Chapter 4

I looked at Ethan’s shameless face.

I didn’t feel even a trace of anger. In fact, I found it pretty funny.

I reached up and straightened my suit tie.

“Ethan, you’re just a fresh intern, and you sure know a lot of legal terms.”

“Since you know labor law, did you actually look into the rules about a shutdown and suspension of production?”

Ethan froze for a second, his eyes darting away.

“Don’t try to bluff and scare people here.”

“Paying wages is only natural.”

I turned and walked to the bulletin board in the factory, then yanked down a red-letter notice that had just been posted yesterday.

I held up the notice and walked step by step toward Ethan.

“Open your eyes and look carefully.”

“The factory has already been shut down for half a month because there were no orders.”

“According to the relevant laws, if a business stops production for more than one wage payment cycle.”

“And the employees have not provided normal labor.”

“The company only needs to pay living expenses at eighty percent of the local minimum wage.”

I slapped the notice hard against Ethan’s chest.

“Our city’s minimum wage is two thousand.”

“Eighty percent is sixteen hundred.”

Ethan’s pupils widened instantly, his face full of disbelief.

“That’s bullshit!”

I ignored him, picked up the microphone, and looked at the greedy employees below.

“I now formally announce the second decision.”

“Because the entire factory’s order has already been outsourced.”

“Starting today, the whole factory is entering an indefinite shutdown and suspension of production.”

“You really don’t have to come to work anymore. You can just stay home and play on your phones every day.”

“But I’ll only pay each of you sixteen hundred a month as the minimum living allowance.”

“As long as you can hold out, we can keep this going forever.”

The factory fell silent again.

Sixteen hundred.

In a city where even a bowl of noodles cost fifteen dollars, that wasn’t even enough to cover rent.

Mike’s legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees again.

“Sixteen hundred? My mortgage is three thousand a month!”

“Boss, I was wrong, I was really wrong!”

“I’ll go work right now, I’ll work for my normal wage, I don’t want five times pay anymore!”

A few old employees also got red-eyed with panic and rushed up, trying to grab my clothes.

“Boss, please take the order back.”

“Our whole families are counting on this money to eat!”

Ethan completely lost it.

He stepped in front of the old employees like a mad dog.

“None of you are allowed to beg him!”

“Do any of you have any backbone?”

“Boss Hill, this is maliciously forcing employees to resign. You’re exploiting legal loopholes to dodge compensation!”

He held up the phone still live-streaming, his voice hysterical.

“Brothers in the livestream, tens of thousands of you saw this person’s true colors, right?”

“Everyone hurry up and screen-record this live.”

“I’m going to ruin him in this city!”

“I’m going to get the authorities to shut down his factory!”

Watching him jump around like a lunatic, I gave a cold laugh.

I slowly pulled a yellow file folder out of my briefcase behind me.

“Sure, don’t you dare end the livestream.”

“Perfect, so many people online are watching.”

“Because what I’m about to show you next needs the public to witness it.”

I looked at Ethan’s face as it changed color in an instant.

“You really think I didn’t fire you because I couldn’t afford the N+1 severance?”