Liu Lu rubbed her temples, which were throbbing slightly.

The CEO of Xingyao Technology, a shrewd and cunning old fox, was sitting opposite her at this moment, putting on a "win-win cooperation" posture, but in reality he was pressing her step by step, wanting to swallow up the group she had worked so hard to build.

This put her under unprecedented pressure.

The veteran employees, who once fought alongside her and helped her expand her business, have now become her biggest obstacle.

Relying on their seniority, they kept making unreasonable demands and even threatened to collectively resign, thus disrupting morale.

Liu Lu understands their thoughts. Times are changing, and they are afraid of being eliminated, so they want to grasp at the last straw.

But she could not compromise, because she carried the hopes of many more people on her shoulders, and she had to be responsible for the entire group.

What troubled her even more was that a little-known company suddenly appeared on the market, dumping its products at prices below market value, while the quality of its products was strikingly similar to theirs.

Even more despicable, they also secretly spread rumors and slandered the quality of their products, causing consumer panic and a sharp decrease in orders.

Liu Lu knew that someone was maliciously manipulating things behind the scenes, trying to drive her to the brink of despair.

The CEO of Xingyao Technology, surnamed Li and named Li Cheng, was looking at her with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible smugness.

"Mr. Liu, the market competition is fierce right now. It's probably hard for you to survive on your own. How about we join forces and develop together?" This isn't cooperation; it's blatant profiteering!

Liu Lu suppressed her anger and gave a cold smile. "I appreciate Mr. Li's kindness, but my company doesn't need anyone's charity."

Li Cheng's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smile. "President Liu, don't act impulsively. You need to consider your employees and your shareholders." He paused, his tone becoming meaningful, "Some people might not be able to wait much longer..."

Liu Lu suddenly stood up, staring at him coldly. "What do you mean?" Li Cheng didn't answer, but just smiled and left the office.

Liu Lu walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the bustling city outside, but felt a chill in her heart.

She knew that Li Cheng was warning her that Xingyao Technology was likely behind the long-term employees.

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and a childish voice rang out: "Mom..."

Liu Lu turned around and saw her daughter Liu Bei standing at the door, holding a drawing in her hand, looking at her timidly.

"Mom, I drew a picture for you..." Liu Lu squatted down, gently hugged her daughter, and took the picture from her hand.

In the painting, a female superhero stands on a mountaintop, waving in the wind, with rolling mountains at her feet.

Although it is still immature, it is full of power.

A warm feeling welled up in Liu Lu's heart; her daughter's painting seemed to give her boundless courage.

"Mom, you're the best!" Liu Bei's sweet voice rang in my ears.

Liu Lu hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you, baby. Mommy will definitely do her best!"

After putting her daughter down, Liu Lu's eyes hardened.

She had to fight—for her daughter, for the company, and for herself!

She immediately summoned Lao Wang, a key figure among the veteran employees and a long-time partner who had started the business with her.

In the meeting room, Liu Lu didn't discuss conditions or reason with anyone. Instead, she talked about the hardships they faced in starting the business together and the group's future plans.

She spoke emotionally about their dreams, their goals, and the trials and tribulations they had gone through together.

As Old Wang listened, his eyes gradually welled up with tears.

He recalled the passionate days when he started his business with Liu Lu, and the many difficulties they overcame together.

He understood that Liu Lu was not doing this for herself, but for the entire group and for their shared future.

“Mr. Liu, I was wrong,” Old Wang said, choking back tears. “I shouldn’t have been blinded by immediate gains and forgotten our original dream.”

Liu Lu patted Lao Wang on the shoulder, "Lao Wang, we've been through so many years together."

With Lao Wang's support, the other veteran employees gradually calmed down, began to reflect on their behavior, and expressed their willingness to continue supporting Liu Lu.

With the internal troubles temporarily subsided, Liu Lu was finally able to concentrate on dealing with external threats.

She picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Please contact the major media outlets for me; I need to hold a press conference..."

A deep voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Liu, are you sure you want to do this? This might..."

Liu Lu interrupted him without hesitation: "I'm sure!"

Liu Lu acted swiftly and immediately arranged a factory tour.

Invitations flew to major media outlets like snowflakes, with eye-catching headlines—"Xingyue Group: Transparent Production, Quality Witnessed."

She wanted everyone to see for themselves how Xingyue Group's products were manufactured and what their quality was like.

On the day of the visit, dozens of media reporters flocked to Xingyue Group's factory.

Liu Lu personally led them on a tour of every step of the production line, from the selection of raw materials to the final packaging of the products. Every step was open, transparent, and without any reservations.

Reporters raised their cameras to capture the real production scene.

Meanwhile, the Xingyue Group's official website also broadcast the entire visit live, attracting the attention of countless netizens.

On the screen, the voices that were originally filled with doubt and insults were gradually replaced by praise and support.

