Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

At midnight, the "Cocoon" bar is at its noisiest, with colorful laser lights sweeping wildly through the crowd, deafening electronic music making eardrums vibrate, and the air filled with a complex mixture of alcohol, perfume, and tobacco.

Xu Yuntian's forehead was covered in sweat, and the top two buttons of his shirt collar were ripped open, revealing his oily neck. After playing wildly on the dance floor for more than half an hour, he had already exhausted his stamina and now all he wanted to do was go back to his booth and collapse to recover his strength.

The chilled whiskey in the booth was still emitting a cold draft. Xu Yuntian picked up a can and took a big gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, slightly relieving the heat and fatigue in his body. He leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and the deep bass of the music was still echoing in his mind. Just then, a slender figure stopped beside the booth.

Xu Yuntian opened his eyes and saw a beautiful girl standing in front of him, holding a glass of whiskey, her face showing a hint of shyness and nervousness. The girl was wearing Gustave's uniform short skirt, with a white shirt tucked into the black skirt, outlining her slender waist, and her long, fair legs were exposed, making her look youthful and capable.

"Mr. Xu, my name is Zeng Zixuan, and I'm a sales promoter for Ghost." The girl's voice was soft, almost drowned out by the music in the noisy environment. She lowered her head slightly, holding the wine glass with both hands, appearing somewhat reserved.

Xu Yuntian's gaze was fixed on Zeng Zixuan, his eyes filled with scrutiny and greed. Compared to the shrewd girls who frequented bars, this young woman possessed a unique purity and naivety, like an innocent white flower untouched by the world. Fueled by alcohol, his mind went blank, his reason instantly overwhelmed by desire. He grabbed Zeng Zixuan's wrist and, to her horror, pulled her tightly into his arms.

"Mr. Xu! Let me go!" Zeng Zixuan was terrified and her face turned pale. She struggled desperately, pushing against Xu Yuntian's chest with both hands.

But Xu Yuntian felt that she was playing hard to get, so he hugged her even tighter and kept saying, "Stop pretending. You come to a place like this just to climb the social ladder, right? Follow President Xu, and I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury."

Seeing this, the people in the surrounding booths all took out their phones to take pictures and videos. The chatter and laughter mixed with the music, making Zeng Zixuan even more embarrassed, and she almost burst into tears.

In the midst of the chaos, an angry figure burst through the crowd—it was Zhao Mei, who had just returned from the restroom. She immediately spotted Zeng Zixuan struggling in Xu Yuntian's arms, pulled the two apart, grabbed a bucket of ice water from the nearby table, and splashed it all over Xu Yuntian's face.

Ice water streamed down Xu Yuntian's hair and cheeks, soaking his shirt and instantly sobering him up.

Meanwhile, in the VIP room on the second floor of the bar, Dong Yue gently pushed open the door, gave Qin Hao and Shen Mo an OK sign, and looked smug.

"President Qin, it's all settled. Someone has already posted the video online, and it'll probably go viral soon," Dong Yue said with a smile, returning to his seat.

Shen Mo raised his glass and gestured towards Qin Hao: "President Qin, we'll need you to give it a push and get the hype going."

Qin Hao nodded slightly, raised his glass and clinked it against Shen Mo's. The crisp sound echoed in the private room. "That's easy. You guys first post a few things on various forums and social media platforms under the pretext that Xu Yuntian is harassing a female subordinate in the workplace. Add videos and photos. I'll take care of the buzz and traffic."

Dong Yue sat to the side, watching the two chatting and laughing, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He knew very well that Shen Mo was doing this to pave the way for him, so that he would have the opportunity to take the position of sales director after Xu Yuntian's downfall.

Upon closer reflection, Qin Hao and Shen Mo had already sentenced Xu Yuntian to death with a few words, their ruthless methods sending chills down one's spine. Even if he were to actually take Xu Yuntian's place, he would be nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at any moment in front of these two.

