The Legend of Cinderella's Counterattack

Shen Meng's enigmatic words echoed in my ears. I tried to find the answer in her glint in my eyes, but found myself mired in a deeper mystery. "X," this mysterious codename, weighed on my heart like a huge rock, making it difficult to breathe. Before I could ask further questions, Shen Meng excused herself and left, leaving me with only a meaningful look.

"Who is 'X'? What's his connection to 'Emgrand'?" I muttered to myself, a sense of foreboding washing over me. Before I could comprehend the situation, my phone began to ring frantically.

"Mr. Lin, something bad has happened! The official website's server has crashed and all orders have been cancelled!" The assistant's panicked voice came from the other end of the phone, hitting me like a bolt from the blue.

I immediately turned on my computer, but the webpage only displayed a cold "404." Meanwhile, a deluge of negative news flooded in. Chenxi was accused of using inferior fabrics, plagiarism, and even allegations of safety hazards in our factory. For a moment, the storm of public opinion consumed me, leaving me feeling isolated and helpless amidst a raging storm.

My phone was practically blowing up with calls. Partners who had once worked happily together were now demanding to terminate their contracts, and some even threatened to sue me. I desperately tried to explain and to salvage the situation, but it was all in vain.

"Lolo, don't worry, I will find out who is behind this." Lawrence Lu held my hand tightly, his eyes firm and warm, as if giving me a shot of adrenaline.

However, the situation unfolded beyond our expectations. The next day, the front pages of major media outlets were filled with negative reports about "Chenxi." My photos were maliciously photoshopped into various unflattering images, and some even associated me with terms like "mistress" and "gold digger."

My phone was flooded with insulting and threatening text messages. It felt like my world had collapsed overnight. I hid in my home, afraid to go out, see anyone, or even answer any calls.

I huddled in a corner, trembling like a wounded animal. I stared blankly at everything before me, my heart filled with fear and despair... Lawrence Lu's expression grew grave. He kept answering and making calls, his tone tinged with exhaustion and anxiety I'd never heard before. I knew this storm wasn't just targeting Chenxi; even Lawrence Lu's company was affected.

"Yuxuan, how are you? Is the company okay?" I held his hand, my heart filled with worry and self-blame.

He put down his phone, forced a smile, and said, "It's okay, these are just some minor issues, I can handle them. Don't worry, just rest assured, I'll take care of everything."

I knew he was trying to comfort me. His company was a publicly traded company, and any negative news would have repercussions for the entire company. The overwhelming negative news was undoubtedly a massive blow to its reputation. Sure enough, the next day's financial headlines read, "Lu Group's Stock Price Plummets, Investor Confidence Vastly Reduced." Seeing those shocking figures, my heart sank.

Chenxi and Guanjia have been helping me handle the company's affairs. They have been contacting the media day and night and issuing clarification statements, but those manipulated media and internet trolls are like sharks that have smelled blood, attacking us frantically. Our efforts seem so powerless in front of them.

"Boss Lin, the situation is very unfavorable to us now. The other party is coming with great force and their methods are vicious. We must find the mastermind behind this as soon as possible to reverse the situation." Chenxi's tone was rarely solemn.

“I’ve asked a friend to check,” Lawrence Lu said, “I believe there will be news soon.”

However, what awaited us was one piece of bad news after another. All factory orders were cancelled, partners were terminating their contracts, and even the bank was urging us to repay our loans early... We felt like we were stuck in a quagmire, sinking deeper and deeper, with nowhere to escape.

Just when I was about to despair, a strange phone call came into my cell phone.

"Ms. Lin, I'm your ally. I know who's behind you. I can help you..."

The voice on the other end of the line was deep and mysterious, and a glimmer of hope ignited within me, but at the same time, I was filled with confusion. An ally? Who was he? Why was he helping me? What was his purpose?

I clutched the phone, my heart beating rapidly, as if an invisible hand were gripping my heart. An ally? Who? How did he know about my current situation? Why would he help me? Countless questions flashed through my mind, but in the end, I couldn't suppress the desire in my heart and asked, "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, followed by a chuckle: "Ms. Lin, now is not the time for you to know who I am. You just need to know that I am a victim of this conspiracy just like you. I can provide you with the information you want, but in exchange, you need to do me a favor."

His tone was calm and confident, yet it carried an undeniable authority. I took a deep breath, suppressed my inner uneasiness, and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"I'll contact you when the time is right," the caller said, then hung up. I stared blankly at the phone, my mind racing. This mysterious call, like a flash of lightning in the darkness, illuminated the path ahead, yet also left me even more lost.

A few days later, I received a text message from an unfamiliar number instructing me to go alone to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. I wasn't sure what to do, but I decided to take a chance. Lawrence Lu was worried and insisted on accompanying me, but I refused. If this ally truly intended to harm me, Lawrence Lu's presence would only make him hesitate.

I followed the text message's instructions and arrived at a warehouse deep within the factory. It was empty, save for a table and two chairs. Just as I was beginning to wonder what was going on, the door suddenly slammed shut from the outside. Then, a deep voice boomed from behind me, "You're here."

I turned around and saw a man in a black windbreaker standing at the door. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses and the brim of his hat was pulled down so low that I couldn't see his face clearly.

