Chapter 218: Project (Part 4)

Chapter 218 Project (4)

The Yang Tuguan Company and the Yiyang Copper Rod and Mushroom Canned Food Factory were essentially one family. However, while people inside Yiyang referred to Yi Zhongling as Factory Director Yi, those outside the county followed convention and addressed him as General Manager Yi.

In his office, Yi Zhongling had his legs propped up on the desk. Standing beside him were two vice factory directors, one stout and one thin. The thin director, Yang Weige, had always served as Yi Zhongling’s chief strategist. He looked anxious now.

"Boss, the auditors from the Audit Bureau are almost here. You need to say something," Yang Weige urged.

Yi Zhongling rolled his eyes, dismissing the concern. "You’ve seen the world, yet you’re still so nervous. The Audit Bureau comes around a few times every year. It’s just a routine inspection."

Yang Weige’s pockmarked face trembled with worry. "Previous inspections were always routine audits in mid-year or at year-end. We’ve never had an audit in August. There are rumors from the county that they want to turn our enterprise into a Sino-Japanese joint venture. I suspect this audit has ulterior motives. We need to be careful."

The stout director, formerly the head of the factory’s security department, was fat but had a quick temper. "Sino-Japanese joint venture? They’re trying to take away our livelihoods. About a quarter of the old workers in the factory are from the north. They fled here during the Japanese invasion. If we stir them up just a little, those old men from the north will jump up and protest. Let them try to make a joint venture out of this."

Yi Zhongling flicked the ash from his cigarette. "Let’s not worry about the joint venture issue for now. First, we need to get the audit team out of here." He raised his cigarette and pointed at Yang Weige. "I’m leaving this entirely in your hands. Use the old methods: food, drink, entertainment, and red envelopes. Make sure you entertain them well every day."

The audit team consisted of four members, led by Zhang Haotian, the Deputy Director of the Audit Bureau. Despite his grand name, he looked quite ordinary. He was just over one meter fifty-eight tall and very thin. From the back, he looked like a middle school student.

The other three members were Li Feng, a thirty-something backbone staff member of the Audit Bureau; Zhao Beifang, a cadre from the Finance Bureau; and Kong Zhengyou, a cadre from the Supervision Bureau.

On August 27, the four auditors arrived at the Yiyang Tuguan Company in a minivan. Yang Weige, having received the written notice from the Audit Bureau, was already waiting outside.

"Director Zhang, you’ve become quite distant. It’s been at least three months since you last visited us." Yang Weige enthusiastically opened the door of the Changan van and stood by the entrance. He clasped his hands in a traditional greeting, speaking with a worldly, brotherly tone. "Leaders, please step out."

Zhao Beifang and Li Feng knew Yang Weige, but Kong Zhengyou, a cadre from the Discipline Inspection Commission who had returned from the military only two years prior, had never met him.

Yang Weige looked at Kong Zhengyou’s short hair and joked, "I haven’t seen this leader before. You must have just returned from the military to civilian life. You have a killer’s aura."

Kong Zhengyou spoke little. He nodded and said, "Factory Director Yang, hello. My name is Sun Zhengyou. I am a member of the audit team."

The group entered the factory office conference room. Several fruit platters were arranged on the table, containing sliced watermelon and cut honeydew melon. A tall, young woman in a work uniform carried a thermos flask. Seeing the audit team enter, she began pouring hot water into the teacups one by one.

At the same time the audit team settled into the Yiyang Tuguan Company, Li Jing was in Ji Haiyang’s office.

"Standing Committee Member Ji, the development of Jinggong Group cannot do without the government’s support. The government helps the enterprise, and it is only right for the enterprise to contribute to the government." To meet Ji Haiyang, Li Jing had specially worn a tight-fitting qipao. She had bought it at the oldest silk factory in Suzhou during a trip there. The fabric was excellent, and the cut was tasteful, accentuating her already shapely figure and making it appear even more three-dimensional.

Even though Hou Weidong was familiar with Li Jing, he couldn’t help but glance several times at the slit in her skirt. He thought to himself, The Peerless Twin Beauties had one of the Ten Great Villains, Xiao Mimi, who could charm people to death. Jinggong Group has Li Jing, who can also charm people to death.

Ji Haiyang had seen Li Jing before when she was part of the entrepreneur delegation from Lingxi and Shazhou. On that occasion, she had dressed conservatively, her personality hidden beneath a sea of suits. Today, her attire was also formal, but it was a formal style that was extremely alluring.

Ji Haiyang was in his thirties. He had attended university in Chengdu, and his ex-wife was a typical girl from the mountain city of Chongqing, with a fiery and affectionate personality. They had fallen in love in college and, despite being hundreds of miles apart after graduation, had overcome obstacles to marry. However, ten years later, they had parted ways in silence. This remained a permanent pain in Ji Haiyang’s heart.

After becoming a member of the Yiyang County Standing Committee, matchmakers had come one after another. Yet, he held a sense of awe toward beautiful women and dared not engage with them deeply. Now, facing Li Jing, who was sexy, charming, and radiating mature allure, the most hidden nerve in his heart was involuntarily stirred. However, as someone experienced in officialdom, he hid his emotions well and smiled. "The Yiyang County Party Committee and Government welcome entrepreneurs like General Manager Li who have a sense of responsibility. As the government, we will spare no effort to create a relaxed environment for enterprise development. When enterprises make money, the government gets tax revenue, and the people get jobs. This is a win-win-win situation, a very good thing."

