and the headquarters!"

Qiao Geliman showed no sign of embarrassment or anger. He picked up the phone, dialed a number, and pressed the speakerphone button. The three people in the room immediately recognized that the person answering the phone was the bank manager.

"I'm going to fire a staff member from the Secretary Office. His work has made obvious mistakes. Should this be brought to a meeting?" Qiao Geliman's tone was calm and easygoing, but his gaze was full of aggression as he looked at the male employee.

Surprisingly, the bank president supported Qiao Geliman's request, saying, "You can handle it yourself; there's no need to bring such a trivial matter to the meeting!"

Before the young male employee could say anything, Qiao Geliman hung up the phone. The employee looked furious, his face flushed with anger. "Can you tell me where I went wrong at work?"

Qiao Geliman pointed to the document on the table between him and Bennett. "Such an important document should have been given to me first. I am the highest-ranking executive in this department, not Mr. Bennett. You can't even do something this simple. Do you think the bank needs to keep someone like you to continue making mistakes?"

The male employee immediately retorted, "You said it yourself, that you agree in principle to any document that Mr. Bennett signs, and..."

Qiao Geliman shook his head. "No, and either you pack your things and leave, or I'll get security to help you!" As he spoke, he reached out and pressed the red button, which connected him to the bank's Security Department.

The male employee looked at Bennett with pleading eyes; he didn't want to lose his job.

Regardless of how difficult it is to find a job now, it took him almost ten years to get to this point. The next step is management, which is why he is currying favor with Bennett.

If Bennett replaces Qiao Geliman, he will have a chance to go further, but clearly everyone underestimated Qiao Geliman.

Bennett's face was also very grim. He had just uttered a syllable, and no one even knew what that syllable meant, when Qiao Geliman forcefully interrupted him, "Should I call headquarters to explain the situation here?"

Bennett shut her mouth and chose to ignore the male employee's pleas.

In fact, whether it's the headquarters, branches, or grassroots banks, such obvious biased errors cannot be made. Even directors on the headquarters Board of Directors cannot interfere in such matters.

Having confirmed that his order would be carried out, Qiao Geliman pointed to the door, "Close the door when you leave!"

After watching the employee leave the office looking like a lost soul or a walking corpse, Qiao Geliman finally confronted Bennett and began to discuss Bennett's issues.

"You ask me why I don't agree to sign. First, you come from the branch office, so you should be familiar with our internal work processes. You're just an assistant, and you're not allowed to look at documents of this level without my permission."

Documents that are not internal affairs and require approval from the department's top executive Chief all involve power and procedural issues. Regardless of whether Bennett will replace Qiao Geliman in the future, he is at least currently Qiao Geliman's assistant.

The division assigned him to assist Qiao Geliman, without saying he would replace Qiao Geliman. Even if they did intend to, Bennett would only ever be an assistant as long as he wasn't considered a real person.

Was there a problem with Qiao Geliman having Bennett in charge of the work before this?

No problem. Rules are actually quite flexible. They only work when someone asserts them. If the parties involved, especially the party whose rights are being violated, do not assert their rights and the rules and regulations, they will not work.

It took Qiao Geliman more than two months to get Bennett used to a special environment, which gradually fostered an arrogance in him that he himself was unaware of. In fact, even if Lin Qi hadn't made a move, Qiao Geliman would have done it himself.

Who would willingly give up a career they've dedicated half their life to?

However, Qiao Geliman's methods were slightly more artistic than Lin Qi's overly direct ones, or at least that's what he thought.

"Secondly, you approved some results without my knowledge of this document, which is a very obvious overreach of authority. Moreover, I think there are serious problems with the content of your approval, so I will not sign it."

"As for the third..." Qiao Geliman couldn't help but laugh, "I just wanted to see your sour face. You lost, Mr. Bennett."

Thinking of this, Qiao Geliman felt great. To others, he had been feeling stifled for almost three months, but no one knew that he was after this moment of pleasure, which made him happier than when he was having emotional exchanges with some young girls.

Moreover, his happiness didn't stop there. "I will report your behavior and actions to the branch and headquarters. I will report your constant challenges to the bank's rules and regulations and your overstepping of authority to create interest groups."

"Oh, right, and that girl, Annie!"

Qiao Geliman's expression was peculiar; his hand stroked the edge of the table as if he were touching something special. "She's very good at her job; I'll be a regular customer from now on!"

Enraged, Bennett grabbed the crystal triangular nameplate from the table and hurled it at Qiao Geliman!