Chapter 178: The Failed Frame-Up

Outside the entire Planning Department, a crowd had gathered, so dense that not a drop of water could seep through. The woman who had once been so arrogant now appeared unusually subdued. When Lin Pingle pulled up some data, many things became crystal clear.

“You’re also here waiting for the show, huh? Good thing I didn’t miss it…”

Exchanging glances with Qin Menglu, Xiao Yufan’s lips curved into a faint smile. Yet beneath that smile lay a chilling coldness.

“I just happened to walk by. Where’s the question of watching a show? Don’t you all have such leisurely days in the Planning Department? It’s still working hours, you know…”

“Rest assured, it won’t take too much time. I just want to know why the surveillance video clearly shows the Director had visited the Planning Department, and coincidentally, a new file appeared on my computer!”

Xiao Yufan suddenly felt like playing with this guy. Someone who couldn’t even cover his tracks properly dared to frame others? He realized he had overestimated this person’s intelligence by quite a bit.

“Isn’t it perfectly normal for me to come to the Planning Department? The various departments of the company are naturally closely connected. Do you mean to say I need your permission wherever I go?”

“That’s not necessary, of course. Besides, I’m not the least bit interested in you. But you still owe me an explanation about the payroll issue. Could there really be errors in the financial records?”

“It was a mistake from the Finance Department. At that time, a new employee was in charge of the data entry, which caused a considerable oversight. I’ve already fired him, which I hope serves as an explanation to the company.”

Responding with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, Qin Lou had already planned his escape route from the beginning. If the framing failed, he could easily shift the blame onto someone else, ensuring he himself remained unscathed.

Everyone present wasn’t foolish; they could naturally see through the trickery. Although Xiao Yufan didn’t expose it directly, everyone understood clearly—Qin Lou must have been scheming behind the scenes and then shifted the blame onto someone else.

Seeing Qin Lou cornered, many passionate young people felt secretly delighted. Relying on connections to get into the company, without any real ability or achievement, these were exactly the things they despised.

“It seems the Director is indeed very conscientious. Still, I hope the Finance Department won’t make such mistakes again. Otherwise, the company might as well keep some guard dogs instead of employing you all…”

Feeling the unusual atmosphere around him, Xiao Yufan’s mocking smile deepened. He secretly decided that once he took over the company, he would completely change its current state; otherwise, the enterprise would only continue to decline.

“After all, one should always leave a little room for maneuver. There’s no need to be so harsh, right? Or do you want to publicly confront the Finance Department? I’ve already explained everything clearly. Could you possibly want to hold the Finance Department accountable?”

“If I were to hold the Finance Department accountable, would the Director then expel me from the company? It’s already been several days, yet I haven’t been kicked out of Huihuang. I’m still right here, aren’t I?”

“Hmph, just luck so far. Wait until this period passes—I’ll see how arrogant you can still be!”

His sore spot exposed, Qin Lou’s expression darkened. He had tried repeatedly to get Xiao Yufan expelled from Huihuang, but all his attempts had failed. He guessed it must be because the heir apparent to Huihuang was about to enter the company, so many matters had been temporarily shelved.

“I’m waiting to see just how you’ll manage to force me out of Huihuang. Don’t end up slapping your own face in the process…”

Faced with such a hollow threat, Xiao Yufan merely shook his head with a smile. Then he stretched slightly and turned to walk toward the office. Dealing with someone like this wasn’t even worth using his status within Huihuang.

After Xiao Yufan left, everyone else also dispersed uninterestedly. Since the show was over, there was naturally nothing more for them to do…

“You’re nothing. Just wait—I’ll grab my chance. Not only will I drive you out of Huihuang, I’ll make sure there’s no place for you to hide in all of Beijing!”

Qin Lou angrily waved his hand, his lips curling into an unusually sinister smile. After several consecutive failures, his patience had finally run out. He wouldn’t rest easy until Xiao Yufan was expelled from the company.

“Director, why does your face keep changing color—green, then white? Are you sick? If you are, you should go see a doctor quickly…”

Seeing Qin Lou’s expression fluctuating, Qin Menglu—who hadn’t yet left—spoke seemingly with great concern. Xiao Yufan, who hadn’t walked far, nearly collapsed upon hearing this. This girl really seemed determined to anger Qin Lou to death.

“Miss Qin, don’t worry. I’m just a little hot. I still have work to do, so I won’t accompany you further…”

Seeing her innocent smile, Qin Lou inexplicably felt a chill down his spine. He would rather believe this girl hadn’t just coincidentally wandered by, but had conspired with Xiao Yufan all along!

“Is it really that hot? I’m wearing so many layers and still feel cold. It seems the Director really is sick—and quite seriously at that…”

As Qin Lou turned to leave, Qin Menglu muttered softly under her breath. The latter stumbled slightly, nearly falling to the ground. Facing such a little devil, he could only resign himself to bad luck.

“Brother Fan, you’re simply my god in my heart! Qin Lou is notoriously petty in the company, yet you managed to tame him completely. We can only admire you from afar…”

“Admire me nothing! I’m not into guys, please! Don’t make me want to punch you, okay?”

Xiao Yufan had long gotten used to Lin Ping’s teasing. Although the latter’s mood had seemed a bit off lately, it hadn’t been too obvious, so nothing seemed particularly unusual.

“Just because this time his scheme didn’t affect you doesn’t mean he’ll stay quiet forever. The Qin family’s influence in Huihuang is still quite strong…”

“He still has the capital to play with me for now. But in a few days, I’ll make him unable to even cry!”

Outside the entire planning department, the area was completely blocked off. The woman who had been so arrogant earlier now appeared very subdued. When Lin Pingle pulled up some data, many things became very clear.

