Double evil in the business district

When Xiao Yue saw the old employee, it was as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Uncle Liu, I..." She was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain her appearance.

Accountant Liu, once a key financial executive at Xiao's, was a cautious and meticulous person, but he later left the company for family reasons. Xiao Yue had met him a few times and had a good impression of him.

"Oh, Miss Xiao, I heard that the Xiao family has not been doing well recently." Accountant Liu sighed with regret in his tone.

Xiao Yue smiled bitterly and nodded. "Uncle Liu, where are you working now?"

"Don't mention it," Accountant Liu waved his hand. "I'm just doing some accounting for this small company, barely making ends meet."

Xiao Yue's heart moved. This inconspicuous small company was actually related to the Xiao family's predicament, and Accountant Liu worked here... Could there be any connection between them?

"Uncle Liu, would you be willing to talk to me?" Xiao Yue asked tentatively.

Accountant Liu hesitated, looked around, and then whispered, "Let's go to the small park over there."

On a park bench, Xiao Yue briefly told Accountant Liu about Xiao's current predicament and vaguely mentioned that he was investigating this small company.

Accountant Liu frowned after hearing this. "Ms. Xiao, this company... isn't very clean." He paused, as if weighing his words. "I've been working here for a while, and I've noticed some... unusual things."

"For example?" Xiao Yue asked quickly.

"For example, their accounts are very secretive, and there are often large amounts of funds flowing in from unknown sources." Accountant Liu lowered his voice. "I suspect they may be engaging in some illegal activities."

"Can you be more specific?" Xiao Yue asked anxiously.

Accountant Liu shook his head. "I don't know the details. I'm just a small accountant and don't have access to core information. But..." He suddenly remembered something. "I once stumbled across a document with some strange codes on it. I suspect it's some kind of encrypted message."

Xiao Yue's heart trembled. Encrypted information! She immediately thought of the encrypted files she had seen in the small company before. Could it be...

"Do you still remember those codes?" Xiao Yue asked nervously.

Accountant Liu tried to recall the situation, then described some code snippets intermittently. Xiao Yue listened carefully and memorized these code snippets firmly in his mind.

After saying goodbye to Accountant Liu, Xiao Yue immediately returned to her own residence. She pulled out the encrypted files she had copied from the small company and carefully studied them again. Combining them with the code snippets provided by Accountant Liu, she suddenly realized that these encryption methods were surprisingly similar to an internal encryption technology used by Shen's company!

Could it be that there really was some connection between Shen's and this small company? This thought shocked Xiao Yue, and it also made her more certain that she had to continue to investigate further.

She turned on her computer and began trying to decrypt the file using Shen's encryption technology. Time ticked by, and the code on the screen kept jumping, as if engaging in a silent battle with her. Finally, after countless attempts, the file was successfully decrypted!

The contents of the document made Xiao Yue gasp...

At the same time, Accountant Chen made a phone call, "Director Ma, she...she seems to have discovered something..."

Declassified documents revealed this small company's direct connection to Xiao's shattered funding chain: through fraudulent contracts and transactions, they secretly transferred Xiao's funds to an overseas account. The account holder was surprisingly one of Shen's directors—Director Ma! Shocked, Xiao Yue realized that Accountant Chen's sudden departure from Xiao might not be simply due to family reasons.

At the same time, Accountant Chen hung up the phone with a gloomy face.

Director Ma's instructions were brief and cold: "Don't let her continue investigating. If necessary..." The voice on the other end of the line paused, sending a chill down Accountant Chen's spine. "...you know what to do."

Accountant Chen took a deep breath. He knew what this meant. He had to get rid of Xiao Yue, or at least get her to abandon the investigation completely. A new plan gradually took shape in his mind, a more sinister and dangerous plan. He called Wu Baoan in the archives, his voice low and urgent: "Old Wu, do me a favor..."

Xiao Yue printed out the decrypted document and clutched it tightly in her hand. She had to find Shen Ting immediately and figure out what was going on. Shen's encryption technology, Director Ma's overseas accounts, all pointed to a conspiracy within the Shen family.

