Chapter 222 Backbone

Her eyes were lowered, and her voice was slightly hoarse.

“Yang Fugui was transferred from the textile factory last year. He is quick-witted, articulate, and good at keeping accounts, so I entrusted him with the two most important tasks: payroll and warehouse management. I never expected that he would have such wicked intentions at this time.”

"Human hearts are unpredictable."

As Guo Zhenyi spoke, he pulled up a wooden chair and sat down.

His eyes were fixed on the brand-new brass lock on the drawer.

"This is a newly replaced lock; the lock cylinder hasn't been used for very long. It's obvious that it was prepared in advance. He's been waiting for this day, just waiting for you to lower your guard so he can make his escape."

Zhou Shufen bit her lower lip, her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, both painful and suffocating.

She had assumed that since they all grew up in the same town, they would have some connection.

But she ultimately forgot that the human heart is most vulnerable to testing.

We must never let our guard down.

Everyone in the factory works from dawn till dusk.

If my salary is really docked, how am I supposed to get through the New Year?

She took a deep breath, suppressing the stinging in her eyes.

He turned around and called Qiangzi, Erzhu, and several key members into the office.

"You should go back first, don't just wait here."

"Tomorrow morning, I will personally distribute wages at the factory gate. Every single one of you will receive your full salary. Not only that, I will also give each of you double your year-end bonus."

Her gaze swept over everyone, and her voice grew louder.

“If anyone has really tampered with it, I, Zhou Shufen, will risk my life to seek justice for you.”

"Really...really?"

Qiangzi suddenly looked up, his eyes shining brightly in an instant.

When have I ever gone back on my word?

Her tone was firm, and her gaze was piercing.

“You’ve all worked for me all these years, whose affairs haven’t I taken to heart? If you trust me, just give me some time and wait.”

The group exchanged a silent glance.

In an instant, those past memories surfaced one by one.

In the sweltering summer heat, she had someone brew herbal tea and delivered buckets of it to the workshop.

In the dead of winter, she gave each worker thick cotton gloves.

If someone's child is sick, she will pay for their medical expenses without hesitation.

The initial doubts and anger gradually melted away.

"We trust Factory Director Zhou!"

Finally, Old Yu slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming.

We all believe it!

Erzhu shouted out in response.

Qiangzi straightened his back and nodded vigorously.

"You are our backbone. As long as you are here, we dare to wait."

After they left, the room fell silent.

Zhou Shufen stood by the window and sniffed.

Tears could no longer be held back and streamed down her face.

"I paid them such high wages, and the factory's benefits were much better than others... but what happened? They turned around and cheated me? Did they treat me like a fool?"

Guo Zhenyi walked up behind her and patted her on the shoulder.

"Shufen, this is not your fault."

"You treat people with utmost kindness and righteousness, which shows your good character. But some people don't appreciate it, which shows their poor character. Since these people are unreliable, let's just get rid of them. Don't be soft-hearted."

He paused, his eyes turning slightly cold.

"We should take this opportunity to make an example of someone and warn others. Let everyone know that betrayal will not end well."

She nodded slightly, her fingers clenching even tighter.

Just then, a rapid bicycle bell rang out from outside the window.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open violently, and Pan Chuanzhen stumbled in.

"Factory manager..."

She was breathing heavily, her voice trembling.

"Yang Fugui's house... no one's home! The door is locked tight from the inside. I knocked for over half an hour, and my voice is hoarse from shouting, but the whole house is like nobody lives there!"

"Nobody here?"

Zhou Shufen frowned, alarm bells ringing in her mind.

"He was walking around the factory perfectly fine yesterday, how could he have disappeared overnight?"

Pan Chuanzhen kept her head down, her eyes darting around.

"I...I don't know. Maybe he went to a relative's house? Or maybe something came up..."

Guo Zhenyi strode up to her.

"What time did Yang Fugui leave? Who did he meet before he left? What account books did he touch? Who did he contact? Tell the truth!"

Pan Chuanzhen shuddered, took two steps back, and her face instantly turned pale.

“Around 10 a.m.... He had just left not long ago... Before he left... He specifically checked the warehouse accounts with me, saying that the accounts were clear and there were no problems. He also told me not to work too hard and to go home early to pack my things and prepare for the New Year.”

"Where are the ledgers? Where are they now?"

Zhou Shufen suddenly looked up, her voice extremely low.

He said... the ledgers have been checked and locked in the office cabinet. He told me not to worry about them or touch them, and to just wait for the end of the month to summarize them.

Pan Chuanzhen twisted the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her voice full of unease.

Zhou Shufen's heart sank suddenly, and she rushed out the door.

"Quick! Get to the warehouse right now!"

The iron gate was tightly closed, with a large iron lock hanging on the door knocker.

Guo Zhenyi stood in front of the door and carefully examined it for a moment.

Before long, he fumbled for a key through a gap on the upper right side.

The door creaked open, and a strong, pungent smell wafted out.

The shelves were piled high with cardboard boxes, each bearing the factory's logo.

The production dates are all marked as last month.

The outer packaging was brand new and shiny, the seal was intact, and it looked flawless.

Zhou Shufen approached and picked up a cardboard box labeled "snow cream".

She weighed it in her hand briefly, and her brows immediately furrowed.

That's ridiculously light.

She gritted her teeth and tore off the tape.

The next second, his pupils suddenly contracted.

There was only a thin layer of face cream inside the box.

The rest of the space was completely stuffed with straw.

There's a problem.

She murmured to herself.

“This batch of goods was originally intended to be delivered to the company in the provincial capital. The order clearly stated that each box contained twenty boxes, totaling five thousand boxes… But according to this calculation, at least one-third is missing.”

“These discrepancies… were either stolen and sold by him, or he had already colluded with outsiders to pass off inferior goods as superior ones and fill in empty boxes.”

Guo Zhenyi squatted down and opened the payroll ledger.

The numbers appear neat and the entries are clearly defined.

The signature of "Zhou Shufen" in the signature column was even imitated so perfectly that the strokes and curves of the pen were also imitated.

"This ledger was added later."

He spoke coldly and closed the ledger.

"Every single detail was done flawlessly; it was clearly planned in advance."

Zhou Shufen's vision went black, and her ears were ringing.

If I hadn't grabbed the shelf next to me in time, I would have almost fallen to my knees.

"Don't rush."

Guo Zhenyi immediately stepped forward and firmly supported her shoulders.

“He can’t have gone far. I’ll call right now and have everyone keep an eye on him at the train and bus stations. Also, I’ll have Yanlong take a few trusted brothers into the village and search every house. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we have to find him!”

He looked down at her red-rimmed eyes and softened his voice.

"As for workers' wages and bonuses, if you're really short on cash, feel free to use my money. My savings account is in my pocket, and you already know the password. We can't let these workers who have worked hard all year go hungry during the New Year."