Chapter 77 Intervening Zhou Xubai heard her admit to loving Gu Qingyan...
Before any news from Xiaoyu could be heard, Lin Yuwei had already seen the headline on the news that sent chills down her spine.
The morning sun had not yet completely dispelled the chill of the night. The first thing Lin Yuwei did after waking up was to reach for her phone on the bedside table. As soon as her fingertips touched the screen to turn it on, several bold news headlines immediately caught her eye.
Breaking news! Tech upstart Venucia Technology embroiled in data breach scandal, suspected of illegal transactions involving the privacy of millions of users!
Exclusive exposé: The black market supply chain beneath Venucia Technology's 'innovation' facade?
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has issued an urgent response: It has taken note of the situation regarding Venucia Technology and will severely punish those responsible if the allegations are verified!
Lin Yuwei's sleepiness vanished instantly, and she sat bolt upright in bed. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she clicked on the link. The report was extremely detailed and sensational, filled with so-called "internal evidence" and "anonymous leaks," directly accusing Qichen of illegally collecting and trading user data by using its technological advantages.
What chilled her to the bone even more was that the article implied throughout that the founder, Gu Qingyan, was ruthless and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
The comment section was already flooded with cries of "heartless company" and "must be severely punished." Although the stock market had not yet opened, anyone could foresee the tragic collapse of Venucia's stock price.
Lin Yuwei forced herself to read through the comments one by one, the unfounded accusations and vicious insults making her face grow increasingly pale. But she knew better than anyone that Gu Qingyan would never do such a thing.
She understood him—the man with an almost obsessive pursuit of technology, who could stay up all night for a single code detail, and who could scrap and redo an algorithm more than ten times for an optimization. He might be stubborn, decisive in the business world, and rumored to be ruthless in the workplace, but it was precisely this pride belonging to a technical genius that would never allow him to cross such a bottom line.
Because she knew his character so well, Lin Yuwei was particularly angry about these unfounded slanders. This was clearly a premeditated attack, a frame-up caused by Qichen's rapid development encroaching on other people's interests.
Lin Yuwei thought about everything Gu Qingyan was about to face: being condemned by everyone, his business partners turning against him, and his years of hard work hanging in the balance... She felt a suffocating heartache and immediately dialed Gu Qingyan's number.
"Hello, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."
She then called Xiaoyu: "Xiaoyu! Have you seen the news? Venucia Technology is in trouble. Can you get in touch with Engineer Zhang...?"
"Sister Weiwei! I saw it!" Xiaoyu said, her voice trembling with tears. "I called Engineer Zhang so many times, but I couldn't get through."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yuwei sat on the edge of the bed, her heart pounding like a drum. The vicious headlines on the screen kept flashing by, and the thought of Gu Qingyan facing all of this alone made her even more uneasy.
She wanted to contact him again, but stopped herself. Words of comfort were too weak, and Gu Qingyan had repeatedly avoided her questions about their relationship on Christmas Eve, clearly unwilling to drag her into the vortex. Going there rashly now might not only fail to see him, but could also distract him.
Especially at times like these, it's crucial not to panic.
Lin Yuwei took a deep breath and told herself that she had to calm down and think about how she could truly help him.
She forced herself to remain calm as she arrived at the studio. After arranging her work as usual, she began to sort out the connections that could help Gu Qingyan. At this moment, Zhou Xubai knocked on the door and came in. Since he had his own office, the two had rarely met.
He closed the door behind him, his expression grave: "Have you seen the news about Venustech?"
Lin Yuwei, unaware of his purpose, simply nodded gently: "I saw it."
“The actual situation may be even worse than reported.” Zhou Xubai lowered his voice: “I have received information that Yinke has terminated its cooperation with Qichen, and major clients such as Huaxun and Dafeng are issuing statements to urgently distance themselves from the company.”
"Business cooperation is inherently profit-driven, so this doesn't prove anything," Lin Yuwei said calmly as she organized the documents.
Zhou Xubai continued, "But I heard that the provincial government has even sent people to Qichen Technology. I've seen some of the evidence; it looks very real." He paused, "Maybe Gu Qingyan really did it. It's incredible that someone without connections could achieve this scale in just a few years; there must be some shady dealings behind it..."
“He won’t.” Lin Yuwei’s calm expression finally wavered, her voice low but firm: “I know him. He does crave success, but he would never break the law.”
“People change as they struggle in the business world. Yuwei, the person you know is the one who hasn’t yet entered society.”
“I believe he hasn’t changed.” Lin Yuwei raised her head, her gaze firm: “I know his character better than anyone else.”
Zhou Xubai's expression suddenly turned serious: "You...you're not thinking of interfering in this matter, are you?"
Lin Yuwei did not answer, but her determined gaze said it all.
