Volume 1, Chapter 37: Another Fiery Pit

Ms. Mei’s lips curled into a cold, sharp arc as she fixed a chilly gaze on Yang Shao. "Who authorized this order?"

Her voice was soft, yet the underlying pressure was unmistakable.

Yang Shao’s face turned pale. He bit his lip involuntarily, then braced himself and said, "It was me. I didn't know how to use the system, so I manually imported the orders. I didn't expect it to cause a mistake; I thought it was a system glitch..."

Ms. Mei’s arched brows furrowed slightly. "And how do you intend to resolve this now?"

Yang Shao’s eyes flickered. He swallowed hard and said in a raspy voice, "We have customer service contacting them one by one. We’ll reship where necessary and try to recall orders where possible."

I sneered inwardly. That was a perfect answer—it meant absolutely nothing, and he didn't once mention his own negligence.

His response left Ms. Mei visibly frustrated. She shook her head. "Aside from that, what about the company’s reputation?"

Yang Shao wilted instantly. He had assumed the error was mine and had intended to use it as a pretext to attack me, only to find that he was the one playing the fool. With everyone watching, Ms. Mei didn't give him a shred of face, launching into a scathing rebuke.

"You call yourself a sales manager! You mess up an entire batch of shipments—what are you doing every day? Slacking off? Well, look where your slacking has gotten you now!"

Yang Shao couldn't even lift his head, his face cycling between shades of green and white. His throat seemed constricted, and he could say nothing but offer repeated apologies.

After she finished, Ms. Mei softened her tone slightly and said coolly, "You must soothe the customers. Reputation is vital to our company."

Yang Shao nodded, his face still ashen. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and added, "There is one more thing... the warehouse team is very upset. They insist the responsibility lies with us because we stopped using their system, which has cost them revenue. They are using this as an excuse to cause trouble. They don't care if the inventory numbers match anymore. The warehouse is demanding that we send someone over, but I’m simply too busy handling customer complaints..."

Ms. Mei leaned back, sinking languidly into her chair. She waved her hand and said, devoid of emotion, "You can't go? Then who do you think is fit to go?"

Yang Shao gave a sheepish smile, a cryptic look appearing on his face. "Actually... I do have someone in mind."

Ms. Mei paused. "Who? Xiao Li?"

Yang Shao shook his head. He glanced at me intentionally or otherwise and said with a smile, "I think Yu Bin is the right person."

I was stunned. I hadn't expected him to set his sights on me. He had dug such a deep hole for himself, yet he still wanted to drag me down with him.

I let out a dry, angry laugh. "Manager Yang, it’s a real shame you didn't become a chef."

Yang Shao blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You certainly know how to pass the buck!"

Yang Shao’s face flashed with anger as he hurried to defend himself: "I’m looking at this from a professional standpoint. After all, you developed the system! You know it better than anyone else. If there’s a discussion about the system with the warehouse staff, you’re more qualified than any of us."

Ms. Mei pondered for a moment, her eyes shimmering as she turned her gaze toward me.

She spoke with a light, elegant smile. "To be fair, I think Tony’s suggestion makes sense. Of course, I won't force you, especially since you aren't responsible for this mess."

I wasn't surprised by her words. Even though I was an innocent party being dragged in, a boss cares primarily about results. She hired me to get things done, not to watch us play-act.

Yang Shao might be incompetent at management, but he was adept at creating trouble. The warehouse situation was a headache, one far more annoying than his customer complaints.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. Ms. Mei watched me, waiting for my answer.

After a brief thought, I realized that while being dragged down by Yang Shao was irritating, Ms. Mei had already spoken. I could slap Yang Shao in the face, but I couldn't disrespect her. In other words, whether I succeeded was a matter of ability, but whether I went was a matter of attitude. Solving the problem was the top priority.

"Fine," I nodded. "I'll make the trip."

Zhou Shutong looked startled, casting me a look of disbelief, her brow knitted tightly.

"Ms. Mei, Yu Bin doesn't have a rapport with the warehouse staff. Should I go with him?"

Ms. Mei smiled. "And what about your livestream? You can't exactly move your studio to the warehouse, can you?"

"But the warehouse staff don't know him at all. Will they give him the time of day? Besides, this trip isn't just about the system," Zhou Shutong said urgently.

Yang Shao chuckled and interrupted, "Doesn't that just highlight Yu Bin's professional capability?"

"Shut up!" Zhou Shutong glared at him, leaving him no dignity at all.

Yang Shao turned beet red and sullenly shut his mouth. Zhou Shutong wanted to say more, but Ms. Mei cut her off.

"Of course, Yu Bin won't be going alone."

Zhou Shutong paused. "Then who is going with him?"

Ms. Mei’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. "I am."

An instant, total silence fell over the conference room.

I was stunned. I hadn't expected her to accompany me on this business trip. The thought of spending several days alone with this exceptionally mature and beautiful woman sent my mind racing.

Everything was decided. Although it was called a business trip, the warehouse was in a neighboring city. Ms. Mei would drive me there, departing tomorrow morning.

After the meeting, the evening livestream took place at the office. It was past ten o'clock at night when we finished. Even at this late hour, the streets were bustling with traffic. I took the wheel on the way back. Looking at the blinding neon lights and the vibrant city life, I felt a wave of emotion—the city was so vast, yet it held no home for me.

Zhou Shutong leaned back lazily, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders and obscuring most of her face.

Ever since I agreed to the trip, she had been giving me the cold shoulder, clearly annoyed. I was pondering how to break the tension when she spoke up languidly.

"You knew Yang Shao was digging a pit for you. Why jump into it?"

I gave a dry smile. "I knew it was a trap, of course. But everything has two sides. It depends on how you look at it."

"Pfft! You think everyone will be at peace now? Or have you started empathizing with the boss?"

I laughed. "I’m not a fool; I don't empathize. I agreed because I wanted to fight back against Yang Shao."

Zhou Shutong turned her head and rolled her eyes at me. "Pfft. I just think you were used and fell right into the hole they dug for you."

"Sometimes, being used proves your value," I said with a smile. "I came here to make money. If I want to stay, I have to prove my worth to Ms. Mei. Everyone else sees this as a hot potato, but if I can pull it off, it proves my capability. Crisis and opportunity go hand in hand."

"Pfft... how come I only see the crisis and not the opportunity?"

"The lack of cooperation from the warehouse has to be solved sooner or later. Otherwise, your livestreams will keep being affected. People coming into your chat to complain about shipping issues isn't a good look."

Zhou Shutong’s tense expression finally softened into a faint smile. "So, you were thinking of me?"

"You thought of a side I hadn't considered."

"Get lost!" Zhou Shutong teased.

When I got home, I started packing. This trip was so last minute that I wasn't prepared at all. My clothes were all in the laundry basket; I didn't even have a clean set to wear.

I was frantically throwing things into my suitcase when, suddenly, the doorbell rang.