I Can Devour Spirits

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu, one in front and one behind, stepped into the Document Library.

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong’s back and said, ”Xu Shouxian wants to assign me an assistant. Why did you stop him? You have an assistant yourself, so you’re just leaving my matters aside?”

Duan Rong turned his head, fixed his gaze on Xiao Yu, hesitated a bit, then took a few steps back, leaned closer to Xiao Yu, lowered his voice, and said seriously, ”More people mean more eyes.”

Xiao Yu’s heart stirred. She looked at Duan Rong’s earnest and cautious expression, a look of contemplation in her eyes. Duan Rong clearly had something more to say, hinting at something.

Duan Rong stood there, the scent of rouge emanating from Xiao Yu filled his nostrils, stirring his emotions. Duan Rong touched his nose and turned to walk towards a desk in the corner of the Document Library.

But Xiao Yu still couldn’t understand what Duan Rong meant. They were just pretending to check the accounts, so what was there to be afraid of others seeing?

Xiao Yu wanted to ask Duan Rong more questions, but at that moment, she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer from the corridor. It was clear that Huang Qing was back. Xiao Yu suppressed her doubts and walked straight over to sit silently at the desk.

Duan Rong sat in front of the desk and looked again at the entry he had already checked.

An account of over three thousand taels, of which more than five hundred taels had been embezzled.

So, in a month’s accounts, how much more could there be? In a year? And from which year did it start? Two years, three years, or five years?

This labyrinth of nested accounts, concealing the scandal of embezzlement, if uncovered, would undoubtedly cause a great uproar!

Duan Rong had entered the back courtyard’s accounting room with no intention of actually checking the accounts, just like he had just told Xu Shouxian: to muddle along, turning a blind eye to things, was the way to coexist. That was his true thought.

If he really wanted to check the accounts, he could easily devour a few Artifact Spirits in this back courtyard accounting room and gain the ability of an experienced old accountant.

But he had no intention of truly checking the accounts, because from the lessons of Xiao Zongting’s mid-year inventory, it was clear that Xu Shouxian was a petty-minded person who held grudges. If he really found some problems, who knows how Xu Shouxian might retaliate against him in the future?

However, now, things were completely different!

This was not about the minor issues during the mid-year inventory; this was the Achilles’ heel, Ruan Fengshan’s reverse scale!

Duan Rong could almost be certain that if this issue was exposed, Xu Shouxian would be doomed!

And a dead man, how could he retaliate against him?

Moreover, Xu Shouxian wasn’t just opposing him; he was also against Xiao Zongting. Getting rid of this person would allow Elder Xiao to handle matters more efficiently in Yuan Shun Escort Agency in the future.

Duan Rong sat at the desk, his eyes flickering. After several thoughts, he had decided to bring this matter to light!

However, he had to ensure that he could retreat safely in this overwhelming wave!

The current situation was undoubtedly to his advantage!

No one believed they were seriously checking the accounts, and even fewer would think he could understand the nested labyrinth of accounts!

Duan Rong decided to use the remaining four and a half days to thoroughly investigate the accounts for the month of December, the slow season for the Escort Agency’s business, which therefore has fewer accounts.

But, it was still a full month, and based on the discrepancies in the accounts for this month, he could roughly deduce the situation for the entire year.

That way, with the data for the whole of December, he could pin down Xu Shouxian immediately, to prevent delays that might lead to changes!

Having made up his mind, Duan Rong flipped through the summary account of December with a swift motion, turning to the first page, determined to start from the beginning.

Duan Rong took the account, pointed to the first entry on the first page, and looked at Huang Qing. ”Brother Huang Qing, would you please find the relevant account books for this entry.”

Huang Qing glanced at the entry, then got up and went to the shelves to search.

As soon as Huang Qing walked away, Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu and said, ”You should help him as well! It’s too slow for him to look for them alone.”

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong with confusion. ”You just stopped me from getting an assistant in the corridor, and now you’re ordering me to work! What are you trying to do?”

Faced with Xiao Yu’s questioning, Duan Rong could only smile helplessly and say, ”Isn’t flipping through the account books too annoying as well?”

Xiao Yu was momentarily speechless at Duan Rong’s words, as she indeed was already fed up.

”At least you’ll have something to do looking for account books on the shelves? Just to pass the time!” Duan Rong persuaded earnestly.

Seeing Xiao Yu still sitting there hesitating, he pleaded, ”Just consider it helping me out... alright?”

”Fine!” Xiao Yu, unable to resist Duan Rong’s persistent persuasion, stood up and joined Huang Qing in searching the shelves for account books.

Xiao Yu wasn’t very familiar at first, but with Huang Qing’s pointers and guidance, she quickly grasped the organization of the account books.

However, with both of them searching for account books, they were still a bit slower than Duan Rong’s pace. Duan Rong would occasionally urge them, causing Xiao Yu to become quite annoyed. She stood in front of the shelves, her beautiful eyes glaring at Duan Rong, who was seated at the desk. ”What’s with the rushing? Aren’t we looking already?”

The final signer for the first account entry of December was Zhu Shicheng.

Xiao Yu gathered a few relevant account books and slapped them angrily onto the desk in front of Duan Rong, who was focused on the accounts and didn’t notice Xiao Yu’s mood at all.

He picked up those account books and quickly flipped through them, spreading them all out in front of him.

Xiao Yu was initially quite upset, but as she watched Duan Rong’s serious and focused demeanor, his eyes sparkling, she suddenly felt a sense of disorientation. She remembered what Duan Rong had said at the entrance of the Document Library: more people mean more eyes.

Xiao Yu’s heart suddenly brightened, and she stared at Duan Rong, who was buried in the account books, not knowing why, but she suddenly felt that Duan Rong could understand the accounts. She was almost certain that Duan Rong’s current demeanor was not an act.

Once she thought of this, the resentment she felt vanished without a trace...

At that moment, Duan Rong suddenly picked up one of the account books, pointed to an entry, and looked at Xiao Yu. ”Find the account book for this entry as well.”

Duan Rong was immersed in the account labyrinth, and his tone had an unconscious sense of firm command.

If Xiao Yu had still been in that earlier state of anger, she would have lost her temper now. However, at this moment, Xiao Yu took one look at the entry and went to the shelves to search for the account book without a word.

What Duan Rong asked Xiao Yu to find was already the second layer of this nested entry.

About half an hour later, in front of Duan Rong’s desk, there were more than thirty accounts spread open.

And only now did Duan Rong finally complete his thorough inspection of this triple-nested entry.

This entry, signed and confirmed by Zhu Shicheng, totaled over two thousand four hundred taels of silver, with a discrepancy of over four hundred twenty taels after inspection.

The proportion of embezzled silver coins was almost the same as the entry previously signed and confirmed by Xu Shouxian.

Duan Rong’s eyes flickered; he believed this was no coincidence.