Chapter 27: Legitimate Self-Defense

With the division of labor settled, Qin Feng knew the next step was to establish rules.

"No construction can be built without a blueprint, and no circle can be drawn without a compass. Regardless of where you work, there must be rules and systems, or everything will descend into chaos."

"You have all seen the situation today. Ask yourselves: if this attitude persists, can our work ever be carried out?"

"I am setting the first rule: starting tomorrow, for any unexcused late arrival or early departure, the first offense will result in a one-hundred-yuan fine, deducted from your performance bonus and subsidies. The second time will be five hundred, and the third time will result in your monthly performance bonus being halved."

"Sister Lin, from now on, you will be in charge of attendance. Please enforce it strictly," Qin Feng said, his voice firm and resonant.

"Understood," Lin Xiaoyan nodded, saying nothing more.

"Additionally, Yang Delin was absent without leave today. The circumstances are grave and his attitude is abysmal. All of his performance bonuses and subsidies for this month will be forfeited," Qin Feng concluded coldly.

As soon as Qin Feng finished speaking, everyone was stunned, including Lin Xiaoyan. She had guessed that Qin Feng would give Yang Delin a hard time, but she had not expected him to be so ruthless as to strip away an entire month's worth of bonuses.

This was exactly the effect Qin Feng wanted. He needed to make an example of someone to establish his authority; otherwise, no one would ever respect him as the director.

"Tell him for me: this is his first warning. If there is a next time, I will file a report with the Commission for Discipline Inspection to request a formal disciplinary investigation. Remind him not to forget that he is still under probation for a previous disciplinary action; he should think carefully about the consequences," Qin Feng added.

The room fell into silence. The way the staff looked at Qin Feng had changed; they had not anticipated such a ruthless strike. Yang Delin was a notorious local thug—everyone in the township government knew it—and they all wondered if he would let this slide.

"From now on, the work of the Civil Affairs Office will be performance-based. Those who do well will receive every cent of their bonuses, and I will also consider the subsidies—I won't let your efforts go unrewarded."

"For those who don't perform well, like Yang Delin, you won't see a single cent beyond your basic salary. I don't think anyone here wants to go against their own paycheck," Qin Feng said before walking out.

When Xiao Bo had been in charge, the staff had never seen a penny of these bonuses or rewards. Everyone knew exactly where that money had gone. Because there was no financial incentive, few people had worked diligently, which was one of the reasons the office's work had been such a mess.

***

Not long after Qin Feng returned to his office, Lin Xiaoyan knocked on his door.

"Director, do you think the punishment for Yang Delin was too harsh?" she asked.

"Sister Lin, do you have any concerns?" Qin Feng asked in return.

"Yang Delin is a local hoodlum. If you punish him this severely, he surely won't accept it," she worried.

"Does his acceptance matter? If I don't break his spirit, how can the work of this office move forward?"

"I know that, but I'm just worried..."

"You're worried he might resort to thuggish tactics against me, aren't you? It doesn't matter. When it comes to being a thug, who knows who is worse? Sister Lin, don't worry. Since I dared to take this seat, I have the ability to handle him. Just focus on your work."

Lin Xiaoyan looked at Qin Feng with a hint of doubt, then nodded and left.

Qin Feng was busy processing a mountain of paperwork when he heard Yang Delin shouting curses from the next room. Qin Feng knew exactly who he was cursing. He knew what was coming.

Sure enough, less than a minute later, his office door was kicked open. Yang Delin stormed in, looking like he wanted to devour him. He rushed over, grabbed Qin Feng by the collar, and hauled him up from his chair. "What the hell gives you the right to cut my pay?" he snarled.

"I don't need a reason other than that I am the director," Qin Feng replied calmly.

"You son of a..." Yang Delin, who had never suffered such an indignity, raised his fist and smashed it into Qin Feng's face.

Qin Feng could have easily dodged the blow, but he chose not to. He took the punch head-on, nearly falling to the floor. It had to be said that Yang Delin had the build for a bully—six feet tall and weighing over two hundred pounds, he was a giant, and no one in Bishan Township dared to stand up to him.

***

Qin Feng touched his throbbing face and spat a glob of blood onto the floor. He wasn't angry; instead, he smiled. He walked over to the shelf behind him, retrieved the phone he had placed there to record the scene, stopped the recording, and set it on the desk.

Then, he walked to the door, closed it, and locked it.

After finishing these movements, Qin Feng turned, his eyes glinting with ferocity as he lunged at Yang Delin like a tiger descending from the mountains.

Although Yang Delin was massive, Qin Feng was taller. While perhaps not as bulky, Qin Feng worked out regularly, had spent a year in Shanghai training in boxing with a coach, and had gotten into his fair share of fights in college. When it came to fighting, if not exactly a professional, he was at least a semi-pro. An amateur like Yang Delin was no match for him.

From the moment Qin Feng lunged, Yang Delin had no chance to retaliate. After taking several heavy blows, he collapsed to the floor, with Qin Feng pinning him down and raining down strikes.

Qin Feng beat him for several minutes, only stopping once he had vented the frustration he had been holding in for the past half-month.

He slowly stood up. Yang Delin lay on the floor, unable to crawl away, wailing as his face swelled up.

"You... you wait... I'll make sure you go to jail... I'll make sure you lose your job... how dare you hit me..." Yang Delin gasped, his body broken but his tongue still sharp.

"Really? Fine, I'll be waiting. Yang Delin, see this? This is my phone. It recorded the moment you walked in and initiated the violence. That's all there is—it's my evidence."

"I know what you're trying to do, but it doesn't matter. You can report me, call the police, or go to the leadership. I have the evidence. It’s crystal clear who struck first. Do you even know what 'self-defense' means?"

"Let me warn you: you are already on thin ice with your previous disciplinary record. I don't need to remind you what happens to civil servants who get into brawls. Do you really think you can keep your job if I hand this recording over to the Commission for Discipline Inspection?" Qin Feng held up the phone.

"You..." Yang Delin choked on his words. He knew Qin Feng was telling the truth; if this recording reached the Commission, he would undoubtedly be fired.