Just when Lin Yue thought she had found balance, life decided to test her.
The platform was thriving, their expansion plans were in motion, and their users were more engaged than ever. But with great success came greater expectations—and greater pressure.
And the cracks were beginning to show.
Late one evening, Lin Yue received an urgent call from Mei Lin.
"You need to see this," Mei Lin's voice was tight with stress.
Lin Yue's heart pounded as she pulled up the news article Mei Lin sent.
"Whistleblower Exposes Ethical Concerns in Growing Tech Company."
Her company's name was in the subheading.
Someone—an anonymous employee—had leaked information suggesting that their rapid expansion had led to questionable data practices.
Lin Yue felt the blood drain from her face.
"This isn't true," she murmured.
Mei Lin's voice came through the speaker. "It doesn't matter. The media is running with it. We need a plan."
Within an hour, Lin Yue, Zhang Wei, and the senior team were in the conference room.
"We need to respond immediately," Zhang Wei said. "Silence will only make us look guilty."
Jia Hao, their head of communications, frowned. "We also need to find out who leaked this and why."
Mei Lin paced. "This is bad. If we don't handle it correctly, we could lose the trust we've built."
Lin Yue took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"We don't panic," she said firmly. "We handle this with transparency, just like we've always done."
She turned to Jia Hao. "Draft an official statement. Acknowledge the concern but make it clear that our data policies have always been ethical."
Then to Mei Lin. "Start an internal investigation. We need to find out if there's any truth to these claims."
And finally, to Zhang Wei. "Set up a live Q&A session for users. I'll answer their questions myself."
Everyone nodded, springing into action.
For the first time in a long while, Lin Yue felt something unusual in her chest.
Doubt.
Two days later, Mei Lin walked into Lin Yue's office, shutting the door behind her.
"We found the leak," she said.
Lin Yue looked up, bracing herself.
Mei Lin hesitated before speaking. "It was someone from our senior team."
Lin Yue's stomach twisted. "Who?"
Mei Lin slid a folder across the desk. Lin Yue opened it and felt her breath catch.
Jia Hao.
Her assistant. Someone she had trusted for years.
"He fed exaggerated information to a journalist," Mei Lin explained. "And from what we've gathered, he was approached by our competitors."
Lin Yue closed the folder, her hands steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
"Call a meeting," she said coldly. "Now."