The Evil Doctor lives by a code of freedom and ease; to put it in one word: he is willful. Chen Xuan had no desire to spend his days in a foul-smelling hospital, working himself to the bone—that was hardly a stylish way to live.
"President Shen, I’m afraid I cannot accept your offer. What you’re asking for is simply beyond me," Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.
Shen Binglan felt as though she might snap. Was this man incapable of anything other than infuriating her? Yet, unwilling to let a miracle doctor slip through her fingers, she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, how about this? If you become the chief physician, I won't call on you unless it is a matter of the utmost urgency. Your annual salary will remain three million."
Having been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Shen Binglan had never before humbled herself like this. If he refused her again, she had no doubt she would lose her temper and give him a sound beating.
"That's more like it," Chen Xuan said with a reluctant air that made Shen Binglan’s blood boil.
"Are you done resting? If you are, get out," she said coldly, making it clear the meeting was over. "I will have the human resources manager send the contract to your department shortly."
"OK." Chen Xuan stood up and, under the icy gaze of Shen Binglan, sauntered out of the president's office.
The moment he returned to the Marketing Department, Chen Xuan heard Liu Bin’s grating, thunderous voice roaring at Bai Chun: "Are you going to sign it or not?"
"Manager Liu, I absolutely cannot sign this contract." Bai Chun was crying, her face streaked with tears, but she remained firm in her refusal.
As it turned out, Liu Bin had botched a major deal, leaving the company liable for a one-million-yuan compensation claim. According to regulations, the company would not cover such losses, meaning Liu Bin would have to pay out of his own pocket. Naturally, he refused to shoulder the cost and decided to find a scapegoat. He targeted Bai Chun because, as a fresh intern, she could easily be tricked into signing a liability contract without understanding the implications. If she were saddled with a million-yuan debt, Liu Bin would have a hundred ways to make her his—it was a perfect, two-fold scheme. He hadn’t counted on the intern being clever enough to spot the trap.
"Heh, you don't have to sign it," Liu Bin said, his eyes leering over her body with a lascivious glint. "Just accompany me to have drinks with the client tonight, and I won't force you to sign."
Bai Chun shook her head more vigorously than before. She knew exactly what he was implying; if she agreed, her innocence would be lost.
"Bai Chun, you won't do this and you won't do that. Are you trying to follow in Chen Xuan's footsteps and get yourself fired?" Liu Bin glared at her, his tone dripping with menace.
"Who says I'm getting fired?" Chen Xuan strode into the room.
Liu Bin was taken aback, then glared at him with eyes like lightning. "Chen Xuan! You’ve returned just in time!"
The entire office focused on Chen Xuan, all of them stunned. They had expected him to be in trouble after being summoned by the president, yet he seemed completely unaffected. It was entirely different from what they had imagined.
Liu Bin was suspicious as well, but he didn't dwell on it. He waved the contract in his hand and said, "Chen Xuan, if you don't want to be fired, you can still stay. Just sign this contract, and I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself." He flashed a sinister, ugly smile.
"Chen Xuan, don't sign it!" Bai Chun cried out in distress.
"Shut your mouth!" Liu Bin snapped at her, scaring her into a fresh fit of sobs.
Chen Xuan smiled coldly. "Manager Liu, I will not sign that contract, and I won't be fired either."
"Ha! Whether or not you're fired isn't up to you; it's up to me!" Liu Bin growled. "Don't be ungrateful, Chen Xuan. I’ll ask you one last time: are you going to sign?"
Bai Chun signaled to Chen Xuan frantically. She knew his family situation was difficult; if he signed that million-yuan liability contract, his life would be ruined.
Chen Xuan gave her a reassuring smile and looked back at Liu Bin. "Manager Liu, I think you're the one being ungrateful. I won't sign this, and you will not force Bai Chun to sign it, either. Do I make myself clear?"
Having seen the contents of the contract, he was disgusted that a man would force a young girl into such a predatory trap. The man was nothing more than a beast in a suit.
"Good, Chen Xuan. It seems you really are rebelling! You're just a lowly intern, and you dare to give me orders? You've got a death wish!" Liu Bin was livid. He picked up the desk phone and dialed a number. "Chang Yufang, come here. I need to fire someone!"
He slammed the phone down and glared at Chen Xuan, waiting to see the boy suffer. Chang Yufang was the deputy manager of HR. At the mention of her name, Bai Chun’s face turned pale, though Chen Xuan remained completely calm.
Chang Yufang arrived quickly. She was around thirty, with an attractive figure that she accentuated with a low-cut top, radiating a cheap, provocative air. The thick layer of foundation on her face, however, only made Chen Xuan feel nauseous.
"Manager Liu, who are you firing?" she asked as she entered.
"This boy, Chen Xuan," Liu Bin replied.
"What did he do?" she asked, putting on a show of impartiality. Even though they had the power to fire an intern with ease, they still had to follow the motions.
"The kid is late, and he’s been insubordinate," Liu Bin said angrily. "Take him to HR to process his termination."
"Manager Liu, first of all, I arrived at nine o'clock sharp, so I wasn't late," Chen Xuan countered calmly. "Secondly, I was merely having a reasonable discussion with you, not being insubordinate. Don't go throwing false accusations around."
"Hmph! Arriving half an hour early is my rule. If you can't do it, get out! Ask anyone in the department—who else dares to disobey?" Liu Bin scanned the office. The other employees lowered their heads, afraid to draw his ire. Unlike the fearless Chen Xuan, they had families to support and couldn't afford to lose their jobs.
"Manager Liu, the company policy says work starts at nine. I don't think Chen Xuan was late," a clear voice rang out. It was Bai Chun, having wiped away her tears. "If you fire him, you can fire me too."
She had made up her mind; if Chen Xuan were fired, she didn't want to stay either. Chen Xuan gave her a silent thumbs-up, surprised by her sudden courage.
"Bai Chun, don't get involved. Go back to your desk," Liu Bin said, unwilling to let her go. But she stood firmly by Chen Xuan’s side.
Chang Yufang frowned, looking displeased. "Manager Liu, come into your office. I need to talk to you."
Liu Bin twitched, gave his staff a cold glare, and told them to get back to work. He followed Chang Yufang into his office and shut the door tight. The affair between the two was an open secret, and Chen Xuan guessed that Chang Yufang must have noticed Liu Bin’s inappropriate interest in Bai Chun and was now jealous.
"Well, well, Liu Bin. Do you have your eyes on that girl, Bai Chun? Trying to cradle-snatch, are we?" Chang Yufang snapped as soon as the door closed.
Liu Bin chuckled nervously. "Yufang, you’ve misunderstood! My heart belongs only to you. How could I have any interest in her?" Given their positions, Liu Bin didn't usually need to be so subservient—especially since it was Chang Yufang who had seduced him—but she knew too many of his secrets, and he couldn't afford to cross her.
"Hmph, don't lie to me. If you aren't interested in her, why didn't you fire her when she asked you to?" she demanded.
Caught in his own trap, Liu Bin blushed, then sighed miserably. "Yufang, you don't know—I lost a huge deal recently and owe the client a million yuan. I only kept her around to have her take the fall. I really don't have any feelings for her!"
"Are you telling the truth?" Her expression darkened. To Liu Bin, a million yuan was his entire fortune. If he had to pay that, it was essentially her money too, as she relied on him for all her luxuries.
"Why would I lie about something like this?" Liu Bin groaned, his frustration mounting.