Qin Xiaoyu didn't blame him for not helping. She could also see that although Lei Bingzheng had helped her with some things, it was all because she was clearly in the right.

Mrs. Fang said that Lei Bingzheng was both righteous and wicked, but that applied to his relationships with women. In his work, however, he was absolutely upright and incorruptible, refusing to indulge in any personal feelings. This is something that commands respect.

When he got home, everyone was in Building 4, and the atmosphere was heavy. Wang Lei brought news that the garment factory's accounts were being audited.

"Is that Bai Weiwei causing trouble again? I might as well take care of her." Qi Si angrily shoved his cigarette butt into the ashtray and rubbed it a few times.

"It was I who fired the female technician; Wang Lingling filed a formal complaint." Qin Xiaoyu hadn't yet held Bai Weiwei accountable for this.

"You're kidding me. Wang Lingling is an idiot. Otherwise, would she do something so brainless? If she knew there was such a thing as a provincial audit bureau, I wouldn't even be surnamed Wang. Someone must have been behind this!" Commander Wang was already convinced that Bai Weiwei was the culprit.

"Let's take it one step at a time." Qin Xiaoyu had no other choice at the moment.

"Production is really busy right now, freezing funds is such a ruthless move," Zhou Yue sighed.

When A Lei came back, he went upstairs to make a phone call. When Qin Xiaoyu went upstairs, she saw that he didn't look well.

"How so?"

"They want you to support your superiors' work so that if they engage in corruption during the audit, they can easily take action," A Lei said dejectedly.

Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh, snuggling up to him and kissing his cheek.

"It's alright, don't make things difficult for the elders. They've all been through thick and thin, and there's nothing wrong with them upholding their Party principles. As long as the audit team doesn't resort to underhanded tactics, it won't affect us much. If they do, Uncle and the others won't stand idly by."

These words were meant to comfort A Lei, but Qin Xiaoyu herself wasn't so optimistic.

Unfortunately, Tang Wenwen called that evening. She was unaware of the factory incident and was happily talking about her own affairs.

“I’ve already contacted two garment factories. If it’s feasible, we can discuss investment within half a month. Be prepared, though. If we can’t raise the money, I’ll poach it from Fusheng.”

"The factory ran into trouble; the provincial audit team has frozen its accounts," Qin Xiaoyu said weakly.

"Oh, such a big deal, you..." Tang Wenwen swallowed the rest of her sentence. Why didn't you say so sooner? What good would it have done?

"You can discuss the acquisition first; it should be resolved in a few days."

"Okay, don't get upset, it's not a big deal."

Qin Xiaoyu said she wasn't upset, but when she went downstairs the next morning, everyone could see that her teeth were still swollen and her cheeks were puffy.

A Lei's eyes were red, and he grabbed his coat and headed outside.

"Come back, let's eat. What are you doing?" Qi Si sensed something was wrong, grabbed him, and forced him to sit at the table.

“I’ll think of a way,” Are said calmly.

"Forget it, if you can find a way, just make a phone call. Don't go to extremes, contacting Bai Weiwei won't do any good," Qi Si immediately warned A Lei.

"Why didn't it work? Lei, let's go tease Bai Weiwei later." Qin Xiaoyu raised her eyebrows.

"Teasing her?" A Lei looked over, puzzled.

"Just having some fun. Mom, get me some ice, I need to put it on my teeth." Qin Xiaoyu whined, and Zhou Xing's mother quickly brought her some ice.

"Are we really going to Dafa Mall?" Even after getting into the car, A Lei still believed Qin Xiaoyu's destination.

“Yes, Bai Weiwei directed such a big show, of course we should reward her, otherwise wouldn’t all her efforts have been in vain? Winners need applause. She’ll be so lonely without an audience.” Qin Xiaoyu’s toothache had subsided, and she was still without makeup, but love is a woman’s best cosmetic. Nourished by A Lei, she had rosy lips, white teeth, and a radiant complexion, looking so tender and delicate that anyone who saw her couldn’t take their eyes off her.

When A Lei's car was parked in front of Dafa Mall, Qin Xiaoyu glanced at the parking space and saw Bai Weiwei's white Toyota there as well.

This is her second time visiting Dafa Mall. Last time, Xiao Jin told her that they sell high-end goods here, and she had always wanted to come in and take a look. Now that she has the opportunity, she can come in and have a proper look around.

It's clear that Dafa Mall has entered its return-on-investment phase. Bai Weiwei has worked hard and finally turned the situation around; they should be seeing profits now. If things go smoothly, by the end of the year, Dafa Mall should completely surpass Hengchang and become the most profitable mall in the city.

Qin Xiaoyu lingered at the fashion counter for a while. When Bai Weiwei came running over, panting, Qin Xiaoyu was holding up a trench coat against her body.

"Director Qin, you must be really free. How come you have the mood to shop at my mall?" Bai Weiwei took a deep breath and smiled.

"It seems the mayor's wife has some business acumen; she should be able to make a profit by the end of the year. Congratulations."

"Heh, it's nothing, I'll do even bigger." Bai Weiwei didn't say it aloud, but she was probably overjoyed inside. Was Qin Xiaoyu trying to play the victim? Was she begging for mercy?

"I just came to check on things, nothing much. No need to greet me." Qin Xiaoyu took A Lei's arm and walked outside. Although A Lei was confused, he still obeyed.

"See that? Dafa Mall. Its final glory." Qin Xiaoyu glanced at A Lei and smiled brightly.

"Are you alright?" Are you worried.

"No. I just made a clean break."

The audit team has entered the factory and started working. Although the workshop is still operating, everyone is filled with anxiety.

A Lei parked his car downstairs and went to the advertising studio to find Wang Lei. Qin Xiaoyu went upstairs by herself.

"Director Qin, someone called you yesterday near the end of the workday. I told her the provincial audit team was coming to inspect the factory and you didn't have time to answer the phone, so I asked her to call back today." The office secretary was new, but experienced, and reported timidly.

Did she give her name?

"No. I forgot to ask." The secretary realized there was a problem with the procedure and panicked.

"Next time, remember to ask who the other person is, and don't tell strangers what happened at our factory," Qin Xiaoyu patiently instructed her.

"I understand, Director Qin. I'll definitely pay attention next time." Seeing that Qin Xiaoyu didn't scold her, the secretary bowed gratefully and ran off.

Qin Xiaoyu laughed. It's good to be at this age where you dare to take risks and make mistakes.

"Little Fish, this is troublesome." Factory Director Xie walked in from outside, his face covered in sweat, clearly having rushed in.

"Don't rush, speak slowly." Qin Xiaoyu quickly helped her sit down.

"Southeast Textile is urging us to finish the manuscript. Everything was ready, and the payment was due today. But the funds are frozen. What should we do?"

Qin Xiaoyu bit her lip; this was a tricky matter. Southeast Textile was the fabric manufacturer she had found, and they had been cooperating for quite some time, which was why they offered cash on delivery. If she broke her promise this time, she feared she wouldn't get this preferential treatment in the future.

We can't be honest with Southeast Textile. Who would want to cooperate with a company that's currently under audit? There's an unspoken rule in China: flies don't lay eggs without cracks. If they're being investigated, it means there's a problem.