"Come on, Dong Yue, don't just stand there, have a drink." Shen Mo saw through Dong Yue's thoughts and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

Dong Yue snapped out of his daze, quickly raised his glass, and forced a smile: "Thank you, President Shen, thank you, President Qin. I will definitely work hard and live up to your expectations."

Zhao Mei woke up the next day at noon. She rubbed her throbbing head, picked up her phone to check the time, and was immediately jolted awake by a deluge of news. She felt like the sky was falling. A video of Xu Yuntian sexually harassing Zeng Zixuan, a company employee, at a bar had been posted online and quickly went viral. Countless netizens left comments condemning Xu Yuntian for workplace harassment and moral depravity. The topic even climbed into the top ten of the trending searches, and the hashtag #GustExecutiveHarassesFemaleSubordinateAtBar# had garnered over 100 million views.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Her husband, Li Dongming, walked into the room with a glass of warm water and asked immediately when he saw Zhao Mei's pale face.

Zhao Mei handed her phone to Li Dongming, her voice trembling: "Take a look for yourself. Xu Yuntian is in trouble. The video has been posted online, and now the whole internet is cursing him."

Li Dongming took the phone, quickly glanced at it, and his expression turned serious: "This has blown up. Guster's profits have declined sharply in the last two years, and they've been thinking about restructuring the company, laying off staff and cutting costs for a while now. Xu Yuntian's current situation has given the company a convenient excuse."

“But Mr. Xu controls more than half of Guster’s client resources,” Zhao Mei said with some doubt.

Seeing that Zhao Mei didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the problem, Li Dongming put down his phone, sat on the edge of the bed, and earnestly reminded her, "You're too naive. In matters involving workplace harassment and damaging the company's reputation, the company will definitely sacrifice Xu Yuntian to quell public opinion in order to protect itself. The most important thing now is not to worry about Xu Yuntian, but yourself. You were promoted by Xu Yuntian and are considered his confidant. You must sever ties with him, otherwise the outside world will suspect that you have some improper dealings with him, and then it will be very difficult for you to continue working in this industry."

Zhao Mei's heart skipped a beat. Li Dongming's words were like a bucket of cold water, waking her up. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that he was right.

After quickly washing up, Zhao Mei rushed to the company. As soon as she entered the company gate, she sensed an unusual atmosphere. Her colleagues looked at her with strange eyes, and whispers arose one after another.

She hurried to the sales department, only to find that Xu Yuntian, who had been celebrating his upcoming promotion the night before, had already received a notice to suspend all work that morning. What alarmed her even more was that before the termination notice had even been officially issued, the company's administrative staff had already begun clearing out Xu Yuntian's office supplies and personal belongings, clearly indicating that they were completely abandoning him.

For a moment, Zhao Mei panicked completely. She stood in front of her desk, her hands and feet were ice-cold, her mind a complete mess, and she didn't know what to do.

She knew very well that after Xu Yuntian fell from power, as his confidant, her life would definitely not be easy, and she might even be treated as a "sacrifice" and disposed of.

Meanwhile, Qin Hao was working in his office when his phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed it was from Bai Ruide, the president of Ghost's China branch. He raised an eyebrow and pressed the answer button.

"Mr. Qin, I apologize for bothering you." Bai Ruide's voice carried a hint of politeness and probing.

"Mr. Bai, you're too kind. Please speak frankly," Qin Hao said calmly.

After some pleasantries, Bai Ruide finally got straight to the point: "President Qin, you must already know about Xu Yuntian's situation. Xu Yuntian has been officially dismissed from the company, but he doesn't represent Guster on his own. Guster's strength and reputation are undeniable. So, regarding our future cooperation..."

Qin Hao interrupted him directly: "For the subsequent cooperation, you need to select someone to handle things as soon as possible. There's not much time left before the 618 shopping festival. If the sales during the festival are affected because of the problem with the person in charge, you will be the ones who suffer losses."

