The company’s confidential documents had been stolen, and whether they could be recovered afterward or not, it was a huge problem.
Either the Minister of Security Section had been negligent in his duties, or Jin Xinnuo had betrayed her post and stolen the documents herself.
Someone had to take the fall for this—either the Security Section for insufficient protection, or Jin Xinnuo, who happened to be at the scene that night.
This was why the Security Section—or more precisely, the Minister of Security Section—was desperately trying to pin the blame on Jin Xinnuo.
After all, if it was truly an external theft, it would mean the Security Section had been negligent, and the minister would be finished.
“Ah!”
This time, it was Xu Yinsheng who was startled. She shook her head.
“No.”
She had come to see Jin Xinnuo behind Zhao Yicheng’s back—there was no way this was Zhao Yicheng’s doing.
If Zhao Yicheng found out, she wasn’t even sure she could leave the room.
After thinking it over, Xu Yinsheng cleared her throat twice and scratched her head, her expression a bit embarrassed.
“Senior, you know that I only got this coveted secretary position because of connections and fluff, with zero real ability.”
“So I want to make a small contribution.”
At that, she looked up at Jin Xinnuo, her eyes shining with hope.
“Senior, let’s go catch that thief together. It’ll clear your name and help me earn merit. What do you say?”
Jin Xinnuo was silent for a moment.
She interpreted Xu Yinsheng’s words to mean: I got this secretary position too easily and without any real achievements.
It’s easy to be replaced, so I need to prove myself.
After some thought and seeing Xu Yinsheng’s hopeful gaze, she looked at her seriously and nodded.
“I’ll help you.”
“Thank you so much, senior.”
Xu Yinsheng grasped her hand excitedly.
“Once this is settled, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
“Xin’er, what are you two talking about?”
Just then, an old voice came from outside the door.
“Nothing, Grandma. I’m going to feed you your medicine.”
Jin Xinnuo released Xu Yinsheng’s hand, gave her a ‘give me a few minutes’ look, and turned toward the door.
***
That afternoon, Zhao Corporation Tower.
Zhao Yicheng came out of a meeting room filled with heated arguments, his brow deeply furrowed, clearly displeased with the farce.
He walked to the window and gazed out at the horizon, where the red sun hung low, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.
The Minister of Security Section was adamant that Jin Xinnuo had stolen the documents herself and insisted on reporting the matter to the police for a forced search.
Zhao, however, sensed something suspicious and demanded the investigation continue.
Inside the Security Section, opinions were divided—one faction insisted on investigating Jin Xinnuo, while the other agreed with Zhao Yicheng that the case was strange and required further confirmation, especially since it involved company secrets.
Both sides had fully exchanged opinions in the meeting room.
Why not involve the police directly?
This was a longstanding issue in the Huayuan Federation.
Plus, with so many people and the media obsessed with traffic and exposure, if news leaked that the critical project plans were stolen, the company’s stock would plummet and the year-end bonuses would be ruined.
After mulling it over, Zhao Yicheng picked up an old phone, lowered his head, and sent a secret message.
The red sunlight cast deep shadows across his face.
Moments later, after sending the message, he hung up, removed the battery, and put the phone back in his pocket.
***
“What are you doing?”
A young voice came from behind him, curious and probing.
“Nothing.”
Zhao Yicheng turned, a faint smile lighting his face, full of warmth.
A mini-version of Xu Yinsheng stood there, dressed in pink fluffy rabbit pajamas, holding a cotton candy as big as her head.
She bit into it, her face filled with sweet happiness.
“You say I cause trouble.”
“I feel like you’re causing trouble right now.”
“No, I’m not.”
Zhao Yicheng crouched down and patted the little one’s head gently, but his gaze lingered on Xu Yinsheng’s cherry lips for a few seconds as his Adam’s apple rolled.
“Ahm~”
Xu Yinsheng bit the cotton candy again, glanced at Zhao Yicheng, and noticed his eyes fixed on her cotton candy.
