Testing Two Identities and a New Storm

Over the next few days, the atmosphere inside the company remained tense and hectic.

Yan Qingyue took Lin Chen's advice and began organizing the core team to conduct an in-depth feasibility study and draw up preliminary plans for entering the smart-driving field for new-energy vehicles.

At the same time, following her grandfather's guidance, she carried on difficult second-round negotiations with Huanyu Capital, refusing to budge an inch on her bottom line: retaining control over the core technology.

She also began cautiously approaching several other investment firms with relatively clean backgrounds and considerable strength, signaling that Huanyu was not the company's only option.

As her assistant, Lin Chen took part in some of the information gathering and meeting preparations.

He worked with the utmost caution, no longer daring to say or do anything out of line for fear that President Yan would catch him at it again.

But whenever he saw Yan Qingyue's profile as she worked intently, or heard her issue orders with calm decisiveness,

He still couldn't help feeling a ripple in his heart. He would hurriedly snuff it out, silently chanting, Form is emptiness.

That evening, Lin Chen had just returned to his apartment after working overtime and collapsed on the sofa, exhausted, when his phone rang—it was Little Moon.

"Chenxing~ Are you off work? Have things been especially tough lately? [/pitiful]"

Yan Qingyue had sent the greeting from Little Moon's account, her tone carrying just the right amount of concern and a hint of coyness.

She had also been working intensely these past few days, but for some reason, whenever the night grew deep and quiet, she always wanted to chat with Lin Chen using this identity.

It seemed to relieve some of the pressure and, while she was at it... let her test his thoughts on the company's new direction.

Lin Chen's weary spirits lifted slightly when he saw the message.

He had been so busy these past few days that he'd lost track of day and night, and he really had neglected Little Moon. He felt a little guilty.

"Just got home, totally wiped out [/lying down]. Little Moon, you're still awake?"

He replied, his tone genuinely tired.

"I was waiting for you~ [/shy]"

Yan Qingyue sent a cute emoji. "I heard your company's working on some big project lately? Something to do with... cars, I think? [/thinking]"

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

How does she know again? Did word spread that fast?

Remembering President Yan's confidentiality requirements, he hurriedly gave a vague answer:

"Uh... we're discussing some new business directions, but I don't really know the details. The higher-ups make all the decisions [/scratching head]."

Yan Qingyue looked at his reply, the corners of her lips curling slightly.

Pretend. Keep pretending. You're the one who proposed the new direction.

She continued probing. "Oh, I see~ But it sounds amazing! [/admiration]"

"I've gotten pretty interested in smart cars lately too. They seem so cool! Chenxing, do you know anything about them? [/curious]"

Lin Chen looked at the screen, a little torn.

I know a little, since I just studied it, but I can't say too much.

He could only give her a perfunctory answer. "I only know the bare basics, just gossip and news I read online [/sweating].

"Little Moon, if you're interested, you could check out some specialized automotive websites or tech blogs."

Yan Qingyue was a little dissatisfied with his answer and decided to dig deeper, adding a coy note:

"Oh, come on~ I want to hear you explain it~ You must know more than those online writers! [/acting cute]"

"Please tell me~ Like... how does smart driving actually work?

"Is it like in the movies, where the car just drives itself? [/starry-eyed]"

Looking at Little Moon's coy emoji and her questions, Lin Chen found her cute but also a little hard to resist.

How do I explain this? If I go too deep, I might reveal the company's plans, but if I keep it too shallow, I'll seem too dismissive...

After some deliberation, he decided to give a simple explanation in the most accessible terms possible, satisfying Little Moon's curiosity without touching on the core details.

"Basically, it uses lots of sensors, like cameras and radar, to let the car 'see' the road conditions,"

He carefully chose his words. "Then a computer... uh, an artificial intelligence algorithm, analyzes that information and makes driving decisions, like turning, braking, and accelerating."

Yan Qingyue looked at his reply. Although it was simple, it captured the key points accurately.

Looks like this guy really put some work into studying it.

She was a little pleased, but she still wanted to tease him some more.

"Wow! That sounds so complicated and high-tech! [/surprised]"

She continued in an admiring tone, "Chenxing, you're amazing. You know everything! [/admiration]"

"Then... if your company does this, won't it need a lot of money?

"I heard research and development burns through cash [/worried]. Can you find investors?"

They were back to the sensitive issue of investment!

Lin Chen's scalp tingled.

Why does Little Moon keep asking about the company today?

He hurriedly distanced himself from the matter. "I know even less about investment! That's the kind of big issue the CEO and CFO worry about [/wiping sweat].

"I'm just a little foot soldier. I only need to do my own job well."

