dmims Chapter 11: Some scores need to be settled.
Chapter 11: Some scores need to be settled.
September 12th, 5:47 PM.
Nie Xiguang stared at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen, feeling a bit dizzy.
This is her ninth day working in the finance department of Shuangyuan Photovoltaic.
Just a second ago, she entered the last travel expense reimbursement form into the system;
The next second, Director Li placed a stack of vouchers, half a person's height, on her desk.
"Xiguang, these are the purchase invoices and receiving slips from the third quarter of last year. Please re-file them when you have time."
"There might be spot checks during the end-of-month audit," Director Li said casually. "Sort by contract number, and mark those missing attachments."
Nie Xiguang looked at the pile of papers and felt a tightness in his stomach.
The repetitive work these past few days has almost made her vomit.
She nodded, her voice hoarse: "Yes, Director."
Everyone else in the office started packing up to leave work.
Sister Zhao passed by her workstation carrying a small bag and patted her on the shoulder sympathetically: "Xiguang, remember to apply for overtime pay when you work overtime."
The sky outside the window gradually darkened.
Nie Xiguang turned on the desk lamp, and the warm yellow light illuminated the densely packed numbers on the voucher.
She took out an invoice, checked the amount, registered the number, and put it into the corresponding folder.
Action machinery.
At 6:30, she rubbed her sore eyes and picked up her phone.
There are two unread messages on the screen.
One message was from her mother: "Xiguang, are you adjusting well to your new job?"
The other message was from Yu Chen, posted forty minutes ago: "How's today?"
Nie Xiguang stared at those five words, and suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
She typed back: "Working overtime. Organizing vouchers, it'll probably take another two hours."
The message was replied to almost instantly: "Have you eaten?"
"not yet."
"Let's go eat first. My stomach is growling and my brain isn't working properly."
Simple, direct, without any unnecessary comfort.
Nie Xiguang, however, felt his tense nerves relax a little.
She saved the document, got up, and went to the cafeteria.
---
There were hardly any people left in the cafeteria, and the food was cold.
Nie Xiguang ordered a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and rice, and sat in the corner to eat slowly.
The taste was very average, too oily and salty, a far cry from the dishes my housekeeper makes.
But she ate very seriously.
Because Yu Chen is right, the stomach shouldn't be empty.
Halfway through my meal, my phone vibrated again.
It was a document link sent by Yu Chen, titled "Common Vulnerabilities and Identification Methods in Manufacturing Cost Accounting".
"Just take a look, it might be useful," he added.
Nie Xiguang opened it and found a well-organized document that listed potential problems at each stage, from raw material procurement to finished product delivery, and included simple case studies.
It's not profound theory, it's all practical stuff.
Suddenly, she felt that the food in her mouth was not so hard to swallow.
Back in her office, she opened the document and compared it to the mountain of vouchers piled up in front of her.
In the section on "Procurement," there is the following passage:
"If the prices of long-term cooperative suppliers remain stable in the range of 'slightly higher than the market average' (e.g., 3%-8% higher) and there is a lack of effective competition mechanisms, there may be hidden transfer of benefits. It is necessary to make a comprehensive judgment based on factors such as settlement cycle and quality claim clauses."
Nie Xiguang's heart skipped a beat.
She recalled the several Xinya Materials contracts she had handled in the past few days.
The company's silicon material purchase price always seemed to be slightly higher than the market average price in the industry briefing.
She noted down the question, but did not delve into it further.
However, among that pile of vouchers, Xinya's invoice was marked separately.
---
At 9:10 p.m., Nie Xiguang finally walked out of the office building.
The early autumn night breeze in Suzhou was already a bit chilly. She wrapped her coat tighter and slowly walked back to her dormitory.
My legs felt heavy, my shoulders were stiff, but I felt a strange sense of peace in my heart—the exhaustion of completing a specific task.
When I opened the dormitory door, Yin Jie was doing yoga, and Wan Yuhua was leaning against the bed reading a book.
