Chapter 415: The Financial Shortfall

With the end of the year approaching, Lin Cunxin had been very busy lately as well.

Quite a few managers had been coming to visit him, and Lin Cunxin was attending banquets almost every day.

So when Hall Master summoned him, he arrived reeking of alcohol.

“Hall Master, you sent for me?”

Lin Cunxin was the God of Wealth of Sanhe Commandery Hall. All the gold and silver from every department was handed over to him, entered into storage, and even the drafting of year-end bonus distributions was done by him.

Without showing anything on his face, Wangchuan said,

“Since it is almost the end of the year, we need to remit the second half of this year’s earnings to headquarters. I called you here specifically to ask how much money we have in the treasury, and how large the shortfall still is before we can pay headquarters in full.”

The moment Lin Cunxin heard this, he began explaining in detail at once.

“According to last year’s standard, our Hall would need to submit twenty-four thousand taels of gold! But in the second half of this year, because of the Blood Moon incident and the heavy losses suffered by all the major Halls, headquarters specially approved a fifty-percent reduction in remittances for every Hall.”

Wangchuan already knew about that.

Aside from the Blood Moon period, there had also been pressure from the Beggar Sect and various local challenges. Headquarters had reduced the burden on all the Halls in order to stabilize morale.

Which meant they only needed to hand over twelve thousand taels of gold.

That shortfall was not large.

“At present, each side has already turned in a total of around seven thousand taels of gold. The gap between that and the required twelve thousand is still less than five thousand taels...”

Lin Cunxin answered.

“The Four Sub-Helms, Three Islands, and Seven Mines only turned in seven thousand taels of gold?”

Wangchuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Yes.”

Lin Cunxin sighed and said,

“When Seventh Master left, he took all the Gold Notes from the treasury, which left us with only a little over three thousand taels of silver inside. There was not even enough for daily turnover. If not for that one major order from the Dongfang Family helping us recover a little, there would have been problems even with our operations in the second half of the year.”

Wangchuan frowned and asked,

“For that Dongfang Family order, we earned one thousand nine hundred taels of gold. We then spent six hundred taels of gold on payments to various parties and rewards for the men beneath us, which still left one thousand three hundred taels of gold!”

“In the month or so since I took office, the managers should have made two rounds of remittances. Altogether, they turned in less than five thousand taels of gold? In a full month, fourteen managers, including the earnings from the Weapon Room, turned in only two thousand five hundred taels of gold?”

Wangchuan looked at Lin Cunxin.

The latter visibly felt his heart jolt. Hardening himself, he nodded.

“Two thousand five hundred taels of gold is certainly not the true total, Hall Master. You have forgotten that we also paid for a piece of land and renovated the ruined temple. And besides... the Hall’s personnel expenses have increased by quite a lot.”

“The land under the ruined temple did not cost much, and the renovations did not cost much either. As for expenses, yes, they increased somewhat, but the expenditures for all Hall personnel added together came to less than five hundred taels of gold.”

“Even if all parties only remitted three thousand taels of gold in profits, is that not still far too little?”

Staring at Lin Cunxin, Wangchuan said each word distinctly,

“The Sanjiang Sub-Helm alone turns in one thousand five hundred taels of gold every month, does it not!”

“Even if the other three Sub-Helms cannot match the Sanjiang Sub-Helm, there is no way they cannot scrape together a total remittance of one thousand five hundred taels of gold among themselves! And what about the three Island Masters? The Weapon Room? The seven Mine Masters? Are they all eating shit?!”

Lin Cunxin immediately grew tense. His face went pale, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

“Men!”

Wangchuan rose and called out.

Chen Ergou stepped into the courtyard and cupped his fists respectfully.

“Hall Master.”

“Send carrier pigeons at once! Inform every manager to come to the Hall immediately for a council meeting!”

Wangchuan’s words were as sharp as blades, his killing intent bristling through them.

“Whoever does not arrive today shall be stripped of his position!”

Lin Cunxin’s forehead was drenched in sweat, and his body trembled slightly.

Something had gone wrong.

Something had gone very wrong.

...

The fourteen managers quickly arrived at the Hall.

