Double evil in the business district

Xiao Yue jolted awake, finding herself peacefully lying on the office sofa. The thrill of the moment seemed like a nightmare. But the warning letter, its edges damp with sweat, clutched tightly in her hand, reminded her it wasn't a dream. The black rose pattern, like a dormant poisonous spider, spread a wave of unease within her. She gathered herself and stood to find Public Relations Manager Lin.

"PR Lin, I want to see the company's financial statements in recent years, especially the quarters mentioned by blogger Zhang." Xiao Yue went straight to the point.

Public Relations Officer Lin looked embarrassed. "Ms. Xiao, I know you want to find loopholes in blogger Zhang's data, but the workload is enormous. The financial statements are complex and involve many commercial secrets. It's difficult to compile strong evidence that can directly refute him in a short period of time."

Xiao Yue frowned. The data presented by blogger Zhang seemed accurate, directly pointing to Xiao's corporate losses and fraudulent practices, and was highly inflammatory. If they couldn't effectively counterattack, public trust in Xiao would completely collapse. "Is there any other way? Any clue will do."

Public Relations Officer Lin sighed, "We have been collecting evidence, but the other party is obviously well prepared, and..." She stopped talking.

"And what?" Xiao Yue asked.

"And now people inside the company are panicking, with many employees selling their shares," PR Lin said worriedly. "The stock price has been falling. If this continues, I'm afraid..."

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She knew that the falling stock price would further exacerbate the public's panic about the Xiao Group, forming a vicious cycle.

At this time, the atmosphere in the office on the top floor of Shen Building was solemn.

"Mr. Shen, Xiao's stock is still falling. We can no longer buy it without restrictions! The shareholders are very dissatisfied now. They think you are taking risks with the future of Shen's!" A shareholder said sternly.

Shen Ting's face darkened. He knew the shareholders had a point. The continuously falling stock price was like a bottomless pit. Even with Shen's deep pockets, it couldn't fill it forever. More importantly, he had to consider the overall interests of Shen and the shareholders' demands.

"I know." Shen Ting said in a low voice, "I will control the purchase amount, but I will not give up Xiao Corporation."

He understood that reducing purchases now would undoubtedly worsen Xiao's situation, but he had to make a trade-off. He rubbed his brow and leaned back in his chair wearily. He felt the same pressure Xiao Yue was facing.

At the same time, Detective Luo called again, his tone anxious, "Mr. Shen, we found out that the leader of the water army that spread the rumors is Hong Shuijun, and there seems to be someone behind him directing him..." There was suddenly a noisy sound from the other end of the phone, followed by a busy tone.

Shen Ting stood up suddenly, a chill running from his feet to his head. He realized that this conspiracy against the Xiao family was more complicated and dangerous than he had imagined.

In the dimly lit room, Hong Shuijun watched the plummeting stock price of Xiao's Enterprise on his computer screen, a sinister smile curling his lips. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hello, the plan is going smoothly. Xiao's is now on its last legs..." He paused, lowering his voice. "Next, it's time to add fuel to the fire..."

Hong Shuijun watched the plummeting stock price of Xiao Enterprises on his computer screen and smirked. He could almost see the Xiao Building collapsing, and he was the one pressing the blast button. "Increase the intensity!" he yelled at his men. "I want the Xiao name to be associated with the word 'garbage'!"

The online trolls, energized by the instructions, began frantically spreading rumors about the quality of Xiao's products across major platforms. They fabricated false customer complaints, forged photos of substandard products, and even photoshopped videos depicting the filthy and untidy conditions at Xiao's factories. This meticulously orchestrated negative information spread like a virus.

Feng, an ordinary office worker who enjoys surfing the internet, saw more and more negative news about Xiao's products and began to believe them. He remembered that he used Xiao's products at home, and a sense of worry rose in his heart. He immediately forwarded the news to various social media groups, captioning: "Everyone, be careful! Xiao's products are problematic! I use their products at home, too, and I'm scared just thinking about it now!"

Netizen Feng's repost added fuel to the fire, sparking even more panic. Some who had previously been on the sidelines about Xiao's products began boycotting the company. The panic spread offline, leaving Xiao's brick-and-mortar stores empty. Some businesses that had previously partnered with the company also began to consider terminating their ties.

Xiao Yue felt her breathing become difficult as she watched the plummeting stock price and the overwhelming negative news. She understood that this was a premeditated attack, a relentless pursuit aimed at completely destroying the Xiao Group. Public Relations Officer Lin hurried into the office, his face pale. "Ms. Xiao, this is terrible! Several partners have called, demanding they terminate their partnerships!"

Xiao Yue took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "I understand. Contact the legal department and see if there's any breach of contract clause in the contract to minimize the losses." She rubbed her temples, feeling a wave of weakness coming over her.

At the same time, Shen Ting received a call from Detective Luo, but the line was still busy and filled with noisy interference. His unease grew stronger. Detective Luo's disappearance was no accident; there must be a larger conspiracy behind it. He immediately contacted his assistant, "Book me a flight to City A as soon as possible!" He knew he had to go to City A in person to get to the bottom of this.

As night fell, Hong Shuijun looked at the chaos at Xiao's Enterprise, a sinister smile on his face. He picked up his phone and dialed a mysterious number. "Hello, everything is going according to plan. Xiao's can't hold out much longer..." He paused, a hint of self-criticism in his tone, "Next, just wait and see..."

He hung up the phone, a cold arc appeared on the corner of his mouth, his eyes fell on the news headlines flashing on the computer screen, and a barely perceptible cold light flashed in his eyes.

