A Silver Lining

"Deng Wenji, get over here."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Deng Wenji had long since been scared out of his wits. When Qi Zhenxing shouted at him, his legs gave out and he collapsed directly onto the floor.

Even so, he kept muttering as he scrambled to his feet and hurried toward Lin Chen.

Then he dropped to his knees before Lin Chen and began desperately kowtowing and begging.

"Mr. Lin... Mr. Lin, I truly didn't know you were our group's major shareholder."

"If I'd known, even if you gave me a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand times the courage, I wouldn't have dared to act so arrogantly toward you."

As he spoke, tears began streaming from Deng Wenji's eyes.

It was clear just how terrified he was. At the same time, his heart pounded with anxiety as he wondered what he would do if Lin Chen refused to forgive him.

"What? You don't think I'm an impostor and a scammer anymore?"

Although Lin Chen's voice was calm and mild, it carried an overwhelming authority that left everyone present afraid to say another word.

"Mr. Lin, I truly know I was wrong. Please, let me off this once. I'm begging you."

Deng Wenji was so distressed that he could not even cry properly. He could only keep kowtowing and pleading for forgiveness.

If time could truly be turned back, how badly he wished he could return to the moment before he had berated Lin Chen.

But reality told him that was nothing more than a fantasy.

Seeing Deng Wenji kneeling on the ground and weeping, Lin Chen shook his head with an amused, helpless smile.

He was somewhat annoyed, but only annoyed. He was not truly enraged.

After all, Deng Wenji had mistaken him for an impostor and a scammer because he did not know the truth.

He had acted out of concern for the group, so it was understandable.

Still, while the death penalty could be spared, punishment was unavoidable.

After all, he was the largest shareholder of such a massive group, holding seventy percent of its shares.

Yet Deng Wenji had called him a scammer, berated him in front of everyone, and even wanted to throw him out. How humiliating was that?

So...

Lin Chen smiled and said, "All right, all right. Stop crying and wailing. You're lucky you ran into me. If it had been someone else, this matter wouldn't have been so easy to settle today."

The moment those words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

They had all been trembling as they waited for the group's new largest shareholder to reprimand them. After all, anyone would have been furious after encountering something like this.

Yet they had never expected the new major shareholder before them to simply let the matter go?

If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.

However, before they could remain shocked for long, Lin Chen spoke again.

"Still, you did berate me in public and threatened to throw me out. Your life may be spared, but punishment cannot be avoided."

As soon as he said that, all the managers from the group's various departments inwardly thought, Just as expected.

At the same time, they began silently mourning for Deng Wenji.

After all, Lin Chen was the largest shareholder holding seventy percent of the group's shares. It was already an immense mercy that he was willing to let Deng Wenji off. There was no way Deng Wenji could escape without paying any price at all.

"Mr. Lin, as long as you're willing to spare me, I'm willing to accept any punishment."

"Very well."

Lin Chen glanced at Deng Wenji and said with a smile, "Didn't you want Shang Zhiyi to have her salary for this month deducted and lose all group benefits for the entire year?"

"I won't be too harsh on you. On top of that, you'll be responsible for cleaning the entire group for one month. That will be your punishment for disrespecting me."

"Will you accept it?"

When those words fell, everyone except the marketing department was utterly bewildered.

At the same time, they wondered who Shang Zhiyi was and what punishment Deng Wenji had imposed on her.

But bewildered as they were, the department managers, including Chairman Qi Zhenxing, all came to the same realization.

That was, whoever this Shang Zhiyi from the marketing department was, she was someone they absolutely could not afford to offend.

Of course, aside from the department managers and the chairman, the people from the marketing department were equally dumbfounded.

What bewildered them was what exactly Shang Zhiyi's relationship with the group's largest shareholder was.

How could she make him willing to stand up for her?

Although Lin Chen had not said it outright, no one working in this group was a fool. On the contrary, they were all exceptionally sharp.

A few scattered words were enough for them to understand the implications.

In short, from that day onward, the name Shang Zhiyi became something special within Shilin Guomao Group, someone they absolutely could not offend.

At least until they had fully figured out the unclear relationship between the two, they would not dare treat her as an ordinary colleague like before.

"Lin Chen... is he standing up for me?"

Shang Zhiyi was also somewhat speechless. She truly had not expected Lin Chen to come up with such a punishment.

For a moment, the heart in her chest pounded wildly.

"Mr. Lin, are... are you serious?"

Deng Wenji also looked utterly surprised. He had never imagined that the group's largest shareholder would be so easy to talk to.

Earlier, he had already prepared himself to be suppressed by the group, but he had never expected to receive only such a so-called punishment.

Although the punishment was not light, compared to the severity of the incident, it was already as lenient as it could possibly be.

"What? Do you think the punishment I gave you is too light? If that's the case, I..."

"No, no, no."

Seeing that Lin Chen was about to change his mind, Deng Wenji immediately shook his head furiously like a rattle drum.

"I'm willing. I accept. Thank you, Mr. Lin. Thank you for your magnanimity, thank you..."

With that, Deng Wenji kowtowed to Lin Chen once more.

Only after all this was done was the matter finally considered settled.

Seeing that the incident had ended, Qi Zhenxing finally felt the stone hanging over his heart fall away.

"A silver lining amid the misfortune..."

Qi Zhenxing sighed inwardly, then stepped forward with a flattering smile and said to Lin Chen,

"Mr. Lin, since you intend to let this matter rest, let me introduce you to the backbone of our group and show you around our operations."

"What do you think?"

"Sure. I'll trouble you, then."

"Of course, of course."

How could Qi Zhenxing dare put on airs? He repeatedly nodded, then began introducing the managers of each department one by one.

After finishing the introductions, he led Lin Chen deeper into the group to tour and explain its operations.

After they finished introducing the marketing department and everyone had left, the employees who had been holding their breath finally let out a complete sigh of relief.

"Damn, they finally left. I was scared to death just now."

"Yeah, the atmosphere was so oppressive. I was so scared I barely dared to breathe."

"The atmosphere was a little oppressive, but because of this incident, we also learned what this major shareholder is like. At the very least, he's many times better than the previous shareholders."

"Many times better? He's probably a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand times better. If this had happened to any other shareholder, it definitely wouldn't have ended so simply today."

"That's true..."