Fan Shengmei sat on the sofa, pondering for a long time, but still couldn't come up with an answer. As night deepened, the city lights outside the window gradually went out. She got up and walked to the window, gazing at the dark night sky, and took a deep breath. No matter what, she had to go to the company tomorrow to finish the follow-up work on the project. However, she had a vague premonition that Su Ran's appearance would bring more unexpected changes to her gradually stabilizing life.

The next morning, sunlight streamed gently through the window onto Fan Shengmei's face, and the alarm clock rang on time. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and got up to prepare for the new day. Although she was still conflicted about Su Ran's invitation, she knew she couldn't slack off at work.

Upon arriving at the Fu Group's office area, Fan Shengmei greeted her colleagues with a smile as usual. However, she was met only with cold stares and deliberate avoidance. As soon as she reached her workstation, she overheard several colleagues whispering: "Hmph, she really thinks she's done something great, huh? Just lucky." "Exactly, who knows what tricks she used." These words pierced Fan Shengmei's ears like needles; her smile froze instantly, and a wave of bitterness washed over her.

After sitting down, Fan Shengmei noticed that today's work assignments were exceptionally unfair. Tasks that should have been completed collaboratively as a team were instead assigned to her—the most tedious, time-consuming, and almost impossible to finish quickly—while her colleagues easily handled simple and readily achievable tasks. Looking at the mountain of documents piled on her desk, she frowned, a feeling of unprecedented isolation and helplessness washing over her.

All day long, Fan Shengmei worked hard, trying to ignore the strange looks and sarcastic remarks from her colleagues. But every time she looked up and saw her colleagues huddled together whispering and occasionally casting contemptuous glances at her, her heart felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer. She could sense that the exclusion was escalating, having gone from the initial covert sabotage to the current open targeting.

After get off work, colleagues gradually left, and the office quieted down. Fan Shengmei, however, didn't rush off. She decided to secretly investigate the reasons behind it all. She turned on her computer and carefully reviewed recent internal emails and project allocation records. She also subtly inquired with colleagues in other departments through her network. After some effort, she finally discovered a clue. It turned out that the old guard within the industry association and a competitor were colluding to exert pressure. They were spreading false rumors about Fan Shengmei within the Fu Group, claiming she lacked ability, had risen to her position through improper means, and implying she might have leaked company secrets. Some people within the Fu Group were influenced and began to follow suit, ostracizing her.

Upon learning the truth, Fan Shengmei felt both angry and helpless. She knew that she could hardly handle such a complex situation on her own. After much thought, she decided to seek help from Meng Yanchen.

The next day, Fan Shengmei arrived at Meng Yanchen's office early. She hesitated at the door for a long time, feeling uneasy, wondering if Meng Yanchen would have the time and a way to help her solve this problem. Finally, she mustered up her courage and knocked on the door.

"Please come in." Meng Yanchen's familiar voice came from inside the house.

Fan Shengmei pushed open the door and saw Meng Yanchen sitting at his desk, intently looking at the documents. He looked up, saw Fan Shengmei, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, then he smiled gently: "Shengmei, what brings you here?"

Fan Shengmei walked up to Meng Yanchen, hesitated for a moment, and then recounted everything that had happened to her at the company over the past two days. Meng Yanchen listened, his expression gradually becoming serious. After Fan Shengmei finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Shengmei, don't worry, I'll handle this. The industry association and our competitors' methods are indeed a bit excessive, but we can't just sit idly by."

Fan Shengmei looked at Meng Yanchen with hopeful eyes: "Yanchen, what should I do? I don't want this to affect my work and our efforts."

Meng Yanchen stood up, walked to Fan Shengmei's side, and gently took her hand: "You continue with your work as usual. I will stabilize morale from within and let everyone know your abilities and contributions to the company. At the same time, I will also find ways to deal with the pressure from industry associations and competitors."

Fan Shengmei nodded gratefully: "Yan Chen, thank you. I believe you."

Looking into Fan Shengmei's determined eyes, Meng Yanchen felt a surge of protectiveness: "Don't worry, I'm here, I won't let you suffer any injustice."

However, Meng Yanchen knew in his heart that this matter was not simple. Since the industry association and competitors dared to act so openly, they must be emboldened. He returned to his desk, lost in thought, considering countermeasures. After leaving Meng Yanchen's office, Fan Shengmei returned to her workstation and continued her work. However, she remained worried, unsure whether Meng Yanchen's methods would be effective, and what other malicious tactics the industry association and competitors might employ.

The office was eerily quiet, save for the sound of Fan Shengmei's keyboard tapping echoing in the empty space. As she worked, she kept a close eye on her surroundings, silently praying that this workplace turmoil would subside as soon as possible.