John coughed as he walked into the office, his head throbbing as he surveyed the two clearly divided factions, utterly unprepared for such a scene upon arriving early.

“Let’s just drop this, everyone take a step back,” John considered for a moment before finally speaking; he couldn't possibly let Anna end up at the police station.

Wang Qiqi and the other two remained silent. They knew John would eventually ask them to concede, but this matter couldn't simply vanish. “Anna was in the wrong this time. If she had an issue with how I handled things, she could sue. But instead…” Wang Qiqi stated calmly. So what if John was the majority shareholder? The three of them harbored no ambition for leadership themselves, but the combined shares they held represented a significant block—enough to potentially shake the nomination of the CEO, or even unite with other shareholders to oust John entirely. Wang Qiqi was no longer willing to remain passive.

“She pushed me this time; what about next time?” Wang Qiqi pressed, her voice tight. “I just don’t understand—Anna clearly did something wrong, so why is it suddenly my fault? If she hadn’t been trying to embezzle company funds, would I have targeted her? Regardless of whatever issues we had before, have I targeted you since then?”

“You absolutely did! You looked at me with such coldness!” Anna jumped up excitedly. “If it weren't for you acting like that, and the company moving again, I wouldn't have done what I did!” Anna had initially resigned herself to the situation, figuring she could write off the laid-back Tao, assuming plenty of bright young talents would appear once the company relocated. She was certain she could find a man better than Tao. “But that day, I heard that everyone except the technical staff wouldn't be moving with us.”

Wang Qiqi and the others were deeply surprised. Although this had been discussed among them previously, it hadn't been officially disseminated. How did Anna know? They weren't overly anxious about this specific piece of information leaking, but they were terrified that sensitive details concerning company operations might have slipped out—that was the life-or-death matter.

“Who told you?” John asked, his voice sharp with urgency. Seeing John’s frantic reaction, Anna offered a slight smile. She knew this was precisely the moment to collect her interest. “I forgot.” Hmph, as if I’d let you extract the information that easily.

Fatty immediately understood Anna's smirk meant she was unwilling to talk, or more likely, demanding a hefty price. “I think she only knows what she heard, John. Why waste time with her? Send her to the station.” There was no point in haggling with someone like this. If she wouldn't yield until she faced the consequences, let the police station educate her. Fatty silently prayed that Anna would land in a prison cell ruled by a formidable dajie tou—then her good days would truly be over.

“Exactly.” Wang Qiqi didn’t spare Anna a glance. Thinking she could hold out for the best offer? Go ahead and scram. Wang Qiqi stood up from her seat. “I’m going to look at the files. This entire morning has been wasted.”

“I’m going back to work too. John, you handle it. If she won’t talk, send her straight to the police. I think the surveillance footage from the front desk, combined with everything Anna has done today, is more than enough to sink her,” Han Tao said, not even looking at Anna as he prepared to follow Wang Qiqi out. He’d never thought highly of Anna, and now he felt like looking at her made him want to vomit.

John understood the message from their stance: they clearly didn't care about extracting information from Anna, or perhaps they doubted she knew anything critical. “Fine.” Though he was the boss, Han Tao and the others were shareholders too. Anna hadn't anticipated such a swift reversal. She, who believed victory was hers just moments ago, had inexplicably lost. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t send me to the police?” Anna panicked. If she went to jail, what would become of her looks by the time she got out? Anna had sunk the bulk of her earnings into designer clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics, all in pursuit of a wealthy husband. She shuddered at the thought of emerging from prison years later, her renowned beauty gone. Without her proud appearance, how could she possibly reel in a rich man?

“That was then, but you deliberately ran into me. So many people saw you do it intentionally. I could press charges, couldn’t I?” Wang Qiqi became utterly unreasonable. “Don’t forget the cameras.” Anna knew Wang Qiqi was always a cunning schemer, but she hadn't expected such an overt threat in front of everyone. “You…” Anna desperately wanted to adopt an air of indifference, suggesting her offense was minor, but her hands, which had tensed up in anxiety, completely betrayed her. “Aren't you worried that if I don’t tell you, your future losses will be far greater?”

