Chapter 16: Assuming Office (Part 4)

Their eyes met, and Tan Yiwu looked slightly taken aback. To be fair, he usually enjoyed it when subordinates came to him for instructions, because every step of that process allowed him to display his unquestionable majesty and towering authority. Yet, in the current atmosphere, Tan Yiwu seemed to sense the other man's true intentions.

"Oh? Is there something else of importance? Let me guess—it must be about Wen Lu, am I right?"

A faint smile touched the corner of Tan Yiwu’s mouth as he asked calmly.

Zhang Maolin replied:

"President Tan, your foresight is truly godlike! This is a matter we cannot evade no matter what. You may not realize how many people in Songyang's society are currently paying attention to and discussing this. The pressure on our leadership team is immense! Public opinion will directly impact the public image of our XingShang Bank.

Some time ago, reporters from several media outlets including Songyang TV Station, Songyang Daily, and Songyang Evening Bank came successively to our municipal branch requesting interviews, all of which President Weixin gently persuaded and brushed off with excuses. However, this is ultimately not the final way to solve the problem. The more we refuse to make the truth public, the easier it is for public opinion to become extreme, bizarre, or derailed, and in the end, it is our own social image at XingShang Bank that suffers. As the newly appointed 'head of the team,' I must give an account to all sides."

"Hmm..."

Tan Yiwu did not offer much of a response, merely nodding mechanically.

Zhang Maolin continued:

"According to the explanation given by the provincial branch, the Wen Lu incident was merely a simple traffic accident. As the former Secretary of Discipline Inspection, I myself had hoped it would be that simple, because any other complications would only make the problem more complicated—a situation none of us wish to see! But the crux of the matter now is the more than three million yuan in 'inheritance' left behind by Wen Lu—allow me to temporarily call it 'inheritance'—which has pushed this issue right to the forefront of the storm! Furthermore, Wen Lu’s family members have approached the municipal branch repeatedly, demanding an explanation regarding those massive sums of money.

Not long ago, President Weixin received Wen Lu’s family members on several occasions. As far as I know, the two sides ultimately failed to reach a clear-cut conclusion. Regarding this, Wen Lu's family is extremely dissatisfied. The focal point of the conflict is the origin of those three-million-plus funds, the payers involved, and the final disposition of the money.

I can sense that when dealing with this matter, President Weixin seemed to have unspeakable difficulties, always beating around the bush and dodging the issue. To be honest, if it were not out of consideration for my personal standing, Wen Lu’s father-in-law, Tao Shouli, would have already gone to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to report the situation. Even so, we should not maintain this lukewarm attitude all the time. At the very least, our municipal branch Party committee must eventually give their entire family a clear accounting."

"Then, what content do you think constitutes a 'clear accounting'? At present, what can XingShang Bank possibly answer?"

Tan Yiwu asked coldly.

"At the very least, there is one point we cannot avoid: explaining clearly to them the exact origin of the three-million-yuan fixed deposit under Wen Lu's name, along with other related information. Because once scrutinized by the municipal branch's audit team, all of these details have already become quite clear."

Zhang Maolin answered.

"What if we truly cannot explain it clearly? Or what if we have no intention of explaining it clearly to them at all? After all, this was originally nothing more than a simple traffic accident. Moreover, as far as I understand, Wen Lu’s family does not seem interested in the money. Since they are all noble-minded people, why must they pursue the specific origin of those funds?!"

Tan Yiwu’s tone carried a clear hint of impatience.

Zhang Maolin hesitated slightly before continuing:

"By reviewing past accounts and accounting vouchers, these details can certainly be figured out! In fact, the inspection results from the previous period are already out. Could it be that President Weixin hasn't reported these circumstances to you?"

Zhang Maolin distinctly felt Tan Yiwu’s mood undergo a rapid change in an instant. Yet, matters having reached this point, he truly did not intend to evade anything. Wang Weixin had never made the audit and inspection report regarding Wen Lu's leftover accounts public to the other members of the leadership team, a fact that had always grated on Zhang Maolin! Although he had never uttered a single word of criticism about this in public, when he privately asked Wang Weixin for permission to review the inspection report and was politely refused, Zhang Maolin could not help but feel secretly and intensely irritated!

"It seems that before stepping down, President Wang indeed did not discuss this aspect with you. Old Wang is truly something; how could he keep his guard up against the Secretary of Discipline Inspection regarding matters of work? It's utterly preposterous!"

Tan Yiwu’s counter-question felt exceedingly forced.

Zhang Maolin knew very well that Tan Yiwu was asking while knowing the answer and playing dumb! The reason Wang Weixin so strictly sealed off the audit situation concerning Wen Lu's money must have had a backing. Furthermore, nine times out of ten, the original intention behind such a confidentiality requirement stemmed from the top figures at the provincial branch.

Zhang Maolin gradually pieced together a clue—the contents within the audit report must be quite 'rich,' inevitably containing many covert 'plots.' The reason the inspectors dared to keep their lips sealed even toward Zhang Maolin, the Secretary of Discipline Inspection, was absolutely because they had been deeply brainwashed in advance by Wang Weixin or simply given strict orders! As for that day in Room 818 of the Songyang Hotel, Teng Deming and Wang Weixin's "live broadcast" performance revolving around the "audit report" right in front of Zhang Maolin was even more of a pre-arranged "double act"...

Zhang Maolin could well imagine the weight of this audit report. He believed that the reason Wang Weixin preferred to let him harbor misunderstandings and even develop lingering resentment rather than reveal a single word of this material was because the story behind the matter was so complex and sensitive that once leaked, he himself would certainly be unable to bear the consequences.

In Zhang Maolin’s eyes, Wang Weixin was usually an extremely slick and worldly person who would never stubbornly stick to his guns and pick a fight with someone over a trivial matter! Especially toward him, Wang Weixin was practically accommodating to every request. Although Wang Weixin always put on a stern face in front of the employees, he generally adopted a lighthearted, "let's all be friends" approach when dealing with members of the leadership team...

Watching Tan Yiwu silently stare at him, Zhang Maolin understood that the other man was waiting for his reply, so he said:

"President Wang has spoken to me about Wen Lu's past work, but he has never mentioned the specific origins of these massive sums of money. Because President Weixin had specially emphasized at the Party committee meeting that, given the sensitivity and particularity of the matter, the audit team was personally overseen by him and reported directly to the provincial branch Party committee. Therefore, it was impossible for us deputy heads to proactively inquire about these details."

Tan Yiwu said:

"I see. What about President Deming? Did he not discuss these circumstances with you either? He is, after all, a native son of Songyang, born and raised, and he pays close attention to this matter!"

Tan Yiwu pursued the question with a theatrical air.

To Zhang Maolin, these few inquiries from Tan Yiwu felt like someone tossing a basket of slippery loaches right into his arms—on the surface, there were certainly objects present, but in the end, you couldn't grab onto a single thing!

Tan Yiwu’s circular responses left Zhang Maolin looking somewhat tongue-tied. He truly did not know how to answer the other man's words, so he simply laid everything out on the table:

"President Tan, if it is inconvenient for you to speak, then I have no qualification to continue prying. Should you have no reservations, please tell me straight—what on earth are the origins of those funds?"

Tan Yiwu managed a forced smile:

"Ha-ha, it seems you are a person with a rather strong desire for verification! Well then, let's wait a couple of days and have Vice President Teng explain it to you. Since this matter has always been under his specific charge, and everyone has been very busy lately, and the provincial branch hasn't found the time to hold a special meeting on the subject, it's not appropriate for me to say much either. However, Maolin, I want to give you an extra reminder: this promotion of yours was deliberated over and over by the provincial branch Party committee. To speak the truth, it is not 'universally acclaimed,' and there are quite a few 'discords' mixed in! Ha-ha, of course, our leadership team still trusts you in the end! As the head of a municipal-level branch, you must prioritize the big picture. What is the big picture? For the present, doing a good job in credit base-probing inspections, ensuring problem handling and rectification are fully in place, and welcoming the head office's inspection in the most relaxed state to pass smoothly—that is the big picture.

The chief executive must concentrate fully on major contradictions and fundamental issues. By comparison, all those other trivial matters are secondary contradictions. As for Wen Lu's affair, the provincial branch is not without an attitude, and it attaches great importance to it as well. Not long ago, the material you wrote for me was already discussed and passed at the provincial branch Party committee meeting. From now on, matters concerning discipline inspection and supervision will be primarily handled by Comrade Shiyan, dispatched from the provincial branch. This young man has a good foundation; he graduated from a finance and economics university and has served as a sub-branch president. He is an outstanding talent among the reserve cadres of the provincial branch. Assigning him to work by your side was basically my idea. I hope you will dare to delegate power, be good at recognizing and employing talent, clear the skies for the young man, and let him forge a brand-new landscape for discipline inspection and supervision work at the Songyang XingShang Bank!

Remember my words: now that you are the 'chief executive,' your main energy must be placed on the macro-decision-making of the bank's operation and management! Your task now is to rapidly transform your mindset in a short period of time and adapt to your new post. Making a glamorous transformation from an outstanding Secretary of Discipline Inspection to a top-tier branch president—this is a metamorphosis! Of course, the process along the way can be described as fraught with a thousand perils, so you must personally and comprehensively practice this sentence for my sake! Understand?"