Chapter 17 — A Day as a Janitor

He bore a striking resemblance to Shen Zhao An, yet whenever he spoke, his words were invariably laced with lingering bitterness. Finally, Shen Zhao Yuan broke the heavy silence.

The second uncle is in a far more delicate state of health; he lacks the physical capacity to touch the authorized equipment.

I countered, However, someone else could easily utilize his room as a clandestine relay station. Liang Zheng Yi immediately instructed the auditor to contact the convalescent center. Once the connection was established, the voice on the other end sounded visibly panicked.

Someone did indeed enter Master Shen room late last night.

Gu Nan pressed further, Who was it?

The registry lists them as maintenance personnel from the Board of Directors Office.

The team leader was recorded as Xu Chuan Li.

Instantly, every single pair of eyes in the room converged upon the deputy secretary-general. The color drained entirely from Xu Chuan Li face.

I was merely following orders to retrieve the equipment for routine inspection.

Shen Zhao Yuan lowered his voice, commanding, Chuan Li, state the facts clearly. Xu Chuan Li cast a sidelong glance at him, his eyes flickering with a desperate plea for guidance. I seized upon that fleeting moment without hesitation.

Executive Director Shen, it would appear he is waiting for you to instruct him on what to say.

Shen Zhao Yuan cast a frigid glare in my direction.

Department Head Tan, do not indiscriminately cast your accusations about.

I replied, My aim is not indiscriminate.

I am merely asking a single question.

The authorized equipment was removed from Chairman Shen residence, transferred to the convalescent center, and subsequently weaponized to alter announcements, direct the audit, and issue board notifications.

Can an entire chain of deliberate actions such as this be orchestrated single-handedly by an administrative deputy general manager like Zheng Huai Ren?

Silence hung heavy in the room, with no one daring to offer a reply. Shen Zhao An slowly lowered himself into a seat. His voice was deeply resonant.

Zhao Yuan, answer her.

For the very first time, the expression on Shen Zhao Yuan face turned profoundly grim.

Uncle, would you rather place your trust in a retiring administrative department head than in your own flesh and blood?

I met his gaze directly.

That phrasing sounds remarkably familiar.

Troublemakers have always possessed an affinity for using familial bonds to crush hard evidence.

Outside, the frantic sound of hurried footsteps suddenly shattered the quiet. A staff member from the Board of Directors Office burst into the room, beads of sweat covering his forehead.

Chairman Shen, Kangning Convalescent Center just called.

The night nurse assigned to Shen Zhao Ping has lost all contact.

The safe inside the room has been forced open.

The chairman private backup seal stored within it has vanished.

The atmosphere within the conference room seemed to snap cleanly in two, as if sliced by a razor-sharp blade. Finally, Shen Zhao Yuan fingers began to tremble imperceptibly against the edge of the table.

16

The moment the four words backup seal were uttered, not a single person remaining in the conference room dared to feign ignorance any longer. The legal counsel standing behind Shen Zhao Yuan closed his document folder, his movements uncharacteristically gentle and subdued. Shen Zhao An stared fixedly at Shen Zhao Yuan.

Who gave you the authority to tamper with my second uncle safe?

Shen Zhao Yuan exhaled a slow, measured breath.

Uncle, you cannot simply pin malicious accusations on me based on a single phone call reporting a missing seal.

I looked at him.

There is no need to cast dirt.

It has a way of crawling up from the soles of your shoes all by itself.

Shen Zhao Yuan gaze shifted to rest upon me, the temperature in his eyes gradually plunging into frost.

Department Head Tan, you have already thrown Yuan Tai into quite enough chaos for one day.

I retorted, I am not the one creating chaos.

The fault lies with the hands you people have chosen to conceal inside the cupboards.

Liang Zheng Yi picked up the interim resolution of the Board of Directors, flipping methodically to the final page.

Affixed to this resolution is the chairman private backup seal.

Gu Nan leaned in close instantly. Shen Zhao An caught sight of it as well. The vibrant red seal stamped beside the signature still bore a remarkably fresh ink hue. Had they not just received that urgent phone call from the convalescent center, this single impression would have been more than sufficient to silence everyone in the room. Shen Zhao Yuan maintained his composure as he spoke.

The seal is present upon the document, which proves that the authorization procedures are entirely valid.

I questioned him, At what hour was the seal applied?

The lawyer stepped forward to answer.

The document was formally drafted at five-forty this morning.

I pressed further, Where was Chairman Shen at that exact time?

Gu Nan chimed in immediately, Chairman Shen was inside the headquarters conference room of Yuan Tai, an event verified by security cameras and numerous witnesses.

The lawyer paused momentarily.

The authorization procedures could easily have been completed in advance.

I stared intently at that crimson seal.

If it was completed in advance, why is the ink from the stamp still not entirely dry?

Liang Zheng Yi promptly slid an evidence bag beneath the edge of the document to preserve it. The auditor standing nearby clicked on an ultraviolet light source, revealing a distinct, microscopic smudged streak along the outer boundary of the seal. The confident smile that had lingered on Shen Zhao Yuan face finally vanished entirely. I continued, The chairman private backup seal has been in use for many years; the lower right corner of the stamp face bears a minute, characteristic flaw.

This particular seal impression lacks that flaw.

Shen Zhao An looked directly at me.

You still remember such a detail?

I answered, Eighteen years ago, you entrusted me with taking this seal out for repairs, and I was the one who logged it.

Later on, you chose not to replace it, remarking that an old seal carried the weight of familiarity and was far easier to authenticate.

Gu Nan hurried off to retrieve the historical seal registration records. Standing quietly behind Shen Zhao Yuan, Xu Chuan Li saw his adamants apple bob repeatedly as he swallowed hard. I directed my attention toward him.

Deputy Secretary-General Xu, if you choose to speak the truth now, it may still be considered a voluntary confession.

Xu Chuan Li clenched his teeth tightly.

I have nothing to say.

I nodded in acknowledgment.

Very well, then we shall simply wait for the surveillance footage from the convalescent center.

He blurted out, The security cameras are broken. The moment the words left his lips, his entire body stiffened in instant realization of his blunder. Liang Zheng Yi raised his eyes.

I have not yet mentioned anything regarding the surveillance cameras.

The color drained from Xu Chuan Li face until he looked nearly ghostly. Shen Zhao Yuan whipped his head around to stare at him. That gaze did not resemble a superior looking down upon a subordinate; rather, it was the look of a person holding a blade who suddenly discovered that the steel of his own weapon was fracturing from within. Gu Nan returned at a brisk pace, clutching the historical sample seal records in his hands.