Chapter 39
Qin Qianrou took the list from Gu Chao and looked it over carefully, occasionally glancing at the organized receipts and invoices on the computer and the desk. She had to admit, these students, besides being obedient, were also quite sharp.
Gu Chao stood beside her, offering explanations whenever Qin Qianrou paused. “At first, when he asked us to find invoices, the amounts weren’t large, so we mostly used food and transportation receipts.”
The files on the computer were arranged by date, the scanned copies categorized by the time they were obtained. Qin Qianrou clicked on a few files and confirmed they matched Gu Chao’s explanation.
“Later, seeing that we were doing a good job and keeping our mouths shut, he gradually asked us to find larger denominations. Then, he started asking for them more frequently, and the amounts increased. We had no choice but to ask our friends and relatives for help.”
Recalling the past, Gu Chao’s expression was still bitter.
Li Zihua chimed in, “And if we didn’t deliver on time, he would get angry and, abusing his power, send our reports back, forcing us to rewrite them. Even if the experimental data was correct, he would find fault with it. Eventually, no one dared to question him.”
Qin Qianrou frowned. That domineering?
Li Zihua turned and pointed to Ding Song, who had been quietly organizing the documents. “Ding Song is the most easygoing, so he often gets assigned the tedious tasks. If it weren’t for his family connections, he would have been kicked out long ago.”
“He’s that domineering, and you’ve never reported him to the university? And you’ve been so obedient?”
This was truly beyond Qin Qianrou’s expectations, and she was surprised by their tolerance.
Gu Chao paused for a moment, then took the blame. “It’s my fault. They wanted to report him long ago, but I stopped them. I always thought the advisor was dissatisfied because we weren’t working hard enough. Later, I realized I was just avoiding the issue, constantly making excuses for him.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t press further, seeing that these students had suffered enough.
Secretly keeping these documents, it seemed they had been prepared for a final showdown.
“Give these to me, I’ll handle the rest.”
Having reviewed the materials, Qin Qianrou had a general understanding of the situation. This evidence wasn’t enough to directly bring down He Chao, but it provided her with more leads to pursue.
They handed over the prepared documents to Qin Qianrou. Despite their excitement, they couldn’t help but worry. “Reporter Qin, will this get you into trouble? After all, He Chao is very influential and highly respected. If he finds out, he might retaliate against you.”
Shen Yiqiu, who had been standing beside Qin Qianrou, also couldn’t hide her concern. She was genuinely worried that He Chao might harm Qin Qianrou. This sanctimonious hypocrite could be more despicable and shameless than a thug.
“Thank you for your concern, I’ll be careful.”
Qin Qianrou accepted their well-intentioned concern and reminded them again to act as normal and not let He Chao notice anything before leaving.
As they left the guesthouse, Shen Yiqiu couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you worried at all?”
Qin Qianrou waved the file in her hand and softly said, “Shouldn’t He Chao be the one worried now?”
Seeing her calmness, Shen Yiqiu realized she had been overly anxious. She scratched her cheek awkwardly, casually glancing around, trying to appear less concerned.
“We’ll take this slowly, there won’t be any major risks, don’t worry.”
Shen Yiqiu turned to her in surprise. Was Qin Qianrou comforting her?
**
With these documents, combined with the information from Shen Yiqiu’s past life, Qin Qianrou sent the details of He Chao’s publicly known companies to Li Wan.
“We can basically confirm he’s embezzling research funds using invoices, and the amount is likely substantial.”
Qin Qianrou explained the situation to Li Wan over the phone. After accepting the task, Li Wan chuckled before hanging up, “You’re truly amazing, Qianrou, a trip back to Hai City and you’ve uncovered such a big story. The team leader will give you a bonus when you get back.”
“Li Wan, are you sure the team leader will do that?”
Li Wan covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, afraid of provoking Qin Qianrou.
“Don’t worry, if she doesn’t, I’ll pressure her.”
Qin Qianrou ignored her teasing, holding the phone in one hand and scrolling through the documents with the other.
Li Wan hesitated, reluctant to end the call, then finally asked, “Did you run into any trouble when you went home?”
The trouble she referred to was, of course, Qin Qianrou’s family matters.
“No, I just ran into my mother and my uncle.”
“And you call that ‘no trouble’?”
