In this situation, even if he wanted to make cursory efforts to deal with it, it was no longer viable.

The funds had been transferred successfully, but the investigation had shifted from the bank's account transfers and withdrawals to examining exceptions among all depositors. It had spread from Qin Mu to an institutional level. Such an investigation would uncover any issue.

"President, what do we do now? We don't know anyone in the special task force."

"At this point, offering money is definitely unrealistic, and trying connections won't work either, especially with the year-end approaching..."

"Should we ask the legal department to see if there are any remedial measures?"

"Should we return the funds we borrowed from other banks now?"

"..."

After a brief silence, the senior executives started offering suggestions. However, none of them looked particularly optimistic. This incident affected them as well. As middle and upper management, the illicit gains they had pocketed were not insignificant. Given the abnormalities in transfers and withdrawals, it was only a matter of time before issues in the accounts surfaced, along with other series of violations such as improper loans, fund transfers, and the misuse of public funds.

Soon, at everyone's suggestion, Chen Ming, the director of the legal department, quickly arrived at the meeting.

"If the special task force uncovers other matters, what is our risk situation now?" everyone leaned in, eager to ask the most pressing question.

After understanding the situation, Chen Ming frowned. "It's probably not going to be easy to handle."

Including Geng Jinglu, the bank's president, everyone's heart sank.

"Our bank is privately owned," Chen Ming began. "And while our development in Jin City over these years has indeed been significant, we have also accumulated many regulatory risks."

Following that, Chen Ming highlighted a series of legal issues. He spoke in a grave tone, "For instance, this time, the improper lending that caused problems in the funding chain could constitute the crime of unlawful lending."

In criminal law, this offense is specially stipulated for financial institutions. The crime of unlawful lending is punishable depending on its severity, with a five-year prison sentence often serving as a threshold. If the amount loaned exceeds one million yuan, it's considered a 'huge amount' with 'serious circumstances.' This is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years and a fine ranging from ten thousand yuan to one hundred thousand yuan. Correct. The maximum fine here is just one hundred thousand yuan. For banks and financial institutions, that's almost negligible.

However, this fine refers to criminal penalties. Administratively, the bank would face hefty administrative fines, generally over two million yuan.

And if the unlawful lending exceeded one million yuan, it would be classified as a 'particularly large amount' with 'especially serious circumstances,' punishable by more than five years of imprisonment and an additional fine. This prison term has no specified upper limit! This means the prison term could be continually increased. The more severe the case, the harsher the sentencing.

After hearing this, the faces of Geng Jinglu and the others turned even paler.

This situation of improper lending is prevalent among many private banks. Running a bank scrupulously, how much can one earn? None of them could afford a villa on that. Only these borderline illegal lending operations could bring them higher profits. The more loans they issued, the larger the profit margin.

But such situations also carry significant risk. If control over a borrower's information is lax and fraudulently obtained loans prevent the recovery of funds, it can easily cause a break in the funding chain. This, in turn, could affect the entire bank's operations!

This time, that was exactly their situation.

"Everyone, rest assured," Chen Ming quietly comforted them, seeing their silence. "Even if this crime is discovered, it will only lead to criminal penalties for the executive in charge and the directly responsible individual. Others will merely face administrative penalties."

These types of financial crimes typically only target the principal offenders and those directly responsible. For instance, a bank's president and the head of the lending department.

In the conference room, the middle and upper-level managers felt a wave of relief after hearing this.

However... Geng Jinglu's and another senior executive's expressions worsened. The bank's system had an accountability mechanism, so they couldn't shirk responsibility now even if they wanted to. They would have to shoulder the blame for the mess created during their tenure.

"Apart from this crime, there's also embezzlement, which many of us may not be able to escape," Chen Ming remarked, taking a deep breath as he gazed at the assembled middle and upper management. He continued to elucidate the legal risks.

Anyone who had reached middle or upper management in the bank had, more or less, taken kickbacks. They had likely utilized their positions to embezzle, steal, or defraud bank funds. And these funds, strictly speaking, did not belong to the bank; they were public property. This act directly constitutes embezzlement. And this crime is far more severe than improper lending. In terms of sentencing, for especially large amounts, the maximum could be life imprisonment or even the death penalty, with all personal assets confiscated.

In the conference room, after he announced the severe consequences of embezzlement, everyone once again plunged into deep silence. They had worked hard to climb to these positions. Expecting them to be completely honest and incorruptible was impossible. They had all engaged in some borderline or outright criminal activities.

"But don't worry, everyone," Chen Ming reassured them again, his tone easing. "I think... given the size of our private bank, none of us should actually face a life sentence." Meanwhile, he glanced casually at Geng Jinglu.

With his many years of legal experience, Chen Ming knew Geng Jinglu was likely the one who should be most concerned. As the bank's president, Geng Jinglu would have to bear many charges. He would bear the brunt of it; most of the charges would be impossible for him to escape.

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