The end of a blue duckweed (2)
After she made the bed, cleaned the room, and Lin Yan finished bathing, she sat cross-legged on the bed counting her bank cards, with a whole row of them laid out in front of her.
She furrowed her brow, looking somewhat troubled.
Song Yuhang walked over, patted her head, and gently said, “Just do whatever you want to do, you don’t have to consider me.”
The next morning, several black luxury cars parked outside the Jingtai Building. Lin Yan got out of the car and was immediately surrounded by a group of reporters.
“Miss Lin, is it true that your father has passed away?”
“Miss Lin, how do you view the announcement of Jingtai Group’s bankruptcy?”
“Miss Lin, didn’t the official statement from Jingtai previously claim that you had passed away and would not inherit a huge fortune?”
“Miss Lin, Miss Lin…”
Lin Yan today rarely dressed in formal attire, wearing a black suit with a white shirt underneath, matching suit pants, and high heels. She wore a precious quartz watch on her wrist, with no other decorations on her, looking simple, neat, and stylish. Without casting a sideways glance, she walked in confidently. When the reporters tried to follow, they were blocked outside by a wall of police officers who arrived later.
The major shareholders were all waiting in the conference room in a serious manner.
As soon as Lin Yan walked in, all the eyes turned towards her. She glanced around the not-so-large conference room and noticed an empty seat at the top, which turned out to be where Lin Youyuan used to sit.
She directly walked over and sat down, with the people who came with her standing behind, holding laptops under their arms.
“Let’s begin.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a shareholder spoke up, “Miss, the most urgent task at hand is for you to take out your share of the inheritance to subsidize the company’s finances. Only then can we have a chance to make a comeback.”
Many people below echoed, each offering suggestions – some proposed restructuring plans, some demanded her to give up shares, and some coveted her wealth…
With a variety of opinions, spit splattered on the table in front of her.
Lin Yan let them continue speaking, waiting until they had almost finished before slightly leaning forward, resting her chin on her hands.
“I think you may have misunderstood. I didn’t come here today to revive the company, but…”
She raised her eyes slightly, “Dissolve Jingtai.”
There was a moment of frozen silence, and someone slammed the table.
“What?! Director Lin’s hard work for most of his life will be ruined by you. How can he rest in peace?!”
“What about my stocks, options? Will you compensate me?! This young girl doesn’t have a clue and just follows whatever the board says. Jingtai cannot be dissolved!”
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“Yes, yes, we can’t dissolve it. We rely on the group for our livelihood!”
…
The crowd was filled with anger and indignation. Normally polite and courteous individuals stood up one by one, hurling insults at her, even cursing her ancestors for generations.
Lin Yan sarcastically curled her lips, looking at them all dressed up in suits and expensive watches, exuding an air of arrogance. Those who relied on Jingtai for their livelihood should be those people outside, she thought.
With a clear and cold voice, she said.
“I will compensate. I have deliberately invited the Municipal Audit Bureau to come and inspect the accounts together. If there are no issues with the department’s accounts, I will settle the severance pay on the spot and pay double according to the length of employment. Of course, if there are any discrepancies in the accounts, whoever embezzled the funds must own up.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd seemed to be choked, and collectively fell silent.
Lin Yan took the lead and spoke, “As for the shares and options you hold, I am willing to buy them back at the original price. Jingtai will be dissolved today, no matter what.”
The auditors who accompanied her opened their laptops and sat down at some empty seats, nodding to her in agreement.
“Miss Lin, we are ready. We can begin now.”
Lin Yan leaned back in her leather chair with crossed arms, slightly furrowing her brow. “Who wants to start?”
The crowd looked at each other, and an elderly man with white hair tremblingly stood up and dropped a teacup in front of her.
“Lin Yan, I have been with Director Lin for 20 years, starting from nothing to building the thriving business empire we have today. We have endured hardships and suffered for this success. Dissolving it so easily disregards the youth and sweat we have put into this company. Half a lifetime of effort has been poured into Jingtai, and your actions today neglect us, the old staff, and disregard Director Lin’s lifelong dedication…”
The elderly man grew angrier as he spoke, angrily poking his cane on the ground. The teacup smashed on the table, splashing tea all around and the broken pieces grazed by her hand.
