Chapter 6

Han Xu and Xiao walked out of the elevator, laughing as they approached the president’s office.

Han Xu took a black access card edged in gold from his pocket—the card that signified the highest level of clearance—and held it to the reader.

Beep! “Insufficient access.”

The smile froze on Han Xu’s face.

Thinking the card hadn’t scanned properly, he pressed it against the reader again, harder.

Beep! “Insufficient access. This account has been deactivated.”

The hallway fell deathly silent.

Xiao’s expression changed, too. She tried scanning her card.

The same alert sounded.

Just as they stared at the reader in bewilderment, high heels began clicking against the carpet behind them.

I came out of the break room at the other end of the hall, holding a cup of freshly brewed Maojian.

“Those access cards aren’t working very well, are they?”

I blew gently across the tea leaves and spoke without a care.

Han Xu turned. Seeing me, he furrowed his brow.

But he quickly composed himself and returned to his refined manner.

“A Chi, what are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to take a taxi up from the foot of the mountain?”

He glanced down at the black-and-gold card in his hand and explained mildly,

“Administration must be upgrading the security system. There’s probably a glitch.”

Xiao regained her composure, stepped to the side, and pressed the intercom button on the wall.

“IT? Send Zhu Jingnian up here at once. The access-control system at the president’s office is malfunctioning.”

She released the button and turned to me, her eyes reproachful.

“Little sister, this is the executive wing. People with no business here aren’t allowed upstairs.”

“Can’t your three thousand in spending money cover a taxi? Do you need me to ask the driver to take you home?”

I ignored her charity and walked over to the genuine-leather sofa at the end of the hallway.

“Not in a hurry. You two can fix the door first.”

I set my teacup on the marble coffee table and folded my hands on my knees.

Less than five minutes later, IT director Zhu Jingnian came out of the elevator, clutching a laptop and sweating profusely.

He apologized repeatedly.

“President Han, Director Xiao, I’m very sorry. I’ll check it right away.”

He connected his computer to the access reader’s interface and began typing rapidly.

But as the minutes passed, Zhu Jingnian’s face grew paler and paler.

Sweat ran down his forehead, over his cheek, and dripped onto the keyboard. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to wipe it away.

“What’s taking so long? Is fixing an access-control system really that difficult?” Xiao urged impatiently. Her voice was soft but full of pressure.

Zhu Jingnian swallowed with difficulty and turned around, looking as if he’d seen a ghost.

“President Han… the system isn’t malfunctioning.”

He stammered.

“The platform’s source code has been locked.”

Han Xu froze.

“What do you mean? Who locked it?”

“The building’s security system, internal network, and even financial approval system have all been access-blocked under the highest-level credentials.”

Zhu Jingnian pointed with a trembling finger at a line of red code on the screen.

“The owner of this highest-level account is neither you nor the company.”

“It’s an independent trust account called the Nanshan Eleven Mountains Trust.”

At the name “Nanshan Eleven Mountains Trust,” Han Xu could no longer maintain his calm expression.

His pupils contracted, and he turned sharply to stare at me.

I leaned back on the sofa and met his gaze calmly. Then I pulled a file from my coat pocket.

It had been there for years, its edges yellowed with age.