The moment they entered the council hall, all of them felt the atmosphere was grim and murderous.

Hall Master sat high above them, his eyes lowered, like a tiger crouched behind the giant bear pelt, radiating crushing pressure and authority.

Deputy Hall Master Lin Cunxin sat stiffly upright, his face pale.

Deputy Hall Master Zhao Heiniu’s sharp gaze swept over every manager who entered.

Chen Ergou stood outside the council hall with his men.

Without meaning to, everyone grew tense.

Though Wang Yuehui did not understand what had happened, he knew from the look of things that this was certainly not aimed at him, nor at the Sanjiang Sub-Helm. He quietly took the seat beneath Zhao Heiniu, lowered his eyes, and waited to watch the spectacle.

Once every manager had taken his seat,

Wangchuan finally spoke and made the matter clear.

“Wang Yuehui.”

“This subordinate is here.”

Wang Yuehui was startled into stepping forward.

All eyes turned toward him.

Then they heard Hall Master ask from above,

“What were your Sub-Helm’s profits in the tenth and eleventh months? How much did you remit to the Hall? Speak.”

Wang Yuehui was momentarily stunned, then cupped his fists and answered,

“Reporting to Hall Master!”

“The Sanjiang Sub-Helm earned three thousand nine hundred taels of gold in the tenth month, and three thousand one hundred taels of gold in the eleventh month. We remitted one thousand six hundred taels of gold and one thousand four hundred taels of gold respectively.”

Lin Cunxin’s body began trembling uncontrollably, and his face turned even paler.

“Good. Return to your seat.”

Wangchuan said.

Wang Yuehui stepped back into line.

The managers below all wore subtle expressions now, and their gazes could not help flicking toward Lin Cunxin.

“The Main Helm. Report.”

Wangchuan gave the order coldly.

The Main Helm Master stepped forward. In an instant, his forehead was covered in cold sweat. Cupping his fists, he said,

“Reporting to Hall Master... the Main Helm’s earnings in the tenth month were... one thousand... eight hundred taels of gold... and in the eleventh month, one thousand two hundred taels of gold. We remitted four hundred taels of gold and three hundred taels of gold respectively.”

The moment those words were spoken, Wang Yuehui was aghast, his face full of disbelief.

So little?!

Zhao Heiniu, as well as Chen Ergou standing outside the door, both glared furiously at him.

The Main Helm’s business was even easier than that of the three Sub-Helms. It handled more river transport, yet its earnings had shrunk this drastically?!

“This subordinate is guilty!”

“The Main Helm mishandled its shipping business and failed Hall Master’s trust!”

Unable to bear the pressure, the Main Helm Master dropped to his knees with a thud and began kowtowing in apology.

“Sub-Helm Master of Leishui Sub-Helm, step forward.”

Without sparing the Main Helm Master a glance, Wangchuan sneered and called for the next manager to report.

The Leishui Sub-Helm Master rose trembling, dropped to his knees, and answered haltingly,

“The Leishui Sub-Helm earned... one thousand five hundred taels of gold in the tenth month, and one thousand taels of gold in the eleventh month. We remitted three hundred taels of gold and... one hundred taels of gold respectively.”

Then he immediately bent down and began kowtowing.

“This subordinate is guilty!”

After that,

every last manager knelt.

Almost all of them had turned in very little gold, the smallest amount being barely more than one hundred taels.

As Wangchuan listened, murderous intent surged through him.

What gall!

They had all made several thousand taels of gold in earnings per month, yet they dared swallow the greater part of it and remit only a tiny fraction to the Hall.

In the entire Hall, among all fourteen managers, only the Sanjiang Sub-Helm had turned in its proper share.

The Sanjiang Sub-Helm alone equaled the combined total of the other thirteen managers!

At this point, Lin Cunxin actually calmed down. Cupping his fists, he said,

“Hall Master, this year, everyone only took office temporarily, and we also ran into the Blood Moon incident and the Beggar Sect’s pressure. Shipping business truly was very poor. Once everyone grows more experienced next year, things should improve, and they should gradually catch up to the Sanjiang Sub-Helm.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Please forgive us, Hall Master!”

“Please allow this subordinate to redeem himself through merit.”