Lin Yan remained unfazed as he continued to curse at her.
“I would rather die than see Jingtai fall into the hands of someone like you!”
Under his leadership, more and more people stood up, glaring at her and hurling insults in her direction.
Among them were those who truly cared for Jingtai, speaking with genuine emotions. As they spoke, some welled up with tears, berating her with heartfelt sincerity, like that old staff member.
Lin Yan remained silent, silently enduring it all.
She sat there unmoving, emotionless on her face. She didn’t argue back, didn’t act, didn’t even urge them on. She let them vent their anger and curse at her for over three hours.
Many grew hoarse from talking, but seeing her unmoved stance, some felt a chill in their hearts. It seemed that Lin Yan was determined to dissolve Jingtai this time.
The elderly man, red-faced and out of breath from cursing, saw that she remained unmoved. Unable to continue, he leaned on his cane and stood up, lifting his hand to scatter the meeting records papers on the table.
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Countless white papers fluttered in the air, illuminated by the fluorescent light, as Lin Yan’s gaze turned cold and sharp like frost.
The old man continued to curse, then slammed the door and left.
“Lin Yan, can you face your father with what you’ve done?!”
The rest of the people looked at each other. Many were hoarse from cursing, while others harbored suspicions and didn’t want the auditors to inspect the accounts. They left with the old man. However, a few individuals voluntarily handed over the accounts of their respective departments before leaving.
The auditors got busy as they began their work.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that the accounts were finally inspected and reconciled. All necessary bookkeeping was done, payments were settled, and any financial issues were directly reported to the Economic Investigation and Support Detachment of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Once everyone had left the room and even the auditors had gone out to eat and take a break, Lin Yan sat alone in the empty conference room, running her hands over the expensive leather chair. It was then that she felt a hint of loneliness.
“Miss, here you go.”
Someone quietly handed her a cup of hot tea. Lin Yan raised her gaze for a brief glance. “It’s you.”
The secretary smiled wryly. “It’s me.”
“You resigned, didn’t you?”
Due to bankruptcy, the company couldn’t afford to pay salaries anymore, leading to many employees resigning.
“I heard you came back, so I came to take a look.”
Lin Yan slightly curved her lips, took a sip of the hot tea to soothe her throat, and placed the paper cup back on the table.
“Good that you’re here. Let’s call in all those outside.”
The secretary hesitated for a moment but then followed the orders and went outside.
Before long, a cash transport vehicle stopped at the entrance of the Jingtai Building. Bank employees dressed in black suits and white gloves walked in, carrying briefcases that they placed on the table. They proceeded to open the cases one by one, counting the contents.
The news about Lin Yan distributing salaries and severance pay on-site quickly spread, leading to a long line forming outside the conference room.
“Name?”
“Wang Wei.”
“Years of service?”
“Ten years.”
The secretary pushed her glasses up her nose and typed on the keyboard, verifying and calculating the amount of compensation.
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Lin Yan counted out the money and handed several stacks of RMB to him.
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man took a few steps with the money, then suddenly turned back and bowed to her.
“Although I don’t know why Miss is dissolving the company, we respect your decision. Director Lin is truly the best leader I have ever seen. I remember when I just graduated from university and started working here, my mother fell ill at home. My department supervisor wouldn’t give me time off, so I secretly hid in the break room crying. Director Lin saw me and not only paid me my salary early but also reimbursed my travel expenses so I could go home to see my mother.”
“He is truly a very kind and good person. I hope everything goes well for you too.”
After the man finished speaking, he hurriedly left.
Lin Yan slightly pursed her lips, her eyes slightly red.
“Next.”
“Name?”
“Wu Juan.”
“Years of service?”
“Five years.”
Lin Yan handed the money to her, but the young woman hesitated to leave, her eyes red.
