Chen Hao's next move came faster than either of them expected.
Friday morning, 8:47 a.m.
Wanyin was in the middle of reviewing the final Q3 numbers when her phone buzzed with a news alert.
Hengxin Corporation CEO Ye Beichen accused of manipulating company policy for personal gain. Sources claim "leadership immersion program" pairing with Director Gu Wanyin was rigged. Board to convene emergency meeting.
She stared at the screen.
The article was on a major finance site. Anonymous sources. Details only someone with inside access could know—the lottery algorithm, the pairing list before it went "random," timestamps.
Chen Hao had moved the deadline up.
She forwarded the link to Ye Beichen.
His reply was immediate.
My office. Now.
She walked the hallway like she was going to her own execution.
He was standing at the window, phone to his ear, voice low and lethal.
"Find the source. I want names. Now."
He ended the call when she entered.
"They're calling an emergency board meeting Monday," he said.
"I saw."
He turned to her. "This is him."
"I know."
He ran a hand through his hair—the first time she'd seen him anything less than perfectly composed.
"My grandmother's faction will use this. Lin Holdings will push for a vote of no confidence."
She crossed her arms. "We have until Monday."
He nodded. "We need to prove the program wasn't rigged for personal reasons."
"How?"
"By showing it was rigged for business reasons."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I have evidence the lottery was manipulated to pair high-potential leaders for maximum impact. Data on projected interdepartmental improvements. It's not personal—it's strategic."
She stared at him. "You prepared for this."
"I prepared for everything."
Including her.
She pushed the thought away.
"What do you need from me?"
"Your support. Public. Full."
She hesitated.
"If we present a united front, the board will back down. If we don't…"
She finished it. "They'll say I'm the reason you're distracted. That I'm the liability."
He stepped closer. "You're not a liability."
She met his eyes. "To them, I am."
He reached for her hand. She let him take it.
"Then let's make them see you're the asset."
They spent the weekend preparing.
False trails cleaned. Real data polished. Statements drafted.
Saturday night, they worked until 2 a.m.
Sunday morning, they rehearsed in the living room.
She stood in front of him, practicing her statement.
"I fully support the immersion program. The pairing has already yielded significant insights into cross-departmental efficiencies…"
He watched her, eyes intense.
When she finished, he said quietly, "You're going to be brilliant."
She looked at him.
"You believe that?"
"I always have."
Sunday night, they barely slept.
Monday morning, the board room was packed.
Madam Ye's allies on one side. Ye Beichen's on the other.
Wanyin walked in beside him.
Heads turned.
She took her seat.
Ye Beichen stood.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there have been allegations. I'm here to address them."
He presented the data. The projections. The strategic rationale.
Wanyin spoke next.
Calm. Clear. Unflinching.
"The program is working. Director Gu and I have identified three key efficiencies that will save the company eight figures in the next fiscal year."
The board listened.
When it was over, the vote was unanimous.
Program continues.
No confidence vote tabled.
They won.
In the elevator afterward, alone, she leaned against the wall.
He looked at her.
"You were magnificent."
She smiled, small and tired.
"We were."
He stepped closer.
Twenty-two days left.
And for the first time, she wasn't counting them as a prison sentence.
She was counting them as time.
With him.