Chapter 2874: Request

Xiao Zishan nodded noncommittally, showing no intention of pursuing the matter further. Shen Wanshu understood this Director: he always stopped at the appropriate point. The same held for his luxury consumption—he never exceeded the proper bounds.

"How has business been lately?" he asked, seemingly offhand.

At this, Shen Wanshu gathered herself slightly, her expression growing more deferential. She understood with perfect clarity that Director Xiao was not asking for figures. He was asking about the Office's awareness and control of this enterprise. Her answer had to demonstrate Director Hong's competent and compliant management, keep Director Hong and the Office at the forefront, never presume authority, and above all give no impression that the shop posed any problems or risks.

After a brief pause, she spoke in a soft yet clear voice: "To answer the Chief—thanks to the Senate's grace, and following the regulations set by the Office and Director Hong, the shop has run smoothly since its renovation and reopening. In matters of business, Director Hong often teaches that for our establishment, 'having birds nest at the doorstep' is the mark of success, while 'a thronging crowd' would be a failure of purpose. After all, our primary clientele is the Senators. We prize refinement and discretion, aiming for their satisfaction and comfort, not judging success by foot traffic like an ordinary market stall."

"The specific operating accounts are compiled each month according to Director Hong's requirements, categorized and clearly recorded. They are reviewed separately by the bookkeeper and myself, then sealed and submitted to the Cheka for audit and filing on schedule, with no delay or error permitted."

"Regarding cash flow and expenditures..." She paused, seeming to weigh her words. "Since the shop primarily handles member reservations and custom orders, there are ordinarily no large cash transactions. We mainly reclaim currency through member deposits and the deposits and final payments on custom orders. Director Hong has established detailed 'quota' and 'reservation' regulations—which items may be supplied in what quantities each year, which customers may place custom orders and when—all governed by established rules. The manager and I merely follow procedure; we would never presume to act on our own authority."

She raised her eyes slightly, observed Xiao Zishan's expression, and seeing no displeasure, continued: "Daily expenses, from major items like the shop's renovation and the procurement of custom materials down to a lamp's worth of oil or a pot of flowers, are all itemized in the accounts and reported monthly. Director Hong has repeatedly and strictly ordered: 'For the Office's enterprises, every copper must be spent in the open, spent on something real, and spent worthily.' I am but slow-witted; I can only fulfill this charge with trepidation and care, striving never to disappoint the Office's trust or Director Hong's guidance."

"In short, the shop's profitability is normal, and the calculated profits are all remitted to the Office's accounts according to regulations. Everything is the result of Director Hong's strategic planning and effective regulations. I and everyone in the shop merely follow the rules and run errands. If there are any improprieties or shortcomings, they are entirely due to my own limited understanding and inadequate efforts. I hope Director Xiao will instruct me at any time, and I shall immediately make corrections."

Xiao Zishan listened to this watertight, deferentially polished report, his mind clear as a mirror. He knew that Shen Wanshu's "following the rules" was not necessarily the whole truth—Hong Huangnan's various schemes and machinations at No. 82 were certainly more complex than what appeared on the accounts. But this report was impeccable on its face, fully satisfying his purpose of "demonstrating ownership's concern." He neither could nor wished to truly dig into those gray areas.

So he smiled, satisfied, and nodded. "Mm, Old Hong's regulations are thorough, and you execute them conscientiously—that's excellent. For the Office's enterprises, propriety is paramount. That you think and act this way puts my mind at ease." He paused, as if recalling something, and asked in a more casual tone: "Old Hong's been in Guangzhou for quite a while now, hasn't he? Are things going smoothly over there?"

"To answer the Chief, Senator Hong's affairs in Guangzhou have been proceeding smoothly enough, just rather tedious." Shen Wanshu smiled charmingly. "Thank you for your concern, Chief."

"Not at all, not at all—caring for every comrade's work and life is one of the Office's primary duties."