Hearing Qin Hao's words, Bai Ruide immediately felt reassured. His biggest worry was that Qin Hao would terminate the cooperation with Guster because of Xu Yuntian's matter. Xingyao Yanxuan was Guster's largest online sales channel, accounting for half of Guster's online sales. As long as Qin Hao didn't object to replacing Xu Yuntian, he had no concerns whatsoever.

“Yes, Mr. Qin, don’t worry, we will select a suitable contact person as soon as possible, and it will definitely not delay our subsequent cooperation.” Bai Ruide said quickly, his tone somewhat relaxed: “Also, it seems like we haven’t played golf together in a long time. When can we set a time to play a few rounds and relax?”

"Okay, let's reschedule for another day," Qin Hao said casually, and hung up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, White let out a long sigh of relief, a relieved smile spreading across his face. He turned to Peter Du and Qi Youlan, who were sitting in the office, and said, "You see, I was right. Xu Yuntian's influence isn't as high as you think. The reason he's been able to achieve some success is largely because he's on the platform provided by Guster and has leveraged the company's resources."

"Firing him won't have a significant impact on the company's performance; on the contrary, it will calm public opinion and restore the company's reputation," White said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Peter Du still expressed some concern, reminding him, "Although Xingyao Yanxuan accounts for the majority of our online sales, Xu Yuntian still holds considerable resources from offline distributors. If he were to switch sides to our competitor Wilson, or start his own business and try to win over these distributors, it would be a significant blow to our company's offline business."

White waved his hand confidently: "There are no ifs. I've already spoken with Shen Mo beforehand, and he clearly stated that he will continue to cooperate with Ghost and will help stabilize those offline distributors."

Hearing what Bai Ruide said, Du Peter and Qi Youlan completely lost their inhibitions. Shen Mo, as Guster's largest offline distributor, alone accounted for 30% of Guster's sales, wielding enormous influence. Coupled with Qin Hao's support from Xingyao Yanxuan, any other distributor who wasn't stupid would know that Xu Yuntian couldn't cause any more trouble, and naturally wouldn't risk following him.

After get off work, Zhao Mei carried a cardboard box containing Xu Yuntian's personal belongings and headed to Xu Yuntian's house with a heavy heart. She had a plan in mind. On one hand, she wanted to explain to Xu Yuntian that what happened last night had nothing to do with her. On the other hand, she also wanted to sound out Xu Yuntian's intentions and see if he had any backup plans, so she could make arrangements for her own future.

Knocking on Xu Yuntian's door, a strong smell of alcohol hit the door. Xu Yuntian was wearing pajamas, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night. When he saw Zhao Mei, his eyes held a complex mix of emotions: anger, resentment, and a hint of suspicion.

"Mr. Xu, these are your things. I've brought them over to you," Zhao Mei said carefully, placing the cardboard box at the door.

Xu Yuntian didn't say anything, turned around and went into the house. Zhao Mei hesitated for a moment, but followed him in. The living room was a mess, with wine bottles scattered all over the floor and ashtrays piled high with cigarette butts.

Xu Yuntian suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse, his eyes fixed on Zhao Mei: "That saleswoman named Zeng Zixuan is your subordinate. You must have had her deliberately approach me and set a trap for me!"

"Mr. Xu, please wake up! What good would it do me to get rid of you?" Zhao Mei quickly explained.

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Xu Yuntian said emotionally, "That Zeng Zixuan is your person, and it just so happens that she came to toast me, and then she just so happens to be trending on social media!"

The two argued incessantly, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting their argument.

Xu Yuntian impatiently went to open the door, and when he saw the person standing at the door, his face instantly became even more unpleasant—it was Qi Youlan, the company's vice president of human resources.

Zhao Mei was terrified and quickly hid in the next room, closing the door behind her. She knew very well that if Qi Youlan saw her with Xu Yuntian at this moment, she would definitely be considered as part of Xu Yuntian's faction, and might even be fired along with Xu Yuntian.

"Xu Yuntian, I'm here today on behalf of the company to discuss your resignation." Qi Youlan's voice was cold and businesslike: "The company has decided that you should resign voluntarily, and you will not receive any financial compensation."

