Chapter 12 – Trouble in Silk
Back at Bai Corporation, the mood was tense. Xueqing's assistant, Lin Nuo, a bubbly woman with too much caffeine and not enough filter, burst into the office carrying a folder and three phones.
"Boss! Good news, bad news, and extremely weird news."
Xueqing blinked. "In that order."
Lin Nuo nodded, flipping open the folder. "Good news: our media team just published the footage of the corrupt board vote. It's trending."
"Good," Xueqing replied.
"Bad news: someone tried to access the vault room last night. They used your biometric backup."
Xueqing's expression sharpened. "Impossible. Only five people have that access."
"And," Lin Nuo said dramatically, holding up a third phone, "the weird news: your pet cat now has more followers than your company's official account."
"…What?"
Mo Chen leaned on the doorframe, sipping from a thermos. "I told you uploading that video of you scolding the cat in ancient dialect would go viral."
"It was a private moment!"
"Millions disagree," he said, smirking.
But her expression darkened again. "Let's talk about the vault breach. Pull access logs. Surveillance."
Lin Nuo nodded and ran out, her oversized heels clacking like a chase scene.
Mo Chen walked closer. "You think it's someone on your team?"
"I know it is," Xueqing said. "The security signature was too clean. They weren't trying to break in—they were testing the system."
"For what?"
"For something bigger."
---
Downstairs, in the operations hub, Lin Nuo pulled up footage. She bit her lip, squinted, zoomed in, and gasped.
"Oh no."
It was subtle, but the figure who used the access key—narrow shoulders, slim frame—wore a hat low over their face.
But the shoes…
"Designer… size 37.5. Damn it, I know those!"
She ran upstairs and burst in, panting. "It's Meng Zhihao!"
Xueqing frowned. "My tech consultant?"
Mo Chen crossed his arms. "That shy guy who always wears hoodies?"
"He's been quiet. Too quiet," Lin Nuo added. "And I just remembered he always disappears during key meetings."
Xueqing's jaw tightened. "Bring him in. Gently."
Mo Chen's grin grew wolfish. "My definition of gentle is different from yours."
"No bruises," she warned.
"No promises," he replied.
---
Later that afternoon, Meng Zhihao stood in front of her desk, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. His hoodie had a cartoon duck on it that somehow made him look more guilty.
"I didn't leak anything," he blurted.
"Then what were you doing in the vault?" Xueqing asked, cold and calm.
"I—okay, listen—" he waved his hands, "—I was testing the AI lock protocols! I thought I saw a loop vulnerability, and I wanted to impress Lin Nuo."
There was a pause.
Lin Nuo blinked. "Wait. You broke into a restricted area to impress me?"
"I thought… you liked hackers," he muttered.
Xueqing facepalmed. Mo Chen turned around to hide a laugh.
Lin Nuo, flustered and now very pink, said, "You could've just taken me for coffee, idiot!"
"Oh. Next time?"
"Maybe. If you survive Boss's wrath."
Meng gulped.
Xueqing exhaled. "You're not the spy, Meng. You're just stupid."
He looked relieved. "That's fair."
"But there is a real spy," she added grimly, turning to Mo Chen. "And we're going to find them."
Mo Chen nodded. "Let's bait the rat."