Intimate Trial Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was the same conference room, the same main characters, but the atmosphere was drastically different from yesterday.

At exactly ten o’clock in the morning, Ye Chang pushed the door open and entered. Today, she wore a charcoal gray suit, the lines even sharper and colder. Her face was devoid of any superfluous expression, holding only a quiet, imposing authority. Shen Silin still followed slightly behind her. She now carried a thin tablet computer, which had been pre-loaded with background information and data cross-check points that she had organized overnight, gathered from public channels and searchable internal company archives.

Across the long table, Diego, Javier, Elena, and the others were already seated. Everyone looked more haggard than yesterday, with heavy shadows under their eyes, clearly having spent a sleepless night. Thick, newly organized folders lay before them. The edges of the papers were still slightly messy, conveying a sense of haste.

Ye Chang took her seat at the head of the table. Without any pleasantries, her gaze went straight to the stack of documents.

“Begin,” she said, just one word.

Javier spoke first, his voice somewhat hoarse, as he handed over a noticeably thicker file bag. “CEO Ye, this is… this is all the technical documentation and communication records related to the Chip project that we could find. It includes some internal Test Log drafts that were previously missed, as well as email discussions between several engineers.”

Ye Chang took the file but did not immediately look through it. Instead, she looked at Elena.

Elena also handed over a new folder, her fingers trembling slightly. “This is the complete list of Raw Data sources for the financial model, the full text of relevant market reports, and… and backups of email correspondence with the technical and market departments regarding the Chip assessment. Some early communication records… took some time to find, possibly due to system archiving rules.”

Ye Chang placed both files in front of her but still did not open them. She raised her eyes, her gaze calmly sweeping over the three people, finally settling on Diego’s face.

“Diego,” her voice was crystal clear in the overly quiet conference room, “as the General Manager of the Singapore Branch, what is your explanation for the fact that your two core directors were unable to provide complete, original decision-making basis documents for such a critical project until yesterday?”

The spearhead was pointed directly at the highest person in charge. The muscles in Diego’s cheek twitched. He took a deep breath, trying to remain composed. “CEO Ye, this indeed exposes serious negligence in our internal process management and document preservation. I bear undeniable leadership responsibility. We have conducted a profound self-reflection and will immediately begin rectification…”

“Responsibility can be discussed later,” Ye Chang interrupted his formulaic apology. “Right now, I need to verify the authenticity of these ‘new’ documents.”

She finally picked up Javier’s file bag, but instead of looking at it herself, she handed it directly to Shen Silin beside her. “Assistant Shen, please cross-check this. Focus on three points: First, whether the timestamps of all Test Logs are continuous and match the project’s key milestones; second, the frequency and context of keywords related to ‘risk’ appearing in the email discussions; and third, compared to the version provided yesterday, which stage the new content primarily focuses on, and who was in charge.”

“Yes, CEO Ye.” Shen Silin took the file, opened her tablet, and quickly entered work mode. Her eyes rapidly scanned the pages, her fingers sliding and comparing on the tablet screen, her expression focused and calm.

Next, Ye Chang picked up Elena’s folder and quickly flipped through it herself. Her speed was fast, but she paused slightly whenever she reached sections involving data sources, assumed citations, and conclusions from cross-department emails.

The only sounds in the conference room were the rustling of turning pages, the occasional faint click of the tablet, and the suppressed breathing of the executives. Javier nervously watched Shen Silin, while Elena’s gaze closely followed Ye Chang’s page-turning fingers. Diego’s brow was furrowed into a knot.

About fifteen minutes later, Shen Silin looked up. She first glanced at Ye Chang, and after receiving a subtle nod, she reported in a clear, steady tone:

“CEO Ye, the preliminary cross-check of the technical documents revealed several suspicious points: First, some key milestone Test Logs only contain conclusion summaries, lacking attached Raw Data figures, and the timestamps show an unexplained delay of approximately 48 hours compared to the project weekly report records. Second, discussions regarding ‘Technical Compatibility Risk’ in the newly added emails are concentrated in the week before the warehousing decision, but the senders are mostly mid-level engineers, and the recipient list… lacks direct replies or instructions from Director Javier. Third, in a document labeled ‘Final Risk Assessment Sign-off Sheet,’ the handwriting in the technical lead’s signature field shows subtle but discernible differences compared to Director Javier’s signature on other formal documents.”

