This year, the Finance Department achieved a miracle. We saved the company $5 million in taxes through legitimate planning and recovered $30 million in bad debts. The night before the Annual Gala, the CEO ordered us to withdraw $8 million in cash and stack it in the main conference room. He specifically assigned the Finance Department to guard it overnight. "Gwen, thank you all for your hard work tonight. Tomorrow at the Gala, I have prepared a special, exclusive grand prize for the Finance Department!" That night, guarding $8 million in cash, we didn't even dare go to the bathroom alone. "Gwen, $8 million smells so good," the intern, Mia Lopez, whispered, staring at the mountain of cash with stars in her eyes. "Mr. Stone said he prepared a surprise. Do you think it's a stack for each of us?" I smiled but didn't answer. Knowing that cheapskate, a $500 bonus would be a miracle. But I never expected the bar to be lowered straight into hell. At the Gala, the Sales Department collected cash in literal sacks. The Top Sales Rep walked away with $300,000. When it was Finance's turn, the CEO smiled and handed me a cheap device that screamed "Zero! Zero!" in a robotic voice. "The Finance Department works the hardest, always dealing with numbers," he announced. "Here, a brand new calculator for each of you! Calculate faster, work less overtime!" 1 "Beep—Zero! Zero!" The crowd erupted in laughter, the sound nearly lifting the roof. Sales Director Rob Thorne laughed the loudest, clutching his sack of cash and pointing at us: "Mr. Stone really knows how to pick a gift!" "Let the finance ladies clear last year's accounts to zero! Start fresh next year—more work, less nitpicking!" This was the "exclusive grand prize" Victor Stone promised. This was the "surprise" we earned by guarding cash all night until our bladders nearly burst. Last night, after hours, the building management turned off the heating. The conference room was 14 degrees Fahrenheit. To guard the $8 million he wanted to use to "flex his power," the five of us huddled in surplus coats, taking turns staring at the cash, afraid to even blink. Mia, the intern, fell asleep on a stack of bills and drooled. She woke up terrified, thinking she'd be fined for soiling the money. My deputy, John Carter, has a severe herniated disc. He sat on a tiny stool all night and couldn't walk straight this morning. We guarded a mountain of gold, only to receive a public execution. "Mr. Stone." I took a step forward to the microphone. The laughter died down slightly, but the malicious gazes still pricked my skin. Victor Stone looked at me with a smile full of mockery: "What's wrong, Gwen Bennett? Too excited? No need to thank me. It's a small token from the company. A workman must sharpen his tools to do his work well, right?" "We don't want tokens. We want fairness." I stared at him, suppressing the rage in my chest. "This year, Finance saved the company $5 million in taxes through legal compliance." "Last month, our entire department spent two weeks in the snow to recover $30 million in bad debts. We were bitten by dogs, splashed with water." "Sales took a 5% commission. They deserved it; they are heroes." "But what about us?" "We guarded $8 million in cash all night, and we get a $1.99 calculator?" The room went silent for a few seconds. The smile on Stone's face faded. He spoke slowly: "Gwen, your math is wrong." He picked up the mic, speaking earnestly to the whole room: "Finance works hard, sure. But you need to understand the logic." "Sales is on the front line fighting the war. They are the ones feeding the company!" "And Finance? You are the nannies in the back. The money belongs to the company. The bad debts were recovered because Legal is intimidating. The tax savings are thanks to government policy." "You just moved your fingers and pressed a few buttons. And you want a million-dollar commission?" "Should I give the receptionist shares because she presses the elevator button for me every day?" Laughter exploded again. This time, it was unrestrained and full of malice. "Exactly! Finance always has a long face, making reimbursement so hard. And they want commission?" "Mr. Stone is right. They're just bean counters. No production, yet they want to split the money? Crazy!" The humiliation slapped me across the face. I felt my colleagues behind me reach their breaking point. I heard Mia sniffle. "Fine." I nodded and slammed the calculator onto the podium. "Since Mr. Stone thinks we only know how to press buttons, this gift is too expensive for us." I turned to the red-eyed women behind me. "Let's go." 2 Walking out of the hotel into the cold wind, I realized my back was soaked in cold sweat. "Gwen, I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it back..." Mia squatted by the curb, sobbing uncontrollably. "My mom's surgery is next week..." "The doctor said we need $15,000. I thought... I thought this bonus would be at least $5,000. With my savings, it would be enough..." "Stop crying." Sarah Jenkins, a senior accountant, dug tissues out of her bag and roughly wiped Mia's tears, her own hands shaking. "Who are you crying for? Didn't you hear Rob