Chapter 20: Showing off one’s power

Wen Ya stretched and yawned, her face nuzzling into the quilt. Since the day she had traveled through time, she had never slept as deeply and peacefully as she did last night.

After lounging in bed for half an hour, Wen Ya finally got up, washed her face, and got dressed. Today, she chose a skirt paired with a small suit, giving her a look that was both professional and feminine, with a touch of softness.

Now that she had gained the recognition of the company’s employees and had established her authority, there was no need for her to maintain a stern expression all day, making herself seem like the stern Nun Miejue.

As Wen Ya entered the company, she saw employees bustling about. She couldn’t help but recall that she used to be one of them. Now? Well, her situation wasn’t much better. Glancing at the stacks of documents on her desk, she let out a sigh.

Before, she had thought that hiring a CEO would allow her to sit back and relax. But now, she realized how naive that idea was. Unless she completely detached herself from the company, there would always be matters that required her attention. Could she truly let go of everything? She asked herself. The answer was clear: no, at least not until she fully understood the people around her.

With another sigh, she continued marking the documents, knowing a meeting was coming up soon.

The main agenda for today’s meeting was about the branch companies. The previous heads had all been dismissed, and now the question was how to appoint new ones. Although Huang Jingyang had requested the authority to transfer personnel, the appointment of branch heads still needed Wen Ya’s approval. He couldn’t handle everything on his own, nor should the branch heads be entirely his people. Otherwise, it might raise suspicions of undermining Wen Ya’s authority.

Only after becoming a real boss did she realize how complicated the process could be. Wen Ya discovered that brute force alone wouldn’t be enough to outsmart the seasoned veterans. If she wanted to win using strategy, she knew she’d struggle. So, she decided not to focus on becoming a boss. Instead, she thought that mastering brute force might be her best way forward.

“Let’s settle this for now. These people are long-time employees of the company. Since they were recommended by various departments, it means they’re all highly capable. They’ll temporarily serve as general managers, and their performance will speak for itself.” Wen Ya closed the folder and tapped the table. “How’s the promotion going in the west of the city?”

Huang Jingyang’s expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to normal. “The results are quite good.”

After Wen Ya and Ji Ming made their changes, the West Lakeside property became highly attractive and gained a lot of attention once promoted. However, what truly made West Lakeside and Nanjiang Star famous was their love triangle scandal.

The photo of Wen Ya and Ji Ming, taken in the west of the city, sparked curiosity among netizens. They dug deeper and found out that the two were developing a property together. When the design plans and pricing were revealed, people were amazed by the beauty of the project—and shocked by the “beautiful” price tag. This buzz also boosted Nanjiang Star, a mid-range property, into the spotlight.

Wen Ya quickly grasped the key point. Regardless of the reason, fame was fame. The Wen family was in desperate need of money, and she herself still owed Ji Ming 500 million!

“Increase the promotional efforts. The opening month must be a success—no room for failure.”

Back in her office, Wen Ya reviewed the branch managers’ profiles. She needed to think carefully about her next move. But before she could figure it out, Assistant Wang informed her that her second aunt and sister-in-law had arrived, demanding to see her.

“What’s going on?” Wen Ya asked.

“Your second uncle and uncle have been transferred to court. If no favorable evidence is found, they’ll be sentenced.” Assistant Wang had been keeping tabs on the situation, as Wen Ya had instructed.

Wen Ya had almost forgotten that her second uncle and uncle had been in jail for over a week. Had they really found no evidence at all? She decided to call her mother.

“Mom, what’s happening with second uncle and uncle?”

“I’m already downstairs at the company. Don’t worry about this.” Wen’s mother didn’t want her daughter to face unnecessary criticism. After all, as elders, even if they were wrong, Wen Ya, as a junior, could still be blamed if she handled things too harshly.

Her second aunt and sister-in-law were in the company lobby, not causing a scene but crying and pleading with the security to let them see Wen Ya. If someone took a photo and posted it online, it could spark controversy.

They were desperate. Initially, they thought Wen Ya was just putting on a show by arresting them, perhaps locking them up for a few days to vent her anger. But now, it seemed she was serious. If the case went to court and they were sentenced, there would be no turning back.

Over the years, they had made many connections, but now they realized those people only associated with them because of Wen Qihua’s influence. With Wen Qihua’s daughter now leading Wen’s Group, no one wanted to offend her by helping them.

They had begged everyone and spent a fortune, but no one was willing to step forward. Those who used to hang around their family had vanished. Terrified, they wanted to ask Wen Ya for help, but every time they went to the villa, they were blocked by the old guard, Li. They couldn’t get into the hospital either, so they had no choice but to confront her at the company.

Truthfully, they didn’t dare cause trouble now, fearing Wen Ya would send them straight to the police station without hesitation. They had realized she didn’t care about her reputation and couldn’t be controlled.

