When Leon Chen woke up again and looked around the same room, he recalled what happened last night and felt a wave of embarrassment. That bottle of wine was really something—just a few glasses and he was out cold.
Oh right, he wondered about last night's dinner.
Thinking of that dinner made Leon's stomach growl.
As he descended the stairs, the apartment was quiet. In the living room, a cool and beautiful girl was watching TV on the sofa.
"Hi," Leon greeted, feeling somewhat familiar with Isabella Xiang.
Isabella glanced at him and said flatly, "Breakfast is ready in the kitchen. Grace said you'd be hungry when you woke up since you spent last night drinking."
Leon felt a bit embarrassed but appreciated Grace's thoughtfulness.
The breakfast at Red Leaf Apartment was as simple as the apartment's decor: congee, a fried egg, and a plate of stir-fried vegetables, which was much better than the school cafeteria. Leon, with his stomach empty, didn't hold back and ate ravenously without caring about appearances.
After satisfying his hunger, Leon returned to the living room where Isabella still sat like a statue, maintaining her original posture.
"Isabella, I didn't expect you to be living with Grace," Leon remarked.
"I didn't expect you to be with her either," Isabella retorted sharply, much to Leon's surprise. He had no idea this would happen.
"Is Grace not here?"
"She went to handle some company matters," Isabella replied without taking her eyes off the TV. "She wanted me to thank you for yesterday."
"Me?" Leon couldn't recall doing anything worth Grace's gratitude. Driving away Ethan Xu? Ordering a bottle of Ethereal Snow? Didn't seem like it.
Isabella didn't elaborate.
Leon stopped pondering. It was still early, but staying here didn't feel right, especially since Isabella seemed preoccupied. He didn't want to pry into her personal matters after meeting her father, which might bring unnecessary trouble.
"Do you want me to give you a ride back?" Isabella suddenly offered.
Leon snapped out of his thoughts and declined. "It's the weekend and I have nothing to do, so I'll just head back myself."
Isabella hesitated but finally just responded with a simple "Mm."
After leaving Red Leaf Apartment, Leon didn't hurry back. Instead, he found a secluded spot and logged into the Holo Net. Grace seemed to be in some trouble, and after being taken care of for two consecutive days, he felt it was only right to help her if he could.
Relying on his vague impression of "Queen Company," Leon started an online search for the term.
Whoosh.
Thousands of related messages popped up, and the headline on the first page startled him.
"Queen Company Faces Virus Crisis, Genius Beauty "Queen" Hits Rock Bottom."
Leon opened the news article.
"As a rising star in the internet industry, Queen Software Company has been making waves for the past two years, but it now faces its biggest credibility crisis since its founding. Eighteen large companies have jointly sued Queen for significant economic losses caused by its latest product, the Red Fire Wall. Reportedly, the installation of this firewall led to the Red Virus infecting all companies that installed it, causing network crashes and data destruction, including vital commercial secrets. The lawsuit might result in a billion-dollar compensation, marking the largest in software company history..."
Leon doubted this as he continued reading. He had seen Grace's technical prowess; it was unlikely she would create a virus-triggering firewall. It was too absurd.
He read further, finding a section about the Queen Company.
Known as the "Beautiful CEO," Grace Wang founded Queen Software Company at eighteen, specializing in developing and researching various network security products.
She was recognized for her pioneering work in antivirus with the "Monitor and Defend, Dynamic Protection" proactive defense system—Queen Proactive Defense Software.
Her first intelligent anti-intrusion firewall gained industry fame.
Grace aspired to create the world's most advanced civilian network security defense system, "Red Shield," but the Red Fire Wall, as its first phase, faced setbacks.
The billion-dollar compensation could bankrupt Queen Company.
Reading all this, Leon fell silent, recalling some odd scenes from last night. Ethan Xu might have bribed Grace's chief software designer to betray her. Otherwise, such a basic mistake was impossible for Grace.
Leon sighed. A billion-dollar fine, company bankruptcy—Grace managed to stay composed, which was impressive. Leon couldn't understand why someone with her connections would run a network security company. Maybe the rich and powerful were just that bored?
Leon decided not to think too much about it. Grace clearly knew better what she was doing. Thinking of the thirty million dollars Sienna Tang wired him yesterday, Leon figured he might as well invest it rather than leave it idle.
...
Queen Software Company had been a media darling recently. Headlines like "Antivirus Company Causes Virus Outbreak," "Queen Faces United Suppression," and "Highest Compensation in Software Company History" grabbed everyone's attention. Of course, the most eye-catching news was about the beautiful CEO, Grace Wang.
