report
Sunlight filtered through the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard, dappling the pile of documents spread out on You Jiale's table. He rubbed his slightly sore neck, muttering to himself, "This transmigration is never peaceful. It would have been so much better to be a carefree rich kid in my past life. Now, I have to stretch every day into eight. Is this what they mean by 'what goes around comes around'?"
He sighed, and before he could even pour himself a glass of water to moisten his throat, a series of steady footsteps came from the courtyard gate.
"Excuse me, is this a 'Leji Delivery' operation point?" A slightly authoritative voice rang out. You Jiale looked up and saw several people in uniforms standing at the door. The uniforms looked crisp and made them look particularly smart. The one at the front was wearing a dark blue trench coat. He was very tall and stood up straight. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of righteousness.
You Jiale's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show it on her face. She immediately put on a smile and went to greet them: "Yes, yes, that's us. And who are you?"
"My surname is He, He Mingzhou." The man flashed an ID badge, its insignia gleaming coldly in the sunlight. "The Municipal Bureau's Special Investigation Team has received a report and is conducting a routine inspection. Please cooperate." He Mingzhou then put away his badge, his gaze sweeping calmly over the somewhat narrow courtyard, yet his eyes held a subtle, almost imperceptible scrutiny. The man behind him followed, his presence conveying an air of officialdom, though he remained silent.
“This time we received an anonymous tip.” He Mingzhou’s voice remained gentle, revealing no emotion, but his eyes seemed to see through people’s hearts. “There is a lot of information, mainly focusing on three aspects—first, there is a case of hiring unidentified people; second, the hygiene conditions of some of the partner merchants are worrying; and third, there is suspicion of tax evasion.”
You Jiale cursed inwardly, "Which bastard stabbed me in the back?" But his face was all smiles as he nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course, our 'Leji Delivery' has always been a legitimate business, and we absolutely welcome all leaders to come and inspect." He smiled and made a "please" gesture, "Mr. He, leaders, please come in. Our place is small and simple, please bear with us."
He Mingzhou looked at the smiling young man in front of him, whose eyes held a hint of shrewdness, and nodded slightly: "You Jiale, the special assistant to Boss Zhang of Zhang's Industries?"
"Oh my, you still recognize me?" You Jiale said, while subtly dusting off her clothes, pondering He Mingzhou's intentions.
"I did some research before coming here." He Mingzhou's tone was somewhat meaningful. "You're not that old, but you've made 'Leji Delivery' quite successful. You've got real guts."
Hearing this, You Jiale smiled so much his eyes narrowed, and he quickly ushered him into the house. "Our business is small, we just want to be down-to-earth, fast, and honest... Please investigate however you want, we will definitely cooperate fully." He knew in his heart that this so-called "routine inspection" was probably not so simple. Anonymous report? Heh, most likely someone was jealous of "Leji's" good business and was trying to trip him up.
Over the next few hours, He Mingzhou and his team carefully reviewed all of Leji Delivery's ledgers and registration documents. The other government officials inspected the warehouse and some basic equipment. You Jiale accompanied them, occasionally interjecting to explain Leji's operations, striving to appear candid. He noticed that although He Mingzhou's expression was serious, he would occasionally ask seemingly casual questions, such as the source of the delivery personnel and the selection criteria for partner merchants.
“Assistant You,” a young government official said, flipping through a list of delivery drivers, “several people here seem to have incomplete identification information, and their registered addresses are not very detailed. What’s going on?”
You Jiale quickly stepped forward and explained with a smile, "Comrade, it's like this. When we first started, in order to expand our delivery team as quickly as possible, we did hire some temporary workers who weren't very familiar with filling out this information. But don't worry, we later verified their basic identity information and had them sign contracts. We definitely didn't hire anyone of unknown origin." As he spoke, he handed over a supplementary registration form, "This is some information we filled out later. Please take a look."
He Mingzhou took the form and carefully flipped through it, his sharp eyes scanning the handwritten words. The air fell silent, broken only by the soft rustling of pages turning; the atmosphere seemed to grow tense.
At this moment, Lin Zhi carefully walked over with several cups of tea, breaking the silence. "Distinguished leaders, you've worked hard. Please have a cup of tea and rest."
He Mingzhou took the teacup, nodded, and said in a gentler tone, "Thank you."
As the formal proceedings were nearing their end, He Mingzhou suddenly softened his tone, stood in the courtyard, looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky, and said, "Assistant You, you're so busy you barely have time to breathe, yet you can still smile. You have a good attitude."
You Jiale was directing her employees to move boxes of ledgers into the yard when she heard this. She couldn't help but smile wryly: "Can I cry if I don't laugh? Commissioner He, starting a business is always tough."
He dusted off his hands, walked up to He Mingzhou, and asked tentatively, "You just said you came to investigate us because you received a report?"
He Mingzhou looked at him but didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked thoughtfully at the pile of miscellaneous items in the corner of the yard. After a while, he said in a low voice, "Yes, someone anonymously reported you."
