Undercurrents and Intentions
Song Shiyu has almost put all his attention on one thing recently - Ji Zhiqi's upcoming birthday.
He had already carefully packed those valuable, collectible limited edition headphones into exquisite custom-made gift boxes, and the velvet padding wrapped them like rare treasures.
The box was placed in the most conspicuous place on his desk, as if silently counting down.
Whenever their eyes met, Song Shiyu thought of packing himself up and putting him in a gift box to give to Ji Zhiqi.
Just as he was staring at the gift box for the Nth time, the air in front of him fluctuated imperceptibly, and a familiar, round, milky white halo appeared out of thin air.
"Xiaojiu, I haven't seen you for a few days. Why are you so sad? Are you still missing your Ji Tianshen and losing your appetite? Are you staring at a box in longing for him?" As soon as UU opened her mouth, she used that familiar, slightly provocative, teasing tone, and her voice rang ethereal in Song Shiyu's mind.
Song Shiyu bent his fingers unhappily, flicked her elastic body precisely, and watched her sway like jelly.
"You still remember to come back? You disappeared for a long time this time."
UU shook her body proudly, like a plump glutinous rice ball, yawned loudly, and responded lazily: "Oh, don't mention it. I went back to the underworld to deal with some backlog of spiritual affairs. The flow of time there is not the same as here. It feels like I didn't stay for long. These days have passed since I came back." She explained vaguely, and seemed unwilling to mention the details of the underworld.
Song Shiyu didn't really want to ask more questions. He was relieved to see her return safely.
He frowned slightly and turned to ask about another matter that made him vaguely worried: "UU, I always feel that Ji Zhiqi's physical condition seems not to be very good. His face is always pale and sometimes he looks very tired. Um...is there any way I can find out what happened to him?"
UU shook her round head, helplessness reflected in her little black eyes: "I really can't do anything about this. To investigate the specific physical illnesses of people in the world of the living, one needs very high authority. One must be at least at the judge level to use the derivative functions of the Book of Life and Death for in-depth insights. As for me... my level is not high enough." She used a strange metaphor, but the meaning was very clear - powerless.
When Song Shiyu heard this, his eyes dimmed a little.
Even UU couldn't find any information, and there were no reports or rumors from the outside world about Ji Zhiqi being ill. This made his worries grow quietly like vines, but he had nowhere to put his focus.
Recovering from his thoughts, his eyes fell on the financial report that had just been delivered to him on the desk. His eyes instantly became sharp.
The source of one of the unusual large sums of money they had been tracking, namely a sum of **7 million**, was finally revealed - it was a special project fund directly approved by his mother Ruan Ning and allocated to the department under the jurisdiction of his uncle Ruan Xiaohui.
The amount of seven million was transferred directly from the group account. Didn’t my mother carefully check the actual expenditure details of my uncle’s department before?
Song Shiyu stared at the eye-catching string of numbers, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table.
In the afternoon, Song Shiyu came to his mother Ruan Ning's office with the sorted materials and the key financial report.
He knocked on the door and heard Ruan Ning's voice saying "Come in".
When I pushed the door open, I found that my uncle Ruan Xiaohui was also there. He seemed to be talking to Ruan Ning, and the atmosphere seemed a little solemn.
Ruan Ning's well-maintained face was tinged with fatigue and confusion. She looked at her brother with concern and questioning in her tone, "Xiaohui, tell me, didn't I just approve seven million for your project a while ago? How come it's only been so long and your department needs another five million for emergency funding? You have to understand that your department is now the most expensive department in the entire company!"
Song Shiyu's mind moved. His uncle was in charge of the well-known **Large-Scale Real-Life Entertainment Project Development Department** within the group. This department was indeed known for its huge initial investment and frequent capital flows.
Ruan Xiaohui faced her sister's questioning with a look of helplessness on her face. She spread her hands and complained, "Sister, there's nothing I can do about this! You know, our department is responsible for the group's future strategic priorities. Which of those real-life theme parks and theme park projects isn't a money-sucking beast? From land auctions and concept design to technology introduction and equipment customization, which link doesn't require huge funds? The initial investment is large, and the payback period is long. The pressure on the capital chain is really too great..."
Ruan Ning looked at him doubtfully, frowning, obviously not completely convinced by this statement.
At this moment, Song Shiyu spoke calmly. His voice was not loud, but it clearly broke the deadlock in the office: "I have read the financial statements of my uncle's department in detail."
He stepped forward and gently placed the document on Ruan Ning's desk. "According to my verification, your department received seven million yuan, approved by my mother, last quarter, before I took over the Entertainment Division. However, based on the detailed expenditure records, only about four million yuan was reasonable expenditure to meet the needs of the project's normal progress. The remaining three million yuan was recorded as a one-time expense and ultimately went to a personal account of unknown relevance."
He raised his eyes and looked directly at Ruan Xiaohui. His tone remained calm, but with a sharp edge that could not be avoided: "Uncle, what exactly will the three million be used for? Why does it have to go into a personal account?"
Ruan Xiaohui's face, which was not very good to begin with, instantly turned gloomy after hearing what Song Shiyu said.
Especially when he heard the number "3 million", he became like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He suddenly became irritable, stood up abruptly, pointed at Song Shiyu and said angrily: "What do you know, little kid?! The financial report of our department is the core secret of the group, how could it get into your hands?! Sister, don't listen to his nonsense. This 5 million is really urgent. Please approve it for me quickly!" His tone was full of impatience and offended anger.
Ruan Ning frowned even more tightly. She looked at her emotional brother and then at her calm and composed son.
She lowered her voice, with unquestionable majesty: "Xiaohui, watch your attitude! It was me who gave Xiaojiu the authority to view the financial statements of all core departments of the company. As for the five million you mentioned..."
