Chu Shichen returned home at noon, and Mrs. Chu was surprised and asked, "Xiaochen, why are you back at this time?"
He said, "I'm a little tired, so I came back to take a break."
Aunt Tang came in with a bunch of rosemary cut from the garden and said, "Since I became a secretary, I have to work overtime every now and then. Tsk tsk, there is no such thing as a soft-hearted boss in this world."
Mrs. Chu curled her lips and said, "I didn't exploit you."
Chu Shichen was amused. He walked into the restaurant and put down a whole box of lychees. Each one was plump and fresh. Fortunately, the refrigerator at home was big enough.
He packed a plate and brought it upstairs, then went straight into the study, took off his suit and tie, unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his wrists and neck, and sat down in the tall swivel chair with ease.
Chu Shichen read Ren Meng's resignation report. The content was concise and sincere. It was mainly due to health reasons, which was basically consistent with what Ren Meng said at the lunch meeting.
He turned on his computer and found a copy of Ren Meng's personal information in the temporary folder, which had been sorted out over the past few days. Ren Meng graduated with a master's degree and has worked in the Finance Department of Yisi for nearly fifteen years. He was promoted to supervisor in his second year and to department manager in his fourth year.
Taking Zhai Feng as an example, Chu Shichen couldn't help but think deeply.
Is Ren Meng's resignation just due to health reasons
Chu Shichen logged into his work email. Xiang Yue would select Yisi's old historical files for review every week, randomly from each department. His secretary identity was very useful, and he asked the Finance Department for some information.
These are archived and do not involve any company secrets, and are within Chu Shichen's authority to search.
The data was huge and trivial. Chu Shichen spread out a piece of white paper. Time was tight, so he used the old shorthand symbols.
The sky outside the window turned gray and dark, making it difficult to tell the time. Chu Shichen buried his head in the work for several hours, then put down his pen and rubbed his temples.
He reviewed most of the documents that Ren Meng had handled, involving various departments, with a very low error rate. He discovered that in the past ten years, the director of the Finance Department had changed five or six times, and other managers, supervisors, and employees had been promoted and demoted, coming and going, but only Ren Meng remained unmoved, like a magic needle that stabilized the sea.
Chu Shichen also discovered that all the financial documents of all the projects won by Li Zangqiu had Ren Meng's signature.
In recent years, Li Zangqiu did not have to lead the project himself, and his favorite generals, former sales director and others became Ren Meng's main responsible persons.
Isn't that a bit too coincidental
Even if these are legitimate jobs, has Ren Meng done anything for Li Zangqiu behind the scenes
Chu Shichen immediately checked Ren Meng's salary and benefits. Over the years, his salary and bonuses were fully in line with the position requirements, and there were no additional benefits.
If Ren Meng is Li Zangqiu's right-hand man, this position and salary are too little reward.
Chu Shichen spun half a circle in his chair, facing the window. He picked up a lychee and peeled it, revealing the white flesh full of sweet juice. After eating it, he bit the core and wondered anxiously, how much does a pound of lychees cost in the 21st century
In the old days, fruit vendors walked the streets and delivered fruits to the mansion every two days, and settled the accounts on a quarterly basis.
The kitchen manager took kickbacks secretly and saved enough money to buy a house in just two years. He then married a concubine. If his wife had not come to him, his family would still be kept in the dark.
It's just the money for a piece of fruit, but it shows that if you want to make a profit, you can squeeze it out even between your fingers, and the accumulation of small amounts should not be underestimated.
If this is the case for a household, what about a company
Chu Shichen ate while thinking. After peeling half a plate of red shells, he wiped his hands and called Xiang Yue's finance director, asking for all the information within his authority, no matter how trivial it was.
I thought it would take some time, but it turned out to be smoother than expected.
Yisi has many cooperative companies. In addition to business manufacturers, there are dozens of cooperative companies of all sizes, including those that purchase office facilities, daily necessities, employee benefits, etc.
Chu Shichen checked one by one until his eyes turned red. He recalled the days when Fuhua Bank adjusted its positions at the end of the month. At that time, the legal currency depreciated sharply, but the astronomical figures seemed like a bubble.
Finally, he discovered that there was nearly two months of missing data for a certain expense.
A muffled thunder rolled across the sky. Chu Shichen had been locked in his study from noon till early morning. He stretched himself and felt his calves were a little sore, so he simply moved to the rocking chair next to the bookcase.
With the blanket draped over his lower abdomen, Chu Shichen curled up slightly and fell asleep swaying.