Shen Silin’s report was objective and specific, each suspicious point challenging the document’s credibility and the regularity of management behavior.

Javier’s face instantly turned pale. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to argue, but swallowed his words under Ye Chang’s icy gaze.

At that moment, Ye Chang also closed the financial folder. Her voice was colder than Shen Silin’s, carrying an all-penetrating chill:

“Director Elena, your documents show that the market department provided the price trend forecast report three months ago. However, the earliest internal email timestamp from the technical department raising ‘Market Iteration Speed risk’ was four months and one week ago. Why did you only use the lagging market report as the core basis when building the financial model, ignoring the earlier risk warning coming from internal technical sources? Furthermore, the emails you provided regarding communication with Director Javier on this matter are limited to cost data confirmation and completely lack any discussion of the financial impact of technical risks. Is this accidental, or selective communication?”

Elena’s body swayed almost imperceptibly. She gripped the edge of the table, her voice dry. “I… I thought at the time that the technical department’s internal discussions had not yet formed a formal conclusion, so…”

“So, you felt you could ignore a potential risk signal that could affect the asset value of millions of euros?” Ye Chang’s questioning was merciless. “Where is your professional judgment and principle of prudence reflected?”

She stopped looking at Elena and snapped the two folders shut with a sound that, while not loud, made everyone’s hearts jump.

“Based on the ‘supplementary’ materials currently presented, and the obvious chronological contradictions, missing key records, and potential questions regarding document authenticity,” Ye Chang’s voice was decisive, “I cannot accept these as valid basis for decision review. On the contrary, they further confirm my judgment from yesterday: there was severe information concealment, communication breakdown, and possible management dereliction or even improper conduct in this project.”

She stood up, looking down at the ashen-faced executives.

“Now, in my capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of the Group Headquarters, I announce: First, Diego, General Manager of the Singapore Branch, is suspended from his duties, effective immediately, pending investigation by the Group’s Supervision Department. Second, Operations Director Javier and Finance Director Elena are suspended to cooperate with the investigation. During the investigation period, the daily operations of the branch will be taken over by a temporary task force assigned by the headquarters.”

She did not raise her voice, but every word fell like a final verdict.

“The investigation team will arrive this afternoon. Gentlemen and Madam, please prepare to explain everything to the investigation team during this time. Remember,” Ye Chang’s gaze swept over them one last time, “any concealment or deception will only make the consequences more severe.”

With that, she did not linger, turning and walking toward the door. Shen Silin quickly gathered her things and followed closely.

The conference room door closed behind them, sealing in the dead silence and despair.

In the hallway, Ye Chang’s steps were unwavering.

“CEO Ye, the personnel for the task force…” Shen Silin asked in a low voice.

“They are already on a plane,” Ye Chang replied, looking straight ahead. “Legal, finance, Audit, IT backend data retrieval experts—no one is missing.”

She paused, her tone softening slightly as she looked at Shen Silin. “You did very well. Those details about the handwriting differences and time delays were key.”

“The materials themselves were flawed,” Shen Silin said. She understood that without the immense pressure and precise direction Ye Chang applied yesterday, the other party would not have rushed to “supplement” the documents, thus leaving so many new clues.

“Let’s return to the hotel. The investigation team can handle the rest,” Ye Chang said. “I received an invitation to an auction tonight. Would you like to go? Consider it a chance to relax.”

“An auction?” Shen Silin murmured. Since her family’s company was bankrupted by Ye Chang, she hadn’t been to one. Those glamorous occasions, filled with fine clothes and competitive bidding, were once a world she knew, but they had become distant and painful with her family’s collapse. She hadn’t expected to step into that world again, and in this context, following Ye Chang.

A complex emotion flashed quickly through her heart—so fast that she couldn’t clearly capture whether it was bitterness, sarcasm, or something else. She swiftly suppressed it, showing nothing on her face.

“Yes, CEO Ye,” her voice was as steady as usual. “What do I need to prepare in advance?”

Ye Chang seemed unaware of her momentary distraction—or perhaps noticed but chose not to mention it. “Formal attire. I’ll send you the electronic catalog; a quick browse will suffice.”

“Understood,” Shen Silin replied.