Original subtitles

[Episode 30]

Mr. Liu.

I was just looking at this fish tank.

I got a betta a few days ago.

Its tail is gorgeous.

It's just too aggressive.

Keep it with the other fish,

and it ruins the whole tank.

That much trouble? Then, just get rid of it.

For a fish, sure. For people...

Take the siblings working under me.

Use them right, and each plays to their strengths.

Use them wrong,

and they might join forces and capsize this whole ship.

Mr. Zhang, you know how to handle people.

But are you sure they're really useful?

When everyone knows what they want, they can pull in the same direction.

Chen Yi is the anchor.

Miao Jing is the mooring line.

And you, Mr. Liu, are the keel of this ship.

And you, Mr. Zhang?

Me?

Now that we're in the water, someone has to steer.

With the course in my own hands, I can rest easy.

Mr. Zhang, with nerve like that,

everyone on this ship is counting on you.

I bought a new yacht. It officially launches next week.

I hope you'll do me the honor of bringing your best people along.

Of course. He'll be there to secure your boat.

I'll bring him early to meet all the guys first.

Good. See you then.

Okay, got it.

Mr. Zhang.

Mingtong plans to end Haoyun's audit. They want out.

Just as expected.

Looks like they don't dare dig any deeper.

But if we can't produce an audit report now, it'll affect our listing plan.

Hongshen won't be easy to answer to.

The audit team withdrew voluntarily.

Hongshen can't pin that on us.

Besides, a listing requires an audit report.

Sooner or later, we'll need another team.

You mean, bring in a more obedient team?

Mr. Cen is easy. He knows what's at stake.

It's just that Miao keeps a close eye on everything.

I'm afraid it won't be easy to explain things to her.

How are the annual party preparations?

All set.

The audit team's work is almost done.

Seat Miao at the head table.

All right.

Everything in this world has a weakness.

People are no exception.

Once you find that weakness, everything becomes easy.

- Understood. - Remember one thing.

You need to be ruthless if you want to survive.

Are you ready? This time, I make the moves.

Whenever you're ready.

[Teng City Haoyun Logistics Co., Ltd.] [2011 Annual Party]

Looking back on this year, it was full of challenges and pressure.

But we still delivered outstanding results.

You have all worked hard lately.

Haoyun has come this far

because of everyone here.

So, I'd like to raise a glass to you all.

Please sit.

I'd like to take this chance to thank

Mr. Chen Yi,

Mr. Tao Jiang,

and Ms. Wu Yan Juan.

The three of them have given Haoyun so much of themselves.

Now, let's give them a round of applause and welcome them to the stage.

Thank you, Mr. Zhang.

Chen Yi.

I would like

to say a few more words in front of everyone here.

Mr. Chen and I go way back.

We have quite a history.

If he hadn't gone to Country Jin back then, he'd be vice president by now.

Mr. Chen has had it rough.

Back in Country Jin,

he was a box fighter and drove for local gangs.

When he finally made it back,

the first time I saw him,

he was covered in old wounds, one on top of another.

It broke my heart.

So I've decided

to put up five percent of my own shares as this year's year-end bonus

for my partner, Chen Yi.

Let me say this again.

Chen Yi isn't just my business partner. He's my brother.

From now on,

through thick and thin,

we'll share the good times and face the hard times together.

Mr. Zhang, Mr. Chen, come on.

- Look here. Let's take a photo. - Okay.

Haoyun's future depends on all of you.

Chen Yi, come here. You guys drink up.

Ms. Miao.

We're truly honored that the audit team came to our banquet.

Thank you.

You may have just heard about Yi's past today.

I doubt it came as a surprise.

After all,

everyone has things in their past they'd rather not talk about.

I trust you.

But we both have to make it out alive.

Of course, we also owe you for your support.

I'm flattered.

- Come. - Okay.

Cheers.

Please enjoy.

You see it now, right?

The bonds between people are only worth so much.

- One poke, and they fall apart. - Mr. Zhang.

Congratulations, Mr. Chen.

Haoyun is still counting on you.

Let's go even bigger next year.

- It's a pleasure doing business. - For our future business,

- I'll still be counting on you. Thank you. - Sure.

- Alright. Okay. - Mr. Zhang, Mr. Chen.

- Then I'll leave you to it. - Alright.

- Mr. Zhang, let's keep in touch. - Sure. Okay.

Bye.

Mr. Zhang.

Leaving?

Thank you for the dinner.

You're welcome. Drive safe.

Everyone, pause what you're doing.