Seeing Ji Haiyang speak so seriously, Li Jing laughed. "Standing Committee Member Ji, I am a businessman. These ten computers are not given for free." She was naturally sociable and spoke with Ji Haiyang as comfortably as if they had been friends for years.

Ji Haiyang’s smile faded slightly. "What requests does General Manager Li have?"

Li Jing said playfully, "At least Standing Committee Member Ji should treat me to a meal. We could go to the Yiyang Hotel, or if we want to eat, we should try rural flavors. How about Zhangjia Reservoir? That’s a good suggestion."

Ji Haiyang had no reason to refuse such a request from a beautiful woman. He ordered, "Hou Weidong, tell Liu Tao to arrange a car. We’re going to Zhangjia Reservoir." He added, "You cannot go. In the afternoon, you need to receive Mayor Liu Chuanda from Shazhou City and prepare accurate materials on agricultural and sideline products for Secretary Zhu."

"General Manager Li, I must take my leave first." Hou Weidong politely greeted Li Jing and turned to leave Ji Haiyang’s office.

Back in his office, Hou Weidong stood by the window, seemingly casually watching the courtyard. Seeing Li Jing and Ji Haiyang get into the car together, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He quickly realized his mistake. Hey, what kind of jealousy is this? There are many successful people close to Li Jing. If I were really jealous, I’d be drowned in Shanxi aged vinegar.

Having figured this out, Hou Weidong’s anger subsided, and his mood calmed. He called Xiaojia, then took out a stack of speech drafts written by Zhu Yan over the past two years and began to study them carefully. Being a good secretary was not easy. Besides basic knowledge, one had to thoroughly understand the leader’s habits and thoughts. If one failed to do this, their efforts would yield half the results.

Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Yiyang Tuguan Company, the factory’s financial staff sat to the side, ready to answer the audit team’s questions. The auditors were all looking down at the account books.

Yang Weige thought to himself, This Zhang Haotian usually eats and uses my resources, but now he’s pretending to be righteous. He’s too ungrateful. However, he wasn’t anxious. The factory had experts in bookkeeping. Even if the Audit Bureau conducted a serious review, it would be difficult to find problems. Moreover, Zhang Haotian was an acquaintance who had grown accustomed to their hospitality, so Yang Weige was not worried.

Kong Zhengyou was the most masculine member of the audit team. Before coming, the leaders of the Supervision Bureau had specifically instructed him to watch for signs of embezzlement of public funds. Looking at the neatly organized account books, he thought, These books are too clean, without a single flaw. There’s no need to say that these accounts have been tampered with.

With no concrete evidence, he had no way to proceed.

At noon, they ate at the factory cafeteria. The table featured wild fish from the Yangtze River, cured mountain chickens from Qinglin Mountain, and wild boar meat. It was a highly distinctive meal, yet not excessive. Yi Zhongling personally accompanied them for the meal. As a People’s Congress representative of Shazhou City and a well-known entrepreneur in the county, he held considerable status. His presence signaled a gesture of respect, showing that they took the Audit Bureau seriously.

In the afternoon, the account checking proceeded normally.

The tall young woman in the work uniform had changed into a long dress and continued to serve them.

For dinner, they changed venues to the Yiyang Hotel. Yang Weige accompanied them again, along with three staff members from the factory office, two of whom were pretty women. Since the accounts were clear, the audit team members felt relaxed and enjoyed the delicious food without psychological burden. Only Kong Zhengyou, with his military background, continued to ponder the matter in secret.

"The accounts of the Yiyang Tuguan Company are absolutely clear. We welcome the comrades from the Audit Bureau to check the books. With your inspection, it will be easier for us to explain things to the workers."

Yang Weige looked aggrieved and added, "Market competition has been too fierce in recent years, and export business is difficult. The factory’s efficiency has declined year by year, and the workers are very resentful. But can we blame ourselves? Six old state-owned factories in Shazhou went bankrupt today. Our Tuguan Company has held on independently for so long. The hardships involved are unknown to outsiders."

As he spoke, the pockmarks on his face seemed to tremble, as if each one was expressing grievance, making the scene vividly moving.

Kong Zhengyou slowly chewed a large shrimp, thinking, The nursery rhymes about the Tuguan Company have spread throughout Yiyang City. I don’t believe you factory leaders are truly innocent. The county must have its reasons for forming this audit team.

After dinner, the Tuguan Company rented a small private room at the Yiyang Hotel. Several female colleagues from the factory office enthusiastically accompanied the audit team to sing and dance. The tall young woman who had been serving the audit team was also among them.

Kong Zhengyou did not dance, but he sang well, especially military songs, which he sang with great flavor. The tall girl was a head taller than Zhang Haotian, yet Zhang Haotian bravely danced several songs with her.

"My name is Li Qi. I graduated from the Finance and Trade Secondary Vocational School and was assigned to the factory the year before last." Li Qi looked down at Zhang Haotian. Although she felt a bit awkward, she tried her best to smile happily.

"There are several graduates from finance and trade schools in the Audit Bureau. Don’t underestimate secondary vocational schools; their graduates have a solid foundation. They are more adaptable to the work than graduates from finance colleges. You should have been assigned to the Audit Bureau back then. If there’s an opportunity in the future, transfer to the bureau. I still have some say in the bureau."

Although the combination of one tall and one short person was strange, they danced harmoniously. Zhang Haotian’s left hand rested on Li Qi’s waist, and he inadvertently applied more pressure. Her full chest almost touched his face.

Li Qi was very annoyed by Zhang Haotian’s small moves. Her gaze passed over Zhang Haotian’s head, and she intentionally or unintentionally observed him. He was a strange man; he only sang and did not dance.