Double evil in the business district

Xiao Yue's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and every beat was accompanied by a suffocating feeling of oppression.

Back at Xiao's, she hurried to the technical department, the incomplete documents weighing heavily on her hands. Technician Liu took the documents, put on his glasses, and examined them carefully under the light, his brow furrowing ever tighter.

"Ms. Xiao, these files are severely damaged and most of the key information is missing. It is very difficult to repair them." Technician Liu's voice was filled with helplessness, and his eyes behind the lenses revealed deep worry.

At this moment, Shen Ting walked in. He carried a calm aura that seemed to soothe all the anxiety around him. "How is it?" he asked briefly, his eyes falling on the fragment of document in Technician Liu's hand.

Technician Liu pointed to the missing parts of the document and said, "Mr. Shen, look, these key pieces of information are missing. It's difficult to restore the complete contract."

Shen Ting said nothing. He walked to the table and picked up a few pieces of paper. His eyes were sharp, as if he wanted to see through them. "Find all the pieces," he said in a calm and firm tone. "Perhaps, we can still piece together something."

Xiao Yue and Technician Liu exchanged a glance, each catching a glimmer of hope. They began carefully piecing the pieces together, like archaeologists restoring a precious artifact. Time ticked by, the office hushed until only the rustling of paper could be heard.

Finally, several fragments were pieced together, revealing a key piece of information: "...Special materials...Below market price...Wang Kai..."

"Wang Kai!" Xiao Yue exclaimed, her heart skipping a beat.

A gleam of light flashed in Shen Ting's eyes. He picked up the assembled pieces and examined them carefully. "It seems that Wang Kai used special materials below market price in order to seize the market. This is likely the reason for the product problems."

"But this is not enough to prove that Wang Kai deliberately framed us." Technician Liu reminded.

"That's right," Shen Ting nodded. "We need more evidence." He turned his gaze to Xiao Yue. "Do you remember the other documents in Wang Kai's company safe? Perhaps we can find some clues there."

Xiao Yue tried hard to recall the scene she had seen in Wang Kai's office, fragments of which flashed through her mind. "I remember... some product testing reports..."

"Product test report?" Shen Ting repeated, a hint of deep thought flashing in his eyes. "Perhaps we can start with the product testing center."

Just then, Xiao Yue's phone rang. It was one of the company's shareholders, and the call was stern: "Xiao Yue, how is the investigation going? The shareholders are very concerned. If you can't give us an explanation as soon as possible, we'll have to replace you."

Xiao Yue held the phone tightly and took a deep breath: "Please give us some more time, we will have results soon."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Yue's face turned pale. She knew that time was running out and she had to find enough evidence to prove Xiao's innocence as soon as possible.

Shen Ting walked over to her and patted her shoulder gently, "Don't worry, we can solve it together."

Xiao Yue looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. His support and encouragement gave her great strength.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the office door, and PR Chen walked in anxiously...

Public Relations Manager Chen's face was paler than paper, her chest heaving with rapid breathing. "Xiao Yue, this is bad! Several important partners just called and asked to terminate their partnership!"

Xiao Yue felt a buzzing in her head, and her vision went dark. The partners' departure would undoubtedly make matters worse, further jeopardizing the already precarious Xiao Group. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Which partners? What's the reason?"

"They're all long-term clients, like Huatai and Far East..." PR Chen's voice trembled. "They said that because of this product quality issue, they've begun to question Xiao's credibility and are worried that continued cooperation will affect their brand image..."

"Did they mention any other issues? For example, is there anyone putting pressure on them?" Xiao Yue keenly caught a hint of abnormality, and her intuition told her that things were not that simple.

PR Chen hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Li from Huatai hinted that someone had leaked some negative news about the Xiao Group to them, saying that the current crisis at the Xiao Group would be difficult to resolve, and suggested that they sever ties with the company as soon as possible..."

