Everyone in the meeting room was still in shock, not quite grasping what had just happened, even as Li Junhao knelt down. Their faces were stiff, their minds in disarray.
Liu Manjiang’s expression darkened, and he clenched his fists. He wasn’t naive enough to believe his outburst would force Song Qiao to resign. But he had his own plan, and a crucial part of it was exploiting the animosity between Li Junhao and Song Qiao. His aim was to strip the president of his credibility within the group, and then gradually sideline him.
He never expected Li Junhao to actually kneel before Song Qiao. His entire plan was disrupted, and his own fate…
"No, no, no…" Liu Manjiang suddenly panicked. He forced a smile and quickly crouched down, trying to placate Li Junhao. "Mr. Li, what are you doing?"
"You have the backing of a chaebol and possess inexhaustible resources. It was wrong for this kid to beat you, but can't we just get revenge? You don't need to humiliate us like this…"
Even now, Liu Manjiang was reminding Li Junhao of his status and the fact that Song Qiao had beaten him, trying to rekindle their animosity. However, Li Junhao ignored him completely. His hands flat on the floor, he immediately bowed his head to Song Qiao with a resounding thud!
"Bang!"
"It was my fault before. I beg President Song for forgiveness!"
After the kowtow, Li Junhao remained on his knees and turned to Zheng Ci and Gao Meng. Without a word, he raised his hand and slapped his own disfigured face hard!
"Slap!"
"Miss Gao, Ms. Zheng, I am a beast, I am a scoundrel…"
"I'm sorry!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
As he spoke, Li Junhao kowtowed several more times to the two young women. When he looked up, his forehead was already bleeding profusely. His tear-filled eyes made it impossible to connect him with the arrogant and overbearing Li Junhao from before.
Everyone present widened their eyes, their mouths forming perfect 'o' shapes. The room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, save for the rhythmic sound of Li Junhao's kowtows and slaps.
Faced with Li Junhao's apology, the two young women were somewhat bewildered, unsure how to respond. They instinctively turned to Song Qiao, their faces blank.
"Did you really predict this?"
Seeing that no one was acknowledging him, Li Junhao's heart sank. He felt a chill run through him as if he had fallen into an ice cave. Noticing the gaze of the two young women, Li Junhao quickly crawled forward a couple of steps on his knees. He then bowed his head several more times to Song Qiao, the dull thuds sounding mournful.
"President Song! I beg you, please forgive me!"
"Our cooperation will not be canceled. I know you dislike me."
"So, for future matters, you can deal with Madam Shen. I only ask for your forgiveness this one time!"
As he finished, Li Junhao buried his head on the ground and began to sob.
Song Qiao looked down at him and nodded gently, then said calmly, "Then get out!"
Li Junhao, who was still prostrate, froze. Then, with a look of surprise and joy, he lifted his head. "Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, thank you…"
Wiping the dust from his face with his sleeve, Li Junhao quickly limped out of the meeting room. The way he left, with tears and a smile, made it clear what his situation was.
After Li Junhao departed, those who had been aggressively demanding Song Qiao's resignation moments before were now stunned into silence. They were completely speechless. They had beaten someone, and then that person came to apologize? And the one who was beaten actually did it! What kind of masterful move was this?
Liu Manjiang, in particular, clearly remembered what he had said in front of everyone. He immediately tried to hide in the crowd, pretending to be invisible.
"Manager Liu." Song Qiao stood up and smiled at Liu Manjiang, who was awkwardly out of place in the crowd. "I remember you said something about what would happen if I could resolve the Li Junhao situation?"
Liu Manjiang, rubbing his fingers, walked out, his face as dark as if it could drip water. "I have worked at Huajiang Group for many years. Do you dare to fire me?"
Seeing Liu Manjiang's demeanor, it was clear he intended to renege on his word. Song Qiao, however, was not in a hurry. He smiled and said, "The reasons for your dismissal were clearly stated before. I'm too lazy to repeat them now. Oh, right, you can certainly refuse."
"However, I suggest you think about Li Junhao's fate before making a decision."
"He had the backing of a South Korean chaebol and still ended up like this. What kind of immunity token do you have from any country that you can afford to show it off?"
Song Qiao's words were spoken calmly, but the warning in them was palpable! The assembled crowd trembled at his words, especially with Li Junhao's preceding example. Thinking of this, the senior executives of various departments quickly distanced themselves from Liu Manjiang, afraid of being associated with him in any way. Many even began to urge him to comply with Song Qiao.
"Manager Liu, a true man keeps his word. Are you going back on what you said?"
"Exactly! Since President Song has resolved this matter, you should listen to him!"
"Hurry up and fulfill your promise! Stop dawdling…"
The surrounding murmurs grew louder, making Liu Manjiang's face even more unsightly. He knew the tide had turned, and any further resistance would only be a further embarrassment. If that was the case, he might as well leave with some dignity. With that thought, he gritted his teeth and shouted at Song Qiao, "I voluntarily resign…"
"You are fired!"
Liu Manjiang had never expected that Song Qiao would deny him even this small measure of dignity. Just as he was about to submit his resignation, Song Qiao unceremoniously kicked him away! After all, trash should be swept out. This made Liu Manjiang furious and ashamed. He clenched his small, chubby fists, wishing he could smash them into Song Qiao's face.
"You!"
Song Qiao, no longer willing to deal with him, scanned the crowd calmly and then announced, "I designate Zheng Ci to act as Liu Manjiang's replacement. Do any of you have any objections?"
"No!"
"We resolutely support President Song's decision!"
"Congratulations, Manager Zheng, on your appointment. We will need to look out for each other in the future."
"Yes, Manager Zheng, please don't hesitate to speak up if you need anything…"
Everyone applauded and cheered, fully and unconditionally supporting Zheng Ci's assumption of the position. Many senior executives even began to curry favor with her. This made Zheng Ci feel both happy and troubled.
Song Qiao was somewhat satisfied with the crowd's attitude. He nodded slightly at Zheng Ci as encouragement. Then, he waved towards the doorway. The two security guards understood and quickly entered. Under everyone's gaze, they unceremoniously dragged Liu Manjiang away!