She picked up the documents Song Shiyu had brought and quickly glanced at them, her eyes becoming increasingly sharp. "I've looked at it. Your department's actual project progress last quarter doesn't even begin to justify the additional three million in spending. I can't approve this money."
Ruan Xiaohui seemed completely enraged. He clenched his fists and stared at Ruan Ning with red eyes. His voice rose with excitement: "Sister! How long has he been in the company? How could you just show him such an important thing?! I am your biological brother! I have worked so hard for the company for so many years..."
"It's because you're my brother that I trust you time and time again and give you priority in approving funds!" Ruan Ning interrupted him, anger and disappointment clearly showing on his well-maintained face.
"Xiaohui, he's my son, the future heir to the Song family! Sooner or later, the company will be handed over to him! I'm giving him authority now so he can quickly familiarize himself with the business and take on the responsibility! But look at you now. To get money, you can't even explain the basic accounts. When did you become like this?!"
Ruan Xiaohui was left speechless by her sister's words. Her face turned pale and her chest heaved violently.
He glared at Song Shiyu fiercely, his eyes full of resentment and unwillingness. In the end, he said nothing, swung his hand suddenly, slammed the door and left angrily.
Song Shiyu watched his uncle leave in frustration and anger calmly from beginning to end, without a single ripple on his face, as if the conflict just now had nothing to do with him.
"Mom," he turned to Ruan Ning, his tone returning to its usual gentle, yet reassuring calmness.
"I've already done a preliminary investigation into the whereabouts of the seven million yuan in funds from my uncle's department. As I just said, three million yuan went to a company overseas. Furthermore, I've discovered several unusual large-scale fund transfers in our entertainment division before I took over. I'm currently investigating."
Ruan Ning rubbed her temples, a look of fatigue and heartache on her face. "Every time your uncle came to me for funding, he'd always talk about how urgent the project was and how promising it was... Thinking of our brotherly bond and considering those projects the future direction of the group, I almost always agreed. I certainly neglected the specific details of the funds and the follow-up."
She sighed, and looked at Song Shiyu with eyes full of complicated emotions, including guilt and relief. "Now it seems that your uncle's problem is probably not a small one."
"It's okay, Mom." Song Shiyu walked to his mother, patted her shoulder gently, and said firmly, "Leave this matter to me. Don't worry."
Ruan Ning looked at his son, who had a calm temperament and wise eyes, and suddenly felt that he had grown up a lot.
He is no longer the little son who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun and needs her constant care, but an heir who truly has responsibility and courage.
She suppressed the bitterness in her heart, revealed a gentle smile, and said with some encouragement: "Okay. Mom believes in you. After this matter is successfully resolved, Mom will reward you with a long vacation to relax."
Song Shiyu smiled mischievously upon hearing this. He took a step back, placed his right hand on his chest, and performed an exaggerated yet elegant ceremony towards Ruan Ning, like a knight addressing a princess. "Then thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
This action finally made Ruan Ning laugh, and the solemn atmosphere in the office eased a lot.
However, when Song Shiyu turned and walked out of Ruan Ning's office, closing the heavy wooden door, all the gentleness and mischief on his face disappeared in an instant.
He swept his cold gaze towards Ruan Xiaohui's office at the end of the corridor. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, without any emotion, only a bottomless chill.
After returning to his office, Song Shiyu immediately picked up the encrypted phone and dialed an overseas number.
"It's me."
His voice was low and without any greetings. "Check two time points, November of last year and March of this year. Did two large sums of money, one of 10 million and the other of 50 million, get transferred into the overseas account I gave you earlier through complicated channels?"
"Wait a moment, Mr. Song." About a minute passed
A crisp response came from the other end of the phone: "Yes, Mr. Song. It is confirmed that there were two payments, the amount and time are consistent with what you said, and they were eventually remitted to the designated account."
Song Shiyu's face was expressionless, as if he was listening to something that had nothing to do with him: "Send all the detailed background information of the company receiving the funds to my encrypted email."
"Okay, the information has been prepared and will be sent immediately. Please check it."
After hanging up the phone, Song Shiyu quickly turned on the computer and logged into the encrypted mailbox.
A detailed investigation report lay quietly there. He opened the file and scanned it quickly.
That overseas company was registered five years ago and initially thrived thanks to several good projects.
However, as the founder's ambition grew, he successively won several large projects that were far beyond his capabilities, causing his capital chain to become suddenly tight and unable to operate properly.
Several key projects subsequently fell through due to funding issues, resulting in not only a loss of initial investment but also substantial liquidated damages. Today, the company has collapsed, leaving only a shell company burdened by debt.
Song Shiyu slowly scrolled the mouse, and his eyes finally stopped at the legal representative column.
Sure enough, there were three words clearly printed there - **Ruan Xiaohui**.
A cold and knowing smile slowly appeared at the corner of Song Shiyu's mouth, with the calmness of being in control of everything, but also with a hidden sharpness.
He picked up his phone, quickly composed a message, and sent it to a specific contact:
"Didn't the overseas branch recently secure a development project on that prime land in the east part of the city? They've specifically assigned this project to 'that company.'"
The other party replied quickly, with confusion between the lines:
"Mr. Song, are you sure? This project has great potential. If it's well run, the profits could more than multiply tenfold! So... that company is getting a bargain?"
Song Shiyu's eyes were indifferent, and his fingertips tapped the screen lightly:
"No, I'll make him spit out everything he eats with interest."
The other party was silent for a few seconds, responded with a meaningful smile, and said no more.
Song Shiyu put down his phone, leaned back on the wide chair, and his eyes fell back on Ruan Xiaohui's name on the computer screen.
Ruan Xiaohui, a total of 63 million.
His slender fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, the rhythm steady and cold.
I will make you spit out everything, without missing a single cent.
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