The words echoed ominously in Mei Xing's mind—"Phase Two begins tomorrow." It wasn't just a threat. It was a declaration of war.
She paced the length of her office, her thoughts moving faster than her feet. Every victory she'd earned suddenly felt like a fragile glass sculpture under a hammer. She knew Zhang Wei—he didn't bluff. If Phase One was about infiltration and sabotage, Phase Two could be far more dangerous.
She immediately called a strategy meeting with Zhao Chen, Kai, and her core team.
"We need to anticipate every possible move," she said, pointing to a whiteboard filled with maps, timelines, and data trails. "If Zhang Wei's planning a new wave of attacks, it won't just be inside Lin Enterprises. He might go after suppliers, investors, or even my personal life."
Zhao Chen nodded grimly. "I already doubled your security. But we need to keep an eye on Mei Li too. If she's still working with him, she could be a key player in Phase Two."
Just as Kai was about to respond, a sudden buzz from his laptop pulled his attention. His eyes widened.
"What is it?" Mei Xing asked.
Kai turned the screen to her. "Zhang Wei just released a press statement… through a fake business syndicate claiming that Lin Enterprises falsified their financial records under your leadership."
The headline flashed across the screen:
"Whistleblower Exposes Corporate Fraud at Lin Enterprises—Insider Confirms Illegal Transactions."
The article was laced with doctored screenshots, twisted timelines, and manipulated figures. It looked real—convincingly real.
"He's trying to destroy your credibility," Kai muttered. "If this spreads, even your allies might turn against you."
Mei Xing clenched her fists. "Then we counterattack. We prove this is fabricated before the lie gains momentum."
But the media was already catching fire. Journalists were calling. Anonymous tips were flooding in. Some investors began to panic. Her email inbox was exploding.
And then came the final blow.
Her bank accounts were temporarily frozen due to an anonymous fraud alert.
"What?!" she gasped when she got the message. "Even my personal accounts?"
"All of them," Zhao Chen confirmed after a quick check. "Zhang Wei has someone inside the finance system… someone powerful."
Mei Xing felt her chest tighten. It was more than a corporate attack now—it was personal sabotage meant to isolate her, cut off her resources, and drive her into a corner.
But she wasn't going down without a fight.
"I want an emergency press conference," she said through gritted teeth. "We'll bring out the truth. We'll expose every lie, every forgery, and I'll face the world myself."
"And if he keeps escalating?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Then I'll escalate harder," she replied coldly. "Zhang Wei declared war—he'll get one."
As she prepared her statement that night, her eyes burned with fire.
If Phase Two had begun, then so had hers.
Operation Redemption.