This Company Bears the Name Zeller

When I returned to the office, the information my lawyer friend had gathered was already waiting for me. But the more I read, the more alarmed I became.

Three years ago, when I first sponsored Connor, his family had been dirt poor. They couldn't even afford his tuition. I still remembered meeting him for the first time. He had stood before me in a faded, well-worn shirt, nervous and awkward, but his eyes had been filled with ambition and hunger.

When he found out I was willing to fund his education, he was so moved that he cried on the spot, swearing that one day he would make something of himself. But now, he was dressed head to toe in designer brands, spending money freely and frequenting exclusive clubs.

His unemployed older brother had also somehow acquired a company under his name, along with multiple luxury villas and high-end cars.

My heart sank, and a bad feeling began to creep in.

As I continued reading, my suspicions were confirmed. Amanda had started secretly transferring assets as early as six months ago.

Using her position within the company, she had funneled corporate funds through shell companies and transferred them into overseas accounts. The recipient was none other than Connor. What she left behind for me was a massive financial hole.

Then, there was the guarantee agreement sitting on my desk, waiting for my signature. The moment I signed it, once the company collapsed, I would not just go bankrupt. I would be saddled with tens of millions in debt and might even end up in prison.

Meanwhile, Amanda and Connor had already completed their immigration paperwork. All they were waiting for was for me to take the fall. Once I was behind bars, they would take my money and live comfortably overseas.

Suppressing the fury boiling inside me, I texted my assistant. 'Make sure the renovation team finishes installing by tonight. Also notify the legal department to prepare the entire chain of evidence. I want to catch them red-handed.'

Before I could make my move, however, the company's million-dollar core project ran into a major problem.

While Connor had been busy flirting with Amanda in the break room, he had entered a decimal point incorrectly on the quotation sheet, instantly turning a profitable project into a massive eight-million-dollar loss.

I grabbed the contract and slammed it onto the conference table. In front of every senior executive present, I announced coldly, "Connor Lawson committed a major professional error that caused substantial losses to the company. Effective immediately, he is terminated, and the company will pursue legal action against him."

Connor's face turned pale as he stood in the conference room. He looked like the victim of some terrible injustice. "Mr. Zeller, I didn't do it on purpose… I was just exhausted. Besides, you reviewed it too…"

Amanda abruptly slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet. "Tobias, nobody's perfect. Connor has been working overtime for this project day and night. A small mistake is completely understandable! The company can absorb the loss, can't it? Do you really have to push him this far? You're a grown man. Why are you picking on a kid who just graduated?"

The moment Amanda took a stand, several female employees who were close to Connor immediately spoke up as well.

"Mr. Zeller, Connor has been working himself to exhaustion lately. He's been so busy that he's developed dark circles under his eyes. Making a small mistake is only natural."

"If one mistake is enough to get someone fired, that's completely unreasonable. How are we supposed to work for the company without constantly looking over our shoulders?"

"Exactly. This is obviously because you're jealous of how close Ms. Sutton and Connor are. What kind of boss acts like this? Following someone so petty isn't worth it."

I almost laughed as I listened to them. Amanda was truly confident. She thought stirring up employee sentiment would force me to back down.

"If anyone doesn't want to work here, you're welcome to collect your paycheck from Finance and leave right now."

My gaze swept coldly across the room. "This company bears the name Zeller, not Sutton. And it sure as hell isn't Lawson."

Just Look Up

I thought things would quiet down for a while. Instead, the very next day, chaos erupted outside the company.

An elderly couple dressed in plain clothes kneeled in the small plaza beside the building's side entrance, holding a white banner with bold black lettering as they cried and wailed for everyone to hear.

Written across the banner were several eye-catching words. 'Heartless CEO Tobias Zeller Bullies Innocent Employee Out of His Job Out of Jealousy! False Accusations! Unforgivable!'

Connor's parents stood before the crowd and the media, tears streaming down their faces.