The next day was unusually hot and humid, with thick clouds hanging low as if blocking a rainstorm. However, Chu Shichen had no time to waste, so he took a shower, changed his clothes, and went out with the diagnosis report.
He called Ling Qi on the way.
The call was quickly connected. Ling Qi was probably not at his workstation, so he asked in a loud voice, "Did you ask for leave? Mr. Xiang is here, why haven't you arrived yet?"
Chu Shichen made an excuse: "I'm not feeling well today, can you do me a favor?"
Ling Qi said: "No problem, what's the matter?"
Chu Shichen said, "You know computers, please ask the HR department for me if the system has been restored and what the progress is."
Ling Qi was in the tea room, having just made a cup of coffee, when Xiang Mingzhang walked in holding the car keys.
"Oh... Human Resources Department." Ling Qi spoke faster, "Okay, leave it to me. I'll send you a WeChat message after I finish asking questions."
After hanging up, Ling Qi said respectfully: "Mr. Xiang, would you like to make some coffee? I'll help you."
"No need." Xiang Mingzhang opened the cold drink cabinet and took out a bottle of purified water. "Did Chu Shichen call you just now?"
Ling Qi has been learning to read people's expressions recently. Seeing Xiang Mingzhang's cold expression, he thought he was dissatisfied with Chu Shichen's leave, so he explained: "Well, Secretary Chu is sick."
Xiang Mingzhang unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip, then said, "No need to go to the HR department to ask. It will be done by 6pm at the earliest."
He left after he finished speaking, ignoring Ling Qi's confused look.
There was a cocktail salon at the district convention and exhibition center to discuss the issue of "data value-added". Xiang Mingzhang received the invitation, but he was not very interested and planned to just stay for a while.
The Porsche drove out of the park. Xiang Mingzhang was driving twice as fast as the driver, but it was still too late. The convention and exhibition center was packed with people, and the emcee was trying hard to control the process.
Xiang Mingzhang took a stroll. He was free from drinking and driving, so he felt at ease with nothing in his hands. From time to time, people came up to him to greet and flatter him. He chuckled in response, but in fact he had no idea who they were.
If Chu Shichen came with him, he would make sure to make his name and status clear.
Xiang Mingzhang had long noticed that Chu Shichen had a calm and cold personality, and was definitely not cheerful, but he was good at socializing and liked to be the leader.
This is not only a capability, but also a subconscious drive. Every investigation Chu Shichen does beforehand may not be homework, but a survey.
As a secretary, his instinct was not to obey, but to conquer without showing it.
Xiang Mingzhang stood in front of an electronic screen for a long time, lost in thought. When he came to his senses, he found his surroundings even more boring. When the show was almost over, he left early. It seemed that thunder started in the sky again.
Taking out his cell phone, Xiang Mingzhang glanced at the weather forecast, then switched to the address book and dialed a number.
After the phone rang seven or eight times, Chu Shichen answered it.
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "How was your rest?"
Xiang Mingzhang flipped open the booklet he got from the exhibition center and read, "The meeting on data value-added scenarios... just ended and needs to be sorted out."
Chu Shichen seemed to understand: "Mr. Xiang, let's talk about it when I get to work."
There was a chaotic noise on the phone, and Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Where are you?"
Chu Shichen said: "Hospital."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Are you really sick?"
There was a loud rumble. The rain that had been suffocating all night poured down. The sound of water splashing could be heard inside and outside the phone. Chu Shichen said to himself, "Oh no, I didn't bring an umbrella."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Send me the address of the hospital."
After hanging up the phone, Xiang Mingzhang stepped on the accelerator.
There is always a traffic jam near the hospital. Because of the sudden heavy rain, the eaves outside the outpatient building are full of people.
Chu Shichen stood out from the crowd with his tall stature, carrying a bag of X-rays.
Xiang Mingzhang got out of the car, opened his umbrella, and strode down the stairs. Chu Shichen thought Xiang Mingzhang was just asking casually, but he didn't expect him to really come.
Stepping under the umbrella, he joked, "You're not going to arrest me and take me to work, are you?"
Perhaps because they had been standing outside for too long, Xiang Mingzhang could sense that Chu Shichen was covered in moisture and said, "Get in the car first."
Chu Shichen sat in the passenger seat consciously. Xiang Mingzhang's suit was thrown on the passenger seat. He held it in his hand to block the cold air from the air conditioner.
Xiang Mingzhang got into the car and asked casually, "What's wrong with you?"