Xu Yuntian's voice instantly rose, filled with anger and disbelief: "I've worked for Guster for so many years, generating so much revenue for the company, and now you're going to kick me out for such a trivial matter, without even offering compensation? You've gone too far!"

"This is no small matter; it's a serious issue that could severely damage the company's reputation," Qi Youlan said calmly. "If you don't want things to get too ugly, you'd better just sign your resignation. Otherwise, it won't do you any good."

"I won't sign! You're using me and then discarding me!" Xu Yun was so angry that he was trembling all over and almost hit Qi Youlan.

Qi Youlan was too lazy to say anything more and turned to leave.

Zhao Mei didn't speak, but felt a chill run through her. She dared not linger any longer, quickly said goodbye to Xu Yuntian, and hurriedly left.

After returning home, Zhao Mei told her husband, Li Dongming, everything that had happened that day.

After listening, Li Dongming frowned and said, "The current situation is very unfavorable for you. The higher-ups at Guster definitely want to suppress this matter as soon as possible and quell public opinion. As Xu Yuntian's right-hand man, you are likely to be used as a 'scapegoat.' From now on, you must be careful with your words, keep a low profile, and do not participate in any discussions about Xu Yuntian."

"What should I do now? Am I just supposed to sit here and wait to die?" Zhao Mei frowned, her heart filled with anxiety. "Should I ask Qin Hao for help?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dongming paused in taking off his suit jacket, and said hesitantly, "It's worth a try. However, you'd better not have too high hopes. He and Liang Danning broke up two years ago, and you two haven't had much contact in those two years. Your relationship has long since faded, and he might not be willing to help you."

"Never mind, let's try anything, I can't just wait to die like this," Zhao Mei said through gritted teeth. She picked up her phone, took a deep breath, and dialed Qin Hao's number.

After the phone rang a few times, it was answered, and Qin Hao's voice came through the receiver, still in that calm tone: "Hello."

"Qin Hao, it's me, Zhao Mei. Are you busy right now?" Zhao Mei's voice carried a hint of nervousness and uncertainty.

Qin Hao casually said, "Oh, it's Zhao Mei. You're looking for me because of Xu Yuntian?"

Zhao Mei was somewhat surprised, not expecting Qin Hao to guess so accurately: "You already knew?"

"Such a big thing, it's even trending on social media, how could I not know?" Qin Hao's tone was devoid of much emotion.

Zhao Mei gave a wry smile: "It's true what they say, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. Since you already know, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Qin Hao, could you put in a good word for me with Bai Ruide? I really need this job."

Qin Hao hesitated for a moment, and then there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. Zhao Mei's heart was in her throat as she anxiously awaited his reply.

"Alright," Qin Hao finally spoke up. "Bai Ruide just invited me to play golf. I'll put in a good word for you then, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"No matter what, thank you so much," Zhao Mei said quickly, her voice full of gratitude. "I'll treat you to a meal once this is all over."

"Okay, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up now." Qin Hao said and then hung up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Mei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders.

"Fortunately, Qin Hao is willing to help me out of old friendship. As long as he asks, I don't think Bai Ruide will be able to refuse him, so I should be able to keep my job."

Li Dongming, however, was not as optimistic as Zhao Mei. He shook his head and said, "Don't be too happy too soon. Even if you keep your job, your future in the company is uncertain. Xu Yuntian is gone, and you were his confidant. The new sales director, whether recruited from outside or promoted from within the company, will see you as a thorn in their side."

Zhao Mei's smile froze instantly; she knew Li Dongming was telling the truth. But she had no other choice but to take it one step at a time.

"Right now, all we can do is try to keep our jobs."

She knew very well that with her educational background, leaving Guster would mean starting all over again. Forget finding a job at her level; even if she started as a sales promoter from scratch, she would be considered too old.

"What if I really lose my job and have to stay at home as a full-time housewife? Will you look down on me?" Zhao Mei looked at Li Dongming with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Li Dongming put down what he was holding, walked over and hugged Zhao Mei, jokingly saying, "Don't let my mom hear you say that, she'll be laughing in her sleep. She's been hoping you'd quit your job, stay home, take good care of the family, and have a baby."

