At that moment, in the office, Liang Jinyu and Murong Xuan'er were waiting.
"Is everything arranged?" Liang Jinyu asked.
"According to Xu Que's instructions, it's all been set in motion," Shen Mengchu replied.
"What about him?" Murong Xuan'er inquired.
Shen Mengchu responded, "He went to handle some matters. He should be back shortly."
Murong Xuan'er and Liang Jinyu exchanged glances, silently understanding each other's thoughts.
"This plan won't be discovered by the Chisfeld family, will it?" Shen Mengchu asked, a trace of worry in her voice.
"For now, it should be fine, but it won't hold for long. I estimate they'll catch on within a week," Murong Xuan'er speculated.
"Then doesn't that leave him with very little time?" Liang Jinyu asked, puzzled.
"The Chisfeld family isn't to be underestimated. If Xu Que doesn't secure the follow-up, they might sense something within three to five days," Murong Xuan'er explained.
Her words were already conservative. If her own Murong family had been involved, the problem would likely have been detected within a day or two.
Now, it was a race against time and Xu Que's investigative speed. The Chisfeld family was vast; without obtaining the list, retaliation would be inevitable in the future.
What they didn't know was that Xu Que had no intention of hiding from the Chisfeld family. His next actions were set to defy all conventional understanding.
"It's getting late. Thank you for your help. You should rest early," Shen Mengchu said gratefully.
"There's no need for thanks. We're all in the same boat now," Liang Jinyu said with a smile.
Murong Xuan'er's expression remained composed as she returned the smile, though inwardly, she mused, *Yes, we're all in the same boat—and almost your sisters now, so how could we not be?*
Murong Xuan'er rose and said, "In that case, we'll take our leave."
As Shen Mengchu escorted the two to the elevator, Xu Que, dressed in grimy blacksmith attire, stepped out of it.
"Did you just go downstairs to change into those clothes?" Murong Xuan'er asked curiously.
"Yes, I still have some unfinished tasks," Xu Que replied with a smile.
At his words, the three women froze simultaneously, sensing that something was amiss.
"Did you finish the order I gave you?" Liang Jinyu asked.
"Well… I'm still rushing to complete it. I came up to discuss something with Miss Shen," Xu Que replied with a grin.
Silence fell. An oppressive, deathly stillness.
In that instant, all three women felt an ominous premonition—this man, identical to Xu Que in appearance, was not Xu Que.
Murong Xuan'er smiled at Shen Mengchu and said, "President Shen, since you're busy, we'll take our leave."
Shen Mengchu glanced at Murong Xuan'er's hand resting on her chest and instantly understood. However, instead of reacting, she smiled warmly. "Very well, take care."
Liang Jinyu glanced between "Xu Que" and Shen Mengchu. She had already pieced together the situation but felt uneasy.
Murong Xuan'er, perceptive as always, noticed Liang Jinyu's tension but knew the show must go on. She trusted Shen Mengchu to handle it.
After seeing the two women off, Shen Mengchu remained guarded, never once turning her back on the man posing as Xu Que.
"President Shen, may I speak with you?" the impostor asked, feigning awkwardness.
Smiling, Shen Mengchu said, "Of course. Let's talk in the office. I also have something to discuss, especially since you're heading to Y Country the day after tomorrow."
The man, disguised as Xu Que, nodded with a faint smile. Yet, the moment he stepped into the office, Shen Mengchu struck first, slashing at him with a blade.
Sensing the danger, the impostor swiftly dodged with a forward roll.
"What's going on?" Yue Xiaoqin emerged from Shen Mengchu's office, startled.
But the next moment, she froze.
"This…"
"Be careful! He's not Xu Que!" Shen Mengchu warned immediately.
The impostor's lips curled into a sinister smile. "I didn't expect President Shen to see through my disguise so quickly. Impressive!"
Revealing a pale green fist weapon, he smirked at her.
Yue Xiaoqin, now alert, drew her long blade and stepped protectively in front of Shen Mengchu.
From his speech and weaponry, Yue Xiaoqin couldn't be entirely sure whether this man was truly Xu Que. But the fact that he drew a weapon confirmed his identity as a fake!
"Are you from the Shadowed Order?" Shen Mengchu asked, lowering her blade slightly.
"Oh? It seems President Shen knows more than I expected." The impostor shook his head with a mocking grin. "I'm not qualified to join the Shadowed Order yet. But if I capture you, that might change. After all, you're quite the valuable prize!"
Realization dawned on Shen Mengchu, but just as she signaled Yue Xiaoqin to act, the eastern window of the top floor shattered. Seven or eight figures entered, hovering mid-air.
"Chameleon, your disguise didn't hold up, huh? Caught so quickly," the leader mocked.
"First time for everything," the impostor muttered as he shed his disguise. "I didn't expect this woman to be so vigilant—she even doubts her own employees."
"Enough. Let's move quickly. The battle below should have already begun," the leader said, drawing twin blades.
"What a pity. Such a beauty, yet she'll die by our hands," a bald man sneered, his expression twisted.
Meanwhile, the battle downstairs had indeed erupted.
… **[The action intensifies as two fronts unfold—a chaotic skirmish below and a desperate fight above, with alliances tested and enemies revealed.]**