Few people moved with the cold precision of Yang Dailu, Liang Zixin's mother, through the complicated corridors of the Liang family's power. She was always polite and poised, but underneath it all, she had a mind that was as sharp as any CEO's and was always looking for ways to get ahead. But her ambition wasn't for herself; it was a strong, single-minded desire to see her son, Liang Zixin, become the president of Horizon Tech, the highest position in the Liang empire. She was angry that Liang Chen, not her own son, was the favored heir.
Yang Dailu didn't often waste time or words. Every conversation and every offhand comment was like a carefully placed piece on her huge chessboard. She watched Liang Chen's current fight against the cyberattack, not with sympathy, but with the cold, calculating eye of someone who wants to take advantage of the situation. She used his weakness to her advantage. She would subtly, almost imperceptibly, start to plant seeds of doubt in hushed conversations with powerful family elders over afternoon tea or during private phone calls with certain board members.
"Liang Chen is brilliant, of course," she might say, trying to sound impressed. "But this... crisis... it does make one wonder if he can handle really new kinds of stress. The company's future might be better with someone who is less... distracted by other interests and has a steadier hand. She never accused anyone; instead, she always framed her words as gentle concern and leading questions that were meant to get her listeners to the conclusion she wanted without her having to say it directly.
She worked tirelessly to make plans because she truly believed that Liang Zixin was the best person to take over and that Liang Chen's position was an inherited privilege, not one that he earned. This unshakable belief drove her every move, making her a powerful enemy who was hard to see. Liang Chen was fighting digital threats from the outside, while Yang Dailu was carefully and almost silently chipping away at his foundation from the inside, right in the middle of his family.