Her heart couldn’t stop pounding, thumping one beat after another, and a strange feeling spread from deep within her, causing her to momentarily lose control. This loss of control made her anxious and unsure of what to do. She quickly shifted the topic to break the overwhelming sense of losing control.
“Lu Linshen, I’ve been busy with a government project recently. Can you keep an eye on the lab for me? As for your grudge with Shen Jin, as long as it doesn’t affect the company and the launch of the smartphone, you can handle it and make decisions. If there’s nothing else, I’ll—”
Before she could finish her sentence, she heard him speak, “Suisui, you asked me earlier about the grudge between Shen Jin and me. Do you still want to know?”
Meng Suihuan: “…”
It’s natural to be curious, and the question she almost swallowed now resurfaced. She coughed awkwardly and tried to cover it up, “I’m not intentionally probing into your affairs. It’s just that Shen Jin is now associating with Yang Xun from Shoucheng Group. You know, ‘know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every battle.’ It’s just better to be prepared by gathering some information.”
“Mm.” Lu Linshen chuckled lightly, “I know.”
Actually, Lu Linshen wasn’t really a good storyteller, but every time they talked on the phone, he couldn’t help but say more than he intended. Like now, if he were telling anyone else about this grudge, it might just take a few words like, “He stole my design and framed me.” But with her, he used all the adjectives and rhetorical techniques he had learned, trying to embellish the story as much as possible. He shared every detail and experience he could think of. Though his tone was stiff, the small details were easily overlooked under his deliberate narration.
“…Although the school tried to keep this matter under wraps to some extent, news couldn’t be contained. Teachers, students, and the network I was in all heard about it. At first, I thought the truth would come out on its own, but later I found out.”
At this point, she heard him laugh bitterly, “Black and white can be blurred.”
Her heart contracted suddenly. The blurring of black and white, the rumors and gossip, the distrust from those around him, Shen Jin’s deliberate suppression, and the skepticism within the industry. These were all glossed over in the book. The injustices and unfair treatment he had suffered over the years were lightly mentioned in just a few lines.
She opened her mouth, wanting to comfort him, but the words of comfort wouldn’t come out. Because she too had once labeled him, defined him when he was struggling and helpless, and had arrogantly exploited him as a tool.
“Sorry,” she said.
She solemnly apologized for her past actions.
“Suisui, you don’t need to apologize to me. I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for attending that exchange meeting. Thank you for believing in me and giving me a precious opportunity.”
Let me have the chance to continue chasing my dreams. Let me get to know you again on this journey.

She had just learned from Lu Linshen that Shen Jin had obtained their core technology, and soon after, another piece of news came through—Shoucheng Group was going to hold their smartphone launch event on the same day as theirs. The intention behind this was obvious.

The phone rang, and it was indeed Yang Xun, arrogant and full of himself as usual. He seemed to be in a good mood, speaking with a raised tone. “President Meng, I heard your smartphone is set to launch on the first day of the new year. What a coincidence, our new product at Shoucheng Group will also launch on the same day, at the same time. It seems that you and I really think alike.”

Think alike, my foot! Although she cursed inwardly, Meng Suihuan remained calm and composed on the surface. “President Yang, you really are a forgetful person. Your company just announced the launch time today, while we at Xuyu announced it half a month ago.”

“President Meng, you really are cold-hearted. The other board members wanted to launch our new product on the last day of the year, but I thought it would be a rare opportunity to compete with you on the same stage. That’s why I specifically chose to launch it on the same day as yours. I hope you don’t feel pressured.”

Meng Suihuan chuckled lightly. “I’ll return that line to you, President Yang. Don’t get too nervous about launching on the same day as Xuyu.”

“Nervous? What do I have to be nervous about? As for our foundation, Xuyu is just a young upstart, while Shoucheng is a well-established leader in the field. In terms of strength, Xuyu is focused on real estate, whereas Shoucheng has been deeply involved in the mobile phone industry for a long time. As for reputation, Xuyu’s first phone brand is unknown, while Shoucheng’s brand is well known.” Yang Xun couldn’t help but chuckle. “In every aspect, we have the overwhelming advantage. What confidence does President Meng have to think I would be nervous?”

Heh. If you’re really that great, why do you keep resorting to petty tactics? To avoid affecting future developments, she forced herself to suppress her anger. There would be plenty of chances to get back at him later. Instead of retorting, she calmly said, “Well, I’ll wait and see.”

Her restraint seemed to fuel his arrogance, and his tone became even more boastful. “By the way, I’ve specially prepared a small gift for President Meng, as a return for the gift you gave me before. I believe you’ll like it.”