Due to some procedural issues,

all our audit work on Haoyun Logistics has been suspended.

Gather up the materials and files you're using.

I booked us all on an early flight back to Hai City tomorrow.

But we're just waiting on the report. This is so sudden.

If the project is on hold and we leave now, all our work here will be for nothing.

Did we mess something up during the audit? Or...

I'll explain the details when we're back in Hai City.

For now, just go.

You all head back first.

I'll stay a couple of days to wrap up some personal matters.

And I won't let Zhang Bin call us negligent.

All right.

Then you handle communications with management and the third party.

Everyone else, pack up quickly.

Jing, you're staying here alone?

Haoyun is seriously shady.

Who knows what Mr. Zhang might do?

Why don't I stay here with you?

Don't worry. I'll be fine.

All right.

Call me anytime if you need backup.

[The long arm of the law catches up with everyone.]

I'm here to ask a few questions.

You can play dumb, but this involves Zhang and your dear buddy Zhai.

Think carefully.

Didn't you people set me up?

Now you're turning on Zhang Bin?

Haoyun has a dirty history.

You worked with them for years, so you must know plenty.

You want payback against Zhang Bin.

Working with me is your best move.

Best move?

From you, I doubt I'd even get scraps.

It was Zhang Bin who sold you out.

Even Mr. Zhai had run off.

The place was deserted.

It was around 2006.

Zhang Bin got us into logistics.

When Haoyun was just getting started, we worked from dawn to midnight.

We did the hardest work for the lowest pay.

We bought a few trucks to haul freight.

Our revenue barely covered fuel for the trucks.

Everyone said behind closed doors,

Haoyun Logistics would go under.

In 2006?

Hongshen invested that same year.

With Haoyun's books that bad, why would Hongshen invest?

Who knows what Zhang Bin did?

Zhang Bin made up some charge and purged all of us old-timers.

The police had just announced Mr. Zhai missing.

The company was a total mess, and everyone's morale was gone.

Better to get out while we could.

I figured I could just take the money, but he didn't give me a cent in severance.

Later,

Zhang Bin kicked out all of us old-timers.

Within a month, he brought in money from Lingang.

I think they planned it that way.

But why?

What did Zhang Bin gain by forcing you out?

What do you think?

Teng City had plenty of logistics companies.

But how many could cook the books like Zhang Bin?

Our wages and severance were all costs.

He pushed us out, doctored the numbers,

and the books looked like business was booming.

So,

Zhang Bin also handled Kuangxia's fake books back then, right?

I never said that.

You didn't hear a thing.

Fine.

You've probably said all you wanted to say.

Behave yourself in there.

Who knows? Before long,

Zhang Bin might be joining you.

I'll be waiting.

Okay.

Did you get anything out of him?

I have a theory, but it's still vague.

Hongshen won't be fooled by layoff gains on the books alone.

Even if Zhang Bin wanted to fake the numbers, he'd need real cash sitting on the books.

Haoyun's financial issues were suddenly fixed.

It has to be tied to that transition period.

[Hai City, Weather]

Things here are pretty much wrapped up.

No need to change my ticket. I'll take the original connecting flight.

I'm craving rice noodles near the airport.

I'll bring you local snacks. Bye.

Your sister is going back tomorrow.

I thought you'd spend today with her.

We've been apart for so many years.

We may be siblings, but how much affection can really be left?

It's just a title now.

You have a point.

You've got a bright future ahead of you.

You can have anything you want.

But I still need to remind you.

A wife should be obedient

and easy to deal with.

Is that right?

Maybe.

Sorry, Ms. Miao.

I kept you in Teng City a few extra days.

No matter how long I stay, I'd still have to leave.

I can't stand another day in this place.

I'm leaving.

Did you refer the audit team we contacted to Hongshen?

You're right. Everyone has a weakness.

Find it, and they'll fall in line.

This company happens to be short on cash.

For 1.5 million, they'll have the report out next month.

As for Hongshen, they have their own connections.

They can take over the audit role through an internal referral.

1.5 million.

Approved.

Okay.

Captain Zhou's been really fired up lately.

As long as he stays out of my way,

money isn't an issue.

Didn't you go scout the new route at the checkpoint?

It's over 100 kilometers.

Just over 100 kilometers.

Do you want me to stay?

I just want one more look at you.

I'll miss you.

I'll miss you, too.

Attention, passengers.

Passengers on Flight A 385,

please board as soon as possible.

I'm leaving.

Be careful at Haoyun.

Chen Yi.

Next time we meet,

the weather will be perfect.

