Side Story: Hell on Earth
Chapter 123
Batch Numbers
Liberte parked his car in front of the door, ignored the guard's greeting, and headed straight to the censorship room. He closed the door, reached into the trash can, deftly mixed the fruit penalty slip into the pile of waste paper, rummaged everything out, and placed the papers on the desk.
He sorted them one by one, tossing any paper that was not a penalty slip or was worthless back into the bin, and finally left two penalty slips. Liberte stared fixedly at the penalty slip he had thrown away yesterday:
Date: September 27, Year 11 of the Hive Calendar
Delivery Violation Processing Slip
Supplying Unit: Red Sea Pharmaceutical Group
Contract Number: 0472618359
Order: Medical supplies, syringes, antibiotics, disinfectant, and bandages
Delivery Deadline: No more than 15 days from the date of ex-warehouse
Ex-warehouse Date: 05/09
Delivery Deadline: 20/09
Actual Delivery Date: 27/09
Days Delayed: 07 days
Violation Content: Severe weather, landslide, partial damage to bridges and roads, the partner had to transfer the goods to a transit warehouse for temporary storage first, and then detour through other routes to continue transportation, leading to an extended transportation time, and ultimately delivery was delayed by seven days past the specified deadline, affecting the warehousing and replenishment of medical supplies.
Degree of Impact: Part of the goods' packaging was damaged during transportation, failing to meet warehousing standards, requiring inspection and reprocessing.
Cargo Value: 2,400,000
Affected Cargo Proportion: 15%
Loss Value: 360,000
Compensation: 360,000
Breach Penalty: 60,000
Total: 420,000
Processing Basis: Clause 3, Article 9 of Supply Contract No. 359/HH.
Responsible Party: Red Sea Pharmaceutical Group
Prepared by: Wan
Confirmed by: Wan
Signature: Wan
The technician observing through the monitor watched Liberte: Liberte stared at that piece of paper without blinking, his eyeballs constantly rolling, carefully pondering every line and every word, as if he wanted to unearth and turn upside down everything written on the penalty slip. One person said in puzzlement:
"It is just an ordinary penalty slip like the other penalty slips. He threw it away yesterday, and now he is going through the trouble of rummaging through the trash can to fish it out. What is going on?"
The monarch crossed his legs, rested his elbows on the chair armrests, and tilted his head against his left fist. His deep gaze observed the entire room, seeing through every move of Liberte. He revealed an unusual expression, completely opposite to his usual calm and cold demeanor.
Liberte read it repeatedly multiple times, yet found no anomalies... except for... the severe weather and landslide on that day, September 22, Year 11 of the Hive Calendar.
He carefully read the penalty slip regarding the subpar fresh fruit, re-examined everything, his sword-like brows deeply furrowed and slanting down toward the glabella, the skin of his forehead wrinkling into a skull shape between his two brows.
This time he noticed the handwriting that he had not paid attention to last time—yellowed, moldy, blurred, and faintly emerging behind the details: some goods were crushed, freshness declined, thus failing to meet warehousing standards... that is... the part stating the reason... because... fierce winds and torrential rain fell during the transit, and the roads kept shaking...
Liberte wondered why both penalty slips clearly stated the reasons for delayed delivery and poor cargo quality caused by weather and unexpected conditions.
Usually, penalty slips simply listed the date, the order, how much the penalty was... and so on... absolutely no one would be idle enough to write out all the reasons for delayed delivery.
But aside from that, there were no anomalies at all... or... he had not found any suspicious signs yet...
He did not believe that Wan wrote the weather-caused penalty reasons into the penalty slip out of... habit... because... he had previously looked at various penalty slips from Wan's personal transactions unrelated to the "Hive", and Wan had never written down the reasons causing partners to be penalized.
What on earth was the reason driving and forcing this guy to write such an uncommon matter so clearly... and furthermore... Wan had never done this at all in his own private transactions?
Liberte did not rush to conclude that Wan had a problem. He needed similar clues, directly or indirectly related clues, or even some kind of hint to deduce, analyze, and investigate, in order to prove that what he was suspecting was not driven by emotion.
First, he needed to concentrate on processing the remaining pile of backlogged archives and materials. A state of absolute concentration made him carefully flip through the remaining archives and materials page by page... and... they also gave him their due reward... 17 documents.
