Chapter 332: The Salary Still Has to Be Paid

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: The Salary Still Has to Be Paid

The principles of Feng Shui and fortune involve using factors like the magnetic fields, air currents, and even the human relationships of a surrounding environment to influence the people within that specific area.

When Deputy Kerr placed that hourglass at the entrance to the finance department, he didn’t just affect himself and the company. The first and most direct victims were the innocent employees within that very department.

After Arabella Donovan had Zane Lynch remove the hourglass, she broke the wealth-draining Feng Shui that had been established there.

As the saying goes: the moon wanes after it waxes, water overflows when it is full, and things will reverse when they reach an extreme.

By the same token, this place had previously lost an immense amount of its wealth energy, leaving a great void. To restore it to its original state, as long as the Feng Shui is still in effect, all the wealth that had previously drained away will be drawn back in until a balance is achieved.

In other words, most of what these people were now receiving was simply what they had inadvertently lost before. And as for the young lady at the front desk, she had been most affected due to her long-term, close proximity to the hourglass. Naturally, the compensation she was now receiving was the highest.

This young lady’s family was not well-off. Her mother passed away early, and a few months ago, her father unfortunately broke his leg while working, causing the family to lose its main source of income. She also had a younger brother and sister who still needed to be supported through school. Feeling that she and her family had become a burden to her boyfriend, she considered breaking up with him.

However, he adamantly refused. He even went so far as to quit his own job to personally care for her injured father at the hospital. It was because of his unwavering commitment that they managed to stay together, eventually finding a silver lining as their misfortune gave way to good fortune.

The Lynch Siblings: "..." ’Setting everything else aside, you really can’t find any fault with her boyfriend. That’s true love, right there!’

With the receptionist providing a living example of her work, Arabella Donovan was, unsurprisingly, met with a hero’s welcome when she entered the finance department. Even Zane Lynch, the boss, and Melody Lynch, the young lady of the family, were forced to the side. Before long, they were squeezed completely out of the circle of people, left to stare at each other in bewilderment.

By the time the trio emerged, Arabella Donovan’s arms were overflowing with snacks she’d been given. Zane Lynch and Melody Lynch were also carrying some, but only because people, upon seeing Arabella could no longer hold anything else, had started stuffing the treats into their arms for them to carry.

The two, now acting as porters in their own company: "..." ’Everything’s a blur... Who am I? Where am I?’

"Where to next?" Arabella Donovan asked, gnawing on a piece of beef jerky some young woman had given her as she glanced back at the two behind her.

"...The public relations department."

Zane Lynch glanced at the pile of snacks in his arms. Recalling everything that had happened the last time Arabella Donovan visited the PR department, he had a gut feeling her reception there would be just as enthusiastic as it was in finance.

And he was right. They had barely stepped through the doors of the PR department when a group of its employees, led by their new director, rushed out to greet them. Having already heard of Arabella’s arrival from colleagues, they swarmed forward, knocking Zane Lynch and Melody Lynch around like spinning tops, all of them single-mindedly trying to get closer to Arabella Donovan.

"Master Donovan, can you tell me when I’ll get rich?"

"If it is in your destiny, it will be yours. If it is not, you cannot force it."

"Master Donovan, do my fortune for marriage first!"

"Forgive me for being blunt, but you have a once-in-a-century talent for attracting scumbags. The only way to guarantee your safety is to stay single and childless. Otherwise, you’re likely to get caught up in some ’murder your wife for the insurance money’ plot."

"Master Donovan, I keep dreaming that someone is knocking on my window in the middle of the night. Do you think I’m being haunted by something?"

"...Is it possible it’s just a new tenant downstairs who likes to sleepwalk and knock on windows?"

"Master Donovan..."

"Master Donovan..."

"..."

"Everyone, listen to me!" Seeing she was about to be drowned by the crowd’s enthusiasm, Arabella Donovan had to raise her voice to get everyone’s attention.

"In my line of work, there’s a belief that you shouldn’t have your fortune told too often. The more you do, the ’thinner’ your destiny becomes. So, unless it’s a major, life-threatening issue, it’s best not to have it read casually. Don’t you agree?"

The moment Arabella Donovan said this, the crowd that had been surrounding her instantly scattered.

The trio finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, they saw a girl with glasses and a shy smile walking toward them.

Melody Lynch stared at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "You want your fortune told, too?"

"Oh no, not at all! I came to thank Master Donovan. Master Donovan, Happy New Year. This is a New Year’s gift for you."

The girl held out a beautifully wrapped gift box to Arabella Donovan. It took Arabella a moment of racking her brain before she could place the person in front of her.

"You’re... Miss Thorne?"

"Yes. That day, you foresaw that I would soon face a violent misfortune and warned me to avoid walking alone at night. But I didn’t listen. I went out in the middle of the night anyway, and I almost... If you hadn’t insisted that the boss send people to protect me in secret, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be alive today."

Recalling the events of that night, Chloe Thorne couldn’t help but shudder. Heaven only knew how terrified she had been when she saw that grim-faced man walking toward her with a bloody knife. The absolute panic made her legs go weak, and she couldn’t even think of which way to run.

It was terrifying to imagine what would have happened to her that night without the bodyguards who were secretly protecting her.

Every time she thought about it, Chloe Thorne was filled with both lingering fear and shame.

Master Donovan had warned her so bluntly, and her boss had already done his utmost to accommodate her, even keeping her off the night shift schedule. Yet she hadn’t taken it seriously. She’d given in to a craving and run out for a midnight snack.

She’d foolishly thought that since the snack shop was only two blocks from her home, nothing would happen. That assumption had nearly cost her her life.

Arabella Donovan was a bit surprised to hear this. If she remembered correctly, it was Mr. Rhodes who had specifically sent bodyguards to protect Miss Thorne. How had the credit ended up with her?

Confused, Arabella Donovan instinctively glanced at Zane Lynch for confirmation. She saw him give her a solemn nod, a clear sign that he knew his cousin had given her the credit.

Arabella Donovan was silent for a moment. She ultimately decided not to expose the well-intentioned lie, but she had no intention of taking credit for it either.

She smiled faintly. "Then you should be thanking your boss. He’s the one who sent people to protect you."

"I know, I know!" Chloe Thorne declared, her expression as determined as if she were swearing a lifelong oath. "I’m prepared. As long as the boss doesn’t fire me, I’ll work for him for the rest of my life."

Arabella Donovan: "..."

The Lynch Siblings: "..." ’That’s a bit much.’

After speaking, Chloe Thorne seemed to think of something else. She scratched the back of her head and chuckled sheepishly. "Of course, he still has to pay me."

Zane Lynch: "..." ’Oh, thanks so much. If I didn’t pay you, I’d probably have to take a trip to the police station first!’