Liu Lu held the thin letter in her hand, her fingertips turning slightly white.

The collaboration invitations from overseas seemed as illusory yet alluring as castles in the air.

The blueprint described in the letter was truly magnificent, with advanced technology sharing and a vast overseas market, all of which stirred her ambition.

Yet, between the lines, those obscure terms, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, flicked their dangerous tongues.

International cooperation is never a simple matter of shaking hands and making peace; there are often undercurrents behind the scenes, and a slight misstep can lead to complete failure.

She rubbed her temples and handed the letter to Secretary Chen beside her: "Have the legal department review it carefully to see if there are any traps." Secretary Chen took the letter and replied crisply, "Yes, Ms. Liu."

Liu Lu got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the business empire she had built from scratch.

Skyscrapers and bustling traffic—all these symbolize her success.

But the higher you stand, the more precarious it feels, like walking on thin ice.

Wang Gong's unexpected death made her realize that in this cruel business world, the slightest lapse in concentration will allow opponents to seize the opportunity to strike hard.

"Knock knock knock—"

Li, the technical expert, pushed open the door and entered, holding a document in his hand: "President Liu, this is our preliminary analysis of the technology mentioned in the letter." He handed the document to Liu Lu, his expression grave. "This technology is indeed far ahead of ours. If we can successfully cooperate, it will greatly promote the development of our group. However..." He paused, "The field involved in this technology is quite sensitive, and we must consider it carefully."

Liu Lu flipped through the documents, her brows furrowed.

The concerns of the technical expert, Li, are exactly what she worries about.

Opportunities and risks coexist. How should we choose to maximize benefits and minimize risks?

“Mr. Liu,” Secretary Chen returned with another document in his hand, “the Legal Department’s initial opinion is that there are some ambiguities in this cooperation agreement, and further communication and confirmation are needed.”

Liu Lu took a deep breath, placed the document on the table, and said with a firm gaze, "Contact them and arrange a video conference. We must not draw any conclusions before we have clarified all the details."

Night falls and the city lights come on.

Liu Lu's office was still brightly lit.

She stood by the window, gazing at the flashing neon lights in the distance, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

"Knock knock knock—"

"Come in."

Secretary Chen pushed open the door and entered: "President Liu, the video conference has been arranged for tomorrow morning at 10:00."

Liu Lu nodded and rubbed her temples wearily.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open again, and a small figure peeked in...

"Mother……"

Liu Bei, wearing a pink nightgown and holding a steaming cup of jasmine tea, carefully walked to Liu Lu's side.

She tiptoed, placed the teacup on the table, and said in a childish voice, "Mommy, have some tea."

Liu Lu looked down at her daughter, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes.

She took the teacup, took a small sip, and the delicate fragrance of jasmine filled her mouth, offering a sense of comfort to her weary body and mind.

"Thank you, baby."

Liu Bei climbed onto Liu Lu's lap and nestled in her arms, her soft voice carrying a hint of worry: "Mom, are you having some trouble?"

Liu Lu stroked her daughter's soft hair and smiled: "It's just a small problem, Mom can handle it."

"Mom is the best!" Liu Bei looked up, her big eyes filled with admiration.

A warm feeling welled up in Liu Lu's heart. Her daughter's support gave her immense strength.

“Secretary Chen,” Liu Lu put down her teacup, her tone firm, “help me investigate the background of this company, the more detailed the better.”

"Yes, Mr. Liu." Secretary Chen accepted the order and left.

The next morning, Secretary Chen placed a thick stack of documents on Liu Lu's desk.

"Mr. Liu, here are the materials you requested."

Liu Lu took the documents and began to carefully review them.

According to the data, although the company is not large in scale, it has extremely strong technical capabilities in certain specific fields, and even surpasses its domestic counterparts in some aspects.

Upon seeing this, a glint of light flashed in Liu Lu's eyes.

If we can cooperate with this company and introduce these advanced technologies to China, it will undoubtedly have a huge positive impact on the group's development.

A sense of excitement spread through her.

This could be a golden opportunity, a chance to take the group to the next level.

She closed the documents, took a deep breath, and gazed resolutely out the window.

"Knock knock knock..."

Secretary Chen pushed open the door and entered. "President Liu, all department heads have arrived. The meeting can begin."

Liu Lu stood up, picked up the documents, and walked towards the conference room.

Pushing open the conference room door, she glanced around at the assembled executives and said in a deep voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, I've gathered you all here today to announce something important..."

Liu Lu walked into the conference room, looked around, and her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.

She slammed the documents she was holding onto the table, the crisp sound instantly silencing the previously noisy conference room.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said in a calm yet authoritative tone, "I have gathered you all here today to discuss matters concerning overseas cooperation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting room erupted in chaos, with voices of opposition rising and falling.

“Mr. Liu, I think this cooperation is too risky! We should proceed cautiously and steadily now, rather than taking such a risk.” The marketing director was the first to raise the issue, his tone clearly showing concern.

