Chapter 24: Sneaking into the Company
"Speaking of your brother," Grandma's voice suddenly dropped, "that matter..."
"Mom," my father said immediately, "don't worry, I'll take care of it."
"You have to handle it!" Grandma's voice rose again, "If the affairs of those suppliers are found out..." She seemed to realize that she had let the cat out of the bag halfway through her words, and quickly stopped talking.
Pei Song's heart sank. He recalled the conversation he heard outside the study a few days ago - the abnormal records of the purchasing department, the inflated unit prices, the fake quantities...
"Who is the person in charge of the purchasing department?" Shi Yanchen asked suddenly.
"My uncle," Pei Song said, "has been in that position for more than ten years."
Shi Yanchen's eyes were stern: "To be able to stay in a department for so long, he must be extremely capable, or... someone is protecting him."
Downstairs, grandma's voice continued to be heard: "Remember, your brother is your real brother! He couldn't even afford to go to school because you were in school. He has been working in the company these years, even if there are some mistakes, you have to cover for him!"
"Mom, I know." My father's voice was a little tired. "I've been dealing with it."
"You have to take care of it! You are the eldest son, it is your duty to take care of your younger brother!"
Hearing this, Pei Song couldn't bear it anymore and rushed downstairs.
"Grandma!" His voice was trembling, "My uncle's problem is not because he has no money to go to school!"
The yard suddenly became quiet.
"I've heard about it a long time ago," Pei Song suppressed his anger, "My uncle's grades in junior high school have always been very poor. He just doesn't want to study anymore! It's not because my father has spent all the money on schooling!"
"You, you kid..." Grandma's face turned pale and blue when her lie was exposed.
"And all these years," Pei Song continued, "don't you know what your uncle has done in the purchasing department?"
"Shut up!" Grandma shouted, "This is a place where the elders are talking, how can you interrupt?"
The father frowned and said, "Songsong, go back to your room."
"dad!"
"Go back!" Father raised his voice, which was rare. "Don't meddle in the affairs of the elders."
Pei Song stood there, looking at his father's tired but persistent eyes, and finally turned around and went upstairs.
Grandma's voice continued: "Big brother, you must remember your responsibilities. Your brother's affairs must be settled."
"Mom," my father sighed, "I know what to do."
After going upstairs, Pei Song locked himself in the room.
He never thought that the problems plaguing the company were actually caused by his uncle, while his father had been carrying them for him.
"Are you okay?" Shi Yanchen asked softly.
Pei Song shook his head: "I don't understand, why does Dad... do this?"
Shi Yanchen was silent for a while: "Every family has its own difficulties."
At night, he heard his father talking on the phone in the study room, his voice was very low: "Second brother, you must give me an explanation for this matter..."
There was a vague voice coming from the other end of the phone, as if explaining something.
The father sighed and said, "Okay, okay, I'll think of a way... Don't worry, I'm here with you."
Listening to these conversations, Pei Song felt uncomfortable.
How he wished his father could see his uncle's problem clearly, but the reality was that his father was blinded by so-called responsibility and guilt.
After returning to the room, Pei Song began to carefully read the recent news reports about the Pei family on the computer.
From sporadic reports, he found that in addition to financial problems, there were also complaints from suppliers, but they were quickly suppressed.
"Don't just read the news." Shi Yanchen stopped him, "It's meaningless to check like this."
"Then what should I do?" Pei Song was a little frustrated. "I can't just watch the company being drained away."
Shi Yanchen said seriously: "If you want to help your father, you have to start from the inside. Do you understand Pei's financial system?"
"I have some impression. I used the SAP system when I was an intern at the company before."
"Very good." Shi Yanchen said, "We have to find a way to get into the company."
"I'm currently interviewing with other companies..." Pei Song's eyes suddenly lit up, "Wait, I can say I want to intern at your company while I'm waiting for the offer."
"The key is to convince your father with the reason."
The next day, Pei Song went to find his father.
He cleverly steered the conversation back to several interviews he had attended.
"That company particularly values financial and supply chain experience." He said casually, "Dad, can I go to the company for an internship for a while? I happen to be free now."
My father hesitated: "The company is not doing well right now..."
"I know." Pei Song said quickly, "But because of this, I should learn more practical experience. You see, I'm just an intern, and I'm not a burden."
His father thought about it for a moment and finally agreed, but he still reminded him: "Remember, don't ask too much, just treat it as an internship."
After joining the company, Pei Song started with basic work.
He arrives at work on time every day and completes his assigned tasks conscientiously. He looks like an ordinary intern.
But in between processing documents, he began to pay attention to some details.
For example, the payment terms of some suppliers are abnormal, and several suspicious company names appear repeatedly.
That day, he went to the tea room to get some water and happened to hear two employees from the purchasing department chatting:
"The same suppliers won the bid again."
"Shh, be careful with your words..."
Pei Song pretended to look for a cup and pricked up his ears, but the two of them had already alertly changed the subject.
In the evening he told Shi Yanchen these scattered information.
"Have you found any pattern?" Shi Yanchen asked.
"There are several suspicious suppliers whose registered capital is not high, but they win the bid every time. Moreover..."
"And what?"
"I checked the business information and found that these companies were newly registered last year. But the strange thing is that they started supplying Pei's products as soon as they were registered. It is impossible for a new company to pass the qualification review so quickly."
Shi Yanchen thought for a moment: "Then continue to follow your plan."
Pei Song knew that superficial business information was not enough, he needed more in-depth evidence.
That day, he discovered another suspicious place.
"Sister Li, why do these reimbursement forms have to be split into several sheets?" he asked while helping to sort the documents.
"Well, your uncle said it was for the convenience of account transfer." Sister Li said casually, and suddenly became alert, "Why are you asking this?"
"Oh, I'm just curious." Pei Song quickly laughed, "By the way, why is this supplier code different from the others?"
"It may be a system problem." Sister Li obviously didn't want to say more.
Pei Song knew he had asked too many questions and quickly changed the subject.