Lin Nian'an never trusted silence.
Not in her office, where deals could die between sentences. Not in the boardroom, where silence often meant someone was plotting. And especially not when standing in the penthouse apartment of Gu Chenyan, the man who had once held her heart like a loaded gun.
Tonight, that silence stretched between them like a wire pulled tight.
Gu Chenyan leaned against the edge of his glass desk, arms crossed, gaze fixed on her like he was trying to read thoughts she hadn't yet formed. He was wearing a dark cashmere sweater, sleeves pushed to his elbows, silver hair tousled like he hadn't bothered pretending to sleep.
"Jiawei's offer," he said. "You're really considering it."
"I'm not in the habit of turning away power," Lin Nian'an replied. "Especially when I'm this close to bleeding out."
He nodded slowly. "She doesn't offer power without a price."
"I know. That's why I'm negotiating the terms before I sign away my soul."
Gu Chenyan straightened up. "Then let me be there when you meet her next."
She raised a brow. "Since when do you need an invitation?"
"Since it became obvious that people around you are playing by rules you never agreed to."
Lin Nian'an exhaled slowly. Her instincts were flaring—torn between protecting her independence and recognizing that Gu Chenyan had already thrown himself into her war without waiting for permission.
"She's not the only one circling," she said. "The Ministry is sniffing around the AI surveillance project again. If they move to regulate our division, it'll shut down the entire platform."
"That's what Jiawei's trying to 'help' with, isn't it?"
"Yes. She has political connections I don't."
"And she's going to leverage them to bind you."
She smirked, tired. "I don't bind easily."
He stepped closer, voice low. "You're walking into a different kind of battlefield now. This isn't about product launches or IPOs. It's about which side of the line you draw your allegiance on."
"And you?" she asked. "Where's your line drawn?"
He didn't hesitate. "Wherever you are."
That silenced her more than any accusation ever could.
The next morning, Lin Nian'an walked into the LanTech boardroom with her armor fully fastened: white silk blouse, tailored high-waisted slacks, and an expression that said
kill first, ask later.
Around the oval table sat the usua
l suspects: corporate veterans, silent investors, and two new faces—one of whom belonged to the person she least expected.
Zhao Ruixian.
She hadn't seen her in years.
Ruixian had once been LanTech's youngest department head before jumping ship for a foreign tech conglomerate. She had vanished into Europe and returned now… with board voting rights?
She met Lin Nian'an's gaze with a cold smile.
"Well, if it isn't the Iron Lady herself," Ruixian drawled. "I must say, Nian'an, you've done wonders with the company. Though it seems the walls are starting to show cracks."
Lin Nian'an sat. "Better to have cracks than to be hollow inside."
Ruixian chuckled. "Touché."
The board meeting proceeded, but Nian'an barely heard the numbers. Her eyes kept flicking to Ruixian, who now had the full support of an international investment group. She wasn't just here to spectate.
She was here to take something.
After the meeting adjourned, Lin Nian'an cornered her in the hallway.
"You didn't come to reminisce," she said flatly.
"No," Ruixian replied, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "I came because Chenghua is vulnerable. And I like opportunities."
"You're working with Jiawei."
Ruixian's lips curled. "You really are sharp."
"She's using you to destabilize the board."
"Wrong. I'm using her to get a seat at the head table. And unlike some people," her tone sharpened, "I don't have old flames clouding my judgment."
Lin Nian'an smiled without warmth. "Don't mistake silence for weakness, Ruixian. I don't need to raise my voice to end careers."
"We'll see."
Later that day, at an upscale restaurant where even the silence seemed expensive, Lin Nian'an met with Wei Jia.
She arrived on time, of course. Dressed in a backless crimson gown, with her coat draped over one arm like a cape. If Lin Nian'an looked like the CEO of a rising tech empire, Wei Jia looked like she owned every room she stepped into and didn't bother to ask permission.
"I brought documents," Lin Nian'an said without preamble.
"I brought wine," Wei Jia replied, lifting a bottle of red so old the dust still clung to it. "Shall we?"
"Cut to the deal."
Wei Jia poured slowly, then leaned back. "The government committee wants an AI oversight liaison. I can get you the seat."
"What do you want in return?"
"Joint rights on the SmartCity project. My firm handles the infrastructure contracts. You handle the tech."
Lin Nian'an didn't blink. "You want access to our full AI neural grid."
"I want to help build the future," Wei Jia said smoothly. "Besides, we both know it's the next trillion-dollar battlefield. Better to fight on the same side."
Lin Nian'an narrowed her eyes. "And what side is that, exactly?"
Wei Jia sipped her wine. "The one that wins."
That night, Gu Chenyan read the agreement she brought back.
"She wants everything," he said. "This isn't a partnership. It's annexation."
Lin Nian'an leaned against the window. "If I say no, she backs Ruixian. If I say yes, I lose part of my autonomy."
"Then you find a third option."
She turned. "And what would that be?"
He met her gaze. "You create your own board faction. Buy out the weak hands. Force a vote."
She blinked. "You want a proxy war?"
"You've been fighting silent battles long enough. Maybe it's time to make some noise."
A dangerous smile curved her lips.
"I'll need your help."
"You have it."
She nodded.
Then: "Let's burn this from the roots."