Chapter 50: Framed

  "Hello? This is Lin San!"

  "Hello, Deputy Director Lin, I'm Zhang Xiaomei, an accountant from the Finance Department." A soft and gentle woman's voice came from the receiver.

  Lin San was taken aback and asked in surprise: "Zhang Accountant, what brings you here?"

  "Oh, it's like this. Just now, the security department sent over a form for purchasing autumn security uniforms. I took a look and there are some problems...I'd like to discuss them with Deputy Director Lin, do you have time right now?" Zhang Xiaomei explained.

  "Yes, I have plenty of time now. Wait for a moment, I'll go to the finance department right away." After finishing speaking, Lin San hung up the phone, extinguished the cigarette butt and threw it into the ashtray, then stood up and left the office.

  A few minutes later, Lin San arrived at the 22nd floor finance department by elevator.

  The finance department has many offices, each with different divisions of labor. Some are responsible for workers' wages, some are responsible for workers' insurance, and some are responsible for purchasing office supplies... Zhang Xiaomei's office is specifically responsible for purchasing employee uniforms.

  After inquiring, Lin San arrived at Zhang Xiaomei's office. The door was slightly ajar, and Lin San knocked on it. There was no response from inside, so he knocked again for a while, but still, no one spoke. Lin San furrowed his brow and pushed the door open with his hand.

  The office was quiet and still, with no one in sight.

  Lin San stepped into the office and shouted loudly: "Is anyone there? Is anyone in?"

  The office is not very large, about ten square meters, with four tables in the middle. Each table has a computer and a pile of documents on it. It appears that there should be four people working in this office.

  "Huh? Where did everyone go?" Lin San muttered to himself.

  After waiting for about ten minutes, when Lin San was getting impatient, a woman in her 30s with long hair walked in from outside, carrying a stack of documents. Seeing Lin San standing in the office, the woman hesitated for a moment before saying: "You must be Deputy Director Lin?"

  Lin San nodded: "Right, I am Lin San, are you Accountant Zhang?"

  "I'm Zhang Xiaomei, Deputy Director Lin. I'm really sorry, I just attended a meeting and kept you waiting." Zhang Xiaomei said apologetically.

  Lin San waved his hand: "It's nothing, just waiting for another ten minutes or so, it doesn't matter. By the way, is there a problem with the form for purchasing autumn security uniforms?"

  "Oh, it's a problem with the quantity purchased." Zhang Xiaomei put down the document in her hand and picked up the purchase form for security uniforms from the desktop, pointing to the quantity column and saying: "According to my calculation, there are 211 security guards in the company, but here it is written as 210 people, probably a printing error."

  "Is this the case?" Lin San frowned, casually picked up the form and took a look, and indeed saw that the quantity column printed 210 names. When Lin San became the deputy director, he had seen the security registration book and knew that the company actually had 211 security guards. Earlier when Gao Xue brought the form over, Lin San hadn't looked carefully and directly signed his name. He didn't expect to make such a mistake. Lin San said apologetically: "Zhang Accountant, sorry, it's my negligence, I'll take it back and modify it now."

  "Bring it over before you get off work this afternoon." Zhang Xiaomei said with a smile.

  Lin nodded three times and said goodbye to Zhang Xiaomei before leaving the finance department.

  Back at the security office, Lin San immediately called Gao Xue over and asked her how she got the number of security guards wrong.

  Gao Xue took a look at the form and immediately apologized to Lin San, saying that the form had been printed by the printing room early in the morning and she hadn't checked it carefully when she picked it up. She suspected that the printing room staff had made a mistake due to carelessness.

  Strictly speaking, this is not a big deal. Lin reminded Gao Xue of several things and let Gao Xue take the form to revise it.

  After sending away Gao Xue, Lin San found a box of tea leaves, made a cup of tea, picked up a newspaper and sat on the sofa, reading it comfortably.

  More than an hour has passed unknowingly.

  "Knock knock knock." A knocking sound came from the door.

  Lin San put down the newspaper and shouted: "Come in."

  The door was pushed open and Deputy Director Guan Yue led two security guards in.

  Lin San stood up and walked forward, smiling: "Deputy Director Guan, what brings you here?"

  Guan Yue glanced at Lin San and said lightly: "Deputy Director Lin, Director Xia has asked you to go to his office for a moment."

  "What's wrong?"

  "You'll know when you go." Guan Yue's attitude was somewhat cold, and with a wave of her hand, the two security guards who had followed Guan Yue in surrounded Lin San.

  Lin San furrowed his brow, feeling that something was off. Normally, Guan Yue would greet him with a smile and courtesy, but now he seemed cold and distant. Moreover, even if Xia Hou had business to discuss with Lin San, there was no need for Guan Yue to have the security guards escort him over. Furthermore, Lin San noticed that the two security guards surrounding him had unfriendly gazes.

  "Deputy Director Lin, please," Guan Yue stretched out her hand and made a gesture of invitation.

  Lin San hesitated for a moment and walked out of the office with his feet raised.

  Guan Yue led two security guards closely following Lin San, with a hint of "escorting" flavor.

  Before long, Lin San arrived at the Security Chief's office accompanied by Guan Yue and San.

  As soon as Lin San walked into the office, he was stunned. He didn't expect Gu Changfeng and Gu Jialan to be in the office too. At this time, Gu Changfeng was sitting on the sofa, quietly smoking a cigarette, while Gu Jialan sat beside him. When she saw Lin San walk in, a hint of worry flashed across her eyes.

