Nan Yue sat among the crowd, feeling as though the entire group was a small animal being watched by a predator. Everyone, including her, held their breath in unison.
Human beings are fascinating social creatures. Within a group, they often instinctively follow the crowd; it is a primal urge.
With a cold expression, Liu Ming read out five names. Nan Yue heard a familiar one: Geng Xin Hui.
Logically, a single C grade required an A grade to offset it, but it was incredibly difficult for an ordinary employee to earn an A.
As long as an employee received even one C grade in a year, their promotion would be delayed by a year.
Nan Yue felt that the pressure was immense. For employees who had truly exhausted every effort and gambled everything to join this company, this was unacceptable.
The five employees with C evaluations were called onto the stage by Liu Ming. The spotlight shone on their faces. This time, Liu Ming did not ask for silence, so the staff below began to speak out without restraint for the first time.
"A C grade, how shameful."
"Exactly. The company cultivates us like this, and they actually got a C."
"They must not be putting in the effort. Why does the company keep people like that?"
"That Old Wu over there, has he gotten two Cs this year?"
"I think so. I heard he only signed eight contracts in a week."
"Tsk, what a disgrace."
Nan Yue listened to the waves of malice rising around her. The ill intent almost manifested into something physical, surging toward the five people on stage. Every one of them was drenched in sweat. Geng Xin Hui, whom she had met briefly before, had lips that turned white; even from a distance, Nan Yue could see his legs trembling.
As for the man they called Old Wu, he looked older. By all accounts, he should have been at the V5 level, but his chest badge only read V8.
"That Old Wu, how old is he?" Nan Yue asked the person next to her. Although they were the same rank, the other person was quite polite since Nan Yue held a secretary post.
"Hah, he's forty-eight. He joined the company at twenty-two and has worked here for twenty-six years. He's regressing as he gets older. He's only managed to reach V8. If I were him, I'd have been too ashamed to keep working here long ago."
Twenty-six years!
Nan Yue was surprised. That meant his promotions had been delayed for decades.
Was there really nothing wrong with this company's system?...
Thinking of this, Nan Yue noticed that there seemed to be very few elderly employees in the company. Most were in their prime, full of passion and energy.
"Are there many people like Old Wu?"
The person's eyes showed disdain. "Plenty, especially the older ones. They have slow reactions, can't pull all-nighters, can't drink, and their bodies can't keep up at the drop of a hat. How can employees like that sacrifice themselves for the company?"
Nan Yue wanted to say that everyone gets old, but she couldn't.
"The company is so kind, not even firing people like that."
Nan Yue put on an expression similar to the person next to her, and as expected, the other person became even more eager to talk.
"Right! No wonder you could get a secretary post as soon as you joined; your awareness is just different. I'm telling you, there were actually people before who wanted to resign voluntarily. It's hilarious. They don't even think about where else they could find a company that cares so little about profit and thinks entirely of its employees."
Nan Yue nodded heavily. "Did those who resigned voluntarily actually leave?"
"How could they!"
The person's expression was exaggerated. "If you resign voluntarily, you have to pay a breach of contract fee. Plus, the rent has always been discounted because we're employees. You have to pay back the difference for all that time before you can leave. Who has that kind of money?"
Nan Yue silently criticized in her mind, So you do know that the wages for bottom-level employees are low...
"Anyway, we're different from them. As long as we work hard, we'll definitely be promoted to management one day. The company promised us that as long as we're willing to sacrifice, there will be rewards!"
In reality, only employees at V5 and above could enjoy the treatment of the management layer. V1 to V3 were the five people in charge, meaning only the V4 and V5 levels were considered management.
In a company with over ten thousand employees, there were fewer than forty people in management.
She wondered how these people could believe this pipe dream would ever come true for them.
Nan Yue stopped talking. Her gaze turned to the five people on stage, hoping that one day, no scavenger would be standing up there.
...
After the meeting adjourned, everyone's spirits remained high. Most were discussing the five people with C grades, while others were talking about the three newcomers who had been called out today.
Although Qi Qiao wasn't in that specific group, her face was also very pale.
She was originally a V10 bottom-level worker. Because she hadn't performed well on stage, even other workers of the same rank were now giving her attitude.
"Hey, go get us some coffee. Twelve cups in total. If you get even one wrong, you're finished."
Qi Qiao was still shaken by what had just happened. Hearing someone give her an order, she instinctively looked at the other person's chest badge.
V10. They were the same rank as her.
She looked at the people on the list; they were all V10.
"We're the same rank," Qi Qiao whispered. She knew she had messed up earlier, but the manual and her seniors said she only had to follow orders from higher-ranking employees.
More importantly, the Team Leader had given her a task to do right now. If she delayed it, she would offend someone at the V8 level.
Slap!
In broad daylight, with other employees passing by, Qi Qiao was heavily slapped by the woman who had spoken.
Qi Qiao's face immediately swelled. She looked at the other woman in disbelief. "Why did you hit me?"
The woman sneered. "Someone who can't even speak clearly thinks they're the same rank as us? You were remembered by President Liu and countless leaders. Who's in your rank!"
Seeing the woman's overbearing manner, Qi Qiao's defiance immediately withered.
What she should do now was try her best not to attract attention and avoid offending anyone else.
She gritted her teeth and swallowed the grievance, lowering her head. "I understand. I'll go right now."
When Qi Qiao returned carrying many cups of coffee, she found her Team Leader looking at her with a grim face. The woman who had made her get the coffee was bowing her head, pretending not to see her.
"Qi Qiao! Where did you go? Where's the work I told you to do?"
The Team Leader barked, and Qi Qiao nearly spilled the coffee.
Qi Qiao set the coffee down timidly, apologizing repeatedly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's because she told me to go get coffee..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" The woman stood up, her eyes wide. "When did I ever tell you to get coffee? You wanted to kiss up to your colleagues and now you're throwing me under the bus? Besides, how can you be so wicked as to slander me in front of the Team Leader!"
Qi Qiao's entire body began to tremble. She felt her limbs go cold, but her head felt rushed with blood and her face was burning.
"You're lying! You clearly told me to get it. You even slapped me!"
The handprint on Qi Qiao's face was still red. The woman suddenly went silent. The Team Leader glanced at her, and the woman quickly put on a flattering smile.
"Hmph, even if she told you to get it, you do whatever she says? Is she the leader or am I the leader? Can't you distinguish between what's urgent and what's not?"
"How did the company end up with someone like you!"
"Don't even think about passing your evaluation next week!"
The Team Leader threw out those words and strode away. Before Qi Qiao could react, the woman had already walked up to her, gritting her teeth.
"Selling me out? You'd better watch your back!"
Rate on N.U.