Meng Suihuan raised an eyebrow. As Lu Linshen had analyzed, this person wasn’t just arrogant, he was petty and held grudges. “Then thank you in advance, President Yang.”

The press conference was divided into online and offline events. The online event would be streamed live on TV as before. As for the offline event, she chose to hold it at the most bustling and popular Tianxing Square in Ning City. Coincidentally, Shoucheng Group’s launch event was just across the street.

“Miss Huan, Shoucheng is launching on the same day, and the venue is right next door. It might affect us. Should we change the location?”

“Chen Ge, Shoucheng is deliberately targeting us. Changing the venue won’t help. Besides, if we change it last minute, it’ll make it look like we’re afraid of them.” After a brief pause, she smirked and added playfully, “On the bright side, having Shoucheng’s people as comparison will only make the public more aware of the quality of our product. Who knows, maybe everyone will flock to buy our phones.”

President Chen shook his head and smiled helplessly. “Confidence is good, but be careful not to be overconfident. After all, Shoucheng’s strength is undeniable. They have a great reputation and customer trust in the smartphone industry.”

She didn’t directly answer his concern but instead asked, “Chen Ge, have you tried the prototype?”

President Chen was taken aback. “I have.”

“Since you’ve tried it, you should have more confidence. After all, when it comes to quality, I believe that’s more important than reputation.”

It was undeniable that Shoucheng’s actions not only worried President Chen but also stirred public opinion online.

“Did you all see the latest update on Shoucheng’s official website? Not only is their launch on the same day, but the venue is just across the street. This is definitely stirring up trouble! Who do you think will come out on top at this product launch?”

“Of course, it’s Shoucheng. They’re dominating the smartphone field, aren’t they? As for that other brand, I’ve never even heard of it. It’s a small, unremarkable brand trying to use Shoucheng as a stepping stone. They must be crazy!”

“Just to clarify, it’s a joint product of Feiyun Group and Xuyu. Although Xuyu’s name isn’t well-known, Feiyun Group, the co-producer, is quite influential in Ning City. While their strength may not match Shoucheng’s, it’s still worth looking forward to.”

“I heard that even though it’s a joint product, all the core technology comes from Xuyu. It’s just a real estate developer trying to make a name for itself in the smartphone field. They really think they can take on Shoucheng?”

“…”

Although the press conference had sparked heated discussions, the overall public sentiment still leaned toward Shoucheng.

As for these comments, Meng Suihuan simply ignored them with a smile. Rather than engaging in online debates with netizens, she preferred to let the facts speak for themselves. Time passed quickly, and the new year arrived, much anticipated by everyone. The product launch was scheduled for 12:00 PM, and by just after 10:00 AM, Tianxing Square was already packed. Compared to Shoucheng, which was surrounded by a crowd of customers, Meng Suihuan’s side was much less crowded. Though there were a lot of people, it wasn’t the chaotic, packed situation.

Meng Suihuan was coordinating various aspects of the event when the leader of the Feiyun Group’s publicity department rushed over, out of breath, saying, “President Meng, something’s happened.”

“What happened? Did Shoucheng change their time last minute?” she asked.

“Xiang Wen has had an issue… He’s lost his voice. I’ve urgently contacted others from the company to replace him, but most of the presentation is full of technical jargon, and there are only two hours left. I’m worried the event won’t go as well as planned…” Xiang Wen was the main speaker for their press conference and had been crucial to the entire event.

“How could he suddenly lose his voice?” Meng Suihuan asked in shock.

“He’s been rehearsing a lot lately, and his throat started to feel hoarse yesterday. I told him to rest and not let it affect today’s event. He seemed fine this morning, but suddenly he couldn’t speak. This is all my fault for not anticipating this and preparing in advance.” The leader was frantic and full of guilt. Seeing his distressed expression, Meng Suihuan spoke reassuringly, “I’ll handle the speaker issue. You don’t need to worry about that. As for the other details of the event, you should double-check them now to make sure nothing is missing.”

“By the way, you should investigate this matter privately and find out whether this was an accident or something deliberate.”

“Understood.” The leader nodded but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he raised another concern. “President Meng, there’s another issue… Most of the guests have gone to Shoucheng. They’ve also handed out coupons, and they’re offering five more yuan than us! Should we adjust our discount to try to bring customers back?”

“No need,” Meng Suihuan replied. “We don’t have an advantage in pricing, so there’s no need to waste our efforts on that.” After a brief pause, she added, “As for the guests, when the time comes, those who are meant to come will show up.”