Chapter 2 — Before Retirement, I Was Demoted to Work as a Laborer

The receptionist outside the General Director's office immediately stood up. As soon as she saw me, her face changed.

"Miss Tan... you..."

I wring the mop dry. The twenty-eighth floor is covered with dark carpet. The glass walls are so shiny that they clearly reflect people's shadows. This is an area that only the board of directors can access. I started cleaning from the end of the hallway. Little by little. Don't avoid it. When he arrived in front of the General Director's office... Laughter suddenly rang out inside. It's the voice of Trinh Hoai Nhan.

"Is she really working as a janitor?"

La Thien replied:

"Going. Wear your cleaning uniform and go upstairs."

Another man sneered.

"She's a long-time employee. She's most worried about losing face at the end of her working life. She certainly wouldn't dare make a fuss."

I still held the mop tightly. The door was ajar. Trinh Hoai Nhan's voice rang out again.

"Wait until she endures it all today. Tomorrow, apply for retirement at the lowest rate. Keep the pension first."

La Thien asked:

"What if she complains?"

Trinh Hoai Nhan snorted coldly.

"What kind of trouble can an old lady about to retire make?"

I bowed my head. Quietly wipe the area in front of the door one more time. The floor is so clean you can almost see it in a mirror. At that moment... The phone in my pocket vibrated slightly. Recording icon... Still on. After cleaning the area in front of the General Director's office, I raised my hand and knocked on the door. The laughter inside immediately stopped. Trinh Hoai Nhan walked over to open the door. As soon as he saw me, the smile on his face had not yet disappeared.

"What are you doing?"

I gently lifted the mop.

"Cleaning the General Director's office."

La Thien is sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of coffee. She glanced at me from head to toe.

"Tan Ngoc Tran, you got into character so quickly."

I didn't reply.

"Please help everyone, there are stains on the floor."

Trinh Hoai Nhan is still blocking the door.

"This place doesn't need you to clean."

I took out the temporary assignment sheet from the cleaning truck.

"Twenty-eighth floor, including the General Director's office, tea room, meeting room and bathroom."

"It's all within the scope of work."

I put the paper in front of him.

"It was Director La who gave it to me."

La Thien's face immediately darkened. Trinh Hoai Nhan turned to look at her. La Thien put down the coffee cup.

"I mean you're allowed to clean up, but not right now."

I calmly replied:

"Cleaning staff work by area."

"Do not follow the leader's mood."

There were two people in the room. Director of Marketing Department, Ma Thanh. And Purchasing Department Manager, Dinh Loi. Both are looking at me. Ma Thanh burst out laughing.

"Miss Tan, let's stop at this point. They gave you something to do, so why are you so serious?"

I looked at him.

"There are cigarette butts on the ground."

Ma Thanh bent down. Right next to his feet there was indeed a bunch of cigarette butts. Smoking is prohibited. Just now, he only had time to smoke half a cigarette and didn't even have time to clean it up. Dinh Loi quietly stuffed the cigarette butt into the sofa slot. I walked in. Trinh Hoai Nhan raised his hand to stop.

"Who let you in?"

I looked at his arm.

"It's you."

"The transfer decision just now was signed by you."

He stopped. I went around him. The mop touches the floor. No one spoke in the whole room. There was only the sound of the mop gliding across the floor. La Thien said coldly:

"Tan Ngoc Tran, don't use this style to make others uncomfortable."

I still clean the floor.

"Cleaning is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Throwing cigarette butts indiscriminately is shameful."

Ma Thanh's face immediately darkened.

"Who are you talking about?"

I stopped.

"I will tell whoever throws it away."

He slammed the table and stood up.

"How dare a cleaning staff talk to me like that?"

I looked up at him.

"Today I am truly a cleaning staff."

Ma Thanh was momentarily stunned. I reached out and picked up the ashtray in front of him.

"Regulations prohibiting smoking in the company..."

"It was written by myself ten years ago."

I lifted the ashtray.

"First version..."

"The person who signed is you."

Ma Thanh's face immediately changed. Dinh Loi also quickly withdrew his hand from the sofa slot. I dumped all the cigarette butts in the ashtray into the trash bag.

"Do you need me to conveniently extract the camera?"

"To see who is violating safety regulations."

Trinh Hoai Nhan's voice lowered.

"Tan Ngoc Tran."

I looked at him.

"Deputy General Trinh..."

"He was also present at that time."

La Thien stood up.

"Don't be too mean!"

I put the mop back in the water bucket.

"I'm not being unreasonable."

I pointed to the camera in the corner of the wall.

"I'm just doing my job right."

There were many people standing outside the office door watching. The receptionist bowed her head. But still didn't leave. The entire hallway was strangely quiet. After cleaning the floor... I moved on to cleaning the conference table. There are several files scattered on the table. Just a glance... I saw a text. Opinions on handling irregularities in settlement of resignations. My name is on the third line. Tan Ngoc Tran. Propose retirement settlement as a regular employee, excluding seniority benefits for management positions. Below are three signatures. Trinh Hoai Nhan. My hand holding the towel paused for half a second. La Thien immediately rushed forward and pressed the file down hard.

"Who showed you the documents?"

I calmly wringed the towel dry.

"I'm cleaning the table."

She quickly stuffed the file into the clipboard.

"Get out now."

I still stood still.

"The tea table hasn't been cleaned yet."

Trinh Hoai Nhan stared at me.

"Tan Ngoc Tran."

"Don't ask an elephant for a fairy."

As soon as those words rang out... The people standing outside the door all raised their heads at the same time. I looked straight into his eyes.

"Have you ever given me face?"

Trinh Hoai Nhan's facial muscles twitched. I continued to clean the tea table. At the bottom of La Thien's cup there was also a coffee ring printed on it. I wiped it once. Then the second time. Third time. Until the glass surface was shiny, clearly illuminating people's silhouettes. I pushed the cleaning cart out. Just walking to the door... Ma Thanh's voice was full of sarcasm from behind.

"Doing this well..."

"Or maybe you should have done this job before?"

I stopped walking. Turn around.

"Director code."

"Three years ago, his mother went to the company to make a fuss because he took her retirement money to invest in stocks."

"At that time..."

"Who advised her to return?"

Ma Thanh's face immediately turned pale. I keep saying:

"Back then..."

"He once knelt in front of the archive room door, begging me not to report this matter to higher authorities."

Outside the door, soft sounds of inhalation were heard. Ma Thanh rushed straight towards me.

"You're talking nonsense!"

I calmly took out an old notebook from the lower compartment of the cleaning cart. The book cover has worn white over the years. Book of unusual visitors, volume 7, 2021. I turned to a page.

"Do you need me to read it out?"

Ma Thanh's raised hand stiffened in midair. Trinh Hoai Nhan strode forward and grabbed the notebook.

"You dare bring out company records?"

I looked at his hand.

"This is just a copy of the logistics department's guest registration book."

"When the cleaning staff cleaned the cleaning room on the B1 floor, they discovered it."

I withdrew the notebook.

"You sent me to work as a cleaner."

"So I followed the correct cleaning procedure."

"Clean the janitorial room."

"Inventory of old items."

La Thien's face turned even whiter. Only then... She suddenly realized. In the cleaning room on the B1 floor... There's more than just a mop. But there are also piles of old notebooks.