Double evil in the business district

Xiao Yue's heartbeat suddenly accelerated as she pushed open the conference room door. In the spacious and bright conference room, Shen Ting sat in the middle, his expression serious, radiating the pressure of a superior.

The senior leaders on both sides were already in place, and the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if the air had frozen. Xiao Yue took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, walked to the pre-prepared position, and gently placed the plan on the table.

"Good morning, everyone," Xiao Yue's voice trembled slightly, but she tried to remain calm. "My name is Xiao Yue. This is the cooperation plan I've revised and improved based on Mr. Shen's suggestions yesterday. Please review it."

She turned on the projector and began explaining the key points of the plan. From market analysis to competitive strategy and specific implementation steps, Xiao Yue elaborated on every detail. Despite a sleepless night, her thoughts remained clear and well-organized, and she could easily draw out every piece of data.

Shen Ting's gaze remained fixed on the projection screen, his fingers tapping the tabletop rhythmically. The conference room was completely silent, with only Xiao Yue's voice echoing.

"Regarding the third phase of marketing, we plan to..." Xiao Yue was interrupted by Shen Ting just as he was halfway through his words.

"Ms. Xiao," Shen Ting said in a deep and powerful voice, "How did you arrive at your estimated market share growth rate? On what basis did you base it?"

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly. This question hit a weak link in her plan.

She paused, quickly gathered her thoughts, and answered steadily, "Mr. Shen, this growth rate is based on our in-depth research into the target market. We..."

She explained in detail the data sources, analysis methods and predicted market trends, trying to convince Shen Ting.

Shen Ting did not respond immediately, but nodded slightly, indicating her to continue.

Xiao Yue breathed a sigh of relief and continued explaining the rest of the plan. In the following moments, Shen Ting asked several sharp questions, each one going straight to the heart of the plan.

Under immense pressure, Xiao Yue tried to remain calm, mobilizing all his knowledge and experience to answer the questions one by one.

She could sense that each of Shen Ting's questions wasn't simply a challenge, but a genuine desire to understand the feasibility and potential risks of the plan. His gaze was sharp and penetrating, as if he could see through everything, making her dare not slack off even a little.

The atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly tense, a sense of invisible pressure hanging in the air. Xiao Yue's palms were slightly sweaty, but she maintained a professional demeanor, striving to explain the plan clearly.

At this moment, Manager Liu, who was sitting next to Shen Ting, suddenly muttered, "This plan seems unsuccessful to me..."

Manager Liu's voice was soft, but it was like tiny needles pricking Xiao Yue's heart. She tried hard to control her emotions and focus on the plan, but Manager Liu's muttering was like a demonic sound that could not be shaken off.

"Insufficient data support..."

"This plan is too risky..."

"I think it's pretty bad..."

These intermittent comments flooded into Xiao Yue's ears like a tide, disturbing her thoughts.

Xiao Yue's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and her hand holding the laser pointer was trembling slightly. She took a deep breath, forced herself to ignore Manager Liu's interruption, and continued to explain the key points of the plan.

She tried her best to explain every detail in a calm tone and with clear logic, hoping to refute Manager Liu's questions with her professionalism.

At this time, Assistant Sun also discovered some minor problems in the plan.

"Ms. Xiao," Assistant Sun's voice was low, but it was enough to make Xiao Yue's heart tremble again. "There seem to be some minor issues with the format of the proposal. For example, the font size and spacing in this section, as well as the settings of the header and footer, are slightly different from our company's standard format."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. Although these formatting issues were minor, they were enough to affect the professionalism and rigor of the entire plan. She quickly flipped through the plan and carefully examined it, and indeed, she found the problems that Assistant Sun mentioned.

She quickly explained, "Assistant Sun, I'm very sorry. I oversaw these formatting issues. I will make the changes immediately to ensure they comply with the company's standard format."

Shen Ting's gaze flickered back and forth between Xiao Yue and Assistant Sun, his expression unfathomable. He didn't immediately offer his opinion, but continued to flip through the plan in his hand, his fingers still rhythmically tapping the tabletop: once, twice, three times...

The regular knocking sound seemed to knock on Xiao Yue's heart, making her even more nervous and uneasy.

As time ticked by, the atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly tense. Xiao Yue felt her breathing quicken. She struggled to control her emotions, trying to remain calm and composed.

She knew that this review was crucial to her and she had to give it her all to win Shen Ting's approval.

Just when Xiao Yue thought the review was about to end, Shen Ting suddenly spoke. His voice was deep and powerful, with a hint of unquestionable majesty.

"Ms. Xiao," Shen Ting stared intently at Xiao Yue. "I have some questions about the marketing strategy mentioned in your proposal." He pointed at a point in the proposal, frowning slightly. "The risk of this strategy seems too high. Are you sure it can achieve the desired effect?"

Xiao Yue's heart once again rose to her throat. She knew the real test had just begun. She took a deep breath, quickly gathered her thoughts, pulled out the market analysis data she had prepared, and began to explain her strategy and risk management measures.

"Mr. Shen, regarding the question you raised..." Although her voice was a little nervous, it was still clear and firm.

Shen Ting's eyes remained sharp as he stared at Xiao Yue, seemingly intent on seeing through her. The atmosphere in the conference room was extremely tense, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

"Let me see your data..." Shen Ting's voice stopped abruptly, his eyes fell on a detail on the data report, and his brows frowned even tighter.

"Is the source of this part of the market research data reliable?" He tapped a number on the report with his finger, staring at Xiao Yue sharply, as if he wanted to see through her.

