Yi Anguo was at a loss for words and asked patiently, "So, if a technical patent is being used as a capital contribution, a contract still needs to be signed, right? Can it really be that there's nothing? They're demanding money upfront to purchase land and construct factory buildings, but what if the partnership falls through after the buildings are up? What then?"

Tao Yan clearly had limited knowledge on the matter, so she was somewhat unable to answer Yi Anguo's question.

"Mr. Yi, how about I notify Mr. Chen of Lingyun Electronics Factory to come and explain the details of this project to you in person?" Tao Yan suggested.

"This Mr. Chen of Lingyun Electronics Factory, is his name Chen Qingfeng? What's his background? He isn't part of the Chen family, is he?" Yi Anguo asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Chen Qingfeng is a paternal uncle of our Director Chen's; he's considered a relatively close kinsman," Tao Yan clarified confidently.

Yi Anguo thought for a moment, then, in Tao Yan's presence, he called Chen Ting. He was somewhat reluctant to deal with the matter himself and wanted to ask Chen Ting whether to approve the funds. If Chen Ting had no objections, he would sign off; if she didn't want to be bothered, then he would have to summon the man to get more details first.

Chen Ting had long known that Yi Anguo had started working at the company, taking over her duties. She felt quite smug about it. How clever of me! I used the child in my belly to get my man completely under control, taming him so he has no temper left to speak of. He's obediently managing the company for me now.

When Chen Ting saw the incoming call from Yi Anguo, she deliberately waited a moment before answering.

"Hello! Mr. Landlord, missing me already?" Chen Ting cooed teasingly.

"I'm talking to you about something serious. It's about Lingyun Electronics Factory's request for fifty million yuan to buy land and expand their factory. Do you have a clear understanding of the situation? Should I sign and approve the funds?"

Yi Anguo was already immune to Chen Ting's coquettish act. The moment the call connected, he got straight to business.

"Lingyun Electronics Factory? I'm not very clear on it, but I have heard something to that effect. I've handed over all authority over the company to you now. You can make the decision yourself. If you think there's no issue, just sign and approve it. If you think there might be a problem, you also have the right to refuse," Chen Ting explained seriously. "Just treat Chen's Enterprises as if it were your own company."

"Really? In that case, I might just package up Chen's Enterprises and sell it right now," Yi Anguo joked.

"Go ahead! As long as it makes you happy. But when our son grows up, you'll have to give him back a company that's even better than Chen's Enterprises is today. Otherwise, I'm worried he'll come looking to settle accounts with you," Chen Ting said playfully.

"I've heard that the director of Lingyun Electronics Factory is a paternal uncle of yours!" Yi Anguo added.

"So what if he's a paternal uncle? Never mind a paternal uncle—even if he were my own biological uncle, he'd have to follow company rules. In business matters, he now has to listen to you, the Vice President!" Chen Ting stated decisively.

"Alright, that's all I needed to hear!" Yi Anguo said with a laugh before hanging up.

Yi Anguo didn't rush to sign. He had Tao Yan instruct this Chen Qingfeng to fax over the detailed investment documents, especially the materials related to the German partner company. The more detailed, the better.

Afterward, Yi Anguo continued to examine the files of the other subsidiary companies.

Even though he didn't understand much, he needed to at least get a general idea of what factories and enterprises existed under the Chen's Enterprises umbrella.

The more Yi Anguo looked, the more of a headache he got. It seemed Chen's Enterprises had numerous subsidiary factories and companies, but they were a disorganized mess, and their management was chaotic. Each unit acted like an independent fiefdom, reminiscent of the Eight Hundred Princes of ancient times.

They all operated independently, with murky accounts and poor cash flow. Whenever they incurred losses, they would come crying to Chen's Enterprises for financial support.

But when they made a profit? They were never seen submitting much of it to the parent company, or they would simply report breaking even.

The profits of Chen's Enterprises came almost entirely from its Finance and Investment Division. The gains from various financial investment projects were then used to give blood transfusions to the subsidiary factories.

When the factories below needed money, they asked the parent company. When they had money, they engaged in expansion, growing their production scale and strengthening themselves. In any case, there was no money to hand over, or only a minuscule portion of their profits was submitted.

How can the company survive if this continues? The critical issue is the lack of clear accounting.

"Call the director of the finance department over; tell him I need to see him," Yi Anguo instructed.

Yi Anguo felt that the financial authority of the subsidiaries had to be controlled by the head office; they couldn't just do as they pleased.

The finance director's name was Chen Zhiliang. Yi Anguo couldn't help but ask, "Director Chen, are you related to Chairwoman Chen?"

"No! It's just a coincidence that we both share the surname Chen. I'm from Xijiang Province. I doubt we'd be from the same family even if you went back five hundred years," Chen Zhiliang said with a chuckle.

