Chapter 7: Unchecked Audacity
Siegfried walked towards his workstation with a smile, casually flipping through the Wanderer's Manual.
Ordinarily, he wouldn't bother with such matters. It not only lacked benefits but could also bring trouble upon himself.
The risks and rewards were simply not proportional.
But now, he was more than willing to use the Wanderer's Manual and Divine Power to eliminate this disgusting fat man.
Siegfried's voice wasn't particularly loud, nor did it show any emotional fluctuation. It sounded like a casual greeting.
Yet, the sarcasm in his words cut deep, like a resounding slap across the face.
Yang Jing's bright eyes widened slightly, her expression somewhat bewildered.
As far as she could remember, this man had only engaged in minimal necessary communication with her since the day she joined the company. Why would he suddenly stand up for her?
(Has his personality changed?)
Manager Zhang was momentarily at a loss for words, his face alternating between shades of green and red. He could only sheepishly withdraw his lecherous hand.
He glanced at Siegfried's handsome face, unconsciously furrowing his brow.
If there was anyone among the ordinary employees who dared to challenge him, it would be this man standing before him.
The reason was simple: Siegfried had also entered the company through a high-level introduction. The difference was that Siegfried chose to start from the bottom, while Manager Zhang directly assumed a leadership position.
In terms of position, he was still above Siegfried. So, even for the sake of saving face, he couldn't show weakness.
"Well, well, if it isn't little Qi," Manager Zhang looked Siegfried up and down, making a tsk-tsk sound. "As expected of Old Xie's nephew, truly talented. How has Old Xie been lately?"
This Old Xie was a close friend of Siegfried's father, serving as the legal advisor for this electrical company while also being one of the shareholders.
Six years ago, when Siegfried's parents died in a sudden accident, it was this Uncle Xie who had been taking care of the Qi siblings.
Although Manager Zhang had a thousand grievances in his heart, he had to put on a smile. After all, this Old Xie's influence in the board of directors even surpassed that of his brother-in-law.
He could only remind Siegfried through this seemingly complimentary yet subtly sarcastic manner: you're also here because of connections, don't push your luck.
"Thank you for your concern. My uncle is in good health. However, Manager Zhang, you seem to have dark circles and a puffy face. Work must be... exhausting," Siegfried replied.
Siegfried seemed to have completely missed the point of Manager Zhang's words, retorting without hesitation. He particularly emphasized the word "work".
Manager Zhang's gaze darkened. As fellow beneficiaries of connections, he hadn't expected Siegfried to be so disrespectful.
But as a seasoned workplace veteran, he quickly controlled his emotions and said with a seemingly helpless tone:
"Ah, those big bosses are too difficult to deal with, I'm really out of my depth. Hey, Xiao Qi, you're so capable, why don't I let you handle the order? You can negotiate with the clients, and I'll follow along to learn from you, how about that~"
Manager Zhang dragged out his words, his fat face once again displaying an oily smile.
As these words echoed, the tension in the entire office suddenly intensified.
The other people in the office buried their heads deeply, only raising one eye to secretly peek in this direction.
In their hearts, they all hoped that the elegant and amiable Siegfried could gain the upper hand in this confrontation.
However, Manager Zhang not only outranked him but also had twenty more years of workplace experience. He was clearly not someone this young man could easily handle.
"Uh, Manager Zhang, Xiao Qi hasn't been with the company for long. How could he handle such a big order?" The senior colleague sitting opposite Siegfried, who was on good terms with him, couldn't bear to watch anymore. He hurriedly stepped in as a peacemaker, frantically signaling to his impulsive junior with his eyes.
But Siegfried continued to stare at the Wanderer's Manual in his hand as if nothing had happened. From beginning to end, he hadn't even glanced at Manager Zhang once.
Name: Zhang Yu
Male, 40 years old
Education: Junior High School
Race: Human
Deputy Director of the Sales Department at Yali Electric Company, secured a leadership position through his brother-in-law's internal recommendation. Regularly uses his authority to embezzle company property and harass company employees. Has a son and a daughter with his wife. Frequently visits casinos and nightclubs, and keeps two mistresses.
Ability Data:
Strength: E-
Agility: E-
Magic: /
Intelligence: D
Luck: B
Leadership: D
Overall Evaluation: E
(Luck B, no wonder this idiot has been sitting in the deputy director position for so long.) Siegfried silently criticized in his heart. He found that searching for information directly with the Wanderer's Manual was much more detailed than having Shannon report it.
For example, on the next page, there were photos of Zhang Yu indulging with those big bosses in private clubs, ambiguous pictures of him entering hotels with his two mistresses, and many unsightly things like syringes and white powder.
