Now that I'm older, I've left the company in my son's hands. But today, I decided to pay a surprise visit, disguised as a member of the janitorial staff. I hadn't been there an hour before a young intern spilled coffee all over me. Before I could even speak, she rolled her eyes. "Hey, janitor! Are you blind or just old? How could you not see me and walk right into me?" I frowned but held my tongue. She was the one who had bumped into me, but for the sake of my undercover inspection, I didn't want to blow my cover. I offered a polite apology and turned to leave, but she grabbed my arm, her voice sharp with anger. "Hey! Old man! You'd better clean this coffee off the floor, right now!" "And if you can't get it spotless, you can just clear out. I'll have you fired in a heartbeat!" I had to smile at that. She was going to fire me, the Chairman of the board? 1 I kept my temper in check. "Young lady, you were the one staring at your phone while you walked. You ran into me. Why are you the one threatening to have me fired?" A flicker of surprise crossed the intern's face, as if she couldn't believe a janitor would dare to talk back. She scowled, her voice rising. "So what if I wasn't looking? Couldn't you have looked where you were going? If you had just gotten out of my way, I wouldn't have spilled my coffee!" "Besides," she added with a sneer, "you're a janitor. Cleaning up coffee is your job. What's the problem?" "Whatever, I can't be bothered arguing with you. Just clean it up, or you can start packing your things!" Her words made me frown. I glanced at the intern badge clipped to her blazer and felt a pang of confusion. How could a mere intern speak with such authority, threatening to fire people on a whim? She noticed my hesitation and let out a cold laugh. "Oh, what's that? You think because I'm just an intern, I can't get you canned?" "My father is a senior executive here. Getting rid of a bottom-feeder like you? It would take him one phone call." So that was it. She wasn't just arrogant; she had connections. The company had a program that offered internship spots to the families of certain high-level employees, intended as a perk to attract top talent. It seemed someone was abusing that privilege, letting their child run wild through the halls. Seeing that I was silent, a smug smirk played on her lips. "Scared now, aren't you? So what are you waiting for? Get on your knees and wipe this floor clean!" "And another thing," she added, her tone turning vicious. "You dared to talk back to me! You can forget about this month's paycheck. I'll have the finance department transfer your salary to my account as compensation for my trouble." My jaw nearly hit the floor. Maliciously docking an employee's wages and pocketing the cash herself? What kind of operation was this? I frowned. "The payroll is automated. How could they just divert someone's salary to your account?" The intern laughed again. "Oh, don't you worry about that. My mother works in the finance department. It's none of your business!" I had only been away from the company for a year. I never imagined so many parasites could infest it in such a short time. "What are your parents' names?" I asked, my voice cold. She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "What? Thinking of reporting them? Don't waste your time. My parents have powerful people watching their backs. Anyone who dares to take a complaint from you will be packing their own desk by the end of the day!" I was stunned. The rot within the company was far deeper than I had imagined. Just as the intern was preening, a middle-aged man rushed over, his forehead beaded with sweat. The intern's expression immediately crumpled into a mask of pitiful victimhood. "Dad! This man knocked my coffee over, and now he's refusing to clean it up! You have to do something!" I recognized the man: Scott Miller, the head of the tech department. I smiled to myself. I was very interested to see how this was going to play out. 2 Scott Miller barely glanced at me. I remembered then that I rarely made public appearances at the company; only the old guard, the veteran executives, would recognize my face. It was for the best. Anonymity would give me a clearer view of the company's true state. Ignoring me, Scott took his daughter's hand. "Jessica, it's a special situation today. You need to come with me now." Jessica yanked her hand away, looking baffled. "Dad! This old creep bullied me! Aren't you going to stand up for me?" I was about to speak up and set the record straight before she could twist the story any further. But to my astonishment, Scott fixed me with a cold glare. "I don't care what you did. Apologize to my daughter. Now." I was dumbfounded. He didn't even know what had happened, and he was demanding an apology? When I didn't respond, Scott sneered. "On any other day, I'd have had you fired on the spot. But it's your lucky day. Get on your knees, apologize to my daughter, and I'll let this go." A humorless laugh escaped my lips. I looked at him calmly. "That's quite the power trip. Does everyone at Lee Corp throw their weight around like you?" Scott's face darkened. "A janitor has no right to question me. Let me tell you something: in this company, I call the shots. Even the Chairman himself would have to show me some respect!" I nearly laughed out loud. Who did he think he was? Just a department head, and he was talking like this? Show him respect? The audacity was staggering. But I still didn't want to reveal my identity. "That's some big talk," I said with a cold smile. "Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue? Your daughter was the one who ran into me. If anyone should be apologizing, it's her." Fury flashed in Scott's eyes. He opened his mouth to curse at me, but his phone rang. His arrogant demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a fawning obsequiousness. "Yes, I understand." So, that must be his backer on the other end of the line. I was curious to see who would support this kind of behavior. Scott hung up and shot me a triumphant sneer. "Today's your lucky day, old man. The Chairman is doing a surprise inspection today. I'll deal with you tomorrow!" My brow furrowed. I hadn't told a soul I was coming. How did the person on the phone know? Ignoring me, Scott grabbed his daughter's arm to lead her away. Jessica wasn't having it. