Blackstone Code-Chapter 257:

Bennett watched as Joegleman theatrically removed his gloves and sat down. Following suit, Bennett took a seat in the chair opposite Joegleman, with a massive desk separating them.

Even though everyone, including themselves, was aware of the deep-seated conflict between them, no one openly acknowledged it. They even pretended as if the conflict didn't exist.

"You could go to the course to play golf. You'd have a much better experience hitting the ball there than here..." Bennett smirked. "You know, the feeling of swinging the club with full force is entirely different from trying to control the shot so the ball doesn't fly off course. Plus, you can enjoy other pleasures there."

The "pleasures" referred to the complex terrain, which added an extra layer of challenge and satisfaction to the game of golf.

Sinking a ball into the hole on a flat surface is a far cry from doing so in a tricky sand trap or shallow water. The sense of accomplishment from the latter far exceeds anything one could achieve in an office.

There was another implied message behind Bennett's words, something along the lines of, "Since you've already given up, why not give up entirely?"

In Bennett's view, Joegleman's retreat signaled his exit from the competition. They both knew the outcome before it was revealed.

Since Joegleman had chosen this path, Bennett thought, it would be better to be decisive. Dragging things out would only make everyone unhappy.

Joegleman smiled indifferently. "Until the new instructions come down, I must adhere to my work principles and be available during work hours."

He paused, shifting the topic. "So, what brings you here today?"

Returning to business, Bennett didn't dwell on the veiled confrontations. He placed a document on the desk and pushed it toward Joegleman. "The branch manager needs your signature on this document."

Joegleman nodded and picked up the document. However, unlike before, he didn't sign it quickly but instead began to review it slowly. This unexpected change unsettled Bennett, who thought Joegleman should just sign it without fuss.

But Bennett also knew that he couldn't rush him at this moment. He had to allow Joegleman to retain a shred of dignity.

As this thought crossed his mind, Bennett's mood improved, and he began silently humming a tune from the opera he had heard the night before.

After about ten minutes, Joegleman put down the document. He didn't sign it but instead calmly looked at Bennett. "I can't sign this."

For a brief moment, Bennett's mind went blank. "Can't sign it?"

"Why can't you sign it?!" Bennett stood up and quickly picked up the document, scanning it as he spoke. "Is there something wrong with this document?"

Joegleman's sudden change in attitude was hard for Bennett to take. It was like someone who always says, "Yes, sir," suddenly saying, "No, sir."

This stark contrast would leave everyone stunned, unsure of what to say, as their thoughts blanked out—this is the shock that comes when a familiar pattern is abruptly broken.

Joegleman sat upright, his arms resting on the armrests of his chair, fingertips pressed together. "There are many issues, but before we address them, we need to handle something else."

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He reached out and pressed the blue button on the phone, the one that connected to the secretary's office. As soon as he pressed it, the other side answered.

"This is Joegleman. Who arranged today's office work? Send them to my office." After releasing the button, Joegleman smiled at Bennett. Bennett, gradually regaining his composure, looked displeased but didn't react, unsure of what Joegleman was up to.

Soon, a male employee entered the office.

In an institution like a bank, which has to handle all sorts of complicated matters every day, the office has a complete set of rules and regulations.

The person in charge each day sorts these tasks, then distributes the sorted documents to different desks for processing. This is the main role of the secretary's office—they must shield mid-to-senior level managers from unnecessary troubles.

Looking at the young man who had worked at the bank for about eight years, Joegleman said. "Go to finance and settle your wages. You're fired."

This statement shocked both Bennett and the male secretary, who was the only one standing in the room. The latter immediately reacted, raising his voice in agitation. "Mr. Joegleman, you don't have the authority to do this."

He argued to defend his rights. "This isn't in line with the bank's rules. You're not the HR manager, and you're certainly not the bank's manager. Besides, I haven't done anything wrong. You have no right to do this—I'll report you to the manager, to the regional division, and to headquarters."

