Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of fists colliding with flesh echoed through the gym, occasionally mixed with muffled screams.
Liu Dakui, drenched in sweat and nearly at his limit, forced his battered body to keep moving. He swung his fists desperately, wanting nothing more than to end this humiliating fight that made him so frustrated he felt like coughing blood.
Under Xiao Chen's watchful gaze, the younger men didn't dare hold back. They might not have been fighting at their absolute peak, but they still used most of their strength—seven, maybe eight parts of it. Blow after blow, the fight raged fiercely.
Crack!
A punch landed squarely on Liu Dakui's face, forcing a pained grimace. He retaliated with a sharp backhand strike, flooring his opponent with sheer stubbornness.
Minutes later, every one of the young fighters was sprawled across the ground. Faces bruised, bodies aching, each one groaned from the punishment they had endured.
Liu Dakui wasn't much better off. Slumped on the floor, gasping heavily, his eye socket was already turning purple. His once-proud appearance was reduced to something pitiful.
Clap. Clap.
Xiao Chen clapped his hands with a smile. "As expected from a former special forces soldier—still impressive! Director Liu, congratulations, you've passed the test. The rest of you, I'm sorry. You're dismissed from the company. Head to HR later and process your resignations."
The room fell silent. Liu Dakui and the others stiffened—this man wasn't joking.
"Alright, the rest of you, pair up and show me what you can do! Remember, there are no grudges here. Go all out!" Xiao Chen ignored Liu Dakui's darkening expression and addressed the remaining guards.
"Yes, sir!"
Meanwhile, Liu Dakui and his battered men looked green with envy. Why hadn't they been told to "go easy" just now?
Through these sparring matches, Xiao Chen quickly gained a basic grasp of the security team's capabilities and memorized their names. This was the first real step in taking charge of the department.
After the session, Liu Dakui's loyal followers trudged to HR with weary bodies to complete their resignations. Though they hated to leave—the company offered high salaries and enviable benefits—they had no choice.
"Don't worry. I'll bring you back soon," Liu Dakui promised grimly as they left.
But Xiao Chen wasn't done. When another batch of guards arrived, he immediately singled out Liu Dakui's confidants and ordered them into the ring.
"Director Liu, I heard these guys are tough. Why don't you spar with them again?" Xiao Chen teased with a wicked grin.
Liu Dakui's stomach dropped. His entire body still ached, and now he was supposed to fight again?
Before he could protest, Xiao Chen cut him off, voice sharp: "Same rule as before. Losers leave the company."
"Xiao Chen, you're targeting me on purpose!" Liu Dakui finally exploded.
Xiao Chen only laughed. "That's right. And what can you do about it?"
"You… What's your goal? There are over twenty guards here, and you're about to fire half of them! I'll report this to President Su!"
"No need," Xiao Chen replied calmly, pulling out his phone. "I'll call her myself."
He dialed Su Qing on speaker. "Boss Su, I've dismissed half the security team. Any issues?"
"That many?" Su Qing sounded surprised.
"Break it before you build it stronger," Xiao Chen said smoothly.
"Fine. Handle it as you see fit. I'm busy—we'll talk later."
"Understood." He ended the call and waved the phone in front of Liu Dakui. "Heard that clearly, Director?"
Liu Dakui's face twisted with unwillingness. If his remaining allies were dismissed, his entire network in the department would vanish.
"Alright, let's start!" Xiao Chen declared.
But before the fights could begin, Liu Dakui quickly ordered, "Old Chen, you all resign voluntarily!"
Xiao Chen chuckled inwardly. So the old fox still has some brains.
"Since they've resigned, there's no need to fight," Xiao Chen agreed. With a wave of his hand, another half of the department was gone.
The remaining guards looked both relieved and fearful. The new minister might smile, but he was ruthless—and they knew better than to ever cross him.
Back in the security office, Xiao Chen summoned Ding Li for a private talk before gathering the rest of the team. He split the remaining dozen guards into two groups: one under Liu Dakui, the other under Ding Li.
The arrangement nearly made Liu Dakui choke with rage. He, the supervisor, was being treated like a mere team leader—on equal footing with Ding Li, the timid "coward" he despised.
"Director Liu, numbers are short for now. Manage one group until we recruit more," Xiao Chen said with an infuriating smile.
Grinding his teeth, Liu Dakui swallowed his fury and said nothing.
After the meeting, Xiao Chen went to report to Su Qing about restructuring. Meanwhile, Liu Dakui, stewing in his office, called Ren Kun.
"Kun Shao, hurry and bring those experts! Xiao Chen is at the company—I need them now!"
"Old Liu, those two are out of town with my father. They'll be back in two or three days," Ren Kun replied lazily.
"What?! I can't wait that long!"
"Relax. Xiao Chen's not going anywhere. Handle it later. I'm busy with a new model." Click.
"Damn bastard!" Liu Dakui cursed, slamming the phone. Ren Kun could afford to wait—but he couldn't. Not only could he not swallow this humiliation, but a growing sense of crisis gnawed at him.
"Xiao Chen, you think you can bully me? Just wait. I'll find someone else to deal with you. And Su Qing… if you won't let me be minister, I'll make sure you regret it!"
His face twisted with malice as he dialed another number.
…
In the CEO's office, Xiao Chen updated Su Qing.
"So, what's your plan now?" she asked after listening.
"Recruit new guards."
"Fine, I'll have HR support you. But what about Liu Dakui?"
"President Su, you've already decided to reform the department. Why care about his reaction? Even if he wants to kill me, he'll have to be fast enough."
"I've heard he has underworld ties…" Su Qing hesitated.
Xiao Chen sneered. Killers, mercenaries—he'd sent countless of them to their graves. Why would he fear thugs?
Just then, a knock came at the door. Qin Lan entered.
She glanced between them before speaking. "Boss Su, members of the Flying Eagle Gang are here to collect protection fees."
Su Qing's face darkened. They had come.
"The Flying Eagle Gang?" Xiao Chen asked curiously.
"They're a gang from the Southern District," Qin Lan explained. "Not the strongest, but not weak either. In Longhai, they're considered second-rate."
"Ah… so Liu Dakui's backers."
"Exactly."
"Then why are they collecting protection money?"
"This is their turf. Unless you're a very large company, anyone who opens a shop or runs a business here has to pay up."
Xiao Chen's brows rose. So arrogant? He almost laughed. After all, hadn't he once led men to shake down entire nations for "fees"? By comparison, these guys were amateurs.
"Heh, interesting. Since I'm here, I'll deal with them personally." He stood up.
"Don't make too big a scene," Su Qing cautioned.
"Don't worry. I always reason with people," Xiao Chen said with a grin before walking out.