Entangled in Fortune

Chapter 12: The Lure

Chapter 12: The Lure

The skyline of Jiang City glimmered beneath a heavy evening haze, the lights from towering skyscrapers reflecting off the glass facades of WeiTech Tower. Inside, the boardroom was alive with a tension that felt almost electric, though the doors were closed and the world outside remained blissfully unaware.

Zhang Mei stood at the head of the table, her posture perfect, her expression calm but resolute. In her hands, she held a series of meticulously prepared documents a fake business proposal designed to expose the mole within WeiTech.

The plan was audacious. She had created a phony acquisition deal: a seemingly lucrative but entirely fabricated project that would catch the attention of Wang Xiao’s spies. If someone tried to act on it, their betrayal would be revealed.

Liang Wei leaned against the wall near the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms crossed, watching her quietly. His eyes narrowed as he studied her. There was something dangerous and captivating about the way she handled the situation.

“This is risky,” Liang Wei said finally. “If the mole suspects the deal is fake, they may try to cover their tracks, and we could lose the evidence.”

Zhang Mei gave him a small, confident smile. “They already believe it’s real. If they act, they will expose themselves. And if they don’t… then we know they are loyal. Either way, we gain an advantage.”

Huo Zhen, standing beside her with his tablet in hand, nodded. “I’ve set up monitoring on all internal communications. Every email, every login attempt, every message connected to this project is being tracked in real-time. We’ll know immediately if someone tries to leak it.”

Liang Wei’s jaw tightened. “Good. But you understand the stakes. If the mole is higher up than we think, someone could be manipulating this entire boardroom.”

Zhang Mei’s gaze didn’t waver. “Then we’ll expose them, too.”

Minutes later, the fake proposal was officially sent out under Zhang Mei’s authority. It was presented as a secret strategic initiative that only senior executives would handle. Three executives subtly aligned with Wang Xiao—took the bait almost immediately.

Within hours, Huo Zhen detected activity on the project files. The three executives were accessing confidential documents that should have been off-limits, forwarding information through encrypted channels, and contacting unknown intermediaries outside the company.

Zhang Mei leaned over the tablet, her fingers tapping across the screen. “There it is. Confirmation. These three have been feeding information to Wang Xiao. Finally.”

Liang Wei’s eyes glimmered with satisfaction. “So we’ve found the traitors.”

“Yes,” Zhang Mei replied. Her voice was steady, but there was a cold edge to it. “Now comes the hard part deciding what to do with them without tipping off Wang Xiao about our awareness.”

Huo Zhen looked nervous. “If we confront them directly, they’ll go underground. We could lose all evidence.”

Zhang Mei tilted her head. “Exactly. That’s why we’re going to let them think their plan is working while we gather proof.”

Liang Wei stepped closer, his presence authoritative yet silent. “And if they suspect the trap?”

“They won’t,” Zhang Mei said firmly. “They’re greedy. Their desire to benefit Wang Xiao and themselves will cloud their judgment.”

The first sign of the traitors’ betrayal came quickly. Within the hour, the three executives began communicating with Wang Xiao directly, sending detailed updates about the fake project. Zhang Mei watched each message come through, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“It’s working,” she said quietly. “They’ve taken the bait completely. Wang Xiao is now relying on them for intelligence.”

Liang Wei exhaled slowly. “Then we wait. But we need to be ready for anything. The moment they try to act, the evidence must be airtight.”

Hours passed. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Zhang Mei and Liang Wei did not speak much, both absorbed in monitoring the communications, tracking every move with precision.

Finally, as night fully descended over the city, Zhang Mei noticed a sudden spike in activity. One of the traitors had sent a file to an external server—but before they could even react, an alert popped up on Huo Zhen’s tablet.

“What is it?” Zhang Mei asked immediately.

Huo Zhen’s face went pale. “It’s the media. The same information we’ve been monitoring has leaked… again. Publicly. Someone has posted parts of the fake project online.”