All the photos were taken from peculiar angles, captured so perfectly that it made Siegfried wonder if they were the product of some professional paparazzi following him around the clock.
These ready-made pieces of evidence saved him a lot of trouble. He no longer needed to think about how to use [Deceptive Speech] to drive Zhang Yu out of the company. These photos alone were enough to put Mr. Zhang behind bars for a long time.
He directly tore out the entire page with the photos and said in a flat tone:
"Experience? Yes, I certainly don't have that kind of experience. I'll have to learn from Manager Zhang."
Zhang Yu's smile suddenly froze, his ears turning red in an instant. As his gaze traveled downward, his flushed cheeks gradually turned pale.
He snatched the paper and crumpled it into a ball, taking two steps closer to Siegfried. Lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear, his words no longer carried the previous composure and arrogance:
"You've been following me? Don't you know that's a crime!"
"Of course, invasion of privacy. My uncle is a lawyer. So I'm planning to take these to the police station to turn myself in. Oh, and I'll also send a copy to your brother-in-law, expressing my personal apologies."
Siegfried's voice was loud enough for the entire office to hear.
The corners of his mouth turned up high, his eyes full of mockery. There was not a hint of apology in his expression, only sarcasm turned up to the maximum.
"You!" Zhang Yu's oily face turned bright red, his breathing so intense it seemed he might pass out at any moment, his eyes full of venom.
But under the gaze of the surrounding employees, he couldn't display any overly unusual behavior. He could only suppress his anger and squeeze out a smile with all his might:
"Xiao Qi, we're all colleagues here. What are you doing? Can't we talk things out?"
Only then did Siegfried lower his voice, replying coldly:
"Let's put aside the prostitution. Do you know what the punishment is for drug use in our country?" Enough to spend the rest of your life in prison.
Hearing this, Zhang Yu's face paled even more.
"But as you said, we're colleagues, so I won't make things difficult for you. As long as Manager Zhang does me a small favor, nothing on this paper will ever get out."
Siegfried displayed a sincere smile, skillfully activating [Deceptive Speech].
Under the influence of this Divine Power, even such an obvious lie sounded so believable. Zhang Yu, already in a state of panic, immediately replied:
"Whatever it is, just say it!"
"I'd like to meet with Director Wang, that brother-in-law of yours, for a meal. Could you arrange that for us?"
"Meet my brother-in-law? What for?"
Zhang Yu looked puzzled, unable to figure out why this young man wanted to involve his brother-in-law.
Siegfried shrugged, sighing as if very helpless:
"Actually, my uncle doesn't want to help me too much in the company. He wants me to gain more experience at the grassroots level." He glanced at the thick stack of resumes on his desk and continued, "But I really can't take this hardship anymore."
Zhang Yu's eyebrows twitched. He finally understood - this kid couldn't get anywhere through his uncle's path, so he was trying to change allegiances.
A smile immediately appeared on his oily face as he said:
"No problem, leave it to me. But..."
Zhang Yu pinched the strange textured paper in his hand, winking at Siegfried.
Siegfried chuckled lightly, responding mysteriously:
"Only heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know."
Zhang Yu left, his expression carefree and his steps light.
He believed Siegfried's words without a doubt, even considering this excellent young man as a member of his brother-in-law's faction now.
Siegfried flipped through the Wanderer's Manual. The page that had just been torn out had already grown back, still bearing those unsightly photos of Zhang Yu.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile. This Divine Power, [Deceptive Speech], was incredibly compatible with him. Although it didn't provide direct combat ability, it could be used in any situation. Depending on how it was used and on whom, the power this Divine Power could exert would be beyond imagination.
[Mr. Wanderer, what are you doing?]
Shannon's ethereal voice once again sounded unexpectedly in his mind. By now, Siegfried was more or less accustomed to this strange occurrence.
"What? Are you going to impose moral standards on Wanderers now?"
[No, just pure curiosity.]
Siegfried was somewhat surprised.
He had always thought that so-called Historians might be some kind of higher-dimensional beings, without emotions or humanity, simply maintaining the progression of history according to a set of rules.
But this Miss Shannon gave him a very humanized impression, with quite rich emotions. This wasn't a quality a Historian should possess.
The most important thing in recording history is objectivity and rationality. This should be the same for both ordinary historians on Earth and these self-proclaimed higher-dimensional beings called Historians.
(Could this one be a problem child among the Historians? Is that why she was assigned to manage a troublesome wild Wanderer like me?)
While inwardly grumbling, Siegfried calmly replied:
"Nothing much. Just having a meal to see if there's any leverage on that Director Wang. If not, I'll use my Divine Power to get his shares directly."