Days had passed since the incident, yet the Zhan Corporation not only failed to resolve it but also shifted the blame, claiming no involvement.
The netizens were furious. Tens of thousands of comments flooded in, an overwhelming wave of condemnation directed at Zhan Bei Jue and the corporation.
Jiang Nan Fang wasn't well-acquainted with Zhan Bei Jue's work style and wondered how he would handle such a situation.
However, from her perspective, even if an employee's sudden death wasn't directly related to the company, simply evading responsibility wasn't the optimal approach.
A company's most crucial assets, besides the quality of its products, were its reputation and public image.
Even if a significant portion of the public hadn't patronized their products, they represented potential future customers.
When issues arose, what people looked for was an attitude, not necessarily the absolute truth.
Just moments ago, she had felt disgusted with Zhan Bei Jue, but upon seeing this news, she found herself unexpectedly worried for him.
This was a test of the Zhan Corporation's public relations capabilities. She couldn't predict how things would unfold.
If not for the explosive public outcry online, subordinates might not have even reported this matter to Zhan Bei Jue.
Upon seeing the "facts" screenshotted and shared by netizens, and hearing the explanation from the Human Resources Manager, Zhan Bei Jue flew into a rage.
It could be said that in all his years in the industry, this was the first time anyone had witnessed him lose his temper to such an extent.
"Idiots, utterly foolish!"
"Knowing that such matters, especially written statements, can easily be twisted into leverage, why wasn't I immediately informed?"
The Human Resources Manager and the Public Relations Department Head stood before him.
The manager explained,
"The reason we didn't report this matter to you was precisely because she was no longer an employee of the Zhan Corporation."
"She was an intern who worked in sales for less than two months, then transferred to customer service. Before her contract renewal, she unilaterally took three days off."
"According to company regulations, she had already been terminated. Who knew that just two days after her dismissal, this incident would occur."
"We did not make her work overtime, nor did we owe her any wages. Now her family is making a big fuss about this, merely trying to extort money!"
"If we know their motive, then we should be even less inclined to handle it carelessly."
Zhan Bei Jue turned his gaze to the Public Relations Head.
"You will now compile her internship labor contract, attendance records showing unauthorized absences, and the post-absence disciplinary action into written documents."
"Then, conduct interviews with her friends and ascertain her activities leading up to the incident. Only after confirming that the incident is unrelated to our company should we make a public announcement online."
The Public Relations Head understood.
Only by presenting sufficient evidence to the public could the company clear itself of the suspicion of exploitation.
Empty words would not suffice.
He nodded, about to proceed, when Zhan Bei Jue called him back.
"Calculate the compensation for her situation according to the latest labor injury compensation standards, and transfer it to her family from my personal account. Release this information together."
If his previous arrangements could be understood, then the act of transferring funds from his personal account was baffling.
"Mr. Zhan, isn't this an unnecessary step? Since the incident is unrelated to the company, why should we provide a death benefit and labor injury compensation?"
"I think this is somewhat contradictory, and frankly, netizens might criticize us for being guilty."
"So, according to you, the priority now is to distance ourselves from her?"
"Not distance ourselves, it's just the facts!"
Zhan Bei Jue insisted.
"The fact is that the company only occasionally requires overtime. The reason the general public is so concerned about this matter is that everyone has grievances about overtime, and this resonates with them."
"If we continue to shirk responsibility, and someone else provides evidence that we do indeed have overtime, what then?"
"Issue another notice explaining the reasonableness of overtime? Argue with netizens about everything they say, and will this resolve the problem quickly?"
"..." The supervisor fell silent.
Zhan Bei Jue continued,
"The priority now is to appease everyone, to make them feel that even if something happens, even if it's not directly related to the company, they won't be abandoned."
"The Zhan Corporation is a humane company, and its reputation is paramount. Everything else comes second."
The Human Resources Manager also voiced his concerns.
"But if we set this precedent, other employees might follow suit in the future..."
Zhan Bei Jue suppressed his anger, refraining from an outburst.
"That is your next key task."
"How to prevent such situations from arising, and how to refine existing systems, are what you should be thinking about, not me."
Despite saying this, he still felt a lingering unease.
After speaking, he pointed them in the right direction.
"Convene a meeting with all department heads. Announce that overtime is not permitted without urgent situations."
"Even if overtime is necessary, it must be strictly limited to within twelve hours, and overtime pay must be settled strictly according to market requirements."
"Additionally, establish an emergency medical team to handle immediate responses to headaches, dizziness, or accidents during working hours."
"Organize regular employee health check-ups and purchase medical insurance. I do not wish to see such an incident occur again."
Soon, Jiang Nan Fang saw the announcement released by the Zhan Corporation online.
The announcement was divided into two parts.
One part, using various pieces of evidence, proved that the deceased female employee was not a formal employee of the Zhan Corporation and had already been dismissed during her internship for unexcused absences.
This incident did not fall under the category of work-related injury.
The other part stated that Zhan Bei Jue, out of humanitarian concern, had provided a sum of money to the family from his personal account as a form of condolence.
Finally, it appealed to the public for supervision, assuring that the Zhan Corporation would strictly adhere to laws and regulations in managing the company, and urged against the spread of rumors.
Upon the release of the news,
public opinion had once again shifted, praising Zhan Bei Jue for his responsibility and accountability.
Some netizens even inquired if the Zhan Corporation, with its excellent benefits, was still hiring, expressing a desire for such an employer.
Not only did this incident fail to cast any negative light on the Zhan Corporation, but it also caused its stock price to rise by three percentage points within two days.
It was truly peculiar.
What was initially thought to be an isolated incident passed quickly.
Zhan Bei Jue continued to busy himself with the acquisition of New Horizon.
Soon, the bidding results were announced. The Zhan Corporation had deservedly become the biggest winner, acquiring New Horizon under its wing.
However, as soon as the acquisition procedures were completed,
and the Zhan Corporation announced its introduction of smart electrical systems to the public,
another social news item emerged.
A woman at South City Airport, half an hour before the flight's takeoff, caused a disturbance, claiming someone was trying to harm her.
Airport staff immediately canceled the flight and conducted individual checks on all passengers aboard.
The result was that no suspicious activity was found.
The woman was taken away for investigation on charges of disturbing public order without cause.
While in the police car, she attempted to jump out.
The incident was severe.
Although it initially had no relation to the Zhan Corporation, after being released from the police station, the woman proactively contacted a video website.
In an interview with reporters, she stated,
"I am not mentally unstable, nor did I experience hallucinations. I was hypnotized."
"It was the new smart electrical system, New Horizon Electronics, that the Zhan Corporation recently introduced, that caused this."