Chapter 296. Cold Person (1)
The president called the secretary again and ordered him,
“Bring detailed reports of promissory notes issued as well as returned promissory notes for this past year.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.”
“I will have to go up to the top floor… so it will take me a little time, president. It’s late, wouldn’t it be better to check tomorrow? I will take it to your office early tomorrow.”
“No, I need to check it now. I don’t think I can sleep if I don’t.”
Because of the president’s heavy voice, the secretary’s face darkened as he wondered if something serious had happened.
The secretary appeared with a large box after about an hour.
The president immediately pulled out the reports of the promissory notes issued and confirmed his suspicions. Here there was no record of the issuance of these promissory notes either.
Then he pulled out the returned promissory notes after they had been used, and changed his reading glasses for special ones.
With these glasses he would be able to distinguish the promissory notes of Empress Rashta. The Bear Corporation put special marks on the promissory notes that were issued to the Emperor and Empress.
Just by observing the promissory notes that came out of the Imperial Family, one could know in advance where to invest, what would prosper, what would collapse, and so on… so it was a convenient method used by the Bear Corporation in secret.
“Sigh.”
A heavy sigh came out of the president’s mouth.
As he expected, the Bear Corporation had not issued any promissory notes to the Imperial Family in the last year.
So, there were two options.
The huge donation that made people praise Empress Rashta was actually money given by the Emperor or she had used promissory notes from the former Empress.
‘In either case, it was disappointing.’
If it was the first, it was laughable that she had acted as a kind person taking advantage of the emperor, and if it was the second, it was a truly wicked act for her to use the former empress’ money.
The president, who had hoped that Rashta was truly the light of the commoners, was very disappointed.
However, his disappointment was not the real problem.
The president went down to the drawing room and took the crumpled newspaper that was in front of the fireplace. He recalled that this newspaper had been read this morning by his daughter-in-law and she had said to him,
“Father, have you read this? Journalist Joanson must have had a huge fight with Empress Rashta. He has attacked her again. Didn’t this journalist usually only write articles praising the Empress?”
At the time, he didn’t pay much attention to her because he was playing with his grandchildren.
‘Here it is.’
The president, who found the article written by Joanson, returned to his room with the newspaper in his hand and opened it under the lamplight.
After reading the article carefully with his glasses on, his concern took a clear form.
Journalist Joanson, who did not expect to write an article about nobility meetings, related that Empress Rashta only met with noblemen to hang out, and ended with this.
— Is it scary to look down from the top? Those who have climbed the ladder of status seem to have no intention of looking down.
‘He previously wrote in an article that Empress Rashta framed her maids to replace them…’
Rashta, who had become empress amidst the cheers of commoners, in less than a year as empress had already starred in all sorts of scandals.
It seems that the journalist still knows nothing about the promissory notes… What if the promissory notes used by Empress Rashta were not the Emperor’s, but really those of the former Empress? What if the former Empress asks for back the promissory notes she left behind, or if someone close to the former Empress realizes this?
Even if he kept his mouth shut, he didn’t know which way the promissory note issue would blow up.
‘It’s worrisome.’
Empress Rashta had distributed a huge donation through the Bear Corporation, and both received high praise.
Now it was beneficial to the Bear Corporation, but if Empress Rashta fell, the Bear Corporation would suffer the same fate.
‘I should take measures beforehand to disassociate us.’
The president began to think in a totally calculating manner.
***
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