Chapter 41 Increasing the Quota

Cheng Ziqiu felt a burst of secret satisfaction as he looked at Li Qiang's exasperated expression.

"Manager, if you have nothing else to attend to, I'll start my live stream now."

With that, Cheng Ziqiu turned on his broadcasting equipment.

"Wait!"

Li Qiang hastily stopped him.

He certainly couldn't let Cheng Ziqiu just start broadcasting like this. If this kid started talking nonsense during the live stream, he would be completely finished.

"Is there anything else, Manager Li?"

Cheng Ziqiu looked at Li Qiang with a half-smile.

"You... come outside with me for a moment. I have something to say to you."

Li Qiang suppressed his rising anger, trying his best to make his voice sound calm.

Cheng Ziqiu turned off the broadcasting equipment and followed Li Qiang out of the studio.

The dim lighting in the corridor shone down on Li Qiang's greasy face, making it gleam. He rubbed his hands together and put on an expression that seemed to say, "I'm doing this for your own good."

"Little Cheng, let me tell you, this charity live streaming has no future. Look, there isn't even a single tip. What are you even hoping for?"

Cheng Ziqiu sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he feigned ignorance.

"Manager Li, didn't the company encourage us to do charity live streams?"

"Encouragement is one thing."

Li Qiang winked suggestively.

"But you also have to look at the practical reality. Look at the traffic in your streaming room—it's pathetic! The company needs to make money, and you need to eat, right?"

"So Manager Li means..."

Cheng Ziqiu deliberately dragged out his tone.

"What I mean is,"

Li Qiang cleared his throat.

"In the future, you should co-host with those big bosses more often, interact more, and chat to liven up the atmosphere. As for the gifts, naturally, they'll follow."

Cheng Ziqiu put on a look of sudden realization:

"Oh! I understand. Manager Li wants me to... pull in sponsorships?"

"Sponsorships? Ahem, ahem."

Li Qiang almost choked on his own saliva.

"You could put it that way, I suppose. Anyway, as long as you understand what I'm getting at."

"I understand, I understand."

Cheng Ziqiu nodded repeatedly.

"You just want me to find a way to get the bosses to send more gifts, right?"

"A teachable youth!"

Li Qiang patted Cheng Ziqiu's shoulder with satisfaction.

"Now the company has decided that every streamer must meet a performance quota. Anyone who doesn't pull in one hundred thousand in gifts in a single night will have their salary deducted!"

One hundred thousand?

Cheng Ziqiu almost cursed out loud.

This was clearly forcing a good person into a corner!

"Manager Li, isn't one hundred thousand a bit too much?"

"Too much? Is this really too much?"

Li Qiang widened his eyes.

"Look at Xiao Li next door—she pulls in over a million in gifts in a single night! You need to learn a thing or two from her, kid!"

Cheng Ziqiu cursed inwardly.

Xiao Li next door dressed like a vixen, making suggestive poses and flirting with those greasy bosses. Could he possibly be the same as her?

"Manager Li, isn't this quota a bit unreasonable?"

"How is it unreasonable?"

Li Qiang interrupted him impatiently.

"If you want to make money, show some real skills! If you can't meet the quota, then get lost!"

Hearing this, Cheng Ziqiu's mind became crystal clear.

So these Chen brothers saw that his charity live stream had earned a lot of traffic and money for the company, grew jealous, and now wanted to kill the donkey the moment it left the millstone!

On what grounds?

"Manager Li, what kind of game are you playing here? I do charity live streams to enhance the company's image; how did that suddenly become my fault?"

Li Qiang was choked by Cheng Ziqiu's attitude, and his fat face instantly turned crimson.

"You brat, is that how you talk to your superior? Do you know the rules?"

"Rules? What rules? Performance quota rules? Who set them? I've never heard of them."

Cheng Ziqiu crossed his arms, looking completely nonchalant.

"I only take orders from President Chen. Who do you think you are?"

Li Qiang's expression shifted, not expecting Cheng Ziqiu to be so unappreciative.

"Little Cheng, a young man shouldn't be too arrogant. This quota was set by the company, which naturally includes President Chen's intentions. If you can't complete it, don't blame the company for being unsympathetic."

"Fine then, why don't you go ask President Chen and see what he has in mind?"

Cheng Ziqiu wore a careless expression.

"If President Chen also thinks I should get lost, I won't say another word and will leave immediately."

Li Qiang's face turned livid. He pointed at the bridge of Cheng Ziqiu's nose and was speechless for a long time.

He hadn't expected this kid to dare talk back to him like this; it was simply turning the world upside down!

"You little bastard, how dare you speak to me like that? Do you believe me when I say one word from me will make it impossible for you to survive in this industry?!"

Cheng Ziqiu had originally wanted to smooth things over, considering that it was better to avoid trouble.

But Li Qiang was being aggressively oppressive, repeatedly calling him a "little bastard," which thoroughly stoked his anger.

"Manager Li, calm down. I was just discussing this properly with you. Who can stand it when you immediately threaten to dock their salary right out of the gate?"

"Discussing? Is this your idea of a discussion?"

The more Li Qiang spoke, the more agitated he became, his fat finger practically poking Cheng Ziqiu in the face.

"I'm telling you, you have to meet this quota whether you like it or not! If you can't finish it, get out!"

Cheng Ziqiu sneered inwardly.

Did this fat idiot really think he was somebody important?

He slightly sidestepped to dodge Li Qiang's poking finger, then grabbed hold of it and gave it a gentle bend.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, Li Qiang's fat face instantly distorted, and a scream like a slaughtered pig echoed through the entire office:

"Ouch! My hand! My hand is broken! Ah, ouch, ouch..."

This sudden turn of events stunned the surrounding employees.

They all widened their eyes, staring at Li Qiang, who was clutching his hand and rolling around on the floor, and then at Cheng Ziqiu, who looked completely composed, unable to process what had just happened for a moment.

"He's hitting people! He's hitting people! Cheng Ziqiu is hitting people!"

Li Qiang rolled on the floor, shouting at the top of his lungs.

The surrounding employees finally snapped back to reality, gathering around and starting to chatter noisily.

"What's going on? How did they end up fighting?"

"Isn't Cheng Ziqiu being way too impulsive? How dare he hit Manager Li?"

"I think Manager Li started it, didn't he? He always acts so shady."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Careful Manager Li hears you!"

...

Cheng Ziqiu looked at the crowd of onlookers and sneered silently.

He had anticipated that Li Qiang would pull this trick, which was why he had measured his strength carefully. He had only bent Li Qiang's finger slightly to make him feel some pain, without actually damaging any bones at all.

"Manager Li, what's wrong with you? Why did you just fall like that out of nowhere? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Sweating profusely from the pain, Li Qiang pointed at Cheng Ziqiu.

"You... you brat... how dare you hit me... you're dead!"

Cheng Ziqiu spread his hands with an innocent expression.

"Manager Li, food can be eaten casually, but words cannot be spoken carelessly. When did I ever hit you? Everyone here is watching."

Just then, a tall, professional-attired beauty walked over.

It was none other than the female boss—Chen Churan.

"What is going on here?"

Chen Churan looked at Li Qiang rolling on the floor, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Seeing Chen Churan, Li Qiang looked as if he had found his savior, and with a tearful, mournful face, he said:

"President Chen, Cheng Ziqiu hit me! He broke my finger!"