Chapter 2586 - Investigation (Part 13)
"You'll work on the accounts here," Manager Gao said. "If you need anything, call the assistant—he'll be waiting outside. And don't wander around without good reason. We keep many valuable medicinal materials on the premises. Best to avoid any... confusion."
"Of course, of course! I understand completely."
After the manager departed, Yuan Shuzhi opened the ledgers. They were straightforward customer transaction records—nothing particularly complex. The trouble was that despite holding a certificate, he remained woefully inexperienced with actual bookkeeping. Still, what he lacked in practical skill, he made up for in sheer memorization ability, honed through years of imperial examination preparation. He could follow procedures mechanically, organizing data items and filling in entries one by one, even if he didn't fully grasp their significance.
As for making the accounts reflect "reasonable tax avoidance"—that required nuanced judgment, and the boundaries were treacherous. Fortunately, Yuan Shuzhi was only here to infiltrate, not to actually perform this job long-term. He'd stick closely to the safe practices outlined in his training class.
This particular ledger belonged to a small customer with no formal business name, identified simply as "Boluo Qiu's." Yuan Shuzhi recognized the type immediately—almost certainly an itinerant medicine peddler. Such people operated without fixed storefronts, so ledgers simply noted "such-and-such place, such-and-such person's" for identification.
According to the records, this "Boluo Qiu's" purchased substantial quantities from Jubao Tang each month, but the product range was remarkably limited—essentially just three items: Poison-Dispelling Pills, Lushi Powder, and Pain-Relief Pills. Occasionally, Zhuge Marching Powder and Plague-Warding Powder appeared as well. The back pages noted the original manufacturers. Marching Powder, for instance, was mostly marked "Runshi Tang." Clearly, Jubao Tang operated as a resale wholesaler, distributing famous Chinese patent medicines from major out-of-town pharmacies to small-time peddlers.
The mention of Lushi Powder caught his attention. But then, Boluo's Wanchun Quan was the original source of Lushi Powder—he couldn't infer whether these supplies connected to the counterfeit medicines circulating outside.
He set those concerns aside for now. Yuan Shuzhi spent the afternoon organizing the basic accounts. Afterward, the assistant collected the ledgers and brought tea and snacks in their place.
He was enjoying these refreshments when nature called. He asked the assistant for directions to the outhouse. The man offered to escort him. Yuan Shuzhi waved dismissively. "No need, no need—just point me in the right direction."
But the assistant wouldn't hear of it. He insisted on accompanying Yuan Shuzhi to the latrine and waited outside while he relieved himself. When Yuan Shuzhi emerged, the man escorted him straight back to the accounts room.
Stiff from sitting so long, Yuan Shuzhi thought he might stretch his legs with a brief stroll. But the moment he stepped onto the veranda, the assistant blocked his path.
"It's windy out there, sir. You'd best stay inside—wouldn't want you catching cold."
That settled it. Yuan Shuzhi retreated with an awkward smile, but his pulse quickened. Jubao Tang was clearly hiding something.
Coming to this medicine market, he'd already sent a coded letter to the investigation team in Boluo through Qiwei's postal service. But apart from the registration at his inn, no one knew his whereabouts. If danger found him here, his cries for help would reach no one.
The thought made his chest tighten.
His only option now was to take things one step at a time—appear obedient, keep his head down, arouse no suspicion.
After another half-hour, Manager Gao returned. "Your work is excellent, sir. Truly worthy of someone trained in Guangzhou!" He produced a five-qian silver coin from his sleeve and extended it. "Today's payment."
"Th-thank you!" Yuan Shuzhi arranged his features into an expression of overwhelming gratitude, accepted the coin quickly, and tucked it into his pocket.
A faint smile played at the corner of Manager Gao's mouth. "That concludes today's work. Please return early tomorrow morning—there are many more ledgers requiring attention."
Yuan Shuzhi started slightly. Traditional commercial employment typically required accountants and clerks to live on the premises once hired. Even locals could only return home during holidays, and most couldn't come and go freely.
But he didn't dare question this arrangement and agreed immediately. Regardless of what secrets Jubao Tang might harbor, five qian for half a day's work was generous compensation.
Back in his room at the Qiwei inn, Yuan Shuzhi mulled over the day's events. Jubao Tang's manner was certainly suspicious, but when he examined each incident carefully, nothing seemed definitively damning.
Meanwhile in Huizhou, Zheng Xiaoyu had smoothly "fallen into corruption," cultivating a "deep friendship" with the owner of Huizhou's Bailing Tang pharmacy. He was now leveraging his official position to arrange the "Joint Clinic" matter.
The Senate's so-called Joint Clinic program meant integrating Australian-style diagnostics and medicines into local traditional Chinese medicine clinics or pharmacy consultation services—similar to what might be called "integrated Chinese and Western medicine."