  Gu Changfeng was still standing next to two people, one was the head of the security department Xia Hou, and the other was Zhang Xiaomei, an accountant in the finance department who Lin San had just met.

  "Hello, Director Gu, Miss Gu, Chief Xia." Lin San was shocked in his heart, but still greeted Gu Changfeng and others according to the rules.

  Gu Changfeng looked up and glanced at Lin San, then lowered his head again to continue smoking, without saying a word.

  Gu Jialan's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something to Lin San, but the words reached his mouth and somehow swallowed back.

  Guan Yue and two security guards stood quietly at the door, their expressions very serious.

  The atmosphere in the office was somewhat eerie, Gu Changfeng didn't speak a word, and everyone else kept their mouths tightly shut.

  Gu Changfeng extinguished the nearly burnt-out cigarette butt in the ashtray, looked up at Lin San and asked: "Lin San, do you know why I called you here?"

  Lin San shook his head, a hint of puzzlement on his face.

  Gu Changfeng furrowed his brow and turned to glance at Xia Hou.

  Xia Hou immediately stepped forward, pointing at Lin San and shouting loudly: "Lin San, do you confess?"

  Lin San was confused by Xia Hou: "Director Xia, I don't understand what you mean, what crime am I supposed to admit to?" Lin San thought for a moment, these past few days he had been going to work on time and hadn't done anything out of the ordinary.

  "Hmph! You still dare to be stubborn now? I'm asking you, did you steal 100,000 yuan from the finance department?" Xia Hou said coldly.

  "Wait a minute!" Lin San suddenly interrupted Xia Hou's words, frowning and saying: "You said I stole 100,000 from the finance department? What evidence do you have?"

  "Of course I have evidence." Xia Hou turned his head and glanced at Zhang Xiaomei standing beside him: "Zhang accountant, you say."

  Zhang Xiaomei nodded and said: "This afternoon, when I was sorting out the account book, I suddenly found that the 100,000 yuan in the drawer was gone. It was just taken out from the safe deposit box, ready to be used for purchasing autumn work clothes for the sales department. At first, I thought I had forgotten where I put it, but after searching the entire office, I couldn't find the 100,000 yuan anywhere. Finally, I confirmed that the money was indeed lost...... After thinking carefully, I remembered that after taking the money out of the safe deposit box, I attended a meeting for about ten minutes before returning to the office, and found Vice Director Lin standing in the office..." Zhang Xiaomei stopped speaking at this point.

  At this time, Lin San finally figured out what was going on. It turned out that when the finance department lost money, he happened to be at the scene and was thus suspected of being the thief.

  Xiahou sneered: "Lin San, what else do you have to say now?"

  Lin San slightly furrowed his brow and said: "It was Zhang Xiaomei, the accountant, who called me to go to the finance department because there was a problem with the form for purchasing autumn security uniforms. When I arrived at the finance department, I found that Zhang Xiaomei, the accountant, was not there, so I waited in her office for a while. However, I absolutely did not take that 100,000 yuan."

  "Hmph! A thief has never admitted to stealing money on their own initiative." Xia Hou said with a cold smile.

  "Director Xia, why are you so sure it was me who stole the money? Just because I was alone in Zhang's office?" Lin San felt very indignant at being wrongly accused of stealing.

  "I've already asked other colleagues in the finance department, and during the time I was away at the meeting, only you entered my office." At this point, Zhang Xiaomei interjected.

  Lin San glanced at Zhang Xiaomei: "Zhang Accountant, did you see me take that 100,000 yuan with your own eyes? Even if I entered your office, can't it be assumed that I stole the money just because of that?"

  "After all, you are the most suspicious." Zhang Xiaomei curled her lips.

  "I'd say you're the most disgusting! Lin San's face sank: "I suspect you of embezzlement and framing me on purpose!"

  "You... you're talking nonsense!" Zhang Xiaomei's eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of panic, and she said hastily.

  Lin San was just casually saying it and didn't suspect Zhang Xiaomei at all. After all, Zhang Xiaomei was an accountant in the finance department and shouldn't be stupid enough to do something like embezzlement. However, when Lin San saw a flash of panic in Zhang Xiaomei's eyes, his heart suddenly moved, and vaguely, he seemed to have thought of something, but it wasn't clear for the time being.

  "Lin San, don't make baseless accusations! Zhang the accountant has been working in the company for many years, he's diligent and responsible, with a good reputation. How could he possibly do something like embezzlement?" Xia Hou glared at Lin San.

  "Let's all just stop arguing." Gu Changfeng suddenly said.

  The big boss has spoken, Xiahou and Lin San, Zhang Xiaomei walked away with their tails between their legs, no longer arguing.

  Gu Changfeng looked up and swept a glance at Xia Hou, Zhang Xiaomei, and Lin San, finally fixing his gaze on Lin San. He slowed down his tone and said: "Lin San, if you really took that 100,000 yuan, just confess honestly. Considering you saved Jialan's life, I won't pursue it too much..." It seems Gu Changfeng has also determined that the money was stolen by Lin San.

  Lin San interrupted Gu Changfeng's words, his face sinking as he said: "Chairman Gu, I really didn't steal the money. Lin San may be poor, but I wouldn't do something so damaging to my morals."

  "I believe Lin San didn't steal the money." Gu Jialan, who was sitting beside him, suddenly spoke up.