He opened an encrypted email containing only one sentence: "Prepare to release the second wave..." Zhang Blogger stroked his chin, looking at the huge amount of money that had just arrived in his bank account, a greedy grin spreading across his lips. This amount was more than he had received before, enough for him to squander for a while.

He opened the document and a sensational article appeared before his eyes: "The Dark Side of Xiao's Company: The Truth You Don't Know!" The article was even more explosive than the previous rumors, even fabricating some fabricated "internal revelations" to portray Xiao's company as a profit-driven, unscrupulous enterprise.

He did not publish the article immediately, but deliberately revealed some "key information" to several of Xiao's competitors, allowing them to "appreciate" the upcoming "good show" in advance.

"Everyone, are you ready for the champagne? Tomorrow, we will witness the downfall of the Xiao family!" He sent this message in a private entrepreneur group, then leaned back in his chair leisurely, waiting to watch the show.

After receiving the news, several competitors were eager to take advantage of the situation and carve up Xiao's market share. They had long been eyeing Xiao's fat piece of meat, and now seeing Xiao in trouble, they were naturally gloating, ready to reap the benefits.

Meanwhile, Detective Luo's investigation had reached a deadlock. He was tracing the flow of funds from the mysterious account, but the clues suddenly stopped at a certain point, as if someone had deliberately erased them. He checked again and again, confirming that it wasn't a technical issue on his part, but rather someone behind the scenes, manipulating and covering up the truth. "Damn it!" He slammed his fist on the table, feeling an unprecedented sense of frustration.

He immediately called Xiao Yue and told her the bad news. "Ms. Xiao, I found out that the flow of funds to that account has been artificially cut off. The clue is broken." His tone was filled with helplessness and frustration.

Xiao Yue's heart sank when she heard this news. She knew this meant the mastermind was extremely cautious and possessed powerful forces, capable of easily erasing any traces. "Detective Luo, thank you for your hard work. Continue investigating other leads and see if you can find any new breakthroughs." She tried to maintain a calm tone, but her clenched fists betrayed her inner anxiety.

Detective Luo hung up the phone, rubbed his tired eyes, and threw himself back into the investigation. He knew that the battle had just begun, and he had to work harder to uncover the truth and help Xiao Yue overcome her difficulties. In the office, the only sounds were the clacking of keyboards and Detective Luo's occasional sighs, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

Xiao Yue sat in her office, staring out the window at the gradually darkening sky, feeling a thick cloud of gloom hang over her heart. She flipped through the documents in her hands, trying to find a glimmer of hope, but reality was like a cold iron wall, trapping her firmly. She felt an unprecedented pressure, as if a mountain were pressing down on her shoulders, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Suddenly, the phone on the desk rang sharply, breaking the silence in the office. Xiao Yue picked up the phone and took a deep breath. "Hello?"

A deep, voice-changed voice came from the other end of the phone, "Stop the investigation, otherwise the Xiao family will be completely destroyed..."

The voice-changed threat resonated like thunder in Xiao Yue's ears, leaving her speechless for a moment. Her fingers gripping the microphone unconsciously tightened, their knuckles turning white. "Stop the investigation?" Those words weighed on her chest like a huge rock, making it difficult for her to breathe.

If the investigation was stopped, Xiao's reputation would be forever ruined, and it might even be ruined. But if it wasn't stopped, what crazy actions would the other party take? Would Xiao really be completely destroyed as he said on the phone?

Xiao Yue squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm herself. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, repeating this over and over again until her heartbeat gradually calmed. She told herself not to panic. The more times like this, the more she needed to keep a clear head.

She opened her eyes again, a resolute light gleaming in them. No threats, no intimidation, could make her yield. She would never bow to these despicable villains hiding in the dark corners!

Xiao Yue hung up the phone and slammed it down on the table. She walked to the window, looking out at the brilliantly lit city at night, but her heart was frozen. Who was the mastermind behind this, their methods so ruthless and their power so vast? What was their motive?

Xiao Yue rubbed her aching temples, feeling exhausted like a tide. But she knew she couldn't fall down, as the fate of the Xiao family was still in her hands.

She returned to her desk, picked up the phone, and dialed Shen Ting's number. "Shen Ting, I need your help..." She told him everything that had just happened, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.

Shen Ting on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then said in a low and firm voice: "Don't worry, I will take care of everything. You protect yourself, and leave the rest to me."

Hearing Shen Ting's voice, Xiao Yue's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. She knew that Shen Ting was her strongest supporter, and he would stand by her no matter what happened.

"Thank you, Shen Ting." Xiao Yue's voice was a little choked.

After hanging up, Xiao Yue called Detective Luo again. She decided to ignore the threats from the mysterious phone call and continue her investigation. She wanted to find the mastermind and make them pay!

"Detective Luo, let's continue investigating. No matter who the other party is, we can't give up!" Xiao Yue's tone was firm and unquestionable.

After receiving the call, Detective Luo immediately began to re-examine the clues. However, they soon discovered that many details had been tampered with, making the investigation extremely difficult. Some previously seemingly useful clues now turned into dead ends. All traces seemed to have been deliberately erased, leaving them with a chilling cleanliness.

Detective Luo called Xiao Yue again and said in a serious tone, "Ms. Xiao, the situation is not good..." Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

Xiao Yue's heart sank suddenly, and a sense of foreboding came over her. "Who is it?" she asked warily.

A strange male voice came from outside the door: "Hello, Miss Xiao, I am..."