Urban System: Beautiful lady, I really didn't steal your black stockings!

A few days later, Cheng Zhe was engrossed in his work when the HR person suddenly knocked on the door and came in.

He was told that the former manager had been transferred to the position of general manager of the branch office, and that he had accurately captured customer needs by using his mind-reading ability. In six months, he won several major projects and became famous among the leadership, becoming the most sought-after person.

Now, he has been officially appointed as the new manager, taking on the important task of team management.

The warm light in the private room of the grand hotel bathed Cheng Zhe, making his spirited demeanor stand out even more.

The crisp sound of clinking glasses still lingered in his ears, and the air was filled with the aroma of wine and food. He had been promoted, leaping from supervisor to manager, replacing his former boss who had been transferred to a branch office as general manager.

He was able to accurately grasp the hidden needs of clients, the bottom line of negotiations of opponents, and even the considerations of the company's leadership. Step by step, he went from being a marginal person to the core, becoming the most sought-after person in the company.

Before leaving, the old manager patted him on the shoulder, his tone full of approval. Even the most important person in the company today, Chairman Wang, specially toasted him at the dinner, saying that he was the future pillar of the company.

The lively atmosphere at the dinner party was predictable.

The subordinates in the department lined up to toast him, addressing him as "Manager Cheng" with respectful and ingratiating smiles and saying all sorts of flattering things.

Cheng Zhe handled the situation with ease, raising his glass, nodding, and taking a sip, his manner perfectly measured, while secretly filtering out the insincere pleasantries.

His mind-reading ability made him acutely aware of these people's true thoughts: some were genuinely congratulating him, some wanted to curry favor, and some harbored secret jealousy. But none of that mattered. At this moment, he was the winner, Manager Cheng, who held the reins of the department.

In addition to our own department, leaders from several other core departments also came, including the Marketing Director, the Operations Manager, and Finance Manager Liu Ying.

Liu Ying is a recognized standout woman in the company. Around thirty years old, she has shed her girlish naiveté and is now capable and charming.

Cheng Zhe had actually had a good impression of her for a long time. Whenever they bumped into each other in the corridor or had work-related interactions, he couldn't help but pay more attention to her.

However, he didn't have much contact with her. Firstly, the finance department was a key department in the company, and he often had to ask Liu Ying to help with the process and allocate funds when working on projects, so he didn't want to affect his work.

Secondly, he had also heard that Liu Ying was already married, so he didn't dare to talk to her too much without permission. At most, they would exchange polite greetings at work.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the dinner party gradually came to an end.

Slightly tipsy, the group rose in twos and threes to say goodbye. As they passed Cheng Zhe, they didn't forget to exchange a few more polite words, saying, "Manager Cheng, please take care of us in the future."

The phrase "Let's get together another day" is used.

Cheng Zhe smiled and responded to each person, escorting them to the door of the private room one by one. Only when the last subordinate's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor did he breathe a sigh of relief and turn around to call the waiter to clean up the mess.

But as soon as he turned around, he was stunned. The private room was not empty; Liu Ying was still sitting in the corner.

Today she wore a professional white shirt, a black pencil skirt, black stockings, and black stiletto heels, which made her figure appear even more upright.

She didn't drink as much as the others. There was still a little less than half a glass of red wine in front of her. Her fingertips lightly rested on the glass, and her eyes were somewhat vacant, as if she was thinking about something.

Cheng Zhe suppressed his surprise, slowed his pace, and walked over, his tone slightly teasing, trying to sound natural: "Sister Liu, everyone's left, why are you still sitting here?"

As if startled awake, Liu Ying abruptly raised her head, a fleeting hint of panic flashing in her eyes, which she quickly concealed.

She didn't answer immediately, but subconsciously looked up and peeked out of the private room.

He glanced around the empty corridor, listened carefully to the sounds outside, and only stood up slowly after confirming that everyone else had gone far away and could no longer hear him.

What happened next completely stunned Cheng Zhe.

Liu Ying walked to the door of the private room, raised her hand to grasp the doorknob, and gently pulled the heavy wooden door back. With a "click," the clear sound of the door locking was particularly abrupt in the quiet private room.

After doing all this, she turned around and faced Cheng Zhe. Her face no longer showed the competence and composure she usually displayed at work; instead, it carried an indescribable embarrassment and complexity.

Liu Ying awkwardly tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing out a smile that looked more like a grimace. Her voice was extremely low, like a mosquito's buzz: "Xiao Cheng, ah no... Manager Cheng, I... I have something I want to tell you."

Cheng Zhe's doubts deepened. He raised an eyebrow at her, trying to keep his tone relaxed.

Trying to ease the tense atmosphere in the private room: "Sister Liu, we're colleagues, so please feel free to speak your mind. There's no need to lock the door, is there?"

He waited patiently, his mind-reading ability unconsciously kicking in, but Liu Ying's thoughts were a jumbled mess, full of fragmented panic, and he couldn't catch the key information for a moment.

Liu Ying bit her lower lip, her hand tightly gripping her handbag at her side, and after a few seconds of silence, she spoke with difficulty.

Every word seemed to be spoken with all his might: "It's just that... the funds for that new project the company approved for you this time... might not arrive for another two months."

"What's going on?" Cheng Zhe's smile vanished instantly. He stood up abruptly, his back muscles tensing, his eyes filled with seriousness.

"Sister Liu, do you know what you're saying?"

He had just been promoted to manager when the company entrusted him with this major project. This was a sign of trust, but also a test, as the funds arrived two months late.

This means the project might miss the optimal window of opportunity, resulting in incalculable losses, and he, as the new manager, wouldn't be able to explain it to the leadership.

Liu Ying trembled at his stern tone, her face instantly drained of all color, and the panic in her eyes could no longer be concealed. She subconsciously took a half step back.

She forced herself to remain calm, her voice trembling with tears, and pleaded urgently, "Manager Cheng, please let me explain! Just this once, just two months later!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Zhe's mind-reading ability accurately captured the thoughts churning in her mind.

"What should we do? He must have figured it out."

"I shouldn't have misappropriated that money."

"I wish I hadn't taken this risk."

"If I'm found out I've embezzled public funds, I'll not only lose my job, but I'll also go to jail."

Piecing together fragmented thoughts, Cheng Zhe realized the truth: she had misappropriated project funds without permission, and it just so happened that he had taken on this huge project, which exceeded her expectations. Unable to fill the gap on time, she came to him for help.

Two million.

Cheng Zhe spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying a sense of pressure: "The company's funds were actually embezzled by you, weren't they?"