Seeing that he was tight-lipped and quite alert, Yan Qingyue felt both annoyed and amused.

She decided to approach him from another angle, expressing concern as "Little Moon" to see how he reacted.

"All right, all right~ I won't ask about the company anymore [/pouting]."

She changed the subject, her tone turning worried. "I'm just worried about you... Your company is getting so much attention now. As the president's assistant, are you... under a lot of pressure? Or... are you in any danger? [/scared]"

"You have to take good care of yourself! Don't overwork, and stay safe! [/worried]"

Her heartfelt concern warmed Lin Chen's heart, and he was deeply touched.

He replied immediately:

"I know! My Little Moon is the best! [/touched]"

"Don't worry, I'll be careful! Security at the company is really tight now!

"And President Yan... uh, our boss is really capable too. She can handle a lot of things! [/strong]"

"Once this busy spell is over, I'll make it up to you! I'll take you out for a feast! [/kiss]"

Looking at the screen, especially at how he had once again unconsciously mentioned that "President Yan is really capable," Yan Qingyue found her mood turning complicated again.

This guy was praising "President Yan" in front of her as Little Moon. Was it really unintentional, or...?

She firmly suppressed that little flash of displeasure and replied:

"Mm! It's a promise! [/seductive]"

"Now get some rest! You've had a tiring day! Good night, Chenxing~ [/moon]"

"Good night, my Little Moon! [/heart]"

Putting down her phone, Yan Qingyue leaned back on the sofa and rubbed her temples.

Through her probing just now, she had confirmed that Lin Chen followed the company's confidentiality requirements strictly and kept his lips sealed, which reassured her.

But the trust he had inadvertently revealed in "President Yan," even... admiration?

It left her with a feeling she couldn't quite put into words.

Lin Chen, meanwhile, was in a cheerful mood thanks to Little Moon's concern, and felt much less tired.

He happily went to wash up, completely unaware that the person he had just been chatting with was his direct superior, whom he both respected and feared, and about whom he occasionally entertained all sorts of fanciful thoughts.

However, this brief calm did not last long.

The next morning, Lin Chen was at his desk organizing the meeting minutes when he suddenly heard Yan Qingyue give a low shout from the president's office, her anger barely contained:

"What?! Is the information confirmed?!"

Lin Chen's heart tightened. He looked up to see Yan Qingyue holding the phone, her face ashen and her eyes full of shock and anger.

After a while, she hung up, sprang to her feet, and strode to the office door. She spoke to Lin Chen in an icy voice:

"Assistant Lin, notify Director Li and Lawyer Wang to come to my office immediately! Emergency meeting!"

"Yes, President Yan!"

Lin Chen didn't dare delay and did as instructed at once.

Ten minutes later, the atmosphere in the small core-team conference room was as heavy as the dead calm before a storm.

Yan Qingyue's face was like frost as she slammed a newly received piece of confidential intelligence onto the table:

"Word just came in that Genesis Technology released its 'Next-Generation AI Infrastructure White Paper' to the world yesterday afternoon!"

Director Li and Lawyer Wang's expressions changed dramatically!

Genesis was one of the world's leading AI giants!

"The core architectural concepts and algorithmic approaches in the white paper..."

Yan Qingyue's voice trembled slightly with the fury she was struggling to suppress. "They're over seventy percent similar to the core secrets of our Alpha project!"

"What?!"

Director Li shot to his feet, all color gone from his face. "How is that possible?! Our technology is proprietary!"

"And,"

Yan Qingyue's voice grew even colder, "they claim the architecture has passed internal testing, delivers outstanding performance, and that they've already begun discussing partnerships with several major corporations!

"The timing of the release came right after our second round of negotiations with Huanyu Capital reached an impasse!"

Dead silence filled the conference room.

Everyone understood what this meant!

The technology had been leaked!

And at this critical moment, no less!

Someone had most likely sold Alpha's core intelligence to Genesis!

Not only did this mean the company had lost its exclusive hold on the technology, but worse still, Genesis could very likely use its powerful brand and resources to seize the market rapidly, driving Yan Qingyue's company into a desperate corner!

All the bargaining chips from their previous negotiations had suddenly lost much of their value!

Lin Chen stood listening in the corner. The news struck him like a bolt from the blue, leaving his entire body ice-cold!

A technology leak?! Seventy percent similarity?!

How could this happen?! Who did it?!

It's over... everything's over now...

A tremendous wave of fear and despair swallowed him in an instant!

Yan Qingyue, meanwhile, swept an icy gaze over everyone present, including the pale-faced Lin Chen.

A storm far deadlier than the hacker attack had descended without warning!