Double evil in the business district

Accountant Chen's sudden appearance made Xiao Yue's heart tighten. She instinctively wanted to close her computer, but it was too late. The tampered contract was displayed on the screen, and the unreasonable changes in the terms stung her eyes.

Accountant Chen approached step by step, the cold smile on his face becoming even more intense. "I warned you a long time ago, don't meddle in other people's business!"

Xiao Yue forced himself to remain calm and quickly unplugged the hard drive. "I'm just checking company documents, Accountant Chen, why are you so nervous?"

"Checking documents? Ha," Accountant Chen sneered, "Do you think I don't know what you're looking for? Don't waste your energy. You won't find anything!"

Xiao Yue clenched the hard drive tightly, her knuckles turning white. She knew Accountant Chen was involved, but his blatant attempt to stop her only made her more certain that there was a bigger secret hidden behind this.

"Accountant Chen, what exactly are you hiding?" Xiao Yue looked him straight in the eye, her tone firm. "This contract has clearly been tampered with. You couldn't possibly not know that!"

Accountant Chen's face changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "I don't know what you're talking about. This contract has always been like this. If you're okay, get back to work and don't waste your time here!"

Xiao Yue ignored his warning. She knew she couldn't get anything out of Accountant Chen. She had to find evidence to prove the contract had been tampered with in order to expose the true identity of the mastermind behind the incident.

Xiao Yue decided to start with the tampered files and try to find a way to restore their original contents. She thought of data recovery software, backup files, and any other places where traces might have been left.

She searched almost every computer in the company, checked every server, and even checked the old abandoned computers. Time passed by minute by minute, and the office lights reflected her exhausted figure, but she still found nothing.

A feeling of despair gradually spread. Is there really no way out?

Xiao Yue was unwilling to give up, so she found Accountant Chen again.

"Accountant Chen, I'm going to ask you one last time," Xiao Yue's voice trembled, "Do you really know nothing?"

Accountant Chen waved his hand impatiently, "I already said I don't know! Are you annoying me? Stop pestering me!"

"If I find evidence that proves you were involved in this," Xiao Yue gritted her teeth and said word by word, "you will definitely regret it!"

Accountant Chen smiled disdainfully. "Whatever you want. I'll wait."

Xiao Yue turned and left, feeling powerless. She knew Accountant Chen wouldn't admit it easily, but she had to continue investigating, for the company and for herself.

She remembered that the company's archives still contained some records of past projects, and perhaps there were some clues there. Thinking of this, Xiao Yue immediately stood up and walked towards the archives...

The door of the archive room was closed. Xiao Yue knocked on the door, and a deep voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Wu Baoan, it's me, Xiao Yue."

The door creaked open, and Wu Baoan's stern face appeared behind the door. "Miss Xiao, what's going on?"

"I want to check the previous project records." Xiao Yue tried his best to sound calm.

Wu Baoan frowned. "It's time to get off work now. The archives room is not open to the public."

"I know, but this matter is urgent. I must find some information as soon as possible." Xiao Yue said anxiously, trying to persuade him.

Wu Baoan remained unmoved. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and repeated rigidly, "I'm sorry, Miss Xiao, this is the rule. I can't do anything about it."

"Wu Baoan, you know what I'm investigating. This concerns the interests of the company and may even involve some illegal activities..." Xiao Yue paused and lowered her voice.

Wu Baoan's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure. "Ms. Xiao, no one can enter the archives room without the approval of the board of directors. This is an iron rule."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She knew Wu Baoan was a tough nut to crack. His rigidity and loyalty left her with no solution. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

"Okay, I understand." She turned and left, a hint of helplessness in her back.

But she didn't give up. Since the archives weren't an option, she had to find another way. Xiao Yue thought of some records from previous project construction, perhaps there were some clues there.

The construction site, located on the outskirts of the city, was nearing completion. By the time Xiao Yue arrived, it was already dark. On the empty site, only a few workers were packing up their tools. Xiao Yue approached the site manager and explained his purpose.

The person in charge was a burly middle-aged man. He scratched his head and said, "The construction records are all in the office, but some of them may not be clear. It's been so long that some of the handwriting is blurred."

