Chapter 23 — A Day as a Janitor

Shen Zhiyuan suddenly surged to his feet, moving with such frantic velocity that it seemed he intended to violently snatch the computer away. Gu Nan and old Hu stepped forward in perfect synchronization, physically blocking his path. Shen Zhiyuan roared at the top of his lungs, "You have no legal authority to restrict my freedom!"

At that exact moment, the resonant, commanding voice of Fu Hongzhang echoed clearly from the glowing screen.

"Now I do."

He paused for a fraction of a second, measuring every single syllable with absolute precision.

"I formally propose that the original agenda for dismissal be halted immediately."

"Furthermore, I move to add a new emergency motion: to temporarily suspend Shen Zhiyuan from all executive duties as CEO, effective immediately, pending a thorough cooperative investigation by both law enforcement authorities and the internal audit committee."

The board members participating via the live-streamed conference link immediately initiated their electronic ballots. One vote in favor. Two votes in favor. Three votes in favor. The intense color drained from Shen Zhiyuan’s face, turning rapidly from an angry, flushed green to a sickly, ashen gray. Shen Zhao'an remained seated in his chair, utterly silent, refusing to utter a single word until the final tally materialized on the screen. The proportion of affirmative votes comfortably surpassed the crucial two-thirds threshold.

Fu Hongzhang's voice rang out through the speakers once more, definitive and final: "The motion carries. It is passed."

Two police officers stepped forward, closing the distance until they stood directly in front of Shen Zhiyuan.

"Shen Zhiyuan, please accompany us and cooperate with our investigation."

Before the officers could place him under formal restraint and lead him away, Shen Zhiyuan abruptly jerked his head around, fixing his venomous gaze directly upon me.

"Tan Ngoc Tran, do you honestly believe that you have emerged victorious?"

I met his desperate gaze without flinching.

"I have not won against you, Shen Zhiyuan."

"I have merely dragged the hands that you and your cohorts kept hidden in the shadows out into the blinding light of day."

By ten-thirty in the morning, the second official corporate announcement from the Van Thai Corporation was broadcast throughout the entire enterprise. This time, not a single person dared to gloss over the deliberate demotion by dismissing it as a mere administrative misunderstanding. The statement explicitly detailed every single violation. It confirmed that Tan Ngoc Tran had been maliciously demoted precisely twenty-four hours before her scheduled retirement. It further named the individuals implicated in fabricating official documents, violating fundamental employee rights, unlawfully misusing delegated power, and tampering with physical evidence, noting that all relevant parties had been officially handed over to the police and the Board’s Disciplinary Committee.

Shen Zhiyuan was stripped of all executive powers. Trinh Hoai Nhan, La Thien, Phan Minh, Dieu Chan, Hua Thua Le, and several others were placed under formal criminal investigation. All previously ignored special security funds reserved for the pioneer generation of workers, along with the standard benefits due to long-term employees, were officially reinstated with full retroactive compensation.

The sprawling main lobby was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with employees. Countless pairs of eyes shifted constantly from the glowing notification screens to the humble sanitation uniform I still wore, their expressions so deeply complex that words utterly failed them. Just yesterday, as they watched me mop the slick marble floors, some had looked upon me with fleeting pity, others had actively avoided my gaze to protect themselves, and a few malicious souls had even waited eagerly in private chat groups to watch my utter humiliation. Today, however, every single person in this building understood that I had not merely cleaned the floors. I had systematically unraveled a web of corruption rotting the corporation right down to its foundational roots.

Sister Wang seized my calloused hands in hers, her defenses finally breaking as hot tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

"Ngoc Tran, if you hadn't stepped forward, I wouldn't even have known that they deliberately plotted to rob me of my rightful share as well."

I gently patted her arm and whispered, "Do not cry."

"Every single penny that rightfully belongs to us, they will pay back. Not a single coin shall be missing."

Old Uncle Liu’s son rushed back from a distant branch warehouse the moment he heard the news. Chef Tran’s elderly wife, leaning heavily on a wooden cane, sat quietly near the corner of the lobby. Engineer Manh from the equipment maintenance division was suffering from a severe illness and could not make the trip himself, but his young daughter clutched a thick stack of documents to her chest, bowing deeply and repeatedly to express her gratitude. I reached out and gently stopped her from bowing any further.

"You do not need to thank me, child."

"This is not charity; this is merely the debt they owed to all of you."

In the afternoon, Shen Zhao'an convened a mandatory explanatory meeting for the entire workforce. He stood tall upon the elevated stage, his voice noticeably hoarser and more gravelly than it had been the previous night.

"Van Thai has accumulated a staggering debt to its veteran employees over the years."

"It is not merely a deficit recorded on financial balance sheets; it is a profound betrayal of human trust and loyalty."

"The company will transparently address every aspect of this grave injustice, reimburse every single delayed payment with interest, and offer a formal, personal apology to every affected individual."

Having finished speaking, he turned his entire body around until he was facing directly toward me.

"Tan Ngoc Tran, I offer you my deepest apologies."

The massive auditorium fell into a profound, suffocating silence. I stared back at him. Thirty-two years ago, he had stood in a similarly dilapidated, half-built factory workshop just like this one, solemnly promising us that Van Thai would never forget its people and would always fulfill its obligations. Over the decades that followed, he had indeed honored many promises, but he had also allowed countless others to slip through the cracks of corporate greed.

I chose to accept his apology. However, I possessed no right to grant forgiveness on behalf of anyone else.

I walked steadily up the steps and onto the stage.

"Chairman Shen, I have three specific demands."

He nodded gravely and replied, "Please speak, I am listening."

"First, the detailed breakdown of the supplementary compensation for every single veteran employee affected must be signed off by the individuals themselves or their immediate family members. Under no circumstances should any corporate department be permitted to sign on their behalf."

"Second, the accountability of those involved must not be swept under the rug or handled through secretive internal disciplinary measures; the progress and final verdict of each investigative phase must be made completely transparent to all staff."

"Third, my retirement procedures must proceed strictly in accordance with my original confirmation letter, while simultaneously engaging me on a short-term contract as a supervisory consultant for the final financial audit over the next three months."

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the audience below. I continued without missing a beat.

"The consultancy contract must explicitly outline my precise responsibilities and commensurate remuneration."

"I have no intention of serving as an honorary figurehead working for free."

Shen Zhao'an was momentarily stunned by the audacity of the request, but a second later, he nodded firmly.

"That is entirely reasonable and well within your rights."

Someone in the front rows began to clap, their solitary rhythm quickly catching on until a thunderous wave of applause reverberated through the hall. Ha Dieu stood quietly in a secluded corner, clutching the set of cleaning tools I had just discarded, her bright eyes shining with unshed tears. She whispered softly, "Auntie Tran, you are truly magnificent."

I looked over at her and smiled.

"True strength does not lie in how loudly one can shout."

"It lies in knowing that you are in the right, and refusing to take a single step backward."

My official retirement paperwork was processed smoothly the very following morning. The human resources department had installed a temporary supervisor who had meticulously organized every single document, right down to preparing a neat black pen for my signature. I carefully read through every single line of text before applying my signature. When the final stroke of the pen was completed, my hand remained remarkably steady.

Tan Ngoc Tran.

Thirty-two years. From a humble filing clerk tucked away in the second-floor archive room, rising steadily to head of the General Administration Department, only to be unjustly cast down to a menial sanitation worker for a single grueling day.

And now, I was walking out of these gates with my head held high, beholden to no one.