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New Employee Reported Me for Corruption; Company Went Bankrupt After I Left
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Hoàn thành
At the group's tenth-anniversary gala, a newly hired employee pushed her way up onto the stage. "I'm filing a formal complaint against the Director of R&D. She signed secret dual contracts, lined her ...
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第1章
At the group's tenth-anniversary gala, a newly hired employee stormed onto the stage.
"I'm filing a formal accusation against the Director of R&D. She signed dual contracts, lined her own pockets at the company's expense, and sold us out from the inside."
The hall erupted.
The new hire went on accusing me, tears streaming down her face.
"I know she's high up and powerful, but I came forward anyway, because I can't stand watching this kind of filthy scheme go on!"
She turned deliberately toward the media and shook the contract in her hand.
"From base salary to overtime pay to every kind of benefit, she skimmed off nearly all of it!"
"I honestly can't figure it out. She's never once set foot in R&D. How did she ever become its Director?"
The chairman wasn't there, so the group's vice president walked up onto the stage and murmured a few words of comfort.
"Don't worry. The group won't just stand by."
Under the crowd's startled eyes, the vice president fixed a cold look on me.
"You're suspended."
My face gave nothing away. I shook my head.
"No need to go to all that trouble. I quit."
1
"Edith Simmons, you'd like that, wouldn't you!"
Rachel Finch, microphone in one hand and contract in the other, walked slowly up to me.
"By my rough count, you were skimming two million a year out of the group and straight into your own pocket!"
"Meanwhile the real R&D staff make ten thousand a month in base pay, and even with benefits it's barely fifteen!"
"Tell me, everyone. Can you accept behavior like that?"
The moment Rachel finished, the crowd answered in outrage.
"No, we can't!"
"A parasite like that belongs in a holding cell!"
"The group's grown so big, you get every kind of vermin crawling in!"
Listening to it all, I lifted my head and looked calmly at Rachel.
"If I remember correctly, those contracts were handed to you to be destroyed."
A flicker of panic crossed Rachel's face, then quickly hardened back into righteous certainty.
Vice President Nigel Donaldson had arrived.
The chairman was down in Miami with his people, tied up on an important project.
For now, Tenglong Group ran on whatever Nigel Donaldson said.
"Edith Simmons, I think you owe everyone an explanation."
There was mockery in Donaldson's eyes.
"Otherwise, by the group's regulations, sums like these already amount to a criminal offense."
Hearing that, I understood.
The whole scene in front of me had clearly been planned in advance.
Not that any of it mattered to me anymore.
"Vice President Donaldson, there's one thing I should remind you of."
I stood and looked at him evenly.
"You may be the group's vice president, but R&D has always operated independently. It's outside your authority."
As I turned to leave, Rachel threw up a hand to block me.
"I work in R&D. How could I not know whether Vice President Donaldson has authority over us? Or is it your guilty conscience talking?"
After lecturing me, Rachel turned to Donaldson, eyes brimming.
"Mr. Donaldson, you have to stand up for us."
"I've been in R&D three months now, and apart from those old men who can barely walk, I've never seen anyone else."
"I've got the department's attendance records right here, and they're completely blank."
Donaldson gave a grave little nod.
"Let the gala go on. Rachel, Edith Simmons, come with me to my office."
For the sake of those old men in R&D, I held my patience and went to his office.
Donaldson sat down on the sofa and poured himself a cup of tea.
Rachel shut the door and lit into me the moment it closed.
"Edith Simmons, have you got a conscience left at all?"
"A bunch of old men in their sixties and seventies, and you keep them sitting in R&D collecting paychecks for nothing. How much are you paying them every month?"
"If the chairman's name weren't Lawrence, I'd honestly wonder if you were his daughter!"
"Rachel, that's not how it works."
Donaldson frowned as he said it, and Rachel settled meekly at his side, pouring his tea and topping off his cup.
"Mr. Donaldson, I really can't stand watching it."
"An outsider would think this whole group belonged to her family."
第2章
In a certain sense, Rachel wasn't wrong.
The group wasn't mine. But without me, there would be no Tenglong Technology as it stood today.
"Even a condemned man gets to bow his head first. You have to give Director Simmons a chance to explain herself."
Nigel's smile never reached his eyes, the mockery riding under every word.
