The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

"You should’ve just said so! If you’d laid it out like this from the start, none of this would have happened. We’re willing to work under these conditions."

Zhang Erchuan was also swayed by the terms Gu’er offered. So much money a month, and they’d even cover medical expenses if you got sick. His family wouldn’t have to pay for medicine anymore. ’Where else could he find a job this good?’

"We’re willing too."

The men behind Zhang Erchuan shouted as well, their faces flushed with excitement.

"I’m sorry, but I already made myself clear. We will not be rehiring anyone who stepped forward. You’ve made your decision, and I have no intention of forcing the matter."

Gu’er was making it crystal clear: once you leave, you can’t come back. It was impossible.

Hearing Gu’er’s words, those who had been tempted but hadn’t stepped forward felt incredibly relieved. If they had followed Zhang Erchuan, they would have lost their chance at such a great job.

"Mayor Jin, you have to back us up! We were assigned here by the city. She can’t just get rid of us because she feels like it! This isn’t just a slap in our face; it’s a slap in the government’s face! She’s showing complete disregard for the government. We didn’t even do anything wrong, we just voiced an opinion. If we hadn’t spoken up, maybe she wouldn’t have offered everyone such great terms. Now she’s kicking us out. You have to step in for us!"

Zhang Erchuan pleaded with the mayor. He couldn’t believe that Gu’er would actually dare to fire them with the mayor right there.

The mayor knew Gu’er needed to establish her authority, but Zhang Erchuan was also a nuisance. ’It would be best if she could keep him,’ he thought, ’just to stop him from constantly pestering the city government.’

"Mayor Jin, you know that in any operation, flip-flopping on decisions is the worst thing you can do. I was clear with them: wait until I finished speaking, then decide. But they wouldn’t listen and insisted on causing a scene. I told them that once they decided and stepped forward, there was no going back. I will absolutely not have them here again. Everyone must take responsibility for their actions and choices. Since they stepped out, it means they thought it through and decided they wouldn’t return, for any reason. I respect their choice. We currently have forty-four employees, which leaves us six short. I will happily accept another six people, whether they’re assigned by the city or the district, or even if the current staff recommends them. But I will absolutely not take back the ones who walked out. I hope you can respect our decision, Mayor Jin. After all, for a business to grow, this is the biggest taboo, isn’t it?"

Of course, Gu’er wasn’t going to be confrontational with the mayor, but she wouldn’t back down either. ’Sure, I could let Zhang Erchuan and the others come back and deal with them later,’ she thought, ’but that’s a bad approach. If I give in an inch now, some people will take a mile. They’ll think I’m a pushover and can cause trouble whenever they want, since they have the city to back them up. That’s not a good precedent to set.’

"You’re right. Inconsistency is indeed a major issue. Every place has its rules; without them, there can be no order. I’ll have the city or the district send over the six employees you’re short on in the next couple of days. As for those six, the city will find other placements for them, so don’t you worry. As long as you conduct your business honorably and truly have the workers’ best interests at heart, both the city and the district will support you."

Mayor Jin nodded. What Gu’er said made a lot of sense. Besides, the city had promised her that as long as she was willing to solve the employment issue, it didn’t matter to them who the specific employees were. Lin Gu’er and her team were offering such generous terms that the workers would be satisfied, and in turn, they would praise the government. It meant the city had done the right thing. They had done a good deed for the people and scored a political achievement. It was a win-win situation.

Mayor Jin’s words made it clear he was backing Gu’er. The few men who had followed Zhang Erchuan out knew it was a lost cause. Their eyes blazed with anger, not at Gu’er, but at Zhang Erchuan. If he hadn’t stirred up trouble, they could be working here right now, earning good money. Now, Zhang Erchuan had essentially ruined their prospects. How could they not hate him for it?

"Thank you for your support, Mayor Jin. We’ll be sure to do a great job."

Gu’er said with a grateful smile. She didn’t care what those men thought; everyone had to take responsibility for their own choices.

