The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 174: The Accountant Takes the Books
“Goodbye, Mr. Gape!”
Amid one farewell after another, Gape saw every employee in the office out. He began checking several account books, then put them back in order, left an inspection record, locked the safe and the office door, and only then did he leave.
This was one of his daily tasks. In truth, he did not need to do this work, but he did it anyway. He felt it was necessary. At the very least, it ensured that even if a problem appeared, it could be traced quickly to a specific time and a specific handler.
The moment the lights went out in the empty room, the reserved smile of a “group associate” disappeared from his face along with the light. What replaced it was irritation, and worry.
After President Neo’s meeting, he had learned more detailed internal information, which had steadied his emotions a little. But another emotion was brewing.
In fact, before he left work, the president’s secretary had notified Gape again and told him to come to the office. Mr. Neo wanted to see him.
After straightening his clothes, Gape met Mr. Neo in the president’s office. Mr. President was very polite. He even gave him a cigar and assigned him a task.
Only this task was not so easy to complete.
“You know, not long ago I had some unpleasantness with the mayor and the governor!” President Neo had said in the office at the time.
As a subordinate, Gape could do little besides nod. Neo smiled and continued, “So my application to relocate out of this state will certainly meet obstruction. They will do everything they can to prevent us from relocating smoothly, no matter what method they have to use!”
After saying this, President Neo paused briefly. Only after a while did he continue, “Gape, you are an ambitious young man. I’ve heard that you often take the initiative to work overtime through the night, and that you are good at keeping people united. That is a good thing. I believe you have also received the reward of becoming a group associate.”
“What I need you to do next is an opportunity to prove your value to all of us. They will certainly come to audit the accounts. You must ensure that these books contain no errors. At the very least, even if some problems arise, they must not fall within your area of authority. Can you do that?”
Faced with that kind of question, what could Gape do besides nod?
Even though he was actually somewhat guilty, he could only brace himself.
Neo then told him that if he could resolve this problem, once they arrived at the new location, he would propose to the boardroom that Gape be appointed a senior associate of the corporate group. He would be allowed to attend board meetings as an observer.
Those words did not give Gape as much motivation as they once would have. Of course, on the surface he pretended to be excited and eager, and actively guaranteed that he would complete President Neo’s instructions.
The dim light in the underground garage filled him with an inexplicable fear. His hands also refused to obey him. When he opened the car door, the keys fell to the ground. When he tried to insert them into the ignition beside the steering wheel, they fell again onto the floor mat.
He did not know why a nameless panic had come over him. It was as if something inside his chest was crashing around wildly, making him suddenly lose all strength.
In a sudden burst of emotion, he slapped the steering wheel hard, as if venting.
But the horn that blared immediately afterward startled him.
In the underground basement, quiet as death, the sudden horn blast came too abruptly, so abruptly that he trembled.
He slumped against the steering wheel in some embarrassment for a long while before the outburst of emotion gradually settled. Only then did he pick up the keys, insert them into the ignition, start the car, and slowly drive toward the exit.
In a place like Ristowan Group Headquarters Building, the parking lot security guards were naturally very familiar with every vehicle parked there. Normally, whenever the security guard in the guard booth saw Gape’s car entering or leaving, there was no need for him to stop. The barrier would rise immediately.
But today was different. When his car reached the barrier, the barrier did not rise. What surprised him even more was that the security guard, who had never before left the guard booth, came out of it.
He knocked on the car window. Gape froze for a second or two before rolling down the tinted glass.
“Mr. Gape?” The security guard glanced at the notebook in his hands, then looked at Gape, as if confirming his identity.
He was an unfamiliar security guard. Gape nodded. “Is something wrong?”
The security guard made a mark in the notebook. At least from Gape’s angle, that was what he seemed to do. Then he raised his head and showed a mouthful of white teeth. “No, sir. I’m familiarizing myself with my new work. I’m sorry to have delayed you.”
His gaze swept quickly over the back seat of Gape’s car, then withdrew. “I’ll raise the barrier now. Good night, Mr. Gape.”
Gape nodded. He did not roll the window back up, but drove straight out of the underground parking lot.
The sweltering summer remained sweltering even at night. The hot wind made Gape tear off his tie as he drove. He felt agitated. Some peculiar thing would not let him rest for even a moment.
Fear, panic, hatred, disgust, anger ... A mass of negative emotions made him sensitive and irritable. This condition had begun after his private conversation with Neo.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.