Xiao Yue and Shen Ting exchanged glances, and both understood that Wang Kai was behind this. He not only wanted to destroy the reputation of Xiao's products, but also cut off Xiao's funding chain, completely forcing Xiao into a dead end.

Almost at the same time, Wang Kai was sitting in his office with a sinister smile on his face. He received a report from his subordinates and learned that Xiao Yue had infiltrated his company, and he couldn't help but sneer.

"You're overestimating yourself!" He fiercely stubbed out the cigar in his hand. "Since she wants to play, I'll play with her to the end!"

He immediately ordered an intensified crackdown on the Xiao family, arranging for his men to sell similar products to the Xiao family at low prices in the market to seize Xiao's market share. He wanted Xiao Yue to watch helplessly as the Xiao family gradually fell into ruin under his hands.

The atmosphere at Xiao Enterprises was so heavy it felt like water could drip out of it. Xiao Yue forced herself to calm down. Now was not the time to panic; she had to find a way to fight back as soon as possible.

"PR Chen, you must hold a press conference immediately to clarify the facts and stabilize public sentiment. At the same time, contact other partners and do your best to stabilize them." Xiao Yue made arrangements quickly.

"However, there is insufficient evidence now, and it is difficult for us to convince the public and partners..." Public Relations Officer Chen looked worried.

"I know," Xiao Yue said firmly, "but we must buy time and give ourselves a chance to survive."

Shen Ting also spoke: "I will mobilize all resources to help the Xiao family overcome the difficulties. Believe me, we will definitely win." His words were full of power, giving Xiao Yue great confidence.

As night fell, the lights at Xiao's Enterprise remained brightly lit. Xiao Yue, Shen Ting, and Technician Liu were still busy in the technical department, piecing the pieces together again and again, trying to find more clues.

"It still doesn't work," Technician Liu rubbed his eyes tiredly. "These fragments are too badly damaged. Key information is missing..."

At that moment, a piece of code suddenly appeared on Technician Liu's computer screen. He froze for a moment, then a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Wait, I think I've discovered something..." His fingers pounded away at the keyboard, lines of code pouring down like a waterfall...

"I think... I repaired some of the data..." Technician Liu's voice trembled slightly as he pointed at the content displayed on the screen. "Here... it shows here..."

Technician Liu pointed at the code flashing on the screen, his voice trembling with excitement. "Here... here it shows that the test report data has been tampered with! And, the tampering took place just one day before the product left the factory!"

Xiao Yue and Shen Ting immediately gathered around. On the screen, the partial data that Technician Liu had restored clearly showed that the original test data fully met the standards, but the final report had been maliciously altered, replacing qualified data with unqualified data.

"Who did it?" Xiao Yue's voice was low, with a hint of suppressed anger.

Technician Liu continued to work, his fingers dancing across the keyboard. "The traces of data modification are very subtle, but we can still trace some clues... Wait, there's an IP address here..." He traced the source of the IP address, "It's... Inspector Zhao!"

"It's him!" Xiao Yue clenched her fists. Inspector Zhao was the head of the product testing center. She had suspected him before, but had never found conclusive evidence.

"Not only that," Technician Liu's expression grew even more serious. "This IP address has also been connected to several other accounts. These accounts all belong to... all belong to different departments within our company..."

As Technician Liu delved deeper into the investigation, a startling truth gradually surfaced. To ensnare Xiao's company, Wang, the rival, had bribed not only Inspector Zhao but also several other personnel, forming a complete profit chain. From production to test reports, he set up checkpoints at every level to ensure that the product would ultimately be deemed unqualified.

"What a good trick!" A cold light flashed in Shen Ting's eyes. The insidiousness and cunningness of his opponent Wang was beyond his imagination.

Xiao Yue's face paled, and she felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Wang's opponent's plan was so meticulous that it practically blocked all of Xiao's escape routes. Now, although they had some evidence, it was incomplete. If they released it hastily, Wang's opponent would likely retaliate, putting them in an even more passive position.

