Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

The morning air in Beijing was slightly cool.

The headlines at major newsstands and online media outlets were remarkably consistent on this day.

The Collapse of a Business Empire: The Li Group Declares Bankruptcy and Restructuring

DeepBlue Technology Makes a Strong Entry, Ushering in a New Hegemon in the Retail Industry

"The Dream of a Wealthy Family Shattered: The Li Family Uncle and Nephew Turn Against Each Other, One Imprisoned and the Other in Debt"

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the city.

Those second- and third-tier families who usually had to be mindful of the Li family's feelings were now trembling at home, fearing that this tsunami would affect them.

Meanwhile, those small and medium-sized enterprises that had been suppressed by the Li family were eager to celebrate.

Top floor office of DeepBlue Technology Building.

Baek Kyung-woo did not celebrate with champagne as many people had imagined.

He was looking down at a newly compiled personnel structure chart, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Boss, this is a list of middle and senior management personnel left by the Li Group." Chen Mo stood in front of the table, holding a thick stack of documents. "According to our background investigation, more than half of these 300-plus people have been found to have engaged in kickbacks and falsified accounts. The purchasing department and regional managers, in particular, are rotten to the core."

"Half?" Bai Jingyou sneered, throwing his pen on the table. "You're too conservative. After being immersed in the corrupting influence of the Li family's family-style management for so many years, probably less than one-tenth of them can remain untainted."

"So you mean...?"

"Clean them all up." Bai Jingyou's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound. "Deep Blue doesn't need these parasites. Notify Human Resources. I want to replace all these key positions with the people we need within a week. As for the junior staff, as long as there are no fundamental issues, keep them all, and give them a 20% raise to appease them."

"Yes!" Chen Mo nodded and took notes, secretly admiring the boss's decisiveness.

At this critical juncture, a major overhaul may cause some pain, but it is the best solution—a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one.

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

Before you see him, you hear his voice.

"You brat! You're so inconsiderate! Such a big commotion, and you didn't even tell your sister beforehand?"

Accompanied by the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the floor, a woman in a burgundy business suit, exuding a powerful aura, walked in.

She has exquisite and striking features, and her eyes and brows bear some resemblance to Bai Jingyou's, but she possesses a more mature and domineering charm.

It was Bai Jingyou's older sister, Bai Qing.

Chen Mo, with great tact, closed the folder and said, "Ms. Bai is here, so I'll get back to work." With that, he quickly left the office and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

Bai Jingyou smiled helplessly, stood up and went to greet her: "Sis, what brings you here? I was just afraid of disturbing your rest."

"Don't give me that!" Bai Qing walked to the sofa, sat down, casually tossed aside her limited-edition Hermes bag, crossed her legs, and looked Bai Jingyou up and down. "I think you've gotten too big for your britches and want to monopolize everything, huh? Tsk tsk, that was a brilliant move, swallowing the Li family whole. Those old men from Haicheng called me last night, and the way they sounded so sour made me want to eat two extra bowls of rice."

Bai Jingyou poured Bai Qing a glass of warm water and said with a smile, "That's because they have poor judgment. The Li family is just a bloated giant; it looks intimidating, but it's actually full of problems."

"Alright, stop pretending to be profound in front of me." Bai Qing took the water glass, her eyes softening slightly. "But to be honest, you did a really good job this time. Not only did you take over the Li family's territory, but you also got that annoying Li He locked up. You have no idea how arrogant Li He used to be at parties; I've disliked him for a long time."

At this point, Bai Qing suddenly remembered something, took out a gold invitation from her bag, and slapped it on the coffee table.

"What is this?" Bai Jingyou picked it up and glanced at it.

"It's an invitation to a banquet from the Beijing Chamber of Commerce." Bai Qing raised an eyebrow. "In the past, Li Jianguo would sit at the head table at banquets of this caliber. Now that the Li family has fallen, these snobs have immediately turned their attention to you. Tonight's banquet is a coronation ceremony where the Beijing business community officially acknowledges DeepBlue Technology's status. You must go, and you must go in style."

Bai Jingyou toyed with the gold-embossed invitation, a playful smile curving his lips. "A coronation ceremony? I think it's more like a trap. These old foxes are probably plotting something to test my limits."

"What are you afraid of?" Bai Qing waved her hand domineeringly. "With my sister here, who dares to trip you up? I'll tear them apart! Besides, with Deep Blue Technology now, plus the support of the Feng and Chen families, who do you need to be beholden to in Beijing?"

Bai Jingyou felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he looked at his sister's protective demeanor. In this world where self-interest reigns supreme, only family would stand behind you so unconditionally.

"Okay, I'll go." Bai Jingyou put away the invitation. "Perfect timing, I also want to see just how deep the waters are in the capital."

……

At 3 p.m., the "Jiajiale" flagship store, formerly under the Li Group.

Located in Beijing's most bustling commercial district, this place covers thousands of square meters and was once the flagship of the Li family's retail empire.

At this moment, the sign at the supermarket entrance has been removed, and workers are busy installing new illuminated "Shenlan Youxuan" signs.

Wearing a safety helmet, Bai Jingyou, accompanied by Jiang Mengyao and several senior executives, inspected the store that was about to undergo a complete transformation.

The shelves inside the store had not been completely replaced, and there was a smell of renovation in the air.

Many employees wearing old uniforms were gathered in a corner whispering, their eyes filled with unease and confusion.

"I heard the new boss is ruthless; he's going to lay off employees right away."

"Yes, I've worked here for five years. If I get fired, my whole family will starve."

