"Do you dare to say that all the catastrophic crises the group has faced haven't occurred within the year you've been serving as CEO?" Lin Qingyun asked aggressively.
Lin Xi was speechless, for everything Lin Qingyun said was the truth.
Her grandfather, Lin Tai, had founded Lin's Group and served as both chairman and CEO. The group had always sailed smoothly; even when crises occasionally arose, they were never fatal and were easily overcome. However, ever since she took over as CEO, the group had faced a series of catastrophic crises. Although she had managed to resolve them, each one had severely damaged the group’s vitality.
"Uncle, let's work together to resolve this hacking crisis first, and then we can argue about who is to blame for the previous disasters, shall we?" Lin Xi suppressed her urge to continue the debate and tried to reason with him.
"No! You must give me a clear stance right now, or the Lin's Group your grandfather worked so hard to build will sooner or later be ruined in your hands!" Lin Qingyun retorted aggressively.
Lin Xi was about to explode with anger. "What kind of stance do you want?"
"If you cannot resolve this hacking crisis, you must resign from your position as CEO and get out of Lin's Group!" Lin Qingyun said coldly.
Lin Xi finally understood why Lin Qingyun had rushed over here in such a panic, shouting and making a scene. It turned out he wanted to use this hacking incident as an opportunity to topple her.
She was about to agree just to make him shut up, but before she could speak, she saw Lin Canglan approaching with the senior executives of his faction.
"Big brother, you're an elder, isn't it shameful to harass your own niece in front of so many outsiders?" Lin Canglan asked coldly as he reached Lin Qingyun.
"This is a company, not a home. Stop trying to blackmail me with family sentiment!" Lin Qingyun said righteously. "Besides, am I wrong? All the catastrophic crises the group has faced really did happen after Lin Xi became CEO..."
"Oh, give it a rest!" Lin Canglan interrupted. "I know you've been coveting the CEO position, so throughout this year, you've been undermining her behind the scenes, trying every possible way to drag her down."
Having said that, Lin Canglan went for the jugular: "I now strongly suspect that this hacking incident was orchestrated by you behind the scenes."
"You are spitting blood, you old dog!" Lin Qingyun cursed.
"It’s not just this hack; I believe all the crises the group has faced during Xi's tenure were your doing!" Lin Canglan said calmly.
"Bullshit!" Lin Qingyun jumped in anger, defending himself. "I am a member of the Lin Family, a shareholder, and a board member. I would never harm the group's overall interests for my own gain."
Ye Huan, who was busy 'dueling' with the hacker, snatched a moment of leisure to glance at Lin Canglan. He thought to himself that his idiot father-in-law was surprisingly sharp-tongued.
Lin Canglan, seeing how his words had infuriated Lin Qingyun, laughed triumphantly and asked, "Do you have evidence proving you didn't hire the hacker? Or that you weren't behind all the other crises this past year?"
Lin Qingyun shot back, "Do you have evidence that I was?"
"At least you have the motive. Dad and the whole company know you've been working against Xi and have always wanted to kick her out of the CEO chair so you could sit in it yourself," Lin Canglan smiled.
"You..." Lin Qingyun was rendered speechless. Furious, he raised his hand and slapped Lin Canglan across the face.
"You dare hit me?" Lin Canglan was enraged and slapped him right back.
Lin Qingyun didn't back down and struck back again. Just like that, the two brothers began fighting in front of everyone.
Wang Bin and the others watched, dumbfounded. Were these the high-and-mighty executives they usually looked up to? They were certainly 'down-to-earth'!
"The hacker is stealing company data, and you two are here brawling and making noise—it's distracting Ye Huan! If you want to fight, go outside!" Lin Xi bitterly regretted not having learned martial arts; otherwise, she would have beaten these two idiots who disregarded the bigger picture.
*Ye Huan?*
Hearing the name, Lin Canglan and Lin Qingyun stopped fighting in perfect unison. Bruised and battered, they stood up, looked around, and finally locked their eyes on Ye Huan, who was nearby.
"What are you doing, you pig-butcher?" Lin Canglan ran to Ye Huan's side and swung his hand, aiming for his head.
Lin Xi quickly ran over to intercept him. "Dad, calm down! Ye Huan is blocking the hacker from stealing our data."
Lin Canglan was stunned. "How can a pig-butcher block a hacker? With a cleaver?"
At this moment, Lin Qingyun strode over and pointed at Ye Huan. "Lin Xi, is this the pig-butcher your grandfather found for you? You're actually ignoring the experts in our network security department like Wang Bin and letting a butcher handle a hacker? Has your brain been kicked by a donkey?"
Lin Xi suddenly realized she had misspoken, causing her father and uncle to join forces against her and Ye Huan. But it was too late, so she had to be honest. "The hacker is very strong; Wang Bin and his team are no match for him. We have no choice but to place our hope in Ye Huan. If he can't solve this, we will have to watch all our data being stolen."
