Lu Lingchuan stood there, expressionless, emanating a chilling "do not approach" aura.
Shen Nian was also taken aback for a moment before quickly rising to her feet.
Lu Lingchuan didn't even glance at her, but instead shot a cold look towards Jiang Lingling. "Before noon, your resignation letter goes to HR."
"..." Jiang Lingling's face turned deathly pale.
This meant dismissing Jiang Lingling.
"Mr. Lu."
With her years of experience as an excellent assistant, Shen Nian knew she should not have spoken up at that moment, for Lu Lingchuan had done nothing wrong.
Rules make things orderly. Jiang Lingling knew the company's rules from day one, yet she willfully violated them. Her dismissal was justified.
However, Shen Nian still spoke up.
"..." Hearing Shen Nian's voice, Lu Lingchuan said nothing but glared at her coldly.
Shen Nian persisted. "Jiang Lingling is a new employee, not fully familiar with the company's rules. Although she erred, it does not warrant immediate dismissal. Through this incident, she has learned her lesson. With this warning, I believe she will conduct herself more diligently."
Dismissal and resignation are not the same. If Jiang Lingling was dismissed today, her record would show that she was fired at Lingrui Group for gossiping during work hours and caught by her superior. This would impact her future job prospects.
No company wants an employee who slacks off and gossips during work.
As soon as Shen Nian finished speaking, Lu Lingchuan's gaze became even more piercing, his tone frigid. "You believe in forgiving her? Since when did Shen the Assistant get to call the shots in this company?"
"..."
"Shen Nian, the moment you uttered those words, you proved yourself unfit to remain here."
Of course, Shen Nian knew that.
As Lu Lingchuan's assistant, she should have remembered to conduct herself professionally. If everyone slacked off and pleaded for forgiveness when caught, it would set a bad precedent. Once Lu Lingchuan made an exception, a second and third person would follow.
The company would then descend into chaos, rendering it unmanageable.
She should have upheld that principle with unwavering integrity.
Yet her words just now revealed her soft heart and plea for leniency.
"Yes." Shen Nian stood upright, accepting Lu Lingchuan's reprimand.
She raised her head slightly, her expression solemn. "If I had not responded, Jiang Lingling would have had no one to speak for her. In that sense, Jiang Lingling and I were equally negligent and gossiping during work hours. Since Mr. Lu intends to dismiss Jiang Lingling, my resignation letter will also be submitted to HR along with hers by noon today."
"..." Upon hearing this, Lu Lingchuan's gaze turned even colder as he stared intently at Shen Nian, who stood with her back straight and eyes resolute.
Was she threatening him?
Jiang Lingling, standing nearby, was dumbfounded by Shen Nian's words. She had not expected her work negligence to be punished so severely, let alone implicate Shen Nian.
"Mr... Mr. Lu." Despite her fear, Jiang Lingling spoke up. "It's... it's my fault. I didn't work properly during work hours. I actively approached Assistant Shen to gossip. She didn't engage me at all - I was just talking to myself. You can dismiss me, I accept it, because I did something wrong."
"But... Assistant Shen is innocent. From the day I joined the company until now, she has only helped me. She's great, I... I don't want her to be implicated because of my mistake."
Though only slightly younger than Shen Nian, Jiang Lingling had just graduated and entered the workforce, lacking the maturity and mental fortitude that came with Shen Nian's years of professional experience.
Despite mustering her courage to say so much, she could not control her emotions and broke down in tears by the end.
Tears streamed down her face as she trembled in fear, yet she still pleaded for Shen Nian, begging Lu Lingchuan not to involve her.
Originally irritated by her crying, Lu Lingchuan froze when he saw Jiang Lingling wiping her tears.
Not only Shen Nian, but Lu Lingchuan himself had thought he was seeing Lu Lingrui when he first laid eyes on Jiang Lingling.
Her smile, her mischievous tongue-sticking-out, that infectious grin...
Seeing her tears, Lu Lingchuan momentarily hallucinated, Jiang Lingling's face morphing into Lu Lingrui's.
In the past, when Lu Lingrui was wronged, she would also let out heartbreaking sobs, tugging at his clothes pitifully.
[Brother, Lu Lingcheng deliberately kicked and ruined the oil painting I spent a week on. Quick, help me kick him so hard against the wall that he can't get down.]
And the pitiful Lu Lingcheng would then be kicked by Lu Lingchuan, tearfully taking on a month of household chores in penance, as Lu Lingrui laughed gleefully. Back then, Lu Lingchuan would look at her with helpless yet doting fondness.
[You little brat, you're so happy to see him suffer?]
[Yes! Serves him right for kicking a soccer ball indoors and knocking over my easel.]
[Petty.]
[Hmph.]
"..." Lu Lingchuan's mind drifted, his gaze vacant, as if seeing the vibrant and lively Lu Lingrui once more.
[Brother~] When she whined playfully.
[Brother!] When she called out cheerfully.
[Brother, I'm sorry, don't be mad at me...] When she apologized cutely after misbehaving.
[Blah blah blah, brother is a dummy.] When she gloated after a successful prank.
[Brother.]
[Brother...]
[...]
He reached out, wanting to embrace the hallucination of [Lu Lingrui] before him. As he stepped forward, the mirage froze and vanished, abruptly snapping Lu Lingchuan back to reality.
The Lu Lingrui who had stuck her tongue out at him playfully was gone. The one crying before him was once again Jiang Lingling.
"..."
He opened his mouth, then coldly declared, "Write the employee handbook one hundred times... by noon tomorrow and leave it on my desk."
Then, turning to Shen Nian, "You, five hundred times."
With that, he turned and left.
Jiang Lingling, tears streaming down her face, stared at Shen Nian in bewilderment, uncomprehending.
Shen Nian regained her composure first and nodded at her. "No need for dismissal. Just copy the employee handbook diligently. Don't make such basic mistakes again."
"Okay." She nodded, having learned her lesson from this incident.
"I'm sorry, Nian... Assistant Shen. I got you implicated because of me."
"I made the mistake myself. You didn't implicate me." Shen Nian said, "I'll have someone bring you the documents later. Go freshen up in the restroom first, then get back to work."
"Okay."
Watching Jiang Lingling leave, Shen Nian finally sat down.
One hand supported her forehead as she closed her eyes and frowned.
The other hand habitually touched the sunflower pendant necklace around her neck, her fingertips tracing the petals.
