At the elevator.

    Bai Lian encountered an unusual man.

    He was dressed in a suit and tie, with gold-rimmed glasses and slightly graying temples.

    This middle-aged man glanced at Bai Lian and stepped into the elevator first.

    Bai Lian noticed nothing strange and followed.

    “Young man, thank you.”

    As soon as the elevator doors closed, the man suddenly spoke.

    “Are you talking to me?”

    Bai Lian hesitated, glanced around, saw no one else, and realized the man was indeed addressing him.

    But he didn’t recognize this man.

    They’d seemingly never met. He thanked me right away—did he mistake me for someone else?

    The middle-aged man slid one hand into his pocket, turned his head, and smiled faintly at Bai Lian.

    “Let me introduce myself. I’m Xiao Changhe, a member of the board of directors and the second-largest shareholder of the company.”

    “I’m also the father of the girl you just met. If I’m not mistaken, she must have mentioned me?”

    No guesswork needed now.

    Bai Lian frowned, sensing the situation wasn’t simple.

    This man had approached him with immediate gratitude, clearly aware of what had transpired in the psychologist’s office.

    Every move had been under his surveillance.

    No—perhaps he hadn’t been watching Bai Lian, but Xiao Qing.

    Bai Lian was merely collateral.

    “Don’t worry. I mean no harm.”

    Seeing Bai Lian’s expression, Xiao Changhe assumed he’d misunderstood and added with a slight smile:

    “You’ve done me a great service. Xiao Qing... that child has always been a headache. Lately, her condition worsened terribly.”

    “Yet with just a few words, you helped bridge the gap between me and my daughter. I owe you. If you ever need help, feel free to contact me.”

    Xiao Changhe handed Bai Lian a business card.

    “My contact information. One more request: please speak kindly to Xiao Qing on my behalf!”

    Bai Lian calmly accepted the card and nodded:

    “As an employee, it’s my duty. No need for thanks.”

    The moment they found the slightest clue, they’d unravel everything like peeling an onion.

    “Proceeding as usual. The first group’s task completion rate remains high,” Jian Ran replied after a pause.

    “Oh?” Zhu Hongshe raised an eyebrow, then smirked. “Jian Ran, how long have you been a group leader?”

    “Ten years.”

    “Ten years... Too long.” Zhu Hongshe shook his head meaningfully. “In all this time, you’ve never truly stood out.”

    “Why torture yourself? Just join the General Director’s team, and a promotion will follow.”

    At Faning Company, aside from the board, the General Director held supreme authority. Everyone knew he carried a torch for Jian Ran.

    But alas...

    The flowers are falling, but the water remains indifferent.

    The General Director’s decade-long pursuit had yielded nothing.

    Consequently, Jian Ran remained stuck as a group leader.

    Were it not for her exceptional skills, she might not have even kept that position.

    “My affairs are none of your concern, Director,” Jian Ran stated coldly.

    Seeing her stony expression, Zhu Hongshe abandoned subtlety.

    “Monitor the newcomers. Tomorrow, increase their task difficulty slightly.” Having issued the order, he left.

    Alone in the office, Jian Ran gazed at the door and sighed.

    Faning Company had existed too long.

    The board remained aloof, rarely intervening. All power lay with the General Director.

    But herein lay the problem—the General Director held no shares yet harbored wild ambitions.

    Letting such a man rule unchecked courted disaster.

    Internal tensions were rising.

    Ordinary employees were mere pawns in this game.

    Jian Ran herself was but a small boat in turbulent seas, liable to capsize any moment.

    “A storm approaches...”

    Her brow furrowed as she murmured, gripped by foreboding.

    Something monumental brewed within the company.

    When it erupted, neither board members nor employees would escape being swept into the maelstrom...