"Are you... my ally?" I asked tentatively.

The man nodded and gestured for me to sit down. I sat across from him nervously. He pulled a briefcase from his pocket, tossed it in front of me, and said coldly, "The information inside will prove who's behind this and their ultimate goal."

I couldn't wait to open the document bag, and the contents shocked me. It turned out that the person manipulating everything behind the scenes wasn't a business competitor, but a mysterious organization. They wielded a mysterious power that could control time and space, and their goal was to use this power to rule the world!

"This...how is this possible?" I muttered to myself, unable to believe my eyes.

"Nothing is impossible." The man sneered, "This world is far more complicated than you imagine."

I looked up at the mysterious man before me, my heart filled with fear and confusion. Who was he? Why was he telling me this? What did he want me to do?

I felt a chill run down my spine, as if I'd fallen into a bottomless abyss. Controlling time and space? Dominating the world? This sounded like something out of a science fiction movie, but it was actually happening in my life. How could I possibly accept it?

"What do they want to do?" I asked in a trembling voice, trying to get more information from the man.

The man didn't answer my question directly. He just said coldly, "You don't need to know so much. You just need to know that we have a common enemy."

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I knew that now was not the time to panic. I had to figure out all this in order to protect myself, Lawrence Lu, and everyone I cared about.

I returned home and told Lawrence Lu everything. After listening to my story, his expression became extremely solemn.

"Control time and space..." He repeated in a low voice, his brows knitted tightly together. "If this is true, then we must be more careful."

I nodded, but my heart grew even more uneasy. What we were facing now wasn't just a business competitor, but a mysterious organization with supernatural powers. How could we possibly contend with it?

For the next few days, Lu Yuxuan and I were on high alert. We strengthened our security measures while trying to find more clues from the information provided by our allies.

However, just when we thought we were about to find a breakthrough, an accident happened.

Our ally, that mysterious man, suddenly disappeared.

He disappeared from our sight like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace. We tried to contact him, but the phone was no longer connected.

I was extremely anxious. Had something happened to him? Had he been captured by that mysterious organization?

Just then, the housekeeper brought a letter, saying that someone had delivered it to the door and specifically asked for it to be given to me.

I quickly took the envelope and found that there was no signature or address on it, only a seal sealed with wax.

I carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a thin piece of paper with a line of beautiful handwriting written on it:

"Solve the puzzle and find the key."

A puzzle? A key? What does it mean?

I turned the note over and over, but I had no clue. Lu Yuxuan also came over to look at it, his brow furrowed, obviously finding nothing either.

"Could this be a clue left by an ally?" I speculated. "Perhaps he's in danger and can only leave us a message this way."

Lawrence Lu pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, “It’s possible. We must solve this mystery as soon as possible and find the ‘key’ he mentioned. Maybe we can find him, or find a way to fight against that mysterious organization.”

I clutched the note tightly in my hand, my heart filled with anxiety and determination. I knew a bigger storm was coming, and we had no way out.

The note felt like it was burning hot; I could almost feel the anxiety and unease it conveyed. Solve the puzzle, find the key… These words echoed in my mind like a mantra, but I couldn't find any clues. Lawrence Lu's expression was also very serious. He repeatedly stroked his chin, as if he was thinking about something.

"Could it be related to what we've been investigating?" I asked tentatively, my thoughts returning to the past few weeks. We've been tracking the traces of that mysterious organization, and we've also come across some seemingly unrelated information. Could the answer be hidden in it?

Lawrence Lu didn't say anything, but walked to the desk, picked up a pen and paper, and began to write something quickly on it. He wrote very quickly, and the tip of the pen rubbed against the paper, making a "rustling" sound, like some kind of rapid drumbeat, beating my heart.

"What do you think it is?" I couldn't help but ask, staring at the pen in his hand, as if trying to pry out some secret from it.

Lawrence Lu stopped writing and handed me the paper covered with handwriting. "These are all the clues we have been investigating for a while. I will try to sort them out again to see if I can find any connections."

I took the paper and read it carefully. It recorded all our discoveries during this period: the code name of the mysterious organization, the places they had appeared, the people they had come into contact with... The dense handwriting was like a huge net, tightly enveloping Lu Yuxuan and me.

I read line by line, trying to imprint every detail in my mind. Suddenly, my eyes fell on a line of words: ancient book, prophecy, key to time...

"The Key of Time?!" I suddenly looked up, my heart beating rapidly. "Could this be related to this?"

A glimmer of light also flashed in Lawrence Lu’s eyes, “You mean, the ‘key’ left by the allies refers to this ‘Key of Time’?”

I nodded, an inexplicable intuition telling me that we were getting closer and closer to the truth. However, new questions also arose: What is the Key of Time? Where is it? How can we find it?

"It seems that we have to visit another person." Lu Yuxuan pondered for a moment and said a name that I didn't expect.

I looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure? But..."

"No buts," Lawrence Lu interrupted me, his tone firm, "Now, this is our only hope."

His words were filled with determination, and it made me realize that we had no way out. What awaited us was a road even more thorny and full of unknowns, and we had no choice but to bravely move forward.