Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 88 How Much Trouble Can One Accountant Cause?

"You are... Sett? No, Getter?"

"Bingo!"

The young man immediately snapped his fingers, stylishly tossed his sweaty hair, and flashed a "you finally recognized me" smile.

"Jiang Jinfu! He plays Xiao Jingrui in 'Nirvana in Fire.' I just finished filming my last drama yesterday and rushed over here."

"You're in this group too? I don't even know you. You must be a newcomer chosen by Sister Cai?"

Qi Yue reached out and shook his hand. "I guess so."

Jiang Jinfu patted Qi Yue on the shoulder.

"I'll take care of you in the group from now on. By the way, you really don't want an autographed photo? I still have posters in my car!"

Qi Yue was somewhat amused and exasperated, and was about to politely decline the guy's offer—

"Bang!"

The gym door was pushed open, and Guo Fan rushed in, his eyes quickly scanning the room before locking onto Qi Yue.

Jiang Jinfu, however, had sharp eyes and recognized Guo Fan first.

"Director Guo!"

However, Guo Fan was clearly not in the mood for pleasantries at the moment and went straight to Qi Yue.

"Qi Yue, you really are here. Come out with me quickly, it's urgent."

Qi Yue? Director Guo calls him Qi Yue?

Jiang Jinfu, who was about to continue showing off his biceps, suddenly froze with a smile.

Qi...Yue?

The guy I was lifting weights with earlier, who even offered me an autographed photo... was that Qi Yue?!

Is it Qi Yue, the up-and-coming director known in the industry for his sharp eye and decisive methods, who single-handedly created "Yu Zui" and "Day and Night"? Or is it Mei Changsu, the male lead of "Nirvana in Fire"?

Why does it look different from the poster?

Jiang Jinfu felt his cheeks suddenly burning...

Qi Yue picked up his jacket from the equipment and patted the somewhat dazed Jiang Jinfu.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. Please give me your autographed photo another time."

After saying that, he didn't linger and quickly followed Guo Fan, who had already turned and walked out.

Jiang Jinfu was left standing there alone, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.

"My God, just kill me with one sword!"

......

Qi Yue followed Guo Fan to a small, temporary conference room.

Guo Fan pushed open the door, and inside there was only a dim wall lamp on.

Beside the conference table, a person was curled up in a chair.

He hung his head low, his hands buried deep in his disheveled hair, as if all his energy had been drained away.

However, it was Old Zhou, the accountant hired by the film crew.

Upon hearing the door open, Old Zhou trembled violently like a startled rabbit, almost burying his head under the table.

Guo Fan slammed the door shut, cutting himself off from the outside world.

He walked to the table and turned on the main light with a "snap." The blinding white light instantly filled the room, leaving Old Zhou nowhere to hide.

"Qi Yue," Guo Fan's voice was deep and hoarse, "Old Zhou's accounts have problems!"

Qi Yue walked to the table, but instead of looking at the spread-out reports, he quietly stared at Lao Zhou. The invisible pressure made Lao Zhou almost curl up into a ball.

Guo Fan pointed to the documents on the table, "First of all, there's the money. The reserve fund in the crew's special account for filming doesn't match up; it's missing a full three million."

This number made Qi Yue's eyelids twitch.

The total investment in "Nirvana in Fire" was not small, but every penny was budgeted. Three million was by no means a small amount, especially the reserve fund, which was related to the daily production turnover and various unexpected expenses.

"How come it's missing? When was it discovered?"

Guo Fan looked at Lao Zhou, his tone complicated: "Lao Zhou, you tell me yourself."

Old Zhou finally raised his head, his face completely pale, his lips trembling.

"Director Guo...yes, it's my fault...I was out of my mind, I..."

He began to recount his story in fits and starts. It turned out that he had become addicted to online gambling some time ago. At first, he only gambled a little, but later he became so engrossed in losing that he sank deeper and deeper into the trap.

The deficit kept growing, and his salary and savings couldn't cover it, so he set his sights on the crew's reserve fund account, which he was in charge of.

He initially only intended to "borrow" some funds for working capital, planning to pay it back immediately once he won. Taking advantage of his position as an accountant and his familiarity with the procedures, he falsified accounts and embezzled three million in several installments.

He thought he could quickly recoup his losses, but instead he lost more and more, losing all three million.

As the production crew's expenses increased and the audit deadline approached, he could no longer hide the truth. Overwhelmed by fear and pressure, he was on the verge of collapse and ultimately chose to confess to director Guo Fan.

"President Qi, Director Guo... I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry to the crew... I deserve to die..."

Guo Fan took a deep breath, his tone becoming even more somber.

"That's not the worst part. I received a call from the equipment rental company demanding payment, and after checking, I found that... a batch of specialized filming equipment we rented—including two high frame rate special cameras, an imported Steadicam stabilizer, and a batch of special filters and lighting accessories—was recorded in the books as 'accidental damage during filming' or 'lost in transit'."

Guo Fan stared intently at Lao Zhou, his voice forced out through clenched teeth, "Those specialized equipment, did you secretly take them out and sell them? What are you planning to do? Drain the entire production crew?!"

Old Zhou finally broke down. He slid off the chair and collapsed to the floor.

"...That batch of equipment had a long lease term and wasn't used frequently, so I forged damage and loss reports and secretly contacted...contacted someone outside, and sold it off..."

He burst into tears, overwhelmed with regret and fear.

The conference room was deathly silent.

The equipment issue is more troublesome than the loss of three million yuan in cash. Cash can be raised again, but these specialized equipment, especially special cameras and imported stabilizers, are not readily available for rent in Hengdian.

Even if we could rent another one, the customization and shipping time would be too much to bear!

The filming of "Nirvana in Fire" was already delayed due to the weather; if key equipment were to be lacking, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Qi Yue remained silent.

That's how film crews are these days; unexpected things happen every day, even things that drive you crazy. The so-called schedule is only useful at the moment it's made.

Even a lowly accountant can cause your seemingly massive film crew to collapse instantly.

"Call the police." Qi Yue turned around, his voice resolute.

"Report this to the police immediately. It involves suspected embezzlement and theft, and the amount involved is exceptionally large. Also, notify our legal counsel."

Guo Fan sighed and took out his phone to make a call.

"Wait a minute," Qi Yue called out to him, looking at Old Zhou who was slumped on the ground.

"Old Zhou, write down everything you know about the 'outsider' you've been in contact with. This is your only chance to get a little leniency."

Old Zhou seemed to have grasped a lifeline. He scrambled to the table, picked up a pen and paper, and began to write, his hand trembling.

Qi Yue whispered to Guo Fan, "Brother Fan, we should report it to the police, but we must recover the equipment as soon as possible. Waiting for the police process is too slow. We need to do both. We can't let the news spread. You need to figure out how to get the crew's funds in the first place. I'll figure out how to handle the equipment."