The previously quiet group began to stir, but no one dared to speak.
Qi Yu, who had little patience for people who refused to communicate, was about to provoke them further when the crowd suddenly parted.
A short girl emerged from among them.
Qi Yu was about to speak, but when his eyes landed on the girl's face, he fell silent.
The girl's skin was pale, almost too fair, and her frame was slim.
She didn't look like someone who work at construction at all—in fact, she looked more like a college student.
With her head slightly lowered, the girl's features were obscured, but there was something about him that struck Qi Yu as strangely familiar.
Where had he seen her before?
Rong Xuelan pressed her nails into her palms, summoning every ounce of self-control to maintain her composure and avoid betraying any emotion.
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and stared at a point just above Qi Yu's head. "I'm the leader. What do you want to know?"
When Qi Yu saw her large, round eyes and that inexplicable sense of familiarity grew even stronger.
Without thinking, he blurted out, "What's your name?"
Rong Xuelan hesitated for a moment before replying, "My name is Rong Xuelan. I'm the cook for this construction site. There are 134 people here, all of whom haven't been paid by the foreman."
Her surname and name were both unusual, yet Qi Yu had no recollection of her.
However, the person standing before him evoked a vivid sense of familiarity he couldn't shake.
Trusting his instincts, Qi Yu interrupted her, "Have we met before?"
Rong Xuelan met his gaze calmly and said, "No, we haven't. You must be mistaken."
Qi Yu's feeling of recognition only deepened, but now was not the time to press the matter or verify the truth of her claim.
Qi Yu cleared his throat and said, "Regarding the issue of unpaid wages, the Ever Group will certainly give everyone an explanation. I am Qi Yu, the president of Ever Group. I am here today to guarantee that the wages owed to you will be paid in full."
"Why should we trust you?" a worker shouted.
"Exactly! Why should we?"
"If you wanted to solve this, why didn't you come earlier? Why wait until we reported it?"
"Who knows if you'll just turn around and forget about us?"
…
The workers shouted loudly, their emotions edging toward losing control.
Some of the more hot-tempered workers began pushing those people around them.
"The TV station staff is filming everything," Qi Yu said, his expression unchanging as he pointed to the television crew recording nearby. "You also have people recording. Aren't these all pieces of evidence? With evidence like this, what are you afraid of?"
"Our Ever Group, as the contractor, has also had its interests harmed. We are on the same side regarding this matter."
His calm and composed attitude managed to soothe the agitated workers.
The noisy crowd gradually quieted down.