ABT Chapter 159 Standing Up

Li Fanyu then called Anning, and she picked up almost instantly.

"You're back?" Anning's voice was somewhat hoarse, and there was a lot of noise around her, indicating intense debate.

As Li Fanyu put on his coat and headed out, he asked, "Yeah! Where are you?"

"I'm at the company. If you're back, come over quickly; everyone's here."

The company was in chaos because of recent restructuring, with many new employees joining. With Li Fanyu absent and unreachable by phone, things were spiraling out of control.

Pan Qiang had already been detached from this side due to being caught up in the restructuring of Zhengxin Power Systems. Even if he came back, it would be futile, as he had no authority among the new employees.

Although Wang Meimei had shown decisive leadership in critical moments, she was still a young girl who had recently graduated. The immense pressure was suffocating her.

Initially, upon hearing Li Fanyu with another girl over the phone, Anning had hardened her heart and immersed herself in the lab work. However, when she saw Wang Meimei crying in a corner while fetching water in the pantry, she learned about the magnitude of the situation.

After learning about the company's current situation, she hesitated for a moment before making a decision. Regardless of the past or the future, at least for now, she resolved to help him get through the crisis!

So Anning swiftly adjusted the progress of the lab projects, temporarily appointing three top students to lead a group of juniors in research projects, while she went to the company to assist Wang Meimei in dealing with crises from all directions.

Firstly, damage control. At her suggestion, the company immediately issued a statement, expressing ignorance about the overseas reports and casting doubt on their authenticity. They hoped that the public would give Zhengxin a chance to clarify, promising to provide an explanation as soon as Li Fanyu returned.

Then, wielding the legal sword, she hired a team of lawyers under the Zhengxin banner, swiftly suing and warning those who directly infringed upon the reputation of Zhengxin and Li Fanyu, causing a stir.

Next was the sorting out of new employees. As they had not fully integrated into Zhengxin yet, some employees performed poorly in adversity, with a few even shifting blame to their superiors, causing a surge in pressure for senior management. For instance, the newly appointed head of the e-commerce department chose to evade responsibility in the face of malicious comments, pushing the trouble to superiors. This led to missing the best time to deal with it, resulting in the company's website crashing and the e-commerce platform being dominated by negative reviews.

Such individuals had attitude problems and failing to address them promptly would allow this negligence and evasion to spread like ulcers within the company.

Under her direction, Wang Meimei gathered all middle and senior management to summarize the shortcomings in their respective teams. Members who were clearly negligent in the incident were immediately dismissed. Without Li Fanyu's consent, this was actually overstepping authority. But in times of crisis and with no idea when the person in charge would return, they had to take decisive action.

After this combination of measures, the situation was finally somewhat alleviated.

Online public opinion still favored the company, but at least most people were watching and waiting. Some troublemakers, seeing legal action being taken, chose to keep a low profile. After sorting things out, the company at least returned to normal operation.

All these emergency measures were implemented within just five hours.

This was Anning's capability.

When Li Fanyu arrived at the company, it was already past ten in the evening. The managers and supervisors of various departments felt reassured upon seeing him back.

After listening to everyone's reports, Li Fanyu nodded solemnly, affirming and thanking them for their efforts and dedication.

"Mr. Li, I have a question I'd like to ask you," said Huang Qi, the manager of the marketing department, setting down her pen.

Sitting at the head of the table, Li Fanyu tapped on it and said, "Go ahead!"

"Is it true what the newspapers said about you while you were abroad?"

Li Fanyu replied firmly, "No!"

"That's good to hear. It proves that our efforts were not in vain! It also proves that you did not betray our trust in you," she breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

Li Fanyu shook his head, pretending to be annoyed, "If I had such low awareness, how could I gather you all here? Trust me, I'm not someone who would betray my teammates."

The group of managers chuckled amiably, and the gloom hanging over everyone finally dissipated somewhat.

In the hearts of these people, Li Fanyu was not just a boss. Because of his rapid rise, the company's old employees had already compared him to a symbol of the company's spirit. They could tolerate external threats, but they could not tolerate the collapse of their pillar. If Li Fanyu had really betrayed his conscience and country for the sake of profit while abroad, they would not continue to work at Zhengxin.

Anning sat on the side, watching as smiles finally appeared on the faces of these people, before heaving a sigh of relief. It seemed that Li Fanyu's prestige was enough to handle what came next. Her task was done, so she quietly opened the door and slipped out.

Li Fanyu then inquired about several aspects and found that they had almost regained control of the situation. Until the truth of the matter was clarified, this was the best they could do. So he contacted his trusted media outlet - Pinche.com - and arranged for Wang Dazui to explain the incident through the platform the next day.

After everything was arranged, the group dispersed, feeling both uplifted and exhausted. This whole day truly felt like an eternity.

Li Fanyu didn't leave; Wang Meimei had just told him to thank Sister Ning properly. From her, Li Fanyu had already learned about Anning's stepping up.

So he called her.

Anning was in the laboratory at the time, making it a habit to inspect the lab before leaving work every day.

Seeing Li Fanyu's call, she hesitated for a moment before answering.

On the other end of the line, Li Fanyu asked softly, "Where are you?"

"...In the lab."

"Wait for me, let's go together. I'll take you somewhere."

"No need, it's already late, I'm going home to rest."

"Wait for me, I'll be right over."

With that, Li Fanyu hung up and hurried to the lab. When he arrived, ignoring Anning's refusal, he grabbed her and took her to the new house.

Along the way, sensing that Anning's mood was clearly off, Li Fanyu spoke up. But no matter how much he asked, she refused to say anything, only mentioning that she was a bit tired.

He didn't know that Anning hadn't slept well for several nights.

Arriving at Huaxing Mansion, Li Fanyu led Anning upstairs and directly opened the door of the small cozy home with his key.

As the lights came on, a cozy little home appeared before Anning.

Li Fanyu handed her the key and smiled, "From now on, this is your home."

With that, he pointed behind him and said with a grin, "And then, across the hall is my home."

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