Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Number One Poacher
Zane Lynch was taken aback by her words. Most of the desks, chairs, and decorations in the company were mass-purchased from a list compiled by the procurement department.
He had little interest in such things, so he naturally had no idea that this one item violated such a major taboo.
The receptionist at the finance department was a young woman in her early twenties. Feeling the pressure from her boss’s stare, she quickly explained, "Deputy Shaw brought that hourglass over two months ago. It’s been sitting there ever since, and no one has touched it."
"Deputy Shaw? There’s a Deputy Head Shaw in the finance department? What’s his full name?"
The receptionist was momentarily stumped by the question. After a long pause, she said awkwardly, "It’s Deputy Head Cedric Shaw."
"Pfft..." Arabella Donovan couldn’t help but snort at the name.
’Cedric Shaw? Sounds like "Sick and Shameless." How could anyone have a name like that? Wait, he’s the deputy head of the finance department? Oh, right. Their finance director was hospitalized after getting furious over his son’s math scores, so the department is now under the deputy head’s control. No wonder there’s an hourglass at the entrance. All the wealth leaking out has been flowing right into his pockets.’
When it came to undermining Zane Lynch, this deputy head was second to none.
With the finance director unexpectedly hospitalized, this deputy head had coasted to victory.
He seized the opportunity while his direct superior was away, usurping his position and gathering the staff under him to become the new man in charge.
Immediately after, he eagerly employed his own version of the Five Ghost Transport Technique, beginning his rat-like behavior of tax evasion and lining his own pockets.
Most companies had cases of people taking kickbacks, but the previous finance director hadn’t been overly greedy, and his actions had always stayed within acceptable limits.
It was all just bits and pieces of small money, which was simple to balance out. The books were kept clean, so it naturally wasn’t easy to discover.
This deputy head, however, was different. He’d take a huge cut of the big money, but he wouldn’t let the small change go either. If a dog so much as walked past his department, he’d probably try to pluck a few hairs off it.
Because of him, when the Lynch family was later on the verge of collapse and everyone was kicking them while they were down, every investigation into him was a direct hit. The amounts involved were never less than nine figures!
’Now I remember. The reason he dared to embezzle company funds so brazenly was because he wasn’t just the deputy head of the finance department. He was also the husband of one of Zane Lynch’s distant paternal aunts. It’s his own relative’s money, so stealing it... ahem, *taking* it, feels all the more natural, doesn’t it?’
Hearing this, Caspian Rhodes’s expression darkened another shade. The biggest taboo in running a company was this kind of nepotism and collusion. The slightest misstep could turn the entire company into a family workshop where every move was obstructed. Not only would there be no future for development, but they would also actively drag you down.
This Deputy Shaw was a prime example.
And so, Zane Lynch, who still hadn’t remembered who this so-called Deputy Shaw was, once again received a death glare from his dear cousin.
"..."
Silently fuming, Zane Lynch pressed his lips together, deciding to vent his frustration on the true culprit.
"Where is he? Get him over here now!"
At that moment, Cedric Shaw was on the phone, sweet-talking his mistress. When he was suddenly informed that the Chairman was waiting for him right outside the department entrance, his face changed. He no longer had time for the pouting lover on the other end of the line asking for gifts and scrambled to run out.
Two or three minutes later, Arabella and the others saw a middle-aged man in a sharp black suit rushing out from inside. He had on so much hair wax that an ant would slip right off. As he got closer, they could smell a waft of gaudy cologne.
The scent made Zane Lynch stumble back a step, his expression growing even darker. "You’re Cedric Shaw?"
Unsure of Zane Lynch’s intentions, Cedric Shaw answered nervously, "Yes, yes, that’s me. Is there something you need, Chairman, for you to come to the finance department so suddenly?"
"Did you bring this hourglass to the company?"
Cedric Shaw paused, only then noticing the large hourglass on the reception desk. He instantly relaxed.
"Yes, yes. That was a prize from a game we played at a company dinner a while back. They said it represents time, with the meaning that time flies like an arrow and is precious. I thought it was a great sentiment and something young people like, so I had it placed at the entrance for them to see when they come and go."
After speaking, he stole a glance at Zane Lynch and asked tentatively, "Is there a problem with this decoration?"
In just a few words, he had shifted all the blame to the procurement department, which was responsible for arranging the game prizes, completely absolving himself.
Zane Lynch, unaware of the inside story, found it hard to be too harsh after hearing his explanation. He had no choice but to turn to Arabella Donovan for help.
"Master Donovan, in your opinion, how should we resolve this?"
Only then did Cedric Shaw notice the young-looking girl standing beside Zane Lynch, his expression turning peculiar.
’The Chairman is calling her "Master"? So what if this master is a woman, she’s so young. Can she be reliable?’
Although Caspian Rhodes couldn’t hear Cedric Shaw’s thoughts, one look at his face was enough to know what he was thinking. He sneered inwardly.
’Unreliable? Didn’t she catch a greedy rat like you—who does no work and just digs holes in your own field—the moment she met you?’
Arabella Donovan glanced at Cedric Shaw. "Just have someone move it away."
"Just move it away?"
"If you’re really worried, you can have someone buy a Pixiu statue to replace it. A Pixiu guards the house and wards off evil. It has a mouth but no anus, symbolizing that wealth only comes in and never goes out, accumulating and protecting fortune. With it here, you can at least plug the wealth that’s about to flow out. If you can’t accumulate wealth, at least you can protect what you have."
Her words held a rather thought-provoking undertone. Cedric Shaw’s heart pounded in his chest, and Zane Lynch also looked pensive. However, he hadn’t yet connected it to the man standing beside him, so he didn’t act on it immediately.
After a quick walkthrough of the finance department to confirm there were no other improper decorations besides the hourglass, Zane Lynch immediately led Arabella Donovan and the others to the public relations department.
As everyone knows, every company has a group chat that excludes the boss and managers, simply known as the "Employee Chat Group."
By the time Zane Lynch had finished his tour of the finance department with Arabella, word had already spread throughout the company before they even left.
Now, seeing them heading toward the public relations department, all the employees there sat bolt upright, terrified that the boss on his surprise visit would catch them making a mistake.
As the head of the PR department, Seth Holt felt particularly antsy, his guilty conscience gnawing at him.
After checking his office inside and out to make sure nothing incriminating was left behind, he finally stood up and walked out.
And so, a few minutes later, the group met the patiently waiting Minister Holt in front of the public relations department.
Compared to the high-profile and flamboyant Cedric Shaw, this Minister Holt was clearly much more low-key and reserved.
He wore a simple gray Zhongshan suit and had a neat crew cut. Paired with the proper and humble smile on his face, he perfectly fit the public’s stereotype of an honest man.
Unfortunately, up against Arabella Donovan, a walking cheat code who already knew the script, even the best disguise was useless.
Sure enough, the next second, the two men heard Arabella’s inner voice clicking her tongue in cynical admiration.