Thorne and his goons? We are parasites!" "But Sarah..." Mia looked up, her makeup ruined. "That $5 million tax plan... you made so many versions to get it right. The $30 million debt... Gwen led us to hell and back to get it..." "How does it have nothing to do with us?" "When we signed the commitment letter, Mr. Stone promised us 1% commission." I stood silently, lighting a cigarette. He agreed so easily back then probably because he was sure we couldn't do it. Ding. A phone lit up. It was a notification on Sarah's phone: Tuition Payment Reminder. She panicked and turned off the screen, avoiding my gaze. "I'll figure out the money." I looked back at the hotel. "What belongs to us, no one can take away. Go home and sleep. Tomorrow, show up on time." The next morning, I arrived an hour early. Victor Stone's office door was ajar. Inside, smoke swirled, and laughter boomed. "Mr. Stone, that move last night was brilliant!" "Those Finance b*tches turned green! Hahahaha!" "About time we took them down a peg. Always blocking my reimbursements. Now they'll behave." "Hmph, bunch of misers. Blocking me from using my own money." Stone's voice was cold. "If they weren't still somewhat useful, I'd say even that $1.99 was a waste." "By the way, how's the 'Cloud Finance' AI system deal going with Mr. Fisher?" "Done!" "Service fee is only $20,000 a year. Way cheaper than feeding these idlers!" "And it's AI. It listens, doesn't talk back!" I stood at the door, my hand freezing on the handle. So that's it. Not to liven up the atmosphere, not a whim. It was a premeditated slaughter of the donkey after it turned the mill. Humiliate us to force us to quit so he can save on the severance package. I pushed the door open. The laughter cut off instantly. Seeing me, the surprise on Stone's face turned to impatience. "Don't know how to knock? Where are your manners?" Rob Thorne leaned back on the sofa, legs crossed, looking at me with amusement: "Yo, Director Bennett is here?" "What, calculator broke? Want Sales to pool money for a new one?" I ignored the mad dog and walked straight to Stone's desk, placing my hands on it and staring him down. "Mr. Stone, since you think Finance is useless, we won't be an eyesore anymore." "Here is our compensation plan. Severance plus the promised commission for the bad debts. Not a penny less." "Sign it, and we leave immediately to make room for your AI." I slammed the list I printed last night onto the desk. Stone glanced at the number, his eye twitching. "$300,000 commission? Gwen, are you robbing me?" "Is it a lot?" I sneered. "Yesterday Rob took $300,000 alone. We are asking for five people. Compared to the $30 million we recovered, this is peanuts." "That's the company's money!" Stone slammed his cup on the table. "Gwen, don't be ungrateful. Want to leave? Fine! Write a resignation letter and get out! Want severance? In your dreams!" "So there's no negotiation?" 3 "Negotiate? What right do you have to negotiate with me?" Stone stood up, grabbing a stack of files and throwing them at me. "Believe it or not, I'll have security throw you out right now!" "Public insubordination, terrible attitude." "You're fired! Without a cent!" Rob sneered from the side: "Hear that? Get lost. Don't embarrass yourself further!" I looked at Stone's face and suddenly smiled. The smile made him pause. "Mr. Stone, you might have forgotten one thing." I said softly. "Accountants love keeping records. And we are experts at... auditing old accounts." "If you want to do this cleanly, we follow labor laws. If you don't..." "Then we'll help you recall exactly how those $5 million in taxes were 'planned'." I turned and left without looking at his changing face. Back in Finance, the atmosphere was oppressive. Everyone's computer screens were black. "Gwen..." Mia ran over, crying. "I can't log in. Account frozen." "And Admin just came to tell us to pack our personal belongings by today..." "Don't panic." I patted her shoulder. "Where's Sarah?" "Small conference room. Director Vance from HR is talking to her." HR Director Linda Vance. The woman who always smiles and preaches "family culture" was now acting as Stone's executioner. I pushed open the conference room door. Sarah Jenkins was huddled in a corner, hair messy, looking ten years older. Linda sat opposite her, twirling a pen. Two strangers in black suits sat nearby. "...Accountant Jenkins, think clearly." Linda's voice was gentle as always. "This is embezzlement. Falsifying accounts." "If the company pursues this, you not only have to pay back all wages but also go to jail for a few years." "Your son is taking his SATs soon, right? If his file says his mom is a convict, his life is ruined." "Stop! Stop it!" Sarah covered her ears, breaking down. "I'll sign! I'll sign voluntary resignation! Please don't call the police!" "That's right." Linda smiled and pushed a document forward. "Wait!" I rushed over, snatched the document, and tore it in half. "Linda, who are you scaring?" I stood in front of Sarah, glaring at her. "Those accounts were authorized by Stone's signature!" "To evade taxes, he made Sarah split that business into five shell companies. His