Chapter 1

At the group's tenth-anniversary gala, a newly hired employee stormed onto the stage.

"I'm filing a formal accusation against the Director of R&D. She signed dual contracts, lined her own pockets at the company's expense, and sold us out from the inside."

The hall erupted.

The new hire went on accusing me, tears streaming down her face.

"I know she's high up and powerful, but I came forward anyway, because I can't stand watching this kind of filthy scheme go on!"

She turned deliberately toward the media and shook the contract in her hand.

"From base salary to overtime pay to every kind of benefit, she skimmed off nearly all of it!"

"I honestly can't figure it out. She's never once set foot in R&D. How did she ever become its Director?"

The chairman wasn't there, so the group's vice president walked up onto the stage and murmured a few words of comfort.

"Don't worry. The group won't just stand by."

Under the crowd's startled eyes, the vice president fixed a cold look on me.

"You're suspended."

My face gave nothing away. I shook my head.

"No need to go to all that trouble. I quit."

1

"Edith Simmons, you'd like that, wouldn't you!"

Rachel Finch, microphone in one hand and contract in the other, walked slowly up to me.

"By my rough count, you were skimming two million a year out of the group and straight into your own pocket!"

"Meanwhile the real R&D staff make ten thousand a month in base pay, and even with benefits it's barely fifteen!"

"Tell me, everyone. Can you accept behavior like that?"

The moment Rachel finished, the crowd answered in outrage.

"No, we can't!"

"A parasite like that belongs in a holding cell!"

"The group's grown so big, you get every kind of vermin crawling in!"

Listening to it all, I lifted my head and looked calmly at Rachel.

"If I remember correctly, those contracts were handed to you to be destroyed."

A flicker of panic crossed Rachel's face, then quickly hardened back into righteous certainty.

Vice President Nigel Donaldson had arrived.

The chairman was down in Miami with his people, tied up on an important project.

For now, Tenglong Group ran on whatever Nigel Donaldson said.

"Edith Simmons, I think you owe everyone an explanation."

There was mockery in Donaldson's eyes.

"Otherwise, by the group's regulations, sums like these already amount to a criminal offense."

Hearing that, I understood.

The whole scene in front of me had clearly been planned in advance.

Not that any of it mattered to me anymore.

"Vice President Donaldson, there's one thing I should remind you of."

I stood and looked at him evenly.

"You may be the group's vice president, but R&D has always operated independently. It's outside your authority."

As I turned to leave, Rachel threw up a hand to block me.

"I work in R&D. How could I not know whether Vice President Donaldson has authority over us? Or is it your guilty conscience talking?"

After lecturing me, Rachel turned to Donaldson, eyes brimming.

"Mr. Donaldson, you have to stand up for us."

"I've been in R&D three months now, and apart from those old men who can barely walk, I've never seen anyone else."

"I've got the department's attendance records right here, and they're completely blank."

Donaldson gave a grave little nod.

"Let the gala go on. Rachel, Edith Simmons, come with me to my office."

For the sake of those old men in R&D, I held my patience and went to his office.

Donaldson sat down on the sofa and poured himself a cup of tea.

Rachel shut the door and lit into me the moment it closed.

"Edith Simmons, have you got a conscience left at all?"

"A bunch of old men in their sixties and seventies, and you keep them sitting in R&D collecting paychecks for nothing. How much are you paying them every month?"

"If the chairman's name weren't Lawrence, I'd honestly wonder if you were his daughter!"

"Rachel, that's not how it works."

Donaldson frowned as he said it, and Rachel settled meekly at his side, pouring his tea and topping off his cup.

"Mr. Donaldson, I really can't stand watching it."

"An outsider would think this whole group belonged to her family."