chapter 5 hillbilly(1)

She covered her slightly swollen cheek, looking aggrieved, having no idea why Zachary Wu, who was perfectly fine moments ago, suddenly struck her with a solid slap.
"Damn it, do you know who he is? How dare you have the security throw him out?"
Zachary Wu's face twisted into an unprecedented ferocity.
"Get up and come down with me right now. You better pray he's unharmed, or I'll do more than just hit you, I'll kill you!"
Stella Luo was terrified. Zachary Wu, an entrepreneur, was also the underground leader of Lu City. He had risen to prominence and stabilized his footing in Lu City through such means, growing bigger and bigger to reach his current status.
Although he had transitioned from the underworld to legitimate business, his status in the criminal world remained unshaken, even growing stronger, with many big brothers looking up to him.
If Zachary Wu really intended to kill her, she would definitely not see tomorrow's sun.
In her fear, Stella Luo was even more astonished. She couldn't imagine who Jonathan Ye could be, to make a man of Zachary Wu's caliber treat him with such seriousness and even lower his stance to meet him downstairs.
In the Chenfeng Group Building lobby, over a dozen security guards lay on the ground, with dozens more surrounding Jonathan Ye, none daring to approach, evidently intimidated.
Jonathan Ye, with his hands in his pockets, had felled more than a dozen professionally trained guards with just his legs.
"Let's all go at him, I don't believe he's that tough!"
The head of security was furious, his dignity almost completely trampled by Jonathan Ye.
The remaining guards exchanged glances, and just as they were about to advance together, a loud shout came from the elevator.
"Stop it, all of you!"
Everyone turned to see the source of the voice, revealing a tremulous expression. There, at the elevator, Zachary Wu, the CEO of Chenfeng Group, strode forward, followed by Stella Luo with her swollen cheek.
"Mr. Wu!"
The head of security bowed, ready to explain the situation, but Zachary Wu didn't even glance at him, instead slapping him across the face.
"Get out of my sight!"
The head of security's face burned, but he didn't dare utter a word, standing aside in complete bewilderment.
Zachary Wu approached Jonathan Ye, slightly leaning forward. Under the watchful eyes of all, he bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, solemnly apologizing to Jonathan Ye.
"Young Master Jonathan, I am sorry!"
A dead silence fell over the room.
Young Master Jonathan, I am sorry!"
With Zachary Wu's bow, everyone present was stunned, their expressions filled with horror.
This was the well-known and respected richest man of Lu City, Zachary Wu!
Even the top city officials couldn't make him lower his head, but here he was, bowing deeply to a casually dressed young man in his twenties, apologizing?
If this got out, it would be explosive news in Lu City.
While others were merely shocked, the receptionist Xu and Stella Luo, who had previously interacted with Jonathan Ye, felt pure terror.
Especially Stella Luo, who had most mocked Jonathan Ye and advocated for his removal, was now witnessing her biggest support bowing and bending to him, how could she not be afraid?
Jonathan Ye looked at Zachary Wu, a hint of amusement in his cold eyes.
"Chenfeng Group, you've managed it well!"
His words were indeed a compliment to Zachary Wu, surprised by his rise from the ashes using past resources to not only establish but also grow Chenfeng Group to such an extent in just five years.
However, Zachary Wu heard it as sarcasm, thinking Jonathan Ye was mocking him.
The group, though founded by him, was funded entirely by Jonathan Ye. Without Jonathan Ye, there would be no Chenfeng Group, and he was merely an employee under Jonathan Ye, who was the true chairman.
Now, the chairman's first visit to the company had been met with obstacles and almost expulsion by the security, a slap in his face.
With this thought, Zachary Wu shuddered and turned to the employees, shouting angrily.
"Anyone who offended Young Master Jonathan, step forward, apologize to him, then go to the finance department to get this month's salary and leave the group immediately!"
Hearing Zachary Wu's words, the receptionist, manager Stella Luo, and the security guards who had interacted with Jonathan Ye turned pale.
Was this not tantamount to kicking them out on the spot?
Chenfeng Group, being one of the top ten companies in the city, offered excellent salaries and benefits. Securing a job there meant a minimum monthly salary of over ten thousand, a highly coveted employment opportunity.
Among them were old employees who had worked for Chenfeng Group for years. Yet now, Zachary Wu, in order to appease Jonathan Ye, was ready to fire them all with a single statement?
They stood frozen, unable to move, weighed down as if with lead. Stella Luo, usually fearless, was now completely silenced.
As Zachary Wu was about to lash out again, Jonathan Ye stepped forward and gestured for him to stop.
His gaze swept over receptionist Xu, nodding with a smile. Xu stood there, still unable to grasp the dramatic turn of events.
Jonathan Ye's gaze then shifted to the visibly tense Stella Luo.
"Just now, I said I could not only comment on you but also fire you. You said I wasn't qualified, and it would take decades?"
"So now, do you believe me?"
Stella Luo trembled uncontrollably. She looked at Zachary Wu for help, but he, who had always been responsive to her, now looked indifferent, ignoring her completely.
"Young Master Jonathan, I just..."
She was utterly hopeless, trying to explain, but Jonathan Ye already raised his hand to stop her.
"Don't be nervous, I see you have some relationship with Zachary Wu, so I won't fire you!"
Stella Luo's heart leapt with joy, thinking Jonathan Ye still needed to consider Zachary Wu's face.
But Jonathan Ye's next words chilled her to the bone.
"But from today, you are no longer a manager. If you want to stay in the group, change into a receptionist's uniform right now! If you don't want to, then pack up and leave immediately!"
Stella Luo felt like she had fallen into an icy pit. Used to bossing around in the company, she considered herself a successful person, ordering others around. Now, she had to return to the bottom.
Moreover, with this incident, she would be completely out of favor in front of Zachary Wu. As a receptionist, wouldn't she have to work in that position for a lifetime?
Despite her unwillingness, she had no choice but to nod. After all, working as a receptionist in Chenfeng Group still offered a salary and benefits comparable to white-collar workers in other companies.
After Jonathan Ye spoke, he turned his attention to the security guards he had knocked down.
"As for you, pay for your own medical expenses. I'll consider today's incident as if it never happened. Any objections?"
The guards dared not utter a word. Not being fired was already a relief. What was a little medical expense compared to Zachary Wu's deference to Jonathan Ye?
Finally, Jonathan Ye's gaze fell on receptionist Xu.
"From today, you will take her position. Chenfeng Group needs employees like you!"
Jonathan Ye was obviously referring to Stella Luo.
Xu was initially stunned, then her face lit up with ecstasy, nearly fainting from the sudden stroke of fortune.
She had thought she would be demoted to warehouse management, but Jonathan Ye's words had propelled her several levels up, making her a department manager in a single leap.