Xiao Yue followed the supervisor to the shabby office and flipped through the thick construction records. As the supervisor had said, many of the records had become blurred due to improper storage, with the handwriting stained and difficult to read. Xiao Yue patiently flipped through each page, hoping to find some useful information.

As time ticked by, beads of sweat formed on Xiao Yue's forehead. She had found some new construction records that differed from the contract and seemed to suggest that some materials had been replaced, but they were too vague to serve as valid evidence.

As night fell, Xiao Yue was left alone on the construction site. She rubbed her sore eyes, feeling frustrated. The clues had stopped here, and she felt like she was trapped in a maze, unable to find the exit.

Just then, a black car slowly drove into the construction site. Its headlights illuminated Xiao Yue's figure, as well as the blurry construction records in her hands. The car window slowly lowered, revealing a familiar face—Shen Ting.

How could he be here? Xiao Yue was startled and subconsciously hid the records in his hand behind his back.

Shen Ting's gaze fell on Xiao Yue with a hint of inquiry.

He didn't get out of the car, but asked calmly: "It's so late, what is Miss Xiao doing here?"

Xiao Yue tried to remain calm, "I...I'll check some project information."

Shen Ting didn't say anything, just looked at her quietly, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Xiao Yue felt his gaze and became more alert. She knew that Shen Ting was not a simple person, and his appearance here must not be accidental.

"The construction site is very dangerous. Miss Xiao, you should go back early." After Shen Ting finished speaking, he raised the car window, and the black car slowly drove away and disappeared into the night.

Xiao Yue stood there, watching the taillights of the departing car, a strange feeling of unease welling up in her heart. She looked down at the blurry construction records in her hand again and suddenly noticed something printed on the back of one of the pages...

She carefully turned the paper over, and in the dim light, she saw a blurry seal with the words "Ma" faintly visible on it...

"Ma..." Xiao Yue repeated in a low voice, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp.

Shen Ting's car disappeared into the night, but Xiao Yue couldn't calm down for a long time. Ma's? The appearance of this seal further complicated her already confusing investigation.

The Ma Group was Shen's competitor. Could they be involved? This thought gave her a chill. She carefully put the record paper away and decided to investigate the Ma Group early tomorrow morning.

Shen Ting's car did not drive far. He stopped in a secluded corner and silently watched Xiao Yue's every move.

He saw Xiao Yue discover the piece of paper with the word "Ma" printed on it, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Ma... It seems that things are more complicated than he imagined. He was originally just curious about Xiao Yue's persistence, but now he has a vague feeling that there may be a bigger conspiracy behind it.

He lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. In the smoke, his eyes became deep and dark.

The next morning, Xiao Yue came to the Ma Group. In the name of Xiao Enterprise, she wanted to learn some information about the previous cooperation project.

However, the Ma Group's receptionist repeatedly evaded her, ultimately only providing her with some irrelevant public information. Undeterred, Xiao Yue believed that as long as she persevered, she would find a breakthrough.

After leaving the Ma Group, Xiao Yue thought of a man named Lao Li. He was a construction worker who had previously worked on the Shen project. He was honest and hardworking, and he might be able to get some useful information from him. After much inquiry, Xiao Yue finally found Lao Li's residence, a simple hut on the outskirts of the city.

Old Li was a little surprised to see Xiao Yue. After Xiao Yue explained her purpose, Old Li hesitated for a moment, sighed, and said, "Miss Xiao, there are some things I don't know whether I should tell you..."

"Master Li, I know this may be difficult for you, but this matter is really important. It concerns..." Before Xiao Yue finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared at the door and interrupted their conversation.

"Old Li, come out for a moment, someone is looking for you." A young man standing at the door urged impatiently.

Old Li glanced at Xiao Yue, then at the man at the door, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes.

"Miss Xiao, I... I have something to do, so I'll be out for a while." After saying that, he hurriedly left the room, leaving Xiao Yue sitting there alone, her heart full of doubts.

Xiao Yue waited for a long time at Old Li's house, but he never came back. She realized that Old Li might have been called away, and it was very likely related to the matter she wanted to ask. She got up and walked to the door, only to see Old Li and the young man standing not far away, whispering something.

Xiao Yue wanted to go over and listen to what was going on, but Lao Li seemed to be aware of her presence. He turned back suddenly, his eyes full of warning. Xiao Yue stopped, feeling a sense of powerlessness in her heart.

