Chapter 228: Corporate Intrigue Unfolds
by xennovelXu Chen hesitated for a moment and didn’t publicly ask about the email in the group chat. Instead, he sent a private message to Gu Xinxi from Renhe Pharmaceuticals’ Marketing Department.
Li Fengfeng was the typical schemer.
With schemers, it’s best to avoid direct and open conflicts.
Gu Xinxi saw Xu Chen’s message and replied:
[How about I forward the email to you, Teacher Xu Chen, for a look?]
Xu Chen thought it over, then replied:
[Maybe we should ask Li Fengfeng from Black Duke first. Perhaps he had other reasons for not sending it.
Teacher Gu, you’re with the client side, so it might be more appropriate for you to inquire…]
Though puzzled, Gu Xinxi found it odd that Li Fengfeng hadn’t copied Xu Chen on the email, so she replied openly in the group:
[@Li Fengfeng, could you also copy the detailed quote invoice to East Morning Star Advertising?]
Xu Chen stayed quiet in the group, waiting to see how Li Fengfeng would respond.
After a while, Li Fengfeng said in the group:
[The detailed quote invoice was already confirmed face-to-face with Teacher Xu Chen during filming, and everything was reviewed and signed…]
Implying that there was no need to forward the email to Xu Chen.
Xu Chen smirked inwardly.
But he didn’t rush to reply in the group, acting as if it didn’t concern him.
A little later, Zhao Nan, the director of Renhe Pharmaceuticals’ Marketing Department, replied:
[@Li Fengfeng, please copy the email to East Morning Star Advertising. @Xu Chen, help us double-check it.]
Xu Chen smiled, finally drawing out the client’s leadership.
As the brand’s director, Zhao Nan was a seasoned industry veteran, likely sensing something off.
And that was exactly what Xu Chen wanted.
He hadn’t asked Gu Xinxi to forward the email privately; instead, he pushed for a public discussion in the group to get the brand’s leaders involved.
Xu Chen waited a bit longer, but Li Fengfeng neither forwarded the email nor replied in the group.
“Teacher Xu Chen” chuckled, then messaged the group:
[@Zhao Nan, got your message!
The production-related quote invoices were reviewed face-to-face in Yangcheng; Black Duke’s quotes were detailed, and I signed off on them then.
Once @Li Fengfeng sends the email, I’ll take another look!]
On the surface, he was smoothing things over for Li Fengfeng, but really, he was nudging for the email.
Soon after, Li Fengfeng finally replied:
[Sorry, I was tied up. I’ve forwarded the email to Teacher Xu Chen!]
……
Xu Chen refreshed his email and saw that evasive message.
The body was full of fluff—mostly updates on shooting progress and future production details.
There were a few attachments: a spreadsheet version of the quote and scanned copies of the signed quotes.
Xu Chen downloaded the attachments and glanced at them, nearly laughing out loud.
There was definitely something fishy…
He quickly sent the spreadsheet and scanned files to Fang Jun.
After a short wait, Fang Jun messaged back:
[They straight-up altered the original quote file. That’s bold…]
[The discrepancies are in items 14, 32, 33, 41, and 44…]
[The changes involve over 300,000 yuan. With the total price unchanged, they’ve shifted item amounts and suppliers, all linked to ‘Li Fufen’s’ Aikela Cultural Communications…]
……
Xu Chen double-checked against the photos Fang Jun had taken earlier, and everything matched Fang Jun’s list—just as Xu Chen had expected.
Li Fengfeng’s move was straightforward: he redirected several sub-projects for materials, celebrity hosting, and post-production to his own Aikela Cultural Communications.
And in the scanned attachments of the quotes that Xu Chen had signed, those had been tampered with too…
The projects involved added up to over 300,000 yuan; after subtracting costs, Li Fengfeng probably pocketed around 200,000 yuan.
This was 2006, when many local ad agency directors earned just 20-30,000 yuan a year.
Li Fengfeng making 200,000 on one project showed he had a real knack for it.
Fang Jun added:
[What’s your plan? This could count as job misconduct…]
……
Xu Chen sighed softly.
In his past life, he never caught Li Fengfeng’s slip-ups, but right after rebirth, the guy exposed himself on the first try.
Li Fengfeng probably never imagined that this third-party supervisor, Xu Chen, had anticipated his sneaky moves from the start.
“Job misconduct” was a crime, requiring police investigation for solid proof.
What Xu Chen could do was expand the issue’s reach, leaving Li Fengfeng no way out.
At least within Renhe Pharmaceuticals and Black Duke, he’d have no chance to hide or argue. And in the ad industry, he’d be finished.
After all, who would want someone juggling funds from client projects like that?
……
Xu Chen glanced at the MSN project group list again.
From Renhe Pharmaceuticals, besides Marketing Director Zhao Nan, Vice President Lu Wenhua was in the group, though the big boss never spoke there.
So, having Lu Wenhua notice was more than enough for Renhe.
But Black Duke Marketing had no higher-ups in the group.
……
Xu Chen thought it over, then replied in the group:
[@Li Fengfeng, I’ve looked at the quote attachments and I’m a bit confused. Maybe I’m mistaken…
Though the total quote matches, some individual items differ from what I remember…]
Li Fengfeng had no idea Xu Chen had photos of the original quotes.
Xu Chen said this in the group to draw Li Fengfeng into defending himself and to alert the brand’s leaders, Lu Wenhua and Zhao Nan, to the issue.
Before long, Li Fengfeng replied in the group:
[@Xu Chen, that’s a serious accusation!
Check the attachments; the quote scans still have your signature.
Was there some issue with our hospitality in Yangcheng?
Finances are no joking matter…]
Xu Chen felt speechless; Li Fengfeng’s nerve was incredible, twisting things back at him.
Still, he kept it polite and replied in the group:
[It might just be my memory playing tricks. I’ll double-check!]
After sending the message, Xu Chen smiled smugly.
Let time tick by a little.
……
He looked up and saw Xie Bingran on the sofa, watching him.
When she caught his eye, she quickly looked away.
Xu Chen stood with a smile:
“Why are you staring like that?”
Xie Bingran: “You were busy, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Xu Chen: “What did you want to interrupt me for?”
As he spoke, he sat beside her and took the two scripts from her hands, tossing them on the table.
Xie Bingran blinked her big eyes:
“What are you up to?”
“Did you eat some fruit just now?”
“I did… you told me to.”
“No wonder your lips look so plump and inviting.”