Double evil in the business district

Xiao Yue sat on the leather office chair, tapping the table with his fingertips, again and again. The rhythmic tapping sound was particularly clear in the silent office.

Outside the window, the hustle and bustle of the city was still there, but it could not disturb her thoughts at all.

Mark Company's recent business report was spread out in front of her. The dense numbers and curves surrounded her like a huge net.

The data on the report seemed normal, even better than before, but Xiao Yue keenly noticed the hidden abnormality - the growth curve was too smooth, lacking the ups and downs that should be expected in business fluctuations. It was like a stagnant pool of water, so calm that it was disturbing.

She picked up a red pen and circled several key figures, leaving a deep mark on the next page with such force that it penetrated the paper.

These data are like carefully disguised traps, and you will fall into them if you are not careful.

She knew very well that the information was likely to have been artificially modified or even deliberately misleading.

But she did not give up. Instead, she examined each document more attentively, trying to find clues from subtle differences.

The air in the office seemed to be frozen, with only the slight hum of the air conditioner and the occasional rustling of papers as Xiao Yue flipped through them.

Secretary Zhou stood quietly by, holding the documents in his hands, not daring to make a sound.

She could feel the low pressure emanating from Xiao Yue, a kind of oppressive feeling as if a storm was about to come.

"Is there any news from Detective Liu?" Xiao Yue's voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

"Not yet, Mr. Xiao." Secretary Zhou replied softly.

Xiao Yue rubbed his eyebrows, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

The detective Liu she sent out was a well-known investigative expert in the industry. Logically, he should have been able to get the results quickly, but now there was no news at all. This made her more certain of her judgment - someone was deliberately obstructing her investigation.

Soon, Detective Liu finally called, but the information he brought back contradicted the previous intelligence.

As Xiao Yue listened to the phone, his expression grew increasingly gloomy, and the knuckles of his fingers holding the phone turned white.

She realized that it wasn't just Mark Company that had problems, but also her external intelligence network had loopholes.

Someone is secretly manipulating all this, trying to blind her eyes.

"I understand." Xiao Yue hung up the phone in a cold tone. "Secretary Zhou, notify everyone to suspend cooperation with all external intelligence agencies and re-establish our own investigation channels."

Secretary Zhou was stunned for a moment, then realized the seriousness of the situation and immediately nodded in response, "Yes, President Xiao."

This decision will undoubtedly cause the investigation to fall into temporary chaos, but Xiao Yue knows that it is necessary.

She must take control of everything to clear the fog and find the truth.

Xiao Yue stood up suddenly, walked to the French window, and looked down at the endless stream of cars below. She took a deep breath and said slowly, "It seems that this game is much more complicated than I imagined..." She paused, her eyes falling on a towering building in the distance. "Perhaps, it's time to pay a visit to Mr. Chen..."

Xiao Yue's eyes swept over the pile of documents again, and an inexplicable intuition told her that the truth was hidden in these seemingly ordinary reports.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and focused on the details of each document.

Suddenly, an unremarkable quarterly financial report caught her attention.

This report is sandwiched between two thick annual reports and can easily be overlooked.

Xiao Yue reached out and pulled out the report. The moment his fingertips touched the paper, a strange feeling came over him.

There was nothing wrong with the report itself, but Xiao Yue, with his many years of experience in the industry, keenly discovered a hint of anomaly.

There was a small amount of money in the report, marked as "consulting fee", paid to an unknown small company.

An idea flashed through Xiao Yue's mind, and she immediately retrieved all the transaction records of Mark Company and compared them carefully.

Sure enough, she discovered some unusual financial transactions between this small company and Mark's competitors.

Xiao Yue's eyes lit up and he felt a hint of excitement, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw in the darkness.

These hidden transaction records are like the missing piece of a puzzle, linking the truth of the entire incident together.

"Mr. Xiao, you're amazing!" Secretary Zhou looked at Xiao Yue with admiration in his eyes. "This report was hidden so subtly. How did you find it?"

Xiao Yue smiled faintly and handed the report to Secretary Zhou without explanation. "Immediately verify the true use of this money and the relationship between this small company and its competitors. I want solid evidence."

"Understood!" Secretary Zhou took the report, turned around and left quickly.

Xiao Yue was the only one left in the office. She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the bustling city night view outside, but her mood was extremely heavy.

She now has evidence that Mark's company is colluding with its competitors, but how to deal with this matter puts her in a dilemma.

Directly questioning Mark would certainly help get the truth as quickly as possible, but it might also alert the other party and make him defensive.

If no action is taken and the situation is allowed to develop, the interests of the Xiao family will be further damaged.

She paced back and forth in the conference room, her inner conflict clearly revealed.

At this time, Shen Ting pushed the door open and saw Xiao Yue's anxious look. He walked to her, gently held her hand, and gave her silent support.

Xiao Yue raised her head and looked into Shen Ting's deep eyes, and her heart gradually calmed down.

"I..." Xiao Yue was about to speak, but was interrupted by Shen Ting.

"I know what you want to say," Shen Ting said firmly, "I trust your judgment. No matter what decision you make, I will support you."

Xiao Yue looked at Shen Ting, "I plan to..."

Shen Ting looked at Xiao Yue, his eyes full of trust and love. His voice was low and firm: "I know what you want to say." Xiao Yue raised her head and looked into Shen Ting's deep eyes, and her heart gradually calmed down.

She felt Shen Ting's warmth and leaned on his shoulder involuntarily, her heart filled with gratitude.

During this difficult time, the relationship between the two became even deeper.

"I plan to... start from Mark's business social circle." Xiao Yue said softly. Instead of continuing to investigate Mark's company in depth as usual, she decided to start from the side and understand Mark's true intentions by attending various industry gatherings.

Secretary Zhou was surprised but also full of anticipation when she heard the decision. She immediately began to prepare for Xiao Yue's trip.

At a grand industry gathering, Xiao Yue skillfully moved among the crowd, chatting with people from all walks of life with a smile.

She used her wit and charm to skillfully acquire a wealth of information.

In the brightly lit banquet hall, melodious music played, and people's laughter and conversations came one after another, but Xiao Yue's attention was always focused on finding Mark's trace.

Finally, in a corner, she found Mark talking to a mysterious man.

The man was wearing sunglasses and his face was obscured by shadows, so his features could not be seen clearly.

Xiao Yue's heart tightened, and he quietly moved closer, trying to capture more details.

However, just as she was about to approach, the mysterious figure suddenly turned and left, disappearing into the crowd like a ghost.

Xiao Yue was caught off guard for a moment, but her intuition told her that this mysterious figure was the key to solving the whole mystery.

After returning to the company, Xiao Yue immediately picked up the phone and said in a firm and decisive voice: "Detective Liu, go and investigate the identity of this mysterious person immediately, as soon as possible." She hung up the phone, her eyes flashing with determination, as if she had seen the dawn of victory.

And in her heart, a bigger conspiracy is gradually emerging.