Chapter 176: Factory Shadows

Xu Zhiquan brought up the financial issues, and the room fell silent in an instant.

Everyone knew that the key trigger for the Mechanical Factory’s bankruptcy was the financial problems that had exploded.

Once the truth came out, the factory workers realized that the once-glamorous state-owned Bright Factory had racked up massive debts and was struggling to survive.

Xu Zhiquan continued:

“In the coming days, East Morning Star’s top priority is to take over the current financial records of Bright Factory.”

This was also a clear directive from the City Center.

Bright Factory faced closure because of major financial issues and a pile of debts that needed to be settled.

“Who is the current financial line supervisor, Gu Xuewei?”

A man in his thirties stood up; he wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a slender build.

Suddenly called out by Xu Zhiquan, Gu Xuewei looked nervous—especially since the chief engineer had just been abruptly removed.

Xu Zhiquan went on:

“During this transition period, we need a dedicated financial expert to oversee and guide the process.”

“The finance department must fully cooperate.”

Gu Xuewei hesitated for a moment, then quickly said:

“The finance department will cooperate fully!”

Xu Zhiquan glanced back:

“I think everyone here knows Fang Jun.”

“The financial transition and takeover will be supervised and managed by Fang Jun.”

“Gu Xuewei and the finance department colleagues need to work with Fang Jun.”

The crowd turned to Fang Jun, their expressions mixed.

Everyone knew that Bright Factory’s bankruptcy started when Fang Jun exposed the financial problems.

Yet, only a few like Jin Guiyuan and Ji Yusheng knew about Fang Jun’s deep background.

Even after Fang Jun left, Jin Guiyuan and Ji Yusheng received orders from above and personally visited her home to apologize.

Gu Xuewei had once been Fang Jun’s colleague.

When the financial issues surfaced, the finance supervisor at the time, along with the retired old finance department head, were taken in for investigation.

Also caught up in it were two other deputy directors of Bright Factory.

Those individuals are still under investigation, with no final verdict yet.

Gu Xuewei glanced at Fang Jun sitting in the back row, then quickly looked away.

Xu Zhiquan paused, then said:

“Fang Jun is currently the financial director at East Morning Star Co.”

“I know many colleagues at Bright Factory have mixed feelings about Fang Jun, thinking the factory’s collapse came from her report.”

“As the current head of Bright Factory, I need to clarify this seriously.”

“The truth is the opposite: it was Fang Jun’s report that saved Bright Factory.”

“If the financial problems had come to light any later, no one could have saved it.”

Qu Fei, sitting nearby, chimed in:

“Let me add a couple of points.”

“The city authorities had considered giving Fang Jun a special award for her report, but she turned it down.”

“Fang Jun said it was just her duty, something she should do.”

“Two former deputy directors of Bright Factory are still under review, along with two previous finance supervisors.”

“You might not realize the damage those hidden financial issues could have caused to Bright Factory and the city’s economy.”

“Luckily, Fang Jun stepped up, allowing the city to handle it in time. At least now, the financial hole can be patched.”

“Without Fang Jun, Bright Factory would have had no chance to save itself.”

“In a way, Fang Jun really did rescue Bright Factory, making it possible for it to be sold.”

Fang Jun sat in the back row, her face cold and expressionless, as if the discussion had nothing to do with her.

Xu Chen turned to Fang Jun and whispered with a smile:

“The bosses are praising you!”

Fang Jun whispered back:

“We need to hurry and take over the ledgers. I’m worried there might be issues.”

Xu Chen replied quietly:

“Don’t worry, Zhao Feng has people watching it.”

“Bing Ge and his crew might look rough, but they’re reliable.”

Fang Jun paused, surprised:

“Bing Ge’s crew? You mean Xie Bingran?”

Xu Chen: “Who else?”

Fang Jun frowned, suddenly piecing things together.

“Bing Ge” wasn’t just a casual nickname.

Li Rui, Fang Tao, Cheng Yong, and Zhao Feng were all part of Xie Bingran’s crew.

