Wang Qiqi saw Fatty shaking his head at her and understood he hadn't betrayed her. Just as Wang Qiqi was about to find an excuse to explain, "Don't even think about making up stories to hide things from me; I want the truth." Han Tao was fuming inside. How could she still be thinking of deceiving him at a time like this? He felt like everyone was ganging up on him, and the thought made the expression on Han Tao's face shift unpleasantly.

Wang Qiqi saw Han Tao’s face darken, and she was startled by his expression. She knew Han Tao had made that face before, but never directed at her. The fact that it was aimed at her now couldn't help but shock Wang Qiqi.

"Sam is here." Fatty dared not bear the pressure emanating from Han Tao, his eyes darting everywhere, trying to avoid someone's gaze, and at that moment, he caught Sam’s eye.

Wang Qiqi immediately wrapped an arm around Han Tao upon hearing Sam was back, preventing Sam from noticing the odd look on her face. "We’ll talk when we get back; don't say anything now. Get your expression back to normal, manage your face." She also casually handed Han Tao a glass of wine, while Wang Qiqi stuck to her soft drink.

As Wang Qiqi and Han Tao were having this private exchange, Sam happened to walk right past Wang Qiqi. He saw Angel and Tao clinking glasses, their arms around each other, and noticed the strong smell of alcohol on Tao and the others. However, the scent on Angel wasn't as potent, though still noticeable. Sam let out a breath of relief; it seemed they weren't tailing him after all.

Looking at Wang Qiqi's behavior, Han Tao immediately understood she was trying to avoid Sam. "Did you go tailing Sam?" Otherwise, why would Wang Qiqi get so tense the moment Sam walked in?

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Han Tao to guess it himself. Fatty, standing by, immediately looked down, signaling that he hadn't betrayed Wang Qiqi at all.

Han Tao looked at Fatty, who was the first to lower his gaze, confirming his guess was correct. Although Xiao Rourou was now safely back, it didn't mean what the girl had done was right. "You."

Wang Qiqi looked at Han Tao's expression. Though it hadn't completely soured, she knew it wasn't because he wasn't angry. It was simply because they were in public, and he couldn't truly reprimand her. Wang Qiqi sighed internally, wondering why her brain had malfunctioned at that moment. "I apologize, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have." Wang Qiqi quickly apologized nonstop.

Xiao Rourou’s rapid apologies looked utterly excessive in Fatty’s eyes. "You’re so oppressive towards me, but you’re sweet-talking Han Tao—no, you're downright subservient to him. What an unfair double standard."

Fatty’s grumbling went completely unheard by Wang Qiqi. This wasn't the time to argue with him; the priority now was appeasing Han Tao.

Fortunately, Fatty also knew that if Han Tao pursued the matter, he wouldn't be able to escape unscathed either. After muttering a couple of times, he stopped complaining.

"We'll discuss it when we get home," Han Tao said quietly to Wang Qiqi before turning back to boast and drink with the others around them.

Wang Qiqi saw that Han Tao hadn't backed down, knowing she wouldn't escape this reckoning today, and she cursed her bad luck silently.

Fatty spun around and headed for the dance floor, wanting to avoid the possibility of Wang Qiqi taking out her frustration on him later.

Sam, having completed his mission, shed his previously preoccupied demeanor. While he wasn't necessarily drinking wildly across the room, he at least raised his glass to drink with the people nearby. The group, already getting into the spirit of things, assumed Sam decided to join in because the atmosphere was good and didn't read too much into it.

Watching the guy drinking with such vigor, Wang Qiqi found herself disliking Sam more and more. Why couldn't that person control his emotions? Why had she bothered tracking his movements when she could just as easily track him while sitting comfortably in the bar?

Sam’s cheerful drinking made Han Tao and John exchange a look. "Looks like the plan succeeded. We just need to know when they'll make contact." John wasn't too concerned about the actual meeting; even if they caught them in the act, if the connection was still made, the loss for that person would be much greater.

