"just after few days after my dismissal, I heard the news that Mr Chen's Condition worsened."
"WHAT!!" Mei Chen hardly believed what she was hearing. "What are you trying to imply, Liang Wen."
"That night, when I was going through the ledgers, the trades record handed by Lu Chen…"
After a pause.
"Initially, nothing seemed out of the ordinary."
"Lu and his family managed several iron mines in the south. Each month, they submitted reports detailing expenses, and profits. The profits from the iron mines were much lower than expected."
Liang Wen leaned back slightly and stared at the ledger. "something didn't make sense… The southern mines were supposed to be productive for years."
"Even in worst days, the mines were more productive under Master Chen."
"And when I revisited the old lodger from the month since Lu took over, the output has been constantly dropped and expenses kept rising, specifically during the 10th month of last year, the expenses rose up to 35%."
[flashback] Outside, the rain continued to fall.
Inside, Liang Wen's expression shifted from confusion to quiet concern. Certain expenses kept appearing. "Emergency equipment repairs." "Additional guard payments." "Transport losses due to damaged carts."
On their own, none of these were unusual. But together, they formed a pattern. "Too many accidents," he said softly.
He flipped through another scroll. The repair costs alone were nearly triple what they had been two years ago.
Liang Wen sat in silence for a long moment. Then he whispered to himself. "They're hiding profits?" His heart began to race.
If the numbers were to be same, supposedly Lu and his family had secretly withheld tens of thousands from Master Chen.
For a man like Liang Wen, whose life revolved around ledgers and honesty, the discovery felt like a heavy burden on his chest.
But he knew what he had to do. The rules of the Chen family were clear. Any financial issues had to be reported immediately.
However, protocol required questioning the branch family first to see if there had been a simple mistake. Liang Wen carefully rolled up the ledgers and put them into a document case.
By morning, the rain had stopped. The Chen branch compound stood on the eastern side of the city, its tall gates watched over by two men in dark uniforms. When Liang Wen arrived, he introduced himself politely. "I'm here about the financial records submitted to the main family."
The guards exchanged glances before admitting him inside. He was led to a large reception hall where Lu Chen, the head of the branch family, sat comfortably in a high-backed chair. Lu Chen was a broad-shouldered man in his forties with sharp eyes and an easy smile.
"Accountant Liang," he said warmly. "What brings you here so early?"
Liang Wen bowed respectfully before placing the scrolls on the table. "I came to clarify some discrepancies in the recent financial reports."
Lu Chen's smile remained intact. "Oh?" Liang Wen unrolled the ledgers. "The reported iron sales don't match the market prices recorded by the merchant guild," he said, pointing to several lines. "Additionally, the repair and guard expenses have increased significantly without a clear explanation."
The room grew quiet.
Several members of the Chen branch family nearby began paying close attention.
Liang Wen spoke calmly but firmly. "If there's been an error in the reports, I'd like to fix it before I submit my findings to the main family."
Lu Chen glanced briefly at the ledgers. Then he leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "So that's all?"
Liang Wen blinked. "All?" Lu Chen waved a hand casually. "Accountant Liang, you must understand that managing mines in the south is challenging. Prices fluctuate, accidents occur, and guards demand higher wages."
He looked directly at Liang Wen. "Not everything fits neatly into numbers."
Liang Wen stayed composed. "I get that. But the difference in profit is too large to ignore."
The friendly smile gradually faded from Lu Chen's face. For a moment, both men stared at each other.
Then Lu Chen sighed. "It seems you are a very diligent man." He gestured to one of his attendants. "Bring the supplementary documents."
A servant quickly brought several additional scrolls and set them on the table. "These are the repair contracts and guard agreements you asked about," Lu Chen said.
Liang Wen opened them carefully. Everything seemed legitimate. Signed contracts. Official stamps. Detailed explanations for every expense.
Liang Wen felt a flicker of doubt. Had he misjudged the situation?
Lu Chen watched him quietly. "You see?" he said gently. "Sometimes numbers need context."
Liang Wen nodded slowly, though something still felt off. Still, he gathered the documents and returned to the accounting hall later that day. Two days later, a storm arrived. He was called to the main family office.
Inside, several senior administrators sat behind a long table, their expressions stern. One of them spoke coldly. "Liang Wen, we have received troubling reports."
Liang Wen frowned slightly. "Reports?"
The administrator tossed a scroll onto the table. It was a ledger with Liang Wen's signature. But the numbers had been altered. The document indicated that Liang Wen had approved inflated expenses from Lu and his family.
His face went pale. "This… this is not correct."
Another administrator spoke sharply. "Mister Lu has claimed that you tried to manipulate their accounts and insisted on compensation to overlook irregularities."
Liang Wen felt as if the ground had vanished beneath him. "That is a lie!"
But the evidence seemed overwhelming. The altered ledger. The signed approval. Witness statements from Lu's servants. Everything pointed to him.
Within an hour, the decision was made. Liang Wen was dismissed from his position. As he left the office with his small bundle of belongings, the busy courtyard of the Chen estate felt strangely distant.
He walked slowly through the gates, his mind still grappling with what had happened. Only then did the truth finally hit him. The moment he confronted the Lu and his family, they had already begun preparing their defense. And he had walked straight into their trap.
Behind him, the great gates of the Chen estate closed with a heavy sound. The rain started again, silently washing over the stone streets as Liang Wen disappeared into the gray afternoon, his career destroyed by a scheme far more carefully planned than he had ever imagined.
[Present Time]
"After few days, the news began to spread Mr. Chen senior's condition got worse." Said Liang Wen.
Everyone who heard Liang Wen froze momentarily.
"Let's go and visit Mr. Chen." Said Zheng. "it seems our problem is more than Mr. Chen's illness."