"Everyone, please judge for yourselves! Our boy has always been honest and hardworking. He was a model student growing up. That boss only targeted him because he's handsome!

"He's been making life difficult for my son at work every chance he gets. Now that a project went wrong, he's blaming everything on Connor and demanding eight million dollars in compensation!

"Even if we sold everything we owned, we couldn't pay that kind of money. He even threatened to send my son to prison if we don't pay. What kind of company is this? This is practically organized crime! He just can't stand seeing young people succeed!"

Connor hid behind his parents with disheveled hair and red, swollen eyes, looking every bit like a victim of workplace bullying.

Amanda stood nearby, her expression righteous and indignant. "As the company's VP, I honestly can't stay silent any longer. Mr. Zeller has allowed personal feelings to interfere with work and has deliberately targeted an outstanding employee. It's absolutely disgraceful! Even though I'm his wife, I have to stand on the side of justice. I won't protect wrongdoing just because we're family!"

Her statement exploded across the livestream. Within moments, hundreds of thousands of viewers flooded into the broadcast.

'Oh my God, this CEO is evil! Is he really that jealous? What, is he bald and can't stand handsome guys?'

'Capitalists are disgusting. Even his own wife won't defend him. That tells you everything.'

'I feel so bad for that guy. Is being good-looking a crime now? A company like this deserves to go under!'

The online abuse came crashing down like a tidal wave.

My phone was immediately flooded with calls. My inbox filled with curses, death threats, and edited funeral photos. Some people even showed up outside the company to throw paint and rotten eggs.

My assistant burst into my office, sweating profusely. "Mr. Zeller! This is bad! There are hundreds of people downstairs, and a bunch of influencers are livestreaming. They're all attacking you! The PR department can't contain it anymore. The stock price has already started dropping! You have to do something!"

A cold smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

I glanced at my phone. It was two in the afternoon. The brightest time of the day.

And also Amanda's usual "lunch break."

After waiting for more than an hour, the time had finally come.

"Let's go." I stood up and adjusted my suit. "Bring security. Let's go downstairs and meet these champions of justice."

When I arrived outside, the situation was even worse than I had expected.

The moment Connor's parents saw me, they cried even harder and lunged toward me, trying to scratch my face. "You heartless bastard! How dare you show yourself! Give my son justice!"

Camera flashes exploded nonstop. Microphones were shoved into my face from every direction.

"Mr. Zeller, why are you targeting Mr. Lawson?"

"You claim Mr. Lawson had an inappropriate relationship with your wife. Do you have any proof?"

"We've heard that you tried to ruin Mr. Lawson and his entire family. Is that true?"

Faced with the surging crowd, I remained calm.

"Everyone wants the truth, right?" I took a microphone from one of the influencers, my voice steady and clear. "To be honest, I'm curious too. Do these parents, who keep insisting their son is innocent and honest, actually know where their beloved son is right now… and what he's doing?"

Connor's father immediately shouted back, "My son has been devastated by your lies! He's too scared to even leave the house!"

"Is that so?" I raised a brow and looked around at the crowd. "If you all want evidence, I'll give it to you!"

I lifted my hand and pointed toward the rear side of the company building. "But instead of listening to me defend myself, why don't you all come with me? All you need to do is look up, and you'll know exactly who's lying and who's shameless."

The crowd immediately stirred.

"Fine! Let's see what trick you're trying to pull!"

"Everybody follow him! Don't let him get away!"

The massive crowd surged forward, carrying cameras, microphones, and livestream equipment as they followed me around to the side of the building, where a wide open lawn lay.

I stopped, turned to face the crowd, and pointed toward the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor. "Everyone, look up. That's Amanda Sutton's office. As for what's happening inside… I'll leave that for all of you to judge."

Instinctively, everyone raised their heads only to fall completely silent the next second, for in front of that enormous floor-to-ceiling window…