Three days after I took over the Southern Branch, I finally understood why this place was about to shut down.
It wasn't because of the market.It wasn't because of the customers.It was because of the people.
The office felt like an abandoned zone. Employees came late, left early. Documents were scattered everywhere. No one checked anything, no one cared. Nearly half of the contracts from the past three months had errors. Worst of all – no one seemed to think it was a problem.
I stood in the middle of the meeting room, eyes sweeping over the ten faces across the table.
"Last month's revenue was only 40% of the target," I said calmly. "Why do you think that is?"
A woman in her forties shrugged. "Too much competition."
A man yawned, stretching his arms. "Clients switched to other companies. Their prices are cheaper."
I nodded. "So if you know their prices are lower, why didn't you find a way to keep the clients?"
Silence. I kept going.
"I tried calling our branch hotline during office hours. No one picked up."
A young man lowered his head. Probably the one in charge of that line.
"I sent an email pretending to be a customer, asking for a quote. Four days later—still no reply."
Another person avoided my gaze.
I took a deep breath. "If I were a customer, I'd leave too."
A middle-aged man crossed his arms, speaking with a smug tone. "Director, you're from the main office. You don't understand. Things have always been this way here. You can't change it overnight."
I looked straight at him, lips curling into a half-smile. "If it was that easy, my predecessor wouldn't have been removed."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. But I cut him off before he could speak.
"I'm not asking for miracles overnight. But if any of you want to keep your jobs, change starts today."
I handed out a detailed plan. Clear responsibilities for each department. Tasks, deadlines, accountability.
Some gave me skeptical looks. Others whispered and chuckled under their breath.
I knew what they were thinking: "She won't last a month."
I closed the file in front of me. "You don't have to believe in me. But I believe in myself. And here's the truth: either you adapt, or you get replaced."
The meeting ended. A few walked out without a word. I didn't care. Trust is earned through action, not titles.
That night, I stayed in the office until almost eleven. File after dusty file was opened. Data was reviewed. And then, I found them—at least five contracts with suspicious commission payouts. Someone—or maybe a group—had been skimming profits.
I held the documents, lips curling coldly. If you want to kill weeds, you have to pull them out by the root.
I sent an email to every department head, requesting a full report on revenue, clients, and bonuses from the last three months. Deadline: noon tomorrow.
I didn't explain why. I wanted to see who would panic first.
As I was about to leave, a message came in from an unknown number:
"Who do you think you are, trying to change this place?"
I stared at the screen and smiled.
All right then. If you want to play, I'll play all the way.
My phone rang. It was Tham Du.
"I found the guy behind the fake complaint," he said. "His name is Tran Minh, deputy head of planning—also linked to the off-book commission group."
I closed my eyes. The pieces were falling into place.
"Good," I said. "But don't move just yet. I want him to make the first move."
"Understood."
I hung up, leaning against the glass wall. Rain had started to fall outside, tapping softly against the roof.
I pressed my lips together.
If this world was a maze built to trap me, then I would be the first one to find the way out.