Double evil in the business district

"Accountant Chen," Xiao Yue stopped and looked back at Accountant Chen, "I need to see those account books as soon as possible. This is related to whether the cooperation between Xiao and Shen can proceed smoothly." She deliberately emphasized the word "Shen" and observed Accountant Chen's reaction.

Accountant Chen's expression changed again. He rubbed his hands together, his tone becoming even more awkward. "Xiao Yue, I know you care about the project, but you also have to understand me. This account audit is a routine matter, and I can't break the rules."

Xiao Yue sneered inwardly. Routine? She had been at Xiao Corporation for a while, but how come she had never heard of an audit being conducted midway through a project?

"Accountant Chen, you also know the importance of this project to Xiao Corporation. If there really is any problem, we can discover it and solve it as soon as possible, right?"

Accountant Chen's eyes flickered as he avoided Xiao Yue's gaze. "Of course I know about this, but it's really not convenient right now. You should wait for further notice." He lowered his head and pretended to be busy.

Xiao Yue knew that asking further would yield no results, so she gave up for now. She walked out of Accountant Chen's office, her brow furrowed. Accountant Chen's reaction was so unusual, it made her even more convinced that there must be some secret hidden within.

She decided to change her approach and ask other colleagues about Accountant Chen's situation. She found an old employee who had a good relationship with Accountant Chen and asked him indirectly.

"Sister Wang, do you know what Accountant Chen has been busy with lately? I asked him for the account books, and he said they were auditing them. But how come I haven't heard of this project being audited before?"

Sister Wang was stunned for a moment, her eyes evasive. "Oh, well... I'm not sure. It might have been a last-minute decision." She said, and then hurried away.

Xiao Yue asked several colleagues from other departments, but the answers she received were all ambiguous and evasive. This made Xiao Yue even more suspicious that there seemed to be an invisible force behind Accountant Chen's actions.

In desperation, Xiao Yue decided to find a solution on her own. She remembered that Accountant Chen went to the company cafeteria to eat lunch every day at a fixed time. If she took advantage of this time and secretly went to his office to take a look, she might find some clues.

At noon, Xiao Yue deliberately observed Accountant Chen's movements in the cafeteria. After confirming that he had left, she immediately stood up and walked quickly to Accountant Chen's office. She gently pushed open the door and found that the office was empty.

Xiao Yue walked over to Accountant Chen's desk and began to search. She soon found the account book that Accountant Chen had hidden, but she discovered that the account book was encrypted and required a password to open.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and began to try to crack the password. She tried several common passwords, but all ended in failure. She looked at the blinking cursor on the screen, feeling powerless. Just then, a voice came from behind her... "What are you doing?"

Xiao Yue turned around abruptly, her heart pounding. Standing at the door was Wu Baoan, the archives security guard, a burly man with sharp eyes.

"I...I'm looking for Accountant Chen." Xiao Yue stuttered, trying to stay calm.

Wu Baoan looked at her suspiciously, his gaze lingering for a moment on the computer screen in front of her. "Accountant Chen has gone to the cafeteria to eat. If you have anything to say, you can wait until he comes back."

Xiao Yue knew she couldn't reveal any flaws. "Oh, is that so? Then I'll wait for him to come back." She smiled casually and left Accountant Chen's office.

Returning to her seat, Xiao Yue's heart sank for a long time. Wu Baoan's presence made her uneasy, and she realized that her every move seemed to be monitored. Who was it? Why was he trying to stop her from investigating?

In the afternoon, Xiao's company held an internal meeting to discuss the cooperation project with Shen's. Xiao Yue decided to seize this opportunity to raise his concerns.

"Everyone," Xiao Yue stood up and looked around the room. "I've recently been investigating some of the project's details and have discovered something unusual. I believe we need to conduct a more in-depth assessment of the project's risks."

As soon as she finished speaking, a burst of discussion broke out in the conference room.

Director Ma, an elderly man with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses, was the first to speak out. "Xiao Yue, what do you mean? Are you saying that there are risks in our cooperation with Shen's? What evidence do you have?"

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and said in a calm tone, "I don't have any conclusive evidence yet, but I've found some suspicious points, such as the project's accounts..."

"Suspicious points?" Director Ma interrupted her. "A tiny doubt can make you question the entire project? Do you know how important this project is to Xiao Corporation? You are destroying our cooperative relationship with Shen Corporation!"

Another department manager echoed, "Yes, Xiao Yue, you're too young and don't consider things comprehensively enough. Shen's is a giant in the industry, and it's our honor to work with them. Don't let some groundless rumors ruin the whole thing."

Faced with everyone's doubts, Xiao Yue felt isolated and helpless. She knew she had to find solid evidence to prove her judgment was correct. But she had nothing at the moment, not even the account book.

After the meeting, Xiao Yue returned to her office, her mind racing. She realized that within the Xiao family, there seemed to be a force preventing her from uncovering the truth. Who was this force? What was their purpose?

She thought of Shen Ting, that man with deep, unfathomable eyes. Did he really want to cooperate with the Xiao family? Or was he also involved in this conspiracy?

Xiao Yue decided to take the initiative and go to Shen's company in person to look for more clues.

The next morning, Xiao Yue arrived at Shen's Enterprise and headed straight for the archives. She needed to review some documents from the early stages of the project, perhaps finding some clues.

"Hello, I'd like to look up information about..."