Four receipts recorded legal transactions, and thirteen were penalty slips. After completing the review and making everything proper, he could then concentrate on examining and dissecting these thirteen penalty slips that breached the trading and buying agreements between the "Hive" and its commercial partners.
Among these thirteen penalty slips, some were sandwiched inside comprehensive files composed of contracts, purchase orders, handover sheets, batch numbers, inspection records, violation handling slips, and payment vouchers. Other penalty slips, however, were tucked away in completely unrelated materials and ledgers, as if someone had casually slid a slip into a book after reading it and then stored it away in the archives.
Liberte used his own case—he had read the penalty slip and immediately thrown it away—to infer that perhaps the person who had tucked the slip into the book simply did not care whether the penalty slip was important?
All of this was normal and nothing out of the ordinary. What deserved more attention was whether other penalty slips were scattered somewhere else?
Or... had they completely vanished because people thought with simple logic, believing that those insentient pieces of paper only needed to be read once and that putting away such useless things was redundant and pointless... just like he had done yesterday.
Little did that crowd of shallow people expect that they were not meaningless... and... they could never imagine that those piles of waste paper treated like trash... might... be even more valuable than all the archives and ledgers stored and protected like treasures in the national database.
If...
They truly proved that Liberte's suspicions were not baseless... but rather... an earth-shattering truth.
The technical staff closely observed every single thing Liberte did, scrutinizing every sentence and reviewing every word across all files, materials, and ledgers in order to cross-reference them with the thirteen penalty slips.
The subordinates and the monarch passed through the fog shrouding the secrets, stepping onto the path leading to the ultimate destination—Liberte was pursuing clues related to Wan.
The monarch pulled out a cigar, and the secretary beside him immediately used a lighter to light it for his master. He took a deep breath, exhaling a puff of gray smoke that coiled around his no longer blurred face... yet... as the ruler of a nation, he still restrained his impulse, absolutely preventing any emotion from showing in front of his subordinates.
His dark, deeply sunken eye sockets—like a mass grave—probed every minute movement, scrutinizing every expression of tension, excitement, and subsequent premature joy on Liberte's face—that fellow who was still buried in his search, flipping through every page of the book and every single word... yet... had not yet found the hidden object.
Liberte scratched his head and rubbed his throbbing temples, eagerly wanting to know whether the truth was truly as he suspected? He carefully re-examined the thirteen penalty slips.
Liberte searched his memory: Wan had indeed honestly and accurately recorded the year, month, and day when bad weather, storms, and other objective and subjective incidents occurred.
Liberte still remembered that on September 22 of the 11th year of the Hive Calendar, a landslide and damage to bridges and roads had indeed occurred, forcing the transport team to transfer the goods to a transit warehouse.
On May 16 of the 10th year of the Hive Calendar, it was indeed pouring rain, the roads were wet and muddy, and the air humidity was extremely high, which might affect the quality of the fruits...
But...
The issue worth noting here was not the impact of the bad weather on the products... but rather... that all thirteen penalty slips clearly stated the delivery dates.
Why was delivery delayed? What were the factors that had indirect and direct impacts on the goods? Wan had written everything down without ambiguity, omitting no details at all.
This professional and "meticulous" working style... gave off a certain impression: the guy in charge of purchasing and trading affairs was deliberately building trust for the person who had entrusted him with such heavy responsibilities—that Wan was truly clean, without any hidden corruption or dirt... rather than... it being a self-evident fact, unlike how the monarch and the "Hive" had trusted him without a single doubt, hesitation, or suspicion over the past six years.
The excessive caution, striving to show that he had always adhered to the principles consistently upheld by Wan: clear-cut in money, resolute in affection... had now... turned into a suspicious question mark, drawing his irreconcilable enemy to investigate and excavate down to the root of all relational traces connected to the suspicion... playing hide-and-seek in this darkness.
Liberte confirmed that all points within the sales contract files complied with procedures, matched the facts, and had no issues whatsoever; even four shipments were completely transparent, and all transactions were precise and flawless.
One of these four ordinary shipments was astonishingly valuable, worth tens of millions, easily tempting someone blinded by greed to take desperate risks...
But...
