The security door of the rental apartment gave a dull thud. Su Yuqing stood outside, clutching a stack of documents, raindrops dripping from her hair onto the cheap carpet. Through the peephole, Lin Mo saw her familiar face and froze, his hand hovering over the doorknob for three full seconds.
"Do you intend to leave me standing in the hallway all night?" Her voice came through the door, carrying a fraction less of its usual icy arrogance.
Lin Mo pulled the door open, and the damp night air, scented with her perfume, rushed in. Water beads still clung to Su Yuqing’s eyelashes, and beneath her black trench coat, the hem of her skirt was soaked. She strode into the room and dropped the document bag heavily onto the coffee table.
"The quarterly report, just sent from the finance department," she said, shedding her coat to reveal a wrinkled blouse. "I stole it."
Lin Mo’s apartment was only thirty square meters—a bed, a coffee table, and boxes of instant noodles stacked in the corner. Su Yuqing’s gaze swept over the sticky notes on the wall, densely packed with numbers and formulas.
"You’ve been investigating the Chen Group’s accounts the whole time?" She picked up a note featuring a complex diagram of capital flows.
Lin Mo didn't answer. The System interface flickered before his eyes, its progress bar stuck at 87%. When he had been driven out of the Su Family three days ago, the System had entered hibernation, only reactivating an hour ago.
"System upgrade complete," a mechanical voice chimed in his ear. "Evidence Chain Reconstruction function unlocked."
Su Yuqing suddenly grabbed his wrist. "My father signed a letter of intent today. He’s going to hand the West Side project over to Chen Hao."
The files on the coffee table scattered, a debt restructuring agreement landing on top. Lin Mo’s pupils contracted—this was the key document the System had flagged.
"Look here," he pointed to the fine print on the third page. "Chen Hao is playing a numbers game. It’s framed as debt restructuring, but in reality, he’s siphoning off Su Group assets."
The rain intensified outside, the blue light of the computer screen reflecting on their faces. Su Yuqing’s hair fell over the report, blurring a spot of ink with a droplet of rain.
"This figure is wrong," she said suddenly, pointing to an entry. "The inventory turnover rate from last quarter couldn't possibly be this low."
Lin Mo brought up the System’s analysis module, and red warning boxes popped up in rapid succession. As data was processed, a hidden chain of funding emerged—Chen Hao was hollowing out the Su Group’s cash flow through seven shell companies.
"Found it!" Lin Mo slammed the table. "He’s falsifying accounts payable!"
Su Yuqing leaned in toward the screen, the scent of her shampoo suddenly distinct. Her shoulder brushed against Lin Mo’s arm, and both of them froze for a fleeting moment.
"Chen Hao is holding a press conference at ten tomorrow morning to announce the acquisition," she said, her voice strained. "We only have twelve hours."
At 3:00 AM, the printer hummed exhaustedly. Lin Mo rubbed his temples, watching Su Yuqing tuck the final document into a folder. Her lipstick had faded, and faint shadows bruised the skin beneath her eyes.
"You need to rest," Lin Mo said, handing her a cup of coffee.
As she took the cup, their fingertips brushed. "That day of my birthday..." she said suddenly. "How did you know to pick those cufflinks?"
Lin Mo’s coffee cup hung in mid-air. A memory snippet flashed on the System interface—three months ago, he had spotted a reminder for an "Antique Cufflink Auction" on Su Yuqing’s calendar.
"Business intelligence," he said softly. "Just as you said when you were defending me."
A faint smile touched the corner of Su Yuqing’s mouth; it was the first time Lin Mo had seen her look at him that way. The rain outside had stopped at some point, and the eastern horizon was turning a pale, pearly gray.
"System notification: Task completion at 95%," the mechanical voice announced. "It is recommended to initiate the Trap Countermeasure."
Lin Mo pulled up a 3D simulation of the press conference venue. The newly unlocked function was currently embedding the forged evidence into the Chen Group’s presentation files.
"We need bait," Lin Mo said, drawing a curve on his tablet. "Something that will make Chen Hao walk into the trap himself."
Su Yuqing pressed her hand onto his. "Use the East Side land plot as bait. It’s the one thing Chen Hao wants most."
At 9:50 AM, the International Convention Center was bustling. Lin Mo, wearing a baseball cap, mingled with the reporters and watched Su Yuqing walk to the guest podium in her beige suit. Her earrings glinted under the lights—they were the signal transmitters marked by the System.
"I would like to thank our friends in the media," Chen Hao said, his hair slicked back, a silk pocket square peeking from his suit. "Today, we are here to announce the strategic partnership between the Chen Group and the Su Group..."
The moment the financial reports lit up the giant screen, Lin Mo pressed the start key on his phone. The original debt figures suddenly distorted, transforming into a series of red-flagged, anomalous transaction records.
"What is this?" A reporter in the front row raised his camera. "President Chen, are these the true accounts of your company?"
Chen Hao’s face went white as a sheet. The files on the screen turned pages automatically, revealing his financial dealings with the shell companies. Su Yuqing rose at the perfect moment, plugging a flash drive into the backup port.
"As a representative of the Su Group, I must clarify the facts," her voice echoed through the venue via the microphone. "These are the proofs of how the Chen Group forged the Su Group’s debts."
The room erupted. Lin Mo watched the progress bar on the System interface jump to 100%. A new prompt appeared: "Stock price rebound countdown: 30 minutes."
In the chaos, Chen Hao’s assistant charged toward the control desk. Lin Mo stepped in to block him, crashing into a equipment crate. A sharp pain shot through his lower back as he saw Chen Hao’s contorted face just inches away.
"A useless son-in-law dares to ruin my plans?" Chen Hao hissed through gritted teeth.
Lin Mo grabbed his tie and yanked him closer. "You forgot one thing," he whispered into Chen Hao’s ear. "Su Yuqing is my wife."
That sentence, picked up by Su Yuqing’s earring microphone, was broadcast clearly throughout the entire hall. On the giant screen, the Su Group’s stock price curve suddenly began to climb, forming a perfect V-shaped rebound.
As security escorted Chen Hao away, Lin Mo spotted Su Zhiyuan in the press section. His father-in-law was holding his phone, the screen showing the soaring stock chart. Their eyes met across the room, and for the first time, Su Zhiyuan’s expression faltered.
"System notification: Initial business tasks complete," the mechanical voice announced. "Unlocking intermediate access: Social Network Visualization."
Su Yuqing wove through the crowd toward Lin Mo, her heels clicking crisply against the marble floor. She reached out to brush a speck of nonexistent dust from his shoulder—a gesture that drew a flurry of camera flashes.
"Going home?" she asked, her voice soft enough for only him to hear.
Lin Mo looked toward the sky beyond the glass dome of the convention center. Sunlight pierced the clouds, casting a bright patch of light at their feet. The System interface unfolded before his eyes, a new task path generating—a route more complex than any business map, with the terminal point marked: "Su Family Secrets."
"Yes," he heard himself say, simultaneously noticing Su Zhiyuan walking toward them with quick strides. The sound of the old man’s sandalwood cane striking the floor was just like the ticking of a countdown clock.