The banquet ended…
But the war had just begun.
The next morning, GuoTech was anything but calm.
Whispers spread like wildfire. Screens flickered. Employees gathered in small groups, voices low but excited.
Chen Yuxi stepped into the building and immediately felt it.
Eyes on her.
Too many eyes.
System, what's going on?
A brief pause.
"Alert: Your personal records have been leaked online."
Her steps stopped.
Cold.
Sharp.
Precise.
Just like that—Yue Xinyan had struck back.
Within minutes, Yuxi was staring at the screen in the office.
Articles. Posts. Comments.
All exposing her background:
Her "ordinary" family
Financial struggles
Old records twisted into something shameful
Each line carefully edited to make her look like she didn't belong.
Disgusting, she thought, jaw tightening.
But beneath the anger…
There was something else.
This isn't random. It's targeted. Clean. Ruthless.
"Scared?"
The voice came from behind her.
Lin Guo.
Yuxi didn't turn. "No."
Maybe a little.
A faint smile touched his lips.
Honest… even in her thoughts.
He walked closer, stopping just behind her.
"Good," he said calmly. "Because this is only the beginning."
She turned sharply. "You knew?"
Their eyes locked.
A pause.
Then—
"I expected something like this," he corrected smoothly.
But his gaze lingered just a second too long.
And Yuxi noticed.
He's hiding something.
Meanwhile—
Across the office floor, Yue Xinyan stood by the glass wall, watching.
Satisfied.
"Let's see how long you last now," she murmured.
Back in the office—
Yuxi took a slow breath.
System, trace the source. I want everything.
"Tracing… confirmed. Origin: Yue Xinyan's private network."
A small, dangerous smile appeared on her lips.
"Good," she whispered.
Lin Guo watched her carefully.
There it is.
Not fear.
Not panic.
But calculation.
By noon, the entire company was watching.
And Yuxi made her move.
She didn't argue.
Didn't defend.
Didn't explain.
Instead—
She walked straight into the main office floor.
Picked up a tablet.
And connected it to the main screen.
"Since everyone is so interested in backgrounds," she said calmly, her voice carrying effortlessly, "let's make things fair."
The screen lit up.
Gasps followed.
Financial records.
Transactions.
Hidden accounts.
All under one name.
Yue Xinyan.
"You—!" Xinyan's voice cracked for the first time.
Yuxi tilted her head slightly.
"You wanted attention," she said softly. "Now you have it."
Silence.
Then whispers.
Then shock.
That was the slap.
Harder than anything physical.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Slow applause echoed.
Lin Guo.
"Impressive," he said, voice calm but eyes dark with approval. "You don't just defend yourself… you destroy."
Yuxi glanced at him, heart skipping slightly.
Why does that sound like praise… and a warning?
Yue Xinyan stood frozen, her composure shattered.
But her eyes—
They burned.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
Later that evening—
Yuxi stood alone in her office, the chaos finally settling.
But her mind wasn't.
Something doesn't add up.
Her system had glitched.
Lin Guo always knew too much.
And every time she thought something—
He reacted.
Too perfectly.
Too precisely.
She closed her eyes slowly.
And tested it.
System, run a silent command… don't respond out loud.
Silence.
Then—
Nothing.
But behind her—
A quiet voice:
"Trying something new?"
Her eyes snapped open.
Her heart dropped.
Slowly—
She turned.
Lin Guo stood there.
Watching her.
Calm.
Unreadable.
Dangerous.
And for the first time—
Chen Yuxi felt it clearly.
He knows.