With numerous supervisory personnel, clear sources of supply, difficult-to-forge batch numbers, and conditions unsuitable for shady deeds... therefore... these four highly valuable shipments were completely transparent when leaving the partner's warehouse and remained intact and undamaged upon entering the "Hive" warehouse.
The only thing that felt out of place was... those batch numbers. He kept wondering whether they matched all the other records and details. Liberte would absolutely not confirm anything that he himself was not yet one hundred percent certain of.
Liberte concentrated on checking those batch numbers. He opened a series of computer files, and the screen displayed the transaction records of old purchases and sales.
Liberte searched the system and compared each batch number with the batch numbers on the paper receipts... frustratingly... he failed to discover anything suspicious. But his intuition's warning, along with the fake integrity and honesty displayed during the transactions, had dealt a fierce blow to Wan's cunning and craftiness... making... Liberte feel that the truth was still evading him.
He was determined not to give up... but... patiently waited until his day off, then bowed to the monarch. The monarch nodded, allowing this diligent man to return home to relax his mind and visit his family. Liberte expressed his gratitude. He put on his cloak, left the review room, and drove straight to the deputy general's villa.
Belief, Ji, and Ange warmly welcomed him, and the family members tightly embraced each other, smiling as they inquired about each other's health and family life. Seeing that Ji and Ange had prominent bellies, Liberte, together with Belief, gently supported them as they entered the house.
Ji smiled gently, gazing at her son and Ange's daughter chirpily pestering their uncle. They cheerfully expressed how much they missed their uncle, endlessly talking about various things. Liberte and Belief joyfully lifted each child high, spinning around in the room, while the children opened their arms, giggling and playing their favorite game:
"The plane is coming, the jet plane is flying here."
"Step aside, make way for the plane..."
Liberte and Belief cast aside all their worries, temporarily forgetting the mountain of work, acting as horses for the children to ride on their backs, crawling back and forth with a bouncing motion in the house.
Ji and Ange laughed heartily, enjoying the peaceful days spent with their family. They watched the children play, frolicking with their uncle and father, until they grew tired and said they were sleepy, and the two brothers carried each child back to their room.
They returned to the living room. Belief gave a soft laugh, watching Liberte, completely unconcerned that there were numerous subordinates and guards around, sit directly in the middle of the two sisters.
Liberte chatted about daily life, pouring out how busy he had been recently, dealing with a mountain of work. Those numbers and densely packed texts were scrambling to queue up in his mind.
Ji smiled with closed lips, and Ange gave a slight smile, secretly amused that their relative was covertly sending out signals of needing assistance. Liberte didn't want outsiders to know about this matter.
If he ordered the subordinates to withdraw, it would appear too obvious, so he had to take a roundabout way. Thus, the two sisters pretended to complain of fatigue and aching backs, worrying that sitting for long periods would affect the fetuses.
A few days ago, a servant had been careless while supporting Ange and almost made her fall. The master was kind-hearted and didn't punish him, and usually, there were still people who boldly requested to support the master, promising to be careful and cautious.
Unfortunately now, the master's dearest person had come to visit. He was famous for being cold and ruthless, causing everyone to feel terror, and no one dared to open their mouth.
The servants guessed that the master wanted to experience family affection... and so... Ange and Ji used fatigue as an excuse, letting Liberte and Belief support them as they left.
No one dared to approach the bedroom shared by the general and his two wives, nor did they have the guts to be curious about whether these four people were just having casual chats or discussing other secrets. Everyone focused on completing their daily tasks within the mansion.
Belief locked the door and turned on the anti-eavesdropping device. Liberte narrated everything about the investigation into those penalty slips related to Wan. He suspected that Wan cheated, but the evidence was insufficient and he lacked sufficient witnesses for conviction.
Wan was the enemy who killed their father, tormented their family, and abused their mother and siblings; everyone had to bury their hatred deep at the bottom of their reason, patiently waiting for the opportunity for revenge. Now... that opportunity was beginning to manifest within the initial traces along the path of seeking the truth.
Ji and Ange had never been so excited, nervous, and joyful as they were now. Belief quietly looked at the two thrilled women, almost feeling like he couldn't recognize his own wife. He wasn't surprised... instead... he felt that the will for revenge was still a dull, aching scar deep within their souls... forever... incurable... as long as Wan had not been cast down into the eighteenth circle of hell for even a single day.
