"Miss, we've brought him!" Liu Da reported respectfully.
The man froze at the address, his eyes widening in shock.
The leader of this gang was actually the young woman standing before him—dressed in a sleek black dress, her demeanor cool and striking.
This was completely unexpected.
Female gang leaders were rare even in movies and TV shows, let alone in real life.
"Who sent you?" Liu Yutong asked.
"I... I... I..." The man stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"Answer the question! If you keep stuttering, I’ll cut your tongue out!" Ma Da slammed the table, making the man flinch violently.
The man was on the verge of tears, his voice trembling. "I just came to eat! The lights were on, so I thought the restaurant was still open... I had no idea you were all having a meeting here..."
"You think we’re idiots? The front door was closed! Tell the truth, or you’ll regret it!"
"Brother, I swear I’m not lying..."
"One more lie and—"
Liu Yutong raised a hand, cutting Ma Da off. "He’s probably telling the truth."
She had been observing the man closely.
He looked bookish, with black-framed glasses, a plain shirt, and jeans. The fear in his eyes was genuine—nothing like a hardened criminal.
His reactions didn’t seem rehearsed either.
Most likely, he really was just a customer who’d wandered in by mistake.
Still, to be safe, she pressed further. "What’s your name? Do you have any ID?"
Shaking, the man fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his wallet, handing over his identification. "My name is Yang Xin, from Wushui County. I just got back from the provincial capital... I was supposed to return to work tomorrow, but I heard this place had great fish stew, so I came to try it. The lights were on, so I thought... I swear, I didn’t mean any trouble!"
Then, as if remembering something, he quickly added, "I know the rules—I didn’t see anything today, nothing at all. Please, just let me go..."
His gaze flickered to the dozen or so gangsters kneeling behind him, trembling in fear.
It clicked.
This was exactly like those gangster movies—two factions clashing, and the losing side forced to kneel.
"Miss, I’ve checked his ID and other documents. Everything checks out," Ma Da reported.
"Should we let him go?"
Liu Yutong nodded. "Yes, let him leave."
Ma Da waved a hand. "Open the door."
The men blocking the exit immediately stepped aside.
Yang Xin took back his documents, bowing repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you!"
He edged carefully toward the exit, relief washing over him as he neared the door.
But just as he stepped one foot outside—before he could fully exhale—
A cold, feminine voice called from behind. "Wait."
Yang Xin’s heart plummeted. His legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed. "Please, spare me! I swear I won’t say a word—please, just let me go!"
If not for this situation, he’d never have believed that this girl—who looked barely out of her teens—could command such fear from hardened gangsters.
Right now, though, he had no room for disbelief.
All he could think about was his wife and daughter waiting at home. If something happened to him, what would they do?
Liu Yutong watched the man—at least ten years her senior—crumble in terror and sighed inwardly.
She’d only wanted to ask him something, not scare him half to death.
"I’m not going to hurt you. Stand up."
Trembling, Yang Xin forced himself to his feet, though his body still shook violently, his face ghostly pale.
Liu Yutong turned to her men. "Get him a chair."
"Yes, Miss." One of the gangsters quickly brought a chair and placed it behind Yang Xin.
Once seated, Yang Xin’s breathing steadied slightly.
Liu Yutong finally spoke. "Mr. Yang, you misunderstood. I just have a few questions for you."
Seeing she wasn’t joking, Yang Xin relaxed a fraction, though his voice still wavered. "O-Of course."
Calling her "Miss" felt odd, but disrespect was the last thing he dared.
Not with a hundred gangsters glaring at him from across the room.
"Earlier, you mentioned you work at Mingcheng Trading, handling supermarket operations. If your company fired you, where would you go next?" Liu Yutong got straight to the point.
Yang Xin blinked. "Fired? Why would they fire me?"
"Just answer the question."
He swallowed hard. "I... haven’t thought about it."
"What salary would you expect? Would you be willing to start fresh—say, at a newly opened supermarket?"
Yang Xin was baffled. Was this some kind of interview? Still, he answered honestly. "M-Maybe?"
Liu Yutong nodded. "Then, do you think I’d make a good boss?"
Yang Xin wasn’t about to say no. "You’re... very capable. I think you’d be a great boss."
The words were half forced, half genuine.
For a girl her age to command this kind of respect? That took skill.
"Good. Then work for me. I’ll give you a VP-level package." Her tone was casual, as if offering him a cup of tea.
Yang Xin nearly fell off the chair.
Wait—
She was serious?!
He’d assumed this was just small talk.
"I... I’m happy with my current job. I’m not looking to switch," he managed, voice tight with nerves.
Liu Yutong shrugged. "Fine. One last question: If your company really did fire you, would you join us then?"
"I... uh..."
"Think carefully. I respect my employees’ choices."
Whoosh—
A hundred pairs of eyes locked onto him, their message clear: Refuse, and you’re mincemeat.
Yang Xin broke into a cold sweat.
Before he could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at Liu Yutong, unsure whether to answer.
She waved a hand. "Go ahead."
Yang Xin finally pulled out his phone, and when he saw the caller ID displaying the head of the company's HR department, a sense of foreboding instantly surged in his chest.
"Hello, Director Zhou..."
"Yang Xin, this is official notice—you're being laid off."
Yang Xin: "..."
When he looked back at Liu Yutong, what filled him wasn’t just fear anymore, but sheer disbelief.
What kind of godlike influence was this?
She said the company would cut staff, and just like that, he was axed?
Liu Yutong turned directly to Zhao Tianyi and said, "Tianyi, draft an employment contract for Mr. Yang. Salary to be determined later, position—Vice President."
"Right away, Miss Liu!" Zhao Tianyi responded and immediately went to prepare.
Yang Xin sat in the chair, his mind completely blank.
This was it.
