Chapter Thirty-Three: Mixing Public and Private Matters

Shang Qi was about to decline, but he had already pulled her out of the subway station. Luo Yichen’s black Rolls-Royce was parked at the entrance. Passersby in a hurry couldn't help but glance at it; after all, such a luxury car was a rare sight.

Luo Yichen signaled the driver to step out, saying, "You can go off duty." He then took the driver's seat.

After Shang Qi got in, he said, "I want to see your parents right now."

"No!" Shang Qi refused immediately.

"Why not? I believe some matters can only be resolved through a face-to-face conversation."

"Do you think this is a business negotiation? I haven't even dared to tell them about our past."

"What is there to hide about us?"

Shang Qi was rendered speechless. She felt that Luo Yichen could never understand what was going through her mind. Silence filled the car.

After a long time, Luo Yichen said, "Hiding it like this isn't a solution. We have to tell them eventually to make any progress."

"I will drop hints to them first. Don't be so impatient!" Shang Qi continued her "delaying" tactic.

"How can I not be impatient right now?" The expression on Luo Yichen’s face was anxious and restless.

A phone ringtone broke the silence. After he answered, Mu Lichen’s voice came through, filled with urgency: "Something huge has happened!"

The background noise on the call was chaotic, with shouting audible from time to time. Luo Yichen remained unruffled. He asked calmly, "What exactly is going on? Speak clearly! Don't be so frantic!"

"The labor dispute at the department store is escalating. Many employees disagree with the terms of the contract renewal. Some have already started protesting at the entrance."

Luo Yichen pondered for a moment and immediately commanded, "Organize personnel to maintain order immediately and persuade the protesters to move to the conference room for a detailed discussion. Tell the PR department to coordinate with the media and prevent widespread reporting. I am on my way."

After hanging up, Luo Yichen said to Shang Qi, "Get off at the intersection ahead. I can't take you any further."

At the same time, he slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the car darted through traffic.

It was the first time Shang Qi had seen Luo Yichen look so tense. She asked, "Is there an emergency?"

"Yes."

"What happened?" Shang Qi couldn't help but press further.

"A labor dispute over the new contract; employees are protesting," Luo Yichen replied with a solemn expression.

Shang Qi’s heart skipped a beat. That contract had caused such an uproar! She couldn't shirk the blame for this outcome. Moreover, she was worried that Luo Yichen would find it difficult to handle. "I'm coming with you," she said.

"No, the scene is very chaotic."

"I know. But if you go alone, I'll be very worried."

Seeing the concern in her eyes, Luo Yichen compromised. "Fine! But don't cause trouble for me once we get there."

With that, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and drove at full speed.

"What is the focus of the dispute?"

Luo Yichen said nothing.

Shang Qi guessed he didn't want to be disturbed, so she stopped asking. She began to silently calculate how to handle the situation.

As they neared the department store, traffic slowed to a crawl. Luo Yichen glanced at the road, which was turning into a parking lot, and furrowed his brows. Traffic was never this bad; could the crowd in front of the store be growing?

Anxiously, he dialed Mu Lichen again. "What is the situation?"

"The crowd hasn't dispersed. Order is holding, but media crews are already conducting interviews."

Luo Yichen raised his voice in anger: "What is the PR department doing? Tell them to prepare the press release materials immediately. We must state the company’s position and stance before the media reports it. If there are any more mistakes, I will hold everyone accountable!"

"Understood, I will arrange it right away." Mu Lichen dared not be negligent. He knew how strict Luo Yichen was with management. Since Luo Yichen had taken over the Luo Group, there had never been such a mess. Where exactly did the problem lie? He needed someone to investigate immediately.

Luo Yichen glared at the long line of cars ahead and slammed his fist against the steering wheel. He looked somewhat disheveled, beads of sweat on his forehead and a fierce spark in his eyes, completely shattering his usual composed image. Even in his extreme haste, he could only inch forward.

Seeing him like this, Shang Qi sensed that things were becoming very serious. She thought to herself: There was nothing illegal in that labor contract. She had considered the employees' interests to the greatest extent possible. Why was the reaction so hostile?

The closer they got to the department store, the worse the traffic became. It seemed the situation had not improved. Luo Yichen could wait no longer. He told Shang Qi to "get out," then opened the door and started running toward the building.

Shang Qi followed, but how could she keep up? By the time she arrived, Luo Yichen was already in the store lobby, discussing how to negotiate with the employees with Mu Lichen. Gasping for breath, she said, "Let me talk to them. I drafted the contract; I know the details best."

