Water and Fire~Chapter 135: of "Fu Fu" (Shou Yu)

 

Chapter 135: of "Fu Fu" (Shou Yu)

The next morning, Chu Qianmiao returned to Litong. As soon as work started, she went to the administrative department colleague who kept the project drafts and asked for the access card to the data room, saying she wanted to check the drafts of a previous project from Project 1.

Chu Qianmiao swiped the door card and entered the document room.

The project drafts of each department are all stored in the document room. The document room has strict access control, but the cabinets in the document room are all open and not locked, making it easy for everyone to find project information.

Chu Qianmiao entered the document room and went directly to the document storage area of ​​Kan Qingzhou's Project 2. She found the draft files of Kan Qingzhou's backdoor listing project and carefully checked them from beginning to end.

Yesterday, Ren Yan had given her the direction to check the project problems. She believed that as long as she was more serious, she would be able to find clues.

-Ren Yan asked her yesterday if she still remembered the training and development activity in the villa courtyard. (chapter 73)

She said she remembered.

Ren Yan then told her, "Think about what the financial expert I hired to train you at that event. Think about that."

At the time of the training, she had just joined the investment bank, and compared to others, finance was still her weaker area. So, she listened more attentively than anyone else and took careful notes. She still remembers everything the financial expert taught her vividly. The financial expert said, "Some people register shell companies overseas and then have domestic companies trade with these shell companies, generating profits through this back-and-forth."

Ren Yan was asking her to research this direction.

She figured that Ren Yan had six more years of experience than she did. His professional intuition and sensitivity were unmatched.

Chu Qianmiao diligently and rapidly flipped through volumes of project materials.

In the data room, besides her breathing, the only sound was the crisp, repetitive flipping of pages.

Nearly halfway through the morning, the crisp sound of pages being flipped suddenly stopped.

Chu Qianmiao paused at the financial documents in the file.

Sure enough, there was a problem!

***

Chu Qianmiao carefully examined the financial documents for the shell company project.

The data showed that the shell company (the non-listed company) had made significant profits from an overseas project the year before it went public through the listed company's shell, generating significant profits for the shell company. However, in the first two years of the shell company's listing, the shell company's profits came entirely from the same few client companies.

Chu Qianmiao took photos of the pages, then returned to her office, turned on her computer, and studied them carefully.

She searched for the shell company's clients from the previous two years.

The legal representatives, shareholders, directors, and supervisors didn't overlap at all with the directors, supervisors, and senior management of the shell company, nor did they share the same surnames. It seemed they had no connection.

But Chu Qianmiao had a feeling something was amiss.

If there were no problems with these clients, it would be unreasonable for them to stop doing business with the main company in the third year, causing the main company to lose some of its profits.

There must be some hidden secrets that outsiders don't know.

Chu Qianmiao put her fist on her chin and thought for a moment. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind, and she immediately picked up her phone and called Tang Jie.

--How could she have forgotten that Tang Jie once said that he had resigned from his original accounting firm and changed jobs because he and Kan Qingzhou had worked together on a backdoor listing project. He felt that the project had too many problems, and Kan Qingzhou was a person who liked to step on the line. He was too nervous to continue working on it. (chapter 107)

Calculating the time, the backdoor listing project that Tang Jie mentioned was the one she was currently reviewing.

So, calling Tang Jie might yield unexpected results.

Tang Jie was currently leading people to follow up on the due diligence of Zhaohuan Education. As soon as the call rang, Chu Qianmiao first briefed Tang Jie on the situation at Zhaohuan Education. Tang Jie said, "Zhao Zhenghuan runs his education business quite disciplined. There aren't any major financial issues, except that he has numerous branches and subsidiaries, which means a lot of accounts."

Chu Qianmiao repeatedly praised his hard work. After discussing Zhaohuan Education, Chu Qianmiao changed the subject and asked Tang Jie about Kan Qingzhou's backdoor listing project.

Tang Jie thought for a moment and said, "I remember now. There were indeed financial issues with that project. The situation at the time was that the listed company's shell company was suffering heavy losses. To continue meeting the listing requirements, the profits of the shell company had to be very high, so that the losses could be offset by the shell company."

Tang Jie paused, then continued, "When I was following the due diligence, I discovered that the shell company's profits for two consecutive years had come from the same few companies. Although the legal representatives, shareholders, directors, and supervisors of these companies seemed to have no connection to the actual controllers of the shell company, a closer look revealed that they were all deeply related."

Chu Qianmiao's heart skipped a beat.

There was indeed something wrong.

Tang Jie took a breath and told Chu Qianmiao, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Chu Qianmiao sorted out her thoughts and said, "So, he's actually the actual controller of the shell company. He controls the entire supply chain, upstream and downstream. His company's customers and suppliers are actually his well-connected relatives, and his company's profits are essentially generated through self-dealing through related-party transactions?"

Tang Jie said, "Exactly, that's it."