“It really wasn’t anything. Just a chance encounter. Hurry up and find out everything about the companies under He Chao’s name, I’m afraid he might notice something and destroy the evidence.”
After ending the call with Li Wan, Qin Qianrou looked up and saw Shen Yiqiu lost in thought on the sofa. She had sensed something was off with Shen Yiqiu since last night, as if she had something on her mind, but she didn’t feel it was her place to pry, so she hadn’t asked.
Shen Yiqiu snapped back to reality, realizing Qin Qianrou was looking at her. She paused, then said, “I’ve been thinking, He Chao embezzled such a large sum of money, he definitely wouldn’t keep it all for himself. There must be someone helping him handle the money, and besides the research funds, he’s involved in other things as well.”
“The flow of funds will be clear once Li Wan finishes investigating the companies under his name. As for the other things you mentioned, what are they?”
Shen Yiqiu took a deep breath and met Qin Qianrou’s gaze.
“Research patents. He holds some, and his partners hold some. He’s so greedy, he wouldn’t just leave them untouched.”
Thinking of the patents that were swindled in her past life, all the fruits of her father’s painstaking efforts, Shen Yiqiu felt a surge of hatred for He Chao.
“Those aren’t easy to investigate. Unless his partners come forward, it’ll be difficult to confirm anything through unilateral tracking.”
Shen Yiqiu nodded glumly; this was precisely what was troubling her.
She had found out too late in her past life. By the time she realized it was all a scam, He Chao had already sold the patents. Shen Yiqiu, filled with anger, heartache, and regret, had no way of tracing who the actual buyers were.
The ones who had ostensibly acquired the patents were mostly non-profit organizations or reputable companies. However, she had overheard He Chao’s phone conversations and knew those were just intermediaries.
Qin Qianrou recalled He Chao’s profile. “Most of his research is in fundamental fields, with limited practical applications. The patents he holds have limited profit potential.”
“That’s why he’s after others’ patents!”
Shen Yiqiu gritted her teeth, remembering how her father would often work through the night conducting experiments. But her father had never thought of getting rich from his research, he only wanted to benefit society.
“Shen Yiqiu, is He Chao after the patents your father owned?”
Seeing her reaction, it was impossible for Qin Qianrou not to guess the reason.
“Yes. I remember, whenever they met with my parents, the conversation would always steer towards this topic, but my father would avoid discussing it. Later, I overheard him telling my mother to avoid talking about patents with them.”
Another matter of profit. It seemed that no matter the field, profit was always a central theme.
**
He Chao tested Gu Chao a few times, and Gu Chao readily admitted to being emotional about his graduation and having disagreements with his girlfriend about where they would live in the future. This honesty reassured He Chao.
Young people being blinded by love was common on campus, so He Chao temporarily eased up on exploiting his students. Apart from Gu Chao and his roommates, the other students thought their advisor had finally seen the light and secretly prayed for better days ahead.
He Chao had been restless these past two days, making multiple phone calls and arranging various matters. Now, he was waiting for feedback from all sides to formulate his next plan.
Jiang Yuan adjusted her work schedule to free up more time to help He Chao.
“Lao He, do you think they haven’t returned to Meng City because they’re really onto us?”
He Chao sat in his study, a cigarette between his fingers.
“At dinner, I observed that reporter Qin. She’s young, but quite composed. I tested her a few times, but she didn’t react much. I knew then that this woman wasn’t easy to deal with.” He Chao took a drag of his cigarette, his mood sour.
“Do you think she really has a powerful backer? She investigated so many news stories in Meng City, and no one dared to touch her. Is she working for someone else?”
Jiang Yuan’s speculation wasn’t impossible. If she did have a backer, things would be even more troublesome.
“Let’s wait for confirmation from the person investigating her. Regardless of whether she has a backer or not, I can’t let her investigate me. They’re pressuring us, and if she interferes, our efforts these past two years will be wasted!”
Jiang Yuan was also trying to find a solution. It was clear they couldn’t get close to Shen Yiqiu anymore. Having dinner together seemed to be the limit, and with Qin Qianrou by her side, Jiang Yuan didn’t dare to push too hard.
“Lao He, could it be that we’re overthinking this? Maybe Xiao Qiu just hasn’t been back for a while and wants to stay a few more days. And her student’s girlfriend hasn’t left either, perhaps they’re planning to leave together?”
