CHAPTER 16: SMOKE AND MIRRORS

The boardroom was grand and imposing, lined with sleek glass panels and dark mahogany furniture. The air was thick with tension as the Lin Enterprises directors took their seats, shuffling papers, murmuring among themselves. At the head of the table sat Mr. Lin, expression unreadable. Mei Xing entered with a calm demeanor, sitting in her usual place near the end, while Mei Li walked in confidently with a thick folder in hand.

Madam Lin arrived moments later, nodding subtly to her daughter as if giving her silent approval.

"Let's begin," Mr. Lin announced. "Any proposals before we move to financial updates?"

Mei Li stood quickly, her heels clicking with purpose as she moved to the front.

"Yes, Father. I've come across a potential merger deal with YunTech Group. I believe it holds remarkable promise for our future expansions."

She handed out copies of the dummy proposal, then launched into her rehearsed pitch—flashing impressive numbers, bold projections, and future prospects. The board murmured in agreement, nodding at the attractive figures.

Mr. Lin flipped through the document, intrigued. "This… looks solid."

But just as the approval began to ripple across the room, Mei Xing stood up.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Father," she said, voice steady. "But I believe there are some inaccuracies in that proposal."

All eyes turned to her.

Mei Li's face tightened. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been reviewing YunTech's public financial disclosures," Mei Xing said, opening her folder. "And these figures do not match up. In fact, several statistics here are exaggerated—or outright false."

She handed out her comparison report, which clearly pointed out inflated projections and flawed revenue models in Mei Li's version.

A tense silence fell over the room as the directors began flipping through both files side by side.

Mr. Lin's brows furrowed. "These discrepancies… are serious."

Mei Li's face paled. "That's not possible. The data was… it was in the company records!"

Mei Xing's gaze didn't waver. "Exactly. Someone placed it there. But the original files—retrieved by Secretary Wu—tell a different story."

All heads turned toward Secretary Wu, who stood and confirmed Mei Xing's statement.

"The file Mei Li presented was not from our approved data sources," he said. "It was slipped into the review folder—intentionally."

Mr. Lin's eyes darkened as he looked toward his wife. "Is this true?"

Madam Lin's lips tightened. "Perhaps it was a miscommunication."

But the damage was done.

The board, once impressed, now wore expressions of doubt and concern. Mei Li fumbled for words, but none came. Her carefully woven illusion had been shattered.

After the meeting, Mei Xing stepped outside, exhaling slowly.

Zhao Chen joined her moments later. "You did it."

"Not yet," she said. "This was just smoke. Now, we find the fire."

Because the real enemy hadn't shown their face yet.

But she could feel them… lurking just beyond the mirror.