"Nonsense!" Lin Canglan and Lin Qingyun shouted in unison.
Lin Canglan scolded, "Xi, you're confused! If Wang Bin's team can't handle it, you should find another way, not pin your hopes on a butcher. This is just giving up!"
Lin Qingyun wasn't as polite as Lin Canglan. He went straight for the kill: "Has your brain been kicked by a donkey, Lin Xi? Or do you actually want the group to go bankrupt, so you're letting this butcher pose as a computer genius to indirectly help the hacker steal our data?"
Facing her father's lack of understanding and her uncle's false accusations, Lin Xi suddenly realized that all she could do right now was buy time for Ye Huan, rather than waste her breath arguing with these two short-sighted idiots who were obsessed with internal power struggles.
"Uncle, do you dare to make a bet with me?" Lin Xi looked calmly at Lin Qingyun.
Lin Qingyun was taken aback. He had accused her of wanting the group to fail, and he expected her to argue back angrily. Instead, she proposed a bet, which made him feel like he'd punched empty air.
"What do you want to bet?" Lin Qingyun asked.
Seeing that he had taken the bait, Lin Xi felt a flicker of hope. "If Ye Huan fails to drive off the hacker and the data is stolen, I will voluntarily resign and never set foot in Lin's Group again."
Lin Qingyun was thrilled. He hadn't expected Lin Xi to be so foolish as to place her entire future on a pig-butcher.
Lin Xi continued, "But if Ye Huan drives off the hacker and resolves this crisis, you must resign and promise never to set foot in Lin's Group again."
"Fine, you've got a deal!" Lin Qingyun agreed without a moment's hesitation. In his eyes, since even Wang Bin and his team of experts couldn't handle it, a butcher certainly couldn't.
"I disagree!" Lin Canglan was anxious. "Xi, you've lost your mind! How can you gamble your future on a butcher? I won't allow this bet!"
Lin Xi acted as if she hadn't heard him. She kept her beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Qingyun. "Words are not enough. Uncle, please go write and print a formal agreement immediately. We both must sign it and put our fingerprints on it!"
"That is exactly what I intend to do!" Lin Qingyun turned and walked out.
*Finally, one down...* Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xi, you're being foolish!" Lin Canglan pointed at her, looking pained. "Ye Huan is just a butcher, and you met him today! How can you stake the life and death of Lin's Group on him?"
Lin Xi remained calm. "Dad, you have a prejudice against him, so you don't trust his abilities. But you know me—would I really risk the company's survival by letting him just mess around?"
"He doesn't have a damn bit of ability!" Lin Canglan raged. "Xi, they say love makes a woman lose her intelligence; I didn't believe it before, but I do now. You were so smart! How have you become an idiot since meeting this butcher? If he could solve problems that stumped Wang Bin, he’d be a highly paid security engineer at a major company, not butchering pigs!"
The logic was sound. Lin Xi couldn't refute it, so she pretended to regret her actions. "You're right, Dad. Hurry up and stop Uncle from printing that agreement!"
Seeing his daughter had come to her senses, Lin Canglan turned to chase after Lin Qingyun.
*That's two down...* Lin Xi thought. *Now no one can disturb Ye Huan's duel with the hacker.*
"All the cunning in the Lin family seems to be concentrated in you," Ye Huan said, his eyes still on the computer.
Lin Xi frowned slightly. She hadn't expected Ye Huan to see through her delaying tactic. *This butcher is actually quite smart.*
"I’ve bought you time. I hope you don't disappoint me," Lin Xi said sternly.
"Don't worry. This hacker is no match for me. If he hadn't had the upper hand to begin with, I would have wiped him out in minutes," Ye Huan said with supreme confidence.
However, to Lin Xi, his confidence sounded like bragging, which only made her feel even less certain.
At this point, Wang Bin leaned in and whispered, "Ms. Lin, I don't understand what this Mr. Ye is doing at all. I have zero confidence in his ability to win this battle. If he fails, won't you be forced to resign?"
Lin Xi smiled. "Do you think Grandfather would allow me to resign?"
Wang Bin froze, then realized the truth. Even if Lin Qingyun managed to get the document signed, Lin Tai would never recognize such a bet. Therefore, even if Ye Huan lost, Lin Tai wouldn't let her step down.
"Ms. Lin, the butcher is right—you are very cunning!" Wang Bin whispered, his voice full of admiration.
Lin Xi didn't respond; she stared at the screen, specifically at the 'Data Copying' progress bar.
*Data Copying: 12%... 19.7%... 31.4%... 94.7%...*
With every change in the digits, Lin Xi's face grew paler. As the data was about to be completely stolen, her face turned paper-white. She felt completely desperate. *The butcher was just bragging after all.*
"Lin Xi, I have the agreement..." Lin Qingyun's excited voice rang out.