A few days later, Xiao Yue tried to contact Lao Li again, but found that he had disappeared from the face of the earth. She could not get through on the phone and could not find him. Xiao Yue realized that there was a powerful force behind the scenes that was preventing her from getting any useful clues. She felt extremely frustrated.

But she knew she couldn't give up. She began to rethink the direction of her investigation, combing through the existing clues, hoping to find a new breakthrough...

"Looks like we need to try a different approach..." Xiao Yue muttered to herself, a look of determination flashing in her eyes. She picked up the phone and dialed a number, "Hello, help me check..."

Xiao Yue returned to her apartment and collapsed exhausted on the sofa. Old Li's disappearance had further strained her already frayed nerves. The room was utterly silent, with only the ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock rattling her nerves. If she couldn't find a breakthrough, Xiao's company would face a huge compensation, and she would also lose her father's trust.

She stood up and walked to the window. Night enveloped the city, the flashing neon lights like a hazy dream. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. There was no point in running away. She had to find a new direction.

She recalled that during her previous investigation of the Shen Group, Shen Ting had mentioned some anomalies in the project's financial data. At the time, she had focused on project execution and ignored the financial aspects. Perhaps this was the breakthrough.

The next morning, Xiao Yue headed straight to Xiao's finance department. She needed to retrieve all the financial statements and original documents related to the Shen project. Accountant Chen, a middle-aged man with thick glasses and a somewhat dull appearance, was in charge of the project's accounts.

"Accountant Chen, I need to retrieve all the financial information of the Shen cooperation project." Xiao Yue said straight to the point.

Accountant Chen pushed his glasses up, a subtle glint flashing across them. "Ms. Xiao, these documents require approval from the board of directors before they can be retrieved. The process is quite complicated."

Xiao Yue had expected him to say that. She took out the authorization letter signed by her father and said, "I have obtained the authorization and can retrieve it directly."

Accountant Chen took the authorization letter, examined it carefully, and a look of embarrassment crossed his face. "Ms. Xiao, although you have authorization, these documents have been stored for a long time and will take some time to sort through."

"How long?" Xiao Yue stared at him, his tone unquestionable.

"At least three days." Accountant Chen replied.

Three days? Xiao Yue sneered inwardly. This was clearly a deliberate delay. By the time the information was sorted out in three days, the opportunity would be gone.

"Accountant Chen, I hope you understand the seriousness of the matter. This concerns the survival of the company. I hope you can sort it out as soon as possible. I want to see all the information before tomorrow morning." Xiao Yue's tone was firm and did not allow for refusal.

Accountant Chen's face flashed with panic, but he quickly concealed it and nodded in agreement: "Okay, Miss Xiao, I will do my best."

Xiao Yue wasn't completely reassured after leaving the Finance Department. Accountant Chen's reaction made her uneasy, and she felt like things weren't that simple. To be on the safe side, she decided to verify the authenticity of the financial data from other sources.

She contacted several material suppliers she had previously worked with and inquired about the prices and quantities they had supplied. The suppliers' responses largely matched the financial data, which further confused Xiao Yue. If the financial data was correct, then what was the problem?

In the evening, Xiao Yue came to Shen's Group again. She wanted to talk to Shen Ting, perhaps he could provide some clues. However, the front desk told her that Shen Ting was not in the company.

Disappointed, Xiao Yue turned to leave when she saw a familiar figure in the hall—Director Ma. He was talking quietly and seriously to a man in a suit. Xiao Yue's heart moved, and she quietly approached, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"...Remember, you must handle it cleanly and not leave any traces..." Director Ma's voice was low and cold.

Xiao Yue's heart trembled, and an ominous premonition came over her. She hid behind a pillar, holding her breath, and continued to listen to their conversation.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ma, everything has been arranged..."

"That's good..." Director Ma said, patted the man on the shoulder, turned and left the hall.

Xiao Yue watched Director Ma leave, her heart filled with confusion. What did he mean by "clean it up"? Could it be related to Old Li's disappearance?

She decided to follow Director Ma to see where he was going, perhaps to find some clues. She quietly followed Director Ma out of the Shen Building...

Suddenly, a voice sounded behind her: “Miss Xiao, it’s so late, what are you doing here?”