How could Wang Qiqi not be anxious? She hadn't shown it in front of Anna, but now she felt the pressure. “How much loss do you think the company will sustain? We’ve already wrapped up about seventy or eighty percent of the project, and even if the operations aren't perfectly smooth, if someone envies our achievements, what does it matter if they see what we have on the surface? By the time they figure it out, we’ll have already secured a solid client base.” Everyone knew IT was lucrative, but how many of the many companies launching each year actually succeeded? “The person who invents something first leaves a much deeper impression.” Even if others rush to copy the idea, applying modifications haphazardly to a hastily assembled program—would it run well?

Wang Qiqi was certain that was impossible. Han Tao and the others had spent half a year designing their superior program. Who in the entire company, besides Han Tao and Fatty, who managed the overall coordination and understood the intricacies of the various programs, could possibly grasp this level of complexity? It wasn't just because Wang Qiqi praised her man; it was the simple fact. “If someone were truly trying to bribe them, they must think highly of them. But a person who does many bad deeds should be careful about being exposed.” Although Wang Qiqi didn't know who had leaked the information to Anna, it certainly didn't stop her from planning to keep a constant watch on any internal personnel acting suspiciously or doubtfully, and dealing with them directly would be far more effective. Anna stared at everyone present for a long moment, realizing she was beaten. “It was Sam who told me.” Anna briefly considered naming someone randomly to sow confusion, but then she reasoned that they wouldn't retaliate against whomever she named based solely on her word. Since that was the case, she might as well be direct. “That day, I heard…” Anna recounted everything she had overheard during a break when she’d gone out for a smoke, detailing the phone conversation she’d intercepted between Sam and the other party. “Everything I’ve said is true.”

“Sam?” The four people present exchanged puzzled looks at the name Anna provided.

“How could it be him?” Although Wang Qiqi hadn't interacted much with Sam, she had a basic grasp of his character—a shy young man who rarely spoke above a whisper, spending his days immersed in coding. Sometimes, Wang Qiqi would tease Han Tao, saying she was lucky Sam wasn’t more outgoing and less of an IT obsessive, otherwise they might have formed a formidable pair. But even quiet people could betray others.

John and the other two exchanged glances. “We understand. You are not to mention this to anyone, or you know the consequences,” John warned Anna with a stern gaze. Anna nodded repeatedly. “I know, I know.” Anna had once heard Tom joke that John’s temper was terrifying, but since joining the company, John had always been—if not exactly warm—at least pleasant in his demeanor toward her. She never expected to witness the terrifying face of the CEO that Tom had described today.

Wang Qiqi returned to her desk just before Anna left the conference room. As she stepped out, she instinctively scanned the main office area and noticed a lingering gaze directed at her. She followed the line of sight and saw it was Sam looking over. This observation lent about twenty percent credibility to Anna’s statement. If Sam and Anna were close, his apparent tension would be understandable. But their relationship was strictly that of ordinary colleagues. Given this distance, his focused stare here definitely indicated something was amiss.

Shortly after, Han Tao and Fatty also emerged from the office, both wearing displeased expressions. Han Tao deliberately walked over to Wang Qiqi. “Forget it. You weren’t physically hurt in this. Since John said to let it go, don’t pursue it anymore. She’s not staying anyway.”

Wang Qiqi was surprised that Han Tao would approach her with comfort, and his acting was superb. “Okay, I understand. Since John has spoken, what else can I do? But it’s probably good she’s leaving; it saves me worrying constantly in the future.”

Han Tao comforted Wang Qiqi a few more times before returning to his workspace. While Han Tao was speaking to her, Wang Qiqi noted where the other man’s gaze was directed—fixed on the conference room. This struck Wang Qiqi as odd. Everyone else present was either pretending the incident never happened and returning to work, or watching Wang Qiqi. This made Han Tao’s focus even more unusual. Furthermore, Wang Qiqi was certain that Han Tao had noticed the look of suppressed anger on Anna’s face as she left. Wang Qiqi was no pushover either; she gave Anna a brief, sharp glare. Hmph, trying to kill me with a look? Dream on.

Wang Qiqi muttered under her breath, puffed out with indignation. “Trying to run me over and still claiming rightness? You got lucky this time; you won’t be so lucky next time.” Wang Qiqi was muttering while standing at her desk, which gave her a clear view of Sam’s station. Seeing him staring intensely at Anna, a sudden thought struck Wang Qiqi: Could this kid actually like Anna? While the possibility seemed slim, she needed to keep an eye on it—she shouldn't wrongly accuse an innocent person, after all.