"What should we do now?" Public Relations Officer Chen's voice was filled with anxiety. The constant withdrawal of partners and the negative reports from the media were like mountains pressing down on Xiao, making her almost breathless.

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "We must make this evidence public! Let the public know the truth!"

"But..." Public Relations Officer Chen hesitated. "The evidence is incomplete right now. If we release it, Wang Kai will definitely refute it. By then, we won't have enough evidence to fight back, and he'll seize the initiative in public opinion..."

Xiao Yue bit her lips tightly, her heart full of contradictions. She knew that what PR Chen said made sense, but if she continued to conceal it, Xiao's situation would only get worse.

"Tick, tick..." The wall clock chimed, and the seconds ticked by. Xiao Yue felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to fall into the abyss if she wasn't careful.

Shen Ting walked to Xiao Yue and gently held her hand, "Wait a little longer..."

Xiao Yue raised her head and looked into Shen Ting's deep eyes, her heart filled with doubt. Wait? Wait until how long? Could the Xiao family still hold out until then?

"I know you're worried about time," Shen Ting said in a low, powerful voice, with a hint of soothing intent. "But if we release this incomplete evidence now, it will only give our opponent Wang a handle to strike back. We need to hit him with one strike, leaving him with no chance of recovery."

Xiao Yue's brow furrowed, her eyes filled with anxiety. "But, Shen Ting, have you ever considered that if we wait any longer, Xiao Corporation... might not be able to hold on any longer?" Her voice trembled slightly, a deep sense of powerlessness permeating her tone. The termination of the contract with the partner, the media's siege, the plummeting stock price—all of this was like a sharp knife, piercing her heart.

Shen Ting gently patted the back of Xiao Yue's hand, his eyes firm. "Trust me, I won't let Xiao's fall." He paused and continued, "I have ordered a batch of the most advanced testing equipment from abroad. With it, we can conduct more comprehensive testing on the products and find more conclusive evidence."

"When will the equipment arrive?" Xiao Yue asked anxiously.

"Three days." Shen Ting's tone left no room for doubt.

"Three days..." Xiao Yue muttered to herself. Three days seemed too long for the Xiao Corporation right now. Every day, Xiao Corporation endured enormous losses. The loss of partners and the panic of its employees brought her to the brink of collapse. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to remain calm.

Public Relations Officer Chen paced anxiously, "Three days... Three days, I wonder how low the stock price will fall..."

Technician Liu pushed his glasses up and said firmly, "Boss Xiao, Boss Shen is right. What we need now is solid evidence. Only with that can we completely defeat our opponent Wang. I will continue to investigate in depth over the next three days and try to find more clues."

Xiao Yue opened her eyes and looked at Shen Ting, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She knew Shen Ting was doing this for her own good and for the good of the Xiao family, but she really didn't know if the Xiao family could survive these three days.

The office fell into silence, and the wall clock made a "tick, tick" sound, as if urging the passage of time.

Suddenly, Xiao Yue's phone rang. The caller ID showed the company's CFO. Xiao Yue's heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. She answered the phone, and the CFO's anxious voice rang out: "Boss Xiao, this is bad! The bank...the bank is calling in the loan early..."

Xiao Yue's face paled instantly, and she nearly dropped the phone in her hand. The bank's early loan withdrawal was undoubtedly a double whammy for the Xiao family. It was undoubtedly the straw that broke the camel's back. She bit her lip tightly, trying hard to control herself from collapsing.

Upon seeing this, Shen Ting immediately took Xiao Yue's phone and said to the CFO in a calm tone, "I understand. I'll handle it. You should stabilize the bank first."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Ting hugged Xiao Yue tightly in his arms and patted her back gently, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Xiao Yue leaned in Shen Ting's arms, tears silently falling. She knew that Shen Ting was trying his best to protect her and the Xiao family, but facing such a powerful opponent, could they really win?

For the Xiao family, these three days were a matter of life and death.

Suddenly, Shen Ting's phone rang... He glanced at the caller ID and his eyes froze, "The equipment has arrived..."