The air in the archive room grew heavier as Mei Xing stared at the name in the old ledger.
Zhang Jianwei—Zhang Wei's father.
Her fingers traced the faded ink. The man had once held a significant share in Lin Enterprises, but there was no public record of his involvement in any recent company history. Everything had been erased—intentionally. It wasn't just a fallout. It had been a cover-up.
"This changes everything," she whispered.
Zhao Chen leaned closer, scanning the page. "Your father never mentioned a Zhang Jianwei. Either he didn't want to… or he couldn't."
"Either way," Mei Xing said firmly, "we need to find out what really happened between them."
They spent the next few days digging into old company reports, newspaper archives, and court records. It was a puzzle—scattered and incomplete—but piece by piece, the truth began to form.
Decades ago, Zhang Jianwei and Mr. Lin had co-founded one of Lin Enterprises' earliest divisions. But when Zhang Jianwei was accused of financial misconduct, Mr. Lin had severed ties. Rumors hinted that Zhang Jianwei had planned to take over the entire company by shifting power internally. When his plan failed, he was forced out and his name erased from the company's official history.
But the scandal didn't end there.
Zhang Jianwei had died in obscurity, but his son, Zhang Wei, had grown up in bitterness—raised on stories of betrayal and stolen legacy.
"He's not just trying to destroy Lin Enterprises," Mei Xing said during a meeting with Zhao Chen and Kai. "He thinks it belongs to him."
"And now he's using your family's cracks to wedge himself in," Kai added. "But now that we know the root, we can predict his next move."
Mei Xing nodded. "If he believes this company is his inheritance, he won't stop until he's sitting at the head of it."
But even with the truth in hand, the war wasn't over.
Madam Lin and Mei Li had gone quiet since their suspension, but it was clear they hadn't given up either. In fact, Zhao Chen had recently spotted Mei Li meeting secretly with an unknown associate—someone connected to Zhang Wei's network.
"She's still working with him," Zhao Chen said. "Probably trying to find a way back into the company."
Mei Xing felt the old fire in her chest again—burning hotter than before.
"Then we stop them," she said. "Not just with evidence—but with strategy."
They began to build a new plan, not just to protect Lin Enterprises, but to rebuild it—stronger, more transparent, and immune to manipulation. Mei Xing started recruiting trusted allies, restructuring departments, and even proposing a shareholder reform that would prevent any one person from gaining too much power again.
But deep in her heart, she knew this was only the beginning.
Zhang Wei was still out there.
And shadows from the past had a habit of rising again.