As the saying goes: the aggressive fear the reckless, the reckless fear the aggressive, and the aggressive fear the desperate.

“Second sister-in-law, younger sister-in-law, if you have any issues, come to me. Why bother Xiao Ya? Poor Xiao Ya, her father is so young and has faced such a tragedy. I’m useless too. As elders, even if you can’t help her, you shouldn’t make things harder for her.” Wen’s mother knew their character well. She approached them and spoke softly, “If you dare cause trouble for Xiao Ya here today, I won’t do anything to you. I’ll just double the trouble for your sons and daughters. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try.”

Lin Lin snorted coldly and walked out of the company first. The two women exchanged glances, not daring to gamble, and followed her out.

After they left, Assistant Wang immediately informed Wen Ya that President Lin had told her not to worry and to meet for lunch at noon.

But how could Wen Ya not worry? Although her mother claimed she wasn’t fragile, her heart condition was a real concern. Her second aunt and sister-in-law were unpredictable. She couldn’t let her mother face them alone. What if they lost control? Her mother was too kind-hearted.

By the time Wen Ya rushed downstairs, her mother and second aunt had already left. She asked someone to find out where they had gone and hurried after them.

“What were you planning to do at the company today? Cause trouble for Xiao Ya? You’re becoming more shameless by the day.” Wen’s mother glared at them.

“How could we dare cause trouble? Your daughter is so serious now. She schemed to take back the shares and kicked Second Uncle and Uncle out of the company. Let’s not even talk about that, but now she’s even had them arrested. As a mother, aren’t you going to do something about it? Instead, you’re blaming us?” Second Aunt wiped her tears angrily.

“You call them good uncles? When the company was in trouble, instead of helping Xiao Ya, they were the first to sell their shares. Did you ever think about what would happen if someone maliciously acquired them? The shares you sold could have been a fatal blow to Xiao Ya. I won’t say more about this. Xiao Ya was kind enough to let you go for the sake of me and her father. But what about you? You’ve become so arrogant that you even dared to come to our house and cause trouble. Qihua and I have been too good to you over the years. As the old saying goes, a bowl of rice earns gratitude, but a bushel of rice breeds resentment.” Wen’s mother looked at them, her heart aching slightly.

“Lin Lin, you can’t blame us unfairly. We all treat Xiao Ya like our own daughter. How could we ever harm her? Besides, if we hadn’t lent you money to start your business, would you be where you are today? Why are you mixing gratitude with resentment? This is what we deserve.” Second Aunt was furious. If they hadn’t lent the money, Lin Lin and Qihua wouldn’t have achieved what they have now.

“Heh! Borrow money? If it weren’t for you, Qihua and I wouldn’t have struggled so much. We worked hard to get here. What does it have to do with you? I was kind to you because I valued Qihua’s brotherhood, but I didn’t expect you to raise someone so ungrateful. Not only were you unkind to us, but you even dared to plot against my little girl. You think about your own children, but would I let my daughter be bullied? No matter who you are, I won’t allow it. It was Xiao Ya who called the police, but I provided the evidence. I was the one who stopped others from helping you. Since you want me dead, why bother pretending about brotherhood?” Lin Lin stared at them and spoke slowly.

“You… what are you talking about? Who wants to kill you?” Aunt-in-law panicked, looking at Lin Lin.

Second Aunt pinched Aunt-in-law’s thigh, thinking she was being foolish.

“You called me when I was at my weakest, trying to shock me so my heart would give out. Wasn’t that your plan?” Lin Lin closed her eyes. She had almost collapsed when she heard the news, but she held on for Xiao Ya, who was fighting to save the company. Mother Wen glanced at them and took a deep breath. “The lawyer is on the way. If you don’t want your husbands to suffer, return what you took and leave South City.”

Second Aunt and Aunt-in-law collapsed to the ground. They never thought their secret would be exposed by Lin Lin. Now, there was no friendship left.

When Wen Ya arrived, only Mother Wen was in the café.

“Did Second Aunt and Aunt-in-law say anything? Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?” Wen Ya rushed to her mother’s side, relieved to see she looked fine.

Mother Wen tapped her nose playfully. “What could happen to me? Just take care of yourself. By the way, do you know who helped you online recently?”

“I don’t know. Have you found out?” Wen Ya asked curiously.

“I have an idea. Don’t worry. That person means you no harm. Go back to work. I’m heading to the hospital. I was only halfway through the newspaper earlier. Your father must be getting impatient.” Mother Wen wanted to discuss things with Wen Qihua.

Wen Ya hugged her mother, feeling like a treasure in her arms. After seeing her mother off, she didn’t rush back to the company but stayed at the café. It was noon, so she decided to have lunch.

While ordering, Wen Ya wondered if she should attend the Li family’s banquet that evening.

“Has Qingqing come to see you?” A familiar yet unfamiliar voice suddenly appeared.