Belief almost laughed out loud, because right while they were in the midst of excitement, upon hearing Liberte's words, the two women's faces... suddenly... froze and flushed red:
"Wan wrote all the incidents that occurred during transportation, as well as the bad weather affecting cargo quality, into the penalty slips." - He cleared his throat and said to Ange - "I will tell you that Wan wrote the year, month, and day when the incidents and bad weather occurred into the penalty slips. Take a look and see whether the events in the diary you wrote match the penalty slips?"
The three of them gave a slight smile, the reason being that Liberte, who was usually fluent in speech, was stammering at this moment. Ji and Ange understood tacitly, realizing that he only wanted to know the dates, incidents, and weather... but... he also had concerns that if he read the diary himself, he would easily and unintentionally skim over those words and sentences recording all memories, all commemorations... and... the private lives of the couple and family members, which would make the whole family feel awkward. Liberte had no choice but to ask his younger sister to do it for him, helping him check the time nodes and events in the diary.
Ji and Ange simultaneously lowered their heads, their faces turning beet red, pressing their lips together as they secretly admired the sensitivity of their relatives.
When the two of them watched Ange timidly open the thick book, flipping to the pages of May 16, Year 10 and September 22, Year 11, the events recorded thereon were completely identical to those recorded on the penalty slips; smiles flashed across the corners of Belief and Liberte's mouths. Liberte still carefully read other dates:
"On April 3, Year 7 of the "Hive" calendar, light rain with a brief clearing, no wind, the transport team was intercepted by bandits, the goods were looted in their entirety, and the partner was required to compensate 100% of the value of the goods. But the monarch and the "Hive" listened to Wan's advice, to be lenient toward the partner, because this was a force majeure event. The partner suffered heavy losses; if they were forced to fully compensate, it would be inhumane. Share the losses: the partner bears 80%, the "Hive" bears 20%, considered as understanding, to share a portion of the losses for the partner for long-term cooperation."
Ange nodded to confirm that what was written in the diary was largely similar, and although the wording was different, the content was consistent. The occurrences, weather conditions, and whether there were incidents on other dates were written identically in both the penalty slips and the diary.
This suspicious coincidence was merely a clue, not evidence to convict Wan. The four of them did not rush to celebrate, but kept a calm mind to conduct the investigation... and... if they wanted to explore and deeply dig out the root cause, they needed capable allies to help.
Liberte opened the communication device to call the Great General, and a steady and gentle voice came from the other end of the walkie-talkie. Liberte greeted his elder and said:
"Everyone at home misses mother, tomorrow we are returning to the Great General's mansion to have a warm meal."
The Great General was greatly shocked, and upon hearing the two words "warm", his entire body froze for three seconds. With his meticulous mind, he immediately recalled that whenever they returned to the Great General's mansion in the past, they would only say they were visiting mother and the Great General, and would never utter such intimate and tender words.
He realized that Liberte had something he wanted to discuss with him in secret. This man who wanted to be a father suddenly felt that Liberte's voice was... no longer cold... but... exceptionally warm. He excitedly asked for the specific time. Liberte said:
"Tomorrow at 12:50 PM."
The next day, Belief, his two wives, and Liberte's family came to the Great General's mansion together. Maria and the Great General were beaming with joy, waiting at the door for their children and grandchildren.
The parents opened their arms, welcoming the children who came running towards them in groups, happy and joyous. Some lunged into their arms, making a fuss to be held and cuddled. Some grabbed grandfather's hands, some clung to grandmother's feet, chattering, talking, and laughing.
Maria smiled and hugged Ange and Ji, and the relatives gently kissed each other on the cheeks. The mother-in-law gently responded to every health greeting from her daughters-in-law. Maria didn't mind Mao's absence; she even wished that she would not come, so as to avoid finding it an eyesore to see the enemy's ugly appearance of forcing a smile.
The big family sat around the lavish banquet set in the center of the hall. Everyone ate, drank, frolicked, and joked with each other. Maria inquired about Ange and Ji's fetal conditions, reminding the two sisters to be extra careful and properly care for their pregnancies.