For ordinary people and pharmacy owners alike, the most valuable aspect of this designation wasn't Australian diagnostics but Australian "miracle drugs." Establishing a Joint Clinic meant obtaining prescription rights for various Australian medicines.
Though clinics couldn't stock drugs directly—patients still had to take prescriptions to specialized pharmacies—without a prescription, no amount of money could purchase the medicine. Thus prescription rights alone were invaluable.
Of course, establishing such a Joint Clinic first required holding a medical practice license issued by the Senate Health Ministry. The minimum standard demanded one year of training at the Ministry's program with passing evaluation. License holders could then work at various Health Ministry hospitals and clinics, or open independent practices.
The problem was that while many could complete training and evaluation, the Senate's own medical institutions remained perpetually understaffed. Waiting for allocation to Joint Clinics would take years. Boss He of Bailing Tang had shown considerable foresight by sending his son to Guangzhou for training early on. Unfortunately, distant water couldn't quench present thirst—his son wouldn't graduate for another year. How much profit would slip away in that time!
This was the obstacle looming before Boss He. Since Zheng Xiaoyu had "fallen by imperial decree" and accepted twenty percent dry shares in the future Joint Clinic, he naturally needed to remove this roadblock quickly.
Getting Boss He's son an immediate physician license was impossible. The only solution was finding someone who already held a license to fill the gap temporarily.
Zheng Xiaoyu didn't know the old-timeline practice called "license hanging," but he'd arrived at the same trick independently. He himself held a practice certificate, of course, but his administrative duties made hanging his own license impractical. So he drafted an application stating that to strengthen Huizhou Prefecture's medical standards, he was requesting permission for a certain naturalized citizen—a medical worker from the former Huizhou Health Station—to provide consultations at Bailing Tang's Joint Clinic every Thursday and Saturday, better serving local residents' health needs, and so forth.
The application reached Zheng Mingjiang, who approved it with a flourish. Thus Bailing Tang's Joint Clinic opened smoothly, the entire process taking less than half a month. Boss He couldn't stop grinning.
Zheng Xiaoyu's conspicuous "corruption" attracted attention from local pharmaceutical colleagues, as intended. Invitation cards poured in daily. Zheng Xiaoyu never declined, clinking glasses freely and cultivating his image as "greedy and lustful" throughout Huizhou while waiting for bigger fish to take the bait.
Before those larger fish bit, Yuan Shuzhi made progress on his end. After handling the owner's accounts for several consecutive days, he was finally offered a position as Jubao Tang's full-time bookkeeper.
Even as an employee, however, he still hadn't laid eyes on Jubao Tang's owner. Manager Gao remained his sole point of contact.
The manager informed him that the owner had reviewed his work, found it satisfactory, and wished to know if he'd be willing to formally join Jubao Tang. The salary was generous—five yuan per month.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shuzhi immediately adopted the demeanor of a "stray dog finding shelter with a master," expressing tearful gratitude and eager acceptance.
"In that case, move in tomorrow," Manager Gao said.
"Yes, yes. I'll pack my things right away and arrive first thing in the morning."
"When you check out from Qiwei, you'll need to list a destination. Write 'returning to Guangzhou.' Understood?"
"Oh... yes." Yuan Shuzhi's heart clenched, but he arranged his features into an expression of naive puzzlement as he agreed.
"Don't be suspicious." Manager Gao seemed concerned he might grow wary, and offered an explanation. "My business here is exclusive. Many eyes are watching, hoping for a piece of the action. Discretion is paramount. You've been coming and going for several days now—people will have noticed. Writing 'returning to Guangzhou' spares you trouble and spares the shop trouble."
"Yes, I understand."
After moving into the shop, his duties remained unchanged—registering and organizing old ledgers daily. This time, however, Manager Gao made specific demands: the accounts needed to be "reasonably improved."
Yuan Shuzhi had already noticed the irregularities during his initial days of bookkeeping.
Nearly all of Jubao Tang's customers were small medicine peddlers without formal business names, identified like "Boluo Qiu's." The medicines they purchased rarely exceeded five or six varieties, with Poison-Dispelling Pills, Lushi Powder, and Pain-Relief Pills comprising the largest volumes. Other medicines appeared only occasionally.
This defied common sense entirely. Such peddlers typically practiced medicine while selling drugs, carrying at least a dozen varieties—sometimes thirty to fifty. Greater variety showcased their capabilities. None would limit themselves to three or four items.
Stranger still: medicine peddlers' purchasing patterns emphasized small quantities across many varieties. Wholesale drugs couldn't be returned, so anything that didn't sell meant lost money. Peddlers avoided buying too much of any single item. Even fast-moving products weren't over-purchased—no point tying up capital in a small-scale operation.
(End of Chapter)