Chapter 15 — 58 Lakhs And His True Face

She immediately raised her head and hastily objected.

“I just… they needed it, and I had it available, so I just sent it conveniently.”

“I didn't expect it to turn out like this.”

“They said it was only for internal reference and would not be released for use.”

I laughed coldly.

“You know the confidentiality agreement between us and the customer.”

"And yet you don't know that this behavior is against the law?"

Her face immediately turned pale.

“I was just… momentarily confused.”

Her voice grew weaker.

"I see you're in a bad mood lately, talking about fifty-eight thousand all the time."

“I think if I earn a little more money, even if it's just enough to supplement family expenses, it'll give me a way.”

“You know, every time my mother calls, she says, ‘look at Xiao Ninh, how talented he is’.”

"The neighbors also asked me when they saw me. I heard that your co-workers are very good, so their salary must be much higher than yours, right?"

“I don't want to be compared anymore.”

When she said the last sentence, tears fell from her eyes. I was silent for a long time. There are gaps between people that cannot be filled with just a simple "I understand". I understand her pressure. Also understand the desire to be recognized. But understanding... does not mean forgiveness. It doesn't mean I have to bear the consequences for her.

“Who do you work with?”

“Show me all the exchange history.”

“Even the money you received from them.”

She froze, reflexively reaching towards her bag. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, his hand stopped in mid-air.

“What are you going to do?”

She looked at me, her eyes starting to become wary.

“You want to sue me?”

“You want to report to the company?”

“Do you know what will happen to me if I am discovered?”

I looked at her, my heart tightening slightly. Just a few days ago, I still considered her one of my closest people at the company. Have lunch together, hunt for deals together, curse customers together. But now, I had to admit— The boundary between us had been erased by her.

“Just show it to me first.”

I suppressed all my emotions.

“I won't do anything right away.”

“But I need to know where you went.”

She hesitated for a long time, but finally handed over the phone.

“I believe you.”

She spoke softly.

“At least… it's better than trusting them.”

I took the phone and opened the screen. The message scrolled down paragraph by paragraph, like a nail in the eye. The other person's saved name is "Old Friend", and the profile picture is a landscape. From a few initial questions, to talking about work, then gradually leading to:

“Can you show me the plan?”

It all went very smoothly, step by step. But what makes my heart sink... Are the transfer lines at the back. The amount was not too large, each amount was a few thousand, adding up to more than twenty thousand yuan. The content is very "beautiful":

“Support fee”

“Document processing fee”

Sounds both reasonable and clean. Obviously the other party knows how to hide. And above those money transfers... Is a photo of the compressed files. The file name should be clearly written— This is my plan. Each version. Each symbol. Not a single word wrong. I took a deep breath and forced myself to watch it all. By the time the screen turned off, my palms were wet with sweat.

“Tieu Phuong.”

I returned the phone.

“You know…”

“This is no longer a secret between you and them.”

“This is an act of leaking the company's trade secrets.”

“If something happens, no It only takes a few scoldings or a change of position.”

“There may be liability implications.”

She bit her lip, her eyes filled with fear.

“So… what are you going to do?”

Her voice was very small, almost drowned out by the coffee shop music.

“Will you give it to the leader?”

“Do you want to see me through life?”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“First thing… I have to protect myself.”

I speak slowly.

“I have to make sure this doesn't fall on me.”

“I won't lie for you.”

Tears welled up in her eyes again.

“As expected…”

“You're just thinking from your perspective.”

"Your family has money, of course you can be so tough."

“What about me?”

“I don't have anything.”

She emphasized very strongly on the four words "your family has money and power". I suddenly felt funny. My family's small hardware store in Tuong Duong... in her eyes became "if you have money, you get it". Fifty eighty thousand, in her mind, was probably just what I could reach out and get. But she didn't know— It was money my parents had saved up all their lives. It's all the hope they put together for my future.

“Don't push yourself into the 'pitiful' side anymore.”

“When you sold the project, you didn't hesitate.”

“When you received money, you didn't think you had 'nothing'.”

“Tieu Phuong, I can understand you.”

“But I have no obligation to pay the price for your choice.”

Her face was pale. I stood up, picked up my bag.

“Today, it's like nothing happened.”

“But when the company investigates, it's best for you to clarify yourself.”

“If you don't… by then, no one will be able to save you.”

Having finished speaking, I turned around and left. The wind chime on the door jingled softly. The sound stretched behind him, thin as a thread. Stepping out of the restaurant, the air outside was a bit muggy. The smell of car exhaust mixed with the sweet scent from the milk tea shop across the road. I stood on the sidewalk and suddenly felt a bit unsteady. The phone vibrates. It was a message from my boss, telling me to come to the meeting room this afternoon, there was something important to discuss. I glanced at the clock, there was still more than an hour left until two o'clock. I texted my cousin, briefly telling him what had just happened. He replied almost immediately.

“Do not delete any messages or files.”

“Go to the meeting in the afternoon, just be frank.”

“Just tell the truth, don't add speculation.”

"Remember to emphasize that you have been aware of security before, for example, documents have permissions set, file names do not reveal important information."

“If they ask about Tieu Phuong, you can say they suspect there was improper operation, but there is no proof yet.”

“Let the company investigate itself.”

“In short, don't bear the burden for anyone else.”

After reading it, my heart gradually calmed down. At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, there were only a few people in the meeting room. The director, the legal department attorney, and my department head. On the table is a stack of printed documents. When I walked in, all eyes turned to me.

“Hieu Ninh, sit down.”

The director signaled. His voice was calm, emotions could not be guessed. The top sheet of the stack of documents is a printed copy of the anonymous complaint. Just a few short lines, saying that "the company's project was leaked to competitors", also specifically mentioning "the person in charge Lin Xiaoning" and "close colleagues". My heart tightened slightly.