"No one is allowed to enter without the approval of our superiors," Wu Baoan stopped her, his tone cold and firm. "No one is allowed to enter without the approval of our superiors," Wu Baoan repeated, his tone cold and firm, like a solid wall blocking Xiao Yue's way.

His burly body almost completely blocked the entrance to the archive room, and his sharp eyes examined Xiao Yue as if he wanted to see through her.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "I'm an investigator for Xiao Enterprises, looking into matters related to a project with your company. I need to review some preliminary project documents, which are crucial for its smooth progress." She tried to make her tone sound official and formal, hoping to convince Wu Baoan.

However, Wu Baoan remained unmoved. "I know who you are," he said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "but the rules are the rules. No one can enter the archives room without Mr. Shen's approval."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She knew that Wu Baoan was just an executor, and the real resistance came from behind. She had to meet Shen Ting; only he could authorize her to enter the archives.

"Then, can I see Mr. Shen?" Xiao Yue asked.

Wu Baoan sneered. "Mr. Shen is very busy, so you can't just see him whenever you want."

Xiao Yue bit her lip, took out her phone, and called Shen Ting. After a few rings, the phone was connected. Shen Ting's deep voice came from the receiver: "Who is this?"

"Mr. Shen, I'm Xiao Yue." Xiao Yue tried her best to make her voice sound calm and professional.

"Miss Xiao?" Shen Ting's voice seemed to carry a hint of surprise. "What's the matter?"

"Well, I'm investigating some preliminary project documents and need to consult some information in your company's archives, but..."

Before Xiao Yue could finish her words, Shen Ting interrupted her. "The project has already begun. What's the point of reviewing the initial documents now?" His tone was cold and impatient.

Xiao Yue's heart tightened. She sensed that Shen Ting's refusal wasn't simply a matter of procedure, but rather an attempt to prevent her investigation. "Mr. Shen, I believe these documents are crucial to the project's risk assessment. I hope you can understand."

"Ms. Xiao," Shen Ting's voice became even colder. "I believe our company's professional team has conducted a thorough risk assessment. If you have any questions about the project, you can contact my assistant directly." After that, he hung up the phone.

The busy tone echoed in Xiao Yue's ears, and her fingers gripping the phone turned pale. Shen Ting's rejection surprised her, yet it was also expected. From the beginning, she had sensed that Shen Ting's attitude was a little subtle, and now it seemed her intuition was correct.

Xiao Yue stared at the closed door to the archives, then checked Shen Ting's number on her phone, feeling helpless. She knew there was a force within Shen's company trying to stop her from investigating the truth. Was there some connection between this force and the resistance within Xiao's company?

She turned and left the Shen Building. The sunlight shone on her, but it couldn't dispel the haze in her heart. She had to find another way to find a breakthrough. As she walked to the side of the road, a black car slowly stopped in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.

"Ms. Xiao," Director Ma said with a hint of subtle pride, "What a coincidence?"

Xiao Yue looked at the fake smile on Director Ma's face, and alarm bells rang in her heart. "Director Ma, what a coincidence indeed." Xiao Yue's tone was calm, but her expression remained expressionless. "What can I do for you?"

Director Ma pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose, his tone tinged with concern. "I heard you ran into a problem in the archives? Mr. Shen is very busy, and some documents do require his approval before you can access them. Young people, don't be too impatient. Take your time." He paused, then added, "Some things, knowing too much isn't necessarily a good thing."

This seemingly well-intentioned advice sounded threatening to Xiao Yue. She understood that Director Ma was warning her not to continue the investigation.

"Thank you Director Ma for the reminder. I will pay attention to it." Xiao Yue smiled slightly, but his eyes were firm and clear, without any intention of retreating.

Director Ma looked at her deeply, as if trying to discern something from her eyes, but in the end he just smiled and said, "That's good, young man. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don't go down the wrong path."

After saying that, he rolled up the car window and the black car drove away, leaving Xiao Yue standing alone on the roadside, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

Xiao Yue feels unprecedented pressure as her investigation continues to stumble, but she knows she can't give up. Shen Ting's rejection, Wu Baoan's obstruction, and Director Ma's warnings all reinforce her belief that a huge secret lies behind this project. She must find a breakthrough and uncover the truth.

Back at Xiao Enterprise, Xiao Yue locked herself in her office, carefully sorting out the clues she had. Shen Ting's attitude was so erratic; could he be involved? The thought shocked her, yet it wasn't completely impossible. The business world was full of deception and people's hearts were unpredictable; she had to prepare for the worst.

Xiao Yue rubbed her temples, trying to remain calm. With access to the archives blocked and Shen Ting refusing to cooperate, she had to find another way. Currently, she had limited information, so she could only search for clues elsewhere.

She remembered that at the project launch meeting, Shen Ting had mentioned that Director Ma was fully responsible for the material procurement of the project.

Director Ma showed up at the entrance of Shen’s Building today and gave her “kind words of advice”. Is there any connection between the two?

A thought flashed through Xiao Yue's mind: Perhaps the breakthrough lies in the project's material procurement. She decided to start with the project's material procurement list to see if she could find any clues.

She turned on her computer, pulled up the project's materials purchase list, and carefully examined it line by line. Time ticked by, and the office was silent, filled only by the clacking of keyboards. Suddenly, Xiao Yue's gaze stopped on a line of data. Her pupils dilated slightly, and her fingers paused on the keyboard.

"This..." She whispered to herself, a hint of shock flashing in her eyes.