"President Lin, there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss with you privately."

After he’d covered those two topics and the meal was winding down, Ma Lin lit a cigarette. He took a drag that consumed nearly half of it, then lowered his head and exhaled a long plume of smoke toward the floor before suddenly speaking.

He addressed Lin Chu, but as he spoke, his burning gaze was fixed on Li Ziming.

’What the...?’

His pupils contracted slightly. He keenly realized Ma Lin wanted him to leave.

And something that required him to leave wasn’t about work—it was about personnel.

’Ma Lin!’

’You son of a bitch!’

’Trying to pledge allegiance to the new boss by using me as your ticket in!’

Li Ziming quickly racked his brain. What kind of "dirt" had fallen into Ma Lin’s hands or come to his attention?

He went over it in his mind. He’d been clean in everything he did, never crossing any lines.

’I don’t think there’s anything, but... you can never be too sure.’

After all, walls have ears.

Ma Lin was a meticulous person. As a vice president, he had his own channels for information.

For a moment, an inexplicable anxiety welled up in Li Ziming’s heart.

Lin Chu glanced between the two men, naturally realizing what was happening.

’Ma Lin is quite decisive,’ he thought. ’He’s willing to offend Li Ziming for his own sake.’

Of course, this was just a part of workplace survival.

They were both from the old management team. Forcing a confrontation like this was beneficial for both of them.

At the very least, it would make him, the new boss, feel that the old guard wasn’t all in cahoots.

However... "Hmm? What is it? Can’t you say it in front of President Li?" Lin Chu asked, playing dumb.

The situation was rather delicate.

Lin Chu was also worried that putting too much pressure on Li Ziming would cause him to start making mistakes, affecting the club’s normal operations.

’I’m already aware of the total amount Li Ziming has skimmed,’ Lin Chu thought. ’Zhou Ming’s files made it all clear. But I can’t get rid of him just yet. It’s not time to settle that score.’

And also...

’This kind of backstabbing atmosphere is necessary in a company, but it needs to be kept under control.’

"Haha, it’s just about some of my recent personal thoughts. I wanted to thank President Lin for giving me another chance. If you feel it’s necessary for President Li to be here, then of course I have no objection," Ma Lin said with a smile.

’I wonder what this boss is thinking.’

’President Lin can’t be a fool, so he must have his own agenda.’

’But it’s not like I absolutely have to expose Li Ziming. Just showing this attitude is enough. The boss knows I’m willing to snitch for him, and Li Ziming knows I might have some dirt on him. That’s sufficient.’

"Just write an email. Keep a record of everything."

"By the way, President Li, have everyone at the manager level and above write me a performance review email within a week. They can send it directly to my personal inbox."

"I’m a tolerant person. Even for employees who have made mistakes in the past... after all, we’re making a fresh start now."

"I estimate that after the change in ownership, the club’s operations might experience some turbulence. Combined with the overall economic climate, revenue in the second half of the year might be affected, but that’s okay. As long as we’re all on the same page, the team is stable, and we focus single-mindedly on getting our work done."

Lin Chu said all this nonchalantly.

Hearing this...

Li Ziming breathed a quiet sigh of relief. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The boss’s words were a tactful hint. Past transgressions could be forgiven, but it all depended on one’s current performance.

Ma Lin also came to a conclusion.

’President Lin’s stance is: accept pledges of loyalty, but control the infighting and focus on the work.’

’This approach is indeed more mature and stable.’

A strange sense of security, and even a hint of admiration, welled up inside him.

’This boss is the real deal. He really is.’

"Alright, I’ll put it in my performance review email, then. I’ll follow President Lin’s lead: unify our thinking, stabilize the team, and focus on the work."

He had grasped the core message.

...

By the time the meal ended, it was after ten at night. The clouds were sparse, and the moon was bright.

When Lin Chu walked out of the office, the guests had basically all left.

His brothers and friends, however, were still waiting for him.

A members’ lounge teahouse was packed, with two tea tables set up.

At one table sat: Lu Ming, Li Kai, Wang Zhefei, Fang Weidong, Li Haohong, Zhang Peng, Gu Jiayan, Liang Mo, and Xue Xiaojun.

At the other: Hou Chengjin, Zhao Rong, Liu Junfeng, He Meng, Fang Yichun, and Pei Ming.

It was quite a spectacular sight, so many people gathered together.

But they were clearly divided.

On one side was the Peng City crew.

On the other, the Yang City crew.

To celebrate his grand opening, Hou Chengjin and the others had made a special trip back from Yang City. It wasn’t far anyway, just over an hour’s drive.

In truth, you couldn’t really call them "crews"; it was just a matter of who was closer to whom.

Their seating arrangement was quite interesting, making Lin Chu smile faintly.

The two tea tables were not far apart, and Liu Junfeng sat between them like a Peashooter, able to join in on conversations from either side.

He was a seasoned social butterfly; there was never a dull moment when he was around.

"Brother Chu is here."

"Holy shit... President Lin is finally done! Quick, come on, big bro, take the seat of honor."

"I feel like I’m in a fucking dream."

"So badass. Out of nowhere, you just drop a huge bombshell."

"It’s all over the short-video apps. Everyone’s asking who Brother Chu is..."

...

Watching them tease, praise, and joke around, a smile couldn’t help but touch Lin Chu’s lips.