Chapter 18 Assets
Lin Wen first came to the Finance Department. It was already 9 o'clock in the evening, but the lights in the Finance Department were still on.
Lin Wen did not disturb them, but quietly turned on [Observing Qi and People] and took a look through the crack in the door.
Inside, work was bustling. Fifteen people, including the director and deputy director, were still counting their belongings. On a square table not far from them, a large stack of cash lay neatly stacked, its alluring golden hue under the light, juxtaposing with the gold piled nearby, forming a wave of wealth.
What they are counting now are all kinds of jewelry, diamonds and valuables.
These were the treasures that Fatty Zhang, who was completely tempted by Lin Wen's big promise at the time, took out to pay off his debts because he didn't have enough 15 million in cash. Among them, the sapphire weighing 25.6 grams in Director Lei's hand was the payment for Fang Weiwei's prostitution.
This also brought huge trouble to the Finance Department's valuation. They constantly verified the authenticity, purity, quality and defects of the jewelry, and found a lot of information to estimate their value as accurately as possible.
The entire finance department was filled with sighs, hair-scratching, book-flipping, complaints, and exclamations of disbelief.
In Lin Wen's eyes, their aura was mostly light yellow mixed with green and white, with occasional hints of dark brown or black.
According to the spell's description, these were all normal human behaviors, with occasional greed suppressed by duty, ethics, and the law. Director Lei's aura was the most unique, appearing as a hexagonal, bluish-white, solidified and rarely moving, its surface covered in gray, cracked aura.
This should indicate that Director Lei has a stubborn mindset and trustworthy professional ethics, but he has been in a state of depression for a long time.
I couldn't read more. Lin Wen was not a professional qi-reading sorcerer, and the detailed description of this spell was too thick. Lin Wen only read the general outline and basic content. There were still more than a dozen books of content that were as thick as the Oxford Dictionary, so he gave up for the time being.
And apart from being completely black, a person's aura is not static and cannot be seen at a glance, so it is enough to just know the general idea.
From this perspective, Director Lei should be trustworthy for the time being, and there is no need to worry about anyone embezzling money.
As I was thinking about it, I accidentally tripped the door.
With a creak, the people from the Finance Department immediately spotted County Chief Lin at the door.
Deputy Director Lao Xie immediately smiled happily. He pushed Director Lei behind him, grabbed the account book and trotted to County Governor Lin.
Lin Wen didn't want to waste his energy at this moment, so he immediately stopped him from talking: "How much have you calculated now?"
Old Xie replied, "Thanks to the County Magistrate's wise leadership, we have confirmed 11.06 million in assets. The remaining assets are estimated to be around 5.5-6 million."
Lin Wen asked in surprise, "Why are there more?"
Old Xie smiled and said, "This is all thanks to the County Governor's kindness! The valuations of jewelry and diamonds fluctuate the most. Gold, while more stable, also experiences fluctuations, but the differences aren't significant. It's mainly because of the Posilda sapphire that the Federation Saint will likely pay a high price for it."
Lin Wen had long turned a blind eye to the weirdness of this world. He didn't care about the saints or witches. Since he couldn't cast forbidden spells, it was useless.
He only cares about one thing now: "Is it difficult to cash out? Will the funds be recovered quickly?"
Director Lei, who was standing nearby, had already started complaining for a long time: "County Governor, the Empire will never allow luxury goods to..."
Old Xie immediately pushed Director Lei away with his butt and said with a flattering smile, "This guy has a problem with his brain. He was kicked by a donkey when he was a child. County Chief Lin, please don't take it to heart."
Lin Wen ignored him: "You should cash out quickly and get the funds back as soon as possible. It's best not to suffer any losses. This is all the victims' money."
Old Xie patted his chest and said, "County Governor Lin is a man of great integrity and cares for his people like his own children. This is a great blessing for the people of Changshan County! Please rest assured, County Governor Lin! I will definitely live up to your trust."
Lin Wen was disgusted by this deputy director and wanted to say something, but his heart seemed to be blocked by oil and he couldn't utter a word.
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Director Lei jumped in and said, "That's impossible. Jewelry and other valuables are not necessities. If you want to sell them quickly, you must sell them at a low price. If you want a high price, you must sell them slowly."
Deputy Director Lao Xie was so angry that his ears were smoking. He had warned Lao Lei repeatedly, but he still couldn't stop the stubborn donkey. He grabbed Lao Lei by the collar and, ignoring the county governor's presence, shouted: "Can you shut up if you can't speak? I need you to teach me how to do things? How do you know it can't be done quickly and well?"
Lao Lei retorted: "If you want to sell quickly, it will become a buyer's market, and people will dare to lower the price!"
Old Xie pouted: "I bought your ancestors and suppressed your grandfather!"
Lin Wen was very annoyed and said, "Then do it as soon as possible. I'll get the money before the cash runs out. I'll sell as much as I can!" After that, he turned and left, ignoring the banging sounds behind him.