Chu Qianmiao's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Isn't this blatant financial fraud?" she asked, holding her phone.

Tang Jie replied, "That's right. After several intermediaries learned of this, they reported the situation to the actual controller of the shell company, telling him that if the profits were derived that way, it wouldn't be acceptable and they wouldn't investigate. And guess what? This company was incredibly successful. Eventually, its primary client became an overseas company, from which it earned significant profits. While it may seem from the outside that the shell company expanded its overseas business, made a fortune, and then went public through a backdoor listing, think about it, Qianmiao. Could it be that simple?"

Chu Qianmiao held her phone in one hand and placed the other on the table, tapping it gently in time with her heartbeat.

From this perspective, Ren Yan's words really made sense. The transactions between the overseas client company and the shell company were likely a private sale.

She heard Tang Jie tell her, "I thought this project had serious problems at the time, but Kan Qingzhou from your company thought it was fine. He even worked closely with Eagle Capital, the investor behind the backdoor listing, to push it forward. The more I thought about it, the less trustworthy it seemed, so I decided to quit. But I'm not going to give in to Kan Qingzhou's bad luck; not long ago, that company actually successfully completed its backdoor listing."

Chu Qianmiao tapped the table, thinking, if she's right, after the lock-up period, Eagle Capital will drive up the stock price a bit, then sell off the shares at a high price, making a fortune from this backdoor listing.

A sense of desolation and indignation welled up in her heart. So, the lure of such a large sum of money had broken the professional ethics of so many people, had it? In the face of profit, they believed they could put their consciences and laws and regulations aside.

She wondered what role Tan Shen played in this project, or how deeply he'd gotten involved. She truly hoped that, despite his overly obsessive attitude toward Ren Yan, he could still be a law-abiding person at work. Chu Qianmiao thought for a moment and asked Tang Jie, "Brother Tang, do you have any substantial evidence that proves this project is problematic?"

Tang Jie said, "Not really."

He asked Chu Qianmiao what her plans were.

Chu Qianmiao told him it wasn't convenient to discuss over the phone and that they'd discuss it in person.

After hanging up, she paused for a moment before picking up her phone and calling Ren Yan.

She told Ren Yan that Kan Qingzhou's backdoor listing project was indeed problematic, but she had no substantial evidence.

Ren Yan pondered for a moment over the phone and told her, "There's no rush for evidence; it'll take time. Take these findings and go directly to Wu Jin. Right now, they're enough to infuriate Wu Jin and the company's leadership; they'll fire Kan Qingzhou."

Chu Qianmiao followed Ren Yan's advice, printed out the documents she had taken, and went to see Wu Jin. She explained the enormous project risks hidden within the documents.

Wu Jin's face had already turned pale before he'd even heard the last word.

He warned Chu Qianmiao, "Qianmiao, this matter is extremely serious. If it gets out, Litong could be penalized as well. Our entire company's sponsorship qualifications would be suspended, and we wouldn't be able to apply for any of our ongoing projects." After a pause, Wu Jin's voice was grave and pleading, "So, Qianmiao, please don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

Chu Qianmiao thought about it. Right now, everything was just speculation, with no concrete evidence. Better to wait until there was concrete evidence before discussing what to do.

Besides, if Litong was penalized because of Kan Qingzhou, Hanhai Home Textiles' acquisition of Zhaohuan Education wouldn't be possible.

Thinking of this, she nodded to Wu Jin and said, "Okay." After a pause, she turned to Wu Jin, "Mr. Wu, Qin Qianyu possesses strong business capabilities, a strong professional ethics, and excellent character."

Wu Jin looked at her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Chu Qianmiao said, "Just think of it as me wanting to make an exchange with you."

***

For the next two days, Chu Qianmiao remained in charge of the company. Everything seemed calm and peaceful, as usual. But Chu Qianmiao knew that beneath this surface lay a turbulent undercurrent.

Two days later, in the afternoon, the Beijing Investment Banking Department announced a personnel change: Kan Qingzhou, head of Project Department 2, had resigned from Litong Securities this morning for personal reasons. Qin Qianyu would now take over all responsibilities for Project Department 2.

After reading the personnel change, Chu Qianmiao stood up and walked to the window.

She stood by the window and looked down. Outside, the summer heat of Financial Street unfolded, with lush greenery nestled among the tall buildings. It turns out that looking out this window at this time of year actually offers a beautiful view.

She smiled with the corners of her mouth raised.

Although Ren Yan was gone, his passing was somewhat bleak. But she had helped him preserve the empire he had built. Not only that, she was now helping him expand it.

He hadn't lost.

***

Chu Qianmiao stood by the window for a moment, then got up and headed for Hanhai Home Textiles.

On the way, she received a call from Qin Qianyu. Qin Qianyu's voice was as if he had seen a ghost: "Qianmiao, how did I get promoted all of a sudden?"

Chu Qianmiao smiled and told him, "Because, Mr. Qin, you're a piece of gold. Now's your time to shine."

