Chapter 17: At Your Mercy

The two of them had been at odds ever since Shen Ling joined the company. Their rivalry, however, had always simmered beneath the surface; never before had it been laid bare for all to see. Although Feng Qin had long found her disagreeable, she had never dared to openly criticize her, even as her superior.

After a moment’s reflection, Shen Ling realized that the major incident her colleague referred to must surely involve Feng Qin. Calmly, she set down her handbag, picked up her cup, and went to the water dispenser. Only after moistening her lips did she speak, her tone even: “It was authorized by the higher-ups for the sake of business convenience. Are you planning to dock my salary over this?”

Feng Qin crossed her arms, chin lifted in amusement as she looked at her. “You’d better cherish it, then. Such privileges won’t be available to you anymore.”

Shen Ling’s brows drew together as she shifted her gaze to Feng Qin’s face, her expression icy and detached.

As expected, before Shen Ling could press further, Feng Qin, unable to contain herself, spoke with unrestrained glee: “All your clients are gone. Do you really think management will allow you to keep enjoying special privileges?”

An uneasy suspicion gripped Shen Ling’s heart. She fixed her gaze on Feng Qin’s smug, radiant face and enunciated each word with measured force: “Are you openly stealing my clients?”

Their colleagues, sensing the tension, held their breath, not daring to make a sound, watching the spectacle from the corners of their eyes.

Feng Qin arched her brows in triumph and tossed a document onto the desk, gesturing at it imperiously with her chin. “This comes from above. Don’t pin your grievances on me. From today onward, I’ll be taking over all your clients.”

Shen Ling’s frown deepened. She picked up the document and flipped it open, confirming that it was indeed an official notice, complete with company seal—authentic and irrefutable.

Only yesterday she’d ended things with Zhou Bin, and now this. Lifting her eyes to Feng Qin, she became even more certain that Zhou Bin was involved. Who knew when the two had started colluding, lying in wait for her downfall.

Feng Qin met her gaze without the slightest hint of guilt, her voice slow and dripping with satisfaction: “You really don’t cry until you see the coffin, do you? Determined to see your own ruin.”

Though indignation simmered within Shen Ling, she understood that with an official notice, the matter was settled—there was likely no room for reversal.

If it were merely the will of management, she might still have a chance, leveraging her network to plead her case. But if the clients themselves had changed their stance, the company, wary of jeopardizing performance by offending them, would never take her side.

Especially since most of the clients on the list were connected to Zhou Bin. They’d cooperated with the company to curry favor with the Zhou family; it was only natural they’d sever ties with her for the same reason. Human nature, after all, was easy to predict.

Sensing Shen Ling’s distraction, Feng Qin pressed the attack, her right hand—nails lacquered in vivid red—twirling a lock of hair by her ear, her expression relishing the show. “Now that you’ve lost your clients, I doubt you’ll last here. Getting fired seems all but inevitable.”

Shen Ling knew full well her rival was savoring her misfortune, but she could not afford to lose this job.

Biting her lip, her gaze sharpened with resolve as she spoke, each word ringing clear: “Fine. I’ll make a formal pledge—if I don’t secure clients of equal caliber by the end of this month, I will accept whatever consequences you see fit.”

No sooner had she finished than Feng Qin burst into laughter, covering her mouth. When her mirth finally subsided, she patted Shen Ling’s shoulder, her words still barbed with provocation.

“Don’t think I don’t know—your past achievements were all thanks to Zhou Bin. Now that you’ve cut yourself off, you’ve reached a dead end.”

Shen Ling turned, her displeasure evident as she looked at the hand on her shoulder, barely restraining the urge to brush it off.

Feng Qin lifted her chin, her overly bright red lips parting for another taunt, her voice thick with mockery. “So, what good is a little more time? When you fail, it’ll only be more humiliating. Why bother? We’re all adults here. Wouldn’t it be better for you to bow out gracefully?”

She deliberately leaned in, her face contorted with smugness.

Shen Ling, her patience at its end, lifted her hand and, without warning, tossed the entire glass of water into Feng Qin’s face.