Manager Wang's face was as white as paper, and he stammered, "President Liu, the financial statements... there's a problem!" Liu Lu's heart tightened, and an ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

She took the report, quickly glanced through it, and her expression changed drastically.

The flow of funds for several important projects has changed dramatically. Funds that should have been invested in research and development have been inexplicably transferred to the marketing department without her knowledge!

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

Liu Lu took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

"When did this happen? Who authorized it?"

Manager Wang wiped the sweat from his brow and answered shakily, "It...it was discovered this morning...the authorized...the authorized person was...Manager Zhou..."

Manager Zhou!

The image of that smiling yet enigmatic man immediately came to Liu Lu's mind.

He was the newly appointed marketing manager, and while he appeared to be very respectful to her, he was secretly plotting something.

"I understand, you can go now." Liu Lu waved her hand, signaling Manager Wang to leave.

Liu Lu was the only one left in the office. She was clutching the report in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white.

This is not a simple financial error, but a meticulously planned conspiracy!

They want to sideline her!

Just then, Secretary Chen knocked on the door and came in, holding a meeting notice in his hand.

"Mr. Liu, there's a high-level meeting at 2 PM. Manager Zhou specifically instructed me to remind you." Secretary Chen's tone carried a hint of worry.

Liu Lu took the notification and sneered. Sure enough, the real show had only just begun.

During the afternoon meeting, Manager Zhou spoke eloquently, describing several projects with transferred funds in glowing terms, as if it were all for the benefit of the group.

When Liu Lu raised her questions, he feigned surprise: "Mr. Liu, didn't you know? These were all approved by the board of directors."

Liu Lu looked around and noticed that several department managers who were usually on good terms with her were all keeping their heads down and not saying a word.

She understood that Manager Zhou had secretly gathered a group of people and formed his own power base.

An invisible pressure enveloped her, making her feel almost suffocated.

After the meeting, Liu Lu returned to her office. Secretary Chen looked at her with concern: "Ms. Liu, are you alright?"

Liu Lu rubbed her temples and smiled wearily. "It's okay, this is just the beginning." She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the city, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open, and Manager Zhou walked in with a victor's smile on his face.

"Mr. Liu, what's your decision? Perhaps we can cooperate."

Liu Lu turned around, staring intently at him, a cold smile playing on her lips...

"Manager Zhou, you seem to be..."

"...It seems you overestimated your abilities." Liu Lu's tone was icy, and there was not a trace of fear in her eyes.

Manager Zhou's smile froze; he hadn't expected Liu Lu to remain so calm in such an unfavorable situation.

He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment: "President Liu, a wise person knows when to yield. You are now isolated and helpless, why struggle so hard?"

Liu Lu ignored his provocation and simply said, "Manager Zhou, the business world is like a battlefield. The outcome is not yet decided. It's too early to talk about this." She walked to her desk, picked up a document, and casually flipped through it. "Also, please leave. I have work to do."

Manager Zhou's face was ashen, but he knew it wasn't the time to break off relations.

He glared at Liu Lu fiercely, then turned and left the office.

In the following days, Liu Lu did not rush to retaliate, but instead showed a hesitant attitude in meetings, and even publicly stated that she would re-examine her decision.

This left Manager Zhou and the others somewhat puzzled, and they began to wonder if Liu Lu had truly given up resisting.

However, just as they let their guard down, an accident occurred.

Liu Bei suddenly developed a persistent high fever, forcing Liu Lu to put aside her work and take meticulous care of her daughter.

Looking at her daughter's flushed face, Liu Lu felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.

"Mom...Mom is the best..." Liu Bei murmured in her sleep, her little hand tightly gripping Liu Lu's hand.

These words were like a warm current flowing into Liu Lu's heart, rekindling her fighting spirit.

She can't give up for her daughter's sake!

She needs to protect her daughter, but she also needs to protect herself!

Late at night, Liu Lu sat by her daughter's bedside, watching her gradually calming sleeping face, her eyes filled with determination.

She took out her phone and dialed a number...

"Please check on Manager Zhou for me..."

A deep voice came from the other end of the phone: "Understood."

The next day, Liu Lu went to work as usual, and there was no sign of anything unusual on her face.

