The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 460 Waiting for an excuse to close the store
Thinking of this, Shen Yan's gaze involuntarily fell back onto the phone screen—the fat man clumsily riding his bicycle on the mountain road was still struggling.

He stared at the blurry yet familiar figure, and murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear:
"Boss Zhou...you'd better hurry up..."

"If it had been any later, I'm afraid there would have been two identical fat people in the world..."

His voice carried a hint of worry, and his gaze lingered on the screen for a long time.

At this time, there were still more than ten minutes before the opening of Relaxing Walk.

……

The eldest son of the Zhou family is none other than the relaxed and leisurely CEO, the elderly Zhou Yaqin.

At this moment, she stood in the center of the massage hall, opposite her the entire team of technicians who were lined up in a relaxed and slow manner.

Apart from Xiaolu, who was sent to the Deep Search headquarters for her first day of on-site service, all the technicians, including both veteran and new employees, have arrived.

Zhou Yaqin raised her wrist, glanced at the time, and with a sharp gaze, she bypassed the determined veteran employees and focused intently on the new faces at the back of the line, whose expressions were tense or bewildered.

She cleared her throat; her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire hall.

"Before opening the doors to welcome guests, I have a few words to say."

"As everyone knows, our store is currently facing some difficulties. Our store manager, Mr. Zhao Xiaochui, needs to be away for an extended period of time due to important matters."

She paused, her gaze sharpening, and said, word by word:

“I can tell you definitively that we may face a lot of unexpected pressure, or even danger, before he comes back.”

"Now, I'm giving you one last chance to choose."

“If anyone is scared and wants to back out, they can stand up now, take off their work clothes, go to the finance department to settle their wages and leave. I, Zhou Yaqin, will not stop them and I guarantee that no one will blame you.”

"But—!" Her voice suddenly rose, "If you choose to stay, from the moment the door opens, no one is allowed to complain, whine, or back down. And I will not allow anyone to leave. Do you all understand?!"

The hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. The only sound was the slightly hurried breathing of the newlyweds.

A moment later, four or five young female technicians in the group, their faces showing obvious trepidation and unease, exchanged glances and hesitantly took a small step forward.

One of them mustered his courage and spoke, his voice trembling slightly:
“President Zhou…we…we are interns sent from Sichuan and Chongqing. According to the plan, after the main store opens today, we will intern for another week, and then we should go back to Sichuan and Chongqing to report for duty…there…”

Zhou Yaqin's gaze lingered on them for a few seconds, her face revealing neither joy nor anger, but she simply nodded calmly:
"Just proceed according to the original plan. Once you get back, follow the instructions of your store manager, Qiqi."

The technicians from Sichuan and Chongqing breathed a sigh of relief, bowed quickly, and hurried back to the group.

Clearly, compared to the current tense situation at the main store in Beijing, the branch near the provincial capital of Sichuan and Chongqing, where the "Sichuan-Chongqing female tyrant" is based, makes them feel much safer.

What's more, they had all heard in private that the group of Sichuan and Chongqing sisters who returned from their studies last week were treated like precious treasures by the provincial leaders as soon as they got back. Who wouldn't be envious of their treatment and status?

The hall fell silent again. Time ticked by, and seeing that no one else stepped forward, everyone assumed that the pre-opening speech was about to end peacefully.

However, Zhou Yaqin remained standing still, as if waiting for something.

This unusual silence allowed the pressure in the air to build. Suddenly, the three senior technicians standing at the back of the line finally stepped forward.

"Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry," the leader said calmly, but in a low voice, "we want to resign."

Zhou Yaqin's gaze instantly locked onto them, and her face darkened visibly, as if the temperature in the entire hall had suddenly dropped several degrees.

"Is this the state guest G?"

Zhou Yaqin looked at them without a trace of surprise on her face and calmly asked, "Have you thought it through?"

These three technicians were all quite old. Facing Zhou Yaqin's gaze, their expressions remained normal, their eyes were calm, and even their breathing rhythm was not disturbed in the slightest.

Their composure indicates a stable mindset; those who can become senior technicians in the "Easy and Slow" walking technique must possess an extraordinary temperament.

Zhou Yaqin also knew that the three of them had not done anything wrong; they were just on different sides.

When they joined the company, they were relaxed and their backgrounds were not investigated. They never mentioned that, unlike other colleagues who served the organization, they might have been "private soldiers" planted by someone with connections from the beginning.

Zhou Yaqin nodded, calmly agreeing to their resignation requests:
"Yes. However, as the first batch of trainees sent by the authorities, you are required to pay all expenses incurred during the training period in full, according to regulations."

She abruptly changed the subject, her sharp gaze sweeping over the three of them:
"Furthermore, I cannot guarantee how the boss will react when he returns to your departure today and the series of chain reactions that may follow."

"Before I leave, I have one more request."

The three senior technicians remained calm and bowed slightly: "Please speak."

Zhou Yaqin spoke clearly, word by word:
“Walk out through the main entrance with a confident and proper demeanor.”

With someone taking the lead in resigning, Zhou Yaqin's goal has been achieved.

These three senior technicians, originally part of the first batch of trainees for the official business, were already highly skilled and were easily included in the reservation system for the opening day of Easy Slow Travel. Their sudden departure gave Zhou Yaqin a perfect excuse.

So, on the first day of full opening, with only ten minutes left before opening to customers, a bold, red, full-screen announcement suddenly popped up on the homepage of the Easy Slow Travel official mini-program:

[Urgent Notice]

Due to force majeure, our store will be closed for adjustment indefinitely starting today.

All successfully booked orders will be automatically cancelled by the system, and three times the prepayment will be refunded immediately as compensation.

The opening date will be announced later. Thank you for your understanding.

The announcement caused an uproar among the members.

"..."

"..."

At this moment, outside the Relaxing Walk store, the previously noisy protesters, onlookers, and countless self-media bloggers who were live streaming suddenly fell silent.

(End of this chapter)