My heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding crept over me. I murmured to myself that something was amiss.
Sure enough, that despicable Abu cast a glance at me with an even more pronounced smirk and addressed the fellow, "Theoretically, only a formal S-class ace salesperson is entitled to the perks you just mentioned."
"However, since you are the first among this batch to achieve a performance of 100,000 yuan, I can bestow upon you certain privileges reserved for a formal S-class ace salesperson."
"For the upcoming week, you may select a woman whose rank is no higher than B-class from among the trainees of the same cohort, and you can also pick two individuals with a rank not exceeding B-class to command during non-working hours."
"Of course, on the condition that you refrain from causing their death or permanent disability."
Damn it all! My own rank happened to be exactly B-class.
In other words, according to the rules formulated by that scoundrel Abu, the guy who reached the 100,000-yuan milestone could potentially order me around, subjecting me to beatings and verbal abuse in the following week.
"Hehe, thank you, Team Leader Abu." The fellow's eyes sparkled with elation as he strutted up to me once more, arrogantly raising his hand to deliver a stinging slap across my face.
It was already bad enough to be bullied, beaten, and verbally abused like a worthless animal by those wretched scoundrels in northern Myanmar. Now, even our own compatriots, having been brainwashed, had gone berserk. I feared that the days ahead would be even more arduous.
It was reminiscent of the era when the Japanese invaded China. While the Japanese were undeniably detestable, it was those traitorous collaborators who deserved to be sliced and diced a thousand times over.
Compared to the Japanese, some of these traitors were often even more merciless and cruel in their methods.
Just as the slap was about to land on my visage, I reacted with astonishing swiftness, taking a hasty step backward. Simultaneously, I launched a powerful kick that landed squarely in his abdomen.
"059, don't you dare act so presumptuously just because you have someone backing you. I caution you to leave me be, or else I'll make you pay dearly!" I darted a look at the number emblazoned on his chest and purposefully adopted a menacing expression, glaring at him with gritted teeth.
Under the harsh law of the jungle, if I had cowered and allowed him to subject me to his whims today, I dreaded that the ensuing days would be nothing short of a living nightmare.
Perhaps I would meet my demise at the hands of these brainwashed comrades before those northern Myanmar rogues could finish me off.
"Team Leader Abu, he actually had the audacity to retaliate." 059 struggled to his feet, clutching his stomach in agony, his face a mask of fear and indignation as he scurried over to Abu to lodge a complaint.
He resembled nothing more than a sniveling dog whining to its master.
Before that reprobate Abu could utter a word, I hastily interjected, "There's still over an hour remaining until the assessment concludes. Everyone's rank has yet to be finalized. Who knows? I might manage to clinch another one or two deals in this final stretch."
Abu, upon hearing my words, nodded in assent and said, "That's correct. 059, your rewards will only come into effect after the assessment is over."
After a brief pause, that scoundrel Abu swept his gaze across the assembled group and proclaimed with a grin, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you aspire to a more comfortable existence in the forthcoming week and wish to avoid being enslaved by others, strive to enhance your rank with your performance in this final hour or so."
"Very well, everyone, press on with your efforts." With that, Abu sauntered out of the office, hands tucked into his pockets, whistling a jaunty tune.
It was evident that the scoundrel was in an exceptionally good mood.
"I'll remember that kick, you wretch. I seriously doubt you can ascend to the rank of A-class salesperson in the last hour."
"I'm the undisputed newbie king of this batch. You're miles away from being a worthy competitor."
"Just wait until the assessment wraps up. See how I'll make you rue the day!" 059 grimaced, clutching the spot where I had kicked him, snarling and pointing menacingly at me from a distance, issuing a few threats before storming back to his seat. His beady, rat-like eyes then commenced a wanton exploration of the female trainees.
"What in the world is this?" I muttered a frustrated curse under my breath and slumped back into my workstation, my countenance a picture of gloom.
Unsurprisingly, I had managed to incur the undying enmity of this character 059.
What puzzled me was why he had singled me out.
Could it be because that fateful day I was coerced by that scoundrel Abu to plunge a knife into the heart of the already half-dead, emaciated young man?
If I failed to ascend to the rank of A-class salesperson in this final hour or so, heaven only knew how this despicable 059 would torment me in the next week.
Abu had merely stipulated that death or permanent disability was off-limits.
Bear in mind that this was a rather nebulous concept.
If this scoundrel 059 compelled me to ingest feces or urine, it would not contravene the rule against death or permanent disability.
"No! I absolutely will not permit that bastard to order me around and toy with me for an entire week." I clenched my teeth, seized the phone, and intently perused the list in my hand.
On the surface, it seemed that if I couldn't be promoted to a temporary A-class salesperson, I would be at the mercy of that bastard 059 for a week.
In reality, it was far more complex.
Because the performance assessment criteria a week hence would be tenfold more demanding than today's!
The weekly performance quota for D-class salespersons was 50,000 yuan, let alone for C-class, B-class, and the loftier A-class and S-class.
If I were truly targeted by this villain 059, being coerced to engage in degrading acts or being slapped around at will, who on earth would still have the inclination to engage in telecom fraud?
If the task for next week remained unfulfilled, only the heavens knew what form of punishment those northern Myanmar rogues would mete out.
The fate of that frail young man three days ago still sent shivers down my spine whenever I recollected it.
I had no desire to be carved up alive.
"You can lay the blame squarely on that bastard 059. I'm acting out of sheer desperation." Glancing at the remaining names on the list, I heaved a resigned sigh and then redoubled my efforts to resume the telecom fraud operation.
I'm not certain whether it was due to a stroke of good fortune or if I truly possessed a natural aptitude for telecom fraud.
Before the assessment officially drew to a close, I placed a total of 15 phone calls, successfully defrauded 3 individuals, and managed to swindle a sum of 22,000 yuan.
Adding the initial 30,000 yuan I had scammed from the elderly Mr. Zhang Guangshou, my total performance for the day reached 52,000 yuan, narrowly surpassing the benchmark for a temporary A-class salesperson.
Only after confirming that the last tranche of money had been deposited into the account did I finally exhale a long, relieved breath.
Precisely at six o'clock, that reprobate Abu strolled in punctually to announce the conclusion of the assessment.
I had scarcely risen from my chair when that scoundrel 059 charged over with unbridled haste, his hand raised to strike me in the face.
"You ungrateful brute!" At the crucial moment, I seized his wrist in a vice-like grip and delivered two resounding slaps across his face.
I had long harbored a simmering resentment towards this cad, and thus my blows were forceful, causing his nose to spurt blood instantaneously.
Were it not for my concern about Abu and those northern Myanmar ruffians, I would have relished the opportunity to shatter his nasal bone with a single punch.
"Wu Dazhuang, He Yao, Qian Lili, these two slaps are in retribution for your sakes." Observing 059's bloodied and wailing countenance, I couldn't help but emit a soft, rueful sigh.
Wu Dazhuang, He Yao, and Qian Lili were precisely the three individuals I had defrauded in the final spate of my telecom fraud activities.
Had it not been for this scoundrel 059's persistent harassment, I would never have contemplated resuming the telecom fraud, and they would not have suffered such needless financial losses.
Admittedly, I am aware of my own self-centeredness.
If I had been willing to endure a slow and agonizing death, they would not have fallen victim to my deceit.
However, at the critical juncture of life and death, how many among us can truly claim to be selfless?