Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 697: Chapter 700

"What's going on? What happened to those stocks that were just sold off?"

"Did someone buy them all?"

In just a few short minutes, all the stocks of Yu Lei International, whether in large or small quantities, had been rapidly snapped up, leaving everyone in disbelief. It was clear that buying these stocks was a losing proposition, so who would be foolish enough to do so?

Liu Mingyu seemed to have a realization and turned to Lin Ruoxi, "President Lin, was this your order?"

Everyone else looked over curiously, unable to understand how buying up such a large amount of stock could be beneficial.

Lin Ruoxi did not deny it. "I instructed the Athena Group to acquire the stocks as quickly as possible."

"But President Lin, even if you spend billions to buy all the stocks, you'll just be stuck with them. It won't help," one executive lamented, while the others were equally puzzled by Lin Ruoxi's actions.

Yang Chen, who had been lying in a corner, opened his eyes and glanced at Lin Ruoxi for a moment before closing them again.

Without much explanation, Lin Ruoxi silently took out a thin document from a file bag beside her and placed it in the center of the conference table.

Liu Mingyu, who was closest, saw it first. "It's a 'Notice of Award'?"

"Award? For what project?" Several executives crowded around, glancing through the contents of the notice, their faces turning to astonishment.

One of them, unable to believe his eyes, looked at the notice and then at Lin Ruoxi, exclaiming, "President Lin, did we really win the bid for those three plots in Bianzhou today?!"

"Can't you read? It clearly says we won the bid!" another executive exclaimed with a mixture of excitement and irritation.

"Am I seeing things? Is this real? This notice was issued just today?"

"Can't you tell real from fake? Are you out of your mind?"

"But wasn't our bidding proposal leaked? Those are the three most important plots for future leisure and entertainment projects. Other companies shouldn't have missed this opportunity."

The room buzzed with confusion and skepticism, with everyone filled with questions.

Mo Qianni and Liu Mingyu exchanged glances, both suspecting something but not daring to fully believe it.

Yang Chen opened his eyes again, watching the unusually calm woman with a complex expression.

Lin Ruoxi finally spoke, addressing Liu Mingyu, "Mingyu, release the news of our successful bid to the media. Also, go to my office and bring the contents of my safe here. The password is now the same as your safe's. Go ahead."

Liu Mingyu nodded without question and went to handle the task.

Meanwhile, at the seaside villa, after Luo Cuishan had left, Li Minghe allowed Wu Yue to come downstairs. Though Wu Yue was visibly angry, she had no choice but to sit with Li Minghe and watch the news on TV.

Holding a glass of red wine, Li Minghe laughed smugly. "Lin Ruoxi is really grasping at straws. Does she think buying back those trapped stocks will help? It's like an old woman praising her own melons. So pathetic."

Wu Yue felt a pang of sorrow. She wanted to believe that Lin Ruoxi wouldn't fail, but she saw no hope.

Just then, the financial news anchor interrupted with a breaking news update: Yu Lei International had won the bid for three major plots in Bianzhou!

The announcement was accompanied by the actual notice of award, and the anchor also connected with relevant authorities, confirming that Yu Lei had indeed won the bid in the afternoon.

This news made Li Minghe frown. He knew how crucial this project was, which was why the leaked documents included Yu Lei International's proposal for this bid. But he couldn't understand how Yu Lei managed to win under these circumstances.

Wu Yue showed a glimmer of hope. This was the first piece of good news for Yu Lei in days!

Soon after, another explosive piece of news broke on TV: Yu Lei International was about to hold an emergency media briefing to clarify that the leaked internal documents were false!

This announcement was a bombshell, shaking not only Zhonghai but also anyone worldwide following the incident. False information? How could the leaked documents, which seemed entirely authentic, be fake?!

Li Minghe's hand trembled, causing his wine glass to fall onto the carpet. His face turned rigid, and he could barely speak.

His phone rang, and he answered it with a start. Luo Cuishan's angry voice came through the line.

"You fool! What's going on?!"

Li Minghe clutched his chest, panting heavily. "Please calm down. I think this might be Lin Ruoxi's bluff, a last-ditch effort. Those documents are accumulated over several months, it's impossible for them to be fake!"

"You better not have made a mistake, or else... I'm still in Zhonghai and don't want to return to Yandu in a foul mood."

Luo Cuishan hung up angrily, and Li Minghe's hand shook as he held the phone.

A few minutes earlier, in Yu Lei's conference room.

Liu Mingyu, with several assistants, brought a pile of documents to the conference table.

Her eyes were filled with a complex mix of excitement, surprise, and a hint of fear. She nodded to Lin Ruoxi. "President Lin, everything you asked for is here."

"Thank you," Lin Ruoxi said as she slowly stood up. She addressed everyone, "Here are the original documents that were stolen. Please take a look."

The executives thought they had misheard. Original documents? Did that mean the stolen ones were fake?!

Several executives shakily took the documents and began to read them carefully. After a short while, they were all stunned!

"This is really a material procurement case. When was this customized?"

"I have the budget for next month here. Why does it look a bit different from the one online?"

"The allocation plan for the European and American branches is also different from what we discussed in our last meeting."

As everyone confirmed the documents one by one, they finally believed that this pile of materials was indeed the various confidential files of Yulei for the second half of the year! Although some documents were missing, the main body had no major omissions. It could be said that as long as these plans were implemented, even if they weren't extremely meticulous, only a few temporary supplements would be needed to make everything perfect!

Lin Ruoxi remained calm despite everyone's excitement. She said lightly to Mo Qianni, "Qianni, go and talk to the TV station. Arrange a media meeting to clarify this incident. Our important business information for the second half of the year wasn't stolen; those are all fake."

Mo Qianni, just recovering from the shock, was filled with joy. Although she didn't know what had happened, she knew that a thorough comeback was imminent!

"I'm not good at dealing with the media, so I won't show up. Qianni, as the company's vice president and representative, handle this for me. You know what to say," Lin Ruoxi instructed again.

"I understand," Mo Qianni said and quickly ran out.

Lin Ruoxi then said to Liu Mingyu and the others, "I know you're all curious about how I did it, but now isn't the time for explanations. Go to your departments and explain the current situation to your employees. Follow these plans for the upcoming work. Fill in any gaps as needed. Mingyu, pay special attention to the foreign branches, major clients, and important partners. Calm their emotions and offer some appropriate benefits."

At this moment, everyone looked at the woman calmly commanding the room with admiration. These veterans who had been in the workplace for decades had to admit that Lin Ruoxi's tactics far surpassed her appearance!

Although they didn't know when Lin Ruoxi had completed these deployments, the current situation could be described as a perfect counter-espionage case!

As everyone left with the documents they needed, the conference room became quiet.

Yang Chen, who had been lying down the entire time, slowly walked up to Lin Ruoxi, sat on the conference table, and asked with a serious tone, "When did it start?"

Lin Ruoxi lowered her head, remained silent for a while, and then said softly, "Does it matter? The situation is resolved safely, isn't that enough?"

"It matters. I want to know when you started deceiving everyone, including me," Yang Chen said.

Lin Ruoxi raised her head, a hint of resentment in her watery eyes. "Why are you speaking to me like this? I never intended to deceive anyone. I was just making the necessary preparations."

"Oh, I have to say, Miss Lin, your acting skills are impressive. It's a shame you don't participate in the Oscars. Alright, let's say I'm curious. When did you start this beautiful setup? Satisfy my curiosity, will you, dear wife?" Yang Chen stretched his words.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/Jw-q2euGywY