When Cecelia Archer got home, Candy was still awake, waiting up for her with her godmother, Doris Morton.

The moment she walked in, they could both tell Cecelia was especially happy today.

"Landed another big deal? Look at you, you’re beaming."

Cecelia Archer hugged Candy and Doris Morton and gave each of them a couple of kisses.

"Yes, I landed another huge deal! I’m going to be rich! If this keeps up, we’ll be able to buy a house in no time. We might even have enough money to invest in your studio. Doris, I feel like things are really looking up! I’m so thrilled I won’t be able to sleep tonight!"

Doris was also very happy to hear her say that.

"That’s amazing. Maybe I should just shut down my studio and come work with you. I’m so tired of just barely scraping by every day. When is this ever going to end?"

Doris Morton had studied fashion design in college, and Cecelia Archer knew she loved the industry. She didn’t want her to give up so easily.

"You just hang in there for now. I’ll work a little harder and try to be able to support you soon. You’re so talented, you’re bound to make it big one day!"

The three women spent the night chattering away in the small studio, dreaming about their wonderful future.

The next day, Cecelia Archer went to the office full of energy. She was just about to share the amazing news with her manager when the boss arrived.

The boss was a middle-aged man over 50. He rarely came to the sales department, so his appearance today was a surprise.

"Come on, come on. Let’s have a little meeting. Everyone, gather ’round."

Everyone, including the manager, gathered around.

The boss smoothed back his greasy, shiny hair.

"First, let me share some good news. Our company has secured a partnership with an industry giant, Wellspring Electric. Their representative called me an hour ago, and they want to sign a five-million order with us."

What?

Her colleagues’ eyes lit up with dollar signs.

Wellspring Electric was partnering with them? And starting with a five-million order right off the bat? This was incredible news!

Who landed this deal?

Seeing how happy the boss was, Cecelia Archer expected to be praised, but then he changed his tune.

"I don’t need to tell you how significant this is for the company. To ensure everything goes smoothly, I’ve decided to handle this deal personally."

Cecelia Archer: "??"

"Everyone, let’s keep up the good work. This is a great year for us. The company’s performance is hitting new highs, and I believe the future will only get better."

Hearing such great news first thing in the morning, the colleagues were all pumped up and burst into applause. All except for Cecelia Archer.

’The boss is going to handle the order personally, so that five million has nothing to do with me now?’

After the applause died down, the boss’s smile vanished, and his tone shifted abruptly.

"Although our performance has been improving, our profits haven’t increased at all. We haven’t launched a new product in almost two months, and we can’t get by on old models forever. To fund new product development and improve quality, I’ve decided to inject more capital. But if sales don’t generate profit, where is that money going to come from?"

"So, colleagues, besides increasing revenue, we also need to cut costs. The board and I had a meeting yesterday. To ensure we have sufficient R&D funding, we will be making a slight adjustment to the commission on orders. Mr. King will explain the specific changes to you all later."

"Don’t be discouraged. It’s just a small adjustment; it won’t have a major impact on your lives. This is all for the good of the company’s future. As long as we all work together and get through this difficult period, I’m confident things will get better and better."

After speaking, he waved Vivian Mason over.

"Vivian, I’m heading to Wellspring Electric now. You’re coming with me. Everyone else, get to work."

As Cecelia Archer stared in disbelief, the boss left the office with a smug Vivian Mason in tow.

The moment they left, Cecelia Archer turned to the manager, her face filled with anger.

Evidently, the manager already knew about the situation. He also knew that Cecelia Archer had been the one to land the deal, and he sighed apologetically.

"Cecelia, don’t be upset. Didn’t the boss just come and explain it himself? It’s all for the good of the company. You sacrifice a little now, and you’ll surely get a bigger reward later."

Cecelia Archer was so angry she wanted to smash her bag into the manager’s face.

’I wracked my brains and worked my tail off to finally land that order, and not only does the boss just steal it, but he’s also cutting our sales commission?’

’And he has the gall to call it ’sacrificing for the greater good’? Isn’t this just kicking me to the curb now that the work is done?’

"How much is the commission being cut?"

"It’s been cut from the original 3% to 1%."

The manager didn’t dare announce it to everyone, afraid of causing an uproar, so he pulled Cecelia Archer into his office.

"It’s not just you; I’m unhappy about it too. But what can we do? The job market is so tough right now, and it’s not like there are better options out there. We just have to swallow our anger and endure it."

"I know I’ve let you down on this. You’ve been a huge contributor to our department’s performance recently. So don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you in other ways. But you absolutely cannot let anyone else know."

’A commission of a hundred and fifty thousand! Vanished into thin air, just like that!’

’This company is disgusting, and my manager is such a spineless pushover!’ Cecelia Archer really just wanted to wash her hands of the whole thing and quit.

But the manager was right about one thing: the job market was bad. She didn’t have much formal education, and besides electrical sales, she had no experience in any other field. She had a child to raise and rent to pay. She didn’t have the luxury of just quitting.

’I might as well take what I can get while he’s still feeling guilty.’

"It was a 150,000 commission. How are you going to ’make it up’ to me?"

The manager said, "150,000 is a lot; it’s impossible to make it all up to you at once. But as long as you keep working hard, I’ll give you all the plum assignments. It’s only a matter of time before you earn it back, right?"

While placating her, the manager opened his computer to show her something.

"Didn’t you sign a six-million order with Stratton a while back? We’re one of their major suppliers now. Stratton was recently acquired by the Vaughn Group and is undergoing a complete overhaul. The first thing on their list is warehousing and logistics."

"They have a warehouse of over 40,000 square meters at the Suthera construction market. Major suppliers are expected to fund and build their own delivery depots there. This is a very lucrative project. The higher-ups have already made arrangements. York is going to lead the construction, and I remember you get along well with him, so I requested a spot for you too."

’Sending a salesperson to oversee warehouse construction?’

Although it was completely outside her expertise and would take time away from her sales work, Cecelia Archer did genuinely like York.

He was just a down-to-earth workshop technician who did his job conscientiously. Being around him was much more comfortable than dealing with these slick old-timers in the office.

’Lucrative or not, as long as I don’t have to see that pest Vivian Mason, I’ll do it for now.’

A little over an hour after the manager briefed her, York took Cecelia Archer and a few subordinates to the construction site.

It was an open lot of over 40,000 square meters with no shelter whatsoever. The blazing sun beat down, and it felt like her skin was about to burn.

Cecelia Archer now saw the manager’s "good intentions" for what they were.

’What lucrative project? What making it up to me? He just couldn’t find anyone else willing to do it, so he picked on me, the easy target!’

’Every last one of them is more hypocritical and scheming than the next. I can’t stand working at this damn company anymore.’

’I have to use this time to find a way out.’