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Dad! He hasn't apologized yet! And I want his salary transferred to my account! There's a new handbag I want to buy this month!" Scott sighed heavily. "Sweetheart, today is different. We'll deal with it tomorrow. The Chairman is definitely here, undercover. He could be watching us from any corner right now!" I couldn't help but smile. No corner at all. The Chairman was standing right in front of them. Jessica glared at me. "What are you smiling at? Hmph! I'll let you off the hook for today! If it wasn't for that idiot Chairman showing up, I'd have you on your knees begging!" "Aren't you worried," I said softly, "that I might be that Chairman?" Jessica and Scott both froze. For a moment, I regretted letting my identity slip. But then, they both burst out laughing. Jessica looked me up and down with utter contempt. "Old man, have you been watching too many of those silly web dramas? You, a janitor, the Chairman? Let me guess, now you're imagining how I'll cry and beg for your forgiveness when I find out who you are?" "Hahaha, that's hilarious! If you're the Chairman, I'll personally get on my knees and kowtow to you a hundred times!" I was taken aback. A hundred times? Her forehead would be mush. Scott pulled his daughter away. "Jessica, ignore this lunatic. We need to be careful while the Chairman's here. If he sees us making a scene, we'll be in big trouble." I smiled to myself. Trouble? Oh, it was going to be much more than just trouble. 3 After Scott and his daughter left, I took a walk around the building. I wanted to check in on a few promising young employees I had personally mentored. But after searching for a while, I didn't see a single familiar face. I asked around and learned they had all been laid off. I was stunned. I knew the company's growth had slowed since I handed the reins to my son, but these were talented individuals I had handpicked for development. There was no way they should have been on any layoff list. An engineer I spoke to sighed. "After they were let go, our manager hired a whole new batch of people out of nowhere." "This new group doesn't know the first thing about the work," he continued, his voice heavy with frustration. "All the pressure has fallen on us senior employees. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I'll have to quit too." The picture became crystal clear. Someone was using their authority to push out competent staff and fill the vacancies with their own friends and family, who were collecting paychecks for doing nothing. They were parasites, bleeding the company dry. What in God's name had my good-for-nothing son been doing this past year? How could he let his people treat loyal, hardworking employees this way? Didn't he care about morale at all? I pulled out my phone, my face grim, and dialed my son's number. I was going to find out just what the hell he thought he was doing. The phone had barely started ringing when a hand snatched it away from me. I looked up. It was Jessica again. She threw my phone to the ground, stomped on it a few times for good measure, and glared at me. "Are you trying to cause trouble? You know the Chairman is here for an inspection, and you're making personal calls on company time?" Swallowing my rage, I picked up my shattered phone. "What company rule says you can't make a phone call during work hours?" Jessica crossed her arms and sneered. "Our Chairman said so! Anyone caught using their phone during work gets docked a day's pay!" I saw red. When had I ever made such a ridiculous rule? Seeing my fury, Jessica's smugness grew. "Oh? You have a problem with that? Take it up with the Chairman!" "And by the way," she added, "you've already lost this month's salary, so you'll have to pay that fine out of your own pocket. Give me the cash now, and I'll take it to finance for you." Take it to finance? More like take it to her own wallet. I let out a cold laugh. "There's also a rule against drinking coffee on the job. You were just doing that, weren't you? You should be docked a day's pay too!" She was still just a kid, and my taunt hit its mark. She exploded. "You old liar! Who said you can't drink coffee at work?!" Mimicking her earlier tone, I replied, "Our Chairman said so. If you don't like it, take it up with him." "You—!" Before I could enjoy my small victory, Jessica lunged at me. "Don't you mock me, you disgusting old man!" She shoved me hard. At my age, a fall is no small thing. A sharp pain shot through my back, and I couldn't get up. Jessica stood over me, snarling. "Just die, old man!" "Just wait until the Chairman leaves. I don't care who you are! You're finished!" I gritted my teeth as I looked up at her. Finished? We'll see about that. 4 I tried to push myself up, but a searing pain in my lower back stopped me. I was stuck until a young woman passed by and helped me to my feet. "Sir, are you alright?" I managed to stand and nodded, about to thank her. But then I heard Jessica's mocking laugh from the side. "Well, well, if it isn't little Miss Innocent, Chloe from the countryside. Can't get any of the guys in the office to fall for your act, so now you're hitting on the janitors?" Chloe immediately lowered her head, not daring to say a word. I frowned. "We're all colleagues here. How can you speak to someone like that?" Jessica rolled her eyes at me again. "Do you own this company? What business is it of yours?" I nodded calmly. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Is that a problem?" My answer clearly infuriated her. She sneered. "Fine. If we can't speak to colleagues that way, I'll handle this differently." A cruel smile touched her lips as she turned to Chloe. "Chloe, I'm officially informing you that you've failed your probationary period. You can pack your things and go home now." Chloe's head snapped up, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "Jessica, I…" Jessica cut her off impatiently. "Save it. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for getting friendly with the janitor! It's bad for the company's image!" Chloe was openly crying now. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees. "Jessica, please, I'm begging you, don't make me leave. If I don't pass my probation…" Jessica crossed her arms, looking down at her imperiously. "You'll have to go back to your village and get married, right?" Chloe froze. Jessica's eyes narrowed in a wicked grin. "That's exactly why I have to get rid of you. All the men in the office are always buzzing around you. Now I'm just helping you along. You get to go get married right away. Shouldn't you be thanking me?" Chloe's face was ashen, her eyes filled with utter despair. I snorted and helped her to her feet. "Don't be afraid, Chloe." "She's just an intern. She has absolutely no authority to fire you." Hearing my words, a little color returned to Chloe's cheeks. Jessica, however, was livid. She pointed a finger at me, her voice shrill. "You're just a damn janitor! Why do you keep getting in my way? I have connections! I can fire whoever I want!" "Who the hell do you think you are? The Chairman? What I, Jessica Miller, decide to do is none of your damn business!" I stared at her, my voice level and calm. "I'm nobody special. Just the Chairman of Lee Corporation." "That's it!" Jessica shrieked, losing control, and lunged at me again.
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