It was lunch break, and the office was as quiet as usual—filled with the hum of computers, the rustle of paper, and the soft clatter of printers.
No one noticed the cleaning lady, Lin Yueying, in her standard uniform pushing a mop cart, quietly slipping into the company's broadcasting room tucked away in a corner of the building.
This small room was typically used by administration. But Su Rui remembered cleaning it a few times—and she had also taken a broadcast class back in university. She still recalled the layout of the control panel.
Today, she wasn't here to clean.
She was here—to speak.
—
"Even a cleaner… deserves dignity. I'm not here to be gossiped about."
Su Rui muttered softly to herself as she locked the door behind her.
A memory flashed through her mind from an old voice training class in drama school. The instructor had once said:
"Your voice is the most direct weapon to touch someone's heart."
She took a deep breath, sat down, switched on the microphone, and pressed the "Company-Wide Broadcast" button. Her voice was a little rough, but steady and sincere:
"Hello, everyone. This is Lin Yueying from the cleaning department."
—
The entire company seemed to freeze for a moment.
She continued.
"I know the recent talk about me barging into the President's office has spread like wildfire… Some of you might be wondering—how can a cleaner's vacation cause such a stir?"
She chuckled wryly, her voice still carrying that humble, slightly clumsy tone of an older woman:
"I'm not here to make drama, or to stir trouble. I just want to say a few things from my heart. Maybe no one cares—but still, I'm going to say them."
"First, there's absolutely nothing between me and President Shen. No old flames, no secret romances, no ridiculous twists like you'd see in soap operas. I'm just a worker who applied for a few days off. That's it."
"Second, according to Labor Law Article 37, employees have the right to request leave. If rejected, a valid reason must be given. So far, I haven't received one."
"And lastly… I hope these rumors can stop here. Every position in this company deserves respect—including the ones holding mops and wiping glass."
She paused.
Her tone remained calm, polite. Just like that of the soft-spoken auntie who usually greeted people in the pantry.
"I'm Lin Yueying. I love my job. I'm proud to be part of this company. Thank you for listening."
—
The office fell into a stunned silence.
In the lounge, Xiao Wang nearly dropped his water cup. Aunt Li's mouth hung open, her face mask drying on her cheeks.
"Damn… Lin-jie has some serious presence…"
"That line—'every job deserves respect'—I'm tearing up here…"
"She sounded like she was fighting for all of us… all the overlooked workers."
—
As Su Rui walked out of the broadcasting room, her heart was still pounding from the adrenaline rush of that "live performance."
She knew there might be consequences.
She could get written up. Reprimanded. Fired.
But she didn't regret it.
Somehow, in that moment, the word "cleaner" no longer felt like a symbol of inferiority.
And this wasn't the first time she'd stepped on stage for a role.
Only this time—it wasn't an act.
She was speaking for herself. And for the Su Rui who once lost her voice and dignity.
—
Meanwhile, in the President's office, Shen Yichen sat on the couch in silence. His fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the table, lips curved into an unreadable smile.
He had listened to every word of that broadcast.
Then, he said calmly to his assistant:
"Bring her here."
Just then, the secretary knocked on the door, stepped in quietly, and leaned close to whisper:
"Lin Yueying… is already waiting outside."