Chapter 6

The morning sun hung low over Shanghai, casting long shafts of light through the tall windows of Courtroom Three.

The spectators had grown noticeably quieter.

What had begun as a routine financial fraud trial was slowly turning into an intense legal battle. Both sides had presented convincing arguments, and no one could confidently predict how the case would end.

On the defense bench, Lin Xinyue sat with remarkable composure.

She gently closed her notebook after reviewing the questions she intended to ask the next witness.

Across from her, Zhao Ming repeatedly rubbed his palms together beneath the table.

He had barely spoken since the recess.

Lin noticed.

She leaned toward him and lowered her voice.

"Take a deep breath."

"I'm trying."

His smile was weak.

"If we lose today..."

"We haven't lost."

Her tone remained calm but firm.

"The trial isn't over."

He nodded, though the anxiety in his eyes remained.

At the prosecution table, Wang Jian organized several files before standing.

"Your Honor, the prosecution calls its next witness."

The courtroom doors opened.

A woman in her early forties walked to the witness stand.

She introduced herself as Liu Fang, the company's former finance supervisor.

After taking the oath, she sat upright.

Lin immediately noticed how tightly she clasped her hands together.

She was nervous.

Very nervous.

---

For the next thirty minutes, Prosecutor Wang questioned the witness.

According to Liu Fang, Zhao Ming had personally instructed her to authorize several questionable financial transfers.

The testimony sounded damaging.

Several reporters quickly began typing.

When the prosecution finished, the judge looked toward the defense.

"Attorney Lin."

"You may cross-examine."

Lin stood.

She walked slowly toward the witness stand.

Her movements were neither hurried nor dramatic.

Confidence didn't require theatrics.

It required preparation.

She stopped a few feet from the witness.

"Ms. Liu."

"How long did you work for Zhao Corporation?"

"Twelve years."

"And during those twelve years, how many times did Mr. Zhao ask you to violate company policy?"

Liu Fang hesitated.

"...Never."

"So before this incident, he had no history of financial misconduct?"

"No."

Lin nodded.

"You testified that he instructed you to authorize the transfers."

"Yes."

"Verbally?"

"...Yes."

"No written instructions?"

"No."

"No emails?"

"No."

"No text messages?"

"...No."

A quiet murmur spread through the courtroom.

Lin picked up a document.

"Ms. Liu."

"This is your performance evaluation from six months ago."

The witness looked surprised.

"You received an official warning for repeatedly failing to follow internal accounting procedures."

The prosecutor stood immediately.

"Objection."

"Relevance?"

Lin answered without hesitation.

"The witness claims to remember verbal instructions from nearly a year ago."

"The defense is establishing credibility."

The judge considered briefly.

"Overruled."

"You may continue."

Lin thanked the court before returning her attention to the witness.

"Ms. Liu."

"Did your supervisor recommend additional accounting training after this warning?"

"...Yes."

"So your memory and recordkeeping had already been questioned by your own employer."

The witness's face paled.

"I..."

Lin didn't press further.

She had made her point.

She returned quietly to her seat.

---

During another brief recess, Zhao Ming looked at her with renewed hope.

"You made her contradict herself."

"I only asked questions."

"But everyone noticed."

Lin smiled faintly.

"A courtroom isn't won by dramatic speeches."

"It's won one fact at a time."

Before Zhao Ming could respond, a young court clerk approached.

"Attorney Lin."

"Judge Chen requests both legal teams to remain available."

"We may continue later than scheduled."

"Understood."

The clerk bowed politely before leaving.

Lin opened her briefcase.

She wanted to review one final section of the forensic accounting report before the next witness.

Her fingers searched confidently through the files.

Contract...

Witness statements...

Financial summaries...

She frowned slightly.

The blue folder felt... thinner.

Perhaps she was imagining it.

She removed it anyway.

Everything looked normal from the outside.

She decided not to open it yet.

There would be time before presenting it.

She carefully returned it to the briefcase.

Somewhere deep inside her, however...

An unfamiliar feeling settled.

Not fear.

Not yet.

Just...

Unease.

---

At the same time, on the top floor of Gu Group Headquarters, the executive board meeting had finally ended.

Directors slowly filed out of the conference room.

Several looked exhausted.

Others whispered quietly among themselves.

Gu Yichen remained seated at the head of the long table, reviewing the final pages of an acquisition proposal.

Chen Wei entered carrying another stack of documents.

"President Gu."

"What is it?"

"The chairman's announcement last night has already spread through the company."

Gu Yichen didn't look up.

"I expected it."

"The directors are making guesses."

"About my fiancée?"

"...Yes."

"They've mentioned Miss Su."

"They've mentioned several daughters from influential families."

One elderly director had even suggested arranging introductions immediately.

Gu Yichen closed the file.

"I have no interest in blind dates."

Chen Wei smiled awkwardly.

"I assumed as much."

"Unfortunately..."

He hesitated.

"The chairman also instructed the public relations department to begin preparing for an engagement announcement."

That finally drew Gu Yichen's attention.

"They're moving that quickly?"

"It appears the chairman wants investors to believe the succession plan is already progressing."

Gu Yichen walked toward the windows overlooking Shanghai.

His reflection stared back at him.

For the first time in years...

He found himself cornered.

If he refused...

He risked losing everything his grandfather had spent decades building.

If he accepted...

He would have to bring a complete stranger into his life.

Neither option appealed to him.

After several moments, he spoke quietly.

"Chen Wei."

"Yes, President Gu."

"If I were to find someone..."

"Someone outside our social circle..."

"What would the board think?"

His assistant blinked.

"I'm... not sure."

Gu Yichen looked back at the skyline.

"Neither am I."

---

Back at the courthouse, the afternoon session resumed.

The judge entered.

Everyone stood once more.

As the proceedings continued, Lin remained completely focused on the testimony unfolding before her.

She never noticed a man seated near the back of the gallery.

He wasn't a reporter.

He wasn't a lawyer.

He wasn't related to the defendant.

Yet from the moment court resumed, his attention had never left her.

He reached into his jacket pocket and quietly sent a single text message.

*The report has been replaced.*

A reply arrived almost instantly.

*Good. Continue watching.*

The man slipped the phone away.

A faint smile crossed his face.

Everything was happening exactly according to plan.

At the defense table, Lin Xinyue calmly prepared for the next stage of the trial.

Completely unaware...

That the most important evidence of her career was no longer in her possession.