Joegleman's face remained calm, without any sign of anger. He picked up the phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker. The three people in the room immediately recognized the voice of the bank manager on the other end.

"I want to fire a secretary. There's been a significant error in his work. Do I need to get permission for this?" Joegleman's tone was calm and composed, but his gaze was fiercely locked onto the male employee.

Surprisingly, the bank manager supported Joegleman's request. "Handle it as you see fit. There's no need to report such a small matter."

Just as the young employee was about to speak, Joegleman abruptly hung up the phone. "Can you tell me what mistake I made in my work?" His face twisted in frustration, cheeks flushed with anger.

Joegleman pointed to the document on the desk between him and Bennett. "An important document like this should have been brought to me first. I am the highest administrative authority in this department, not Mr. Bennett. If you can't even handle such a simple task, do you think the bank needs to keep someone like you who will continue making mistakes?"

The male employee immediately tried to defend himself. "But you said that as long as Mr. Bennett signed a document, you would agree to it in principle, and..."

Joegleman shook his head. "No 'and'. Either pack up and leave on your own, or I'll have security escort you out." He said this while placing his hand on the red button, which connected to the bank's security department.

The male employee looked at Bennett with pleading eyes, unwilling to lose his job.

Not to mention how hard it would be to find another job in the current market, he had spent nearly a decade reaching this point, with the next step being management. This was also why he had tried to curry favor with Bennett.

If Bennett replaced Joegleman, the employee would have had a chance to advance. But clearly, everyone had underestimated Joegleman.

Bennett's face was equally grim. He barely uttered a syllable, which no one understood, before Joegleman cut him off forcefully. "Shall I call headquarters and explain the situation here?"

Bennett clamped his mouth shut, choosing to ignore the employee's desperate pleas.

In fact, regardless of whether it was headquarters, the regional divisions, or the lower levels of the bank, such obvious mistakes were unacceptable. Even the directors of the board at headquarters couldn't interfere in such matters.

After ensuring that his order would be carried out, Joegleman pointed to the door. "Close the door on your way out."

Watching the employee, now a shell of his former self, leave the office, Joegleman finally turned to address Bennett's concerns.

"You asked me why I wouldn't sign the document. First, you're from the regional division, and you should understand our internal workflow. You're just an assistant. You aren't allowed to open such a high-level document without my permission."

Non-internal matters that required the approval of the highest administrative officer in the department had a chain of command that must be respected. Whether Bennett would replace Joegleman in the future was irrelevant; for now, Bennett was only Joegleman's assistant.

The regional division had sent Bennett to assist Joegleman, not replace him. Even if they had that intention, Bennett would remain an assistant until it was officially declared.

Was there anything wrong with Joegleman allowing Bennett to oversee operations? No. Rules are flexible and only come into play when someone asserts them. If the person whose rights are infringed upon doesn't assert their rights or rules, then those rules remain dormant.

Joegleman had spent more than two months conditioning Bennett to a particular environment, gradually fostering an arrogance that Bennett himself hadn't even noticed. Even if Lynch hadn't acted, Joegleman would have.

Who would willingly give up a career they've fought for all their life?

Joegleman's methods were slightly more artistic than Lynch's direct approach—or at least that's how he saw it.

"Second, you made decisions on some issues without my knowledge, which is a clear overreach of your authority. Moreover, I find the content you approved highly problematic, so there's no way I'm signing it."

"And third..." Joegleman couldn't help but chuckle. "I just wanted to see that miserable look on your face. You've lost, Mr. Bennett."

Thinking about it, Joegleman's mood brightened. While others might have thought he had been enduring humiliation for nearly three months, no one knew that he was waiting for this moment of satisfaction. It brought him more joy than his interactions with some of the young women he had been seeing.

And his joy didn't stop there. "I will report your actions, your constant challenges to the bank's rules and procedures, and your repeated overreach in creating your little circle of influence to the regional division and headquarters."

"Oh, and one more thing—Annie."Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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