Zhao Mei was amused by his words, which eased her worries considerably. She knew that her mother-in-law had long been dissatisfied with her work, feeling that she was always leaving early and returning late, neglecting her family. Fortunately, her husband was quite opinionated and had always been supportive of her career, which was a major reason why she had been able to persevere until now.

However, the next day at work, Zhao Mei was called upstairs by her colleagues from the HR department as soon as she arrived at the company. The senior management offices of Ghost China's branch were all on the top floor; there were only a few offices on the entire floor, all luxuriously decorated, spacious, and bright.

Compared to the cramped, honeycomb-like office environment of the sales department downstairs, this place could only be described as luxurious, so spacious that you could almost run a horse around in it. As Zhao Mei followed her colleagues forward, she cursed inwardly at how well these executives knew how to enjoy themselves.

Arriving at the door of HR Vice President Qi Youlan's office, Zhao Mei took a deep breath and pushed the door open. She had already witnessed this woman's formidable nature at Xu Yuntian's house yesterday and knew she was not to be trifled with, so she was on high alert.

Qi Youlan sat behind a large desk, holding a document in her hand. She looked up at Zhao Mei and gestured for her to sit down.

"Please sit down." Qi Youlan's tone was flat, revealing little emotion.

Zhao Mei sat down in the chair opposite her, placed her hands on her knees, leaned forward slightly, and maintained a respectful posture: "President Qi, is there something you need?"

As expected, Qi Youlan went straight to the point, immediately shifting the blame onto her: "Manager Zhao, the matter concerning Xu Yuntian is causing a huge uproar, severely impacting the company's reputation. I heard that you fired Zeng Zixuan on the spot at the bar?"

"I..." Zhao Mei was stunned for a moment, then quickly explained, "President Qi, Zeng Zixuan, as a sales promoter of the company, drank alcohol during work hours, which violated company regulations. I dismissed her in accordance with the company's rules and regulations."

Qi Youlan put down the documents in her hand and looked at Zhao Mei with sharp eyes: "But do you know how much consequences your actions have caused? Now many people online are saying that the company fired Zeng Zixuan to cover up the truth. This has undoubtedly intensified public opinion and made the company's situation even more passive."

What angered Zhao Mei even more was Qi Youlan's next words, which pushed her into the abyss: "In order to quell public opinion and salvage the company's reputation, the company has decided to hold a press conference. At that time, you will step forward and explain the situation to the public."

Zhao Mei suddenly looked up at Qi Youlan in disbelief: "President Qi, you want me to step in? This...this isn't appropriate, is it? What happened back then had nothing to do with me..."

"How can it be unrelated?" Qi Youlan looked at her, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "You are Xu Yuntian's subordinate and also the one who fired Zeng Zixuan. It is most appropriate for you to step forward. This is the company's decision, and you must carry it out."

Zhao Mei instantly understood that the company wanted her to take the blame and use her to quell public opinion. Her anger flared immediately. Why should she bear the consequences of Xu Yuntian's mistakes? She was unwilling and refused to be the scapegoat.

Seeing herself backed into a corner, Zhao Mei decided to take the plunge. Back at her seat, Zhao Mei grew increasingly angry; she felt she couldn't just let herself be manipulated like this. That very night, she used various channels to find Zeng Zixuan, the sales promoter she had previously fired, and persuaded her to return to the company.

The following day, Zhao Mei appeared at Guster's press conference as scheduled. However, instead of speaking according to the company's prepared script, she announced in front of all the media reporters that the company would take full responsibility for the workplace harassment incident and offered a formal apology to Zeng Zixuan and all the sales promoters. She also stated that serious problems in the company's management had led to this incident and called on all companies to pay attention to the workplace environment and protect the legitimate rights and interests of their employees.

Undoubtedly, Zhao Mei's outburst completely enraged the company's senior management. But she was determined to go all out; immediately after the press conference, she submitted her resignation.

