Her smile was sharp enough to draw blood. "So let's not insult my intelligence by pretending this is about proper procedures. What position were you planning to offer them?"
Lu Zeyan's jaw clenched. "I was thinking... regional sales coordinators. Or perhaps assistant managers in....."
"No."
The single word was flat, final, and left no room for negotiation.
"No?" Lu Zeyan repeated, his voice rising with frustration. "What do you mean, no? Those are good positions, Lin Shuyin. Solid middle management with room for advancement...."
"Middle management." Shuyin's laugh was cold and cutting. "You want to put my people, my trusted people, in middle management positions where they'll be buried under layers of bureaucracy, reporting to people who'll sabotage them at every turn because they don't fit the company culture."
She stood slowly, deliberately, her movements fluid as water, and walked toward his desk with the measured pace of someone who had all the time in the world.