"That store manager, Fatty Wang, said that if you want to stay, you have to give him a red envelope..."

Bai Jingyou had excellent hearing; even from a distance, he still managed to catch a few words. He paused slightly, his eyes turning cold.

"Who is the store manager here?" Bai Jingyou asked.

One of the regional managers accompanying them immediately wiped his sweat and jogged over, calling out, "Wang Defa! Store Manager Wang! General Manager Bai is calling for you!"

Soon, a middle-aged man with a large belly and an oily face ran out of the back office.

As he ran, he straightened his slightly tight suit, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

"Mr. Bai! Oh, Mr. Bai, it's an honor to have you here! I'm so sorry I didn't greet you properly!" Wang Defa rushed up to Bai Jingyou, panting, and extended his hands to shake hands. "I'm Wang Defa, the manager of this store. You can just call me Xiao Wang."

Bai Jingyou didn't reach out, but merely glanced at him indifferently: "Manager Wang, I heard you're accepting red envelopes from your employees?"

Wang Defa's smile froze instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead: "This... which bastard is spreading this rumor? President Bai, please don't believe it! I'm utterly loyal to the company and care deeply for my employees. How could I possibly do such a thing?"

"Really?" Bai Jingyou turned around and looked at the group of trembling employees in the corner.

He stepped forward, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

Bai Jingyou stopped in front of a young girl who looked to be only in her early twenties.

The little girl was wearing a faded old uniform, her head down, her hands tightly clasped together, looking very nervous.

"Don't be afraid." Bai Jingyou's voice softened. "Tell me, how much money did you give him to keep this job?"

The little girl looked up at Bai Jingyou, then glanced in horror at Wang Defa, who was frantically trying to signal to her from afar. She was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes, and she didn't dare to say a word.

Seeing this, Jiang Mengyao stepped forward, gently took the girl's hand, and said softly, "It's alright, just tell the truth. Today, President Bai is in charge here, no one dares to bully you."

Perhaps it was Jiang Mengyao's gentleness that gave her courage. The girl bit her lip and whispered, "Two...two thousand. That's my monthly salary..."

"Nonsense!" Wang Defa stormed over, furious. "You brat, it's one thing to slack off all the time, but now you dare to slander me in front of Boss Bai! I think you don't want to work here anymore! Get out! Get out right now!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand to push the little girl.

However, before his hand could even touch anyone, his wrist was firmly gripped by a strong, large hand.

Bai Jingyou's hands were like iron clamps, squeezing Wang Defa's bones until they ached.

"You're the one who should get out." Bai Jingyou's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling coldness. "Wang Defa, you've got some nerve extorting employees by abusing your position. You're quite something."

"Mr. Bai...it's a misunderstanding..." Wang Defa grimaced in pain, still trying to argue.

"Chen Mo." Bai Jingyou released his grip, throwing Wang Defa aside like trash. "Call the police. Hand this man over to the Economic Crime Investigation Department and thoroughly investigate his accounts over the years. Also, tell the legal team that I want to sue him for extortion."

"Yes." Chen Mo immediately took out his phone and made a call.

Wang Defa collapsed to the ground, his face ashen. He knew that being targeted by DeepBlue Technology meant his life was over.

After dealing with the trash, Bai Jingyou turned around and faced all the employees.

The once noisy supermarket lobby instantly fell silent, and everyone held their breath.

"I know what you're worried about," Bai Jingyou said loudly. "The Li family has fallen, and you're afraid of losing your jobs. But I'm here today to tell you the truth."

He held up one finger: "First, DeepBlue Preferred will not lay off employees. As long as you are willing to work hard and diligently, your jobs are absolutely secure."

He then held up a second finger: "Secondly, starting this month, the base salary for all frontline employees will be increased by 20%, and overtime pay will be tripled. Any bonuses previously withheld will be reimbursed by the company, provided there is supporting documentation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a few seconds of dead silence, followed by thunderous applause and cheers.

The little girl who almost got expelled was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes, and she led the applause.

"However," Bai Jingyou's tone shifted, his eyes sharpening, "if I discover anyone like that person, engaging in bribery, extortion, deception, or simply coasting along, then it won't just be dismissal; I'll make sure they can't stay in this line of work. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" The crowd's response was deafening, full of energy and spirit.

This is the principle of combining kindness and severity.

As I walked out of the supermarket, the sunset was in full swing.

Jiang Mengyao linked arms with Bai Jingyou, turned her head to look at his profile, her eyes full of admiration: "You looked so handsome just now."

"Really?" Bai Jingyou smiled. "Even more handsome than before?"

"Hmm...it's different." Jiang Mengyao thought about it seriously. "Before, you were the kind of handsome who was all-powerful and strategic. Today, you're the kind of handsome who makes people feel very safe. You're like a real king, surveying his territory."

"The King?" Bai Jingyou shook his head, looking at the bustling street scene. "The King is too tired. I just want to be the one who sets the rules."

"Oh, right," Jiang Mengyao seemed to remember something, "I prepared a new dress for you for the banquet tonight. I heard Lin Lanfeng will be there too?"

"Lin Lanfeng?" Bai Jingyou narrowed his eyes.

He was familiar with the name. Ye Lingqing had discovered some time ago that he seemed to be up to something, but she didn't expect him to dare to show his face today.

"It seems that tonight's banquet is not only a coronation ceremony, but also a good show."

Bai Jingyou's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Let's go home and change. Since some people want to see a show, let's put on a big one for them."