If anything comes up, contact me right away.

You too.

If anything happens, contact me right away.

[Roast Goose Noodle]

What would you like, miss?

What do you want to eat?

- A small roast goose noodle soup. - Sure. Just a moment.

What are you doing?

My husband went out to make deliveries.

Mine isn't as good as his.

If you're not happy with the taste,

I'll have him make you another when he gets back.

So you two run the place together?

He's the head chef.

I'm not as good as he is.

I only run the front and the register.

You're not from around here, are you?

Are you here on vacation?

I'm here to catch a connection to Hai City.

You're connecting to Hai City from here?

That's a long detour, isn't it?

There were no direct tickets.

A friend said your noodle soup is good, so I came to try it.

He must have had the chef's version.

A lot of regulars would rather call us for takeout.

Then give me your takeout number.

I'll come back next time I'm here on business.

Sure.

Here's our business card.

The drink is on the house.

- Please come again. - Thank you.

Enjoy your meal.

[Liangjue Roast Goose Noodle]

Eat up.

I got the groceries.

Take these takeout orders and deliver them.

Thanks.

[Mingtong Audit Firm]

File it by Wednesday. Submit it on the intranet for approval.

Come in.

Director Cen.

The audit debriefing is in half an hour.

Please look over the meeting report.

Who will be attending?

If Mr. Wang and the others are there, they probably won't go too hard on us.

Monica is coming, too.

She's got a vicious tongue.

I miss Miao already.

She used to charge in with you.

You are the perfect team.

Who needed a nobody like me?

Miao's probably in deep trouble right now.

[Management Advice]

[Thank you for listening.]

That is all.

We found major financial irregularities during the audit.

To protect our firm's image and keep the client fully informed,

I asked headquarters to formally terminate the audit of Haoyun Logistics.

You halted the audit without notice.

Did you make an agreement with the client, Hongshen Group?

- No. I needed to-- - So the withdrawal was entirely your decision.

That violates procedure.

First, I admit there were procedural flaws in my work.

But halting the audit was done in the company's best interest.

Haoyun's original books and financial records had serious issues.

Before notifying the client directly, I felt I had to inform headquarters first.

Once we reached an internal consensus, we would issue the documents to the client.

Which original records at Haoyun had issues, and how were they doctored?

You were evasive in the report.

Besides, as far as I know,

this withdrawal was called a full-team exit, yet you left Miao Jing in Teng City.

May I venture a bold guess?

Was there an improper relationship between your audit team and Haoyun?

Director Cen. How do you explain that?

Miao Jing was the team leader.

She stayed behind to wrap things up with the audited party.

This is routine work for our audit team.

I don't think that's your call.

Why don't we have Deputy Miao join remotely?

She can get up to speed on Haoyun's status.

Sorry, everyone. I'm late.

It was around 2006.

Zhang Bin got us into logistics.

When Haoyun was just getting started, we bought a few trucks to haul freight.

Our revenue barely covered fuel for the trucks.

Everyone said behind closed doors,

Haoyun Logistics would go under.

Zhang Bin made up some charge

and purged all of us old-timers.

The police had just announced Mr. Zhai missing.

The company was a total mess.

I figured I could just take the money,

but he didn't give me a cent in severance.

This is a recording of Sun Hu, a former Haoyun employee.

As you heard, Sun Hu admits

Haoyun used deception to attract Hongshen's investment.

That's why I stopped the audit.

I can't let an audit report go out if fraud is involved.

You call it fraud based on one recording.

It's flimsy evidence at best.

To avoid any concerns that the recording was faked,

I brought the materials, too, showing how it was obtained.

The recording's authenticity isn't in doubt.

And this very recording confirms the report's authenticity.

The report just presented goes into detail on Haoyun's business early in its transition.

You can assess for yourselves whether Haoyun's business scale at the time

could attract an investor like Hongshen.

Arguing won't get us anywhere.

The report and the recording do need a detailed review.

As for the specifics, we'll review them and discuss them later.

This is what you asked for.

Dug out from the old archives. Back then, it was all on paper.

Thanks.

Monica thought you'd fled back from Teng City.

What do you think?

I think you're up to something.

Someone's going to pay dearly again.

You know me too well.

Teng City police and Lingang Police have been talking off the record.

They'll handle it from here.

But we need to add more to the economic crime case.

Do you still have the tax records from then?

That wouldn't be compliant.

Too bad.

The famous Cen plays by the rules now.

No more auditor's zeal for digging to the bottom.

You really know how to make my life hard.

