My Boss Is a Deadbeat

Zhang Fang left a top company in Shanghai and returned to her hometown, a small third-tier city, to become operations director of the “Cultural Center.”

Her boss, Xi San, was a locally renowned “young entrepreneur.” He enthusiastically painted Zhang Fang a picture of taking the company public and promised her his absolute trust.

It was only when court enforcement officers burst into the office that Zhang Fang learned he owed tens of millions and was a notorious deadbeat debtor.

Meimei, the gentle and considerate general manager who had shown her the ropes, smiled as she pushed Zhang Fang forward to handle every crisis. Meanwhile, Lin Yi, the seemingly laid-back receptionist, sneered in her ear and punctured every lie.

Here, professionalism and ability were worth nothing. The experience she had gained at a major corporation became a joke to others, who saw her as someone who didn’t understand the rules.

Zhang Fang faced not only debt-collecting court officers and difficult tenants, but also the tangled web of personal connections in a small city, the undercurrents between business and politics, and a carefully orchestrated scam that saw her as a “pawn” and “cannon fodder.”

This is not a wish-fulfillment story about turning the tables.

It is the story of an idealist struggling through the mire of reality, finding clarity, and ultimately taking up arms to fight for herself.