"Before Chairman Lawrence left, I asked him directly. Anything to do with R&D, he's leaving entirely in my hands."
"I know you don't trust me, Director Simmons. But I have the authorization agreement right here, signed by his own hand."
Nigel picked up a document envelope from the tea table and held it out to me.
"Open it. Take a look."
I didn't lift a hand. The doubt sat in me, and I asked it plainly.
"Vice President Donaldson, what is this whole performance really about today? Just say it."
I'd spent years in R&D. It wasn't as if no one had ever raised complaints about me.
Contracts like the ones in Rachel's hands, and no end of anonymous reports, had always been buried by the chairman long before they ever reached me.
Whether this authorization agreement was real or forged, I had no interest in digging into it.
"It seems Director Simmons still doesn't grasp her own mistakes. Rachel, show her all the evidence."
Nigel didn't rise to it. He set the envelope down and went back to his tea.
Rachel gave a cold snort, tossed aside the contracts she'd been holding, and stepped out the door.
She came back before long, a thick stack of documents in her hands.
She slammed them down in front of me and looked down at me from where she stood.
"I told you in your interview, I have a sharp eye for financial figures. These are all your holes."
"Add up everything siphoned out of R&D over these past few years, and it's enough to put you away for twenty."
"The evidence is airtight. What do you have left to say?"
I had nothing to explain, and I didn't look at the documents.
Facing the two of them trading lines back and forth, I took out my phone and called Chairman Lawrence.
It rang twice, then he hung up.
"Calling Chairman Lawrence, are you? He can't be bothered with you right now."
Rachel sat down beside Nigel and crossed her legs.
"If Director Simmons still refuses to see sense, then I'll have to call the police."
I ignored her and called Chairman Lawrence again.
But this time, too, the line was cut.
I had my suspicions, though I still needed more to confirm them.
"Then call the police. And I'm formally notifying you, Vice President Donaldson. I resign."
With that, I rose and left under the two of them's stunned stares.
On the way back to my office, I passed a lot of familiar old faces.
But now they not only shied from me like I was poison, they didn't bother hiding their sneering talk.
"Never would've guessed! Such a beautiful woman, with a devil's heart."
"So tell me, how do you all think Edith Simmons made R&D director in the first place, hm?"
"You really shouldn't be saying that—"
"Afraid of what? Chairman Lawrence isn't even here today. Can't you read what that means?"
Back in my office, I sat down in my custom ergonomic chair and called Richard Lawrence for the third time.
He hung up again.
After a long silence, I called R&D.
"Pack up all the data and files. It's time for us to go."
第3章
The voice on the other end was aged, and mostly puzzled.
"Didn't we succeed?"
After a few seconds of silence, I answered with a sigh.
"Someone wants to discard the tool once the work is done. So we'll give him exactly what he wants."
The call ended, and I began packing my things.
A dozen minutes later, Rachel pushed the door open without asking.
"Well, well. Planning to run off early?"
I looked up at her, then sat back down.
"Good timing. There are a few things I need to hand over."
Rachel dropped onto the couch and sprawled back against the cushions.
"Hand over what? You think you're still Director of R&D? Take a look at the company notice."
"Mr. Donaldson has already given the order. You're formally removed as Director of R&D."
"If I were you, I'd start thinking about whether I'm about to be facing prison time."
I heard it all without a flicker of expression, pulled out a stack of documents, and threw them straight in her face.
"This is everything you've done since you joined R&D."
Rachel didn't even glance at it. Cornered, she started cursing.
"Who do you think you are?"
"The backend work logs show you went to a lot of places you had no business going."
I didn't take up her words. I picked up a plain cardboard box and walked to the door.
"When you were hired, you signed a confidentiality agreement. I trust you haven't forgotten that."
"And if you have, it's simple. Just face it bravely when they come to hold you accountable."
I'd taken only a few steps out of the office when I stopped.
Donaldson and everyone in the company were watching me, and behind him stood two law-enforcement officers.
"Edith Simmons, some things are better cleared up."
Nigel Donaldson spread his hands, feigning helplessness.
"By the company's charter, your conduct has broken the law, so don't blame me."
When he finished, the two officers stepped forward.
"Ms. Simmons, we need your cooperation with an investigation."
I gave a short laugh. I hadn't expected them to be this ruthless.
