Double evil in the business district

Xiao Yue's voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the silent conference room: "Grandpa, elders, I want to report a new development strategy to you today." She distributed the plan in her hand to everyone present. When her eyes swept over Uncle Xiao, she noticed the sneer that flashed across his mouth, and her heart sank.

Xiao Yue then elaborated on her plan. She analyzed the Xiao family's current predicament, identified potential future challenges, and proposed collaborating with the Shen family to expand into new markets. Her eloquent presentation, informed by detailed data and clear logic, demonstrated her profound understanding of the family business and her precise grasp of its future development. However, Mr. Xiao remained expressionless, making it difficult to decipher his thoughts.

Second Uncle Xiao was the first to speak out: "Xiao Yue, although your plan seems grand, it is also quite risky. Cooperating with the Shen Group, what if they..." He paused deliberately, his tone carrying a hint of meaning, "What if they do something bad to our Xiao Group?"

"Uncle, I've done detailed market research and risk assessment," Xiao Yue responded calmly. "Shen's reputation and strength are well-known in the industry. Furthermore, for this collaboration, we'll also develop a comprehensive agreement to safeguard Xiao's interests."

"That's easy to say!" Second Uncle Xiao sneered, "In today's business world, any agreement is just a piece of waste paper! You're too young to understand this!"

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense. Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She knew that Second Uncle Xiao was deliberately making things difficult for her, trying to prevent her from cooperating with the Shen Group. She looked at Old Man Xiao with a determined gaze, hoping to gain his support.

However, Old Master Xiao slowly spoke, "Xiao Yue, your plan is indeed bold, but our Xiao family has always been cautious and prudent. It would be too risky to rashly make such a big change. I disagree."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She knew that Old Man Xiao was conservative and had a hard time accepting new things. But she was unwilling to give up. "Grandpa," she said again, "Times are changing, and the market is changing too. We can't stand still. We must..."

"That's enough!" Old Master Xiao interrupted Xiao Yue, "Let's end this matter here. There's no need to say any more."

Xiao Yue bit her lip, but ultimately said nothing. She knew she had already lost this meeting. She silently packed up her things and left the meeting room.

The assistant sighed as he watched Xiao Yue leave. He walked over to Old Master Xiao and whispered, "Master, the Second Master has been very close to Miss Lin Xiao recently..."

Old Master Xiao frowned, "Lin Xiao? That..."

"Yes," the assistant nodded, "I heard..." He leaned close to Mr. Xiao's ear and whispered a few words.

Mr. Xiao's expression changed, and he stood up suddenly, "Go, call Lawyer Li!"

Meanwhile, in Uncle Xiao's office, he was talking quietly with a man. "How's it going?"

"Everything is arranged, Second Master," the man handed over a document. "These are some of Xiao Yue's recent 'problems' at work. They're enough to make her anxious."

Second Uncle Xiao took the document and smiled with satisfaction, "Great! As long as Xiao Yue falls, Xiao Corporation will be mine!" He flipped through the document, a sinister look flashing in his eyes, "Also, keep an eye on Shen Ting and see if he makes any moves."

The man nodded, "I understand." He turned and prepared to leave, but suddenly stopped, "Second Master, there is one more thing..."

"what's up?"

"I heard..." The man hesitated, "I heard that Shen Ting has been asking about..."

The man lowered his voice and said, "I heard that Shen Ting has been asking about Mr. Xiao's preferences recently."

Second Uncle Xiao frowned, "Ask about Mr. Xiao's preferences? What does he want to do?"

"I don't know," the man shook his head, "but I always feel that he has bad intentions."

Uncle Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Keep watching him and report to me immediately if there is any movement."

"Yes." The man took the order and left.

Second Uncle Xiao sat alone in his office, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk, his eyes flickering. Shen Ting's sudden overtures toward Old Man Xiao made him feel a little uneasy. He had a vague feeling that Shen Ting's target might not only be Xiao Yue, but the entire Xiao family.

At the same time, Shen Ting was sitting in a high-end teahouse, chatting with a gray-haired old gentleman named Wang. This old gentleman was a highly respected veteran in the business world and a long-time friend of Mr. Xiao.

"Mr. Wang, I'm really sorry to trouble you this time." Shen Ting respectfully poured tea for Mr. Wang.

"Xiao Shen, I've also heard about you and the girl from the Xiao family." Old Wang smiled kindly, "Young people are bound to encounter some setbacks."

"Mr. Wang, I came here this time to ask you to introduce me to Mr. Xiao." Shen Ting stated his purpose straight away.

Elder Wang pondered for a moment, "Mr. Xiao is quite conservative and doesn't like to interact with the outside world. However, for your sake, I can help you try."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang!" Shen Ting said gratefully.

"However, I can't guarantee that it will succeed." Old Wang reminded with a smile.

"I understand." Shen Ting nodded. He knew that it would not be easy to gain Mr. Xiao's approval.

On the other side, Lin Xiao was sitting in the living room of the Xiao family's old house, chatting with several female members of the Xiao family.

"Have you heard? Xiao Yue's so-called 'development strategy' was actually formulated by Shen Ting." Lin Xiao said mysteriously.

"Is this true?" a gracefully dressed lady asked in surprise.

"Of course it's true," Lin Xiao said confidently, "A friend of mine works at Shen's and heard Shen Ting say it himself."

"That's what I said. How could Xiao Yue, a young girl who just graduated, have such great abilities?" another lady echoed.

"Alas, Mr. Xiao is really old and confused. He actually still believes her."

Lin Xiao's rumors spread like a virus throughout the Xiao family. Old Master Xiao's expression grew increasingly gloomy, and his trust in Xiao Yue began to waver.

