Chapter 73

Someone followed up on her words, “That’s right, President Xie, the stock price has plummeted, and the media outside are all predicting failure. You have to come up with a plan, don’t you?”

“President Li, President Xie hasn’t even spoken yet and you’re already jumping in?” Another person gave him a sideways glance and sneered, “To someone who didn’t know better, it might seem like you’re just hoping to see Xie Corporation fail.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!” the first person said angrily. “The stock price is falling, the company’s image has taken a hit, and it’s damaging everyone’s shared interests. What’s wrong with me being a little anxious?”

“Enough.” A middle-aged woman seated just below the head of the table said in a low voice, “Please stop this meaningless arguing. For a company of Xie Entertainment’s current size, the investment loss is not enough to be considered a serious injury. I ask everyone to remain calm.”

She turned to Xie Shiqing and asked, “What exactly happened with the leak of the film source this time?”

As soon as she spoke, the two who had been arguing earlier both fell silent at once, ceasing fire.

Only after the conference room quieted did Xie Shiqing speak seriously, “It was an old employee from the tech department, who had been with us for five years. She secretly stole the film source and demanded a large hush fee from us. But after we paid her, she went back on her word and spread the film source anyway. She’s already left the country.”

“I suspect someone secretly bought her off, but we’ve yet to find any suspicious evidence. The investigation is ongoing.”

The middle-aged woman asked again, “Has the film source really been leaked? It’s the full version, not just a decoy?”

Xie Shiqing nodded. “Yes, but we’ve adopted a new encryption model. It shouldn’t be possible for anyone to decode it in the short term.”

“The spread of the full version can no longer be stopped. Now we need to minimize the damage as quickly as possible. Do the shareholders have any suggestions?”

Some suggested releasing the film early and adjusting the screening schedule with the theaters, while others insisted on public relations damage control and reporting the employee to have her arrested.

There were also those offering suggestions, but their words always carried a few jabs at Xie Shiqing, criticizing her for failing to protect the film source. They said she had known other competitors harbored ill intentions toward the release of Lunar Rescue, and yet such a major mistake had still occurred, which was truly inexcusable.

They said she was young and had grown arrogant after a few achievements, lacking thoroughness in her work.

Such opinions passed from one person to another, as if in all the years Xie Shiqing had taken over Xie Corporation, she hadn’t brought it back from the brink of death, hadn’t steadied the company in the face of the previous generation’s sudden demise, and hadn’t led the corporation to a new height. As if one mistake was enough to wipe out all her past accomplishments.

Their voices weren’t loud, but with her hearing, she could catch every word clearly.

Many people’s gazes flickered. Xie Shiqing was blind, unable to see their expressions, but Assistant Fang beside her took in everything and relayed every detail to her without missing a word.

Among them were the very targets she aimed to root out—those petty, underhanded figures scheming in the shadows—who were also the ones shouting the loudest.

Xie Shiqing felt nothing toward their critical remarks.

It was like watching a puppet show. Would anyone get angry over the barking of a defeated enemy fated to lose? Of course not, because they already stood within the fortress of victory. Whatever their defeated opponents said sounded only like another ode to triumph—something to be admired from above, prolonging the joy of arrogance.

As for their smug delight, it was like rats from the sewers sneaking onto the streets, finally snatching a morsel of delicacy. That secret glee born from successful theft—there was even less need to stop it.

The more abundant the joy at this moment, the sweeter their sudden collapse would taste.

Xie Shiqing let them talk, let them spread unfavorable rumors about her, using it as a way to root out dissent. Anyone who joined in would be the next target she dealt with.

She had no need for a free-for-all where everyone had the right to speak. Xie Corporation was her company—she only needed it to be a one-voice court.

Two kinds of joy hovered over the meeting room—one was sneaky and triumphant, the other as sharp as a blade. Only one of them would be allowed to remain.

After pretending to be busy all afternoon, Xie Shiqing had dinner at the office and didn’t return home until nearly nine o’clock.

Zhong Ning, who had been sitting anxiously on the sofa all afternoon, leapt to her feet the moment she heard the car pull in and ran eagerly to the door to greet her.

Her current body was only eighteen years old, just an adult, but in her previous life, she had lived a solid twenty-five years—enough to be considered mentally mature.

But she had grown up in a honey jar. Pain had never touched her, and neither had anxiety.

Yet after coming here, shackled by love, both emotions had already knocked on the door to her heart and moved in to stay.

Her heart could no longer beat steadily, her chest no longer rose and fell in calm rhythm, and her mind was no longer at peace. All those beautiful, rainbow-cotton-candy-like emotions had been blown away, drowned out by storms and thunder.

There’s an old saying used to describe restlessness: “like ants on a hot pan”—running in frantic circles. Zhong Ning now truly understood that. Even ten thousand ants being roasted alive couldn’t compare to the intensity of what she felt now.

Still, she didn’t want Xie Shiqing, already overwhelmed by company matters, to also be weighed down by her emotions. So as soon as she heard her return, she quickly concealed her aimless worry and put on a composed, smiling face.

Unfortunately, her acting skills had yet to improve.

“Shiqing, you’re back.”

Her bright eyes brimmed with cautious concern. Zhong Ning’s hair, like the rest of her, lay gently and neatly over her shoulders, not a strand out of place. How she wished she could become something flawless, something that would lift the mood just by being seen—so that the person she liked could be just a little happier.

When Xie Shiqing heard her voice, she stood still and opened her arms slightly, sighing as she said, “Ning Ning, I’m so tired.”

Zhong Ning understood exactly what that gesture meant. She quickly stepped forward, opened her arms, and wrapped her in an embrace. One hand supported the back of Xie Shiqing’s head, while the other gently patted her back. She whispered warmly, “You’ve worked hard.”

Xie Shiqing leaned gently into her embrace, her chin resting on Zhong Ning’s shoulder. Her soft red lips brushed her earlobe as they moved slightly. “I missed you so much.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep