Chapter Four: The Sudden Appearance of a Large Fortune (Part One)
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…By the direct order of Branch Manager Wang Weixin, the long-sealed office of Wen Lu was to be opened only in the presence of all members of the city branch leadership team, the main members of the city branch’s “Emergency Response Leadership Group” (including the heads of Security, Human Resources, and the Office), as well as Wen Lu’s family.
…
After days of closure, the air in Wen Lu’s office was thick with a musty, stale odor, and the light inside seemed unusually dim. On the spacious crimson artificial marble windowsill, several once-thriving plants had completely withered to yellow. Their once-plump stems and leaves now fell and scattered instantly with the slightest movement of air. In the fish tank, two prized “Golden Dragon” fish floated stiffly dead on the surface, emitting a nauseating stench of decay that permeated the room…
The weary Zhang Maolin remained silent throughout, his gaze fixed downward on the colorful photographs pressed beneath the glass panel on the desk. At the center were several group photos from various cultural and sports events held over the years by the city branch staff, especially those taken at Huangshan, Hainan, and Jiuzhaigou—Wen Lu and Zhang Maolin standing side by side, beneath blue skies and white clouds, framed by verdant grass and flowing streams…
Zhang Maolin stared unblinkingly at Wen Lu’s face—an image forever etched in his memory, eternally youthful, especially those deep, soulful eyes that seemed now to silently urge him to heed some urgent message.
His eyes grew warm and moist. Raising his head, he walked slowly to the window and gazed outside.
…
Seven or eight people stood silently, as if compressing the limited space until it might collapse.
At this moment, Wang Weixin’s expression was unlike before—deeply downcast and obviously weary, his tone especially heavy and subdued:
“Today, everyone is present, and especially Wen Lu’s family. We will now open Comrade Wen Lu’s safe, file cabinet, and all drawers. All official documents will remain here, to be organized, summarized, and registered by the office. All other personal belongings belonging to Comrade Wen Lu will be handed over to his family after they sign the transfer and registration list.”
Wang Weixin turned to Wen Lu’s wife, Tao Ye:
“Comrade Tao Ye, on behalf of the Party Committee of the Songyang City Commercial Bank, I thank your entire family for your understanding and cooperation with our work. Your kindness and magnanimity move me deeply. As Wen Lu’s wife, your farsightedness and consideration for the bigger picture truly carry on the excellent character and noble integrity that Wen Lu embodied throughout his life. At this moment, as the city branch manager, I assure you that the Party Committee will do its utmost to reciprocate. Though Comrade Wen Lu has departed, his spirit endures, and his family remains. I can responsibly promise you that within the policy framework allowed by the provincial bank, the city branch will take the fullest economic considerations into account, ensuring your family’s views and requests are fully respected, to comfort Wen Lu’s spirit in heaven.”
Wang Weixin’s voice was clearly hoarse. Before finishing, he clasped Tao Shouli’s hands tightly and spoke with deep feeling:
“Brother Shouli, please take care of your health and keep your grief in check.”
Tao Shouli trembled as he replied, “Thank you, leaders and colleagues, for all your efforts.”
“Mm. Thank you, Manager Wang, and all the leaders for your concern!”
Tao Ye’s trembling words were barely audible.
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Since no one knew the combination to Wen Lu’s safe, the office director had no choice but to call in a boiler worker from logistics to forcibly open it using a cutting machine…
Within half an hour, every lock in the room was destructively breached, and the distinct smell of metal being cut gradually filled the air.
…
When Office Director Kan Li piled all the items onto Wen Lu’s desk, everyone’s eyes focused on a pale blue “fixed deposit certificate” and a bright red “passbook.”
—The fixed deposit certificate showed three million yuan; the demand deposit passbook had 385,000 yuan!
“Ah, oh…”
A chorus of astonished murmurs filled the room!
Silence followed—a silence as heavy as death!
Only the mechanical watch on Tao Shouli’s wrist ticked softly.
Wang Weixin was dumbfounded. His stiff body trembled slightly before he slowly picked up the certificate and passbook.
His eyes strained as if staring at ancient artifacts from millennia past.
—Speculation, suspicion, anger, hatred…
A complex storm of emotions was frozen upon Wang Weixin’s fleshy, swollen face.
His expression twitched. He put the documents down, then picked them up again; down and up—repeatedly.
In full view of everyone, Wang Weixin’s mechanical, almost comical, repetitive actions resembled those of a patient undergoing cognitive rehabilitation.
Zhang Maolin stepped forward. He clearly saw the numbers Kan Li had just announced printed on the two paper certificates, with the name “Wen Lu” clearly stamped in the upper left corner.
Wang Weixin’s scattered gaze wriggled like a startled worm, aimlessly drifting before settling on a barely perceptible expression of timidity.
He lit a cigarette of Asma brand and took a slow look around, the grayish-white smoke bands immediately swirling around him.
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Finally, Wang Weixin fixed his gaze on the stunned Zhang Maolin and muttered to himself:
“Three million, three hundred eighty-five thousand; three million, three hundred eighty-five thousand! How could Wen Lu have so much money? Huh? Does anyone know?”
Though seemingly talking to himself, he anxiously hoped for an immediate answer.
“I don’t know, it can’t be true, what’s going on here?!”
Tao Shouli spoke shakily, his hands crossed over his belly, nervously rubbing.
Tao Ye was even more shocked! A strong woman who had served as director of the Enterprise Supervision Division of the Songyang Audit Bureau for many years, her usual composure and restraint were instantly overtaken by disbelief. She stared fixedly at the string of numbers on the paper, her heart pounding violently, challenging her usual steadiness.
Hesitantly, Tao Ye asked:
“Manager Wang, this—is this some kind of mistake?”
“Absolutely not.”
Wang Weixin’s two words were resolute and decisive.
“There is no one else named ‘Wen Lu’ in the entire Songyang City Commercial Bank! I’d like to ask you father and daughter to think carefully and explain—did your family ever know about this deposit certificate and passbook?”
Once flustered, Wang Weixin now appeared much calmer, his expression mysteriously stern as he scrutinized the Tao family.
“No, absolutely not. We couldn’t possibly have that much money! Wen Lu’s parents lived by farming; I don’t think they knew anything either!”
Tao Shouli’s answer was straightforward.
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