He Chao had no interest in his students’ relationships and wasn’t as perceptive as Jiang Yuan. Hearing her analysis, he considered it. There seemed to be a slight possibility.
However, Shao Qidong suddenly called. As soon as Jiang Yuan answered, she heard him roaring on the other end.
“Are you all out of your minds? Don’t you have anything better to do than investigate Qin Qianrou?”
The study was quiet, and Shao Qidong’s voice was loud. Jiang Yuan and He Chao exchanged a quick glance.
Jiang Yuan hadn’t been yelled at like this in a long time, but Shao Qidong wouldn’t call without reason, so she patiently said, “Calm down, there’s no point getting angry.”
Shao Qidong was pacing back and forth in his office. He had called immediately after receiving the news.
“Did you even hear what I said? I told you not to provoke Qin Qianrou, and what do you do? Not only do you not avoid her, you’re investigating her?”
Jiang Yuan had regained her composure and understood the problem.
“How did you know we were investigating her?”
Shao Qidong scoffed. “You’re good at research and presentations, but when it comes to matters outside your field, you’re clueless. You think throwing money at something solves everything? Naive!” He swallowed hard and continued, “You even sent people to Meng City to investigate her! If I hadn’t stopped them, she would have been alerted by now!”
Jiang Yuan’s expression darkened. She and He Chao were already anxiously waiting for news, and now Shao Qidong was obstructing them.
“We didn’t want to provoke her, but she’s in Hai City now, and she might already be onto Lao He. We’re investigating her so we can be prepared. It’s just self-preservation.”
Shao Qidong was taken aback. “She went to Hai City to investigate you?”
He hadn’t expected this.
“We’re not certain yet, but her behavior is suspicious, which is why we decided to investigate her.” Seeing that Shao Qidong had calmed down slightly, Jiang Yuan tentatively said, “Since you’re afraid of alerting people in Meng City, why don’t you help us…”
Before she could finish, Shao Qidong interrupted her.
“Are you trying to make Dongsheng Group even more conspicuous, to dangle ourselves in front of her and attract her attention?”
He had been deliberately keeping a low profile recently and applying pressure behind the scenes to temporarily avoid trouble. Now they wanted him to provoke Qin Qianrou? They must be crazy.
His reaction surprised Jiang Yuan. This was the first time she had so clearly sensed his apprehension towards Qin Qianrou.
“Dongsheng definitely won’t get involved in this mess. I’m calling to tell you, if you really want to investigate Qin Qianrou, do it in Hai City. You won’t find anything in Meng City.”
Jiang Yuan was about to ask how that was possible, after all, Qin Qianrou was a reporter in Meng City.
“Someone is protecting her in Meng City!”
Shao Qidong had said as much as he could; he couldn’t explain further. If it weren’t for trying to pressure Qin Qianrou and delay the Dongsheng Group matter, he wouldn’t have known about this.
He had now changed his strategy: avoid any direct confrontation with Qin Qianrou.
Shao Qidong’s warning made He Chao and Jiang Yuan hesitate. After hanging up, they remained silent, their expressions troubled.
He Chao extinguished his cigarette. After careful consideration, he couldn’t back down so easily.
“Shao Qidong is a businessman; he must have a lot of shady dealings. We’re different from him. He only cares about money, but we have our reputation to consider.”
Jiang Yuan understood He Chao’s concerns. He had worked so hard for so many years to reach this position, and in two years, he would be the leading figure in this field in the country.
“Someone is protecting her in Meng City, so let’s deal with it in Hai City. We didn’t expect her background to be so deep, but thinking about it, it makes sense. Without a powerful backer, she wouldn’t dare to be so arrogant.” He Chao scoffed, a dark glint in his eyes, as if wanting to devour someone whole.
**
Li Wan’s efficiency, as always, was impeccable. With Shen Yiqiu’s guidance, they quickly compiled a complete list of companies under He Chao’s name. The evidence of embezzlement was clear, and whether they exposed it through public opinion or reported it to the authorities, there was little chance of it being overturned.
Shen Yiqiu looked at the materials and exclaimed, “How confident is he to embezzle so blatantly, using such grandiose pretexts? Does he really think everyone is blind, or does he think he’s some untouchable genius?”
Qin Qianrou neatly organized the printed documents, categorizing them into different folders.