“Yes, Mr. Liu, the international situation is complex and volatile. We don’t have a thorough understanding of this company’s situation yet. If we cooperate rashly, the consequences could be disastrous!” the CFO echoed.

Liu Lu listened to these dissenting voices, but her expression remained unwavering.

She had long anticipated such resistance. After all, this was a high-stakes gamble. If they won, the group would take off; if they lost, they might face utter ruin.

“I understand everyone’s concerns,” Liu Lu’s tone softened slightly, but her eyes remained firm. “However, opportunities and risks go hand in hand, and we cannot give up opportunities because we are afraid of risks. I have carefully studied this cooperation agreement and consulted with the legal department and technical experts.”

She opened the documents in her hand and began to explain in detail the advantages and disadvantages of the cooperation, from market prospects to technological advantages and risk control, she provided in-depth analysis and explanation.

However, the opposition has not diminished as a result.

The marketing director remained firm in his opinion: "Mr. Liu, we understand what you're saying, but the risks of international cooperation are far more complex than we imagine. If something goes wrong, we can't afford the consequences!"

The CFO added, "The group's cash flow has just stabilized, and it would be too risky to invest such a large sum of money in an unknown project now!"

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense, with neither side willing to back down.

Looking at the executives who opposed her, Liu Lu couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

She knew that these people weren't misunderstanding her thoughts; they were just hesitant because of their sense of responsibility to the company.

"Everyone," Liu Lu took a deep breath, suppressing her agitation, her tone becoming more composed, "I know you all mean well for the company, but..." She paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes, "If we can't even take this small risk, what are we talking about in terms of development, what future?"

She glanced around, her gaze settling on the Marketing Director and the Finance Director, her tone carrying an undeniable authority: "I understand your concerns, so I have a compromise..." Liu Lu paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone, before slowly beginning to speak: "..."

“We can start with a small pilot project,” Liu Lu said firmly, “to test the other party’s sincerity and capabilities. If the pilot project is successful, we can gradually increase the scale of cooperation; if it fails, we can also stop the loss in time and minimize the damage.”

This compromise was like a lifeline thrown into a turbulent sea, easing the tense atmosphere in the meeting room considerably.

The marketing director and the finance director exchanged a glance, both seeing the hesitation in each other's eyes.

“This plan… isn’t entirely unacceptable,” the marketing director said hesitantly, “but the scale and content of the pilot project need careful consideration to ensure that everything goes perfectly.”

“Of course,” Liu Lu nodded. “I will work with the technical experts to develop the specific plan for the pilot project, ensuring that every detail is taken into account.”

With a preliminary consensus reached, the atmosphere in the meeting room became much more relaxed.

In the following time, everyone began to discuss the specific details of the pilot project, expressing their opinions freely in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

However, things did not go as smoothly as Liu Lu had expected.

During initial contact with the foreign company, the other party made a seemingly unreasonable request: demanding that Liu Lu Group provide some data on its core technologies as a prerequisite for cooperation.

This request was like a bolt from the blue, setting off alarm bells in Liu Lu's mind.

Core technology is the lifeblood of a group and should never be easily disclosed to others, let alone a foreign company of unknown origin.

"What do they mean by this?" Liu Lu's tone was tinged with coldness. "Do they want to steal our core technology?"

Secretary Chen's expression also turned serious: "President Liu, I suspect their true purpose isn't cooperation, but rather..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Come in," Liu Lu said in a deep voice.

Li, the technical expert, burst through the door, his expression panicked: "Mr. Liu, something terrible has happened! I just received news that Engineer Wang's..." He paused, his face growing even more grim, "...Engineer Wang's computer has been hacked!"

Liu Lu stood up abruptly, her face ashen: "What?!"

"The other party stole..." Li, the technical expert, swallowed hard, his voice trembling, "...stole the key data of our core technology!"

Liu Lu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, making her feel cold all over.

She felt as if she were in a giant vortex, being pulled by an invisible force that made it hard for her to breathe.

"Activate the emergency plan immediately!" Liu Lu suppressed her fear, her tone icy. "Block all data exits and thoroughly investigate all internal networks!"

"Yes!" Li, the technical expert, turned and rushed out.

Liu Lu stood there, her face terribly gloomy.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her flesh, yet she felt no pain.

Just then, Secretary Chen's phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID, her expression changed slightly, and she walked aside to answer the call.

"What?!" Secretary Chen's voice suddenly rose eight octaves. "...I understand. I'll tell General Manager Liu right away!"

She hung up the phone, walked quickly to Liu Lu, her face pale: "President Liu, I just received news..." She took a deep breath and said with difficulty, "...that foreign company suddenly announced the cancellation of the cooperation!"

Liu Lu's pupils suddenly contracted, and an ominous premonition surged into her heart.

"They also said..." Secretary Chen's voice trembled, "...that the technical data we provided...was fake!"