She drove to the Shen Group, the scenery along the way rapidly receding before her eyes, and the anxiety in her heart grew stronger and stronger. She didn't know how Shen Ting would respond, but she had to try, for Xiao's sake, and for herself.

"Ms. Xiao, you don't have an appointment, so you can't come in." The receptionist stopped her politely but firmly.

"I'm looking for Shen Ting. There's something very important." Xiao Yue said anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Shen is very busy right now. If you don't have an appointment, please come back another day."

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Tell him it's about the Xiao family and Director Ma, and he will meet with me."

The receptionist hesitated for a moment, then finally called Shen Ting's office. A few minutes later, she hung up and said to Xiao Yue, "Mr. Shen said he doesn't have time to see you right now."

Xiao Yue was stunned, a chill running down her spine. Shen Ting's attitude was so cold, even apathetic, that she found it hard to believe. Could it be that he was also involved in this conspiracy?

She was unwilling to give in and said again: "Tell him again that this matter is very important and concerns..."

"Ms. Xiao," the receptionist interrupted her, "Please don't embarrass me."

Xiao Yue stood there dejectedly, feeling like a fly trapped in a spider's web, unable to escape no matter how hard she struggled. She didn't understand why Shen Ting treated her like this. Was everything they had experienced just a passing fancy?

Just then, a familiar figure emerged from the elevator. Director Ma, chatting and laughing with several men in suits, hadn't noticed Xiao Yue standing in the lobby. Seeing the smug smile on his face, Xiao Yue suddenly felt a surge of unease.

She clutched the documents tightly in her hand and turned to leave the Shen Building. As night fell and the lights came on, the city's traffic flowed like winding fire dragons. Xiao Yue sat in the car, looking at the flashing neon lights outside the window, feeling lost.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. It was Accountant Liu calling.

"Ms. Xiao," Accountant Liu's voice sounded a little nervous, "I... I have something to tell you..."

Xiao Yue gripped the phone tightly, feeling a sense of foreboding. "What's going on?"

"You...you'd better be careful..." Accountant Liu's voice was intermittent, as if he was avoiding something, "They...they are going to..."

The call was suddenly disconnected, leaving only a busy tone. Xiao Yue's heart sank, and Accountant Liu's words chilled her to the bone.

Who were “they”? What were they going to do? Accountant Liu’s final words were clearly filled with fear…

Xiao Yue gripped the steering wheel tightly, her palms sweating. She realized she had been involved in a bigger conspiracy, one far more dangerous than she had imagined...

She started the car, stepped on the accelerator, and rushed out like an arrow. She had to find the truth as soon as possible, before everything was irreversible...

A dark shadow followed her car silently...

Xiao Yue's car sped through the night, Accountant Liu's intermittent warnings echoing in her ears, like a tight ring, strangling her breath. She didn't know who "they" were, nor did she know what they were going to do, but she was clearly aware that danger was approaching step by step.

Back at her apartment, Xiao Yue's heart still churned. She turned on her computer, and the candlestick chart of Xiao Enterprise's stock price plummeted like a waterfall, its bright red lines stinging her eyes. Calls and emails from shareholders poured in like snowflakes, their questions, accusations, and even verbal abuse overwhelming her. She knew she had to find a solution quickly, or Xiao Enterprises would face catastrophic consequences.

She dug out the encrypted file again. The complex code was like a tangled mess, making her dizzy. Shen Ting's indifference, Director Ma's smug smile, Accountant Chen's fear... these fragments flashed through her mind, making her feel powerless.

Do you really want to give up?

No, she couldn't give up! Xiao Corporation was her father's life's work, and she couldn't bear to see it destroyed!

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She began searching online for relevant encryption technologies, devouring papers and blog posts, hoping to find a clue. Time slipped by, and the sky outside the window gradually brightened, but she didn't notice.

Finally, in a paper on asymmetric encryption algorithms, she discovered a method that could potentially crack encrypted files. This method required a special decryption software and... a key.

Key!

Xiao Yue's heart trembled. She remembered the hidden folder she had seen on the small company's server before. That folder was encrypted, and she hadn't found the key at the time. Could it be that... that folder contained the key to decrypting this file?

