The heartbeat sounded exceptionally loud in the darkness.
Through the cracks of the cabinet, a beam of light pierced in as the power was restored and the office lights came back on.
Outside was dead silent, the group seemed to have left. Yuan Luoyi could not be certain, and for her safety, she could not rashly open the cabinet.
Su Xun's tears kept falling on Yuan Luoyi's arm, feeling warm.
For the 12-year-old Su Xun, this was too terrifying and sorrowful an experience. The only thing she could do was obey Teacher Su's last words and remain silent.
After an unknown period of time, the roar of a cleaning machine sounded from outside, accompanied by female chatter.
"Want to go out for a gathering after getting off work tonight?"
"Nah, I've already bought some carp. Tonight I must stew it into soup."
Hearing the cleaning ladies' chat, Yuan Luoyi confirmed that those people had truly left. She carefully pushed open the cabinet and crawled out.
Looking around, Teacher Su was nowhere to be seen. The office was brightly lit, the trophies neatly arranged on the cabinet, as if nothing had happened.
Su Xun could no longer hold back and squatted down, burying her face in her arms as she sobbed. After a while, as if remembering something, she abruptly stood up and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
She ran towards the stack of files and began rummaging through them: "It's gone! It's really gone!"
Yuan Luoyi asked, "What's gone?"
Su Xun stared at Yuan Luoyi with reddened eyes.
They were the most familiar of opponents. Su Xun knew Yuan Luoyi was different from the other members of the Yuan family. Yuan Luoyi would cry in the bathroom, and when she saw bullied students, she would calmly walk past, indirectly helping them.
Now that her aunt was gone, Su Xun couldn't be a child anymore.
She had to find a way out for the Su family, or else everyone would be killed...
Step by step, Su Xun approached Yuan Luoyi, her gaze sorrowful yet unyielding like a wildflower sprouting from a crevice.
She said, "From the day I was born, all the adults have told me that the Yuan family supported the Su family, then destroyed the Su family with their own hands. We are the discarded pawns, and we must take revenge."
She stopped in front of Yuan Luoyi. "I can tell you the secret of the Su family. Can you help me?"
Yuan Luoyi pondered. The brazen killing of people in public, the ability to turn off the power and cameras—it was similar to the previous incident and the true culprit's modus operandi.
From Su Xun's words, it seemed the true culprit this time was after Teacher Su and had taken important files. Teacher Su must have uncovered the true culprit's identity, resulting in her murder.
Looking at Su Xun, the once proud girl now trembled, her face still streaked with tears.
Reaching out, Yuan Luoyi gently embraced Su Xun. "Don't be afraid. I'll help you. You won't be killed."
Unable to hold back, tears welled up in Su Xun's eyes. She took a deep breath to compose herself, then sat down with Yuan Luoyi and began narrating slowly.
"The one currently in power in the Yuan family is your elder brother Yuan Ao. Everyone knows his style of doing things—he rewards and punishes clearly. Becoming his enemy results in a miserable fate, but becoming his friend means gaining the Yuan family's protection. Everyone wants to win his favor."
"Previously, your father Yuan Chan was in power. He had no interest in business and basically didn't manage things. He was a very lenient person; even if you offended him, as long as you apologized properly, there would be no issue."
"Going back further, there was your grandfather Yuan Jianghai..."
At this point, Su Xun shuddered. "He was a terrifying man..."
Su Xun sank into recollection. As time flowed mercilessly, people would die, evidence would disappear, but the sorrowful history would be passed down orally.
The Su couple was initially middle-class. They had worked at a major corporation for over a decade, saving some money and developing their own ideas.
So they wrote a project proposal and anxiously mailed it to the top tycoon Yuan Jianghai, hoping for investment from the Yuan family. Their goal was to secure an initial capital of around 5 million yuan.
A few days later, a reply letter overjoyed the Su couple, keeping them awake all night.
Yuan Jianghai was willing to meet them, which meant they might receive an investment of over 100 million yuan!
At dawn, they donned their prepared documents and boarded the Yuan family's car, arriving at the Yuan residence to meet Yuan Jianghai.
Due to his increasingly severe spinal condition, Yuan Jianghai could no longer walk and was confined to a wheelchair. His skin had a sickly pallor, almost devoid of color, and his frail frame resembled a withered pine tree.
His features were exquisite and handsome, yet possessed an eerie, sinister aura, like a beautiful, prematurely deceased corpse.
When Yuan Jianghai's gaze fell upon the Su couple, they instinctively recoiled, his eyes icy cold and devoid of emotion as he silently scrutinized them, making them feel tense.
Yuan Jianghai smiled faintly, instantly dissipating the tense atmosphere. He appeared revitalized, like a composed elder in a household, both affable and approachable.
"Tap, tap!"
His slender fingers rapped the armrest, and well-dressed male servants promptly came forth, bringing chairs for the Su couple.
Yuan Jianghai said, "Please, have a seat. I'm very interested in your project. Today is entirely for you."
His voice was light, like the hissing of a venomous snake.
The Su couple sat down.
"Swish!"
The papers were carelessly flipped open as Yuan Jianghai skimmed through them swiftly. "You two are data analysts, so..."
The Su family's patriarch, Su Jiejian, excitedly stood up.
"Mr. Yuan! The insurance industry urgently needs to introduce data analysis systems! We will analyze the types of takeout people order, the time they exercise daily, and the pollution levels of their work environments to calculate their probability of developing serious illnesses! Based on this, we can determine how much they should pay for health insurance!"
After Su Jiejian finished shouting, he realized how rude his behavior had been. He had interrupted Yuan Jianghai's speech and went on a lengthy tangent.
Oh no, this was bad.
Yuan Jianghai was known in the industry as the "Tyrant." Each of his actions was like a cruel catastrophe. Many people who had never provoked the Yuan family were driven to bankruptcy. People could only silently pray they wouldn't be the next to fall.
Now Su Jiejian had likely angered him. He anxiously observed Yuan Jianghai's expression.
Yuan Jianghai's expression remained the same as before, a half-smile on his face. He extended his hand in a welcoming gesture and said, "The young are always brimming with energy, which is excellent. However, Mr. Su, please take a seat. We have much to discuss today."
With his face flushed slightly from embarrassment, Su Jiejian sat back down in his chair. His wife secretly kicked him under the table, reminding him to mind his posture and bearing.
"Bang!"
The door swung open, and a handsome young man strode in. He appeared to be in his twenties, towering at over two meters tall, with a broad chest puffed out like an eagle's. Every step he took exuded stability and strength.
He radiated power, poise, and vigor, like a proud and graceful young stallion. Even Su Jiejian, despite being a man himself, could feel the young man's charisma.
Upon seeing him, Yuan Jianghai's previously cold gaze softened slightly. He called out, "Chan, where are you headed? Today's project holds great potential. It's an opportune time for you to learn about business operations. Come, join me here."
