The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

The office was completely silent, and everyone wore expressions of disdain.

Yang Xingguo has broken the unspoken rule of "everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep and doesn't blame each other."

In state-owned enterprises of that era, there was an unwritten rule among cadres in different positions: each was in charge of their own area and did not interfere with each other. Even if they knew that the other was not clean, they would never take the initiative to expose him.

Yang Xingguo was in charge of production and procurement, while Li Huaide was in charge of logistics. The two were in parallel positions and did not interfere with each other. They would see each other all the time and might even give each other face and do favors.

In the circle of corrupt officials, keeping quiet is a tacit rule of survival. Everyone understands this implicitly, forming a mutual understanding that "you don't touch me, I won't touch you."

If you take the initiative to report Li Huaide, how can you not be despised?

"You want to report Deputy Factory Director Li?"

Qi Heng frowned and asked, "Do you have evidence?"

Yang Xingguo naturally knew that he had broken the rules, but he couldn't care less. He stared intently at Li Huaide, who remained calm and composed.

"There's definitely something wrong with the logistics accounts!"

Qi Heng nodded: "Yes, I will investigate."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Xiangping walked into the office.

"Director Qi, I have already reported this matter to Vice Minister Zhang. Vice Minister Zhang attaches great importance to it, and the Party Committee will immediately take the lead in setting up a joint working group to thoroughly investigate it. They will be here soon!"

"Okay, continue checking the accounts."

Qi Heng patted Wei Xiangping on the shoulder and looked at Qiu Shuren.

"Shuren, put the special inspection on hold for now and focus all your efforts on investigating the steel rolling mill's general accounts."

"OK!"

Qiu Shuren responded and ordered his men to begin checking the accounts.

After giving his instructions, Qi Heng said to the three inspectors, "Xiao Dou, Xiao Ma, go search Yang Xingguo's office. Qing Song, also seal up all the records in the supply department and equipment department, and talk to each staff member to find out about the private procurement transactions over the past few years!"

"Yongjie, drive back to the ministry and get some people to thoroughly search Yang Xingguo's house! Focus on checking his cash, bankbooks, gold and silver jewelry, and whether there are any unexplained assets in his relatives' and friends' homes."

"yes!"

The three responded and left.

Seeing this, Yang Xingguo knew the situation was hopeless and cried out, "I was wrong! Director Qi, Secretary Lu, I was confused for a moment. I've returned all the money I embezzled... I hid it in the cracks in the walls and in the ceiling partitions. Please, organization, give me another chance!"

"Chance?"

Lu Su looked at him and sternly reprimanded him: "The country is in dire need of reconstruction, yet you abused your power to enrich yourself, embezzling over 300,000 yuan. Who gave you the audacity?"

"Secretary Lu, I really know I was wrong!"

Yang Xingguo turned over and knelt down, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"I have an elderly mother and children at home, please have mercy..."

"If only I had known then what I know now."

Qi Heng interrupted him and said in a deep voice, "Secretary Lu, please call the security department to take Yang Xingguo away and keep him under separate supervision. He is not allowed to have any contact with anyone."

Lu Su knew what to do and gestured to Deng Chuan, the head of the security department standing at the door.

Two security guards came in, grabbed Yang Xingguo, and carried him out.

Qi Heng then sent Xie Qingsong, the last officer from the Supervision Department he had brought, to guard Yang Xingguo and forbade anyone from speaking to him.

Yang Xingguo struggled frantically, crying out, "I'm innocent! I was seduced! You can't do this to me!"

The crying gradually faded away, and the office became quiet.

Lu Su looked at Zhong Chunli: "Section Chief Zhong, the Finance Department will continue to cooperate with the inspection team to thoroughly check the remaining accounts. Any doubts must be reported immediately, and no mistakes can be made."

"Yes, Secretary Lu." Zhong Chunli nodded.

The procurement and disability records were sealed off, and Qiu Shuren led four finance officers to check the logistics records.

