421 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

Chapter 421: The Irritated Su Qi Due to recent profits from the bull market, Su Qi was in a particularly good mood—her demeanor brimming with cheerfulness as she entered the company that day! Though the team had been working overtime without extra pay, the company's profits ensured that everyone's bonuses would see a noticeable increase. Being an intern assistant, despite contributing numerous strategies, Su Qi's salary remained at 3,500 yuan with no commission. Plus, social security contributions would only begin the following month under the guise of being in an 'internship'. However, she wasn't particularly concerned about these details. After all, 3,500 yuan, which once seemed a substantial amount to her, now felt somewhat insignificant. At 8:37, Su Qi arrived at the company. Due to it being a unique time of the month for her, there was a sense of relief that crucial data wasn't affected, adding to her happiness. However, her abdomen still ached painfully, which added a pallor to her otherwise radiant face. In the morning, her considerate partner, Wang Yun, had thoughtfully applied lip gloss for her, making her complexion appear quite healthy despite the discomfort. The discomfort was indeed real. How would one describe it? It felt as if the muscles in her limbs hadn’t fully stretched, leaving her with a lingering feeling of unrest that demanded some form of release. On a day like the first of her cycle, Su Qi typically confined herself to her personal space, avoiding others. This was her first time experiencing the menstrual symptoms while at work. When Wang Yun saw her young partner enter the office, wearing a pale expression and doubled over her desk clutching her abdomen, her heart ached with sympathy. She had asked Su Qi in the car earlier if she wanted to take the day off, but the offer had been turned down by her determined partner. Wang Yun, seeing her curled up into a small ball, immediately fetched her a cup of hot water and gently cradled her in her arms, softly massaging Su Qi's smooth, delicate stomach. Feeling the warmth of Wang Yun’s hands tenderly soothing her abdomen, the restless feeling subsided gradually after some time. Before the nine o'clock morning meeting, Su Qi reluctantly freed herself from Wang Yun’s comforting embrace, her cheeks faintly blushing from the earlier belly-rubbing experience. This was the first time, aside from her mother, that someone had ever given her such care during this time of the month! Watching Su Qi's bashful demeanor, Wang Yun couldn't help but think her little partner was such a captivating little enchantress. It was a pity that she could only look and not touch today due to the circumstances. That day, the Compass Company’s morning meeting was unlike any other. After the customary three rounds of slogans, Director Yang Zongfan did not immediately review the stock data as he typically would. Instead, he announced, "Let's warmly welcome back the Vice President, fresh from a meeting at headquarters. He's here to bring the power of the corporation to us—let's give a round of applause!" Not privy to the details, Su Qi watched as the crowd applauded and instinctively joined in, clapping her own fair hands. The conference room doors opened, and a middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit, looking quite the gentleman, strode in. Witnessing his polished appearance, Su Qi suddenly felt as though she was a fan and he a celebrity. The Vice President stepped up to the podium, gesturing for the applause to cease. He then scanned the room before speaking: "It’s been a while. I'm delighted to see so many new faces in our company. Some of you may not know me—I’m Yang Hao, Vice President of this company!" As Yang Hao's gaze landed upon Su Qi, she felt his attention on her. Perhaps having heard from Wang Yun that Yang Hao and Yang Zongfan were uncle and nephew, coupled with past incidents in Yang Zongfan's office, she felt somewhat repulsed by the Vice President’s gaze. His brilliantly sharp eyes contrasted with his balding head and slight paunch, leaving an unpleasant impression. Thankfully, as Vice President, Yang Hao didn't linger his gaze on Su Qi for long before moving on. After delivering a speech about his visit to headquarters to learn new strategies, Yang Hao finally segued into the main topic. "I reviewed our company's financial statements yesterday and found our recent earnings quite impressive. However, Director Wang's team, compared to Director Yang's team, is slightly behind." Upon hearing the Vice President's statement, Director Yang Zongfan quickly responded with a smile, "You're too kind, Vice President. It is our team’s responsibility to help the company prosper!" Seeing the mutual admiration between the two, even accompanied by a handshake, Su Qi found it amusing. Being the assistant to Compass's Director Wang, Su Qi knew full well that the Vice President's statement was factual. Director Yang Zongfan's team's yields certainly outnumbered those of Wang Yun's by a significant margin. Yet why would one find this amusing? Because the Compass teams differed in their principal investments. Wang Yun's team managed roughly 130 million yuan, whereas Director Yang Zongfan's team handled up to 210 million yuan. Considering the current bull market, where money seemed easy to make even with closed eyes, the more invested, the more returns one would naturally gain—a truth even fools understood. Thus, suggesting Director Yang was a cut above Director Wang, especially in such a straightforward financial climate, was laughable, but who dared to voice it under the pressure of authority? Up at the front, the Yang family uncle-nephew duo praised each other’s contributions. Soon, the Vice President Yang Hao spoke again: "Actually, my return to Compass in Su City is to consider appointing someone to manage this company. We’re a private enterprise, and in private enterprises, we value results over tenure!" During this speech, Director Yang Zongfan handed over the financial reports up to the previous day to Yang Hao. Then Su Qi heard Vice President Yang Hao declare, "Given that Director Yang's team exceeded Director Wang’s by 14.73 million in accumulated profits for this and last month, the company has decided to promote Yang Zongfan from Investment Director to Compass General Manager. Does anyone have any objections?" Yang Hao's words concluded, leaving the room in silent contemplation. When Su Qi saw some begin to clap, she, feeling a bit irritable due to her condition and doubly annoyed at witnessing the injustice towards Wang Yun, interrupted before her partner could speak up: "Vice President Yang, in finance, we focus on yield rates. Could you share the yield rates for both directors?" Her soft, tactile voice halted many who had been preparing to applaud, rendering the conference room silent. Many from Wang Yun's team turned to look at the usually quiet young girl, feeling a newfound respect for her courage. Su Qi's words were straightforward, and among the stock-savvy audience, no one missed the point she was making. Yet, the reality of adult society is far from simple. Even when knowing leaders' words might be false, many would swallow their grievances for fear of losing their jobs. But Su Qi wasn't afraid of unemployment. Yang Hao was momentarily taken aback by Su Qi's question. Everyone could see he planned to promote Yang Zongfan! Who would dare question such an obvious intention? Looking at Su Qi’s delicate features and her fresh-out-of-school demeanor, Yang Hao quickly pegged her as a young newcomer, naive to the harsh realities of corporate life. With a smile, Yang Hao replied, “You’re fresh out of school, so it’s normal to not understand these complexities. Perhaps, Director Yang, you could explain?” It was a simple plan—have Yang Zongfan speak some professional jargon to the novice girl and dismiss her concerns. After all, how could his director nephew fail to handle a mere young girl? But soon, Yang Hao found himself surprised; it appeared she wouldn't be so easily swayed. --- The page's upper right corner offers features like "Switch between Simplified and Traditional Chinese," "Adjust Font Size," and "Reading Background," alongside contact options.