Just the sight of such a beauty on the front page was enough to draw eyes, not to mention the accompanying sensational words like "compensation," "frame-up," and "bankruptcy."
This world wasn't lacking in beauties.
But it lacked tragic beauties!
In this stormy atmosphere, the Queen Company was shrouded in gloom. Amidst the somber mood, a man was thrown out of the company's main entrance.
"Kevin Xie! From now on, stay as far away as possible. Don't test my limits!"
Grace spoke with icy coldness, silencing everyone. Kevin Xie tried to argue, but Grace's next words chilled him to the bone. "Thanks for the truth. I'm pleased to know that a million dollars can buy your despicable nature!"
Kevin slunk away in disgrace.
Grace turned back into the company. The employees, stunned, shrank back upon meeting her gaze.
"President, you found the culprit. Are you just going to let him go?" a gentle voice asked.
Grace was unhappy. She turned back and saw Leon Chen, his smile easing her frown.
"Come in," she nodded, not surprised that Leon had shown up.
They sat on a sofa in the company lobby, Leon taking in the Queen Company's size.
"Did you come to laugh at me?" Grace asked calmly.
"Do I look like that kind of person?"
Grace smiled apologetically. "I'm just in a bad mood."
Leon's expression said he understood.
Grace's assistant brought coffee, her surprise at Leon evident. Who was this boy, chatting so casually with the CEO?
"President, have you encountered some trouble recently?" Leon asked.
"Just a small problem," Grace said, not wanting to appear vulnerable.
Leon figured it was a small problem for Grace, but the media outside were in an uproar. "What are you going to do?"
"Do you really want to know?" Grace asked, sipping her coffee with a hint of a smile.
"Yes. Is there anyone investing?" Leon asked.
"Investing? I don't trust anyone anymore," Grace scoffed.
"Why don't you sue your designer? He was clearly bribed," Leon said.
Grace replied casually, "How do you know?"
"I guessed," Leon admitted.
Knowing Leon's attention to detail, Grace wasn't too surprised. "What's the point of suing? There's no evidence. Besides, doing so would only make the annoying media depict me as trying to find a scapegoat... I can already imagine the headlines—'Beautiful CEO Accuses Designer to Clear Her Name!'"
Leon laughed. Grace had quite a sense of humor and a knack for journalism.
His laughter drew curious looks from others. Who was this guy, laughing in front of the CEO?
Leon cleared his throat. Grace didn't mind. She shook her head. "Consider it a lesson."
"This isn't like the legendary president of H University's student council," Leon murmured.
Grace smiled lightly. "What else can I do? Queen's reputation is already damaged..." At this, a look of pain crossed her face. She clenched her teeth, her eyes flashing with hate. "I failed her kindness! I really want to kill those people..."
Leon remained silent.
Grace smiled bitterly, rubbing her temples. "I'm losing my composure. What am I thinking? I decided to stand on my own when I started this company, but I'm still too inexperienced."
Grace leaned back on the sofa, stretching her tired body. Her chest swelled with the motion, straining her buttons.
It was too distracting, and Leon averted his gaze.
Grace noticed and remembered how this guy had taken advantage of her last night, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She resumed her normal posture.
To lighten the mood, Grace casually asked, "How did you know about the Blood of Fallen from Raphael's Winery yesterday?" She paused, smiling meaningfully. "That's quite a dangerous drink!"
Leon's answer was straightforward. "When I first got accepted to H University, my family took me to dinner at the Nanhai Hotel. My dad wanted to order a bottle to celebrate. Haha... but he was just looking for an excuse to drink. I don't like alcohol much!"
"Did he order it?" Grace's eyes lit up.
"No. My mom knew it was too expensive and not for casual drinking." Leon shook his head. "But it did taste good last night."
"Your family seems very close," Grace said with a hint of envy.
Leon agreed, thinking of his sister's upcoming eighteenth birthday. Maybe he should go home to celebrate.
"Was I drunk last night?" Leon suddenly asked.
Grace smiled and nodded. "Completely out of it!"
"You didn't leave me on the street, did you?" Leon felt embarrassed.
"I was going to, but you were so drunk you revealed the truth about this whole mess, so I let it go. Don't get drunk in my car again, though," Grace warned with a light smile. "Next time, I really will throw you out."
Would there be a next time? Leon chuckled.
"What a shame. I wanted to see that guy's face when he paid the bill."
"You might still get to see it," Grace said, pointing ahead. Leon turned to see a Mercedes pulling up. The man getting out was none other than Ethan Xu!