Chapter 2: Dawn in the Darkness

Lin Yao sat in her cramped and cramped rental house, the dim light that was almost extinguished, just like her dim state of mind at the moment. There was a suffocating and oppressive atmosphere in the room, her face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were full of confusion and fear. She huddled herself in the corner of the shabby couch, as if that would create a fragile line of defense against an unknown storm. The anonymous letter in her hand was already soaked with sweat, and the edges of the crumpled paper were like her stumbling heart.

"Don't pursue it anymore, it's not good for you." These shocking words collided repeatedly in her mind, each time like a heavy hammer, making her already fragile spiritual defense almost collapse. She couldn't figure out how she had been caught up in this bottomless whirlpool, and how she could break free from this chilling predicament. The road ahead seemed to be wrapped in a thick fog that could not be dissolved, making her feel extremely lost and helpless.

Just when Lin Yao felt that she was about to be completely swallowed by despair, her mobile phone suddenly rang sharply in this deathly silent room, and the sudden and piercing ringtone instantly broke the creepy dead silence in the room. She trembled and stretched out her hand, its movements slow and stiff, as if she was desperately groping for the last straw in the dark abyss. When she saw the completely unfamiliar number displayed on the screen, her heart trembled, and countless terrifying possibilities flashed through her mind like fireworks. After hesitating, she bit her lip fiercely, as if with great determination, pressed the answer button.

"Hello?" Lin Yao's voice trembled, and every byte seemed to be torn out from the depths of his soul.

"Lin Yao, it's me, Shen Yi." A gentle and magnetic voice came from the other end of the phone, like a stream breaking the ice in spring, but it was difficult to set off too much waves in Lin Yao's heart at the moment.

Lin Yao's heart instantly swelled up with doubts, she desperately salvaged in the deep sea of memory, trying to find a trace of this name, but found that her mind was barren. "Shen Yi? I don't seem to know you. Her voice was full of vigilance, like a frightened hedgehog.

"We met at the industry exchange meeting, and I deeply sympathize with your experience and sincerely admire your fearless courage. I think I have what it takes to help you get out of this situation. Shen Yi's voice was calm and sincere, as if it carried some kind of mysterious magic.

A faint glimmer of hope ignited in Lin Yao's heart, but it was completely extinguished by the surging wave of doubt in an instant. After years of fumbling around in this financial world full of deceit and conspiracy traps, she has long been afraid to easily surrender her trust to anyone. "Why are you helping me? This is not a trivial matter that can be meddled in at will, and it is likely to bring you ruin. Her voice was resolute and sharp, as if she was forcing Shen Yi to give a reason that would convince her completely.

Shen Yi smiled lightly, and the laughter came through the phone, which miraculously made Lin Yao's tense nerves relax a little. "For I believe that justice endures, and that you are innocent. Besides, I'm a bit of a mere no-brainer in the financial world, and I've accumulated some contacts and resources that may be able to find some key clues for you. His tone was as firm as a rock, unquestionable, making Lin Yao shake a little at that moment.

Lin Yao was silent, and the room was once again swallowed by a chilling silence. There is a raging battle going on inside her, with a desperate desire for unknown help on one side and an instinctive fear of potential danger on the other. After a long time, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, and said slowly: "Okay, thank you." "

The next day, the sun struggled to penetrate the thick iron curtain clouds and stingy on the corners of the city. Lin Yao and Shen Yi met at a quiet café hidden on the corner. The café has a retro décor and the aroma of coffee fills the air, making it feel like a sanctuary in the hustle and bustle of the world. Shen Yi was wearing a suit, and his straight posture showed his extraordinary temperament. His eyes are as deep as the sea, as if he can see the secrets of all things in the world.

Shen Yi saw Lin Yao walking in a little cramped, got up with a smile, and gentlemanly pulled out a chair for her. Lin Yao sat down apprehensively, and her eyes were instantly attracted by a thick folder that Shen Yi had placed on the table.

"This is the background information about your company that I have gathered for you through many channels, and it may be helpful to you." Shen Yi said slowly, gently pushing the folder in front of Lin Yao.

Lin Yao's hands trembled slightly and took the folder, and slowly opened it with an almost pilgrimage mood. She flipped through the pages carefully, and the surprise in her eyes intensified. The information covers many of the company's hidden confidential transaction records, the intricate cobweb-like relationships between senior executives, and some obscure and suspicious patterns of capital flows. "These materials are simply a send-off, thank you so much, Shen Yi." Lin Yao raised her head, her eyes full of tears of gratitude, shining.

In the days that followed, Shen Yi and Lin Yao worked hand in hand to dig deep into the shocking secrets hidden behind the company. They haunt secluded corners of libraries, immersed in mountains of financial regulations and cases, while secretly interacting with industry veterans in an attempt to dissect the company's seemingly impregnable financial fortress from a variety of tricky angles.

