Chapter 220: Heaven-Shaking Wave

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu, one after the other, stepped into the Document Repository.

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong's back and said, "Xu Shouxian wants to assign an Assistant to me; why did you block it and not let him? Do you have an Assistant yourself, so you're just leaving my affairs aside?"

Duan Rong turned his head, fixed his gaze on Xiao Yu, hesitated slightly, turned back and walked a few steps, leaned in close to Xiao Yu, lowered his voice, and said in a deep tone, "One more person means one more pair of eyes."

Xiao Yu's heart stirred. She looked at Duan Rong's solemn and vigilant expression, and a look of contemplation appeared in her eyes; Duan Rong clearly had more to his words, implying something specific.

Duan Rong stood there, and the scent of rouge radiating from Xiao Yu drifted into his nostrils, plucking at his heartstrings. Duan Rong rubbed his nose and turned to walk toward the desk in the corner of the Document Repository.

However, Xiao Yu still could not understand Duan Rong's meaning; they were just putting on a show of auditing the accounts, so why fear others watching?

Xiao Yu wanted to ask Duan Rong more, but just then, she heard footsteps approaching from the Corridor; it was clearly Huang Qing returning. Xiao Yu suppressed the doubts in her heart, walked straight over, and sat silently before the desk.

Duan Rong sat before the desk and looked once more at the entry he had already audited.

An account entry of over three thousand taels, of which over five hundred taels had been embezzled.

Then, in a month's worth of accounts, how much would there be? A year? And, in which year did this matter begin? Two years, three years, or five years?

This Account Maze structured with nested accounts, concealing the accounting scandal of embezzlement—if it were to be exposed, it would undoubtedly be a heaven-shaking wave!

When Duan Rong entered this Backyard Accounting Office, he had never intended to actually audit the accounts. Just as he had said to Xu Shouxian earlier, Harmonizing Light and Dust, keeping one eye open and one eye closed, was the way to work together. This had originally been his true thought.

If he truly wanted to audit the accounts, it would be very easy for him to possess the ability of an old accountant with many years of experience by simply devouring a few Spirit Tools within this Backyard Accounting Office.

But he had no intention of actually auditing the accounts at all, because judging from the lesson of Xiao Zongting's mid-year inventory, this Xu Shouxian was clearly a petty person who sought revenge for the slightest grievance. If he really uncovered some problems, who knew how Xu Shouxian might try to undermine him in the future?

However, now, things were completely different!

These were not the small problems of the mid-year inventory; this was a fatal weakness, the reverse scale of Ruan Fengshan!

Duan Rong could almost be certain that once this matter was exposed, Xu Shouxian would die!

And how could a dead man undermine him?

Moreover, Xu Shouxian was not just going against him; he was going against Xiao Zongting. By removing this person, Xiao Lao would be able to act with more ease within the Yuanshun Escort Agency in the future.

Duan Rong sat before the desk, his eyes flickering. After several thoughts rolled through his mind, he had decided to expose this matter!

However, he had to ensure that in this heaven-shaking wave, he could retreat safely!

The current situation was undoubtedly very favorable to him!

No one thought they were seriously auditing the accounts, and even fewer believed he could understand that nesting-doll-like Account Maze!

Duan Rong decided he would use the remaining four and a half days to first thoroughly audit the accounts for the twelfth lunar month!

Because the twelfth lunar month was the off-season for the Escort Agency's business, and the accounts for this month were relatively the fewest.

But, after all, it was a full month. Based on the discrepancies in this month's accounts, one could basically infer the situation for the entire year.

In that case, with the data for the full month of the twelfth lunar month, he could crush Xu Shouxian on the spot, avoiding long delays that might lead to further complications!

With his thoughts settled, Duan Rong took the summary accounts for the twelfth lunar month in his hand and flipped to the first page with a rustle; he decided to audit from the beginning.

Duan Rong held the accounts, pointed to the first item on the first page, looked at Huang Qing, and said, "Brother Huang Qing, please find the relevant ledgers for this item."

Huang Qing glanced at the entry, then stood up, walked to the shelf, and began to search.

As soon as Huang Qing left, Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu and said, "You go help him too! It's too slow for him to search alone."

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong with suspicious eyes. "Just a moment ago in the Corridor, you blocked me from having an Assistant! Now you're starting to assign me work! What are you trying to do?"

Facing Xiao Yu's questioning, Duan Rong could only smile helplessly and said, "Aren't you getting more and more annoyed sitting there flipping through account books?"

Xiao Yu was left speechless by Duan Rong; she was indeed already impatient.

"Searching for account books on the shelves, you at least have something to do? Just consider it passing the time!" Duan Rong persuaded earnestly.

Seeing Xiao Yu still sitting there hesitating, he pleaded, "Just consider it as doing me a favor... alright?"

"Fine!" Xiao Yu really couldn't withstand Duan Rong's pestering, so she stood up and joined Huang Qing in searching for account books on the shelves.

Xiao Yu was not very familiar with it at first, but under Huang Qing's reminders and guidance, she quickly grasped the pattern of how the ledgers were arranged.

However, the two of them searching for account books together still couldn't keep up with Duan Rong's progress. Duan Rong would urge them from time to time, which made Xiao Yu very angry. She stood before the shelf, glaring with her beautiful eyes at Duan Rong, who was sitting at the desk. "What are you rushing for? Aren't we searching?"

The final signatory and auditor for the first account entry of the twelfth lunar month was Zhu Shicheng.

Xiao Yu took a few relevant account books and slapped them angrily onto the desk in front of Duan Rong. Duan Rong was focused on the accounts at this moment and didn't notice Xiao Yu's mood at all.

He took the account books, flipped through them quickly, and spread several ledgers out in front of him.

Xiao Yu had originally been very annoyed, but seeing Duan Rong's serious, focused, and clear-eyed appearance, she suddenly felt a moment of distraction. She remembered the sentence Duan Rong had said to her at the entrance of the Document Repository: one more person means one more pair of eyes.

Xiao Yu's heart suddenly brightened. She stared blankly at Duan Rong, who was buried in flipping through the accounts. For some reason, she suddenly felt that Duan Rong could understand the account books. Because she could almost be certain that Duan Rong's current appearance was definitely not an act.

Once she thought of this, the annoyance that had originally been in Xiao Yu's heart vanished into thin air...

Just at this moment, Duan Rong suddenly picked up one of the account books, pointed to an item, looked at Xiao Yu, and said, "Find the ledger for this item as well."

Duan Rong was immersed in the Account Maze, and there was an unconscious, decisive, and commanding tone in his voice.

If Xiao Yu were still in that state of annoyance from just before, she would definitely have lost her temper, but at this moment, Xiao Yu glanced at the entry and, without a word, went to the shelf to find the ledger.

What Duan Rong had Xiao Yu find was already the second layer of the nested accounts for this item.

After nearly half an hour, there were already more than thirty account books opened on Duan Rong's desk.

And it was only until this moment that Duan Rong finally thoroughly audited this item, which was nested in three layers.

This entry, signed and confirmed by Zhu Shicheng, totaled over two thousand four hundred taels of silver, and the discrepancy after the audit was over four hundred and twenty taels.

The proportion of embezzled silver was almost the same as the one signed and confirmed by Xu Shouxian earlier.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered; he believed this was definitely not a coincidence.

(End of chapter)