"You're back!" Yin Jie squatted down, her face flushed. "Working overtime until now? That's terrible!"
Wan Yuhua put down her book and asked softly, "Have you eaten? I have some cookies in my cupboard."
"I ate at the cafeteria." Nie Xiguang put down her bag and slumped into a chair. "I'm exhausted..."
"It's normal, it's normal." Yin Jie resumed her standing posture and wiped her sweat. "When I first came here, I followed the administrative director to meetings. My legs were so sore by the end of the day. But you'll get used to it after the first month."
"It's not just physical exhaustion." Nie Xiguang hesitated for a moment before speaking, "It's mental exhaustion too. Some things... I clearly feel something's wrong, but everyone says it's normal."
Wan Yuhua sat up straight: "What did you find out?"
Nie Xiguang briefly explained the price of Xinya Materials.
Yin Jie and Wan Yuhua exchanged a glance.
Wan Yuhua spoke first: "I know this supplier. When the marketing department was doing customer research, a competitor mentioned that Shuangyuan's procurement costs were higher than theirs."
"But nobody cares?" Nie Xiguang asked.
"Manage?" Yin Jie poured her a glass of water. "Xi Guang, the purchasing department is under General Manager Mo's management. General Manager Mo has been with Shuangyuan for nearly 20 years. Who do you think would take charge of it?"
Nie Xiguang fell silent.
"So...that's it?" Nie Xiguang's voice was very soft.
"Unless an external force disrupts the balance," Wan Yuhua said tactfully, "for example, the controlling shareholder wants to audit the accounts; or a new leader with the authority to make decisions is appointed."
Nie Xiguang nodded and said nothing more.
She went to wash up, and as the hot water poured over her shoulders, her muscles finally relaxed little by little.
It was almost eleven o'clock when I lay down on the bed.
She opened her phone, thought for a moment, and sent Yu Chen a message: "So tired >_<"
"What's wrong?"
"Just got off work, and I have so much to do. I feel like I'm going to die."
"If you have nothing to do on the weekend, you can go out for a walk instead of always staying in the factory area."
"And you? What are you doing?"
"We need to write a proposal. A factory that does backplate coating has a problem with its process, resulting in a low yield rate."
The two chatted casually, like friends who had known each other for many years.
There was no deliberate concern, no extra greetings, just knowing that the other person was there and understanding what each other was going through.
Finally, Nie Xiguang said, "I think I understand what you mean by 'understanding the true operation of a company' now."
Yu Chen replied, "This is just the beginning, but your perspective on the issue is already different from a week ago."
Nie Xiguang looked at these words and chuckled softly in the darkness.
Yes, things are different now.
---
For the next two weeks, Nie Xiguang absorbed everything about Shuangyuan like a sponge.
She completed all the basic tasks meticulously, organized the vouchers with utmost care, and entered data with zero errors.
Director Li began praising her at the morning meeting: "Although Xiguang is young, she is down-to-earth in her work."
At the same time, she began to consciously observe and record.
She discovered that the production department's loss data would suddenly improve after the 25th of each month, bringing the monthly average just up to the target.
She found the handwriting on the warehouse material requisition forms to be suspiciously similar;
She discovered that the finance department had a monthly "other management expenses" item, the amount of which varied, but no one ever inquired about the details.
She recorded these findings in an encrypted cloud document, simply documenting the facts without commentary.
She also heard more information from Yin Jie and Wan Yuhua:
—Mr. Mo's son just returned from studying abroad this year and joined the purchasing department as a specialist.
—Shengyuan Group is not satisfied with Shuangyuan's profit margin last year and may send an audit team over.
—Someone on the board suggested bringing in a professional manager, but his father suppressed it.
On the last Friday of September, while reviewing a batch of equipment purchase contracts, she discovered the most obvious problem to date.
It was a laser cutting machine purchased three years ago by a supplier called "Jingke Precision," with a contract value of 2.8 million yuan.
She searched for the same model of equipment online and found that the average market price at the time was around 1.9 million.
The price difference is 900,000.