"Oh! I see. In that case, we're from the same region. I'm also from Xijiang," Yi Anguo said with a smile.

After a few minutes of small talk, Yi Anguo got down to business.

"Director Chen, how long have you been serving as the financial director of Chen's Enterprises?"

"I've been here for less than three months. I was headhunted. Before this, I was the deputy financial director at another joint venture," Chen Zhiliang explained.

"So you've also just arrived! But three months isn't such a short time. How are you finding the work here? Are you settling in?" Yi Anguo asked with a smile.

"To be honest, it was only after coming here that I realized being the financial director isn't so easy!" Chen Zhiliang said, shaking his head.

"Chen's Enterprises is a well-known large company. So many people dream of working here. The salary for the financial director position must be substantial! Why do you feel this job isn't so easy?" Yi Anguo asked curiously.

"If it were just about muddling along, it wouldn't be too bad, but..." Chen Zhiliang trailed off. "Sigh, it's a long story. The financial situation within Chen's Enterprises is a mess. We are the superior financial oversight department, but the divisions below don't cooperate with our work at all. We want to audit their books, but we face countless obstacles."

"Have you reported these difficulties to the former Director Chen, or to the Chairman?" Yi Anguo inquired further.

"Of course we have. The factories below pretend to cooperate, but the ledgers they provide are definitely not the real ones. They are meticulously forged sets of books. On the surface, it's very difficult to find any problems," Chen Zhiliang said helplessly.

"Then what do you think is the solution to this problem?" Yi Anguo asked.

"The best solution, of course, would be for the head office to take complete control of all finances under a unified management system. This would include the distribution of factory employee wages and benefits, all arranged centrally by the company," Chen Zhiliang said directly.

"Workers' wages should be directly deposited into their bank accounts. When factories need to purchase production equipment or raw materials, they must submit an application to the finance department for approval and payment."

"Every single sum of money that is spent, and where it goes, must be clearly recorded in the books."

"The situation now is that when a subsidiary is short on cash, they simply request millions or tens of millions, and there's no detailed record of how that money was spent."

"Furthermore, how much product the factories produce, how much they sell for, their losses, their costs, their payroll expenses—it's all one big, confusing mess!"

"After a while, when the accounts don't add up, the blame gets shifted onto people who have already resigned. It's impossible to hold anyone accountable when you don't even know where to begin investigating."

"This can't go on! Originally, the parent company was supposed to draw profits from the subsidiaries, but now the subsidiaries are leeching off the parent company. Once the parent company runs into financial trouble and can no longer be leeched from, all these hidden problems will burst out into the open at once."

Yi Anguo nodded. "You're right, this can't continue. Alright, here's the plan. You start preparing to take full control of the finances of all factories, branches, and departments. When the time is right, we will conduct a complete and thorough audit of the financial records of all of them. It must be an extremely meticulous investigation."

"If any major corruption is uncovered, if we find any parasites in the company, we will show no mercy. If they can't cough up the money, they'll all be sent to prison to work on sewing machines."

"If you don't have enough people, go to Human Resources immediately and start recruiting."

"But... will the Chairman agree to such a drastic and thorough investigation?" Chen Zhiliang asked with some worry. This can't start strong only to fizzle out. If I get fully prepared and even recruit new staff, only for the plan to be suddenly called off, then what to do with the new hires will become a huge problem.

"Rest assured, the Chairman has gone on a world tour with his wife. Director Chen has given me full authority to manage the company. Once I've made a decision, no one can stop me," Yi Anguo asserted confidently.

「」

Meanwhile, Chen Ting was on the phone with her father, Chen Jianjun.

"Dad! By doing this, won't we scare Yi Anguo away and make him wash his hands of the company's affairs completely?" Chen Ting said worriedly.

"I doubt it. If he can't even solve a problem like this, then I've truly overestimated him," Chen Jianjun said, though his own voice held a trace of uncertainty.

"Dad! Why don't you handle it yourself? This is so unfair to Yi Anguo. He's completely unprepared, how could he possibly be a match for those old foxes?" Chen Ting complained to her father, her heart aching for her man.

"It's not that I don't want to solve this problem myself, but they are all old brothers-in-arms who fought alongside me in the past. It's hard for me to be ruthless and make things ugly for them. I don't want to leave everyone without any face—how awkward would that be!" Chen Jianjun said with a helpless, bitter smile.

If he could have brought himself to do it, he would have acted long ago. He only hesitated because he was mindful of their past brotherhood and friendship, unwilling to tear away that final shred of decorum.

But his forbearance, his consideration for everyone's pride, and his repeated concessions of turning a blind eye had, in many people's eyes, made him seem like a naïve fool. Far from reining themselves in, they became even more brazen in embezzling the company's funds and assets.

When a tiger doesn't show its claws, they all start to treat it like a sickly cat.

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