Yang Ruoqian refused to surrender travel.
Travel was ancient.
Travel had tickets.
Travel had meals.
Travel had accidental overtime.
Travel had receipts that looked honest because they were boring.
If the market would not allow premature visits, he would make each possible visit heavier.
At nine, he called finance and operations together.
"Every visit needs three people."
The operations manager frowned.
"Why three?"
"One to inspect."
"And the other two?"
"To observe the inspection."
Finance asked, "Why do we need observers?"
"To increase reliability."
That sounded too good.
He corrected himself.
"To increase cost."
Finance looked relieved by honesty and alarmed by content.
"A three-person rule may force us to approve fewer visits."
"Good."
"And document stronger thresholds before travel."
"Bad."
"Otherwise we waste three schedules."
"Good."
"The staff will resist that waste by screening more carefully."
Yang leaned back.