She checked the company's business registration information. It had a registered capital of 500,000 yuan, three employees covered by social insurance, and its registered address was in a residential community.
Nie Xiguang stared at the screen, his palms sweating.
This isn't "slightly above market price," it's blatant overpricing.
She took a deep breath and entered the contract number, supplier information, and market price comparison data into an encrypted document.
Then close the webpage as if nothing had happened and continue processing the next voucher.
But my fingers were trembling slightly.
That night, she called Yu Chen from her dormitory balcony.
"I've discovered something." Her voice was soft, carried slightly by the night breeze, "It might... be illegal."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. "Is the evidence conclusive?"
"Yes, the contract, the price, and the supplier's qualifications all don't match up."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I don't know." Nie Xiguang leaned against the railing, looking at the lights of the factory in the distance. "I don't even know who to tell. Director Li? He might tell me not to get involved."
"Go directly to the general manager? In what capacity should I?"
"No identity is appropriate," Yu Chen said bluntly. "You are Nie Xiguang, a newcomer in the finance department, not a shareholder representative. If you report someone to a higher level, you'll be the one who gets killed the fastest."
"Then let's pretend we didn't see it?"
"No." Yu Chen's voice was steady. "Record it, keep all original documents or copies, and then wait."
"What are you waiting for?"
"We're waiting for someone who can legally investigate these matters to appear." Yu Chen paused. "I've heard some rumors that there might be changes at the top of Shuangyuan, and Shengyuan Group, as the controlling shareholder, might send in a new management team."
Nie Xiguang's heart skipped a beat.
"When?"
"I'm not sure of the specifics, but it should be soon." Yu Chen shook his head.
The butterfly flapped its wings, and Lin Yusen, who was originally scheduled to appear in the show two months later, arrived at a time that was uncertain to him as well.
The two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.
Nie Xiguang returned indoors, where Yin Jie was watching a TV series and Wan Yuhua was writing a weekly report.
Business as usual.
---
On Saturday morning, Yu Chen boarded a high-speed train bound for Suzhou.
He leaned against the window, his laptop spread out on his lap, the screen displaying a business intelligence briefing.
This is what he redeemed from the system store using 500 achievement points. The content is about Shuangyuan Photovoltaic's equity structure and governance issues.
The briefing was very clear:
— Lin Yusen, the grandson of Sheng Hsien-min, chairman of Sheng Yuan, will be stationed at Shuang Yuan in mid-October as "vice president" to conduct a comprehensive audit of its operations.
Lin Yusen, 2 years old, was originally a top surgeon, but two years ago a car accident forced him to end his career and enter the business world.
He is decisive and ruthless, and he especially hates cheating and injustice.
Yu Chen closed the document and looked out the window at the fields rushing past.
He knew far more than the briefing indicated.
He knew the truth about the car accident.
The person who arranged to meet Lin Yusen was Ma Nianyuan, who was impersonating Nie Xiguang, and Nie Xiguang was completely unaware of this.
He also knew that Lin Yusen had always misunderstood that Nie Xiguang had made an appointment with him but then stood him up, leaving him waiting in vain on his hospital bed.
This misunderstanding will turn into sharp hostility the moment Lin Yusen sees Nie Xiguang.
When the bullet train arrived at the station, it was drizzling in Suzhou.
---
The restaurant Nie Xiguang chose was near Nanchang Street, an old house by the river, with a faint fragrance of osmanthus in the air.
She arrived early and sat by the window on the second floor to wait.
Raindrops slanted against the glass, and the covered boats in the canal swayed slowly by.
When Yu Chen went upstairs, Nie Xiguang was looking at the menu.
Looking up and seeing him, she was slightly surprised. After a month apart, Yu Chen seemed to have changed completely.
And he even seems to have become a little more handsome.
"You're here? You didn't get wet, did you?"
"I took a taxi." Yu Chen sat down opposite her, looking her over. "You look better than last time."
"That's because I've gained weight!"
The saturated workload at the factory has led her to eat a bit more lately.
You look better and more energetic now.
