Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 172; Making the first step (b)

"As for you, dear sister," Shuyin said, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "I think you should probably leave. This is business territory now, and you look a bit... uncomfortable. All that standing can’t be good for the baby. And if something happens, you would blame me for harassing you..."

Lin Yueling’s face flushed with humiliation, her eyes darting to Lu Zeyan for support.

But Lu Zeyan was already reaching for his phone, his jaw tight, clearly calculating how much damage control he’d need to implement immediately.

"Yueling," he said quietly, not quite looking at her, "perhaps you should go home. Rest. I’ll call you later."

The dismissal was gentle but absolute.

Lin Yueling’s eyes widened with hurt and disbelief but she had no say in this. "But...."

"Please," Lu Zeyan said, and there was something almost desperate in his voice. "I need to handle this. Alone."

For a moment, she looked like she might argue, might throw a scene, might demand the kind of protection and priority that she clearly thought carrying his child entitled her to.

But the calculation was swift. Shuyin had weapons, information, leverage, and the ability to destroy everything. Throwing a tantrum now would only make her look weak, petulant, and replaceable.

So Lin Yueling did what she’d always done best: she performed.

Her expression shifted to one of brave acceptance and martyred understanding. "Of course. You’re right. I should rest." Her hand moved protectively over her belly. "For the baby’s sake."

She moved toward the door with careful, dignified steps, pausing only to look back at Shuyin with eyes that promised future retribution.

"I’m glad you’re doing well, Sister," she said, her voice pitched to sound wounded but forgiving. "Despite everything. I hope we can rebuild our relationship eventually."

"Mmm," Shuyin hummed noncommittally, her smile pleasant and utterly unconvincing. "Sure. Eventually. Maybe after the baby comes and you’re less... hormonal you know."

The casual cruelty made Lin Yueling’s composure crack fractionally, but she recovered quickly, sweeping out of the office with as much grace as her pregnant form allowed.

The door closed behind her with a decisive click.

Shuyin turned back to Lu Zeyan, her expression businesslike once more. "Now, about that office. I’d like to see it immediately. And I’ll need the administrative passwords for the company systems, full access to the shared drives, and copies of the last three months of board meeting minutes."

Lu Zeyan looked at her with something approaching horror. "You want complete access to confidential company information?"

"I want the tools to do my job effectively," Shuyin corrected primly. "As Special Executive Advisor, I’ll need a comprehensive understanding of all operations. Unless you’d prefer I request the information through official channels? Submit formal requests to IT? Have everything documented through proper procedures?"

The threat was clear: give her quiet access, or she’d make noise.

"I’ll have IT set you up," Lu Zeyan said flatly. "But Lin Shuyin, if you abuse this access...."

"You’ll what?" She laughed, the sound genuinely amused. "Report me? To whom? Your board of directors, which is also allegedly involved in various criminal activities? The authorities you’ve been bribing for years? Please. We’re all criminals here, Lu Zeyan. I’m just the only one willing to admit it."

This was just the beginning. After getting those seats, the next step was to manipulate him into signing off his shares, and after she gets shares and cleans the company accounts, then she will destroy him as she prospers as the owner... This was the plan.... She will make sure he is completely destroyed and has nowhere to run to.

And after destroying him and his family, next would be her family. She first needs to get the shares, which also Lu Zeyan has, and this can only happen through manipulation. Afterwards, she takes control of the Lin company after getting the shares from Lu Zeyan, shareholders, and her father... And then she will get rid of that family, she will send them to prison.... And they will face the same environment that the original Shuyin had faced before getting rid of them entirely.

She was just starting and no one was gonna stop her.

Shuyin gathered Yuyan and Chen Xiao with a subtle gesture, her movements carrying the unconscious authority of someone who expected to be obeyed.

Ting Fei moved to flank them automatically, his positioning protective without being obvious.

Tank, Blade, and Razor fell into formation with the practiced ease of soldiers who’d worked together long enough that verbal commands were unnecessary.

"Show me my office," Shuyin commanded, her voice pleasant but leaving no room for negotiation.

She turned to Lu Zeyan, her jade eyes catching the light in a way that made them seem almost luminescent.

"And then you can spend the rest of your morning figuring out how to explain to your board why you just gave your ex-fiancée executive authority and access to all your secrets."

Lu Zeyan’s phone buzzed insistently on his desk, the vibration loud in the tense silence.

He glanced at it, then deliberately away, clearly not ready to deal with whatever crisis was demanding his attention.

The muscle in his jaw twitched, the only visible sign of the stress he was under.

"This way," he said tiredly, moving toward the door with the defeated posture of a man who’d just lost a battle he hadn’t even known he was fighting.

They followed him through the executive corridors, their group drawing stares from every employee they passed.

The whispers started before they’d even turned the first corner, spreading through the floor like wildfire.

That’s her. That’s Lin Shuyin.

The one who went to prison?

What’s she doing on the executive floor?

Is that the ruthless son of the Lu family’s silver hair? Who’s that child?

Shuyin ignored the speculation with the ease of someone who’d learned long ago that other people’s opinions were irrelevant unless they came with power attached.

THE CORNER OFFICE

The office of the former Vice President of Strategic Development was, Shuyin had to admit, quite impressive.