"This one, the insurance policy the company bought for employees," the auditor pointed at the document, frowning. "This policy is very strange. Few companies buy commercial insurance for employees, only some high-level management in very large enterprises have this benefit. But judging from the information, it seems to be a small home improvements company?"
"Mm, Jiaxin Renovations, a home improvements company with total assets of just a few million," Lin Qiang nodded and patted the auditor's shoulder. "Young man, you have a keen eye."
"Hehe, it's my job," the auditor continued asking, "This Jiaxin Renovations bought a 500,000 yuan commercial insurance policy for an employee named Wang Jiaxin. I checked, and Wang Jiaxin is actually the legal representative of this company. This matter is a bit risky, I might need to report it upwards."
"Of course, handle it officially. I'll cooperate fully," Lin Qiang smiled.
"Mm, I'll go ask the team leader's opinion first." The young man with the side part stood up and took the documents to Zeng Baichuan, who was sitting at the head of the table.
Zeng Baichuan frowned as he looked, then whispered something to Zhang Jiaming before waving his hand dismissively.
The young man sighed and returned to his seat with a troubled expression.
Seeing that the others were engrossed in their conversation and paying no attention to this side, Lin Qiang sat next to the young man and asked, "What's wrong?"
"The team leader said it's fine, submitting everything suspicious would overwhelm the branch. It's only 500,000 yuan, no need to bother with it."
"So he's telling you to turn a blind eye?"
"Mm." The young man sighed, "Sometimes, I really don't understand the meaning of our work. We clearly find risky and suspicious businesses, but still have to consult the leaders on whether to investigate or not. If it's like this, we don't need to do spot checks at all, we just need to read the leaders' faces. Whoever they want us to investigate, we investigate, even making a big deal out of a 1 cent error. Whoever they don't want us to touch, we don't make a peep, even ignoring hundreds of millions in bad debts."
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized his mistake and covered his mouth repeatedly: "Sorry... I couldn't hold it in. Please don't take it to heart."
"Come on, let's go outside for some air," Lin Qiang smiled knowingly, patted him, and nodded towards Zeng Baichuan's direction. "He won't mind anyway, right? You guys are just here to kill time this time."
"..." The young man looked at Lin Qiang suspiciously.
This inspection indeed had many interesting aspects. It was sudden, thorough, yet purposeless. Even when he occasionally discovered something, Zeng Baichuan just laughed it off. Rather than coming to inspect, it seemed more like they were here to chat and waste time.
After pondering, he said in a low voice: "You go out first, I'll follow in 5 minutes."
Lin Qiang naturally understood his meaning. How could he be seen getting friendly with Lin Qiang in front of the leaders?
"At the end of the corridor, past the iron gate there's a backyard. Let's meet there."
"OK."
Lin Qiang hadn't been outside for a long time. Now, taking a breath of the night air and gazing at the bright moon in the sky, he felt a moment of stolen leisure, and his mood lightened a bit.
"Want a smoke?" The back door opened, and the young man with the side part took out a cigarette pack, politely asking Lin Qiang.
Lin Qiang never carried cigarettes, but if he met a colleague he could chat with, he didn't mind sharing one. This was also part of the workplace "smoking" etiquette.
Lin Qiang accepted the cigarette, and the young man offered his lighter to help light it.
He noticed that this person smoked premium Yellow Crane Tower cigarettes, priced around 35 yuan a pack. Usually, heavy smokers who smoke frequently would choose a brand that's both smooth and affordable. There's no need to smoke such an expensive brand.
"In your line of work, you must smoke a lot, right?" Lin Qiang asked probingly.
"Hehe, it's embarrassing, but when the data makes my head spin, I need a smoke," the young man took a deep drag of his cigarette and sighed helplessly. "After a few years of this job, I now smoke over a pack a day."
Lin Qiang started calculating in his mind. An ordinary auditor in the audit department wouldn't earn more than 10,000 yuan a month. A pack of Yellow Crane Tower every day would cost about 1,000 yuan a month. Someone with this income shouldn't be so extravagant.
Most likely, he's someone who doesn't worry about money.
"Oh, by the way, I don't know how to address you yet."
"My mistake, I forgot to introduce myself — Audit Department, Audit Team Three, Zhong Sheng," the young man extended his right hand with a smile. "Sorry about these past few days. It's all arranged by the leaders, we can only follow orders."
"No worries," Lin Qiang shook his hand and asked, "We should be from the same batch, right? I joined in 2010."
"Hehe, actually. I joined in 2009," Zhong Sheng smiled bitterly.
"Senior, I've been disrespectful," Lin Qiang said half-jokingly.
Zhong Sheng quickly waved his hand: "Lin Qiang, don't joke around. You're the famous one here. I've seen you receive the Best Employee award more than once. If anyone should be respectful, it's me. Despite joining earlier than you, I still haven't been promoted. You're the impressive one."
"Don't joke around, look at my situation now," Lin Qiang spread his hands. "Who knows how much longer I can hold on."
"Don't say that. At least you've had your moments of glory. That's enough," Zhong Sheng took another deep drag of his cigarette. "Someone like me, stuck in a department that's neither here nor there for a lifetime, that's true misery."
"Haha, it's only been a few years. We're far from a lifetime!"
"No, no, a lifetime goes by quickly, Lin Qiang," Zhong Sheng looked up at the bright moon, rubbing the corner of his eye. "See? I already have crow's feet."
Lin Qiang stepped forward and patted Zhong Sheng's shoulder: "Ah... In the audit department, promotion must be quite difficult, right?"
"It's not just difficult, it's impossible," Lin Qiang seemed to have hit a nerve and Zhong Sheng started speaking at length. "Think about it. Who to investigate, who not to investigate, to what extent to investigate - it all depends on the leaders' orders. I'm a postgraduate from the Central University of Finance and Economics, yet I have to stare at these numbers all day, watching the leaders' expressions. And that's not all. Even if I work hard and uncover a lot of things, with just one word from the leaders, it's all for nothing! On the contrary, the leaders might resent me for it. Lin Qiang, think about it. In this situation, how can one perform well, make achievements, or get promoted?"
Lin Qiang calculated quickly. As a postgraduate who had been working for four years, this ordinary-looking auditor was probably around thirty years old now. For a postgraduate from a prestigious university to be doing such work, it must indeed be frustrating, with a hidden pain of talent going unrecognized.
"So, I don't know when it started, but I began smoking," Zhong Sheng smiled bitterly, then sighed, expressing the fickleness of the world. Then he shook his head and threw his cigarette butt on the ground. "Sometimes, I even consider applying for a transfer to the front line. At least there, I'd have a chance to achieve some sales results. Although it wouldn't be as dramatic as yours, at least I could see the results of my efforts."
"No, no, it's not about being on the front line or higher up," Lin Qiang tapped his head. "In work, you not only need to work hard but also use your head."