This infuriated Li Dongming. His company, Ruijing Consulting, was currently negotiating an important collaboration with Guster. If the deal went through, it would undoubtedly be a significant achievement for him, as it would determine whether he could advance further in his career.

Bai Ruide knew that he and Zhao Mei were husband and wife. Now that Zhao Mei had not only publicly criticized the company at the press conference, but had also submitted her resignation, Bai Ruide couldn't do anything about Zhao Mei and would definitely take her anger out on him. Naturally, the cooperation would fall through.

Sure enough, not long after, Li Dongming received a call from Bai Ruide. On the other end of the line, Bai Ruide's tone was full of anger, and he gave him a good scolding, making it clear that Guster would never cooperate with Ruijing Consulting.

After hanging up the phone, Li Dongming was furious, his face turning ashen. But he didn't give up; this client was too important to him, and he had to find a way to win him back.

In an attempt to win back this client, after some inquiries, Li Dongming finally learned that Bai Ruide was going to play golf the next day. He saw this as a golden opportunity and asked his female subordinate, Qiao Hailun, to accompany him.

After receiving the notification, Qiao Hailun returned to her rented apartment and checked the address of the golf course. She immediately sighed. The course was located in the suburbs, far from the city center. She would have to get up at five o'clock in the morning to wash up and put on makeup in order to arrive on time.

The next morning, Qiao Hailun was woken up early by her alarm clock. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, struggled to get out of bed, quickly washed up, and began to carefully apply makeup.

She applied delicate makeup and changed into her newly bought short-skirted sportswear, which made her look both capable and feminine. Once everything was ready, she hurried out and took a taxi to the golf course.

After rushing, Qiao Hailun finally arrived at the court on time. Li Dongming was already waiting for her at the entrance. Seeing Qiao Hailun in her short skirt and sportswear, he couldn't help but be surprised. How come he hadn't noticed before that Qiao Hailun had such a good figure? Her long legs and slender waist looked particularly striking against the backdrop of the sportswear.

Qiao Hailun felt a little uncomfortable under Li Dongming's gaze. She subconsciously tugged at her skirt and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Li, is there something wrong with my outfit?"

"No, no, no problem, it's fine." Li Dongming came back to his senses, looked away somewhat awkwardly, and glanced at his watch: "It's still early, let's go to the practice field to warm up first, so that we don't seem too deliberate later."

"Oh, okay." Qiao Hailun nodded and followed Li Dongming into the practice field.

Arriving at the golf course, Qiao Hailun felt a little embarrassed. Growing up in a modest family, she had never played golf before and knew absolutely nothing about the sport. She picked up a club and tried to swing like others, but missed the ball several times and nearly fell, looking rather awkward.

Li Dongming stood to the side, showing no intention of teaching her, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the court, clearly waiting for Bai Ruide to arrive. Qiao Hailun felt a little wronged, but dared not say anything, and could only practice silently on her own.

Half an hour later, Li Dongming's eyes suddenly lit up, and a joyful smile appeared on his face. He saw two golf carts slowly driving towards the practice area and quickly went behind Qiao Hailun: "Raise your hands a little higher, yes, that's it. You need to rotate your waist, not just use the strength of your arms..."

It wasn't until the two golf carts slowly came to a stop by the roadside that Helen Joe realized what was happening. A foreign man and woman got off one of the golf carts.

Li Dongming was overjoyed and was about to go forward to greet him when he saw a familiar face get off the second golf cart. His expression immediately changed, and he thought to himself, "Oh no!"

The person who came down was none other than Qin Hao. Dressed in casual golf attire, holding a golf club, and with a half-smile on his face, Qin Hao looked at Li Dongming and said, "Mr. Li, you seem to have the leisure to teach your subordinates golf? Why didn't you bring your wife along?"

Li Dongming's smile froze instantly on his face. He could only force a smile and say, "President Qin, what a coincidence, you're here to play golf too?" (End of Chapter)