“Minister, you’re here to watch the show too, huh? Good thing I didn’t miss it…”

After exchanging a glance with Qin Menglu, Xiao Yufan’s lips curled into a faint smile, though beneath that smile lay a bone-chilling coldness.

“I just happened to pass by. What do you mean by ‘watching the show’? Is the planning department really that leisurely? This is working hours, after all…”

“Don’t worry, it won’t take much time. I just want to know why the surveillance footage shows that you, Minister, have been to the planning department, and coincidentally, a new file appeared on my computer!”

Xiao Yufan suddenly felt like playing with this guy. He couldn’t even cover his tracks properly, yet he was trying to frame someone else. He realized he had overestimated this person’s intelligence.

“Isn’t it normal for me to visit the planning department? All departments in the company are closely connected. Do I need to bribe you to go wherever I want?”

“That’s not necessary, and besides, I have no interest in you whatsoever. But you still owe me an explanation about the payroll card issue. Are you saying the fund flow was fake?”

“This was a mistake by our finance department. A new employee was responsible for the data entry, and there were significant errors. I’ve already fired him, so consider this a resolution for the company.”

Qin Lou responded with a forced smile. He had already planned his escape route. If the framing didn’t work, he could easily shift the blame onto someone else, leaving himself unscathed.

Everyone present was no fool; they could see through the trickery. Although Xiao Yufan didn’t explicitly point it out, it was clear to everyone that Qin Lou was behind the scenes, shifting the blame onto others.

Seeing Qin Lou in a tight spot, many of the passionate young employees felt a secret thrill. Qin Lou had entered the company through nepotism, was incompetent, and achieved nothing—all things they despised.

“Looks like the Minister is quite dedicated. But I hope the finance department won’t make such mistakes again. Otherwise, the company might as well hire watchdogs instead of you…”

Sensing the unusual mood in the room, Xiao Yufan’s smirk grew even more pronounced. He silently resolved to completely overhaul the company’s current state once he took over, or else the company would only decline.

“Let’s leave some room for maneuver. No need to be so harsh. Are you trying to openly challenge the finance department? I’ve already explained the situation. Are you still going to hold the finance department accountable?”

“If I were to hold the finance department accountable, would you, Minister, kick me out of the company? It’s been several days, and I’m still here, safe and sound!”

“Hmph, just a stroke of luck. Once this blows over, let’s see how you keep up your arrogance!”

Hit where it hurt, Qin Lou’s expression darkened. He had tried multiple times to get Xiao Yufan out of the company, but to no avail. He suspected that the future successor of the company was about to join, so many things were temporarily put on hold.

“I’ll be waiting to see how you, Minister, manage to kick me out of the company. Don’t end up slapping yourself in the face…”

For such a toothless threat, Xiao Yufan simply shook his head with a smile, then stretched lightly and walked back to his office. Dealing with someone like this wasn’t worth using his status in the company.

After Xiao Yufan left, everyone else also dispersed, bored. Since the show was over, there was nothing left for them to do…

“What are you? Don’t let me catch an opportunity, or I won’t just make sure you can’t stay in the company—I’ll make sure you can’t even find a place in all of Beijing!”

Qin Lou viciously shook his hand, his smile unnervingly sinister. Several setbacks had already worn down his patience. If he didn’t get Xiao Yufan out of the company, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night…

“Minister, why does your face keep changing colors? Are you sick? If you are, you should go see a doctor…”

Seeing Qin Lou’s constantly shifting expression, Qin Menglu, who hadn’t left yet, feigned concern. Xiao Yufan, who hadn’t gone far, nearly fainted upon hearing this. This girl really seemed intent on driving Qin Lou mad.

“Miss Qin, no need to worry. I’m just feeling a bit hot. I have work to do, so I won’t keep you company…”

Seeing her seemingly innocent smile, Qin Lou inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine. He would rather believe that this girl hadn’t just happened to be here, but had conspired with Xiao Yufan!

“Is it really that hot? I’m wearing so much and still feel cold. It seems the Minister is really sick, and quite seriously too…”

As Qin Lou turned away, Qin Menglu muttered under her breath. The former nearly stumbled and fell. Faced with such a little devil, he had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Brother Fan, you’re literally my idol! Qin Lou is notoriously petty in the company, and you managed to grind him down to submission. I can only look up to you…”

“Look up to my ass. I’m not interested in men. Please, don’t make me want to slap you, okay?”

Xiao Yufan was used to Lin Pingle’s cheeky grin. Although the latter had been acting a bit off lately, it wasn’t too obvious, so everything seemed normal.

“This time, his plan didn’t affect you, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop. The Qin family’s influence in the company isn’t small…”

“For now, he still has the capital to play with me. In a few days, I’ll make him cry so hard he won’t even have tears left!”

His arrogant demeanor carried a hint of defiance, adding a touch of sinister charm to his already handsome face. Hearing this, the planning department staff all glanced sideways, unsure where Xiao Yufan’s confidence came from.

“I heard the mysterious successor is about to reveal himself in a few days. I wonder if he can bring the company back to its peak. I’m actually quite looking forward to it…”

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Pingle suddenly remembered the rumors about the company. His eyes sparkled with anticipation, and he unconsciously glanced at Xiao Yufan’s back, momentarily unsure what he was even thinking…

“I heard the mysterious heir will appear soon. I wonder if he can lead Huihuang back to its peak. I’m actually starting to look forward to it…”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lin Ping suddenly recalled some rumors about the company. His eyes sparkled with anticipation as he unconsciously glanced at Xiao Yufan’s back, momentarily lost in his own thoughts.