The Dangerous Discovery
Song Rui sat in a dimly lit café, gripping a cup of cold coffee she had long forgotten about.
Outside, the city was alive. Neon signs flickered, car horns blared, and distant conversations blended into a familiar urban hum. Inside, the atmosphere was different—quiet, save for the occasional clatter of plates and the hum of the espresso machine behind the counter.
Her laptop screen was the only source of light at her corner table, casting a bluish glow on her tense face.
The email arrived two hours ago.
The sender? X.
The subject line? "You were right."
She had hesitated before clicking. For weeks, X had been feeding her breadcrumbs, guiding her through a tangled mess of half-truths and buried stories. But this time, it wasn't just a hint.
This was a bombshell.
A folder containing financial records, transaction histories, and the thing that had made her heart slam against her ribs—
A video.
Her cursor hovered over the file name.
She exhaled sharply, stealing a glance at the other patrons. No one was watching her. Good.
Then, she clicked.
The footage was grainy, black and white, likely from a hidden camera. The angle was off, but she could still recognize the two figures seated in an upscale, private lounge.
One was Lin Cheng.
The other was a man she didn't recognize—middle-aged, wearing an expensive suit, the kind of person who didn't need to speak to be powerful.
The audio crackled before settling.
"Thirty million. It's done."
Lin Cheng's voice, was smooth as ever, but lacking its usual warmth.
"No loose ends?"
"Handled. No one will talk."
The other man nodded, expression unreadable.
"And the journalist?"
Song Rui's stomach twisted.
Lin Cheng tilted his head slightly. Smiled.
"Leave that to me."
The video cut to black.
She stared at the screen, feeling the weight of those words sink into her bones.
She knew Lin Cheng was dangerous. She had suspected this for months, even years. But suspecting something and seeing it confirmed were two entirely different things.
She wasn't just dealing with a man who covered up scandals.
She was dealing with a man who eliminated threats.
And she had just made herself his biggest one.
Song Rui swallowed against the knot in her throat.
Her fingers, still trembling, moved fast—saving multiple copies of the file.
One on her external hard drive.One on the cloud.One on a hidden drive that even she had trouble accessing.
Lin Cheng was good at making things disappear.
But not this time.
Her phone vibrated against the table. She flinched before glancing at the screen.
A new email.
From X.
"Now you know. But knowing is dangerous. Move carefully."
Careful?
It was too late for care.
She was past the point of no return.
Lin Cheng had spent years untouchable, slipping past scandals and silencing threats.
But this time, he had made a mistake.
This time, Song Rui was going to make sure the world saw him for what he was.
And no amount of power or influence was going to save him.
She exhaled and reached for her phone. Time to call Xiang Zhen—her boss, her only real ally in this.
But before she could dial, her phone screen flickered.
Her breath hitched.
The signal bar dropped.
Then, a notification.
"Unknown Device Attempting Access to Your System."
What—?
Her heart pounded. Someone was trying to hack her.
She slammed her laptop shut, yanking out the external hard drive. Without wasting a second, she stuffed everything into her bag, grabbed her phone, and stood up.
Too late.
A man in a dark suit was already walking toward her.
Her instincts screamed: RUN.
Song Rui turned sharply, heading for the café's back exit.
Footsteps quickened behind her.
She didn't look back. She shoved past tables, ignoring the startled glances from other patrons.
One door. Just make it through one door.
She burst through the exit, the cold night air hitting her like a slap.
Keep moving. Don't stop.
The alley was dimly lit, the street just ahead. If she could just make it—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
Her breath caught.
She whipped around, swinging her bag. It connected with her attacker's arm, knocking him off balance just enough for her to break free.
She ran.
Her lungs burned as she dodged past pedestrians, pushing through the crowded street.
A car honked, screeching to a stop as she darted across the road.
She could still hear them behind her.
One man. No, two.
They were following her.
She turned into another alley, her mind racing.
Where to go? Who to call?
Then—
A motorcycle.
A rider, helmeted, and dressed in black, waiting at the alley entrance.
The hairs on her arms rose.
Planted. Waiting for her.
A setup.
Lin Cheng had planned this.
He had known she was getting close.
He had been waiting.
She skidded to a stop, heart hammering.
No way forward. No way back.
Her hands scrambled for her phone.
She dialed Xiang Zhen.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—
"Rui?"
"Xiang Zhen," she gasped, "I have proof. I have everything. But they're—"
A second voice cut in.
Smooth. Calm. Familiar.
"Song Rui."
Her blood turned to ice.
Lin Cheng.
He had intercepted the call.
"You've been very busy," he continued, almost lazily. "But I warned you, didn't I? Some things are buried for a reason."
She turned, looking for an escape. Nothing.
"And yet, you kept digging."
She gritted her teeth. "I'm not afraid of you."
A chuckle.
"No. But you should be."
The rider revved the engine.
Song Rui ran.