006 "I was just giving an example, just an example, mind you."

“Constantly inquiring about the progress of the investigation team, covertly applying pressure. Moreover, that Qian Zong even brought reporters from the city to conduct exclusive interviews on the matter.”

Hearing Chen Meimei’s words, Fang Qingye suddenly recalled a few days ago when he was having hotpot and heard Qian Weimin mention inviting some city friends to dinner—could those have been the reporters?

“What should we do then? How is the branch handling it?” Fang Qingye asked again.

Chen Meimei glanced around and lowered her voice, saying, “I overheard the investigation team discussing privately. To control public opinion and give Tenglong Industrial an explanation, they plan to remove Zhang Qunying, the director of the Qianjin Road Savings Office. The other staff will have their salaries and bonuses withheld, and Manager Xia will be disciplined... Fang Qingye, I trust you, so I’m telling you this, but don’t let anyone else know—especially Zhang Rong; she can’t keep a secret!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”

All of this had actually happened before; Fang Qingye already knew about it.

“Ah... if Manager Xia gets disciplined, she definitely won’t succeed Manager Zhang, and she’ll probably be transferred out of Nanxin,” Chen Meimei sighed.

Xia He was just a little unfortunate—she had been set up!

Zhang Qunying and several others at the savings office were even worse off. Caught in the crossfire of power struggles above, they became innocent victims.

“Manager Xia is a good person, especially to us newcomers. It would be such a pity if she were transferred,” Chen Meimei lamented.

Of course, she was good to us because she was cultivating her own loyal faction, thought Fang Qingye with a secret smile.

Back then, Fang Qingye hadn’t thought much about these things until he went to Shen City to work and saw how many things played out in the workplace; that’s when he gradually understood.

If you ignore that factor, Xia He was indeed better to them than Zhao Wenjun, who later rose to power.

That Zhao fellow only favored the old guard and looked down on newcomers like them, suppressing them at every turn.

That was also part of the reason Fang Qingye resigned and left the Nanxin branch to develop in Shen City.

It seemed keeping Xia He was the wiser choice.

Besides, it could also help Zhang Qunying and the others.

Thinking of this, Fang Qingye glanced at her and quietly said, “Chen Meimei, after hearing all this, don’t you think the investigation team is looking in the wrong direction? Maybe it’s not an insider in our branch leaking information but Tenglong Industrial embezzling funds or the two companies colluding to deceive our branch?”

“Ah? You really think that?” Chen Meimei looked at him in shock.

Fang Qingye kept his tone calm and unhurried.

“Let me give you an example—just an example... Company A takes money from a special account and uses it to issue loans. Since it’s illegal, they took the company stamp, legal representative’s seal, various U-shields, and passwords out of the company, forged procurement contracts, and through the banking system issued electronic bank acceptance bills to illegally lend this money to Company B for a period of several months, collecting some interest in advance.”

“Company A was after the interest, but they didn’t expect Company B to be eyeing their principal behind the scenes. When the loan matured, Company B refused to repay. Company A could only blame the bank, claiming the bank deducted funds without authorization, and that someone was stirring up trouble behind the scenes, resulting in the current mess.”

“What if they can’t shift the blame?” Chen Meimei pressed.

“If they really can’t pin it on the bank, they’ll drag out the company’s financial staff to take the fall. That’s a common trick used by bosses.”

Fang Qingye smiled. “Anyway, if you can’t uncover the truth quickly, their purpose is achieved!”

Chen Meimei was smart and immediately understood the meaning behind Fang Qingye’s last sentence.

“Their purpose? You mean Manager Zhao...”

“Stop, I’m just giving an example,” Fang Qingye interrupted, looking serious.

Chen Meimei stared at him for a moment and then laughed.

“Fang Qingye, you’re really clever—and quite sly too.”

“Hey, are you complimenting me or insulting me?”

“Of course, it’s a compliment. Anyway, I’m off. I’ll go talk to Manager Xia about your theory.” With that, she hopped on her bicycle and headed toward the office.

“Hey, Chen Meimei, it was your theory, not mine. You didn’t say anything, so I don’t know anything,” Fang Qingye shouted after her retreating figure.

“That won’t do. It’s your idea, so I can’t be selfish,” came the girl’s voice from a distance.

Fang Qingye shook his head and turned in the opposite direction.

On the fifth day of the Tenglong Company deposit disappearance case, there was a breakthrough. The investigation team, which had temporarily withdrawn, suddenly stayed. The focus shifted away from internal bank investigations and pointed toward issues within Tenglong Industrial, with the county public security bureau called in to assist.

Soon, clues emerged. There were problems inside Tenglong Industrial. Under the suggestion of senior executives, financial personnel took U-shields, passwords, and other documents out of the company and entrusted non-company personnel to operate them, transferring 20 million yuan to a company in Zhejiang Province, aiming to earn high interest.

Whether Tenglong Industrial’s boss Qian Weimin was aware or if someone was stirring things up behind the scenes still required further investigation.

Meanwhile, the Nanxin police had informed Zhejiang authorities to freeze the accounts of Zhilian Technology Company and swiftly track the whereabouts of the company’s actual controller, Sun.

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

The city bank’s working group eventually withdrew, and the local police fully took over, with the Dongfang Branch cooperating wholeheartedly.

For now, the matter was temporarily settled, and the Dongfang Branch returned to its usual calm.

But clear-eyed observers knew this surface calm hid turbulent undercurrents; a storm was about to break.

That afternoon, the sky was heavy and oppressively hot. When the workday ended, Fang Qingye tidied the documents on his desk and left the office to go downstairs. Just as he was about to retrieve his scooter from the bike shed, he heard someone call his name.

“Xiao Fang!”

He turned to see a middle-aged man standing at the entrance—the deputy branch manager, Zhao Wenjun.

He was dressed as usual in his uniform, only without his suit jacket, his white shirt crisp and cufflinks buttoned tightly, looking meticulous.

Before Fang Qingye could walk over, Zhao Wenjun came forward, smiling as he said, “Xiao Fang, you’re free tonight, right? Let me buy you a drink.”

“Manager Zhao, you’re inviting me for a drink?” Fang Qingye was surprised.

Besides occasionally passing each other in the office corridor and Fang Qingye greeting him with a nod, they hardly spoke. Why would he suddenly invite him out for a drink?

Fang Qingye suddenly had a thought and looked at him.

“What? Not going to give me face?” Zhao Wenjun smiled faintly.

Fang Qingye smiled too. “Alright then, Manager Zhao is buying, I wouldn’t say no. Where to?”

“I’ll take you to a place I often go to drink. It’s not far from here.”

Hearing this, Fang Qingye didn’t bother with his scooter. The two of them headed toward the main gate together.