"Completely rotten! A pile of mud!"

Xu Shouxian trembled uncontrollably upon seeing the furious Ruan Fengshan.

He was truly terrified!

Ruan Fengshan threw away the ledger in his hand and turned to look at Xu Shouxian standing at the door, his eyes glinting coldly like a wild beast’s.

The moment Xu Shouxian made eye contact with Ruan Fengshan, the icy murderous intent in Ruan Fengshan’s eyes seemed to pierce him instantly...

Xu Shouxian shuddered, almost stepping back...

Even Wang De’an and Zhu Shicheng, standing behind Xu Shouxian, felt their knees weaken, shocked and trembling...

Only Xu Fuxian, standing a few steps away from the other three, remained calm as he looked at his younger brother Xu Shouxian’s trembling shadow like a frost-covered leaf, with a complex emotion in his eyes...

"Luan Bao!" Ruan Fengshan suddenly shouted, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

Luan Bao immediately rushed to the door of the Document Library, clasped his hands, and said, "Shopkeeper!"

"Take your men and surround the accounting room in the backyard; no one may enter or leave freely!"

"Understood!" Luan Bao turned and walked away briskly.

Ruan Fengshan turned again to look at Xu Shouxian, and seeing him so frightened, he almost didn’t recognize him.

The aura of self-pride once so dominant on Xu Shouxian’s face had vanished, replaced by a frightened, twisted expression that made Xu Shouxian suddenly look much older...

However, Xu Shouxian’s current appearance made him feel even more disgusted!

"Old bastard maggot!" Ruan Fengshan cursed.

Yet Ruan Fengshan, who had spent half his life in Jianghu, had seen many waves; he quickly withdrew from his angry emotions, sighed a breath of foul air, and looking at Duan Rong, said, "Duan Rong, you’ve done well!"

Duan Rong clasped his hands and said, "I was merely following orders."

"How do you think we should proceed with this matter?" Ruan Fengshan suddenly asked, clearly seeking Duan Rong’s opinion.

"I believe we should thoroughly investigate the accounts. We must thoroughly clean up the backlog of accounts from these past years, cutting out the corruption!"

Ruan Fengshan nodded slightly and looked deeply at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong continued, saying, "I dare to recommend someone to the shopkeeper."

Ruan Fengshan’s mind was stirred; what Duan Rong said matched his own thoughts. Although he wanted Duan Rong to lead the investigation of the accounts, he felt it was somewhat inappropriate.

The escort agency is in the off-season during the twelfth lunar month, with few accounts, which Duan Rong and his team could manage.

But now they needed to review several years of accounts, which was a huge, complex project that required more than just individual effort.

As Ruan Fengshan was considering this, Duan Rong suddenly mentioned recommending someone, which was exactly what Ruan Fengshan wanted to hear.

"Who do you recommend?" Ruan Fengshan asked, looking at Duan Rong with interest.

Duan Rong replied, "Chief of the East Ding Room, Xu Fuxian."

Ruan Fengshan froze momentarily upon hearing this name.

Because he couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d heard this name.

Even though Xu Fuxian had been the chief of the accounting room for years, he seemed to have no presence, whether in the backyard accounting room or within the escort agency.

At this moment, standing silently in the corner of the Document Library, he seemed merely a silent stand-in in a mime...

"Xu Fuxian..." Ruan Fengshan mumbled the name repeatedly, turning his head to look at Xu Fuxian standing in the corner.

At the sight of Xu Fuxian, Ruan Fengshan’s memories seemed to awaken.

He remembered twenty years ago when he first arrived in the backyard accounting room, both Xu Fuxian and Xu Shouxian were managing the accounts, in their prime and good friends, often chatting and laughing, sometimes clashing over differences in accounting interpretation.

But somewhere along the line, possibly during the two or three years after he assumed the role of shopkeeper, there were rumors suggesting that the two had become quite incompatible.

Several years later, everyone seemed to take it for granted, and the gossip faded...

Since then, he hadn’t heard Xu Fuxian’s name again, nor seen him.

Duan Rong spread the summary accounts of the twelfth lunar month before Ruan Fengshan, saying, "Shopkeeper, look, every account handled by Xu Fuxian during the twelfth lunar month is clear and without an error, each account was rigorously clean."

"Shopkeeper, after reviewing the accounts in recent days, every time I examined his accounts, I was deeply touched. Behind these rigorous accounts, I saw a strong determination and integrity!"

Ruan Fengshan flipped through the accounts in front of him, each with deviations ranging from tens to hundreds of taels noted beside them, but when he encountered ones handled by Xu Fuxian, the space beside them was blank.

Flipping through several pages continuously, Ruan Fengshan nodded repeatedly. "In a pile of mud, holding onto one’s true self is no easy feat!"

At that moment, Luan Bao hurriedly arrived at the door from the corridor, clasped his hands, and announced loudly, "Shopkeeper, the guards have surrounded the accounting room."

Ruan Fengshan glanced at Luan Bao, and his gaze swept over Xu Shouxian, Wang De’an, and Zhu Shicheng. He said, "Take Chief Accountant Xu, Chief Wang, and Chief Zhu back to their rooms! Have them watched, and no one is permitted to interact with them!"

"Understood." Luan Bao clasped his hands and then turned to look at those at the door, "Chief Accountant Xu, Chief Wang, and Chief Zhu, please!"

Xu Shouxian mumbled with trembling lips and suddenly knelt down in fear, shouting, "Shopkeeper..."

Ruan Fengshan’s eyes flickered with disgust as he roared angrily, "Take him away!"

Luan Bao immediately stepped forward, grabbed Xu Shouxian like a chick, and strode out of the Document Library; Wang De’an and Zhu Shicheng followed shaking...

After they left, the noisy Document Library instantly quieted. Ruan Fengshan looked at Xu Fuxian standing far away and asked, "Xu Fuxian, I intend to appoint you to lead the account investigation. Are you willing?"

Xu Fuxian stepped forward slightly but still maintained a distance, clasped his hands and bowed, "I am willing to follow orders!"

Ruan Fengshan glanced at Xu Fuxian, but his lean face showed no expression.

Ruan Fengshan said, "Then prepare, start tomorrow."

"For the backyard accounting room’s affairs, you take charge initially. Decide who handles daily operations and who participates in the investigation, arrange it yourself."

"I want results!"

"Understood." Xu Fuxian, whose body had been bowed all along, bent even lower, and responded deeply.

Ruan Fengshan nodded and left the Document Library thoughtfully.

Duan Rong followed closely and also exited the Document Library.

As Duan Rong stepped out of the Document Library, his eyes met Xiao Yu’s, who stood at the door. Xiao Yu slightly lowered her head and smiled like a shy lotus.

Xiao Yu was late in bringing the shopkeeper’s message, fearing it might ruin Duan Rong’s task, but she arrived just in time.

Xiao Yu knew the Document Library was filled with scattered accounts with no place to step, several chief officers crowded at the entrance, so she didn’t go in.

Furthermore, she didn’t understand the accounts, and the things Duan Rong discussed didn’t make much sense to her.

As Ruan Fengshan stepped out from the west side of the corridor, Luan Bao advanced a step and said, "Shopkeeper, Assistant Li Jun of Chief Accountant Xu seemed to be overly terrified earlier and fainted. He now...seems...to have stopped breathing..."