Chapter 6 — A Day as a Janitor

Has the finance department calculated the exact discrepancy yet?

Phan Minh did not dare to look him in the eye, his voice trembling slightly as he answered.

Calculated.

How much is it?

If we evaluate it based on the highest tier, combining the lifetime pension and the one-off honor award, it totals a little over one million eight hundred thousand.

Old Ho drew a sharp intake of breath. Ha Mieu instinctively covered her mouth with her hands. I, however, felt entirely unsurprised. Staging such an elaborate and humiliating spectacle for me could never have been merely about breaking my spirit for a single day. Public humiliation was just a convenient byproduct. Money—that was the true prize they were reaching for.

Chau Thieu An turned his gaze to Phan Minh and asked sharply, Into whose account is this sum supposed to go?

Phan Minh hurriedly shook his head.

It was not destined for any personal account, he stammered. It was merely intended to make the residual budget of the Administrative Center look healthier by the end of the fiscal year.

I slowly shifted my gaze to Trinh Hoai Nhan.

And once the accounts look healthier, what then?

Trinh Hoai Nhan clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth ground together.

Tan Ngoc Tran, stop spitting venom and throwing baseless accusations around.

Without a word, I reached once more into my document folder and drew out a crisp, printed sheet.

This is the proposed allocation scheme for the Administrative Center performance bonus fund, I said, looking around the room. I fished it yesterday from a pile of shredded waste paper on the twenty-eighth floor.

Trinh Hoai Nhan’s eyelids twitched violently.

You stole confidential company documents! he roared.

I calmly placed the sheet flat on the mahogany table right in front of Chau Thieu An.

Discarded documents that have not been disposed of in accordance with proper regulatory procedures are no longer confidential, I replied evenly. As an employee, it is my duty to collect and surrender them.

The document laid out the projected bonuses drawn from the Administrative Center quarterly savings with chilling clarity. At the very top of the list was Trinh Hoai Nhan. Right below him was La Thien. Further down were the names of several other individuals who had signed off on the approvals. Although Phan Minh technically belonged to a different department, his name was neatly entered in the remarks column for a coordination bonus.

Chau Thieu An finished reading, his expression darkening like an approaching storm, and slowly closed the folder.

You conspired to force an employee of thirty-two years into early retirement under the guise of a sanitation worker's position, all to pad your own bonus pools?

Silence descended upon the room; no one dared to utter a word.

Chairman Chau, I added quietly, I am not the only victim here.

Every head snapped toward me. I bent down, retrieving from the pile of discarded papers beside the iron cabinet a thick stack of rough financial settlement sheets that had been torn cleanly in half. I had spotted their telltale colored corners earlier that day while cleaning, though I had wisely refrained from pulling them out immediately in the open.

The names of five other long-serving staff members are recorded right here, I said, carefully piecing the torn fragments together on the metal lid of my cleaning cart. There is Old Lu from the warehouse, Chef Tran from the cafeteria, Engineer Manh from the equipment room, Uncle Ho from the transport team, and Sister Vuong from the front desk.

Sister Vuong had not yet reached retirement age, but they had already meticulously prepared her exit package as well.

At that moment, Chau Thieu An’s face turned utterly grim, devoid of any warmth.

Confiscate all of this and bring it down to the main conference room immediately, he commanded.

The middle-aged man standing nearby instantly moved to secure the area and seal the documents. Suddenly, Trinh Hoai Nhan lunged forward, his hand clawing at the table in an attempt to snatch back the performance bonus allocation sheet. Anticipating his move, I pulled my cleaning cart backward with a sharp screech of wheels. His hand grabbed empty air. Old Ho immediately stepped forward, blocking his path.

Vice President Trinh, the security cameras in this hallway are fully operational, Old Ho warned, his voice steady.

Trinh Hoai Nhan froze mid-motion. His gaze locked onto Old Ho, venomous and sharp as a blade. Old Ho’s face was drained of color, yet he refused to yield an inch, standing his ground. I looked squarely into Trinh Hoai Nhan’s eyes.

Earlier today, you told me I lacked the power to stir up any waves, I said, holding up my transfer notice. Well, the tide has finally arrived.

By the time we returned to the conference room, the clock on the wall had well passed one in the morning. Chau Thieu An gestured for everyone present to take their seats. I remained standing. He pointed a finger at the empty chair directly to his right.

Tan Ngoc Tran, sit down, he instructed.

I pulled out the chair and sat. In all my thirty-two years working within these walls, this was the absolute first time I had ever occupied a seat next to the chairman at this table. Chau Thieu An slid my official retirement confirmation letter back toward me.

This document will be reissued immediately, with all appropriate honors restored, he said.

There is no need to rush, I replied.

He looked at me, surprised.

Let us investigate everything thoroughly first, I added.

Sensing a shifting tide, La Thien hastily stepped forward, trying to salvage the situation with a sickly sweet smile.

Sister Tan, since matters have escalated to this point, let me offer you my sincere apologies. Tomorrow, I will personally process your retirement at the absolute maximum tier.

I stared at her coldly.

Are you apologizing because you realize you committed a wrong, or simply because you were caught red-handed?

Her expression twisted unpleasantly, the false warmth vanishing instantly.

I do not accept private apologies, I continued.

Trinh Hoai Nhan let out a harsh, bitter laugh.

Then just what is it that you want, woman?

I slid my mobile phone across the center of the table.

Call the police.

Phan Minh jolted upright in his seat.

Sister Tan, there is really no need to escalate it to this extent, he pleaded. This is strictly an internal company matter.

I looked at him, remembering the past.

When your mother was hospitalized, the money I advanced to cover her medical bills—did you pay it back in full?

A flicker of profound shame crossed Phan Minh’s eyes.

Therefore, I owe you no favors today, I finished.

His entire body stiffened as if struck. Without hesitation, Chau Thieu An picked up the phone from the table.

Make the call.

Before the middle-aged man could press the call button, the heavy doors of the conference room were suddenly thrown open with a loud bang. A young administrative staff member rushed in, his face slick with sweat and chest heaving.

Chairman Chau! he gasped. The safe on the twenty-ninth floor has just been forced open!

Chau Thieu An stood up abruptly.

When?

The young employee swallowed hard, struggling to catch his breath.

Barely ten minutes ago.

He thrust a tablet forward for them to see. On the screen, a figure with their back turned to the camera could be seen hurriedly exiting the private inner sanctuary of the chairman’s office. Cradled tightly in that person's arms was the missing red-cover ledger.

The atmosphere in the conference room shifted instantly, every single face turning pale with shock. Chau Thieu An snatched the tablet, his eyes scanning the footage back and forth twice. The figure in the video was unmistakably clad in a standard grey sanitation uniform, the cap pulled down deliberately low over their forehead as they emerged from the restricted executive zone carrying the heavy ledger. The flash of the red cover on the book was unmistakable, burning brightly against the dull grey fabric.

La Thien was the very first to spin around, her finger pointing accusingly straight at me.

Tan Ngoc Tran! Today, you are the only person in the entire building wearing this exact uniform!

The moment those words left her mouth, a dozen hostile, suspicious gazes converged on me like daggers. Ha Mieu flushed a furious, helpless red, opening her mouth to protest.