A mirror mask has one terrifying property:
The wearer can see everyone clearly—
but no one can see the one wearing it.
And at this moment…
Ngạo Thiên was wearing exactly such a mask
SWhen Ngạo Thiên Lets Tống Hành "Discover It Himself"/
No one understood Ngạo Thiên better than he understood himself:
If he spoke directly — it would be coercion.
If he interfered openly — it would raise suspicion.
But if he subtly allowed Tống Hành to realize what his daughter was carrying…
→ Tống Hành would deduce it himself
→ worry on his own
→ understand that his daughter was "not okay"
→ and realize he was losing control
He didn't need to lift a finger.
Just a few controlled leaks.
A few ambiguous remarks.
A few technical fluctuations.
And a seasoned man like Tống Hành would grasp 70% of the truth:
His daughter was under immense pressure.
The remaining 30%—
She hid it, so he wouldn't suffer.
But the more she hid—
The more he suspected.
/Dĩ Yến Strikes Back — Sealing the Northern Supply Entirely/
She made a move so bold that even the North China market took notice:
She signed exclusive priority alliances across three strategic regions:
• Inner Mongolia — premium cashmere
• Gansu — specialized silk
• Heilongjiang — refined materials
Eighteen months.
No one could enter.
Eighteen months of ÉCLAT being untouchable.
Eighteen months where any attack on raw materials became meaningless.
She had:
→ severed the northern attack route
→ sealed the first branch of Ngạo Thiên's board
She felt relief.
She thought:
"At least ÉCLAT is safe."
But she forgot one thing:
Ngạo Thiên never attacks from only one direction.
And while she operated at the company level—
He played at the industry level.
/Ngạo Thiên Shifts Axis — Checkmate at Industry Scale/
One quiet morning, global news released an announcement:
– revised international textile certification standards
– mandatory 3D technical requirements
– updated carbon compliance rules
– upgraded supply chain qualifications
Everything was:
Legal.
Reasonable.
Aligned with ESG trends.
And completely unrelated to Vũ Holdings.
But in reality—
This was Ngạo Thiên's move.
A strike so refined that no one could suspect it.
Consequences:
→ ÉCLAT had to upgrade production lines
→ costs tripled
→ the 18-month material protection became irrelevant
→ Tống Group was forced to inject capital
→ but gained no advantage
→ only injected to survive
This was a capital pressure maneuver—
A high-level corporate tactic that had previously collapsed entire conglomerates in Vân Hải.
She didn't see it.
No one did.
Everyone believed it was a natural market shift.
Only Ngạo Thiên knew—
This move opened the next layer of attack.
/Ngạo Thiên "Rescues" — The Perfect Bone Hook/
When ÉCLAT entered tension:
– logistics bottlenecks
– 12% supply delay
– disruptions in the Italian chain
The market began to fluctuate.
Tống Group's shareholders grew anxious.
Media started asking questions.
And at that exact moment—
A cinematic move:
Ngạo Thiên stepped in publicly to "save."
He injected a small funding round.
Very small.
Not enough to raise suspicion.
Not too little to be meaningless.
Then he resolved a single logistics bottleneck:
→ supply chain immediately stabilized
→ ÉCLAT regained footing
→ Tống Group calmed
→ media praised him as a savior
The financial world called him:
"The golden son-in-law of Tống Group — ÉCLAT's hero."
But in truth—
This was a bone hook.
A move that pierced into Tống Group's spine.
Preparing for the fatal strike to come.
/Dĩ Yến Does Not See the Trap — Because She Is Exhausted/
She reviewed the report.
No flaws.
No errors.
No trace of Ngạo Thiên.
Only an unease—
Like a thorn beneath the skin.
At that moment, the door opened.
A man entered:
Clean. Polished. Professional.
Badge:
/International Compliance Advisor — Trịnh Duệ Minh/
He presented three documents:
1. Strategic supply chain restructuring
2. Authorization for auxiliary asset management
3. Revenue-capital adjustment framework
Everything was legal.
No trace of manipulation.
No visible hand.
But beneath it:
→ Tống Group became a five-year guarantee entity
→ ÉCLAT's assets could be converted into collateral
→ capital injection cycles activated quarterly — irreversible
A death sentence hidden within perfect legal structure.
She signed.
She signed because:
– she was exhausted
– she wanted her father to feel at ease
– she wanted to protect the company
– she could no longer distinguish trap from reality
– she had reached the limit of her endurance
Across the glass room—
Ngạo Thiên stood watching.
Hands in his pockets.
His face—
A mirror mask.
Cold.
Perfect.
Unmoved.
"Another layer complete."
He turned away.
As if uninvolved.
/Ngạo Thần Sees — But Cannot Save/
From afar, Ngạo Thần saw the documents.
He saw her sign.
He knew something was wrong.
But:
No evidence.
No justification to intervene.
No authority to step into ÉCLAT's internal matters.
He could only stand there—
His chest tightening.
"Yến… what did you just sign…?"
He didn't know whose move it was.
Wasn't certain it was harmful.
Wasn't certain Ngạo Thiên was behind it.
But his instincts told him:
This was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
And all he could do—
Was watch.
In silent pain.
/Dĩ Yến's Counter — Forcing Ngạo Thiên to Protect Her/
She no longer knew who to trust.
Didn't know who stood behind the industry shifts.
Didn't know if Ngạo Thiên had another move.
Didn't know if that move was the final one.
So she did something extraordinary:
She protected herself.
She joined the International Fashion Alliance Council
as a regional representative of Vân Hải — Mainland Division.
Within this council:
→ Vũ Holdings was a core member
→ Europe linked directly to Ngạo Thiên
→ global financial projects aligned with his policies
→ any disruption affecting her would impact billions in Vũ Holdings
Touch her = Touch Vũ Holdings.
Touch Vũ Holdings = Global consequences.
→ No one could act against her.
→ Not even him.
A move forcing him to protect her.
A move forcing him to pause.
A move that made her untouchable.
Elegant.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
/The Mirror Mask — A Battle to the Bone/
To the outside world, they were the most powerful, perfect couple in Vân Hải:
– holding hands
– exchanging warm gazes
– appearing together in every meeting
– a symbol of elite alliance
No one knew—
In the shadows, they were tearing into each other layer by layer.
No one knew—
They had become two geniuses battling down to the bone.
Every smile was a mirror mask:
– reflecting what the other expected to see
– hiding what they truly thought
– revealing nothing beneath
And between them—
Only one thing remained:
The board.
Message of Chapter 23
When two geniuses confront each other,
no one sees their true selves.
People only see reflections—
Never knowing that behind the mirror mask,
blood is already flowing.