Chapter 18 Scapegoat_1

"This is working hours, what do you think you are doing!"

Wu Qiuyan slammed a notebook onto the desk with a "smack", her face icy with rage bursting at the seams!

She looked exhausted and furious, seemingly having endured quite the torment from Chen Daya during the meeting. Her entire demeanor was a bit neurotic, on the verge of exploding.

This is a powder keg! Bai Xiaosheng thought to himself.

In such a state, there's no reasoning with a woman!

"Boss, we just finished a stint of work and were chatting for a bit, just to relax," Wang said with a forced smile, explaining.

He didn't want to provoke this powder keg, but he was the most senior and oldest; if he didn't step up, who would?

He couldn't let Song or Yezi take the fall.

Wang couldn't bring himself to do that.

Moreover, he considered himself to be quite likable; Wu Qiuyan should be willing to cut him some slack for such a trivial matter.

"Chat for a bit? Do you think, I didn't hear what you were talking about, treating your superiors as objects of amusement!" Wu Qiuyan's harsh gaze turned towards Wang as she scorned, "Do you really think that just because you're the most senior, you can act without restraint? Let me tell you, you don't have that privilege!"

"Decades as a senior planner, and you're still just an employee? Don't be arrogant due to your age! If you don't want to work here anymore, I can resign for you to Mr. Li!"

Wu Qiuyan, in a fit of rage, spoke venomously.

Wang's smile froze on his face.

He was five or six years older than Wu Qiuyan and had been with Century Construction for many years, yet he was berated to the point of humiliation!

Wang fell silent.

"Manager, it's not fair to talk about Wang like this."

Song spoke timidly and quietly. He was alright in every aspect, just a bit cowardly; Wang often helped him, and if anyone else, or even he himself, had been berated, he might not have dared to contradict face to face.

"Is it your place to talk!" Compared to Wang, Wu Qiuyan was impatient, laced with a hint of disdain, not even bothering to scold Song.

Song swallowed his saliva uneasily and fell silent.

"Mr. Wu, it's wrong of you to say that!" Yezi could not hold back, "You…"

"What else do you want to say!" Wu Qiuyan shouted sharply, cutting off Yezi's words outright.

Wu Qiuyan in her current state, disliked everyone and dared to say anything!

If Chen Daya had come in at that moment, she would have clashed with him, too!

Wang remained silent, Song was timid, and Yezi was sullenly quiet.

Under the weight of silence, even the air seemed to freeze, the atmosphere in the office thick with oppression.

Approximately a minute passed.

"Mr. Wu," Bai Xiaosheng stood up, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Wu Qiuyan looked at him coldly.

Bai Xiaosheng, undisturbed by her gaze, said calmly, "I have pretty much finished my tasks here. What do we need to do for the next phase?"

Bai Xiaosheng spoke very tactfully.

Anyone who acts on impulse will, more or less, regret it afterward, and Wu Qiuyan was no exception; after venting, she realized that she had been too harsh.

Bai Xiaosheng noticed her expression and eased the mood with work-related topics, including Wang and the others with the word "we", giving everyone a step down.

Avoiding sensitivities while breaking the silence.

Wang and the others couldn't help but glance at Bai Xiaosheng.

Wu Qiuyan's expression eased slightly but was still icy cold.

She had communicated about this Bai Xiaosheng with Li Mingtong. Li Mingtong's opinion was that to avoid unnecessary complications, this person had to be dismissed quickly!

"Good enough? Can our work be done with 'good enough'? How 'good enough' is it? Bai Xiaosheng, you were brought in by Mr. Shang, and I don't know what background you have, but here, under my supervision, Wu Qiuyan, doing work with 'good enough' is not acceptable!" Wu Qiuyan's gaze was icy.

Bai Xiaosheng smiled, "That was an inappropriate choice of words on my part. Allow me to rephrase – everything on my end has been completed."

Everything, completed?

Wu Qiuyan narrowed her eyes.

Wang and the other two looked at Bai Xiaosheng in surprise.

That was over thirty pages of report framework!

It would take five or six people working overtime for a week just to reach a 'good enough' level!

He completed it all by himself, and even did it well?!

Nobody believed it!

Including Yezi, who was secretly anxious in her heart.

"He's trying to bail us out. He was rushed by Sister Wu into saying that! How can he be so foolish? Sister Wu was already targeting you, and if she finds an excuse to accuse you of falsifying your work, what will you do then!"

Without prior agreement, both Wang and Song had the same thought.

There was no need for Bai Xiaosheng to report his work at this time, he could have just minded his own business, even standing by watching the rest of them in their predicament.

But now, Bai Xiaosheng was drawing resentment onto himself!

Wang and the others felt a touch of gratitude, mixed with pity.

"Heh." Wu Qiuyan suddenly laughed, though the sound was rather unpleasant.

"Fine, I would like to see what you've made of the job once completed. Bai Xiaosheng, let me tell you the frank truth. Our department has just been criticized by Mr. Chen, who scolded me for a full two hours! The crux is with this material. If you lied to me, then you will have to explain it to him yourself!" Wu Qiuyan's expression turned somewhat ferocious, "And while you're at it, tell him that the failure of the marketing department to complete its work is because Bai Xiaosheng dragged it down!"

Wu Qiuyan made no attempt to hide the fact that she was setting Bai Xiaosheng up to take the fall.

In truth, he had only been there for a few days.

I'm the one dragging things down? Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback, then found it amusing. How come everywhere I go, I end up carrying the can?

"Look! I want to look now, and all of you come over too!" Wu Qiuyan called out.

Wang, Song, and Yezi looked at each other and gathered around. Bai Xiaosheng remained calm, directly maneuvering the mouse to open the folder.

"Tap, tap."

A double knock at the door suddenly sounded, and the marketing department's door was pushed open. An employee poked their head in, and their gaze quickly swept over to Wu Qiuyan.

"Manager Wu, Mr. Chen is calling for you. Oh, and bring the people from your department with you," the person spoke, and without waiting for Wu Qiuyan to answer, they left and closed the door behind them.

"Is it finally our department's turn?" Wu Qiuyan couldn't help but utter.

A leadership team meeting with employees from various departments was how meetings had been conducted over these few days, and no one could escape it.

Wu Qiuyan had initially returned to the office hastily during the brief two-minute break in the middle of the meeting.

Suddenly, the "summons" arrived.

After watching other departments retreat one after another, Wu Qiuyan knew that this time, they too would have to face the storm.

However, I am not like the others! Wu Qiuyan glanced at Bai Xiaosheng, her mouth curving into a cold smile.

I have an ace up my sleeve!

I will let this kid take the fall, publicly pressure Chen Daya, and drive him out!

I really want to see how Chen Daya will shoot himself in the foot this time! Wu Qiuyan couldn't help but feel a tinge of satisfaction.

"Bai Xiaosheng, pack up what you've done onto a USB drive, and take it directly to the main conference room to report to the leaders! If there are any problems, I hope you will explain them to Mr. Chen yourself and not drag down our entire department!" Wu Qiuyan said coldly.

"Alright then!" Bai Xiaosheng responded with a composed smile, his confidence unwavering beneath it.