I'll look for it.

I've got the file ready for you.

Our usual afternoon tea in a bit.

Business hospitality or friends catching up?

- A trip down memory lane. - Then I'm not going.

Do you want the big gift or not?

My treat.

[Lorraine Flower Kitchen]

Kuangxia's bad accounts are endless.

Its illegal proceeds were confiscated over an economic fraud case.

Zhai, the person implicated in the case, fled and went missing.

He fled with some of the illegal income.

In 2006?

Haoyun suddenly gained liquid assets that year.

The total was about what Zhai Feng Mao took.

Without that money,

Zhang Bin never would have passed Hongshen's investment review.

That adds up.

The money Zhai Feng Mao took was laundered by Zhang Bin into Haoyun's liquid assets.

That's how he cooked the books and conned Hongshen into investing.

This already counts as financial fraud.

And it involves suspected smuggling.

Haoyun is a minefield.

Miao Jing.

The smart move is to get out now.

Is it because he's in it too?

Then why him and not me?

We're too much alike.

Is that a bad thing?

We click at work and in life.

Isn't that better than constant conflict?

That's exactly why we're not right for each other.

We knew from the start

that auditing is built on independence and loyalty.

You want too much.

So do I.

We know each other's ambitions too well.

We also know how independent and stubborn we both are.

At work, that makes us great partners.

But as lovers, we could never be completely honest.

I'm greedy. I need my partner to be loyal and always put me first.

It's just that you can't do that for me.

And I don't quite have it in me either.

We're still friends.

Call me if you ever need anything.

Hongshen Group was preparing to go public, so they got exposed.

He and this man used to be close friends.

They were partners.

Liu Bin Bo.

This guy was just a lackey.

The underling has been detained.

That's the situation.

Captain Zhou.

Anything else to add?

I think that covers everything.

- I'll go back and compile the report. - Okay.

Captain Zhou, I'll follow up on this lead.

Listen.

You two focus on him.

Understood?

I want every detail on him.

Also, write down every point I mentioned.

[B will fly to Lingang to meet the local guy.] This person... We're on him, and so are they.

- No rush. Alright. - Okay.

He's already in custody.

Mr. Liu and the other guests are in the cars.

Mr. Liu built his own receiving dock.

It won't be easy to find.

I'll show you the route on the first run.

Once you know it, you'll be in charge of this route.

Yi, you've always been bold but careful.

So I shouldn't have to worry, right?

Chen Yi.

Chen Yi.

Didn't I say to be back before ten?

Everyone.

The smuggling amount in this case is massive, and the nature of the crime is vile.

We must seize this chance

to take down Liu Bin Bo and his smuggling network in Teng City.

Now I'll assign the tasks.

Team One, you're here.

Detain any suspicious person on sight.

Team Two, you're here.

Everyone else, follow Captain Zhou.

Everyone, this is not a drill. Understood?

- Understood. - Understood.

Good. Get ready.

Yes, sir.

Why are you only calling now?

They leave at ten.

I should be able to get out once I reach the checkpoint.

All right, pull back.

No mistakes from anyone today.

We'll handle the rest.

Hello.

Yi.

My phone is off.

It's not that I don't trust you.

The police have eyes and ears everywhere.

We need to be careful, right?

Of course.

Kai, take Team Two in a minute.

I'll take Team One.

The city police will be backing us up.

No one moves without our order.

Understood.

They may have a lot of people.

Stay safe during the operation.

- Yes, sir. - If it comes down to it,

- Uncle Zhou. - then we--

Jing, how come you're here?

We're busy today.

I can't reach Chen Yi.

Did something happen to Chen Yi?

What could have happened?

Jing.

We have an operation today.

Whatever it is, we'll talk when I'm back.

Uncle Zhou.

This is the key he asked me to hold on to.

I'm giving it back to you now.

Jing.

Leave it to the police.

But this isn't just a police matter.

Everything Zhang Bin has done, big or small, affects all of us.

Teng City alone had Green Life back then.

Join Green Life, win the future.

And now there's germanium metal.

And so many other things, big and small.

- All of it... - It's people's life savings!

I know all of this.

Jing, I promise this will all be over soon.

Go home.

Uncle Zhou.

If Chen Yi has to do something, then so do I.

Captain Zhou, are we clear to go?

Get in.

Tell everyone: stay safe, strike fast.

- Copy that. - Prepare for action.

- We're ready to move. - Go.

- Jing. Promise me. - Are you ready?

- Don't do anything reckless. - Go.

Go.

Move out.