Chapter 108
Nora called the police, and they took the person away for investigation.
It wasn't really a big deal. After the investigation, the solution was just compensation and an apology.
But David made it into a huge spectacle, and everyone in the company group chat knew about it.
"If you're messy in your private life, are you afraid of people talking about it?"
"Let me tell you, I have a friend who slept with Nora. She's quite famous in certain circles."
"She's pretty good-looking, looks innocent too. Didn't expect her to be that kind of person. I'd like to have some fun with her too."
Several men were joking around in the smoking area.
Rumors never disappear. Even if they stopped talking in the group chat, they'd still gossip privately.
"You're not qualified. The guys who sleep with Nora have to be rich."
Nora stood outside the smoking area, silent for a long time, then pushed the door open. "Which friend of yours slept with me? Get him to confront me face to face. If he didn't sleep with me, you apologize to me publicly."
Nora's voice was a bit hoarse.
She had tried to keep the peace, thinking that as long as she didn't hear it, she wouldn't care. But these people were getting worse.
In the smoking area, the men were all stunned.
Seeing Nora questioning them with red eyes, they felt much less intimidated and started teasing her with smiles. "Can't talk about sleeping with you? How much do you charge per night? I'm not rich, but a month's salary to sleep with you once—that should qualify me, right?"
"I don't understand. Does verbally insulting a strange woman and spreading rumors about someone without knowing the facts bring you happiness?" Nora asked, her voice choking.
"Because in the minds of incompetent men, having one more useless thing than women is their greatest source of pride."
Behind Nora, Michael's voice was low and deep.
The men smoking looked at Michael in horror, put out their cigarettes, and tried to leave with their heads down.
"Apologize." Michael looked up, his presence overwhelming.
He seemed to only need to stand there, without saying anything, to make people afraid to look directly at him.
"I'm sorry." The ringleader quickly apologized, keeping his head down, not daring to look up.
"The Smith Group doesn't lack talent. When abilities are equal, character becomes especially important." Michael turned to look at Gia.
Gia's expression wasn't great. Those men were all recruited by her for special positions, seeds that Luna had planted in advance for James. One of them was even Gia's nephew. "You guys better get back to work."
"In a situation like this, just a verbal apology and they can go back to work?" David looked puzzled and spoke up again. "Gia, when HR does recruiting, I remember there's a rule—character comes first."
Gia looked at Nora nervously.
Today was Nora's first day working beside Michael, and she'd already caused such big trouble for her. "Nora, how do you want to handle this?"
Nora took a deep breath. Gia was cunning enough to know that Nora, being new to the company, wouldn't dare offend people.
However, Gia had miscalculated.
On the second day of Nora's internship at the company, she had already learned about Gia's nephew's identity from the cafeteria staff.
She knew Yosef Faith's habits and routines. Every day at 3:30 PM, he would bring a few close colleagues here to smoke.
And these people, in terms of qualifications, weren't the best. Without Gia's arrangements, they definitely couldn't have gotten into the Smith Group.
Their positions also seemed insignificant but had large promotion potential.
Clearly, Gia was recruiting subordinates for Luna and James.
"The Smith Group doesn't lack graduates from prestigious schools, and we don't lack graduate students either. They insulted not just me, but thousands of women who've been slandered. I request that the company make them write a formal self-criticism, post it in the work group, and voluntarily resign."
Nora still left them a way out.
Voluntary resignation meant they could take their resume showing they'd worked at the Smith Group and easily get hired at other companies with high salaries.
But if they were fired by the Smith Group, the reason for termination would be written into their employment history.
Big companies have a habit of doing background checks, especially for important positions.
The men looked at Nora in shock, their faces turning red with anger. "Nora, you're using your position to settle personal scores!"
But with Michael there, they didn't dare be too arrogant.
Nora didn't say anything, hoping they would know when to quit.
She was Michael's assistant. From now on, she had to help bear the blame directed at Michael.
Besides, she didn't care about these things anymore. Her reputation was already ruined—what was there to fear?
Michael looked at Nora meaningfully, his eyes showing approval.
The approval of a boss for an employee.
David also glanced at Nora, shocked that she was someone capable of big things.
On her first day at work, she had already given Michael such a big gift.
"Nora..." Gia wanted to say something.
"Gia, you work for the company. You know the company's image comes above all else." Nora interrupted Gia.
Gia frowned, looking at Nora meaningfully.
Unlike the timid impression from their first meeting, for a moment, Gia felt that Nora was deliberately pretending to be weak when she was actually a cunning person.
"You should thank her." Michael looked at Yosef warningly.
"Why should I thank..." Yosef was unhappy.
Yosef had no brains, but Gia did. She interrupted Yosef. "Letting you resign voluntarily means you can write your own reason for leaving in your resume. But if the company fires you, when you apply to other companies and they do background checks, who will speak well of you?"
Yosef gritted his teeth and snorted. "Fine! We'll apologize."
After saying that, Yosef and the others left.
They were only giving face to Michael.
And Nora was the fox borrowing the tiger's power.
"Gia, be more careful when recruiting in the future." Michael reminded her meaningfully.
Gia took a deep breath and quickly nodded. "Yes, Mr. Smith. If there's nothing else, I'll head back to my position."
Michael glanced at David.
David understood and followed to handle the matter of Yosef and the others.
"You knew Yosef was Gia's nephew?" With only Michael and Nora left, Michael asked.
Nora let out a long breath, not daring to look at Michael, stammering. "Y...yes."
She had found out in advance.
Michael smiled. Just now Nora was all sharp and defensive, but in front of him she instantly became scared?
Michael rarely praised anyone. Nora really could always surprise him.
Taking a step forward, Michael looked down at Nora. "First day at work, is this your pledge of loyalty?"
Michael was too close. Nora backed away in fear. There was a step in the smoking area that Nora didn't see, and she almost fell.
Michael instinctively reached out, and both of them fell against the sink behind them.
However, Michael's hand cushioned against the sink, so Nora didn't get hurt.
"I...I'm sorry." Nora said with red ears. "This isn't a pledge of loyalty. They're not worthy of that."
Working for Michael, Yosef was at most a small fry.
This was just an appetizer.
Over the next few days, Nora successively got rid of Gia's assistant, her nephew, and several people she had planted.
This was a warning.