Intimate Trial Chapter 6

Chapter Six

In the conference room, the atmosphere was even heavier and more stagnant than it had been that morning.

Ye Chang sat at the head of the table, spread out before her were the “original documents” submitted separately by Javier and Elena—one stack contained printed email correspondence, summaries of test reports, and meeting minutes; the other stack held detailed financial data tables and screenshots of several forecasting models. She turned the pages slowly, her gaze calm, occasionally pausing on a line, her fingertip lightly tapping the paper.

Javier and Elena sat to her left and right, respectively, their expressions tense, their eyes involuntarily following Ye Chang’s page-turning movements, as if every spot her fingertip touched could be an ignition point. General Manager Diego sat directly opposite Ye Chang, his face ashen, his hands clasped on the table, knuckles slightly white.

Shen Silin sat behind and to the side of Ye Chang, a duplicate copy spread before her as well. She quickly scanned the contents, her mind racing, comparing the document information with the “gossip” she had overheard in the lounge earlier.

Ye Chang finally finished the last page. She did not speak immediately, instead placing the two documents side by side, leaning back in her chair, and sweeping her gaze across everyone present.

“Director Javier,” she began, her tone level, “the technical emails and meeting minutes you provided show that the discussion surrounding this Chip mainly focused on ‘supply chain stability’ and ‘cost advantages.’ I have not seen any in-depth discussion regarding ‘Technical Compatibility Risk’ and ‘Market Iteration Speed.’”

Javier’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Ms. Ye, perhaps… perhaps some more detailed technical risk assessments were conducted through verbal communication or informal emails, and were not fully archived in the formal process.”

“Oh?” Ye Chang raised an eyebrow slightly. “So, the most critical technical risk assessment for a strategic spare part involving a major inventory decision relied on ‘informal’ communication? And there are no written records preserved, nor is this reflected in any formal report or conclusion given to headquarters or the finance department?”

Her questions grew sharper, the logical chain crystal clear, pointing directly to management dereliction.

Sweat beaded on Javier’s forehead. “This… the team believed the risk was controllable at the time, so we didn’t specifically emphasize it…”

“Believed the risk was controllable?” Ye Chang interrupted him, turning her gaze to Shen Silin. “Assistant Shen, according to the standard product lifecycle assessment template used by the Marketing Department, for core Chips of this type, which key parameters must the technical team provide risk level reports for, at minimum?”

Shen Silin was already prepared and answered clearly at once: “Typically, five items must be provided: 1. Hardware compatibility with existing and planned main products within the next year; 2. Driver adaptability and expected long-term support with mainstream operating systems; 3. Process technology iteration risk and prediction of the time window for alternative products to emerge; 4. Supplier technology roadmap matching degree; 5. Comparison of performance degradation curves against competing products of the same level.” She paused, then added, “These must be supported by test data or authoritative industry reports and require dual signatures from the technical lead and the project manager for confirmation.”

Ye Chang looked at Javier. “Director Javier, do the documents you submitted include a complete, signed report for any of these items?”

Javier’s face turned pale. He opened his mouth but failed to produce a sound immediately.

Ye Chang did not press the attack, turning instead to Elena. “Director Elena, your financial model shows that if the Chip becomes unsaleable, it will result in significant losses. One of the model’s core assumptions is ‘inability to sell at the planned price due to technological obsolescence.’ Where did the basis for this ‘technological obsolescence’ judgment come from? Was it from the type of formal risk assessment report provided by the technical department, which Assistant Shen just mentioned?”

Elena clearly hadn’t anticipated the focus shifting so precisely to her, directly linking her responsibility to the technical department. The image she had tried to project of being “based on objective data” began to crack.

“The model… the model referenced price trend forecasts provided by the Marketing Department, as well as… some informal feedback from the technical department,” Elena’s phrasing became cautious.

“Informal feedback?” Ye Chang repeated the term, with a hint of almost imperceptible coldness. “In other words, the core technical premise of a financial forecast that could lead to millions of euros in book losses is built upon ‘informal feedback’? And yet, the technical ‘informal’ emails or verbal warnings that might have existed, warning of risk, were not included in your consideration? Where is the rigor and independence of your financial modeling?”

Elena’s face also went white. She realized that Ye Chang had not only spotted the incomplete documentation but had also discerned the potential issues of buck-passing and selective use of information between departments.

Diego couldn’t help but interject, attempting to smooth things over. “Ms. Ye, the situation was complex at the time, and communication between departments might have been less than smooth, but the key now is to solve the problem…”

Ye Chang raised her hand, stopping him. “Diego, the problem is not ‘communication being less than smooth.’” Her voice remained steady, yet carried the weight of a thousand pounds. “The problem is that critical information was systematically filtered or ignored along the decision chain. Technical risks were downplayed or even concealed, leading a strategic spare part to become a potential slow-moving inventory item; and the financial assessment was based on incomplete, potentially biased information, meaning the loss estimation model itself may have major flaws. This is not a communication issue; this is a management control and professional ethics issue.”

Her words were like a heavy hammer, striking everyone’s heart. The conference room was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

“I need to see the truly original materials,” Ye Chang issued her final instruction. “Director Javier, you have until ten o’clock tomorrow morning. I want to see all technical-related documents, emails, chat records, and Raw Data from testing, covering the entire process of this Chip, from project initiation assessment to the inventory decision. Director Elena, same time, I want to see the original data sources behind every assumption in your financial model, the full text of the market reports, and complete records of all communications with the technical and marketing departments regarding this matter.”

Her gaze finally settled on Diego. “Diego, you are responsible for supervising this. Ten o’clock tomorrow morning, here again. If what I see then is still a ‘polished’ or ‘selected’ version…”

She paused, leaving the sentence unfinished, but the chill in her unspoken words made the temperature of the entire room seem to drop several degrees.

“Meeting adjourned.”

Ye Chang was the first to rise. Without looking at anyone else, she walked straight out of the conference room. Shen Silin quickly gathered her belongings and hurried to follow.

In the hallway, Ye Chang’s steps were more resolute than when she arrived.

“They are going to have a rough night,” Shen Silin murmured.

“They should,” Ye Chang’s tone was cold. “Only when they realize that evasion and concealment are dead ends will the real answers, or the real ‘ghost,’ be forced out.”

She glanced sideways at Shen Silin. “You cooperated very well just now. You pinpointed the issues accurately.”

“It was Ms. Ye’s clear direction that guided it,” Shen Silin replied. She knew clearly that in that round of confrontation, Ye Chang was the chief surgeon holding the knife, and she was the assistant who handed over the sharpest scalpel and precisely pointed out the location of the lesion.

The real “surgery” might quietly begin tonight, amidst the chaos of those scrambling to find or fabricate “truly original documents.” And she and Ye Chang were waiting for the next vulnerability to appear.