“He did put some effort into it, at least the funds went through several companies before reaching his account. If it weren’t for the names of those shell companies you provided, it wouldn’t have been so easy to trace.”
Those shell companies, not officially under He Chao’s name, were crucial points in the flow of funds. Without identifying them, the chain of evidence for embezzlement would have been incomplete.
Shen Yiqiu recalled Gu Chao and the others’ words, her heart heavy. “The sad thing is, this isn’t an isolated incident. Many advisors with projects are doing the same thing.”
The only difference was the amount of money and the duration.
Qin Qianrou knew what she was lamenting; this was the dark side of society.
“So, what’s our next step?” Shen Yiqiu took a deep breath, composing herself, and looked forward to what came next.
“We’ve basically uncovered the embezzlement scheme, and the documents are ready. We’ll hand them over to the authorities soon. But for now, we need to wait.”
They both knew what they were waiting for.
He Chao was a big fish, and his wrongdoings weren’t limited to embezzlement. If they cut off other leads just because of this, it wouldn’t be worth it.
“Cast a long line, catch a big fish.” Shen Yiqiu smiled, full of anticipation for the future.
Qin Qianrou gave a reassuring smile, not as optimistic as Shen Yiqiu.
She had gained a general understanding of He Chao’s influence in the industry during this time and had also considered the information Shao Ze had provided. She knew someone was investigating her.
She wasn’t worried about the situation in Meng City, nor was she worried about Hai City.
However, she was a little worried about Shen Yiqiu.
This child had already suffered enough. Not only had she not received proper care while staying with her, but she was also being dragged into this mess. Although He Chao’s coveting of Shen Zhifeng’s research was somewhat related to Shen Yiqiu, strictly speaking, she was just a related party and didn’t have to be involved.
Sensing Qin Qianrou’s distraction, Shen Yiqiu looked at her with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Shen Yiqiu, you and Zhang Meng should go back to Meng City tomorrow.”
Completely caught off guard by Qin Qianrou’s words, Shen Yiqiu was speechless.
After a moment, her eyes darkened, and she softly asked, “Do you think I’m a burden?”
Qin Qianrou shook her head and explained, “This matter won’t be resolved quickly, and you have classes to attend, you can’t keep taking leave.”
“But I’ve already arranged for my leave, there’s no need to rush back tomorrow.”
Shen Yiqiu didn’t want to leave, and Qin Qianrou didn’t force her.
However, the situation was developing beyond her expectations. After dealing with Gu Chao’s disappearance, she had to reassess her plans.
And Shen Yiqiu shouldn’t be part of those plans.
“I don’t mind you staying a few more days. But please don’t get involved in He Chao’s matter anymore, okay?”
Shen Yiqiu’s confusion deepened. What was going on? Why was Qin Qianrou suddenly pushing her away? Wasn’t it thanks to the clues she provided that the investigation was progressing so efficiently?
She thought for a moment, then, seeing Qin Qianrou’s serious expression, she guessed the reason.
“I know what you’re worried about.”
Shen Yiqiu’s casual tone, as if she wasn’t concerned at all, slightly annoyed Qin Qianrou.
She looked up, intending to explain the potential dangers more seriously, when Shen Yiqiu suddenly grabbed her hand.
She looked down and saw her injured left hand held firmly in Shen Yiqiu’s grasp. The grip wasn’t tight, but it was firm, inescapable.
“Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”
Qin Qianrou, looking at the sincere face before her, didn’t know what to say.
“If we continue investigating this, it will definitely involve more people, and I don’t know what will happen next. Shen Yiqiu, don’t think investigating news stories is all fun and games, and don’t underestimate the dangers involved.”
Young people liked pursuing novelty and excitement, and they often had an unwarranted sense of confidence; Qin Qianrou understood this.
Shen Yiqiu, however, shook her head, her grip still firm. “I know the road ahead won’t be easy, but don’t forget I have premonitions, I can foresee danger.”
Seeing Qin Qianrou’s hesitation, she pressed on. “Investigating He Chao started because of me. Since it’s my responsibility, how can you push me away and not let me contribute?”
“But…”
“Don’t worry, if we encounter any danger, I’ll listen to you, I promise I won’t be a burden. How about that?”
How about that?
Qin Qianrou’s usually clear thoughts seemed to blur. In a daze, she actually thought, This… might work…
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