After Mr. Xiang divorced, the president regretted it

Yan Jin's slender fingers tapped lightly on the report, once, twice, once... The rhythmic sound was particularly clear in the quiet office, but it also hit Xiang Yu's heart like a heavy hammer. He knew Yan Jin too well. Such an expression and such an action meant that she had found a problem.

"What's wrong?" He couldn't help but ask, with a barely perceptible hint of nervousness in his tone.

Yan Jin did not answer immediately, but handed him the report in his hand, "Look here, the R&D investment and sales expenses are seriously disproportionate. The core competitiveness of this company is technology. It stands to reason that R&D investment should account for the majority, but in recent years, R&D investment has been decreasing year by year, and sales expenses have increased instead. Don't you find it strange?"

Xiang Yu took the report and frowned. Although he was not from a financial background, his years of business experience made him extremely sensitive to numbers. Yan Jin's doubts were not groundless, there were indeed problems.

"And here," Yan Jin pointed to another place, "the proportion of accounts receivable is too high, and the payment period is very long. This is very abnormal."

"You suspect them..." Xiang Yu didn't finish his words, but both of them knew it and their eyes became serious.

In order to find out the truth, they decided to conduct a more in-depth investigation of the target company. The next day, they met with the management of the target company to inquire about the suspicious points in the financial statements. However, the other party avoided these questions, was vague, and even came up with a bunch of specious reasons to prevaricate.

"Mr. Wang, we are very optimistic about the development prospects of your company, but financial data is an important basis for investment decisions. I hope you can understand." Yan Jin's tone was calm, but with unquestionable firmness.

Mr. Wang's eyes flickered, and he laughed dryly twice, "Mr. Yan, don't worry, there is absolutely no problem with our company's financial situation, and everything is done according to the regular procedures..."

Yan Jin didn't say anything else, just looked at him quietly, his eyes as sharp as a knife, as if he could see through all his disguises. Mr. Wang felt uneasy when he was looked at, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.

At this moment, Yan Jin's phone rang. It was Jack, the lawyer in charge of the merger case, who called, "Mr. Yan, I found some unfavorable news about the target company. You'd better be mentally prepared..."

Yan Jin answered the phone calmly, and after a few polite responses, her face gradually became solemn. After hanging up the phone, she took a deep breath and said in a steady tone: "Lawyer Jack has found some information that the target company may have financial fraud, and the amount is huge, which will seriously affect the value of the merger and acquisition."

Xiang Yu's pupils shrank slightly, and his face darkened. Although he had a premonition, he still felt a surge of anger burning in his chest after he actually confirmed it. He was not a person who got angry easily, but this feeling of being deceived made him very unhappy.

"They are so brave!" Xiang Yu gritted his teeth and said, "It seems that we still underestimated their methods."

"Now is not the time to be angry. The most urgent task is to find out the truth." Yan Jin said calmly, "We must secretly collect more evidence to take the initiative in the negotiations."

Xiang Yu nodded in agreement. He immediately arranged for someone to secretly investigate the financial status of the target company and contacted Tom, who had extensive experience in the financial field, hoping that he could provide some professional advice.

Tom rushed over immediately after receiving Xiang Yu's call. After listening to their story, Tom pondered for a moment and said, "Financial fraud is no small matter. Once confirmed, it will not only affect the progress of the merger and acquisition, but will also cause serious damage to the reputation of your company."

"We also know the seriousness of the matter, so we would like to ask you, what should we do now?" Xiang Yu asked anxiously.

"The most urgent thing is to verify the authenticity of the information." Tom said calmly, "You need to find solid evidence to prove that the target company has indeed committed financial fraud."

"I have arranged people to investigate, and I believe there will be results soon," said Xiang Yu.

"In addition, you must prepare for the worst." Tom reminded, "If the financial fraud is true, you must consider whether to continue the merger and acquisition, or re-evaluate the value of the target company and be prepared to deal with various risks."

Yan Jin and Xiang Yu looked at each other and saw a solemn look in each other's eyes. They knew that this merger was no longer a simple business negotiation, but a war without gunpowder.

"I know what to do." Xiang Yu took a deep breath and said firmly, "We will handle this matter carefully and will never let the company's interests be harmed."

As night fell and the lights came on, Xiang Yu's office was still brightly lit. He stood in front of the French window, overlooking the night view of the city, but his heart was filled with anxiety and uneasiness...