"So, do you think... we have a problem?" You Jiale asked cautiously.
“If you didn’t do it, then you don’t need to worry.” He Mingzhou raised an eyebrow.
You Jiale quickly smiled and said, "That's right, that's right. Although our 'Le Ji' is just starting out, we've always done business honestly. Those reports are definitely malicious slander." He continued, "Our staff is indeed quite diverse. In the beginning, we hired some neighbors to help us expand our market, but we've all registered them. As for the restaurants we cooperate with, we've sent people to inspect their hygiene, and they all meet the standards. As for tax evasion... Oh, Mr. He, you shouldn't even mention it. Our business is small, and our daily profit is just so-so. After deducting labor and costs, we're lucky if we can barely make ends meet. Where would we get the spare money to evade taxes?"
"I know you're quite the talker." He Mingzhou turned his gaze away from the sky and instead stared at the stacks of open receipts, his eyes still sharp.
"So how are you planning to investigate this time? You have to stand up for us honest little business owners!" You Jiale continued to feign pitifulness.
He Mingzhou paused, looked at You Jiale, and said with a hint of amusement in his eyes, "If a serious problem is found, we will naturally act in accordance with the law; but if someone is deliberately framing us, we will never tolerate it."
You Jiale breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that He Mingzhou was fair enough. "Then I thank you for handling this matter impartially."
He Mingzhou glanced at him, a faint smile suddenly appearing on his lips. "If you really want to thank me, wait until the case is solved and your 'Leji' is cleared up."
“No problem, no problem!” You Jiale’s eyes lit up. “Commissioner He—oh no, Brother He, I’ll remember what you said! After you finish investigating the case, I’ll treat you to ‘Hong’s Wonton’ in the west end, all you can eat, with double the filling!”
He Mingzhou smiled and shook his head: "Wontons are an option, but let's hold off on using the title 'Big Brother' for now."
You Jiale: "..."
Before leaving, He Mingzhou closed the last document, nodded to the people behind him, and said, "At first glance, we haven't found any major problems with the accounts, but we still need to verify them further. We may come back for a follow-up visit soon."
"Then we eagerly await Lord He's good news!" You Jiale greeted them with a beaming smile as she saw them to the door.
As soon as he turned around, before the smile on his face had completely faded, Lin Zhi came up to him with a hint of worry and curiosity on her face, "Brother Jiale, who was that just now...?" As she spoke, she gestured towards the alley entrance.
Yu Jiale stretched, dusted himself off, and replied casually, "Oh, it's a commissioner from the city government, here for a routine inspection of our 'Le Ji Delivery' operations."
Lin Zhi's eyes widened, and she lowered her voice, asking with a hint of worry, "A checkup? Are we alright? Am I going to lose my job right after starting work?"
Upon hearing this, You Jiale smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, don't worry, our 'Leji Delivery' is a legitimate business. Even if there are some minor problems, they are normal bumps and stumbles in the early stages of a new company." He deliberately winked easily, "Besides, even if there really is to be layoffs, your reason will only be because you gossip about the boss every day."
Just as the city government bus slowly drove out of the alley of Caishikou and merged into the bustling streets in the distance, Zhang Xiande sat upright by the window on the second floor of a teahouse on the street corner. Behind the half-closed window, he was playing with a celadon teacup in his hand. The tea in the cup was emerald green and steaming. His expression was calm, as if he was just admiring the scenery outside the window.
"The investigation team was sent down from above, and they acted very quickly." Qin Zheng's voice sounded behind him. "It was indeed a routine inspection in form, but someone secretly submitted a whistleblower letter. The content listed in the letter—matches the timing of those merchants who suddenly terminated their cooperation recently very well."
Zhang Xiande gently swirled the teacup in his hand, his eyelids not lifting, his tone remaining calm: "Have you found anything in the 'Leji Delivery' ledgers?"
"They cooperated very well, the accounts were clean, and we couldn't find anything wrong with them," Qin Zheng said.
At this moment, Zhang Xiande finally raised his eyes, his gaze falling through the window onto the bustling streets and alleys. His expression was calm as a deep pool, yet it exuded an undeniable sense of oppression.
He put the teacup down again and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. "Investigate who did it. Don't rush to reveal your hand."
"Understood." Qin Zheng nodded.
He stood up, straightened his cuffs, and walked towards the door.
He was already sitting on high ground, waiting to see who would make the move.
Zhang Xiande returned to his spacious and bright office at Zhang's Industrial Company, where the bustling city skyline stretched out through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Before he could even settle in, the office door was flung open, and a figure burst in like a whirlwind.
It was You Jiale. He grabbed the water glass that Zhang Xiande had placed on the table, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he looked like he was on fire.
Zhang Xiande was standing in front of his desk, wearing only a clean white shirt, the collar slightly open and the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. He glanced at You Jiale, who had barged in, his voice still calm and steady, with a hint of barely perceptible indulgence: "What's wrong? Why are you so impulsive?"