Chu Shichen replied: "Respiratory tract."
Xiang Mingzhang thought about the explosion of the yacht and the possibility that he inhaled smoke during the fire and then drowned. Could it be that he had developed a chronic illness
Unexpectedly, Chu Shichen said, "Maybe you ate too many lychees and got a sore throat."
Xiang Mingzhang was puzzled: "Are you blaming me?"
Chu Shichen said: "Who asked you to send a big box?"
Xiang Mingzhang said speechlessly: "I have a sore throat due to inflammation. What does this have to do with the respiratory tract?"
The heavy rain pattered on the roof of the car. Chu Shichen smiled, feeling lucky that he didn't have to fight with others for a taxi in front of the hospital.
People are greedy, so he asked, "Since you are not in a hurry to go back to the company, can you take me somewhere?"
Xiang Mingzhang asked back: "Do you know I'm not in a hurry?"
Chu Shichen said: "Why would you come to pick me up if you were in a hurry?"
Xiang Mingzhang said without hesitation: "How do you know I can't do it?"
Chu Shichen was stunned for a moment and looked out the window evasively, but unfortunately the wipers and defogger were turned off for a while, and there was a layer of mist on the glass, so he couldn't see anything.
Xiang Mingzhang didn't say anything else. He turned the steering wheel and slid out of the hospital gate. The road conditions were difficult to drive on the rainy day, and he barely walked two blocks in half an hour.
The two were silent for a long time. Xiang Mingzhang turned on the speaker. He usually liked to listen to classical music. Chu Shichen had lost his memory, so he didn't know if his taste in music had changed.
He broke the silence: "Which song do you want to listen to?"
Chu Shichen said: "This one is very good, Tchaikovsky's "Elegy"."
The piano music accompanied the sound of rain as we drove towards another block, which was not so prosperous and had a row of shops with old signs on the street.
The destination is a 4S store.
The store occupies the basement of two shops and has two doors, one connecting to the car showroom and the other to the maintenance area in the backyard. It is simply decorated and has a very small overall area, which makes it a bit like a "small but complete store".
The customers of a 4S store of this size are mainly individual car owners. The prices are affordable, the service is average, and it cannot provide any high-end options.
Xiang Mingzhang took a glance and said, "Don't tell me you want to buy a car here."
"You think it's not good?" Chu Shichen said, "Although there is no luxury car like yours here, there should be a business car like the one in the company."
Xiang Mingzhang sneered: "Maybe there is a balance bike."
Chu Shichen heard the sarcasm and retorted: "Isn't the balance bike advanced?"
Xiang Mingzhang was puzzled. What was so advanced about this thing that every kid on the street had
Chu Shichen was not annoyed and said, "This 4S store has cooperated with Yisi for eight years. All the repairs, maintenance, replacement of parts, and sales and replacement of Yisi's vehicles are handled here."
Xiang Mingzhang was surprised for a moment, then reacted quickly: "Who is the owner of this store?"
"Her surname is Hu, and she is a retired old lady." Chu Shichen said, "Her grandson is Ren Meng from Yisi's Finance Department."
Xiang Mingzhang had long guessed that Chu Shichen must have had other reasons for suddenly asking for leave, and said, "You really want to investigate him."
Chu Shichen asked: "Do you know him?"
Xiang Mingzhang hadn't noticed at first, but yesterday Chu Shichen asked without any reason how long it would take to optimize the system. He found it strange and asked the Human Resources Department, and found out that Manager Ren was going to resign.
As a department manager of Yisi, he held a low position and had a weak presence. His stay or departure would not cause any fuss, but Chu Shichen would not pay attention to him for no reason.
As luck would have it, Xiang Ruxu was the one who was responsible for this optimization, and it could have been completed last night, so Xiang Mingzhang made a request and asked to delay it until before the end of get off work today.
Chu Shichen immediately understood: "The Finance Department gave us the information so quickly. Did you give us the green light?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I thought you would ask for something beyond your authority."
"I won't take any risks." Chu Shichen was extremely cautious. "What if I'm caught doing something wrong and you take the opportunity to fire me?"
Once he felt guilty, Xiang Mingzhang turned off the car engine: "We have a gentleman's agreement."
Chu Shichen had a very good memory, so he asked back, "Are you a gentleman?"
Xiang Mingzhang got out of the car, walked around to the passenger door with an umbrella, and said casually: "I'm a rich man, I'll buy you a high-end balance bike as overtime pay, what do you think?"
(End of this chapter)