Chapter 14

Chapter 14: If the Sky Is Falling, I Will Hold It Up!

That single sentence shattered General Manager Liu’s last line of defense.

His face twisted. “Y-you… how…”

The Lin Family hadn’t managed the company for ages. He held all the power and had used it to skim a fortune.

He’d done it carefully. On the surface, the books were clean.

How could Ye Wan Lan uncover everything in just an hour?

Was she… omniscient?

Fear exploded in his chest. His legs weakened.

He knew what economic crimes meant: criminal charges, a trial, a ruined future. His children could even be barred from certain public service paths.

“No—Director, listen to me!” He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. “This is a misunderstanding. I would never do something like that, I—”

Ye Wan Lan didn’t even spare him a glance.

“I expect those dismissed to clear out today. Don’t occupy other people’s workstations,” she said coolly. “Anyone else who wants to resign can come to me in person. Otherwise, keep working. Tomorrow morning, I want to see your weekly reports. Salaries will be paid as usual at the end of every month. Meeting adjourned.”

By the ninth reset, she already had every employee at Hui Teng mapped out.

Her company didn’t need anyone who illegally swallowed company assets. This joint resignation letter had arrived exactly when she wanted it.

Ye Wan Lan hit Enter again.

Every computer returned to normal.

But in office after office, people sat frozen—then panic began to spread.

“She really fired us… What do we do? I can’t lose this job!”

“Firing that many people at once—how is the company supposed to run? She’s crazy!”

Everyone who’d signed the joint resignation letter had believed the same thing: the company could never afford to lose so many people.

Ye Wan Lan proved them wrong.

Quitting voluntarily wasn’t the same as being fired. The first got them no compensation—and worse, they were the ones at fault, tied to General Manager Liu’s schemes.

Regret flooded through them like icy water, soaking into bone.

If they hadn’t signed… maybe they could have stayed.

But now?

What could they do?

—

Back in the director’s office, Cheng Qing Li finally exhaled. “Sister Lan, you were incredible!”

Director Liu from marketing stepped forward too, eyes bright with real respect. “Chairwoman Ye, you’re completely different from the rumors. With you leading us, Hui Teng will definitely take a place in River City’s fashion industry.”

She was one of the few who hadn’t signed the resignation letter.

At first, she didn’t believe an eighteen-year-old could run a company. But Ye Wan Lan had cleaned house in a single hour with ruthless precision.

Director Liu was convinced.

“No,” Ye Wan Lan said, a faint smile on her lips. “Not just River City. Not just fashion.”

Her gaze drifted toward the sunlight beyond the window. “The entire world’s cultural field.”

Three hundred years ago, a great war shattered Hua Xia’s culture. Heritage broke. Transmission was lost.

But Ye Wan Lan intended to make Shen Zhou rise again—higher than ever, back to the top of the world.

Director Liu sucked in a breath. “You…”

“My ambition is huge.” Ye Wan Lan patted her shoulder lightly. “Keep up with me. We’ll witness the future together.”

Director Liu’s hands warmed as if her blood had caught fire. She nodded hard. “Yes.”

“There’s work to do,” Ye Wan Lan said. “Notify the HR director. Prepare recruitment. We’re rebuilding the team.”

She turned to Cheng Qing Li. “We’re moving the company. We’re changing the name. Qing Li, handle it.”

Cheng Qing Li nodded so fast she nearly bobbled. “Okay! What are we changing it to?”

Ye Wan Lan smiled. “Wan Tian Qing.”

If the sky was falling, she would hold it up. She had no choice but to.

—

Meanwhile, at the Lin Family’s old residence, Madam Lin returned from a garden walk. She’d just handed her coat to the Lin steward when her phone rang—a public number she didn’t recognize.

She stared at it for a few seconds, then answered. “Hello?”

“Madam! Save me—please save me!”

General Manager Liu’s voice was hoarse with terror. Somewhere behind him, a phone booth door rattled. “That new director—she says I committed economic crimes and she’s going to send me to prison! I give you money every month—you can’t just abandon me!”

“She’s Lin Family, she’s your niece—you have to be able to do something! Please, say a good word for me in front of her. Spare me!”

Under the weight of “economic crimes,” he had nowhere left to go.

He regretted it now—regretted trying to humiliate Ye Wan Lan on her first day, dragging others into a joint resignation letter.

If he’d been cautious, even getting fired wouldn’t have ended with him in court.

“What are you talking about?” Madam Lin’s tone didn’t change. “Your economic crimes have nothing to do with me.”

She spoke like she was doing him a favor. “If you need help, find a lawyer. If you want, I can recommend one.”

Then she hung up.

A cold laugh left her throat.

Lin Qing Wen looked up. “What happened?”

“Ye Wan Lan,” Madam Lin said, lips curling. “I underestimated her. She walked into the company and gave everyone a slap in the face. With the Old Madam backing her, she fired thirty-seven people. Quite the hand.”

Lin Qing Wen’s eyes widened. “Is she crazy? Fire that many people—what’s the company even good for now?”

“Who knows?” Madam Lin’s gaze dripped with ridicule. “Just a newborn calf that isn’t afraid of tigers. All guts, no ability. When she ruins the company completely, she’ll be crying to some man soon enough.”

Lin Qing Wen chuckled. “Sounds exactly like my brother.”

“Your brother?” Madam Lin froze.

She’d married into the Lin Family for twenty years. If she hadn’t accidentally heard the name Lin Jia Yan, she would’ve believed Lin Wei Lan had only three children.

Lin Qing Wen rarely mentioned this brother. Madam Lin had always been curious.

“It’s nothing,” Lin Qing Wen said casually. “Like you said—courage without ability. He left home claiming he’d build a career, but he hasn’t come back in all these years. Maybe he’s dead. Maybe he’s too scared to return.”

Madam Lin didn’t press further. Instead, she lifted her chin. “But I’m kind. I should still remind her.”

She dialed the landline number for the director’s office.

The call connected.

“Hello.” A girl’s voice—cold as snow.

“It’s me,” Madam Lin said briskly. “Your second aunt.”

Her words were sharp and direct. “Ye Wan Lan, I know a new boss wants to light three fires, and you want to show your grandmother results. But you fired thirty-seven people today, including key staff. Do you really think that was right?”