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly. She had worked through several nights to compile this set of data. In order to ensure its accuracy, she repeatedly checked information from multiple sources.

She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and explained, "Mr. Shen, this data comes from an authoritative market research organization, and I have cross-validated it to ensure its accuracy and reliability."

As she spoke, she opened the prepared supporting documents and handed them to Shen Ting. "This is a detailed research report. You can take a closer look."

Shen Ting took the report and began to carefully read it. The conference room was completely silent, with only the sounds of flipping papers and Shen Ting's fingers tapping on the table. Xiao Yue nervously watched Shen Ting's every move, beads of sweat already forming on her palms.

Time ticked by, each second feeling like a century. Just as Xiao Yue was about to suffocate, Shen Ting finally closed the report and looked up at Xiao Yue. His eyes remained deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to decipher his thoughts.

"Ms. Xiao," Shen Ting said in a low, calm voice, devoid of any emotion. "Your explanation is very detailed, and the data is quite sufficient, but the risks of this strategy are still very high. We need to consider it more carefully."

Xiao Yue's heart jumped into her throat again. She knew Shen Ting wasn't completely convinced yet. She was about to continue explaining when Shen Ting's phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, and answered the call.

"What's the matter?" His tone was simple and cold.

A hurried voice came from the other end of the phone: "Boss Shen, this is bad! There are some problems within Xiao's enterprise, and there seems to be a big loophole in the financial situation..."

Shen Ting's expression instantly turned serious. He interrupted the other person and said, "What exactly happened? Tell me in detail!"

For the next few minutes, Shen Ting kept listening to the phone. His expression grew increasingly gloomy, and his fingers gripped the phone tightly, as if he wanted to crush it. Xiao Yue's heart sank, and she had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Ting's eyes fell on Xiao Yue, his eyes complex and deep. The atmosphere in the conference room became more solemn, as if the air had solidified.

Xiao Yue was terribly anxious. She knew that any problems within Xiao's company would definitely affect this collaboration. She quickly explained, "Mr. Shen, the problems within Xiao's company have nothing to do with our current project..."

However, Shen Ting ignored her explanation. He just looked at her quietly, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

After a long while, he slowly spoke: "Miss Xiao, let's stop here today. You go back and wait for news."

"Mr. Shen..." Xiao Yue wanted to explain something more, but was interrupted by Shen Ting.

"You go back first." His tone left no room for doubt.

Xiao Yue knew that there was no point in continuing. She quietly packed up her things and left the meeting room.

Shen Ting watched Xiao Yue's departing figure, his eyes dark and unfathomable. He picked up his phone and dialed a number...

"Help me check the recent financial status of Xiao's enterprise. The more detailed the better."

Xiao Yue walked out of the conference room, her steps somewhat unsteady. The cold air in the corridor made her shiver, but it was far less chilling than the coldness in her heart.

Shen Ting's final look was so deep that she couldn't see through it. The complex emotions contained in it made her uneasy. This cooperation was crucial to Xiao's company. If it failed, the consequences would be disastrous. And now, Xiao's company had another problem...

She bit her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes.

She walked quickly to the elevator, pressed the down button, and waited anxiously. The elevator door slowly opened, she walked in, and pressed the button for the first floor.

She was alone in the elevator, and the cramped space only magnified her anxiety. She recalled every detail of the meeting over and over again, trying to figure out where she hadn't done well and where she could improve.

"Ding——" The elevator reached the first floor. Xiao Yue took a deep breath and walked out.

The bright and spacious lobby of the company formed a sharp contrast with her current mood. She hurried to the company gate, just wanting to return to the office quickly to find out what happened inside Xiao's.

As I reached the door, I saw Manager Liu approaching. He had a subtle gloating look on his face, and his tone was a bit sarcastic: "Hey, Xiao Yue, you're back so soon? It seems that Mr. Shen is very satisfied with your plan."

Xiao Yue forced a smile: "Manager Liu, I just came back to take care of some things."

Manager Liu looked her up and down, a hint of sarcasm on his lips. "Dealing with something? I think you're back to clean up the mess. I heard that things haven't been going well for your Xiao Group lately, and it seems that there are some serious financial problems."

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly. Manager Liu's words undoubtedly made the situation worse.

She suppressed her inner uneasiness and said calmly, "Manager Liu, these are all rumors. Please don't speak nonsense."

Manager Liu chuckled and said, "Whether it's a rumor or not, we'll soon know. I advise you to prepare yourself mentally as soon as possible." After that, he walked around Xiao Yue and left.

Xiao Yue stood there, her body trembling slightly. Manager Liu's words pierced her heart like a thorn, making her feel suffocated. She took a deep breath, tried to remain calm, and quickly left the company.

Along the way, Xiao Yue's mind kept appearing Shen Ting's last look, Manager Liu's gloating smile, and the hurried voice on the phone.

She felt like a butterfly trapped in a spider's web, unable to escape no matter how hard she struggled.

Back at Xiao's, the atmosphere in the company was unusually heavy. Employees were whispering among themselves, their faces filled with worry. Xiao Yue's heart sank to the bottom, sensing a storm was brewing. She headed straight for her father's office, eager to learn the truth.

Before I even reached the office door, I heard my father's angry roar from inside: "What the hell is going on?! Why is there such a huge financial loophole?!"

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly. She pushed open the office door and saw her father yelling angrily into the phone, his face ashen and veins bulging on his forehead.

Seeing Xiao Yue coming in, he hung up the phone abruptly and looked at her with complicated eyes...

"Yueyue, you're back..."