Chapter 245 Exploring the Bottom

"But investigations show that the people queuing outside this store every day are mostly entrepreneurs in Jiangcheng with assets of over 100 million yuan, and even academic luminaries with official backgrounds."

"President Su, if Lin Fan presents his bank statements to the judge in court, proving that he has an incredible ability to make money and that his daily social circle consists entirely of top-tier elites."

"Then our strategy of 'Lin Fan's financial difficulties and harsh environment' will become a complete joke in the judge's eyes, and may even be refuted."

After listening to Attorney Wang's analysis, Su Qing remained silent for a few seconds.

A monthly cash flow in the tens of millions? The social circle of top elites?

Su Qing couldn't help but recall the scene she had witnessed on Jin Street that day.

She suddenly loosened her grip on the coffee cup that she had been holding tightly.

Then, she let out a cold laugh filled with extreme contempt.

"Attorney Wang, you're an old hand at handling economic disputes. Can't you see through this kind of accounting trick?" Su Qing slammed her coffee cup heavily on the table.

"How can a stay-at-home dad who left with nothing and doesn't even have a proper job earn millions a month? How can he make those big shots line up at his roadside stall?"

Su Qing's eyes were resolute, and her thoughts were very clear.

"This only proves that my father's previous speculation was completely correct. Lin Fan is simply a 'celebrity puppet' pushed out by the Qin family or some large corporation! A white glove to take the fall for someone else!"

"Does Mr. Su mean that these data are fake?" Attorney Wang asked.

"A bowl of noodles costs 180 yuan, and a plate of sea cucumber costs nearly 3,000 yuan. This kind of illogical pricing is obviously a money laundering or hype gimmick!"

Su Qing's tone was filled with an arrogance that suggested she had seen through everything.

"Those so-called high turnover figures are definitely the result of someone frantically inflating orders behind the scenes! As for those big bosses queuing up, they're just there to show their support because of the capital behind them."

Attorney Wang on the other end of the phone pondered for a moment: "I understand what Mr. Su means. The cash flow of these kinds of capital-driven online celebrity stores often can't withstand scrutiny."

"That's right." Su Qing leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers on the table.

"Judges look at long-term, stable, and legitimate assets. Capital can generate temporary cash flow, but can it sustain that for a lifetime?"

"Go and investigate thoroughly! Check his store's tax records, check the purchase invoices for those exorbitantly priced dishes! I refuse to believe that accounts used for money laundering through capital manipulation can be completely clean and without loopholes!"

"If we can obtain evidence that he is involved in fraudulent transactions, tax evasion, or financial fraud, he will have no chance of winning in court!"

"Understood, Mr. Su." Attorney Wang said excitedly, "I will immediately arrange for a professional audit team to thoroughly investigate his tax records."

"Get it done quickly. When I come back next week after the bell rings, I'm going to make him spit out all the vanity he's swallowed, with interest, in court."

After hanging up the phone, Su Qing tossed it aside.

Outside the office, the city's neon lights have already lit up, outlining the bustling cityscape of Jiangcheng.

Su Qing stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the endless stream of cars below.

The faint dryness deep in her nasal cavity was still there, but she had forcibly suppressed it.

With 500 million yuan in funding secured, the IPO roadshow is about to begin. Once the Su Group successfully rings the bell on Nasdaq, the resources she controls will expand exponentially.

When the time comes, faced with absolute capital and class dominance, any paper tiger-like pretense will be torn to shreds.

Su Qing turned around and walked back to her desk.

She decisively signed her name on a prospectus written entirely in English.

……

The temperature in Jiangcheng dropped a few degrees the next morning.

The leaves of the plane trees along the roadside were scattered all over the ground and swept to the curb by the sanitation truck in the morning.

At 6:30 a.m., Lin Fan came down from the living room upstairs.

The hall was quiet. In a cardboard box in the corner, Shrimp Dumpling, curled up into a small orange ball, was fast asleep.

Lin Fan walked to the door, unlatched it, and pushed the door open halfway to let in some fresh air.

The cold wind of early winter blew in through the cracks in the door, clearing his drowsy mind considerably.

At 7:30, Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the door and came in right on time, carrying a canvas bag.

"Good morning, Brother Lin." Su Xiaoxiao put down her bag, rubbed her hands which were red from the cold, and quickly changed into her work clothes. "It's really cold outside today."

"Wear more clothes if you're cold. Turn on the heating." Lin Fan stood behind the cashier, sorting through yesterday's bills and receipts.

Su Xiaoxiao turned on the central air conditioning and casually added some warm water to the shrimp dumplings in the corner.

At eight o'clock sharp, people began to appear on the street outside the door.

Several white-collar regulars who work nearby rubbed their hands together and walked over, queuing up at the bottom of the steps to get a number.

Among the people queuing, there were two unfamiliar faces that seemed out of place.

These are two middle-aged men wearing gray jackets, carrying worn-out black briefcases.

The two of them hunched their shoulders from the cold wind and occasionally stood on tiptoe to peek at the store entrance at the front of the line.

These two individuals were none other than Wang, Su Qing's lawyer, who had hired private auditors and investigators overnight at a high salary.

One is called Lao Sun, and the other is called Lao Zhao.

Both are experts in business auditing and scrutiny, specializing in conducting undercover investigations of competitors' stores to find evidence of tax loopholes, hygiene violations, or false advertising.

"This job is inhuman," Old Zhao muttered, tucking his frozen hands into his pockets.

"I came all this way early in the morning to investigate a run-down noodle shop, only to be left out in the cold. I'll have to ask Attorney Wang to reimburse me for this later."

"Alright, that's enough." Old Sun lowered his voice. "President Su said that as long as we get substantial evidence, the commission will double. What's a little grievance?"

Old Zhao pursed his lips and glanced around at the crowd queuing in front and behind him.

Suddenly, he nudged Old Sun's arm, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Old Sun, look at that guy in the black overcoat up ahead, isn't that Chairman Chen from Shengshi Real Estate? And that guy next to him wearing a gold chain, he looks like Li Dayong from the mining industry in Shanxi Province."

Old Sun followed his gaze and his brows furrowed immediately.

"It really is them." Old Sun has been in this business for many years and is naturally familiar with the prominent figures in Jiangcheng's business circle.

"It seems Mr. Su was right. The capital behind this store has gone very far. Even these big bosses with assets of over 100 million were hired to act as shills and queue up. This show is really well-funded."

"Who cares who's the shill? As long as it's a business, there will always be loopholes in the books."

Old Zhao sneered, "Let's go in and order the most expensive dishes later. I don't believe these trendy restaurants can serve any real quality ingredients. If I find out they're using inferior ingredients, I'll immediately report them to the Industry and Commerce Bureau."