The Original Ledger
Branch Manager Del Monte and Deputy Fred exchanged brief looks of dismay, but they quickly regained their composure and began assessing the situation coolly. We scoured every corner of the office, gathering remaining clues and snapping photos.
"I remember it was up and running fine when we visited two months ago."
"No mention of relocating, either."
"Then this has to be... Hm?"
"Why would a construction company's office have a trading team?"
I asked, but Senior Fred just shook his head.
"I heard they trade futures on raw materials like steel coils used in construction."
That was the branch manager who answered.
"Is that even possible?"
"Airlines hedge against oil price spikes by trading crude futures, don't they? No legal issues."
It still felt off. No normal construction firm would trade commodity futures. Mess it up, and it's no different from gambling. Yet this company had set up a dedicated trading office, managing funds like it was their main business. Even if it was legal, it reeked of something shady.
"Curious."
Judging from the date on the oldest discarded newspaper, they'd cleared out about a week ago. Midnight flight and high-risk futures trading where you could lose big—seemed connected somehow.
Riiiing!
My deductions were cut short by the sudden ring of a phone.
"Del Monte speaking. Yes? What?!"
Shhhh...
As soon as the reply came, steam began rising from the branch manager's head. Someone was yelling on the other end, but he froze like a statue, unable to respond.
"Branch Manager?"
What the hell?
"Short's hit... and I don't know how to fix it."
While Senior Fred supported the rigidly frozen branch manager, I took the smartphone from his hand.
Branch Manager? Say something! I'm seriously losing my mind here.
"This is Kim Jian. I took the call instead."
Ah, Team Leader Kim Jian! What happened to the branch manager?! Huh?
It was the deputy manager. Her voice was highly agitated—what had happened?
"Looks like a short occurred."
Aigoo... That's why I told him to replace the memory in time.
"If it's alright, could you tell me what happened?"
Apex Engineering went bankrupt!! The 2 billion gulden loan from Colonin Bank—we won't recover a single gulden of principal!!
"...?!"
If they had no intention of repaying their main bank Colonin, there was zero chance they'd pay us back our 1.5 billion at Dimensional Credit Vault.
Beep
"...We're screwed."
Before we could even react, things were spiraling toward the worst possible outcome.
Back at the branch, we immediately opened the branch manager's head, swapped the memory card, and dove into an emergency meeting. Senior Fred and I examined the falsified ledgers, noting suspicious points on a portable transparent whiteboard. Seated at the head, Branch Manager Del Monte and the seasoned Deputy Blingel quietly reviewed them, exchanging opinions.
Without the original ledgers, pinpointing Apex Engineering's tricks was nearly impossible, but we planned to try everything we could.
"If they'd been delinquent, word would have spread ages ago. But they pulled this on maturity day without a hint."
"Colonin must be panicking hard."
Colonin Bank, a top-tier commercial bank, was Apex Engineering's main lender. Suddenly defaulting on loans they'd always paid on time screamed premeditation.
"Missed repayment by close of business—first-stage default. If not by tomorrow, it'll be final bankruptcy."
"They probably have no plans to repay our 1.5 billion gulden from Dimensional Credit Vault either."
"No matter how I look at it, this reeks of planned bankruptcy."
I said, and Branch Manager Del Monte nodded gravely.
Planned bankruptcy: When a manager deliberately tanks their own company. Suspicious entries scattered through the ledgers suggested someone had siphoned off massive sums of company funds. Without originals, we couldn't quantify it, but they'd clearly pocketed a fortune.
"Silver lining... if you can call it that—they didn't fully bolt. Just didn't announce the move."
The now-calmer Deputy Blingel dabbed her shiny green forehead with a handkerchief and pointed to a tablet screen running a map app. Apex Engineering had relocated to a much cheaper small building. Probably planning to play broke there until bankruptcy hit.
"If we'd approved that extra 500 million gulden loan request, it'd have been disastrous. Team Leader Kim Jian, you saved us from further damage. A godsend."
The branch manager praised me, but this wasn't time for celebration.
"That's not enough."
"Jian..."
Senior Fred shot me a look, but I pressed on.
"We need to recover that 1.5 billion. It wasn't collateralized, so if we sit on it, we'll get nothing. It's our customers' precious deposits."
A red light flared in the branch manager's eyes—likely signaling suppressed rage.
"Naturally. On the bank's scale, 1.5 billion might not seem huge. But to ordinary folk, it's enough for an apartment. Letting someone scam the bank and flee would tank Dimensional Credit Vault's reputation and trust. We won't allow it."
At his glance, the goblin perked his large ears and replied.
"Unfortunately, corporate and rep's personal accounts are nearly wiped clean."
"Seizable assets?"
"None. House was sold off early for divorce alimony."
"Skipping a new place post-divorce might've been prep for this."
"Could've been a sham divorce, with the ex hiding the siphoned funds..."
Before Fred finished, the branch manager's door flew open. It was the deputy branch manager, back from a business trip after hearing of the crisis and checking files.
"Branch Manager, a customer insists on seeing you urgently..."
"Business hours are over—send them away."