Zhou Xubai suddenly stood up: "Are you crazy? Just because you love him? Has love made you lose your mind? Right now, all companies are distancing themselves from Qichen, and you insist on jumping into a fire pit? If the allegations in the report are true, have you thought about the consequences? Gu Qingyan will not only go bankrupt and be in debt, but he may also spend the rest of his life in jail!"
His voice was filled with suppressed emotion: "Yuwei, I'm begging you. I admit, I still love you, and I've never stopped. So I absolutely cannot stand by and watch you jump into the fire! If you step forward now, not only will you not be able to save him, but you'll also ruin yourself and Shiguang! Over the past two years, we've all witnessed how much effort you've put into building Shiguang. From a small team of only three people to what we are now recognized in the industry, every project and every client was earned by you and everyone else bit by bit. If we make the wrong decision now, everything will be over!"
“I haven’t lost my mind. I truly believe he didn’t do such a thing.” Lin Yuwei also stood up and looked at him. “You’re right, I love him. Precisely because I love him, I can’t stand idly by at this time. If I were the one in this predicament today, would you be indifferent? Xu Bai, if you’re afraid of being implicated, you can back out now.”
When Zhou Xubai heard her admit to loving Gu Qingyan, his eyes immediately fell.
After a long silence, he asked softly, "Okay, I understand. Is there anything I can do for you? Please don't hesitate to ask."
Lin Yuwei shook her head: "Thank you, but I haven't decided yet. Right now, the more money the better. You can ask your friends if anyone is interested in buying the works I have in the exhibition room."
"You want to sell those exhibits?" Zhou Xubai looked at her in shock: "When we were setting up the studio, we didn't have enough money, and you never even thought about selling them. Now, for Gu Qingyan, you..." Seeing her resolute expression, he knew that it would be futile to persuade her further, so he could only nod: "Okay, I'll ask around for you."
After Zhou Xubai left, Lin Yuwei didn't hesitate for a moment. She quickly walked back to her desk and took out a blank A4 sheet of paper from the drawer. The pen tip touched the paper, making a scratching sound that was particularly clear in the quiet room. At this moment, the chaotic emotions in her mind had been completely suppressed, leaving only absolutely calm strategic analysis.
The first step, a life-or-death step, was the funding she had discussed with Zhou Xubai. She had to raise a huge amount of cash as quickly as possible. With Qichen Technology's stock price crashing, Gu Qingyan and her team were barely surviving, and a large number of shares were flooding the market. If this incident was orchestrated by someone, they would never let go of this golden opportunity to buy shares at a low price and gain control of Qichen Technology. Even if Gu Qingyan could clear his name, he would lose the technological empire he had built.
Lin Yuwei had to act before her rivals lurking in the shadows and acquire all the available shares of Venustech from the reverse.
She quickly listed all her assets that could be readily converted into cash on a piece of paper. Her downtown apartment, which could be put up for immediate sale, would bring in at least 3 million. All her wealth management and fixed-term deposits in the bank, and... She looked out the window toward the studio exhibition area, where there were seven or eight collectible works and award-winning designs that she treasured and had never thought of selling. Adding them together, she could raise at least 30 million.
The thought of handing over her beloved work to someone else made Lin Yuwei feel as if she were being gently pricked in the heart with a needle. She sighed silently, and then her eyes returned to their coldness. Saving lives was the priority, and there was no room for any lingering feelings.
Her second step was to leverage all her connections to stabilize Venustech's existing partners. There's a vivid analogy in the startup world: funding is the lifeblood of a company, while projects are its skeleton. Once the skeleton crumbles, even the largest business will collapse instantly.
Several names flashed through Lin Yuwei's mind: the heads of companies that had close ties with "Shiguang" and whose businesses were deeply intertwined with Qichen's. She needed to speak with them immediately, and if necessary, visit them in person. Her core objective was singular: to persuade them not to terminate their collaborative projects with Qichen Technology.
Lin Yuwei was quite confident about this step. Most of the clients who had worked with "Shiguang" had become her friends. Of course, when it came to significant interests, persuasion couldn't rely solely on emotional appeals. Personal relationships and saving face were merely prerequisites for getting them to sit down and listen to her. What truly convinced them to press the pause button was a calm and clear analysis of the pros and cons.
She will explain a core principle to them: if Venustech collapses, their ongoing projects will be immediately shelved, and their initial investments will be lost. Conversely, if they are willing to lend a helping hand now, they will not only reap commercial returns and strategic loyalty far exceeding expectations in the future, but most importantly, Lin Yuwei is willing to use her personal reputation and "Shiguang" resources to provide risk guarantees for their decision to "provide timely help."
Lin Yuwei put down her pen and slowly sat up straight.
If the first two steps were to build a defensive line for Venustech to protect itself, then the next two steps will be her sharp counterattack to pierce through the fog and strike at the throat of the mastermind behind the scenes.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuwei's charming eyes turned sharp as a knife.
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Author's Note: Haha, Weiwei is going to become a major shareholder of Venucia Technology! [Dog emoji] Hey, don't call her love-struck!
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