Chapter 45 The Opponent's Achilles' Heel

Yu Ling’s face turned instantly pale. She felt countless gazes piercing into her like needles—some sympathetic, some worried, but mostly filled with doubt and pressure.

Although Wang Dehai’s accusations were harsh, they were not entirely groundless. She was indeed in charge of the Southeast Asian market segment, and due to the rush to meet deadlines, some of the in-depth on-site research had indeed been insufficient... A massive sense of grievance and heavy pressure struck her heart like a boulder, making her vision turn dark in waves. She knew she had become a sacrificial lamb for Hongyuan to pressure Genesis, or perhaps simply a target for Wang Dehai to vent his personal frustrations.

Lin Wei’s expression was equally unsightly. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Director Wang, regarding personnel arrangements and proposal adjustments, we will handle them internally—"

"Internally?" Wang Dehai sneered. "Director Lin, my time is very valuable. I’ll give you three days! In three days, I want to see a brand-new, satisfying proposal! Furthermore," he glanced once more at the pale-faced Yu Ling, his eyes brimming with malice, "I demand a replacement for the core project manager! Otherwise, all negotiations are off!" Dropping this ultimatum, he refused to give Lin Wei a chance to speak, stood up haughtily with his assistant, and strode away.

A depressing silence descended upon the meeting room. Heavy pressure hung over everyone like a tangible weight.

Completely crestfallen, Yu Ling returned to her workstation. The overwhelming sense of humiliation and the panic of impending replacement left her hands and feet ice-cold. Looking at the ruthlessly criticized proposal on her computer screen, she felt a wave of utter despair. Three days? To completely overthrow and redo it while dealing with Wang Dehai’s deliberate hostility? This was an utterly impossible task! Her career seemed to have reached the edge of a cliff.

Dragging herself through a daze until the end of the workday, Yu Ling walked back to Apartment 1601 with heavy steps. The entryway light was still on, and the living room was filled with the aroma of home-cooked food. Zhao Chen emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, a hint of cautious concern on his face: "You're back? Wash up and eat, I made your favorite—"

"I'm not hungry." Yu Ling interrupted him, her voice tired and hoarse. Without even looking at him, she walked straight toward the bedroom. At that moment, she only wanted to lock herself away and see no one, especially him.

The smile froze on Zhao Chen’s face. He looked at Yu Ling’s closed bedroom door, his brow furrowing deeply. He acutely perceived the unusual low pressure and despair emanating from her. This was not just a cold war; it felt more like... she had suffered a devastating blow.

Silently untying his apron, he walked over to the bedroom door. Without knocking, he spoke through the wooden panel, his voice dropping to a very low pitch carrying an unquestionable warmth: "Lingling, what happened?"

Total silence reigned inside the room.

Zhao Chen patiently waited for a moment before speaking again. His voice was low and steady, carrying a strange, comforting power: "Tell me. Did you run into trouble at work?"

Perhaps the concern in his voice was too genuine, or perhaps Yu Ling was truly isolated and helpless to the extreme at that moment, but the grievances, anger, and despair she had suppressed all day finally broke through her icy embankment.

She abruptly pulled the door open, her redrimmed eyes glaring at Zhao Chen outside. Her voice carried a crying, accusatory tone: "Tell you? What good is telling you?! Can you fix Wang Dehai from Hongyuan for me?! Can you stop him from replacing me?! Can you get me a proposal that makes him 'satisfied' in three days?!" Incoherently, she poured out all the humiliation and pressure she had suffered in the meeting room in one breath.

Zhao Chen listened quietly, his face devoid of any impatience, showing only focus and solemnity. When he heard keywords like "Hongyuan Group," "Wang Dehai," "Southeast Asian market," "deliberate obstruction," and "replacing the project manager," a flash of icy, sharp light—like a cold star—skimmed across the depths of his amber eyes, vanishing far too quickly for Yu Ling to catch.

After finishing her outburst, Yu Ling heaved with heavy breaths, and the tears she had held back finally fell. She felt like an absolute loser, crumbling under the dual pressures of work and marriage.

Zhao Chen reached out his hand. This time, Yu Ling lacked the strength to dodge away. His warm fingers gently brushed the tears from her cheek, his gesture filled with a heart-shaking tenderness and pity. Offering no empty words of comfort, he remained silent for a moment, appearing to ponder something.

Then, his low voice sounded by Yu Ling’s ear, carrying a peculiar calmness and guiding tone: "Lingling, don't panic. Anger won't solve the problem. That man Wang Dehai... I have some impression of him." His tone was flat, as if stating an irrelevant fact, "Doesn't he have a nephew working under Hongyuan who's in charge of a subsidiary in Southeast Asia... what's it called? 'Tai Feng Resources'?"

With tear-blurred eyes, Yu Ling raised her head and nodded blankly. Wang Dehai's nephew, Wang Jun, was in charge of Hongyuan's mineral investments in Southeast Asia, and Tai Feng Resources was indeed one of its core subsidiaries. This was no secret within the company.

Continuing in a casual yet deeply suggestive tone, Zhao Chen said, "I remember... browsing some international news awhile back and seeing a report or two about environmental protests somewhere in Southeast Asia? It seemed to involve a resource company with Chinese backing. I don't recall the exact details, but you could... check it out? Especially pay attention to the official websites of local environmental organizations or blogs by independent investigative journalists. Sometimes, 'minor issues' overlooked by the mainstream media can reflect much deeper truths."

He paused, watching Yu Ling's eyes gradually widen with shock and a glimmer of light. A subtle, meaningful curve touched the corner of his mouth, and his voice dropped even lower, carrying a bewitching power:

"The business world is like a battlefield, Lingling. Sometimes, when a frontal assault fails, you must learn to... find your opponent's fatal weakness and strike a killing blow. Data... is the most powerful weapon."

Zhao Chen's words were like a lightning bolt tearing through the darkness, instantly cleaving apart the dense fog of despair in Yu Ling's heart!

Environmental protests? Tai Feng Resources? Overlooked minor issues? The opponent's fatal weakness? A killing blow?

These keywords violently collided and reassembled in her chaotic mind! A bold, nearly reckless idea suddenly took shape deep within her heart!

She abruptly pushed Zhao Chen's hand away, forgetting the tear stains on her face, and rushed back into her bedroom like a gust of wind. With a loud "bang," she closed the door and even locked it from the inside!

Standing outside the closed door and listening to the sudden, rapid clatter of typing from within, the carefully maintained "gentle concern" on Zhao Chen's face vanished without a trace. In the depths of his amber eyes remained only bone-chilling coldness and a detached omniscience of total control.

He pulled out his phone. The screen displayed not an international news app, but an extremely minimalist encrypted communication interface. With a tap of his fingertip, a pre-edited instruction was instantly dispatched:

"Target: Tai Feng Resources, Southeast Asian subsidiary. Original evidentiary chain related to environmental, labor, and land disputes. Highest priority. Push immediately to 'S' mailbox. Anonymous."

With the command sent, he put away his phone, his expression completely tranquil as if he had merely handled an insignificant trifle. He turned and walked toward the living room, poured himself a glass of water, and gazed calmly out the window at the dazzling city lights. The glass pane reflected his stern profile, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless frozen pool.