Chapter 160: Chapter 33 Ouyang Jiani Brandishing a Hoe to Empty Out Her Former Employer
In a big company, they were digging, digging, and digging.
They were undermining the foundation, snatching away talent.
Not long after, Xiaoju Technology could no longer handle the onslaught.
Of course, as a large company with thousands of employees, losing a few staff members wasn’t necessarily bad news. In fact, they were rather pleased, as they were already in the process of cutting costs and downsizing for efficiency. But even they couldn’t withstand Ouyang Jiani’s relentless shovel, which was digging exclusively in one spot.
Xiaoju Technology, Live-Streaming E-commerce Business Group, Live-Streaming Department.
Xiang Yunsheng, the department manager, had recently been so anxious he was about to tear his hair out. His swollen gums and a mouth full of ulcers were all proof of how the company’s recent affairs had overwhelmed him.
This whole mess had started a few days ago when his assistant told him that people from another company seemed to be poaching their department’s staff. At the time, he hadn’t paid it much mind. They were planning layoffs anyway. He had been finding the task of letting people go quite tricky. Which company is this, coming to do charity work for me? He decided not to interfere.
And then... things didn’t go as he had expected.
The company that came to do "charity" turned out to be not so charitable after all. They swung their shovels wildly in his department, poaching one capable employee after another.
Now he was panicking. He promptly called a meeting to stabilize morale. Of course, he had no authority to offer raises to retain talent. He could only make empty promises while reporting the situation to upper management.
Unfortunately, his promises weren’t the least bit enticing; the veteran employees were sick of his empty promises. Meanwhile, the new company that was headhunting offered tempting salary packages.
What to do? Does anyone even need to be told? In times as bad as these, to have some big-spending fool of a company offering high salaries to poach people... If you don’t leave now, when will you?
Like a dam breaking, the talents of the Live-Streaming Department flowed away, continuously poached. As for those who remained, they were either nepotism hires biding their time or unambitious career slackers.
Can these people accomplish anything? The answer, of course, was no.
Consequently, ever since the last time the department was criticized by upper management, its performance hadn’t just failed to improve; it had plummeted. As the head of the department, it was a wonder Xiang Yunsheng could sleep at night.
"What on earth is going on? We just got back from the New Year, and the company has already lost so many talented people?" Xiang Yunsheng sat in the general manager’s office, venting his anger at his subordinates.
"Manager Xiang, the matter is still under investigation," his assistant said cautiously from the side.
"Still investigating, still investigating!" He furiously hurled the pens from his desk at his subordinates. They’ve already poached so many people, and you still haven’t even figured out which company it is? It’s impossible to run a company properly with these vermin.
"Are you going to wait until they’ve poached every last person in our department before you figure it out?" Xiang Yunsheng was seething.
With the general manager in a fury, his subordinates trembled in fear, not daring to utter a sound. Finally, the deputy manager pushed the door open and came in.
"Manager Xiang, we’ve figured it out. It’s a new media company started by a former employee. They’re the ones poaching our people."
"Oh?" Xiang Yunsheng took the brief investigation report. His face quickly turned livid. The report crumpled in his grip before he slapped it down on the desk with a sharp crack.
"It’s that Sun Dasheng again. How is he everywhere? He’s like a ghost that won’t go away."
Hearing the name, everyone understood. Sun Dasheng was a familiar name. He was a veteran employee of the company—diligent and dedicated. And then he was laid off. Now, this was his revenge. It was clear his intentions were hostile.
The phrase "hostile intentions" also surfaced in Xiang Yunsheng’s mind.
"He’s just an investor," the deputy manager added. "The person in charge is his apprentice, Ouyang Jiani, who also resigned from our company not long ago. She’s very close to him. Sun Dasheng mentored her from the day she joined, and they have a very good relationship."
Ouyang Jiani. That was the name of another capable person from the department. Wasn’t it the general manager himself who personally ordered her transfer to a dead-end post not too long ago?
Everyone’s eyes shifted toward Xiang Yunsheng. Looks like you were the one who sent these two troublemakers packing. You created this mess, so you can clean it up.
"What are you all looking at me for?" Xiang Yunsheng felt a twinge of guilt, but he couldn’t afford to sound weak. "This is a matter of our department’s survival. We must all pull together in the same boat, unite as one, and channel our strength toward a common goal to overcome this temporary crisis."
As expected of a leader, he sure knew how to talk the talk. Unfortunately, his subordinates weren’t buying it anymore. While they didn’t have the courage to contradict him to his face, they certainly had the courage to give him the silent treatment, and plenty of it.
"Speak up! Why has everyone gone mute? The department is in such a huge crisis. Is it solely my responsibility? Don’t you all bear any responsibility?"
Seeing that they continued their passive-aggressive silence, he started calling out names. The first was the deputy manager, Guan Shan.
"Old Guan, do you have any responsibility in this?"
Huh? What responsibility do I have? Should I be responsible for this? Guan Shan was utterly bewildered. He wasn’t particularly close with the two people undermining the company, nor was he the one who forced them out. The blame was being unfairly pinned on him.
"Do... do I?" Guan Shan stammered.
In the workplace, rank is everything. Being even half a level lower can be a death sentence for your career.
"Of course you do. While I normally handle departmental HR, you also have oversight," Xiang Yunsheng pressed, his tone aggressive. "When I proposed we ’optimize’ Sun Dasheng, you voted in favor."
Guan Shan’s expression soured. You’re the manager! You’re the one who called the vote. How could I possibly have voted against you?