Mu Lichen hadn't expected Shang Qi to come, but he thought her reasoning was sound and suggested letting her speak. At times like this, having a woman well-versed in law talk to them might be more acceptable than a man.

Luo Yichen thought it over and nodded in agreement. He instructed Shang Qi to be careful and asked Mu Lichen to have security guards accompany her.

Holding a megaphone, Shang Qi walked in front of the protesters and said loudly, "Please, everyone, quiet down! I am the Vice President in charge of Human Resources at the Luo Company. If you have any questions about the new labor contract, you can tell me."

The rowdy crowd quieted down. The leader stepped forward and asked, "If we sign this contract, does it mean the company can lay us off at will?"

"No. Even if the company needs to downsize, it must negotiate with the employees and provide severance pay as required by law."

"The new contract lowers our salary benefits. We don't agree to that."

"The benefits haven't been lowered; we have simply added performance-based pay. I believe that as long as everyone works hard, you will receive reasonable compensation."

The employees began to murmur, and some seemed shaken. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Don't listen to her lies! Once everyone signs the contract, it won't be like that anymore. We should sign the old contract, or give us severance pay!"

The crowd became boisterous again, and the situation turned precarious. Luo Yichen watched the noisy crowd, thinking: This labor contract is not as harsh as they perceive. How could it cause such an uproar? Shang Qi had explained it clearly just now, yet someone was inciting them not to believe her. This protest was likely not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Just then, Mu Lichen hurried over and said, "I had someone investigate. It turns out these people have had frequent contact with the Yin Group. According to the HR department, their recent performance has been poor; this protest was likely incited by them behind the scenes."

"Are they in the crowd now?"

"Yes."

Luo Yichen sensed a hint of danger. "Get Shang Qi back here immediately. The current situation cannot be solved by explaining the contract to them."

Mu Lichen stopped him. "We just started the dialogue; it's not a good time to stop. What are you worried about?"

"This matter is aimed at me, and it has been plotted for a long time. She is no match for this group."

"Even so, in public, what can they do to a woman? I actually think letting her talk to them might ease the tense atmosphere. Don't worry so much; I don't think she's that fragile."

Just then, Luo Yichen noticed the instigators pushing to the front of the crowd. He pushed past Mu Lichen and said, "I'll go instead!"

Mu Lichen was stunned, wondering: Luo Yichen couldn't possibly be unaware that he shouldn't show his face right now. Why would he make such a decision? He advised, "Are you losing your mind from panic? Now is not the time for you to appear."

As they spoke, the crowd began to grow restless, with some shouting, "Get down! Get off the stage!"

Luo Yichen couldn't care less and ran toward Shang Qi. Mu Lichen chased after him, grabbing him and scolding, "If you go over there now, you'll only make the situation worse! Don't let your personal feelings cloud your professional judgment."

Luo Yichen retorted impatiently, "I just don't want the situation to escalate."

Mu Lichen shouted, "I think you're only worried about Shang Qi!"

Hearing this, Luo Yichen hesitated for a moment, then straightened his expression. "Lichen, you are my assistant at work. I hope you won't speculate about my private life."

Mu Lichen realized his timing was wrong; no wonder Luo Yichen was so furious. He changed his tone and said, "Stay here, I'll go!"

With that, he ran over.

By now, the crowd was boiling over, and someone took the lead in throwing debris at Shang Qi. She dodged and retreated. Seeing her trying to leave, a few bold individuals tried to surround her, shouting that she couldn't leave until the issue was resolved. Seeing this, the security guards around her retreated and hid to the side.

Mu Lichen grabbed the panic-stricken Shang Qi, pulled her away from the crowd, and ran toward the mall.

Luo Yichen ordered someone to call the police. Five minutes later, sirens blared, and the rioters scattered in a panic, causing instant chaos. Based on leads provided by the Luo Company, the instigators were caught on the spot. An hour later, order was restored inside and outside the mall. He arranged for the mall's security to double their guard, with 24-hour shifts and strict patrols.

After finishing everything, Luo Yichen suddenly realized he hadn't seen Shang Qi or Mu Lichen. He dialed their phones separately, but both were "out of service area." He frowned, wondering where they could have gone, and walked toward the elevator.

Given the chaos earlier, Mu Lichen wouldn't have been able to leave the mall with the "conspicuous" Shang Qi; they must still be hiding inside. The fact that they hadn't appeared after things settled down meant they were likely in a place where they couldn't get updates or were unable to leave.

Luo Yichen glanced up and saw the elevator was stuck on the 24th floor. That was his office. Suddenly, he asked the head of security behind him, "Is anyone on duty in the monitoring room right now?"