"Thank you, Mayor Jin."

Li Zhi, Sun Jiaming, and the others also expressed their thanks.

"Don’t mention it. You young people have great energy, you’re all very capable. The city has faith in you. If you need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to let the city know."

Mayor Jin was quite affable as he offered them a few words of encouragement.

"Mayor, you can’t do this! You can’t just abandon us! You’re supposed to stand up for us common folk! If you wash your hands of this, we’ll have no way to survive!"

Zhang Erchuan hadn’t gotten what he wanted, so there was no way he would just give up.

Gu’er said in a low voice, "Mayor, Secretary, if you’re busy, please go ahead. We’ll handle things here."

"Alright then. We won’t hold up your training any longer. We have to go inspect some other sites."

Mayor Jin nodded, thinking Gu’er was quite sharp for giving them an out.

The secretary also nodded at her, a look of approval in his eyes.

"Mayor, you can’t go! You’re the government! Isn’t the government supposed to help us?"

Seeing they were about to leave, Zhang Erchuan rushed forward to grab them. But Dingzi moved in a flash, appearing right in front of him and seizing his arm. When Zhang Erchuan opened his mouth to shout, Dingzi clamped a hand over it.

Mayor Jin and the others left.

Zhang Erchuan’s protests were muffled into incoherent grunts.

Gu’er shot Dingzi a meaningful look. Dingzi nodded in understanding, then dragged Zhang Erchuan out. Li Zhi followed them. The two of them were going to "deal with" Zhang Erchuan to make sure he wouldn’t cause any more trouble. Only then would this matter be truly over.

The other men saw Zhang Erchuan get hauled away and knew it was useless to plead. Cursing Zhang Erchuan under their breath, they left, crestfallen. Their hearts were filled with regret, feeling they had thrown away a golden opportunity.

Only Chen Xia remained, still standing there. Her eyes darted back and forth. ’This is such a great opportunity,’ she thought. ’How could I be willing to just walk away?’

Chen Xia walked up to Gu’er and said in a hushed tone, "Sis, my uncle-in-law works in Yonghong District. His older brother is our very own district head, Mr. Lin. I specifically asked to be transferred here—I even left my job at the department store! You can’t just get rid of me. If I’m working here, I can guarantee the district will look after our mall. Sis, I’ll go talk to my uncle-in-law and have him put in a good word with Mr. Lin. After that, you won’t have to worry about a single thing with this mall."

Gu’er stared at her in astonishment. ’My father is her uncle-in-law’s older brother? How come I’ve never heard of this?’ She didn’t doubt that Chen Xia’s uncle-in-law worked in Yonghong District, but she found the rest of her claims hard to believe. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Mr. Lin would listen to you? From what I’ve heard, Mr. Lin is a man of integrity. He doesn’t do personal favors."

Gu’er asked Chen Xia.

"Sis, that’s just his public image. My family and Mr. Lin are practically family. He might not do favors for strangers, but would he really turn down his own people? Besides, which of these officials is truly incorruptible? It’s all just for show; they all have their price. But don’t you worry, Sis. You won’t have to show up or spend a dime on gifts for Mr. Lin. I’ll handle all of it. You have no idea, I’ve been to Mr. Lin’s house several times! He’s so warm and welcoming to me. He even said he wants to make me his goddaughter! If it wasn’t for that connection, I wouldn’t have been able to get this transfer. From now on, Sis, just leave everything to me."

Chen Xia assured Gu’er with confidence.

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Thank you to my readers for the monthly passes.

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Synopsis: As an adopted daughter, Mu Yan has only two paths in life. If her host family sires a son, she must marry him. If they sire a daughter, she must serve as a handmaiden and secondary wife. After being betrayed, divorced, and having her child stolen away, she is reborn at the age of fourteen. Faced with her ’brother,’ a man with whom she shares no blood, will she marry him, or will she refuse?