Chapter 47 Silent Trial

The footsteps stopped beside me.

Su Yan could feel a cold gaze on his face. He could even smell the faint scent of Assistant Zhou's cologne, which was as calm and restrained as he was. He closed his eyes tightly, his eyelashes trembling slightly from the effort of self-control. All the muscles in his body were tense, ready to withstand any possible questioning or attack.

Time seemed to stand still.

A few seconds later, he heard Assistant Zhou's voice as he turned to the inner room of the study. His tone was as steady as ever: "Mr. Huo, the meeting is over. The relevant records and minutes have been sorted out and sent to your email."

Huo Shen's slightly hoarse response came from inside, as if he had just woken up: "Yeah."

"Also," Assistant Zhou paused, as if casually mentioning, "When I was checking the documents just now, I discovered that the terminal access log backup submitted by the Administration Department seems to have been tampered with. It's possible the Technology Department made an error when compiling it. I'll have them recheck it."

Su Yan's heart sank! He had indeed discovered it! He was using this method to quietly report to Huo Shen, while also warning himself!

The inner room was silent for a moment before Huo Shen's emotionless voice came: "This is a small matter, just handle it yourself."

"Yes." Assistant Zhou responded without any emotion.

Su Yan felt the gaze that was falling on him shift away. Assistant Zhou didn't say anything else. Footsteps were heard, and he left with his briefcase.

Only after hearing the apartment door close did Su Yan dare to slowly open his eyes. His back was already drenched in cold sweat. In that moment, he felt as if he had walked under the guillotine. Assistant Zhou hadn't exposed him outright, not because he hadn't noticed, but because he had chosen a more personal approach—a seemingly businesslike report, a casual "change in the order," that accurately cast the sharp sting of suspicion at Su Yan.

And Huo Shen's reaction... "Just handle this little thing." Did he understand Assistant Zhou's hint? Did he really not care, or... was he deliberately condoning it?

Su Yan found that he had no idea what Huo Shen was thinking. This man was like a bottomless well; you never knew what ripples would be stirred up by the stone you threw in.

He stood up, his legs feeling weak. He had to act quickly. Assistant Zhou's investigation was pressing on, while Huo Shen's attitude was ambiguous. He had to turn the clues he had about Assistant Zhou monitoring Huo Shen and investigating Ah Xi's case into useful weapons as soon as possible.

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At night, Huo Shen rarely locked himself in his study. He sat in the living room with the TV on, playing financial news, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. His eyes wandered, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his temples, and his face looked a little pale under the light.

Su Yan hesitated for a moment, but still walked over with a cup of warm water and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

Huo Shen raised his eyes and glanced at him without saying anything, but he also didn't ignore him directly like before.

Su Yan sat down on the sofa next to him, keeping a polite distance. He didn't speak, but just stayed quietly, like a cat trying to get closer but remaining alert.

The news was reporting a business merger and acquisition case, and the host mentioned words such as "information asymmetry" and "potential risks".

Huo Shen suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with fatigue: "What kind of people do you think are most likely to die without a burial place in the business world?"

Su Yan was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Huo Shen to ask him this question. He thought carefully and replied, "...someone who trusts others?"

Huo Shen sneered and shook his head: "No."

He turned his head and his eyes fell on Su Yan. His eyes were deep and cold, as if he saw through the world. "They are those people who think they can control everything but can't even tell whether the people around them are human or ghost."

Su Yan's heart skipped a beat! Was Huo Shen talking about himself? Was he referring to Assistant Zhou?

He didn't dare to answer, but just listened with holding his breath.

Huo Shen didn't seem to need his answer. He retracted his gaze and looked back at the TV screen. His tone returned to normal, but with a hint of mockery: "Sometimes, the most deadly knife often comes from the direction you least expect."

This sentence, like a bolt of lightning, split the fog in Su Yan's mind!

Huo Shen knew! He had probably always known Assistant Zhou wasn't completely loyal! He might even have known about the little tricks Assistant Zhou was doing behind his back! So why did he keep Assistant Zhou around? Was it because he had no evidence? Or... was he using Assistant Zhou? Or was he waiting for something?

This realization sent a chill down Su Yan's spine. If even a confidant like Assistant Zhou was merely a pawn on Huo Shen's chessboard, then what about him? Didn't Huo Shen see all his previous little tricks, all his self-righteous attempts and struggles, as nothing more than a ridiculous monkey show?

A huge feeling of powerlessness and fear gripped him again.

At this moment, Huo Shen's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowning slightly, but still picked up the phone.

The person on the other end of the phone seemed to be speaking very quickly, reporting something. Huo Shen listened, his face gradually darkening. Finally, he replied with only three cold words:

"knew."

After hanging up the phone, he looked up at Su Yan with a complicated expression and said slowly:

"Su Chen has started to take action."

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