Zhang Mei froze, her mind racing. “That’s impossible. We monitored everything internally. No one outside should have access.”

Liang Wei’s expression darkened. “Then the mole is higher up than we expected.”

The realization hit hard. The boardroom traitors were just pawns. Someone above them or outside even their circle had access to WeiTech’s inner workings. The leak wasn’t just a betrayal; it was a calculated move to mislead and manipulate them.

Zhang Mei’s fingers flew across the tablet, cross-referencing timestamps and internal access logs. “It can’t be Chen…” she muttered under her breath. “The timing doesn’t match anyone we’ve directly monitored. Someone had the authority to bypass standard protocols.”

Liang Wei’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Then we’re dealing with someone in power. Someone who can move undetected. This changes everything.”

Huo Zhen’s hands shook slightly as he continued analyzing the data. “If the mole is higher up, Zhang Mei… you might have underestimated the complexity of this operation.”

Zhang Mei’s gaze hardened. “I didn’t underestimate it. I underestimated just how bold the mole is.”

Liang Wei leaned back against the table, voice low but firm. “This isn’t just about stock prices or media scandals anymore. This is about control—control of WeiTech, and possibly control over every move we make from here on out. If the mole can manipulate information this way, they could destroy us before we even realize what’s happening.”

The silence in the room was oppressive. The city outside continued to sparkle, oblivious to the storm raging within WeiTech Tower. Zhang Mei and Liang Wei exchanged a glance that spoke volumes trust, strategy, and a mutual understanding that the enemy was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

Zhang Mei broke the silence. “We need to adapt. The trap worked… partially. The three executives are confirmed traitors, but the higher-level mole remains hidden. We’ll need another layer of deception, something that will force them to reveal themselves without risking the company further.”

Liang Wei’s eyes gleamed. “And I trust you to create it?”

Zhang Mei gave a small, confident nod. “They’ll make a mistake, and when they do, we’ll know exactly who to target. But until then, we must remain patient, silent, and precise. No one outside this room can know we’re aware.”

Huo Zhen swallowed hard. “This is… risky. Even more than before.”

Zhang Mei turned to him, her voice sharp but calm. “Risk is part of strategy. We either play the game or lose everything.”

Liang Wei finally stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder—a gesture of both support and caution. “Then we continue. We adapt. And when the mole moves again, they won’t know what hit them.”

Just then, the tablet pinged again. Another update. Zhang Mei’s eyes scanned the screen, and her stomach sank.

The leaked information had already made its way to major financial news sites. Headlines screamed across the internet:

“WeiTech Project Details Leak Sparks Rumors of Insider Betrayal”

“Billionaire CEO Liang Wei’s Company Under Siege from Within?”

Even though the project was fake, the media didn’t know that. The board would be shaken. The public perception of WeiTech’s stability was now at risk.

Zhang Mei’s heart raced, but she kept her composure. This was part of the game the stakes were always high.

Liang Wei’s voice cut through the tension, low and commanding. “This is why we don’t act recklessly. The mole is clever. They want chaos. We will give them patience… and precision instead.”

She nodded, eyes flicking back to the tablet. “First, we neutralize the traitors. Then we lure the mole higher. Whoever they are, they’ve made themselves visible. We just need the right moment to strike.”

Huo Zhen’s face was pale, but his voice carried determination. “We’ll track everything. Every move. Every message. Whoever did this will be exposed.”

Zhang Mei took a slow breath. “Good. But for now…” Her gaze swept across the room, landing on each board member. “We wait. Watch. And prepare for the next move. The mole will act again. And when they do, they won’t escape unnoticed.”

Outside, the rain had started again, pattering softly against the glass windows. Inside the boardroom, the storm was just beginning.

Zhang Mei’s tablet pinged once more. The timestamp and source of the leak made her blood run cold. The mole had access to encrypted communications she thought only top executives could use. Someone far higher than anyone in the room or far more connected than Wang Xiao’s pawns.