Chapter 64

Was that just an act?!

A performance staged for me?!

Fang Qingye suddenly realized something.

Yet he remained expressionless and followed Duan Jianming into the office building.

Fang Qingye met Zhang Chunli and Chen Meimei in a conference room and asked, “Have you found any issues?”

Chen Meimei shook her head.

Zhang Chunli added, “I haven’t found anything either.” Then she smiled at Duan Jianming, who followed behind: “Director Duan, your company’s financial records are extremely standardized—more so than those of some large corporations.”

“That’s only natural. We can’t falsify accounts. Besides, standardized accounting reflects a company’s management capability,” Duan Jianming said.

“Oh? Let me take a look.” Fang Qingye became interested.

He casually picked up a ledger and began flipping through it.

Exactly as I thought!

Every retail sale had a deposit card slip or cash receipt attached; every shipping order bore a matching order number, and every consignee field carried a personal signature.

Fang Qingye checked several entries and found that each signature had different handwriting, and the pens used varied in color and thickness.

All corporate sales had contracts; repayments were made exclusively via bank-to-bank transfers, and every transfer voucher was complete, stamped with the watermark “People’s Bank of China.”

Indeed, perfectly organized.

Even the accounts of Pioneer Impact Co., which I saw yesterday, weren’t this clear or standardized.

In a company of this scale, having such clear records and such meticulously organized vouchers is extremely rare.

But anything unusual must hide something sinister!

Recalling the unusually pristine condition of the factory grounds and the strange smile on the face of the worker Wang Master who came to demand wages, Fang Qingye felt something was off.

“Director Fang, you’ve worked hard. Let’s go to the conference room and have some watermelon,” Duan Jianming invited.

“Not yet. I’ll look a bit more.”

Fang Qingye continued examining the financial vouchers.

He suddenly noticed one check: 2.8 million RMB transferred from Shenzhen Tongda Trading Co. to Athena Horticultural Technology Co., Ltd., issued by the Yan Nan Branch of Bank of Communications Co., Ltd.

Transferred from Bank of Communications?

Including Bank of Communications, the five major state-owned banks, now with the addition of the Savings Bank, make six. People habitually refer to them as CCB, ABC… rarely using their full names: China Construction Bank, China Agricultural Bank, etc.

Bank of Communications has no branch in Nansin—only in Jinghai City. Most people rarely interact with it.

Fang Qingye stared at the check bearing “Bank of Communications Co., Ltd.” for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face.

Damn it!

The fox’s tail is finally showing!

Fang Qingye pulled out his Nokia phone and took a photo of the check, saving it to his device.

Seeing Fang Qingye’s actions, Duan Jianming’s expression changed. He suddenly said, “Director Fang, that’s enough, isn’t it? Come to my office for a chat? I’d like to speak with you alone.”

“Oh?” Fang Qingye’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

“Alright.”

The two left the office and went to the third-floor room labeled “Chairman.” After entering, Fang Qingye sat on the sofa. Duan Jianming locked the door behind him, said nothing, then took a bulging plastic bag from his desk drawer and placed it on the coffee table in front of Fang Qingye.

Inside were bundles of RMB!

Fang Qingye roughly estimated: about 100,000 RMB.

“Director Duan, what’s this?” Fang Qingye feigned ignorance.

“Director Fang, you’re a smart man. Let’s speak plainly: if today’s on-site inspection passes, this is all yours.”

“Director Duan, this is bribery. If I accept these 100,000 RMB, I commit the crime of accepting bribes. According to Article 385 of the Criminal Law, I’d face up to five years’ imprisonment or detention… I’d probably get three years.” Fang Qingye said.

“Director Fang, you’re joking. Only heaven, earth, you, and I know. If neither of us speaks, who would know?” Duan Jianming said.

“Heh. I’m a timid man. Who knows if your office has cameras or recording devices?” Fang Qingye stood up: “Let’s go back. Today’s inspection ends here. Goodbye.”

After leaving the office, Fang Qingye returned to the second floor where Zhang Chunli and the others were. He told Zhang Chunli to photocopy the check and all related documents and take them along.

In the car, Zhang Chunli couldn’t help asking, “Director Fang, what’s wrong with this check? I didn’t notice anything.”

“Because we don’t have Bank of Communications here—we rarely deal with them. Let’s see what Director Xia says.”

Fang Qingye sent the photo of the check as a multimedia message to Xia He.

As Fang Qingye started the car and left the tech park, his phone rang. It was Xia He. He switched to speakerphone, and her voice came through immediately.

“Assistant Fang, this check is obviously fake! Bank of Communications’ full name is ‘Bank of Communications Co., Ltd.’—there’s no ‘China’ before it! Athena Horticultural Technology Co., Ltd. is falsifying accounts—serious business irregularities!”

“I know. We’re already back. We’ll discuss it at the office,” Fang Qingye said and hung up.

Zhang Huachun and Chen Meimei in the back seat stared in shock. After a moment, Zhang Chunli spoke: “Director Fang, thank goodness you were here. We’d have been fooled by that Director Duan! I never imagined Bank of Communications’ full name doesn’t include ‘China’—unlike the others.”

Zhang Chunli kept muttering to herself.

“Neither you nor their staff realized it—if they had, the forgery would’ve been flawless,” Fang Qingye remarked.

He hadn’t expected Duan Jianming to be so brazen as to forge transfer checks!

“Director Fang, you’re amazing—nothing escapes your keen eyes,” Chen Meimei, who rarely gave compliments, said with admiration.

Heh…

I spent over a decade in investment banking in my last life. I’ve seen and heard too much.

Fang Qingye smiled faintly, saying nothing.

Back at the branch, Fang Qingye had just entered his office when Xia He knocked and came in. “Xiao Fang, what exactly happened?”

Fang Qingye briefly recounted the on-site inspection of Athena Horticultural Technology Co., Ltd., including his initial suspicions.

He did not mention Duan Jianming’s bribe attempt.

One must leave room for mercy. Besides, after this incident, Duan Jianming and his Athena Horticultural Company were blacklisted by Dongfang Bank—they wouldn’t get a single yuan in loans for the foreseeable future.

“Xiao Fang, you’re truly meticulous!” Xia He smiled. “Our staff still need more training. Even the basic fact that Bank of Communications’ name doesn’t include ‘China’ was unknown.”

“It’s normal. Bank of Communications has no branches in Nansin, and the enterprises we serve rarely have transactions with them. Not knowing is understandable,” Fang Qingye chuckled.

“You’ve worked hard. Rest now. We’ll have a meeting this afternoon.”

“What meeting?” Fang Qingye asked.

“The loan approval meeting,” Xia He said.

“I’m not on the loan approval panel. Why am I attending?” Fang Qingye was puzzled.

“You are now! I’ve discussed it with Director Su—you’re joining the panel!” Xia He smiled warmly.

What?

But I don’t have any specific business yet?

Fang Qingye suddenly felt he’d been tricked.

The loan application from Athena Horticultural Technology Co., Ltd. was rejected by Dongfang Bank. Two days later, it was rumored that a group stormed the company and stripped it of all valuables—it turned out Duan Jianming had defaulted on high-interest loans.