Tom took a sip of coffee and continued, "Financial fraud is often just the tip of the iceberg. There may be deeper problems hidden behind it, such as chaotic corporate governance and ineffective internal controls. These problems will erupt after the merger and acquisition, increasing the difficulty of integration and even dragging down the entire company."

Xiang Yu and Yan Jin both understood what Tom meant. A company with financial fraud must have serious problems in its management, and these problems will become huge hidden dangers after the merger.

"Mr. Tom is right. We must take these risks into consideration," Yan Jin said calmly. "If the target company really has serious management problems, then the risk of this merger and acquisition is too great. We must consider it carefully."

At this moment, Lucy, who had been sorting out the information, suddenly said, "I may have discovered something."

Lucy is the translator for this merger and acquisition case. She is fluent in multiple languages ​​and is responsible for daily communication and exchanges with the target company.

"When I was chatting with an employee of the target company yesterday, I overheard some rumors about the company's internal management." Lucy paused and continued, "It is said that there is a serious factional struggle within the company, the management is corrupt, the morale of the employees is low, and the company is in arrears with many suppliers..."

Lucy's words made Xiang Yu and Yan Jin's hearts sink. Although these rumors could not be confirmed, if they were true, it would be the most fatal blow to the target company.

"I understand, Lucy, thank you." Yan Jin said to Lucy, "Please don't make this matter public for now, we will investigate it thoroughly."

Lucy nodded to show that she understood.

The office fell silent again, and Xiang Yu and Yan Jin fell into deep thought. They originally thought that this was just an ordinary business negotiation, but as the investigation deepened, they found themselves in a huge quagmire, and the depth of this quagmire was far beyond their imagination.

"It seems that we have met our opponent." Xiang Yu broke the silence and said in a low voice.

Yan Jin didn't say anything, but just nodded silently. She knew that what they were facing was not just a business transaction, but also a battle about trust and truth, and this battle had just begun...

"Knock, knock, knock..." There was a knock on the office door, and a deep voice sounded outside the door, "Mr. Xiang, I have found what you want..."

"Come in." Xiang Yu said in a deep voice, but his eyes did not leave the document in his hand.

Lawyer Jack pushed the door open and walked in. He was tall, looking smart and capable in a black suit. His blond hair was combed meticulously behind his head, and there was a hint of solemnity in his deep blue eyes.

"Mr. Xiang, I have found some background information about the chairman of the target company you asked me to investigate. Please take a look." Jack said as he handed a document to Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu took the document, glanced through it quickly, and frowned even more tightly.

"This Howard is really an old fox." Xiang Yu snorted coldly, "On the surface, he is a philanthropist, but he does this kind of thing behind the scenes."

The documents show that Howard, the chairman of the target company, is ostensibly keen on charity and often appears at various public welfare events, but he has another side that is unknown to the public. He used the charity foundation to launder money, evade taxes, and was even suspected of bribing government officials to seek improper benefits for his company.

"Most importantly, I found out that Howard has close ties with an underground organization called 'Black Snake.'" Jack lowered his voice with a hint of solemnity in his tone, "This organization specializes in various illegal activities, including smuggling, drug trafficking, etc."

"Black Snake?" When Yan Jin heard the name, his heart skipped a beat and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

"It seems that this pool of water is deeper than we thought." Xiang Yu threw the document on the table with a cold tone.

"Mr. Xiang, what should we do now?" Jack asked.

"Since they want to play, then we will play with them to the end." Xiang Yu sneered, "Jack, contact Interpol immediately and give them all the information we have on Howard and Black Snake."

"Understood." Jack nodded in response.

"Also," Xiang Yu paused and turned his gaze to Yan Jin, "Jin, immediately arrange for someone to secretly protect Lucy's safety."

"Lucy?" Yan Jin was slightly stunned, and then understood Xiang Yu's intention, "You are worried..."

"It's better to be safe than sorry." Xiang Yu interrupted her. "Since they dared to tamper with the financial statements, it means they can do anything. Lucy has mastered their secrets, and they will definitely not let her go."

"I understand. I'll arrange it right away." Yan Jin said, picked up his phone and walked out of the office.

Xiang Yu and Jack were the only ones left in the office, and the air was filled with a depressing feeling as if a storm was about to come.

"Jack," Xiang Yu's voice was low and powerful, "We must win this game."

"I understand, Mr. Xiang." Jack's eyes were firm and resolute.

As night falls and the lights come on, the hustle and bustle of the city has nothing to do with them. A silent contest begins in the darkness... The screen of the mobile phone on the desk suddenly lights up, and an anonymous text message comes into view: "Don't check again, otherwise..." followed by a skull emoticon.