Chapter 7: 006

006 "I'm just giving an example, just an example."

"Every day asking the investigation team about progress, that's putting pressure in a roundabout way, and that Director Qian even brought in reporters from the city for an exclusive interview on this matter."

Hearing Chen Meimei's words, Fang Qingye suddenly recalled eating hot pot a few days ago and hearing Qian Weimin say he was treating friends from the city to dinner—could those have been reporters?

"Then what do we do? How is the branch responding?" Fang Qingye asked again.

Chen Meimei looked around, then lowered her voice and said:

"I heard the investigation team people discussing privately that, to plug the public-opinion hole and give Tenglong Industries an answer, they plan to remove Zhang Qunying, head of Qianjin Road Savings Office, from her post, dock the wages and bonuses of the other several staff, and also give President Xia a disciplinary action... Fang Qingye, I trust you, that's why I'm telling you this, you absolutely must not leak it to anyone, especially Zhang Rong, that guy has a big mouth!"

"Don't worry, I won't go blabbing."

All of this had happened in history—Fang Qingye had actually known it long ago.

"Sigh... if President Xia gets disciplined, she definitely can't take over President Zhang's position, and she'll probably be transferred out of Nanxin too." Chen Meimei finished speaking and sighed.

Xia He was just a bit of a pity—she'd been set up!

That Zhang Qunying and the several others at the savings office were even more unlucky; the fight among the people above had dragged the innocent in and made them victims.

"President Xia is a really good person, especially to us newcomers. If she gets transferred, it'd really be a shame." Chen Meimei was full of regret.

Of course she's good to us—she's cultivating her own loyal faction, Fang Qingye laughed to himself.

Back in the day Fang Qingye hadn't thought that much about it either; only after going to Shencheng to make his way and seeing plenty of workplace matters did he slowly come to understand.

Setting that factor aside, Xia He really had treated them well—far better than Zhao Wenjun, who rose to power later.

That guy Zhao Wenjun only liked the old hands; he looked down on newcomers like them and suppressed them in every way.

His own resignation from Nanxin Sub-branch and departure for Shencheng had this factor in it too.

Looks like keeping Xia He here is the best move.

Besides, it would also help Zhang Qunying and her people.

Thinking this, Fang Qingye glanced at her and said lightly:

"Chen Meimei, after hearing all this, I wonder—has the investigation team been looking in the wrong direction? What if it wasn't an inside mole on our side, but Tenglong Industries stealing from itself, or the two companies colluding to swindle our sub-branch?"

"Huh? You think that's how it is?" Chen Meimei stared at him, astonished.

Fang Qingye still spoke in his unhurried tone:

"Let me give an example, just an example... Company A takes money from the dedicated account and lends it out. Because the matter is illegal, they take the company seal, Legal Person Seal, all the U-shields, and passwords out of the company, forge procurement contracts, and through the banking system issue electronic bank acceptance drafts to illegally lend this sum to Company B, with a loan term of N months, and first collect some interest from them."

"Company A is after the interest, but didn't expect Company B to be scheming for their principal behind the scenes—when the term is up, the other side doesn't repay. Company A can only dump the blame on the bank, saying the bank withheld funds on its own, and with someone behind the scenes stoking the flames, it ends up looking like this."

"And if dumping the blame doesn't work?" Chen Meimei pressed.

"If they really can't pin it on the bank, in the end they pull the company's finance people out to take the fall—that's a trick bosses always use."

Fang Qingye smiled and said: "Anyway, if you can't figure it out in the short term, their goal is achieved!"

Chen Meimei was no fool either, and immediately understood the meaning of Fang Qingye's last sentence.

"Their goal? You mean President Zhao..."

"Hold it, I'm just giving an example." Fang Qingye cut Chen Meimei off, dead serious.

Chen Meimei stared at him, then suddenly laughed.

"Fang Qingye, you're really smart—and sly too."

"Hey, is that a compliment or a dig?"

"Of course it's a compliment. Alright, I won't chat with you anymore, I'm going to find President Xia and tell her your theory." Finishing, she rode her bicycle off toward the workplace.

"Hey, Chen Meimei, it's your theory, not mine—you didn't say anything, I don't know anything." Fang Qingye shouted at her retreating back.

"That won't do, you came up with it, I can't be that selfish." The girl's voice drifted back from afar.

Fang Qingye shook his head at this, turned, and walked off in the opposite direction.

On the fifth day, the Tenglong Company deposit-loss case took a turn. The investigation team that had temporarily withdrawn suddenly stayed on, the line of inquiry no longer focused on internal checks at the bank, and the finger pointed inside Tenglong Industries; at the same time, the county public-security bureau was asked to assist in the investigation.

Soon, the matter showed progress. A problem had emerged inside Tenglong Industries: at the hint of a company executive, finance staff took U-shields, passwords, and other documents out and handed them to non-company personnel to operate, transferring 20 million in funds to that company in Zhejiang Province, for the purpose of earning high interest.

As for whether Tenglong Industries boss Qian Weimin knew about it, and whether someone was stoking things behind the scenes, this needed further detailed investigation.

In addition, Nanxin police had already notified Zhejiang police to freeze the accounts of Zhilian Technology Company and quickly track the movements of the company's actual controller, a certain Sun.

In short, in this incident, Qianjin Road Savings Office bore no fault whatsoever.

The city-branch working group finally withdrew; follow-up matters had been fully taken over by local police, with Dongfang Sub-branch giving full cooperation.

The matter was temporarily at an end, and Dongfang Sub-branch returned to its former calm.

But anyone with eyes could see that beneath this surface calm, undercurrents were already surging—a storm was about to break.

That afternoon, the sky was overcast and oppressively hot. By quitting time, Fang Qingye had tidied up the files on his desk and left the office. Going downstairs, he was just about to head to the bike shed to get his little step-through, when he heard someone call his name.

"Xiao Fang!"

He looked back—at the building entrance stood a middle-aged man, Vice President Zhao Wenjun.

As always when going to work, he wore his uniform, only without the suit jacket; his white shirt was crisp, cufflinks fastened tight, giving him a meticulous air.

Before Fang Qingye could walk over, Zhao Wenjun came over on his own, smiling, and said: "Xiao Fang, free tonight? Let me treat you to a couple of drinks?"

"President Zhao, you're treating me to drinks?" Fang Qingye was a bit surprised.

Apart from occasionally running into each other in the office hallway, where Fang Qingye would greet him first and the other man would only nod, barely speaking—why was he suddenly inviting him for drinks?

Fang Qingye suddenly thought of something and looked at him.

"What? Not giving me face?" A faint smile appeared on Zhao Wenjun's face.

Fang Qingye smiled too: "Sure, President Zhao's treat—I'd love that. Where to?"

"I'll take you to a place I often go for drinks, not far from here."

Hearing Zhao Wenjun say that, Fang Qingye didn't bother pushing his little step-through, and the two of them walked together toward the main gate.