The game of chess in disarray
The phone screen went dark, but the warning message remained like a hot branding iron, imprinted on Shi Xu's mind.
"What's wrong?" Yunxi noticed the momentary pause in his breathing and leaned closer to ask in a low voice. Her voice was very close, with warm breath that brushed against his ear almost imperceptibly.
Shi Xu calmly put away his phone, the streetlights casting shadows on his sharply defined face. "Nothing, just spam." He paused, then handed her the simply designed business card. "Keep this safe. Before we make a decision, it's the most crucial key, and perhaps..." He looked at her intently, "...the most dangerous trigger."
Yunxi took the business card, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against his slightly cool knuckles, and both of them paused. She quickly tucked the card deep into her pocket, as if that could hide the inexplicable flutter in her heart from just now.
Returning to their small, rented apartment, which served as both their residence and studio, the atmosphere was completely different from when they left. Five hours earlier, it had been filled with a sense of desperate urgency; now, a sudden investment and a mysterious warning had cast a more complex shadow over it.
"Check." Shi Xu took off his coat, casually draped it over the back of his chair, and walked straight to his computer desk, speaking concisely.
No further explanation was needed; Yunxi had already naturally sat down in front of her computer, the screen lit up, and the blue fluorescent light reflected on her focused profile. They didn't even need to look at each other; their actions were perfectly synchronized.
The sound of keyboards clapping filled the quiet room, like a silent concerto, each player the only listener to the other.
Time slipped away in the silent investigation. Outside the window, the city lights gradually came on, forming a dazzling river of light, but they couldn't penetrate the room filled with data and doubts.
The timeline's objective is clear: Lin Feng, and Lin's Venture Capital. He dives into the deep ocean of data, where fragments of information, like scattered puzzle pieces, gradually piece together the image of an "elegant predator."
Meanwhile, Yunxi's fingers danced across the keyboard, tracking the ghost of that text message. Several times she nearly caught it, only to be cleverly evaded. Her brow furrowed, a mixture of excitement and wariness at encountering a true adversary welling up within her, and she subconsciously bit her lower lip.
"I've made a discovery." Shi Xu suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse from prolonged concentration.
Shi Xu immediately looked up. The cold light from the screen reflected in his eyes, making them appear exceptionally deep. He pointed to the complex equity penetration diagram: "One of Lin Feng's shell companies was a secret shareholder of a downstream supplier of the Shi family three years ago. After that supplier was kicked out due to 'quality issues,' causing the Yun family project to be delayed, the shell company was quickly deregistered."
"Is he targeting the Shi family? Are we just tools he's using to attack the Shi family?" Yunxi's voice carried a barely perceptible tension.
“Very likely.” Shi Xu’s gaze never left the screen, his tone as calm as if he were analyzing code. “But he chose us not just because we share the surname Yun. We are a blade in his hand… perfectly honed, and with a natural rift to the Yun family.” When he said “blade,” he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, with a cold appreciation.
Just then, Cloud Gap's computer emitted a soft beep. The tracking results pinpointed an abandoned industrial area on the city's outskirts.
"The sender was very professional, leaving no trace. The signal eventually disappeared in the old industrial area," she reported, her tone tinged with resentment yet also understanding. "That's not Shi Zhiyuan's style."
The clues seemed to have gone cold, yet they also seemed to point to something deeper.
Shi Xu leaned back in his chair, his long, slender fingers rubbing his temples. The sheer volume of information and the processor's low rumble gave him a throbbing headache and a slight dizziness.
Suddenly, a glass of warm water was placed beside him. He looked up and met Yunxi's gaze. She didn't speak; the warm yellow light of the desk lamp outlined her soft features, creating a strange contrast with the cold code on the screen. She simply looked at him, her eyes holding a clear question and a silent support.
He took the water glass, the perfect warmth emanating from his fingertips, contrasting with her slightly cool touch. He took a sip, the warm water sliding down his dry throat, strangely soothing the discomfort somewhat.
He looked out the window at the vast sea of lights, his gaze finally settling on the prominent logo of the Yun Group building in the distance, his eyes regaining their sharpness and clarity.
“We need to hire a lawyer, and the contract must be carefully reviewed.” He put down his water glass, his voice regaining its usual calm. “But at the same time, we need to prepare a ‘Plan B’.”
"Plan B?"
“A core technical architecture completely independent of Lin Feng’s funding.” Shi Xu’s eyes gleamed with the light of calculation, like the brightest star. “Since he might want to use us as a tool, we must ensure that the handle of this tool is always in our own hands. Even if one day in the future he withdraws all support, we can still start from scratch with the core code.”
Yunxi instantly understood his meaning. This was a worst-case scenario, preserving the last embers of hope. She nodded vigorously, her eyes rekindling the same fighting spirit as his: "Okay!"
Just then, Shixu's phone vibrated again. It was still the same unfamiliar number, with a shorter message and a commanding tone.
Shi Xu glanced at the text message, a faint yet chilling smile slowly curving his lips. He turned his phone screen towards the clouds, the movement as natural as if he had rehearsed it countless times.
"It seems our 'friends' can't wait any longer."
Yunxi glanced at the screen, then looked up at him. In the instant their eyes met, no words were needed; a silent understanding of "facing it together" was formed in the air. Outside the window, the city continued its bustling traffic, while in this small apartment, a game of chess revolving around capital, technology, and the past was unfolding. But this time, the player had his most trusted companion by his side.
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