Lin Xi turned to look. Lin Qingyun's hair was disheveled, his face was scratched and bloody, and his clothes were torn to shreds, as if he had been through a life-and-death struggle. He was walking with great difficulty, as if dragging something heavy behind him.
Lin Xi and the others looked down and saw an even more miserable Lin Canglan, lying on the floor, clutching Lin Qingyun's right leg with a death grip.
"Lin Xi, sign it and press your thumbprint!" Lin Qingyun dragged Lin Canglan to her, panting, and shoved the agreement, a pen, and an ink pad at her.
"Xi, don't sign it, don't sign it..." Lin Canglan shouted from the floor.
Lin Xi ignored him and quickly signed the agreement and pressed her thumbprint on it.
"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Lin Qingyun looked at the signature and print, laughing wildly. "Lin Xi, you're finally out of the group! I can finally sit in the CEO's chair!"
Wang Bin and his team looked at Lin Qingyun as if he were an idiot. *This guy is being played by the boss and he's still happy? How pathetic.*
"Lin Qingyun, you're happy a bit too early," Ye Huan stood up and said with a smile.
When this was said, everyone turned their attention from the agreement to Ye Huan.
"Butcher, what do you mean?" Lin Qingyun asked.
"Didn't you see that all the computers have returned to normal?" Ye Huan asked back.
Everyone turned to the computer screens nearest to them. They were no longer black, the 'Data Copying' warnings were gone, and the login screens had returned.
"You... you really drove the hacker off?" Lin Xi looked at Ye Huan in disbelief. Everyone else was equally shocked, especially Lin Qingyun and Lin Canglan.
"Let me check!" Wang Bin quickly sat down and operated the keyboard. After a few moments, he looked at Ye Huan, stunned. "You actually drove them off! The data wasn't stolen!"
"Hahahaha!" Lin Canglan, who had been half-dead on the floor, suddenly sprang up and snatched the agreement from Lin Qingyun. "Lin Qingyun, you lost! Hahaha, you lost! You have to resign and get out of Lin's Group!"
Lin Qingyun looked like he had just lost his father, dumbstruck. After a while, he recovered and tried to cheat. "When I signed this with Lin Xi, there was no lawyer present. It has no legal effect! It doesn't count!"
"Everyone here is a witness!" Ye Huan smiled.
"Right, right, right! Even without a lawyer, we are all witnesses!" Lin Canglan chimed in.
Lin Qingyun was furious. He glared at everyone and said coldly, "Who dares to testify for Lin Xi?"
"Report: I dare!" Ye Huan raised his hand.
A cold glint flashed in Lin Qingyun's eyes. "Butcher, do you know what happens to those who offend me?"
Ye Huan shrugged. "I'm looking forward to your revenge."
"You..." Lin Qingyun was so angry he could barely breathe. He realized that with Lin Xi and Lin Canglan as backing, this butcher wasn't afraid of him at all. He restrained his rage and looked at the others. "I am the eldest son of the Lin family. Even if I lose the bet, Dad won't agree to let me resign!"
"Who said I wouldn't?" A dignified voice came from the doorway.
Ye Huan and the others turned to see Lin Tai walking in with a cold face. In fact, Lin Tai hadn't left the office tonight, so he was one of the first to know about the attack. He had originally intended to command the defense himself, but decided on a bold, gambling move: to test Ye Huan one more time.
When he saw Wang Bin failing, he had been panicked, realizing that even he couldn't have won that battle. He had placed his final hope in Ye Huan. And Ye Huan hadn't let him down.
"Dad, what... what are you saying?" Lin Qingyun asked, terrified.
"Are your ears stuffed with donkey hair? Dad said he agrees to your resignation and that you are never to step foot in Lin's Group again!" Lin Canglan said, reveling in his triumph.
Lin Qingyun ignored him and looked at Lin Tai with fear.
"A man keeps his word. However, as the eldest son, forcing you to resign entirely isn't realistic. Here is my decision: you are relieved of all current duties. You will report to the security department as the captain of the guards!" Lin Tai nodded at Ye Huan and then turned to leave.
Lin Tai was furious. When the company was facing a life-and-death crisis, Lin Qingyun had not only failed to help, but had also caused trouble. He was deeply disappointed in his eldest son.
"Security... captain?" Lin Qingyun's brain buzzed. He was the eldest young master of the Lin family, the CEO and board member, and now he was a security guard?
"Captain Lin, the safety of the group is in your hands now. Hahahaha!" Lin Canglan patted Lin Qingyun's shoulder and walked away.
Lin Qingyun was so angry he felt a sharp pain in his prostate. He suddenly whipped his head toward Ye Huan, his expression twisted. "Butcher, it's all because of you! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this state. I'm going to kill you!"
With that, he swung a furious slap at Ye Huan's face.