Yu Chen smiled and used tea to wash the dishes for her.
Nie Xiguang blushed and pushed the menu over, "The crab roe tofu and stir-fried river shrimp here are pretty good, see if you want to add anything else."
After ordering, there was a moment of silence between the two.
The sound of rain pattered down, mixed with the faint sounds of Suzhou storytelling from downstairs.
The dishes are here.
The crab roe tofu is golden and tender, while the river shrimp are crystal clear.
The two chatted as they ate, their conversation gradually shifting from work to the books they had recently read, the differences between Jiangning and Suzhou, and the unusually long osmanthus blooming season this autumn.
"You seem to really like osmanthus?" Yu Chen wiped her mouth with a tissue.
"Yes. When I was a child, there was an old osmanthus tree in our yard. Every autumn, its fragrance could be smelled all over the street." Nie Xiguang smiled as if recalling his childhood. "Later, we moved away, and we rarely smelled it anymore."
"There are osmanthus trees in many places in Suzhou."
"Yes, that's why I really like it here."
After the meal, the rain stopped.
The two strolled along the damp cobblestone path, the air filled with the fresh scent of earth and osmanthus blossoms.
"Are you going back tonight?" Nie Xiguang asked.
"Yes, the train is at eight o'clock."
I'll take you to the station.
"No need, you should go back and rest."
"Anyway, it's the weekend now." Nie Xiguang shook his head and insisted on delivering it.
Yu Chen didn't insist any further and nodded.
The two sat side by side on the bus to the train station.
As the train swayed, Nie Xiguang's shoulder occasionally brushed against Yu Chen's arm, a warm touch before they separated.
"Yu Chen," she suddenly whispered.
"Um?"
"Thank you," she said earnestly. "Without you, I probably wouldn't have been able to keep going."
Yu Chen turned his head to look at her.
The bus roof light cast a soft glow on her face.
"You're welcome," he said. "I'm glad to see you going your own way."
Nie Xiguang's eyes felt slightly warm.
She turned her head and looked at the scenery rushing past the window.
After seeing Yu Chen into the station, Nie Xiguang did not leave immediately.
Instead, I stood in the square, looking at the city that had been washed clean by the autumn rain.
My phone vibrated; it was a message from Yu Chen: "Get on the bus. It'll get colder next week, remember to wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold."
Nie Xiguang replied, "Have a safe journey. Let me know when you arrive."
On the bus back to her dormitory, she opened the encrypted document, created a new folder, and named it "Items to be Verified".
Then, categorize all the recent doubts and put them into the list, like compiling a list of unsolved mysteries.
She didn't know what the answer was, but she was ready and moved forward step by step.
---
At the same time, at the headquarters of Shengyuan Group.
Lin Yusen signed the last temporary transfer document.
The pen nib scratched across the paper, making a soft hissing sound.
The assistant stood to the side and cautiously asked, "Mr. Lin, Shuangyuan has arranged for you to go there next Monday. Is there anything you need to prepare in advance?"
"Send me their audit reports for the last three years, board minutes, and a list of all procurement contracts exceeding 500,000." Lin Yusen closed the folder, his voice flat. "Also, personnel files and background information on key department heads."
"Yes." The assistant paused. "Also, Chairman Nie's daughter, Nie Xiguang, currently works in Shuangyuan's finance department. Should we pay special attention to her?"
Lin Yusen's finger paused on the folder for a moment.
Nie Xiguang.
He remembered the name.
Two years ago, someone used this name to make an appointment with him, and then never showed up again.
He lay in his hospital bed waiting for a day, two days, a week... and finally, his professional career came to an end.
Now, Nie Xiguang has arrived in Shuangyuan.
"No need for special attention," Lin Yusen's voice turned cold. "Treat everyone equally."
The assistant nodded. It wasn't a new thing for President Lin and the Nie family to be at odds.
Lin Yusen was the only one left in the office.
He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the night view of Shanghai outside.
It's been two years.
Some scores need to be settled, Nie Xiguang.