Chapter 1149: Capture
For Qi Xuansu, it was time for a full offensive now that all obstacles were removed.
Qi Xuansu convened an emergency meeting.
This time, Qi Xuansu sat at the center. To his left were Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei, and Chen Jianchou. To his right were Li Changge, Li Zhuyu, and Lu Yuting.
Yao Pei began the report. Her subordinate, Ruan Fengjue, had obtained evidence from Zhao Changlao—Sun Yaozhen’s lover—confirming that Sun Yaozhen was indeed involved in the business dealings of the Nanyang United Trading Company. When necessary, they could arrest Sun Yaozhen immediately.
However, Lin Qingcheng remained tight-lipped, refusing to confess even under threat of death. He denied any collusion with the Goddess Society, shouting that he was being framed and that those members were slandering him.
This was understandable. Collaborating with a foreign enemy was a capital offense. Thus, Lin Qingcheng had every reason to hold out.
Lu Yuting had discovered numerous problems through her audit, including slave trading and massive tax evasion. However, this was not the deadliest issue. The real danger lay in the flow of benefits between the Nanyang United Trading Company and the Shibo Hall’s branch.
Although the Company’s books were well concealed, many transactions were routed through the Taiping Bank. Since the Taiping Bank had already sided with Qi Xuansu, nothing could remain hidden.
In the past, when Qi Xuansu served as a superintendent, he had to read case files personally, search for evidence himself, and even interrogate suspects.
Now, as the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, his role was to set direction and make decisions. His subordinates handled the rest, and he no longer needed to involve himself in every detail. Only the final outcomes mattered.
According to Lu Yuting’s findings, eleven large ships were reported sunk last year, and all of them belonged to the Shibo Hall.
Every year, the Shibo Hall had a quota of expected losses due to shipwrecks, pirate attacks, and so on. Suppressing piracy was one matter, but accounting for losses was another. Thus, the eleven ships were filed under expected loss.