signature is on every process sheet!" Linda glanced at me with disdain, slowly brushing off the paper scraps. "Gwen, I knew you'd be trouble." She waved her hand, and the two suits stood up, blocking us. Linda pulled another document from her folder and threw it at me. "You can refuse to sign. You can sue." "But let me remind you, the legal representative of those shell companies is that little cashier who left your department six months ago." "Can you, the finance manager, stay clean?" "As for Stone's signature... do you have proof it's original? I can print as many of those as I want." My heart sank. So they were waiting for me here. That cashier was Stone's distant relative. She left six months ago. The trap was set back then. They buried all the mines under Finance. Once detonated, we are the perfect scapegoats. "And," Linda leaned in close. "The AI finance team has taken over the backend data. All operation logs on your computers have been wiped. Gwen, what are you going to fight the company with?" 4 Sarah grabbed my sleeve: "Gwen, forget it... we can't win..." "I can't go to jail. My son has such good grades..." At the door, Mia and the others heard everything, their faces ashen. Against a company with hundreds of employees and billions in turnover. Are we accountants really just ants to be crushed? Linda watched my expression and smiled with satisfaction. "Tomorrow morning at 9 AM, All-Hands Meeting." "Mr. Stone will announce the restructuring decision for Finance." "Gwen, I give you one night to think. Take your salary and leave with dignity, or be ruined and go to federal prison. Your choice." She left with her men. Only Sarah's sobbing remained in the room. "Gwen, what do we do?" Mia held my hand, her voice trembling. "Are we really going to jail?" I looked at these comrades who had gone through hell with me. Some got ulcers checking accounts, some were nearly beaten collecting debts, some sacrificed family time without complaint. Now, they were being pushed off a cliff by their own people. "Don't cry." "Sarah, do you remember which account the $30 million bad debt was paid into?" Sarah froze, looking up with teary eyes: "It... it went into the general account at Chase Bank. Why?" "No." I shook my head. "When I negotiated, because the other party didn't trust Stone's character, I added a clause in the supplementary agreement." Mia stopped crying, eyes wide: "What clause?" "Fund Supervision and Final Confirmation Clause." I explained. "On the books, the balance is there. But the actual status is 'Frozen Pending Confirmation.' Stone, that nouveau riche, only looks at numbers, not status. He thinks the money is his." "According to the agreement, the funds must be system-confirmed by our finance manager before the end of the seventh business day, or they will be returned to the sender." I looked at the clock. "Tomorrow is the seventh day." "If I don't operate by 10 AM tomorrow..." "That $30 million will go ding and fly back to their pocket." Sarah gasped: "But... but Stone thinks the money is already his! I heard he ordered a Bentley..." "Exactly." "He thinks he won. He thinks he kicked us out and doesn't have to pay commission?" "Tomorrow 9 AM, All-Hands Meeting, right?" "Good." "We'll use that meeting to teach Mr. Stone a lesson on Financial Risk Control." The next day, the large conference room was packed. The atmosphere was hotter than the Gala. Rumors that Finance was getting fired en masse, maybe even jailed, had spread. My team and I were seated in the front row, the most conspicuous spot. Reserved for "sinners." Victor Stone stood on stage, high-spirited, his custom suit making him look almost human. Rob Thorne sat nearby, gloating. Linda Vance was busy distributing documents—pre-written "Confessions of Violation." On the big screen, bold words read: [Notification Regarding Severe Violations and Personnel Adjustments in Finance Department] "Colleagues," Stone cleared his throat, voice booming. "It pains me to call this meeting. I have always treated people well, but I never expected there to be traitors in our team!" He pointed at us. "Gwen Bennett and others in Finance abused their positions, repeatedly violated regulations, and are suspected of falsifying accounts and embezzling company assets!" "After a thorough investigation, the evidence is conclusive!" The crowd gasped. "You never know a person's heart. Their hands are dirty, yet they use rules to block us!" "Tsk tsk, no wonder they wanted bonuses without performance. Appetite grew too big." Stone was satisfied with the effect. He continued: "For the healthy development of the company, to enforce discipline, the company has decided to immediately fire all involved personnel in Finance! And reserves the right to pursue legal responsibility!" "Of course," He put on a magnanimous air. "Considering they are old employees, as long as they sign the confession on the spot, admit their mistakes, and return illegal gains, the company may consider not handing them over to the authorities." Linda placed a "Confession" in front of me. "Sign it, Gwen. This is your last chance."
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