Chapter 218 - 216: The Chicken to Warn the Monkey, the Bird That Sticks Its Head Out

"But Boss, this... if we really evict them by force, isn’t that... illegal?"

"Legal?" Cecilia Sterling sneered. "Is it legal for them to maliciously withhold rent without cause? We’ve already given them a final deadline, which serves as a notice and a demand for payment. If they refuse to honor the contract, we have the right to terminate it."

"As for the eviction, even if it’s not strictly legal, at worst, we’ll both get a slap on the wrist. You have to use cruder methods with scoundrels like these. Otherwise, they’ll always think you’re just making empty threats."

As long as their interests weren’t genuinely harmed, even the most severe threats were useless. They knew it was just intimidation and assumed the property management was a paper tiger that wouldn’t dare do anything illegal or out of line.

Hearing this, the staff nodded silently. They would just do whatever the boss said. After all, the person who bought this entire park couldn’t be a nobody. She must have plenty of confidence and a few aces up her sleeve.

Seeing their reaction, Cecilia Sterling continued, "As for the tenants who pay their rent on time, regardless of company size, we will reduce their rent by ten percent and their property management fees by thirty percent."

"I’m not just trying to be strict about rewards and punishments. Good tenants create a good environment in the park. With so many tenants maliciously withholding rent, I’m sure there’s a ringleader stirring up trouble. And for those tenants who pay on time, who don’t stoop to their level to make things difficult for the park and for you, I’m more than willing to offer a small reward."

Just then, someone quickly spoke up. "You’re right, Boss! The first one to withhold rent was that design studio called ’Elysian.’ Then, with that company at the center, the other tenants around them started copying them. It spread to the entire park in less than a month."

At the mention of the small company "Elysian," everyone present couldn’t help but clench their jaws in frustration.

"I heard the boss of that company exploits his employees. He specifically hires recent graduates with no work experience, then fires them after a three-month probation period with the excuse that they’re not competent enough for the job."

"That’s right. We get labor arbitration notices for them almost every month. Who knows if he ever pays them compensation."

"Whenever our people went to talk to them, the boss would always hide and push his employees out to deal with it. All he does is make empty verbal promises. He’s never once kept his word."

The company wasn’t large, but it was infamous in the industrial park. The ridiculous thing is, this is often how the dark side of society works—the more shameless the scoundrel, the more they get away with.

But this time, his luck had run out. He had run into Cecilia Sterling.

’And here I was, looking for a chicken to scare the monkeys!’

To get this done quickly and efficiently, a perfect test case was absolutely necessary.

"’Elysian,’ is it? Send a separate notice to this company. Due to malicious withholding of rent, the park is unilaterally terminating their contract and will be evicting them by 5 p.m. this evening. We will not accept any mediation!"

"The New Year is almost here, and you few are all that’s left in the management department. This will be your last task before the holiday. For every tenant’s rent you collect before the break, I’ll award each of you a bonus of $2,000, with no cap. I’ll also arrange for additional Chinese New Year red envelopes for everyone."

Collect the rent from one tenant, and they’d each get a $2,000 reward, and it was uncapped?

Originally, everyone had just thought that as employees, they just had to follow the boss’s work arrangements. They hadn’t thought much about whether they could actually get the rent back.

But now, their fighting spirit was completely ignited. ’We have to get this money back! No one gets away!’

Cecilia Sterling continued, "As for the other property department employees who left their posts and went home before the holiday started, have HR draw up a list. Notify them that they don’t need to come back to work after the New Year."

"What... what about President Miller?" someone asked cautiously.

President Miller was the general manager of the park’s property management, the top dog. He was the one Cecilia had wanted to see earlier, but who wasn’t around.

Cecilia’s expression was flat. "He’s no different. He left this huge mess of a park behind and dared to go home early for the New Year. What use do I have for him?"

Intimidated by Cecilia’s aura, the person who asked quickly shrank back and nodded.

Then, everyone sprang into action according to Cecilia’s instructions. Some organized files, some made phone calls, and others sent emails.

If for no other reason, the bonus alone was enough to make everyone give it their all.

Cecilia glanced at the time and sipped her coffee on the sofa, calm and composed.

Before long, a young man in a white shirt came to Cecilia’s side. "Boss, the notice for ’Elysian’ has been delivered, and we’ve called them too. But they still say their boss isn’t in."

"It doesn’t matter if he’s in or not. As long as the notice was received."

"So, when do we go over to evict them?"

Cecilia glanced at the young man, then at the other busy employees. Out of the nine, most were women. She gave a faint, helpless smile. "You don’t need to get involved with the eviction. I have my own arrangements."

’It’s better not to involve the employees in this kind of thing. Besides, they’re mostly women. I can’t very well have them moving heavy things.’

The young man was dazed by Cecilia’s sudden smile. When he snapped out of it, he just nodded dumbly.

Everyone worked until it was nearly five o’clock and the sky had grown dark, finally completing all the tasks Cecilia had assigned.

As the finance director, Elvira Underwood had been keeping an eye on whether "Elysian" had transferred the rent money. But clearly, they had completely disregarded the eviction warning in the notice.

"Miss Sterling, they haven’t made the payment."

Cecilia wasn’t the least bit angry, because everything was going exactly as she had predicted. The written notice, the phone call—they were all just formalities.

Just then, the main door was suddenly pushed open. A head poked in first, looking around.

Upon seeing Cecilia, the person knew he was in the right place. Duane entered with a wide grin. "Cecilia!"

Cecilia smiled back at Duane and stood up, walking toward him. "Did you bring everyone?"

"Of course! Jeb said you wanted ten guys, so I rustled up twenty. It’ll be more efficient!"

As Duane spoke, he scanned the property management office and rolled up his sleeves. "This is the place? I’ll have them come over. We’ll have it cleared out for you in half an hour, guaranteed!"

Cecilia quickly stopped him. "Not here."

Duane blinked in confusion. He watched as Cecilia turned back to the baffled employees and asked, "I need one person who they’ll recognize to come with me."

The young man from before eagerly raised his hand. "I’ll go, Boss. They know me."

Cecilia nodded, then said to the rest, "The rest of you can go home for the day!"

The "Elysian" design studio was located in a low-rise office building in the east section of the park. The building was only eight stories tall and currently housed fewer than twenty tenants, none of which were large companies.

With Cecilia and Duane in the lead, a formidable procession of twenty burly men followed behind them, a dark mass pouring into the building!