"Thing is... it's Apex Engineering's CEO—"
Clack
A middle-aged woman I'd never seen stepped beside the deputy branch manager. Scarf over her head, sunglasses—fierce-faced auntie.
"It's the ex-wife."
Speak of the devil.
"Alicia Navoli. Nice to meet you."
We sprang into action the moment we verified the visitor's identity. First, I checked if she was trustworthy with my Job Authority.
The scale above Alicia's head balanced neutral, orbs on each pan stark black and white.
I informed everyone present, including the branch manager, that she wasn't involved. Then I requested a photo of her ex-husband.
"What do you see, Team Leader Kim Jian?"
"Analyzing."
With just a name, my Job Authority worked on photos too. Felix Tonito: balding, fat middle-aged man with cat ears. Staring at his image summoned a small scale above his head.
"As expected..."
The needle pointed right. Corroded white orb. Identical to what I'd seen targeting Apex Engineering.
"..."
Branch Manager, deputy branch manager, deputy manager, and Senior Fred exchanged glances with me and nodded in turn.
The mastermind and beneficiary of all the fraud was Apex Engineering's CEO, Felix. No doubt.
"No idea what you're doing, but can we get to it?"
Felix's ex-wife, Navoli, who'd been watching us, removed her sunglasses and spoke in a husky voice. Tiger-like features. Her tattooed thick brows exerted silent pressure.
"Sorry. What's your business?"
What brought Felix's ex-wife here? As we watched quietly, she slowly spoke.
"You know he ordered employees to cook the books, right?"
"Yes."
As the branch manager answered, she pulled two thick ledger binders from her bag.
"The originals. Got an employee under his thumb to hand them over."
"...?!"
While we gaped, Branch Manager Del Monte alone stood and bowed politely.
Right. No time to be stunned. Slack off, and 1.5 billion flies away.
"May we examine them?"
"Figured you'd need them."
Senior Fred took the ledgers from the branch manager, pretended to review, and activated his Job Authority. His slow nod meant no whiff of deceit. Every fund flow honestly recorded.
No time to space out. My turn.
Thud
"Senior, here."
"Got it. Jian, this side please."
I grabbed the falsified ledger and placed it beside the original. We compared them rapidly.
"Original has suspiciously high advances... all purpose unknown. Embezzlement?"
"Payments to subs bloated several times in the fake."
"Last two months' futures trading matches sub payments."
"Trading's all low-volume derivatives."
"Wash trades to fake losses and funnel money elsewhere?"
"Trading team was for this."
Spotting real vs. fake differences revealed Felix's scheme clearly. Five-plus embezzlement methods suspected. Solid evidence for recovery.
"Felix started siphoning assets two months before loan maturity. Contact HQ—prep to invoke fraudulent conveyance cancellation rights."
"Yes!"
With these ledgers, we'd completed over half our counterattack.
Fraudulent conveyance: Debtor intentionally shrinks assets to dodge repayment. Banks invoke fraudulent conveyance cancellation rights to void gifts/transfers. In short, the bank's killer blow to deadbeats.
"With this, recovering 1.5 billion is as good as done."
"Just find where Felix stashed it..."
"Hold on."
Excitement faded as a question hit me.
"Ms. Navoli."
"Yes."
"Apex's main bank was Colonin, not Dimensional Credit Vault. Why bring this to us?"
She flicked her leopard-print tail and replied.
"Banks wouldn't buy it from the schemer's ex waving ledgers. Figured they'd dismiss me."
Her eyes fixed on me intently. What was she thinking?
"Was pondering what to do, then heard the guy who lent to ugly-turned Flat Sharpendora works here?"
Not just her. Senior Fred, Deputy Blingel and deputy branch manager I'd barely spoken to, even Branch Manager Del Monte.
"Thought someone like that might listen."
All eyes on me.
"...I see."
A strange emotion swelled. I'd just done my job, yet people were starting to trust me bit by bit. Me, the no-degree, no-career parachute banker.
"You came at the perfect time. I'll live up to that trust."
Navoli smiled faintly, but melancholy shadowed her face.
"He was diligent, before becoming CEO."
"The divorce... because of...?"
"Yes. Affair. Common story, right?"
"..."
"Thought if he lost everything, he'd come back to his family."
Her eyes, mismatched to her fierce first impression, seemed ready to burst into tears as she continued softly.
"Employee overheard a call. Hiding siphoned funds in his pre-marriage affair partner's account."
"Sorry if intrusive, but do you know who?"
"No."
"If we could get the phone used for contact..."
"Discarded right after the move."
Short sighs from deputy branch manager and deputy.
"Hired a PI for two months—no leads. But a bank might uncover something."
With ledgers in hand, identifying Felix's affair partner managing the funds lets us invoke rights. But we'd lost the key puzzle piece.
"Felix is likely filing bankruptcy simultaneously. Delay, and we miss our shot."
The branch manager's cooling fan whirred furiously.
Finding a hidden lover? Not easy—even pros failed.
But.
"Too early to give up."
Luckily, I knew someone with Job Authority specialized for this.
"For tracking affair partners, way better than any PI."
To be precise, a dark elf.