She recalled seeing Xie Bingran last time—cool and sharp—and it all made sense.

The management-level closed-door meeting wrapped up smoothly.

Xu Zhiquan quickly made some adjustments to the management team, establishing his authority and respect.

At the earlier welcome assembly, Xu Zhiquan had been all smiles, warm and approachable.

But in this management meeting, he showed a decisive, no-nonsense side.

The Mechanical Factory’s various supervisors now saw that this local township entrepreneur from Tiancheng wasn’t some easy-to-fool country boss.

Jin Guiyuan also realized that the seemingly friendly President Xu was no pushover.

After the meeting, finance supervisor Gu Xuewei suggested:

“The factory’s financial records were just returned from the City Center review yesterday.”

“The finance department did a preliminary sort this morning. President Xu, should we handle the takeover now?”

Before Xu Zhiquan could respond, Jin Guiyuan checked his watch and said:

“President Xu, Secretary Qu, it’s already noon. How about we eat first?”

“Today’s mainly to welcome you to Bright Factory, so we’ve set up a simple lunch in the cafeteria!”

Xu Zhiquan stood up, chuckling:

“Thanks for arranging that, Jin. Secretary Qu, shall we go eat?”

The welcome lunch was straightforward, held in the “small cafeteria” for Bright Factory’s leadership.

The entrance had welcome banners and flower baskets.

Xu Zhiquan walked in and discovered the cafeteria had a small private room.

It was nicely decorated, clearly meant for hosting guests.

Old Secretary Ji Yusheng explained:

“As a long-standing state-owned factory, Bright Factory often had officials visiting.”

“This hospitality suite was renovated about five or six years ago.”

They set up two tables for the lunch.

The main table included Xu Zhiquan, Qu Fei, Ji Yusheng, and Jin Guiyuan, with Zhao Jihong.

Zhao Jihong, just removed as chief engineer, looked awkward.

He wanted to slip away but couldn’t, so he sat there uncomfortably.

The second table hosted Xu Zhiquan’s group, including Xu Chen, Fang Jun, Yang Congxin, and Li Rui, with three Bright Factory supervisors joining them.

Those three supervisors felt a bit uneasy.

Yang Congxin, once a peer as a supervisor, was now the “technical director,” and they had to play host and say nice things.

Fang Jun had been just a low-profile finance staffer in the factory.

Dishes and soups arrived quickly.

At the main table, the focus was on Xu Zhiquan and Secretary Qu.

Jin Guiyuan was a smooth talker, chatting and laughing, tossing out compliments effortlessly.

Xu Zhiquan played along, laughing and exchanging banter.

Of course, they all flattered Secretary Qu, since he represented the city leadership.

With meetings in the afternoon, no alcohol was served; instead, they toasted with tea and exchanged polite words.

Ji Yusheng and Zhao Jihong ate quietly, just smiling along.

Zhao Jihong, freshly demoted, mostly ate in silence, his cheeks bulging as he sweated through the meal.

At the second table, the three Bright Factory supervisors had been buttering up Yang Congxin and Fang Jun, but Yang Congxin casually mentioned Xu Chen’s status.

They quickly shifted their flattery to this “boss’s son,” showering him with compliments.

Xu Chen took it in stride, laughing while eating and chatting.

Fang Jun focused on her food, looking preoccupied.

Xu Chen murmured:

“Don’t worry, finance is under watch.”

After lunch.

Led by finance supervisor Gu Xuewei, Xu Zhiquan’s group headed to the finance department in the Comprehensive Building.

Yang Congxin went off on his own to organize Mechanical Factory workers for the seedling project.

Fang Jun and Xu Chen followed to the finance department.

Stepping into the finance office, they saw three young colleagues waiting.

In the middle of the room, a table was piled with boxes of ledgers and documents.

Gu Xuewei asked: “Everything sorted?”

A young female finance staffer replied:

“All compiled and summarized. Here’s the list!”