"So this is how Xingyue Group manufactures its products! They really put a lot of effort into it!" "Support Xingyue, resist malicious competition!"

After the visit, Liu Lu held a brief press conference.

She stood confidently in front of the camera, speaking eloquently: "Our Xingyue Group has always prioritized quality and would never compromise on quality or deceive consumers. This incident has strengthened our resolve, and we will continue to strive to provide consumers with better products and services!"

Liu Lu's sincerity and confidence impressed everyone present, and the media coverage subsequently shifted, praising Xingyue Group's transparent production and high-quality products.

The reversal of public opinion led to a rebound in Xingyue Group's sales.

But Liu Lu did not stop there.

She knew that simply changing public opinion was not enough; to completely defeat her opponents, she needed to use even more powerful weapons.

She convened her team overnight and devised a new promotional strategy.

In response to the mysterious company's dumping of products at low prices, Xingyue Group has launched a higher-end product series and provides more comprehensive after-sales service.

At the same time, they have increased their investment in research and development and are constantly launching new products to meet the growing needs of consumers.

These measures quickly won market recognition.

Consumers voted with their wallets, and Xingyue Group's sales soared, quickly surpassing previous levels.

Just when Liu Lu thought victory was assured, her phone suddenly rang.

An unfamiliar number called, the voice icy: "Mr. Liu, congratulations on winning this battle, but the game has only just begun..." The call ended.

Liu Lu stared at her phone screen, her brows furrowed...

Liu Lu sneered and threw her phone on the table.

She had long anticipated that her opponents would not give up easily, but she never expected them to be so despicable as to frame her with such a fabricated charge as plagiarism.

But she wasn't afraid. She would meet force with force and water with water. She wanted to see what other tricks they could pull!

The next day, headlines across major media outlets were dominated by news of Xingyue Group's alleged plagiarism.

Public opinion was in an uproar, and Xingyue Group was once again thrust into the spotlight.

Liu Lu immediately convened an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures.

"This is clearly someone deliberately framing us!" The marketing manager slammed his fist on the table in fury. "Their product is completely different from ours; there's no plagiarism at all!"

“That’s right, we have complete proof of our independent intellectual property rights. This is malicious slander!” the technical director said indignantly.

Liu Lu listened calmly to everyone's discussion, but felt a vague unease in her heart.

She always felt that this matter was not so simple, and that there seemed to be a bigger conspiracy hidden behind it.

"Contact a lawyer immediately and prepare to defend ourselves," Liu Lu decisively ordered. "At the same time, thoroughly investigate the company to see if there are any signs of leaked trade secrets."

Her order was carried out immediately.

The legal team began gathering evidence in preparation for the upcoming legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, an internal investigation was launched intensively within the company.

However, just as the investigation was halfway through, a shocking discovery plunged Liu Lu's heart into despair.

Her most trusted assistant secretly copied the company's latest research and development materials and sent them to an unknown email address!

Liu Lu couldn't believe her eyes. She opened the email with trembling hands and saw the recipient's name—Li Cheng!

At that moment, Liu Lu felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her from head to toe.

She finally realized that it was all a conspiracy by Xingyao Technology!

They first attacked Xingyue Group with low-price dumping and malicious defamation, and then used plagiarism charges to completely destroy it!

And her most trusted assistant turned out to be their accomplice!

Liu Lu took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She knew that now was not the time for sadness and anger; she had to come up with a solution as soon as possible, or the Xingyue Group would be finished.

She immediately called Lao Wang, her voice low and urgent: "Lao Wang, come to my office right now, I have something important to discuss with you..."

When Lao Wang rushed to the office, he saw Liu Lu's pale face and solemn expression, and a sense of foreboding immediately rose in his heart.

"What's wrong, Mr. Liu?" Old Wang asked anxiously.

Liu Lu told Lao Wang the results of the investigation, and Lao Wang was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

"How could this happen..." Old Wang muttered to himself, "How could Xiaoli betray us..."

Liu Lu shook her head, a hint of pain flashing in her eyes. "Now is not the time to assign blame. We must find a way to resolve the current crisis as soon as possible."

The two remained silent for a moment, the atmosphere so heavy it was suffocating.

Suddenly, Liu Lu's phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar number.

Liu Lu hesitated for a moment, but still answered the phone.

"Mr. Liu," a cold voice came from the other end of the phone, "are you ready to accept the taste of defeat?"

Liu Lu clenched her fist and coldly replied, "It's still uncertain who will emerge victorious!"

After saying that, she abruptly hung up the phone, her eyes burning with rage.

She walked to the window, gazing at the brightly lit city in the distance, her heart filled with fighting spirit.

"Old Wang," Liu Lu turned around, her tone firm, "we absolutely cannot lose!"

Just then, there was a knock on the office door...