Qin Qianyu cried out, "Oh my God, Qianmiao, what do you say? If my wife finds out, won't she love me even more?!"

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She was fed a mouthful of dog food.

After arriving at Hanhai Home Textiles, she went straight to Ren Yan's office.

The weather was scorching hot, and the office building was as stuffy as a steamer. Chu Qianmiao broke out in a thin layer of sweat as she walked from one end of the corridor to the other.

She knocked on the door and entered.

The cool, air-conditioned world felt like heaven.

Chu Qianmiao grumbled about the heat as she watched Ren Yan stand up from his desk and wave at her.

"Come sit over here."

The central air conditioning vents were above his desk.

Chu Qianmiao didn't bother to be polite. Since he was so protective of her, she decided not to refuse his offer.

She walked over to Ren Yan's desk and sat down in the leather chair with a swagger. She leaned back, looking slouched, and comfortably enjoyed the cool air.

Ren Yan stood beside the leather chair, his back against the desk, leaning back on the edge, his long legs crossed, his hands in his trouser pockets. He looked down at her.

"You seem to have good news," he whispered, looking at her.

Chu Qianmiao rested her head on the back of the leather chair, looked up at Ren Yan, and said, "Kan Qingzhou's gone. Our project will proceed smoothly."

After a pause, she added, "Brother Qin is now the head of Project Department 2."

Ren Yan raised an eyebrow. "Did you negotiate with Wu Jin for this?"

Chu Qianmiao's eyes widened instantly.

She thought this man was terrifying. Was he truly a spirit? How could he see that something wasn't so simple and figure out what it was with just a raise of his eyebrows?

Ren Yan looked at Chu Qianmiao's wide, round eyes and smiled.

"Do you have something to say?"

Chu Qianmiao glared at Ren Yan. She had wanted to tell him: Look, after you left, I've conquered a new kingdom for you. Are you happy? Do you like it?

But she didn't want to say it now.

I can't let him predict everything!!

That would be too frustrating.

She changed the subject and casually said, "Oh, I wanted to say thank you for reminding me which direction I could take to defeat Kan Qingzhou, Teacher Ren."

Ren Yan was slightly startled by the sound.

"How did I become Teacher Ren?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chu Qianmiao spread her hands and spoke seriously, "You're not my boss anymore, right? You're just a consultant with no real job title here, right? So, I can't call you Mr. Ren! Calling you Mr. Ren after all this is happening to you is just ironic. So, what should I call you? Old Ren? Big Ren? That's inappropriate. Teacher Ren is better; it's more respectful!"

Ren Yan looked down at her, a smile on his lips.

Her fair, beautiful face was full of life.

Her eyelashes were thick and long, her nose was delicate and high, and her lips were the most alluring, rosy and rosy, their movements like a tempting honeyed fruit, beckoning him to pick them.

She looked a little deliberately irritating, mischievous, and quirky. For a moment, he almost wanted to pinch her face.

This was a look only he could see. In public, she was the wise, generous, and charismatic beauty, Ms. Chu; only in front of him, she was the little girl who was still a little irritated by him and his friends, looking for any opportunity to deliberately annoy and criticize him.

He thought she had been too reserved with him before, but after their previous fight and breakup, she had finally opened up to him completely.

He looked down at her, his voice slightly hoarse, and said, "Can we have dinner together tonight after get off work?"

Chu Qianmiao leaned back in her chair, looking up at him. "Will you treat me?"

"I'll treat you." He looked at her, a hint of caution in his voice. "I have something to ask you."

"?" Chu Qianmiao imitated him.

She raised one corner of her mouth, a half-smile on her face. "Want to ask me for advice? Then call Teacher Chu first."

Chu Qianmiao saw that after she finished speaking, Ren Yan raised his lip, not knowing whether to be angry or amused.

It was almost five-thirty, the twilight at its peak. A crimson light slanted through the window onto him. He leaned against the edge of the table, his hands in his trouser pockets, his legs crossed. In the sunset light, he looked so handsome that he seemed to be glowing.

He nodded at her with his chin, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Are you so defiant and unafraid of me now?"

Chu Qianmiao looked up at him. In the radiant crimson light of the setting sun, she smiled brightly, her eyes white, her face irritating. "Teacher Ren, I counted. I have three thousand waters on me, and you only have two fires. I can put out your fires fifteen hundred times over and it's not too much. Why should I be afraid of you?"

Ren Yan looked at her. He suddenly bent down, his head lowered, and leaned closer to her.

His voice deepened, a hint of hoarseness in it: "How are you going to put out those two fires in Teacher Ren?"

Chu Qianmiao was startled by his sudden approach.

His voice slipped from her ears into her brain, and from her brain into her heart. Such a profound voice.

She realized she had fallen for his trick again.

For a moment, she was completely furious.

Didn't he agree to pursue her?! Why was he just flirting with her? Could he still keep his word?

She looked at him fiercely, saying, "Pour it into the water tank and put it out!"