"Yeah, Manager Hao is in big trouble this time..." a voice timidly spoke up.
Everyone looked towards the speaker with surprise, which quickly turned to contempt after a few seconds.
The one who spoke up was none other than Zhang Jiaming. His expression was half conflicted, half fearful. As the saying goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall collapses, everyone pushes. With Hao Wei's downfall imminent, even upright individuals would have to reconsider their stance, let alone someone like Zhang Jiaming. If he had stood by Hao Wei and spoken up for him now, he might have earned some respect from others. But his current behavior truly lived up to the name of a petty person.
Lin Qiang felt that the timing, circumstances, and people were all in his favor. While the overall situation might be uncertain, at least some small changes could be made now.
Bang!
He slammed both palms on the table and boldly announced, "During Hao Wei's absence, there will be only one change - for these 15 days, credit cards, online banking, and other routine business will be marketed by counter staff, and all accounts will be credited to the tellers!"
The atmosphere froze for a few seconds, as if everyone was waiting for something.
Were they waiting for Hao Wei's objection?
Or Zhang Jiaming's?
No, this time there was no opposition. Zhang Jiaming just lowered his head, not daring to breathe loudly.
"Hooray!!" Xiao Xiao was the first to jump up.
The other tellers also started cheering excitedly. They never imagined Lin Qiang would be so bold as to take action that overturned Hao Wei's principles at the first opportunity.
"With effort, there will be rewards, and they will be your own," Lin Qiang slowly stood up, his expression sincere, and bowed slightly to the tellers. "Thank you all for your hard work. If performance can double, Hao Wei won't dare change things when he returns."
"We'll triple it!" Xiao Xiao rolled up her sleeves and shouted with raised arms, "I'm going to war! Xiaozhao, go buy me a case of Red Bull!"
"Ah... okay..." a confused Lin Xiaozhao replied about to get up.
Lin Qiang laughed and scolded Xiao Xiao, "Who do you think you are? Go buy it yourself!"
"Can't I boss the newbie around a little..." Xiao Xiao stuck out her tongue, not daring to talk back. She made a face at Lin Qiang before running out.
"Everyone get to work," Lin Qiang said as he gathered his things. He waved at Zhang Jiaming, "Come to my office."
Zhang Jiaming was startled, "Me?"
"Yes, you."
No matter how nice Zheng Shuai's words were, Lin Qiang knew clearly that Hao Wei wouldn't be so easy to take down. As he himself had said, such things were too common in current business activities to be fatal. Moreover, Lin Qiang and Zheng Shuai had analyzed that Hao Wei must have his own protection within the branch, though Zheng Shuai was still investigating who it might be. Considering these two points, Hao Wei would likely return after 15 days.
Now, they needed to make the most of these 15 days and do as much as possible.
During the morning meeting, Lin Qiang had already noticed Zhang Jiaming's indecisiveness and the shift in public opinion due to Hao Wei's fall from power. The nets of heaven have large meshes, yet nothing slips through.
Many who believed they had acted with the utmost secrecy often found themselves defeated in the end by a single individual - a petty man.
Lin Qiang could judge that Hao Wei would return, but Zhang Jiaming's shortsightedness might not see that far. Combined with the exaggerated atmosphere Zheng Shuai had deliberately created at the morning meeting, most people in the office now probably thought Hao Wei was finished.
He needed to make use of this point, to utilize this sentiment.
"Have a seat," Lin Qiang pointed to the sofa in his office, while he sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair, completely at ease.
Zhang Jiaming, however, habitually didn't dare to sit, looking at the chair as if it were a hot stove. He glanced around and said, "Would the manager like some tea? I can brew you a cup."
Seeing his lost and flustered state, Lin Qiang couldn't help but ask with a smile, "When you served Hao Wei, you had to make tea every day, right?"
"Bamboo leaf green," Zhang Jiaming quickly replied, then repeatedly covered his mouth, feeling he had misspoken but not sure how.
"I told you to sit, so sit," Lin Qiang ordered.
"Alright," Zhang Jiaming sat down across from Lin Qiang with great reluctance, not daring to look him in the eye.
Lin Qiang spoke slowly, "The matter you heard about yesterday has been perfectly resolved. We'll all treat it as if it never happened."
"Ah? What matter? I don't remember," This time Zhang Jiaming reacted quickly, his oily smile reappearing.
"Very good. Yesterday's matter and today's matter should be discussed separately. It's best that you've forgotten," Lin Qiang smiled with satisfaction. "I've said my piece, now it's your turn."
"Me?" Zhang Jiaming again showed a puzzled expression.
"I don't want to spell things out too clearly. The specifics should be volunteered by you," Lin Qiang casually looked at his own palm and said, "As far as I know, Hao Wei wasn't the only one arrested last night."
"Yes... Mr. Wang was with him..." Unconsciously, sweat had begun to bead on Zhang Jiaming's forehead. "I was just a bit short of being taken in too."
"At this point, you should confess," Lin Qiang opened a drawer and took out seven or eight photocopied documents, tossing them in front of him. "Jiaxin Renovations - there have been too many cash withdrawal checks and irregular transfers lately, haven't there?"
Seeing these and hearing that name, Zhang Jiaming's body trembled again, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"So quickly... you've already investigated this far..." Zhang Jiaming wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. "Manager... your eyes are too sharp."
Lin Qiang folded his arms behind his head and sighed wistfully, "At this point, you should consider your own future. I've said all I needed to say. I'll give you one last chance."
He looked at Zhang Jiaming, opening his GoldenEye.
[Zhang Jiaming, Liquid Assets: 30,000 RMB]
[Still required to pay alimony after divorce, long-term outlook is bearish.]
[Limited income, short-term outlook is stable.]
[Fortune: None.]
[Risk Factor: ...]
Lin Qiang's brow twitched slightly. He could finally see more in the fortune column, perhaps as a result of last night's raid on the den of vice. However, what surprised him more was Zhang Jiaming's assets and personal situation.
How could a customer manager with over a decade in the bank, earning over 30,000 a month, have so few assets? And he was divorced? How come no one had ever mentioned that?
At this moment, Zhang Jiaming was also frowning, his face tense, hands constantly rubbing together, caught in deep hesitation.
"If you're willing to work hard, you can still keep your current position," Lin Qiang leaned forward silently, his eyes fierce. This was a standard negotiation tactic to apply pressure, and he had already seen through Zhang Jiaming completely. "Otherwise, you'll lose everything. Being a bank employee is all you have left."
"I... I..." Zhang Jiaming lowered his head, squeezing his eyes shut, his whole body trembling. "Manager, if I talk, can you protect me?"