"I don't really see the need. When I was hired, Mr. Lawrence himself said that without Director Simmons, there'd be no Tenglong today."
"You actually believe that? My guess is either Director Simmons has some backing—"
The crowd broke into murmurs. There were a few who wanted to speak up for me, but their voices were buried under a louder one.
"She's not Director Simmons!"
Rachel's shrill voice cut in from behind me.
"Everyone, check your work inbox. The company has already removed her!"
"As of now, she is a criminal suspect."
Seeing me stay silent, the two officers frowned, and Nigel Donaldson hurried forward to smooth things over.
"If you don't mind, you're welcome to question her here at the company."
"That won't be necessary."
I had no intention of accepting his kindness.
"I'll just go with them."
The two officers nodded and led the way. I followed behind, listening to the jeering swell louder.
Or maybe I should call it humiliation.
"Everyone, take a good look. This is what happens to people who harm the company's interests!"
Rachel was gloating, strutting like a rooster after a won fight.
"From this day on, let this be a lesson to all of you!"
Where she couldn't see, Nigel Donaldson frowned, took out his phone, and sent off a text.
"Everyone, quiet down. Don't let today's events go beyond these walls. Wait for the officers' findings."
Once the crowd settled, Nigel Donaldson jogged out after us.
"Officers, please, wait a moment."
The two officers stopped, and I stood where I was, curious what trick he'd try next.
"When the results of the investigation come out, could you tip us off first? After all, Tenglong Group is a publicly listed company."
第4章
Donaldson's attitude struck me as strange.
"Vice President Donaldson, Tenglong Group may be publicly listed, but it still has to follow legal procedure."
I cut off the road before the officer could open his mouth.
Half an hour later, my questioning formally began.
"Name."
"Edith Simmons."
"Age."
"Twenty-eight."
Once the standard run of questions was done, we reached the part that mattered.
"An employee of Tenglong Group has reported that you're suspected of forging dual contracts and funneling out a huge sum of money. Explain."
I drew a slow breath, took in the cramped, airless little room, and felt my thoughts tangle.
The R&D division was something I had built with my own hands.
As my senior fellow student and my partner, Richard Lawrence had made me a promise back then.
"As long as I'm chairman, every matter in R&D, large or small, is yours to handle."
Most important of all, on paper R&D was listed under Tenglong Group.
But in truth, it belonged to a separate company.
And I was its sole legal owner.
The sound of the officer across from me rapping on the table pulled me out of the memory.
"Staying silent won't do you any good. If there's more to this, you're welcome to say it."
I gave a small smile and spoke.
"If I told you I never did any of this, would you believe me?"
The older officer frowned in thought; the younger one kept his expression hard.
"The fact that we brought you in here means the evidence checks out. You say you didn't do it now, so what were you doing back then?"
"Edith Simmons, let me tell you, everyone who comes through here says they're innocent. We've seen more than enough of that. You'd better be honest."
I shook my head and sighed.
"In that case, let's just do it your way. I have nothing to say."
"That's enough for now."
Sunset, then sunrise.
I lived through the first day of my life spent in a detention center.
At Tenglong Group, Richard Lawrence was back.
Donaldson stood respectfully in front of his desk, head bowed as he reported.
"...and that's the whole of it. Edith Simmons has already been taken into custody by the law-enforcement bureau. How would you like to proceed?"
Richard was quiet for a moment, then asked with a look that was almost a smile.
"You're the man I've picked to steer this company one day. How do you think this should be handled?"
Donaldson weighed it before answering.
"R&D does fall under Tenglong Group, after all. If the chairman finds these losses acceptable, then I'd suggest we play it down and let it fade quietly."
"But if the chairman wants to use this to tighten up the way the company runs, this isn't a bad moment for it either."
Richard rose from behind his desk and came around it.
"You, you..."
He clapped Donaldson on the shoulder and pointed to the sofa off to the side.
"Sit, let's talk."
Richard went through the whole pour-over coffee ritual himself, filling Donaldson's cup a little over halfway.
"This Rachel Finch, where did she come from?"
Donaldson's head snapped up, his expression stunned.
"Wasn't she your arrangement?"
The two of them sat frozen for a moment before Richard's secretary shoved the door open.
"Chairman! We've got a problem! The R&D story is all over the internet!"