Seeing that Xiao Zishan was preparing to rise, Shen Wanshu quickly leaned slightly closer. Her voice grew even softer and more respectful, though her words took a deft turn, as if she were merely mentioning some trivial neighborhood matter in idle conversation:

"Director Xiao's consideration is truly a blessing for all the Chiefs. Speaking of which, the shop's smooth operation is thanks in part to Director Hong's attention to our affairs here even while in Guangzhou. It's just that... recently, over at Wanzige, there was a spot of trouble that kept me worried for a couple of days."

Though Wanzige had been spun off and was nominally independently operated, it was in practice a branch of No. 82. Matters involving clothing—especially the design and production of women's garments—were primarily handled by that shop.

She paused, observing Xiao Zishan's reaction, and seeing no impatience, continued in a tone carefully balanced between sympathy and detachment: "At Wanzige, as you may know, the skills of Miss Guo and Miss He—just the other day, their work won an award and was featured in Lingao Spring. As a result, they are particularly favored by the ladies of the city's prominent households. A while back, they took a custom order from a certain Concubine Zhou of the Qu family. This was ordinary business, but who could have imagined it would become entangled in some sordid old affairs of that household..."

She deliberately avoided alarming words like "murder" and "old case," letting "sordid old affairs" pass lightly, but the sigh in her voice was enough to pique the listener's curiosity.

"That Concubine Zhou was a pitiable soul. I'm told she suffered grievous wrongs in the household, and in a moment of desperation, took things too far—someone ended up dead... Alas, though it was an accidental killing of an innocent servant, she has still violated the Senate's law. She's now in custody, and I hear... she likely faces severe punishment."

At the words "someone dead" and "the law," Xiao Zishan's eyebrows moved almost imperceptibly. He raised the glass of lukewarm lemon soda, took a slow sip, and said nothing, only listening quietly.

Seeing that he had not interrupted, Shen Wanshu knew he was listening. She sighed again, her tone growing even more circumspect: "What makes it more lamentable is that the Concubine Zhou, while in the police station—perhaps in her desperation, determined to drag someone down with her—confessed a number of old matters, all concerning the Qu family's principal wife... Ah, they were all cases from the Ming dynasty days. I'm told some involved lives hanging in the balance—serious cases indeed. By rights, exposing such old crimes should bring some resolution.

"But the strange thing is, the Qu family had a legal adviser who, by some unknown connection, invoked the Senate's new legal provisions and found... loopholes I myself cannot comprehend, and had the principal wife's case dismissed entirely. Now, the abused concubine faces heavy sentencing, while the principal wife who in the old days caused more than one death goes scot-free... This matter is the talk of the streets. People are saying... does the Senate's new law concern itself only with the present and not with the past?"

She spoke with studied casualness, her tone as if gossiping about neighborhood news, with a thin veneer of a bystander's righteous indignation.

"This matter, of course, has nothing to do with us—we're not connected to it by any stretch." Shen Wanshu pivoted, her face showing just the right amount of helplessness and compassion. "It's just that the two young ladies at Wanzige are tender-hearted. They had met Concubine Zhou a few times when she came for her fitting, and hearing of her background and her present plight, they were deeply moved.

"Besides... the concubine's accusations against the principal wife's old crimes could be considered... well, a meritorious disclosure? Miss He and Miss Guo muttered privately that the judgment seemed... hard to accept in good conscience.

"They are young, warm-hearted, and mindful of that slight acquaintance with the concubine, so they eventually came to me, asking whether... given that the Chiefs are occupied with state affairs, in such a specific case, there might be... room for review or reconsideration? After all, lives are at stake, and the matter touches upon the transition between old and new legal orders. If the Senate could demonstrate that it values both present law and past grievances—that is to say, a comprehensive approach—it might benefit both public sentiment and the Senate's reputation?"

Shen Wanshu finished speaking and lowered her head slightly, hands folded properly before her, waiting. She knew that words could go only this far. If Xiao Zishan understood, he would naturally give it consideration; if he did not understand or chose not to, there was no risk at all—it was merely idle chatter about "neighborhood gossip." The business report was already complete. This little digression was the real probe she had come to deliver today.

Xiao Zishan, holding his water glass, listened quietly as Shen Wanshu finished. The habitual mild smile on his face did not change in the slightest, but his eyes focused briefly when she mentioned "the transition between old and new legal orders" and "public sentiment and reputation."