They smiled slightly, recalling that whether they were well-behaved or mischievous in childhood, the person who was a mother always gently instructed them. Now Ji and Ange had grown up to adulthood, and it was not the first time giving birth, but the mother still treated them as little daughters who needed counseling.
The Great General looked at the harmonious family. He could not help laughing, watching a group of grandchildren pulling the son he had with Maria... playing the childhood games he used to play with his siblings when he was little. Maria felt a quiet sense of relief, happy that her husband was enjoying a simple and pure happiness.
Belief silently observed everyone: Maria wore a kind and satisfied smile. Liberte's wives actively initiated conversations with Maria at every moment; the several daughters-in-law were always very polite, each striving in different ways to win favor in front of their mother-in-law, except for An, who did not show any blatant flattery attitude.
She talked about household chores and experiences of raising children, worrying that Liberte had grown thinner than before recently because of handling national affairs day and night.
The corners of Maria's and her son's lips curved into faint, knowing smiles... their relative and enemy, An, seized every moment to erase the hatred separating... her... from the person she had always hoped would truly open his heart to her.
Ange and Ji did not care whether they could win the Great General's heart. They giggled, clapped and cheered, encouraging the Great General enthusiastically to come and play with the children and grandchildren.
This person who yearned for family affection frolicked and played with the children... completely identical... just like when Liberte and Belief acted as a horse for them to ride and crawl everywhere.
A sensitive person could also feel as if the Great General was playing with the children and grandchildren... thereby... returning to his carefree childhood.
The old man's hearty laughter... and... the children's giggles intertwined, echoing throughout the luxurious villa mansion. Usually... majestic and solemn... but... this peaceful moment appeared plain and simple, warming the icy heart of this powerful man. That pleasant sound echoed for a long time... until... the warm meal ended, and each returned to their beds to rest.
The Great General smacked his lips because the knocking on the door interrupted his mood, lamenting that soaring feeling of his soul drifting in the clouds. He clicked his tongue and said:
"The door is not locked."
Belief and Liberte walked into the room together, closed the door, and locked it from the inside. The two stepped forward three times and bowed in salute to the Great General.
Liberte went straight to the point, detailing the process of auditing the account books and the problem of discovering hidden circumstances in Wan's trading transactions. He told everything related to the investigation.
The Great General listened, his expression still calm, but inwardly praising himself for his divine foresight. When he heard that Liberte had arranged to visit home at 12:50 (meaning 10 minutes to 1), the second hand and minute hand formed a V-shape, which was the first letter of Wan's name.
He was certain that Liberte and Belief had discovered the secret hidden by Wan. This person who understood people's hearts still let everything take its natural course; he did not need to flaunt that he had grasped his sons' thoughts. If he "expressed" things that should not be exposed, it would only make his sons lose their affection and even breed suspicion toward him.
The Great General secretly observed every extremely minute change in expression on Liberte's and Belief's faces. This person who wanted to be a father... felt as if flags were fluttering in his heart... at the moment of realization... Liberte and Belief intentionally let him know that the two brothers... were satisfied with his steady and delicate way of handling things.
The Great General had never been as joyful as this moment; after years of trying hard to express his sincerity, the children finally recognized the heartfelt intention of this person yearning to be a father.
Belief spoke up, saying:
"The only clue is the order batch numbers. We must determine whether the "Hive" has already used up the goods with those batch numbers. If the goods are still in the "Hive", where are the remaining goods stored?"
The Great General nodded in understanding; as long as that batch of goods was found, the batch numbers checked and compared, from then on there would be hope of following the clues step by step to find other important traces.
Liberte had not rushed to report to the monarch yet, afraid of startling the snake out of its hole, causing Wan to destroy all evidence and silence witnesses to protect the secret.
"Alright, I will secretly search for that batch of goods for you."
Liberte and Belief happily thanked the Great General. The Great General waved his hand, signaling there was no need for courtesy:
"We are a family, and a family must jointly bear responsibilities and share difficulties."
Liberte and Belief smiled slightly, empathizing with the Great General's feeling of joy because the children trusted him. The three stayed up all night until dawn, discussing strategies to escort the truth step by step into the light of justice and to deal with all variables in the course of investigating the case...