Thinking of this, she immediately drove to the small company. This time, she chose not to sneak in during the day, but in the early hours of the morning. Under the cover of darkness, she avoided the security patrols and successfully entered the company.

She went to the server room, skillfully opened the server, and found the hidden folder.

"Password required..." A dialog box popped up on the computer screen.

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She didn't have the password. Could it be that her previous guess was wrong?

Unwilling to give up, she began trying various possible password combinations. As time passed, beads of sweat oozed from her forehead.

Suddenly, a date came to her mind. It was her father's birthday, and also the day Xiao's company was founded. Trembling, she typed in the date and pressed Enter.

"The password is correct."

The folder is open!

There is only one file in it, an encrypted text file.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath, opened the decryption software, and imported the file into it.

"Please enter the key..."

Xiao Yue was stunned. She didn't have the key.

At this moment, footsteps came from outside the door, getting closer and closer...

"Who's there?" A rough voice sounded. It was Wu Baoan.

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly. She knew she had been discovered...

Wu Baoan pushed open the door to the computer room and saw Xiao Yue sitting in front of the computer. A ferocious smile appeared on his face: "I knew you would come again! This time, I wonder where you can run away!"

Wu Baoan approached, waving his baton in his hand and a malicious smile on his face. "Little girl, you can't escape this time!"

Xiao Yue quickly glanced around. Apart from the servers and some equipment, there was nothing in the computer room that could be used for self-defense.

But she didn't panic. Instead, she asked calmly, "Wu Baoan, have you really thought it through? You're just a security guard. Getting involved in this kind of thing won't do you any good."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wu Baoan interrupted her impatiently. "I was paid to keep an eye on you and prevent you from doing anything wrong. Now that I've caught you, I can get even more money!"

Xiao Yue's eyes fell on the computer screen, where the decryption software was still waiting for the key to be entered. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Do you know who you are helping? Do you know what they did?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know!" Wu Baoan waved his baton. "Don't try to get close to me! Just surrender and you'll suffer less!"

At this moment, Xiao Yue's phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed "Accountant Liu."

Xiao Yue glanced at Wu Baoan, pressed the answer button, and turned on the speakerphone. "Accountant Liu, what can I do for you?"

Accountant Liu's voice was a little flustered: "Ms. Xiao, where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Xiao Yue said calmly, "Thank you for your concern."

"I... I know I've let you down. I shouldn't have listened to them..." Accountant Liu's voice trembled, "But now... now it's too late..."

Xiao Yue keenly caught the fear in his words. "Did they threaten you?"

"Yes... they said... if I don't cooperate with them, they will..." Accountant Liu's voice choked and he didn't continue.

Xiao Yue glanced at the approaching Wu Baoan and knew the answer in his heart. "Accountant Liu, where are you now?"

"I... I'm at home..."

"Don't hang up, tell me the address." Xiao Yue said as he quickly tapped the keyboard, minimizing the decryption software and opening a new text file.

After getting Accountant Liu's address, Xiao Yue said into the phone, "Accountant Liu, listen to me. Call the police right now and tell them you're being coerced. Tell them everything you know. Also, save all relevant evidence and don't delete anything."

"But...but they..."

"Don't be afraid, the police will protect you." Xiao Yue's voice was firm and powerful. "Trust me, everything will be fine."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Yue quickly wrote down what Accountant Liu had just said and saved it in a new text file. She glanced at Wu Baoan and a subtle smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Wu Baoan," Xiao Yue's voice returned to calm, "Did you hear that? Accountant Liu has already called the police, and they'll be here soon. It's not too late for you to stop now."

Wu Baoan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting things to develop like this. He looked at Xiao Yue, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

At this moment, Xiao Yue pressed a key.

On the screen, the decryption software popped up again, and the interface waiting for key input disappeared, replaced by a string of complex codes... and a complete decryption file.

Xiao Yue looked at the contents of the document and his eyes fixed.

"It seems," she slowly raised her head and looked at Wu Baoan, "you really chose the wrong side." She reached out and inserted the USB drive into the computer...