Tilting her head slightly, she mumbled, “Do you want some?”
“May I?”
“Sure.”
Xu Yinsheng nodded and handed him the cotton candy, which was hardly worth anything anyway, though she clearly didn’t realize the true meaning behind his gaze.
The next moment.
Zhao Yicheng suddenly leaned in and kissed her lips.
Xu Yinsheng’s eyes widened in shock.
Before she could speak, her mouth was stuffed with cotton candy.
Then, the man pressed her against the tower’s window and deepened the kiss…
His warm, soft tongue pried open her teeth and invaded her mouth fiercely.
Xu Yinsheng’s mind went blank, wrapped in the man’s embrace.
She clung to his neck helplessly, silently enduring the kiss filled with his “appetite.”
Wuwuwu, perv!
Police, save me!!
***
Old city district, under a dilapidated building.
“Junior? Are you okay?”
Jin Xinnuo looked at Xu Yinsheng with a strange expression.
Following Xu Yinsheng’s lead, the two had taken a car here, but just after stepping down, Xu Yinsheng’s face flushed visibly, and her legs weakened slightly.
Luckily, Jin Xinnuo supported her, helping her barely stay standing.
“N-no, I’m fine.”
Xu Yinsheng shook her head but avoided meeting Jin Xinnuo’s eyes.
Damn it, Zhao Yicheng is worse than a beast!
It was just too much!!
Xu Yinsheng silently repeated Article 236 of the Penal Code countless times to drag her soul back from the fire.
She rubbed her cheeks and tried to suppress the redness.
“It was just a tic in my mouth. Nothing serious.”
Jin Xinnuo nodded doubtfully.
She glanced at the residential building, then at Xu Yinsheng, hesitating.
“Junior, do you think we came to the wrong place? It doesn’t look right.”
From the outside, the peeling walls, the narrow and dim stairwells, the moldy stench of trash—it was obvious no one had lived here for a long time.
“No, we’re in the right place.”
Xu Yinsheng was confident.
Based on the traces of residual particles in the air, the thief hiding the stolen documents was inside this building.
Before Jin Xinnuo could say anything, Xu Yinsheng quickly pulled her down to squat behind a large trash bin nearby.
A taxi suddenly pulled up and stopped not far from the building.
Soon, someone got out.
He wore a dark blue shirt, black dress pants, and a newsboy cap, carrying a heavy black briefcase.
Xu Yinsheng froze. Wasn’t that—
“Assistant Li.”
Jin Xinnuo whispered.
Like he sensed something, Li Yuan glanced around cautiously.
Xu Yinsheng quickly covered her mouth, pulling Jin Xinnuo to crouch and hide.
After making sure no one was around, Li Yuan lowered his cap and, holding the briefcase, entered the residential building.
“Could he really be the mole?”
Xu Yinsheng’s mind flashed with this thought.
If he was the mole, it meant all her previous judgments were wrong.
“Junior, what do you think?”
Jin Xinnuo asked quietly.
Xu Yinsheng thought for a moment.
“Whatever it is, let’s check it out first!”
She finished, and the two crept closer to the stairwell.
At the stairwell entrance, Xu Yinsheng suddenly caught a “familiar” scent.
Certain now, she stopped and pulled Jin Xinnuo to hide around a corner.
After a few minutes, footsteps echoed from the basement, steady and slow, coming closer and closer.
Xu Yinsheng and Jin Xinnuo exchanged glances and held their breath.
Xu Yinsheng stepped forward, raised a baseball bat, and calculated the distance between the footsteps and themselves.
The footsteps drew nearer.
Bang!
The bat struck the back of the figure’s head with a sharp thud!
The figure collapsed right in front of Xu Yinsheng and Jin Xinnuo.
Blue shirt, black pants, newsboy cap—if not Li Yuan, then who else?
But the black briefcase he had been carrying was nowhere to be seen!