Qiu Shuren, an accountant by training, was very good at auditing accounts, and the four finance officers were also very professional, able to calculate with lightning speed.

Liu Hao had already 'organized' the logistics accounts in the morning, and an hour later, the problem was discovered.

From March 1953 to the present, there is a total discrepancy of 11500 yuan! This is more than 3 yuan different from the total calculated by Liu Hao.

Ten thousand may seem like a small amount, but it's actually quite a lot.

According to the 1952 Regulations on Punishing Corruption, individuals who embezzle more than 100 million yuan (old currency, equivalent to 10,000 yuan in new currency) and whose circumstances are particularly serious may be sentenced to death.

If Liu Hao hadn't intervened, Li Huaide wouldn't have been executed if the inspection team and the working group sent by the Ministry of Metallurgy had verified the facts. However, his career would have been ruined, and he would have inevitably been imprisoned. Even his father-in-law, the vice minister, couldn't protect him.

Qi Heng, a master of acting, stared intently at Li Huaide and asked, "Deputy Factory Director Li, how do you explain this?"

Li Huaide, channeling his inner movie star, wore a face that conveyed three parts bitterness, three parts helplessness, and four parts frustration.

"Sigh, Director Qi... I didn't take the money!"

Lu Su cautioned, "Huai De, confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. Don't ruin your life!"

Li Huaide sighed with a wry smile and said, "Secretary, you know He Yuzhu, the head chef of the third canteen, right?"

"You know, this matter is related to him?" Lu Su frowned.

"Yes, He Yuzhu has been stealing logistical supplies for quite some time now. The entire logistics department knows about it, and most of the workers are aware of it too!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Heng, Qiu Shuren, and the others were all astonished. What kind of start was this chef, being so arrogant?

The finance department staff exchanged bewildered glances, realizing that Sha Zhu had been pushed out by Li Huaide to balance the books.

Lu Su retorted angrily, "Nonsense! Even if we occasionally take some supplies to supplement our household income, how could we be short of 11,500 yuan?"

"Take a little occasionally?"

Li Huaide shook his head: "Secretary, He Yuzhu doesn't just take a little bit. He intercepts food from the canteen, as well as grains, oils, rice, noodles, and seasonings. Sometimes he even takes whole pieces of pork home. The logistics staff have reported him dozens of times over the years."

Qi Heng, being one of Vice Minister Chen's men, naturally knew that Sha Zhu was someone Li Huaide had pushed forward to cover up the truth, but he remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "We've received reports about him, why aren't we dealing with him?"

"Director Qi, I have raised the issue of punishing He Yuzhu in meetings many times, but Yang Xingguo has suppressed it. Deputy Factory Director Tang can testify to this."

Deputy Factory Director Tang Qingyuan nodded: "Indeed, Deputy Factory Director Li pointed out He Yuzhu's problems several times, but Yang Xingguo used various reasons to exonerate He Yuzhu."

Li Huaide added, "I submitted written reports three times requesting an audit of the canteen's accounts, but Yang Xingguo rejected them all, telling me not to let trivial matters affect unity!"

Bang! Qi Heng slammed his hand on the table: "Outrageous! Is He Yuzhu a relative of Yang Xingguo?"

"No, but He Yuzhu's godmother has a close relationship with Yang Xingguo. A few days ago, He Yuzhu's flipping of the wok angered everyone, and Director Jiang of the Technology Department saw it and personally ordered him to be punished by being demoted to the foundry workshop for a year. The next day, He Yuzhu's godmother came to the factory to plead for He Yuzhu. This morning at the meeting, Yang Xingguo even hinted to me to transfer He Yuzhu back to the canteen..."

Qi Heng was speechless at Yang Xingguo's actions. How did he become the factory director? He actually planted a landmine right next to him.

"Distinguished leaders, the joint working group sent by the ministry has arrived."

Deng Chuan, the head of the security department, went to the door to report.

Qi Heng gave Li Huaide a reassuring look and quickly walked out.

This matter has been reported to the working group, and they will investigate it!