Chapter 64: Work trip

Conversation died instantly. Several people exchanged nervous glances, wondering how much of Harris’s complaints she’d overheard.

She gave no indication that she’d heard anything at all. And from the look on her face, nobody could guess what Sienna was thinking.

She strode towards the head chair and took a seat, gazing at every staff member present in the boardroom.

"Over the past few days, I’ve reviewed Qing Horizons’ financial records, tracing our expenditures and examining the accounts of our previous investors. Yesterday, I spoke with one of them, and what I learned was rather interesting," Sienna paused.

The people in the room looked at each other.

Not paying any attention to their changing expressions, Sienna placed a folder on the table.

"A substantial amount of the resort’s money has gone missing through suspicious transactions. Someone has been bleeding this place dry," Sienna said.

Harris spoke before anyone else could respond, "With all due respect, Miss Qing, Qing Horizons’ downfall isn’t simply a financial problem. Finding another investor or plugging a few holes in the accounts won’t fix the state of this resort."

"It’s not the general manager’s job to decide what will or won’t save this resort," Sienna glanced at the man.

Harris opened his mouth to say something but when he saw the look in her eyes, he felt uneasy. So, he shut his mouth.

Sienna opened the folder and slid several invoices across the table, "What do you see, Luna?"

The Head Chef’s brows furrowed as she scanned through the invoice, "Our seafood, vegetable and even the linen expenses has skyrocketed in the recent years..."

"What about you, Flora?" Sienna shifted her gaze.

Flora looked at the invoice and muttered in a softer voice, "We have had a sharp decline in guest numbers so... we shouldn’t have had such unwanted expenses..."

"You... What do you know?!" Harris glared at Flora.

Sienna smiled slightly at the man, "What about me? Do I know anything?"

"M-Miss Qing, it’s not how it seems... I..." General Manager Harris slumped in his chair.

"You have been overcharging the resort through suppliers connected to President Qing’s associates. General Manager Harris, what do you have to say about that?"

The man’s face paled instantly, "Miss Qing... No, Boss, Boss, I can explain!" Harris scrambled out of his chair as he bowed his head.

"What you said is true! I merely wanted to secure some benefits. I thought if I made some connections for the resort, there would be a chance of revival so I didn’t hold back on the cash flow!"

Luna was the first to speak up, "General Manager, how could you throw all that money away? If making connections by giving bribes was useful, why is the resort still in decline? Where did all that money go?"

"I..." General Manager Harris’ face scrunched, "Aiya, those greedy bugs nibbled all that money away and made a fool out of me."

"Why didn’t you escalate the matter to the headquarters?" Sienna frowned.

"I..." Harris’s face tilted like a wilted flower, "I was worried that if things got out of hand, I will get fired. And I was afraid of losing my..." the man circled his hand around his ’face’.

"Boss, over the past few years, I have made many sacrifices for this place too. Are you going to fire me?"

Sienna looked at the man quietly.

"Wahh! Boss, I have small children and..."

"Take a seat, General Manager," Sienna pinched the spot between her brows as she closed her eyes.

The middle aged man’s eyes glowed vibrantly as he slumped back on his chair, "Thank you, thank you. The moment I saw you, I knew you were wise and kind..."

The people in the room: "_" Who was saying Miss Qing is completely inexperienced?

"Don’t be in a rush to thank me yet," Sienna said sofly, "I want these contracts suspended immediately."

"Ah...? What?" Harris’s face drained of color, the oily smile fading away, "That would offend a lot of people. And... we might suffer losses too. What if those people target me? Boss, why don’t we..."

"You don’t want to do it?" Sienna looked at the man quietly.

Harris smiled bitterly, "I... I want to. How could I not want... I want!"

Sienna slowly lifted her gaze and turned to Luna, "Where do most of our supplies come from?"

"Bellhaven, mostly. It’s a coastal town about four hours away, but we purchase through established distributors," the Head Chef answered.

"Then we’ll go directly to the source. Fishermen, farmers, local artisans. No more unnecessary middlemen."

Harris looked appalled, "Those people aren’t professionals! You can’t expect them to supply a resort like ours!"

Luna said nothing, though her doubtful expression betrayed her reservations.

Sienna ignored them and turned to Flora, "Prepare for the trip. We’re leaving shortly."

As Sienna departed, Harris closed his eyes and lifelessly muttered, "This is going to be our final downfall."

Luna sighed, while Flora quietly bowed and hurried out to make arrangements.

Back in her office, Sienna picked up her phone and texted Callahan.

[I’m heading to Bellhaven for work. I’ll be back before dinner.]

She waited for a few minutes but when there was no response from Callahan, she slipped the phone in her bag.

Bellhaven was a charming coastal town, with fishing boats bobbing in the harbor, a family-owned inn overlooking the water, and the warm aroma of freshly baked bread drifting from a little bakery.

Sienna inhaled a deep breath the moment she alighted the car, "It’s a beautiful place, indeed."

"But Boss, don’t you think... the people are a little weird?" Flora couldn’t help but shrink behind Sienna as a bunch of passersby glared as they walked past them. They were visibly unwelcoming.

Sienna patted her shoulder lightly, "Don’t be afraid," her gaze shifted to her sports car, "We should have been a bit more low-key."

"Boss, you mean they are wary of city people?"

"Just an assumption," Sienna sighed.

Their reception grew no warmer when Sienna presented her proposal to the town’s representative.

"We’re offering a direct, long-term partnership with Qing Horizons," she explained, "You’ll receive fair prices without having to surrender a large portion of your earnings to middlemen."

"Miss, you can take your leave."