The store manager representative, seeing Zhang Liunian appear to question them, completely disregarded him, instead presuming the operations were entirely under their control, and adopted an arrogant demeanor.
"So what if the department store can't stay open? I'll say it one last time, hand over today's earnings." Zhang Liunian, unconcerned with whether the department store could open tomorrow, demanded they hand over the money.
The store manager representative's expression flickered slightly. He hadn't expected Zhang Liunian to be willing to close the store rather than back down, and to directly demand the money.
If they refused to hand it over now, wouldn't that clearly indicate something was amiss?
Yet, if they did hand it over, they would lose nearly a year's worth of wages.
"No, we didn't sell anything today, so there's no money." The store manager representative, after a few thoughts, still refused to hand over the money in his pockets to Zhang Liunian.
However, his lie could be exposed by questioning any sales associate and was completely untenable.
"Is that so? Find some sales associates and ask them how many items they sold today. This isn't their private domain." Zhang Liunian looked at the team leader, signaling him to handle it.
The team leader naturally did not object. He turned and personally called the employees from the store manager representative's department, and in front of everyone, asked how many watches they had sold that day.
Seeing the situation, the store manager representative felt a panic, realizing he might be exposed. He then began to give signals to the sales associates.
However, this particular sales associate disliked his store manager. Upon hearing the new boss asking about store matters, he completely ignored the store manager's signals and honestly replied, "We sold a total of fifty-two watches today, totaling four thousand and five yuan."
"How would you, a salesperson, know how much was sold? Get out of here." The store manager representative was so furious that he wanted to hit the sales associate for revealing the day's earnings.
The earnings from that single day were almost equivalent to his annual salary, and he was naturally unwilling to part with the money.
"To see if that's true, a body search will clarify it." Zhang Liunian said, then instructed the team leader and others to apprehend the store manager representative and begin the search.
"You can't do this." The store manager representative had never been treated this way before and naturally resisted.
After all, ever since he became the store manager of the department store, many people had treated him with great respect. How could he possibly be apprehended and searched in public? If the four thousand yuan on him were found, wouldn't it be over for him?
"The department store belongs to me, and you are merely employees. Don't forget your positions. Team leader, search him." Zhang Liunian curled his lips, his demeanor cold and ruthless.
"This is a violation of human rights. You can't do this." The store manager representative clenched his fists and took a few steps back in protest.
The team leader paid him no mind. He had no fear of a store manager who was about to be kicked out.
He called over a few helpers and was about to restrain him, when the store manager representative suddenly shouted at the more than a dozen brothers behind him, "Help me, everyone! We absolutely cannot let this person search us. We will not accept this humiliation."
The twelve store managers also knew that if the store manager representative allowed Zhang Liunian to search him, they would not escape either. They immediately stepped forward, forming a confrontation with the team leader and his group, creating a stalemate.
Seeing this, the store manager representative became extremely smug and provocatively looked at Zhang Liunian, "Boss Zhang's authority is truly great. Just arriving at the department store, you treat us store managers like this. Aren't you afraid we'll be disheartened?"
"You ungrateful traitors, whoever wants you can have you. I certainly don't."
After speaking, Zhang Liunian stepped forward, grabbed the store manager representative by the collar, and pulled him out of the crowd.
His movements were swift. The store manager representative was caught off guard and made a mistake, allowing Zhang Liunian to succeed. "What are you doing? Let go of me, let go of me."
Zhang Liunian paid him no mind. He turned and instructed the team leader to conduct the search.
Hearing that a search was still imminent, the store manager representative immediately resisted, kicking and flailing with his hands and feet. The other store managers also tried to intervene, but Zhang Liunian gave them no opportunity to approach. Before they could get close, he kicked each of them flying.
His actions were extremely fast and decisive. The more than ten store managers were sent flying before they were even ready.
Many customers and department store staff were astonished. They had never expected the new boss, despite his youthful appearance, to be a skilled fighter.
With such a boss in charge, anyone who dared to provoke him would surely be thrown out in minutes.
"What are you waiting for? If he dares to search me now, he'll go to the second and third floors to search you later. If you don't want to end up like me, hurry up and help me." The store manager representative, struggling, saw the store managers from the second and third floors appearing and immediately cried out to them for help.
The store managers from the second and third floors exchanged glances upon hearing this, then surged forward, beginning to push against Zhang Liunian's group.
"Everyone, hold the line!" The team leader, about to conduct the search, saw that the store managers from the second and third floors had joined in. He immediately abandoned the search, turned, and led his dozen or so men to resist.
However, with only fifteen of them at full strength, they were no match for nearly forty store managers.
Within moments, the team leader and his men were pushed back to Zhang Liunian.
"Boss, this body search might not be possible today. We can't resist them!" The team leader shouted to Zhang Liunian while fending off the punches and kicks from the store managers.
The store manager representative, still being held by Zhang Liunian, saw this and became extremely triumphant. "Let us go immediately, or I'll have everyone overturn your department store."
Zhang Liunian sneered at the threat, "Is that so?" Then, with lightning speed, he personally patted down the store manager representative, successfully retrieving a large sum of money. He then threw the man backward in front of the thirty-nine store managers, successfully pinning them to the ground.
Zhang Liunian took advantage of their fall and counted the money in front of everyone, then loudly declared, "Four thousand one hundred and fifty yuan."
Upon hearing this, the crowd, who had been watching the spectacle, erupted in an uproar. They had really sold over four thousand yuan, and it was on this person.
This store manager was something else. He had just said there was no money, and now his face was slapped!
"Everyone, look. This is a store manager who steals. As the new boss, I merely wanted to understand how much they sold today. Not only did they lie and say they had no money, but they also secretly kept the store's earnings. I have reason to suspect that they may have stolen money not just today. It seems we'll have to send them to the police station to investigate thoroughly and see how much they have embezzled."
As soon as Zhang Liunian uttered these words, the store managers' faces turned grim. Some even wanted to rush out of the department store and leave.
However, as Zhang Liunian had made preparations, none of these store managers could escape.
"Brothers, let's all charge out! We can't let him falsely accuse us of stealing. Charge!" The store manager representative, after getting up from the ground and hearing Zhang Liunian's words, clearly understood that he intended to frame them, so he raised his arm and led the charge outwards.
Seeing this, Zhang Liunian naturally would not let them escape from under his nose.
He stepped forward a few paces to block their path, lowering his center of gravity in an attacking stance.
At this point, the store managers no longer cared whether Zhang Liunian could fight. They only wanted to take today's earnings and flee the scene, absolutely refusing to let him search them and be branded a criminal.