He slowly set down the glass, his fingers lightly tracing the smooth surface, as if weighing his words. He did not immediately reject the implicit questioning of judicial decisions in Shen Wanshu's words—that would be too blunt, and contrary to his habitual manner of dealing with people. But neither could he possibly offer any explicit promise to intervene in a specific case.

"Ah, so it's the Qu family case..." Xiao Zishan spoke as if just recalling it, his tone flat, carrying the knowing air of a senior leader hearing a subordinate report "special circumstances." "I glimpsed this in the internal bulletins. The Senate's law emphasizes evidence and procedure. During the transition between old and new orders, some historical legacy issues do require particular caution in handling."

Rather than saying that historical legacy issues required caution, it would be more accurate to say that the woman before him required caution. Shen was Hong's secretary and one of No. 82's operators. And Guo? She was connected to Mayor Liu's household. Miss He, too, had quite a background. So he first set the tone with "according to law" and "with caution," then shifted, looking at Shen Wanshu with a smile that carried a few more degrees of understanding:

"That Miss Guo and Miss He are sympathetic by nature is a good thing. It shows that the comrades in our Senate's system, including outstanding naturalized citizens like them, are people of flesh and blood with a sense of justice. That Wanzige can receive custom orders from the Qu family also demonstrates that their craftsmanship and reputation have earned market recognition." He first affirmed their motives and achievements—the first step of reassurance.

Then, leaning slightly forward, he lowered his voice, sounding confiding yet carrying unmistakable authority: "Comrade Wanshu, please convey to Miss Guo and Miss He that the matter they are concerned about—I am aware of it."

He emphasized the words "I am aware of it," then shifted tone again: "The fundamental principle of the Senate's law enforcement is justice, centered on the principle of 'according to law.' But in implementation, social effects and public sentiment must also be considered. In a case like this, involving historical debts and having provoked a certain amount of public discussion, the relevant departments will certainly weigh various factors in their deliberations and will not simply apply a 'one-size-fits-all' approach."

Xiao Zishan paused, picked up the Panama hat he had tried on earlier, examined it casually, then set it down again, his tone growing more earnest: "However, you should also remind them, especially Miss He, who was transferred from Guangzhou as a women's affairs cadre—a good comrade from a humble background. Being a comrade means trusting the Senate's legal process. Don't listen to rumors, and certainly don't undertake any... irregular actions privately. Everything must be built on respect for the law.

"Personal sympathy can be expressed through proper channels—for instance... if they genuinely possess information about the parties' circumstances or the background of the old cases that would aid in a comprehensive assessment, they may compile it into a written submission and route it through Wanzige's normal reporting procedures, or... ask Director Hong to review it and forward it through proper channels.

"That is how to be responsible to the parties involved and how to uphold the seriousness of the Senate's law."

He offered an exit: written materials, through proper channels or forwarded by Hong Huangnan. This both shut down any possibility of private petitioning and shifted the initiative and responsibility for subsequent action partly onto Hong Huangnan, while maintaining everything within the compliant framework of "reporting information." If Hong Huangnan judged it worth the risk, he would act; if not, he could shelve it. What effect such materials might have, if any, was not something Xiao Zishan could guarantee.

Finally, he rose to his feet, resuming his customary demeanor at the end of an inspection, smiling warmly: "In any case, I've noted the matter. Tell them to set their minds at ease and focus on their work. The Senate has sufficient wisdom and patience to handle complex problems. And bring my regards to Old Hong—tell him his shop is well done; he's put thought into it."

In a single speech, there was reassurance, principle, and seemingly feasible yet ultimately vague guidance. He gave Shen Wanshu and the women behind her an explanation they could report back, while positioning himself and the Office firmly in the detached stance of "aware of the situation, concerned in principle, recommending compliant reporting." The fate of Concubine Zhou, meanwhile, had already been temporarily transformed, in his words, into a "complex individual case" requiring "comprehensive consideration"—adrift in the vast ocean of the Senate's bureaucratic apparatus, awaiting the next push, if it ever came.