In the following days after Reyn’s transfer, most of the members of the office genuinely came to like Reyn. Reyn not only worked hard but every time she was invited out to drinks for work she would politely accept the invitation to go out to socialize. It wasn’t because Reyn much liked to drink but to be on friendly terms with her coworkers and get to know them a little bit better. Besides as the newly transferred accountant into the department, she needed to work just a little extra hard to get to know them better.

On the first Friday, Reyn bought in several boxes of expensive boxes of mooncakes to share with her co-workers. Though more traditional for the Moon Festival in Autumn, Moon Cakes were still acceptable to bring to the office. Most of her office workers enjoyed the surprise and graciously took some to eat later, but a few office workers didn’t join in. Those that didn’t were mostly the women on the accountant floor, the female clerical aides.

Now, Reyn would have ignored the clerical aides as it was just office politics except the clerical department oversaw copying, printing, and putting together the packets for the weekly office meetings. Later that same Friday afternoon, Chief Chén led the meeting with all the senior level accountants in attendance to discuss if they were within the parameters of the budget and on track as they should be.

This wouldn’t have been a problem except that Reyn hadn’t been given a meeting packet to study. Reyn tries to glance at her neighbors, but the middle-aged man didn’t seem to understand her pleading eyes. Instead, the man furrows his brows and leans away from her as though she was trying to entrap him into committing an act of sexual harassment.

Reyn tries to signal to the male accountant sitting on her right side that she didn’t have the meeting packet. The male accountant frowns at her antics, but finally, it dawns on him as Reyn points to the empty space in front of her. The male accountant warily slides the meeting folder over to her as Reyn smiles in sincere thanks towards him. While Chief Chén talks overhead, Reyn swiftly scans the documents and familiarizes herself with the graphs and spreadsheets.

The moment Chief Chén finishes his speech, Chief Chén frowns at having noticed that the newest member of the senior accountants had not been paying attention to his speech. “And what does Miss Mephistopheles think of the current proposal,” Chief Chén pointedly inquired.

Reyn glances up and realizes that Chief Chén is talking to her. Taking a moment to compose her thoughts, Reyn replies, “I think that the current budget is on track, but I did notice several irregular transactions that are labeled as outgoing for company purchases and invoices. However, said outgoing transactions have not made a payment for the invoices as the money has simply disappeared from the total budget of the company. I would like to think it is merely a clerical error rather than the other and more likely and logical conclusion.”

Some of the accountants redden in embarrassment at her audacity, while one senior accountant pales drastically. Chief Chén rushes over to the spreadsheet and rakes his eyes swiftly over the budget. Within seconds, the experienced eyes of Chief Chén have spotted the purposefully made error in the company budget. Chief Chén narrows his eyes knowingly at the pale accountant and flatly says, “Thank you, Miss Mephistopheles, for bringing this matter to my immediate attention. I shall rectify the error immediately.”

The senior accountant pales even further with the knowledge that he would be either fired by the end of the day or be demoted back to a regular office employee. The meeting continues without any other problems and ends on a cheerful note for most of the accountants. As soon as the meeting concludes everyone rapidly disperses including Reyn as Chief Chén firmly closes the conference room door leaving the poor pale trembling accountant behind and alone with Chief Chén.

No one knows exactly what was said, but some minutes afterward, the senior accountant returned to his office to pack. Chief Chén returns to his own office and has a rather pointed call with one of the directors explaining the situation. And just like that, a new position opened up for someone to be promoted up the ranks.

Reyn meant to mind her own business, but she very well couldn’t allow the company to be cheated out of its hard-earned money. Reyn did receive some cold looks from friends of the fired accountant, but a few gave Reyn approving looks while the rest remained on the fence. This was still Reyn’s first week of work, there was no telling if she would even last the month yet.

While Reyn was working she happened to see the pose of female clerical aides lead by their leader, the delicate office beauty, Hú Jiao into the women’s bathroom. Reyn rises to her feet and purposefully heads to the women’s bathroom. The women are gaily chatting as they do their makeup but fall silent upon seeing Reyn enter the restroom.

Reyn calmly washes her hands, before drying them with a paper towel. Not talking to anyone in particular, Reyn says out loud, “Now I know most of you don’t like me and I am fine with that. But what I cannot tolerate is when your dislike of me affects my work. So, if I should find my weekly meeting packet missing again or have the wrong printed information like these last few days, you will find me your enemy ladies. And I am a most terrible enemy to behold-.”

Reyn pauses and tosses the crumbled-up wad into the waste bin. “Now, I realize that all of you are rather pretty young women who can use your beauty to your advantage, but sadly, I outrank all of you. Besides I’m a straight woman, so your looks won’t work against me. And though you can use your beauty to charm my bosses and superiors, but I warn you, should I happen to see you cheating on with these married men, I will politely send a detailed letter to their wives and we shall see how that turns out for you,” Reyn delicately stated as some of the women looked taken back at her plain-spoken words.

Reyn takes a step forward as the women take an unconscious step backward. “Now I am certain that all of you can sabotage me in a multitude of ways and plot slowly to have me fall into a pit of your doing. But I shall make one thing clear, I am a Usonian woman and I believe in the importance use of violence in its proper function,” Reyn said with a smile as she cracks her knuckles for emphasis.

“And when I find out that you were responsible for my fall, I will personally pay you a visit,” Reyn matter-of-factly stated as she casually moves her fist to the side and makes a dent in the bathroom wall.

The women in the restroom pale but most especially their leader, the delicate office beauty Hú Jiao. “Now good afternoon ladies, I shan’t keep you any longer,” Reyn drily commented before heading out of the restroom.

Reyn knew the moment the restroom door closed that those women would begin to gossip about her. Those types of women are like hungry jackals surrounding a lion. The lion may scare the jackals away for a time, but with absolute certainty, the jackals will surely try again because that’s just who they are. And with that in mind, Reyn decides to have a chat with Lisa after work.