“Miss, is Director Lin really gone? I was promoted as the department manager by him. When I was being harassed by my former supervisor, he was the one who stood up for me. He even had someone accompany me to file a report…”
Lin Yan remained silent, and the girl, disappointed, eventually walked out with the money.
As the crowd slowly shifted, from the perfect sunlight to dusk and then to deep nightfall, the number of people lined up outside the conference room decreased. The money in the boxes dwindled gradually, and later, Lin Yan had some funds transferred from her personal account to continue distributing.
The last person to enter was an elderly janitor.
“Miss…”
The secretary helped the person sit down on a chair.
The elderly man, around 50 years old, with a slightly stocky build, had a kind and gentle demeanor.
“I’m not here for money; I just want to ask, is Director Lin really gone? Where was he buried? I want to go see him.”
“When my wife passed away, my son and daughter-in-law didn’t want to take me in. They kicked me out of the house in the dead of winter. I had no choice but to find a job myself. I tried at several companies, but they either thought I was too old or because I came from the countryside and had clumsy hands and feet. Only Director Lin was willing to take me in. He said the company had a special program specifically for widowed, widowed, lonely, or elderly people to work, with tasks like cleaning, organizing, and cafeteria dishwashing.”
“Every month, we not only got paid a few thousand yuan, but we also got insurance coverage. Suddenly, life became more stable.”
Tears welled up in the old man’s eyes as he spoke, and he eventually grasped her hand, overcome with emotions, wanting to kneel before her.
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“Director Lin was like a benefactor to me. Now that he’s no longer here, I don’t want the company’s money. I just want to pay my respects to him.”
Lin Yan trembled her lips, helping the man to stand up, unable to find the right words to say. She raised her hand and instructed the secretary to give him the money.
The old man took the money and took a few steps before turning back. In the end, he bent down.
“Miss, if you ever need a servant at home, just say the word. This old man is still willing to work for you.”
Lin Yan waved her hand, signaling for him to leave quickly.
The old man expressed his gratitude repeatedly, taking the money and bowing a few times before turning and slowly walking away.
Lin Yan covered her eyes with her hand, her shoulders trembling slightly.
The secretary cautiously handed her another cup of hot tea. “Miss…”
She sniffled, coming back to her senses. “Oh, and you too, the money is over there, please take it yourself.”
The once bulging suitcase that came in was now nearly empty. The secretary counted out what she was owed, walked over to her, and bowed slightly as she handed over the money.
Lin Yan sarcastically tugged at the corner of her lip. “So, did Director Lin Yuanyuan also offer you some benefits?”
The secretary shook her head, stood up, and as she reached the door, she spoke.
“Miss, if you ever start another company and need help, just let me know. I would still be willing to come.”
Lin Yan waved her hand, indicating for her to leave as well.
After the others left, the conference room was left with only the stark fluorescent lights and a mess on the floor.
Lin Yan looked around at the emptiness. She wanted to laugh, wanted to say that she had finally been liberated, but she couldn’t hold it back. Although her lips curved into a smile, tears rolled down her face as she covered her mouth, silently choking back sobs.
“Knock, knock—” Someone tapped on the glass door.
Lin Yan quickly wiped away her tears. “Who is it? Come in.”
A tall police officer walked in from the doorway, her warm smile shining like the winter sun. “Director Lin, it’s time to go off duty. I’m here to take you home.”
Lin Yan curved her lips, but tears welled up more and more in the corners of her eyes.
She choked up, “What Director Lin? I’ve gone bankrupt, sold off several of my favorite cars, you’re the one who’ll takes care of me.”
Song Yuhang walked over and pressed her head into her chest, “I’ll take care of you, you’re my wife after all.”
One sat while the other stood.
Lin Yan clung tightly to her waist, tears and snot smeared all over her clothes.
LP: I’m still conflicted about Lin Youyuan, he’s good with others but not with Lin Yan. I understand that if he showed affection towards her, the Supreme Lord will surely target her but still… it’s still dumb…