Three days before the New Year, Chen Yu excitedly took the freshly drafted employee handbook to find Yan Ye.
When she learned that Chen Yu had new employee rules, Yan Ye stared at him for a long while, her eyes behind her glasses gleaming with the authority of a school disciplinarian.
Grasping Chen Yu's hand, Yan Ye had him sit down and said earnestly, "President Chen, although I'm your employee, I'm also the counselor for two thousand Ghost Cultivators."
Chen Yu tried to pull his hand back, but failed. He could only ask in confusion, "Yan Ye, are you sick too? Did Earth Virtue Star Lord's blessing affect you as well?"
"What's that? Never mind, that's not important. What matters is that I've recently realized those old ghosts are actually pretty decent. Especially when they put on black shirts, little red skirts, and black pearl stockings, then sweetly call out, 'Master, come drink some milk tea.' They really are quite adorable."
"...Do you need me to call the police for you?"
"Sorry, I may indeed have a bit of a problem, but that isn't the point either. The point is, could we lay off fewer people this year?"
"...I request a translator."
"Don't you understand? Out of twenty-five hundred people, permanently firing more than half would be a bit much. How about permanently firing forty percent? With twelve hundred left, that should work."
"What are you even talking about? Why don't I understand any of this?"
Yan Ye struggled for a moment before asking, "President Chen, it's common knowledge that year-end bonuses are handed out for the New Year. You understand that, right?"
"That, I understand."
"A year-end bonus has to be a bonus. It can't be a punishment disguised as something like a 'treat the boss to dinner voucher,'