When Manager Zhou saw her, a smug smile appeared on his face, assuming that she had already given in.

However, just as he was about to speak, Liu Lu suddenly said, "Manager Zhou, I think there might be some misunderstanding between us..." She paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, "...we need to clarify this properly."

Secretary Chen moved as nimbly as a cat, quietly sneaking into Manager Zhou's office and heading straight for his computer.

A few minutes later, she had copied Manager Zhou's recent email records and quickly left.

Back in her office, Secretary Chen immediately organized the email content and handed it to Liu Lu.

The emails revealed that Manager Zhou had been in frequent contact with a competitor and had repeatedly leaked company secrets.

The evidence is conclusive and undeniable.

Liu Lu's lips curled into a cold smile; the time to retaliate had finally come.

The atmosphere at the board meeting was somber.

Manager Zhou continued to speak eloquently, painting a rosy picture of the future, completely unaware of the impending danger.

Liu Lu listened quietly until he finished speaking before slowly saying, "Manager Zhou, your report was excellent, but I think there are some things we need to clarify first."

She placed a document on the table and pushed it in front of Manager Zhou.

"You should be very familiar with these emails, right?"

Manager Zhou's face turned deathly pale instantly. He frantically flipped through the documents, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He looked up, wanting to explain, but found Liu Lu's eyes were as cold as knives, leaving him speechless.

"Manager Zhou, is there anything else you want to say?" Liu Lu's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of authority.

Manager Zhou opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

The board members also expressed shock and anger, as they never expected Manager Zhou to do such a thing.

Ultimately, the board of directors unanimously decided to immediately remove Manager Zhou from his post and pursue his legal responsibility.

Those who had previously followed Manager Zhou were also given stern warnings.

Looking at Manager Zhou's dejected figure, Liu Lu felt no pity whatsoever.

She knew this was just the first step.

What she needs to do is to thoroughly purge the company of its internal cancers and revitalize the group.

After the meeting, Liu Lu returned to her office, where Secretary Chen was waiting.

"Mr. Liu, everything is arranged."

Liu Lu nodded, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

“Very good, next…” she paused, looking out the window, “…is just the beginning.”

Liu Lu acted decisively, eliminating Manager Zhou's cronies one by one, and took the opportunity to readjust the group's project allocation, firmly grasping the important projects in her own hands.

Her decisive style and accurate judgment earned her even more respect from her colleagues, and deterred those who were originally eager to try.

The power structure within the group has quietly changed, and Liu Lu's position has become more secure.

She was not basking in the joy of victory; her keen intuition told her that there seemed to be an even greater force manipulating things behind the scenes.

Manager Zhou was just a pawn; the real mastermind was still hiding in the shadows.

Liu Lu knew that this battle was far from over, and she had to remain vigilant at all times to meet the challenges ahead.

One night, Liu Lu worked overtime until late. The office was quiet except for the sound of typing.

Suddenly, she felt uneasy, as if someone was watching her from the shadows.

She suddenly looked up, but saw nothing.

She walked to the window, looking down at the brightly lit city, and a strange chill rose in her heart.

She didn't know where her next opponent would come from, or what methods they would use to deal with her.

But she knew she would never back down; she wanted to protect her daughter and safeguard the career she had worked so hard to build.

Just then, Secretary Chen knocked on the door and came in, holding a document in his hand.

"President Liu, this was just delivered by Director Wu. He said it's about a new project..." Secretary Chen's voice trembled slightly, and her face was also a little pale.

Liu Lu took the document, her brows furrowed.

Director Wu?

He's always been at odds with me, what tricks is he up to this time?

She opened the file, quickly glanced through it, and her expression changed drastically.

"New project... canceled?" Liu Lu's voice was low and cold, and the air in the office seemed to freeze.

Secretary Chen lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Liu Lu slammed the file on the table, a flash of anger in her eyes.

"He's declaring war on me!"

She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Please check on Director Wu's recent movements for me..."

Liu Lu hung up the phone, walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky, and a resolute look flashed in her eyes.

"Director Wu..." she murmured to herself, "The game has only just begun..."

Suddenly, the office lights flickered a few times and then went out.

In the darkness, Liu Lu's phone screen emitted a faint glow, displaying the words: "Watch out, he's coming..."