Chapter 2

Behind me, Manager Zhao smashed a cup.

I returned to my desk.

Zhang Wei leaned over the partition.

“Well? Got chewed out, didn’t you?”

I turned on my computer.

“No. We just had a little discussion about life.”

Zhang Wei curled his lip.

“Putting on a show.”

“Let’s see how long you can keep it up.”

“You picked a fight with Manager Zhao. We’ll see how well that works out for you.”

I ignored him and kept typing code.

At three that afternoon, the company group chat suddenly exploded.

Manager Zhao posted a message:

“Due to the negative work attitude of certain employees, the company has decided to cancel all dinner and transportation allowances for overtime this year.”

I read it and smiled.

Was he targeting me?

And dragging everyone else down with me while he was at it?

Sure enough, people started messaging me privately.

Wang: “Fang Zheng, what are we supposed to do now? I count on those allowances every month.”

Another coworker: “What are you trying to pull? Now everyone’s lost their allowances because of you.”

Someone even tagged me directly in the group.

“Fang Zheng, if you want to make trouble on your own, can you at least stop dragging the rest of us into it?”

I looked at the messages.

My fingers typed a few words.

Then I deleted them.

Forget it.

I couldn’t be bothered to explain.

At six, I left work on time.

As I walked out of the office, my phone rang. It was Old Li, a friend from college.

“Fang Zheng, I heard you’ve been going up against the company lately?”

News traveled fast.

“Something like that.”

I gave a wry laugh.

“What, are you calling to talk me out of it too?”

“Talk you out of it?”

Old Li laughed.

“I’m calling to give you a like.”

“I’ve hated those shady bosses for ages.”

“What you’re doing? Feels great!”

Warmth spread through my chest.

“I might be about to lose my job.”

“So what if you do?”

Old Li said, “With your skills, you can find work anywhere.”

“Why stay there and let them humiliate you?”

“Besides, if he really dares to fire you, take it to labor arbitration.”

“The Labor Law protects workers. It’s not there to look pretty.”

I hung up and stood by the road.

Night fell, and the neon lights came on.

Suddenly, I felt sure of one thing:

I was on the right path.

—

【Chapter 4】

Day four.

I still arrived at the office at nine sharp.

Someone had left a sticky note on my desk.

“Trash.”

I peeled it off and tossed it in the bin.

Then I turned on my computer and got to work.

The morning passed peacefully enough.

At lunchtime, I carried my tray around the cafeteria, looking for a seat.

Every table was occupied.

But wherever I went, the people sitting there would suddenly get up and leave.

In the end, I had to eat standing up.

Zhang Wei walked past and bumped into me.

“Oops. Sorry, didn’t see you.”

He grinned like a sleaze.

I said nothing.

After lunch, I returned to my desk.

At two, Manager Li emailed me.

“Fang Zheng, here’s your performance review for this month. Sign to confirm.”

I opened the attachment.

Performance rating: D.

Reason: Negative work attitude; failure to follow instructions.

Performance pay: 0.

I replied:

“Manager Li, I dispute this rating. Please provide the grounds for the evaluation and the specific scoring criteria.”

Five minutes later, he responded.

“The basis is your recent performance: refusing overtime, refusing additional work, and having a bad attitude.”

I typed back:

“First, I refused overtime because the company does not pay overtime wages as required by labor law. Second, I refused extra work because it falls outside my responsibilities. Third, which specific words or actions of mine are being described as a ‘bad attitude’?”

“Please explain in detail. Otherwise, I will not sign.”

Manager Li didn’t reply again.

Ten minutes later, Manager Zhao himself came over.

He stopped at my desk.

“Fang Zheng, performance reviews are company policy.”

“You have to sign.”

I looked up.

“Manager Zhao, I have no objection to being evaluated, but the review has to be fair and impartial.”

“You can check the system logs to verify my workload and the quality of my work this month.”

“What grounds do you have for giving me a D?”

He sneered.

“Because you refuse to follow management.”

“The company tells you to work overtime, and you refuse.”

“The company asks you to help, and you refuse.”

“If that isn’t an attitude problem, what is?”

I stood up.

“Manager Zhao, asking to be paid for overtime is a right granted to me by labor law.”

“Asking for written notice when I’m assigned extra work protects both sides.”

“How exactly have I refused to follow management?”

“I’m simply protecting my lawful rights.”

His face turned dark.

“You’re going to lecture me about the law?”

“Fine.”

He pulled out his phone.

“I’m telling you now: starting tomorrow, report to the warehouse.”

“If you don’t, we’ll treat it as an unauthorized absence.”

“Three consecutive days of absence, and the company can terminate your labor contract unilaterally.”

I smiled.

“Manager Zhao, are you trying to force me out?”

“Interpret it however you like.”

He turned to leave.

I called after him.

“Manager Zhao, wait.”

He looked back.

“What now?”

I opened my computer.