They were shocked to find that the company's financial black hole was far deeper and darker than Lin Yao had originally envisioned. Not only are there large-scale and mysterious illegal capital flows, but there are also inextricable and shady collusions with some hidden illegal forces. Each new and astonishing discovery is like a bombshell, setting off waves in their hearts, and at the same time making their determination to uncover the truth as unbreakable as steel.

However, their intensive investigation did not escape the vigilance of those who cared about it. One day, Lin Yao finished her exhausting work as usual and walked home with heavy steps. When she turned into the familiar streets and alleys and saw the scene in front of her house from a distance, the whole person was like a thunderbolt and stood on the spot. Her front was splashed with bloody, shocking paint, and the pungent smell of chemicals filled the air around her with disgusting odors. On the mottled wall, the word "warning" was written in a crooked, toothy and clawed font, and the malicious intent revealed in the handwriting seemed to break through the wall and devour Lin Yao alive.

Lin Yao's heart instantly beat like a drum, and fear instantly flooded her reason like a tide. With trembling hands, she took out her mobile phone from her bag, and almost dialed Shen Yi's number with a crying voice. "Shen Yi, my doorstep... Paint was splashed, and there were threatening words. Her voice was shattered, as if it was going to be shattered in the next second.

Shen Yi rushed to the scene as fast as he could, and when he saw the chaos in front of him, his face was instantly gloomy as ink. "Don't be afraid, Lin Yao, this is just a desperate dog jumping off the wall. This just shows that we are infinitely close to the truth, which deeply pierces their vital point. Shen Yi hugged Lin Yao tightly, trying to warm her fear-soaked body and mind with her body heat.

Under Shen Yi's relief, Lin Yao's mood gradually stabilized, but since then, she has been like a frightened bird, any bit of wind and grass, any unfamiliar sound or figure, can make her fall into extreme panic in an instant.

In order to ensure Lin Yao's personal safety, Shen Yi used his connections to arrange for her to temporarily live in the idle house of a friend of his. There, although Lin Yao felt relatively safe, the anxiety in her heart increased day by day, like an invisible mountain, which overwhelmed her.

They did not stop for a moment, and continued to peel off the cocoon in the vast clues, not letting go of any subtle clues. Countless hours in the dead of night, under the dim light, they were engrossed in analyzing every piece of information they had painstakingly collected, and fiercely discussing the next course of action.

At the same time, in the process of facing many difficulties and dangers and threats to life and death together, the emotions between them are also quietly heating up. Shen Yi's delicate care and fearless courage are like spring breeze and rain, nourishing Lin Yao's scarred heart; And Lin Yao's perseverance and persistent belief also made Shen Yi deeply impressed, and he felt pity and respect.

During a seemingly ordinary but mysterious visit, they unexpectedly catch a crucial clue, and then find a key witness. This witness, who was a key member of the company's core finance department, was ruthlessly dismissed for inadvertently breaking into the company's ulterior activities. He has in his hands enough ironclad evidence to put the mastermind behind the company into a place of no return, but because he has lived in the shadow of fear of reprisals for a long time, he has been hiding in the dark corners of the city, and he does not dare to show his face easily.

Lin Yao and Shen Yi went through a lot of hardships, and through layers of inquiry, they finally locked down the hiding place of the witness. They arrived at a dilapidated old neighborhood and knocked apprehensively on the crumbling door of the witness.

The witness cautiously opened a crack in the door, and when he saw Lin Yao and Shen Yi standing outside the door, his eyes were instantly filled with fear and hesitation. "You guys go quickly, I don't know anything, I don't want to get involved in this right and wrong, I don't want to get into trouble." As he spoke, the witness tried to slam the door shut.

Lin Yao's eyes were quick, and he used his body to resist the door that was about to close, and begged with tears in his eyes: "Please, be merciful, help us." If you choose to remain silent at this moment, many more innocent people will suffer. "

Shen Yi also said earnestly on the side: "Please trust us, we will do our best to protect your personal safety." As long as you stand up bravely and tell the truth, justice will be served and evil will be punished. "

After a long and patient persuasion, the witness's heart was finally shaken. In the face of their sincerity and persistence, the witness's long-frozen heart gradually melted, and finally nodded and agreed to help them.

With the strong testimony of witnesses, Lin Yao and Shen Yi seemed to see the dawn of victory in the darkness. But they all knew in their hearts that the real battle was yet to come. The evil forces hidden in the depths of darkness will never give up, and they must muster up 120,000 spirits and deal with every possible crisis cautiously, so that there is a glimmer of hope to win the final victory in this thrilling financial dark war.