Butler Zhou saw all this and sighed inwardly. He knew that Lin Xiao was deliberately trying to sow discord between them in order to hurt Xiao Yue.

In the evening, Xiao Yue returned to her room, ready to refine her development strategy. She turned on her computer and discovered that the order of the files in her folders had been altered. She carefully checked and discovered that some important data files had been modified. Xiao Yue's heart sank, and a chill ran down her spine. She looked up, her gaze fixed on the gradually darkening sky outside the window.

Someone's behind this... Xiao Yue took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Who was behind this? Her first thought was Second Uncle Xiao. Ever since the last family meeting, Second Uncle Xiao had made no secret of his hostility towards her. He'd long coveted the Xiao Group, and the development strategy she had proposed was undoubtedly standing in his way.

But she had no proof. The computer wasn't password-protected, meaning anyone could have accessed the files. Furthermore, even if she pointed to Second Uncle Xiao, no one would have believed her. Old Man Xiao was old and conservative, preferring to believe in family unity and unwilling to acknowledge any conflict between family members.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Butler Zhou walked in with a formal smile on his face. "Miss Xiao, the master has ordered that from today on, your three meals a day will be delivered to your room. Without the master's permission, you may not leave the old house at will, nor may you contact other family members at will."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. This wasn't protection; it was clearly house arrest! She understood that this was Old Man Xiao's disguised punishment for her. The rumors spread by Lin Xiao, coupled with the document tampering, had already made Old Man Xiao suspicious of her.

"Butler Zhou, why did grandpa do this?" Xiao Yue tried to keep his tone calm.

"The master is doing this for your own good, Miss Xiao." Butler Zhou maintained his indifferent attitude. "There's been a lot going on in the family lately. You can stay in your room and avoid unnecessary trouble."

Xiao Yue knew that it was useless to argue with Butler Zhou. He was an elder of the Xiao family, loyal to Old Master Xiao and would only obey his orders.

She nodded and said nothing more. After Butler Zhou left, Xiao Yue walked to the window and looked out at the bleak autumn scenery. The high walls and deep courtyard separated her from the outside world. She felt like a bird imprisoned in a cage, lost both her freedom and her direction.

For the next few days, Xiao Yue felt as if she had been forgotten. Three meals a day were delivered on time, but other than that, no one bothered her. She tried to contact Shen Ting, but the call was always disconnected. She had no idea what was happening outside, nor did she know if Shen Ting knew about her current situation.

Anxiety and uneasiness wrapped around her like vines, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She knew she couldn't just sit there and wait for death. The family meeting would be held soon. If she couldn't turn the situation around before then, all her previous efforts would be wasted, and the Xiao Group would fall into the hands of Uncle Xiao.

A bold idea emerged in her mind. She decided to take the risk and privately talk to some family elders before the family meeting, explain the truth to them, and win their support. But would this cause more resentment?

Late at night, Xiao Yue quietly opened the door. The corridor was pitch black and silent, with only the dim wall lamps casting mottled shadows. She tiptoed to the stairs and was about to go downstairs when suddenly a voice came from behind her: "Miss Xiao, it's so late, where are you going?"

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly. She turned around slowly and saw Butler Zhou standing in the dim light. He still had that formal smile on his face, but there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"I... I can't sleep and want to go downstairs for a walk." Xiao Yue tried to stay calm and make his tone sound natural.

"The master has ordered that you cannot leave the room without his permission." Butler Zhou said in a firm tone, leaving no room for compromise.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath, knowing that forcing her way in wouldn't work. Her eyes rolled as a plan came to mind. "Butler Zhou, I'm feeling a little unwell. I'd like to go get some medicine from Lawyer Li." She knew Lawyer Li was a man of integrity and might be able to speak up for her.

Butler Zhou hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "Then I'll go call Lawyer Li over."

Xiao Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her room to wait. Not long after, Lawyer Li followed Housekeeper Zhou to her room.

"Ms. Xiao, are you feeling unwell?" Lawyer Li asked with concern.

Xiao Yue briefly described his "illness", then changed the subject and told Lawyer Li about the document tampering, and tactfully expressed his desire to communicate privately with several family elders before the family meeting.

Lawyer Li frowned after hearing this. "Ms. Xiao, you're in a difficult situation. The master has misunderstood you, and any rash action could backfire. I'll do my best to speak up for you in front of the master, but you must proceed with caution."

Xiao Yue nodded gratefully. Lawyer Li's caution made her more certain that Second Uncle Xiao's influence within the family should not be underestimated. But she had no way out and could only gamble everything on it.

At the same time, Shen Ting was actively looking for opportunities to approach the Xiao family. He contacted a respected senior figure in the business community who had been friends with Mr. Xiao for many years. At Shen Ting's earnest request, the senior figure agreed to mediate and arrange a meeting between him and Mr. Xiao.

Shen Ting knew this might be his only chance. He had to seize this opportunity to prove his sincerity to Mr. Xiao and to protect Xiao Yue, whom he deeply loved.

The next morning, Xiao Yue used the excuse of going for a walk in the garden to avoid the sight of Housekeeper Zhou and sneaked into the study of Xiao's third uncle. His third uncle was always gentle and had considerable prestige in the family. Xiao Yue hoped to gain his support.

She knocked gently on the study door. "Uncle San, it's me, Xiao Yue."

The door opened, and Uncle Xiao looked at her in surprise: "Xiao Yue? Why are you here?"

Xiao Yue was about to open her mouth to explain when she heard footsteps in the corridor, followed by a familiar voice...

"Third brother, are you there? I have something to discuss with you." That was the voice of Uncle Xiao.

Xiao Yue's expression changed, and he subconsciously hid behind the door...