After a very long time, Liberte and Belief came to the Great General's mansion. The two had prepared themselves mentally in advance... but... when they heard him say:
"A portion of the medicines in that batch of goods from September 27 of the 11th year of the Hive calendar was transported to the front lines to treat wounded soldiers, and the rest was all used in the actions of treating infectious disease patients and quelling the epidemic three years ago."
While narrating, the Great General paid attention to the expressions of his two sons: having eagerly looked forward to good news for a long time... now... upon hearing the disappointing matter, Liberte tightly clenched his fists, his arms trembling violently, as if wanting to fiercely punch at this bad news.
Belief, who was usually calm, composed, and unfazed by danger in chaotic times, was at this moment so impulsive that he could not control the anger burning within his blood-red eyes.
But...
The two brothers did not let disappointment crush their deductions about the final plot details:
"The other supplies in the warehouse had all been completely used up. Strangely, the medicines for treating infectious diseases and over half of the fruits from the May 16 receipt—these two items—were all used up during the same period when the infectious disease broke out."
Liberte and Belief felt a sense of loss; the opportunity had died prematurely before it could be realized. This information, which was by no means an accidental coincidence, had just lit up a dawn for the three of them... when... the Great General announced the final piece of news:
"On August 31, Wan individually purchased an order for his family, which included therapeutic medicines, tonics, and various types of nutritional supplements. The time when the "Hive" made its purchase was almost identical to Wan's, and the sales partner delivered both invoices simultaneously. Wan's invoice and the "Hive's" invoice were placed together. At that time, both invoices were reviewed by the medical team, their quality was tested, and they were tested for toxicity and pathogenic virus germs... but..." - The Great General sighed and shook his head, looking as if he couldn't go back to the past to inspect the medicines again - "The medical team found no signs of violations, and they concluded that all medicines and items met standards 100%."
The event that required special attention and thorough investigation was: Wan and the "Hive" received their goods on the same day. A suspicious person did not believe in such simple coincidences; for a crafty, cunning, and resourceful fellow like Wan, it was even more suspicious and by no means accidental.
The three discussed and decoded the reasons why Wan and "Hive" purchased goods on the same day. Liberte also believed it was necessary to understand and analyze why, only after long-term deliveries of medical supplies and Class A medicines to the "Hive", the partner Red Sea began circulating Class B medicines.
Prior to this, "Hive" and the monarch did not know that Red Sea also produced Class B medicines. The two medicines basically used medicinal materials with the same ingredients, but the efficacy of Class B medicines was lower than that of Class A medicines.
If it were just an ordinary transaction, the three of them wouldn't need to waste their efforts getting to the bottom of it. The problem lay in some unexplained hidden circumstances: Red Sea did not clearly disclose the specific component percentages of the two medicines. This was completely normal; countless pharmaceutical companies and medical groups avoided mentioning this detail.
That normal matter, combined with the situation where Wan and "Hive" bought medicines on the same day, as well as the subsequent outbreak of the epidemic which exhausted half of the medicines and medical supplies stored in the warehouse... instead... turned into some kind of unspeakable shady deal.
The three suspected that Wan did not want the remaining half of the medicines to exist... because... once these medicines still existed in the future, the inherently suspicious monarch would surely order them to be compared and contrasted with the officially circulated Class B medicines. By then, that would become evidence accusing Wan of colluding with the partner to commit fraud and trade cheating.
Although all deductions and analyses peeled away the layers of clothing covering the obvious truth... unfortunately... those medicines, fruits, and other materials suspected of having cheating problems had already been used by the "Hive" until the bottom of the warehouse was exposed and completely empty, leaving not even the packaging.
If all evidence was lost, Wan could not be convicted. The Great General leaned back against the tiger-skin chair, no longer maintaining his inherent majestic posture, and no longer in the mood to take pride in gaining the trust of his children. This person who wanted to be a father could not be happy... when... his children were sad.
Liberte collapsed onto the armchair, his hands hanging limply. Belief and the Great General had never seen Liberte as dejected as this moment... and... he no longer cared whether his thoughts would be seen through.
The person who had lost hope felt resentful that fate always played tricks on his family. Grievance filled his reddened, turbid eyes...
Not a single word of comfort. No encouragement like the usual pat on the shoulder. All words, all care at this moment was completely meaningless...