She handed a sheet to Gu Xuewei.

Gu Xuewei glanced at it and passed it to Xu Zhiquan.

Xu Zhiquan took it without a close look and handed it straight to Fang Jun.

“Fang Jun can handle this!”

The three young finance colleagues eyed Fang Jun with odd expressions.

A few months ago, she had been working right here with them on routine finance tasks.

In fact, a couple of them had some idea about the factory’s financial problems but never spoke up.

When the old finance head retired and the new supervisor took over, they redistributed the work.

The messy, unwanted jobs went to the quiet Fang Jun.

No one expected this unassuming young woman to blow the lid off everything just a month or two after taking on the ledgers.

She ended up sending the finance supervisor and the retired head straight into investigation, triggering a massive shakeup at the factory.

And now, here she was back as the acquiring company’s financial director, taking over the records again.

It all felt ironically unbelievable.

Fang Jun took the list and went to the pile of ledgers and materials, starting a thorough check.

As a former Bright Factory finance staffer, she knew the lists and ledgers inside out, making the process smooth.

Jin Guiyuan glanced around and suggested:

“Secretary Qu, President Xu, why not let the finance team handle this?”

“We can head to the reception room for some tea and a break!”

Xu Zhiquan replied:

“Let’s wait until Fang finishes the check. This is the most important task today!”

Jin Guiyuan’s face shifted slightly as he said:

“Having Secretary Qu wait around isn’t ideal!”

Xu Zhiquan frowned, a clear sign of displeasure.

But he didn’t say anything, just pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Secretary Qu, and lit it for him.

“Secretary Qu, I just got some good tea. Come by my place later!”

“You’re too kind, President Xu! I’ll drop by for a taste!”

Xu Zhiquan and Qu Fei chatted casually, acting like old pals, while ignoring Jin Guiyuan.

After nearly twenty minutes, Fang Jun spoke up:

“A few ledgers are missing.”

Gu Xuewei: “Ah? That’s impossible! They came straight from the City Center yesterday!”

Jin Guiyuan: “Don’t rush. Check again. They can’t be missing.”

“The city reviewed them; no one’s touching them!”

Gu Xuewei: “I confirmed them this morning. Everything on the list is here.”

Fang Jun turned to Xu Zhiquan and said:

“Before I left, I was handling the ledger checks.”

“I’m certain five or six books are missing—specifically from January to May 2006.”

“Those aren’t core ledgers, so they might not stand out.”

“But I’m positive they should be here and aren’t.”

Xu Zhiquan took a drag, his face darkening.

Gu Xuewei thought for a moment and said:

“That’s not possible…”

“I mean, not that you’re wrong, Fang.”

“I’m saying the ledgers couldn’t just vanish. They were handed over yesterday after the review.”

Xu Zhiquan exhaled smoke and asked:

“Who received them originally?”

Gu Xuewei: “They were transferred directly to the Security Department, then escorted to finance.”

Xu Zhiquan: “Who from Security handled the escort?”

Gu Xuewei glanced at a colleague behind him.

A finance staffer spoke up:

“Yesterday, Security Captain Chen Xiong led a team to deliver them.”

Qu Fei frowned, sensing trouble, and said coldly:

“If someone tampered with the ledgers, that’s more than just a slip-up!”

Jin Guiyuan chuckled:

“That can’t be… The security team wouldn’t dare!”

Suddenly, a voice from the door said:

“It could happen.”

Everyone turned to see the burly Zhao Feng walking in with a grin.

Zhao Feng stepped inside, smiling broadly.

He paused, then added:

“Yesterday, Captain Chen Xiong assigned the pickup, but it was a few old guards at first.”

“The stuff was too heavy, so they called in a couple of my guys to help.”

“Just now, one of my brothers told me that a security guy under Chen Xiong named Liu Gang grabbed a few books when no one was looking.”

“My brother figured it wasn’t important and didn’t say anything at the time.”

As the words sank in, Jin Guiyuan’s face subtly changed.