After returning to the county governor's office, he found the home address and landline number of the deputy director of the office, Yuan Zhimen. A phone call pulled him out of bed and ordered him to immediately send a telegram to the Governor's Office, requesting the engineering team of the Seventh Construction Corps to return and continue construction, and Changshan County had the money to pay their project fees.
After studying the reconstruction drawings for a while, Lin Wen made up his mind and without any hesitation, he leaned back on the county magistrate's chair and fell asleep.
He has slept on this bed every night since he became county chief.
At the same time, Governor Sheng Huaixuan, who was far away in Danyang City, had not yet fallen asleep. He sat on a chair, hunched over, smoking one cigarette after another, burying himself in the smoke and mist, and remained silent.
At this time, the governor no longer looked like a powerful official, but like an old farmer who was worried about this year's harvest.
"Huaixuan." A middle-aged woman pushed the door open and came in. "Don't worry about the disaster relief funds. You're not the emperor. If the imperial headquarters doesn't allocate the funds to you, are you going to raise an army to rob them?"
Sheng Huaixuan put out a cigarette and lit another one.
Seeing his frown, the middle-aged woman smiled and said, "You really have this idea? Whether you go or not, come, drink the ginseng soup first. Your health is important."
Sheng Huaixuan drank a sip of ginseng soup, his brows slightly relaxed: "Huaixiu, what do you say about me transferring the Qing army?"
The middle-aged woman Huaixiu thought for a moment and asked, "Are you trying to dig up Lao Liu's roots, or are you trying to steal the money from the gentlemen on Capitol Hill?"
Sheng Huaixuan shook his head: "I want to intercept the gold that Longzhou handed over to the imperial headquarters."
Huaixiu was shocked: "Your Majesty can't handle this."
Sheng Huaixuan smiled and said, "Long Xingjun will help me cover it."
"Li Long..." Huai Xiu choked, still not daring to call the emperor's name, and said softly: "Your Majesty is under a lot of pressure. Why don't you stop being like this? You've been too aggressive lately. Several elders are a little dissatisfied with you."
"There's nothing we can do about it."
Sheng Huaixuan shook his head.
"They're trying to kill me by blocking me like this. This flood has given them an excuse and ammunition to attack me. The reforms in East Qinzhou must not be stopped."
Huaixiu wanted to persuade him: "But..."
Sheng Huaixuan drank the pure ginseng soup in one gulp: "Huaixiu, you don't understand. As long as there are no problems inside me, I will be as solid as a rock. If the inside collapses, let alone this kind of typhoon, even a little finger will make me fall."
The weakness was only temporary, and the Governor's strength returned. He flipped open the document and said, "I'm only worried about one thing now. That guy from Changshan County can't withstand the pressure. If he collapses, I'll have a loophole."
Huaixiu gently massaged his shoulders and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of giving him the power of governor?"
Sheng Huaixuan thought of the scene at that time, laughed, and said: "Huaixiu, you don't know that kid. Before I met him, just looking at his resume, he was a hero after a hero. I was very much looking forward to it."
"Guess what I saw?"
Huaixiu liked this kind of conversation very much. It reminded her of their youth. She said, "What did you see?"
"I saw a bureaucrat who was so cunning, so impeccable, so flattering, so smooth and cunning. Do you know how I felt at that time?"
Huaixiu thought for a moment and said, "I was fooled. I thought he got his position by flattery and fawning. He's not a hero at all."
"You guessed right! I wanted to get rid of him right away and replace him in a few months. I didn't expect this guy to surprise me later. He asked me for money, resource support, tax exemption rights and tax rebates, free trade rights, key areas of the Imperial Backbone Plan, and new financial pilot projects. Think about it carefully."
Huai Xiu, known for his talent, pondered carefully for a moment before exclaiming in amazement, "These are exactly what Changshan County needs most. He only mentioned these five points, and not other imperial policies, proving he's carefully studied Changshan County's development. If I were in charge, I'd have to spend at least a year deeply researching Changshan County to accurately propose these five points. This is definitely not a flattering jester."
"Yes." Sheng Huaixuan smiled and said, "Unfortunately, I couldn't agree to any of these five items. Then that kid's face turned green. He thought that if he flattered me for a while, I would fall into his trap. He is too young."
"Isn't it?" Huai Xiu leaned on his back and whispered softly, "Any one of them you agree to will be a heavy burden on you. Given the current situation, you won't be able to do it either."
"Then when I thought he had given up, he suddenly came to me and asked for the military governorship."
"Can you understand? That kind of desperate attitude, that aura of I have nothing, but if I can use it, I can change the sky into a blue sky."
Huaixiu smiled and said, "Then you were moved. I know you like people like this."
"Just like you."
"Just like me."
They both said at the same time and smiled at each other.
"But now, I feel a little regretful. My enemies can't do anything to me, but they might turn around and attack that kid. After all, he is young and doesn't understand the cruelty of the internal strife of the empire. I worry that he might be brought down."
"I'm too busy right now to help him directly. Changshan County is in a very dangerous situation right now. Post-disaster reconstruction is a hole that must be filled, otherwise there will be a big mess. Secretary Cheng said that there are many people in Changshan County who oppose him."
"He must be having a very hard time right now."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