“Today—” You Jiale gulped down the entire glass of water, finally catching his breath. He lowered his voice and said with a hint of anxiety, “The city government suddenly sent an investigation team over, saying they received a tip-off and want to thoroughly investigate our ‘Leji Delivery’ operations, merchant qualifications, and delivery safety. They even went through all our delivery slips one by one!” As he spoke, he couldn’t help but wipe non-existent sweat from his forehead.
Zhang Xiande looked at him, a faint smile playing on his lips, and slowly asked, "He Mingzhou?"
"...How did you know?" You Jiale was stunned, staring wide-eyed at Zhang Xiande. Just a moment ago he was red-faced with anxiety, but now he was completely dumbfounded. He thought to himself, "His information network is too good!"
Zhang Xiande raised an eyebrow, his tone matter-of-fact: "Qin Zheng submitted it for me this morning."
"You should have given me a heads-up!" Upon hearing this, You Jiale immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I wasn't prepared at all today. Those people came and asked such detailed questions. They checked every single takeout order they received, even down to the exact time it was delivered!" He felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about the meticulous expressions on the investigators' faces.
"So you panicked?" Zhang Xiande's tone remained calm, but his eyes were like searchlights, scrutinizing You Jiale's expression as if trying to find a flaw in his face.
“Not really.” You Jiale scratched the back of his head, trying to calm himself down, but his tone still carried a hint of undisguised unease. “I’m just… a little unsure. Our ‘Leji Delivery’ got off to a fast start and expanded rapidly, so it’s inevitable that we can’t keep up with the pace of reviewing a lot of the documents.” He paused, looking cautiously at Zhang Xiande. “I’m afraid… I’ll embarrass you.”
Looking at his tense yet trying-to-be-calm demeanor, Zhang Xiande finally smiled slightly, revealing a genuine smile with a hint of appreciation: "Do a good job."
"Then... what should we do about this?" You Jiale was still a little worried and asked cautiously, "I heard from the people below that the letter of complaint not only contained some true information, but also some completely unrelated nonsense. It's obvious that someone is deliberately trying to frame us."
Zhang Xiande did not respond immediately. He slowly and carefully put away the piece of rice paper with only the word "quiet" written on it, his movements carrying an indescribable calmness and elegance. He carefully folded the paper, weighed it down with a paperweight, and then put it back in its original place. The whole set of movements was as smooth as flowing water, calm and slow, as if he were the only one breathing in the entire spacious office.
Only after everything was in order did he finally raise his eyes and look at You Jiale, who was standing there somewhat uneasy. His eyes were calm but carried a reassuring power.
"What's the panic?"
He turned and walked to the French windows, casually pulling open the heavy curtains a crack. Looking at the brightly lit city nightscape outside, he spoke calmly and confidently, with a hint of being in control: "Someone wants to make a fuss about 'Leji Delivery,' so I'd like to see what they're up to."
Looking at Zhang Xiande's tall and straight back, and listening to his words, You Jiale's unease gradually dissipated, replaced by a faint excitement and anticipation. He grinned, with a touch of nonchalance: "Indeed, it's a straightforward business war."
Zhang Xiande didn't answer "yes" directly, but a soft chuckle escaped his lips. He turned to look at You Jiale, his expression as calm and collected as ever, but at that moment, it carried a strange certainty: "Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll take care of it."
He paused, his eyes sharp as he looked at You Jiale: "Just do what you're supposed to do." Then, his tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of meaning: "As for the rest... you don't need to worry about it."
You Jiale stood there, looking into Zhang Xiande's eyes that seemed to see through everything, and remained silent for a long time. He felt as if something had gently touched his heart, and he couldn't quite describe the feeling. Finally, he remembered a joke circulating among his underlings and couldn't help but laugh a little cheekily: "As the old saying goes, it's better to talk to Boss Zhang about your innermost thoughts than to accompany a boy as he grows up."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiande's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He then turned around and continued tidying up the few sheets of Xuan paper he used for calligraphy practice, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I'm quite curious, how much of your 'inner thoughts' are actually true?" He seemed unwilling to dwell on this topic any longer, and picked up a new sheet of Xuan paper, preparing to continue practicing calligraphy.
Upon hearing Zhang Xiande's words, You Jiale's smug smile widened even more. He took a step closer, his tone carrying a hint of insincerity, but his eyes sparkled: "I'm the most honest person, every word comes from the bottom of my heart!" As he spoke, he patted his chest, looking quite certain.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiande slightly raised his eyelids and glanced at him with a half-smile: "Oh? You'd better be." Seeing You Jiale's glib manner, Zhang Xiande did not continue to ask questions, but his gaze lingered on him for a moment.
"I must have committed many evil deeds in my past life, so I'm just working to earn money in this one. Since you know everything, Mr. Zhang, I'll get back to work now." You Jiale winked at Zhang Xiande, then turned and walked briskly towards the office door, his steps light, as if the commotion had never happened. He knew that with Mr. Zhang's words, even if the sky fell, someone would hold it up; what did he have to worry about? Now, it was time to see what tricks those behind the scenes were up to.
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