"Around dawn," Han Tao mused. If it were him, he’d want to secure the goods as soon as possible. "Richard’s situation isn't looking good. The cautious way people are treating him externally suggests he has some inkling. If he doesn't produce something substantial soon, his subordinates won't just be uneasy; even the banks won't lend him money." In the past, banks wouldn't hesitate for Richard, but with his company’s abysmal performance now, they couldn't sustain long-term loans, especially when his entire management structure was in question.

John raised his glass to Han Tao. "I think so too. I just wonder when Sam will resign." John had considered firing Sam, but that would make the opposition wary. Keeping him, however, meant wondering when the other side might make another move.

Han Tao wasn't entirely sure about that, but one thing was clear: "It depends on Richard. If his subordinates aren't all useless, the chance of Sam leaving isn't high. But the question is, does Richard still have capable people working for him?" Although the IT industry had weathered the bubble burst, talented individuals always found work, especially when Richard was aggressively recruiting before, offering plenty of stock options. But now, with poor company results and Richard in his current state, what good were options?

"Voluntary resignation would be best," John said after taking a sip. "I think we absolutely need to implement our security system now. I originally planned to do it after we moved to the new office, but now it seems we can't wait that long." Before, the project wasn't favored, so in the spirit of saving every penny, nobody wanted to spend heavily on security personnel. But things were different now; so many eyes were on the project, relying only on a few people and their sense of responsibility would eventually lead to disaster.

Han Tao had been considering John’s suggestion over the past few days. Honestly, if Anna hadn't made a mistake that exposed them, she might never have revealed anything, and Sam might have succeeded. However, hiring security staff now felt economically unwise. The office move was inevitable; did they really want to hire people for just a few months only to lay them off later? Firing people wasn't easy.

Han Tao thought for a moment. Since it was already November, Christmas holidays were just over twenty days away, followed by New Year's. "Let's move the office ahead of schedule." New staff could be recruited directly at the new location, which would be simpler and more convenient. "We'll start working in the new place after New Year's, giving everyone time to prepare." Although everyone had heard rumors about the relocation, since it wasn't due until next year, many colleagues hadn't decided whether to stay or leave, let alone find new residences.

John was initially taken aback by the suggestion to move early; the new office space wasn't even fully finished, meaning people moving there now would have nowhere fully complete to work. However, moving the company sooner brought considerable advantages. For instance, they could openly ask Sam to resign. They had been looking for excuses to oust him, and Sam was maneuvering to avoid arousing suspicion. Moving the company would provide him an easy exit route, and he wouldn't be the only one leaving then, reducing any spotlight on him.

"Fine, let's move early. I'll fly over then and see about renting some temporary office space. We'll aim to be working there after New Year's." John realized this meant he wouldn't have to commute back and forth constantly, separating him from his family for long stretches. "Tao, what about you then?" John's question showed he cared not only about Han Tao’s movements but also whether Wang Qiqi would stay with him or follow the company. "If you need help then, call on Angel."

Hearing Han Tao say that, John visibly relaxed. He had worried that an early move would cause Angel to abruptly quit, significantly increasing his own workload. While he could hire replacements, saving one person was always better, especially since John had learned a lot through this recent operation, which would help him handle future onboarding of new investors more advantageously. "I can't guarantee that, but isn't Angel an employee of the company?" Han Tao wasn't intentionally selling her out; it was because she had pulled such a dangerous stunt before. To make sure she thoroughly remembered this mistake, he would ensure she lost her freedom for a period.

Wang Qiqi had no idea she’d been sold out. She listlessly watched the crowds dancing wildly in the club, occasionally taking a sip of her drink. For Wang Qiqi now, the biggest problem was how to go back and explain tonight's events to Han Tao, along with the reasons behind her actions. Wang Qiqi felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. She knew if her explanation wasn't perfect, what awaited her would be a Siberian wind—colder and harsher than the northwest winds of December. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi felt a chill run through her entire body.