Chapter 29: Ye Huan Versus the Hacker

Faced with her father’s lack of understanding and her uncle’s malicious framing, Lin Xi suddenly realized that all she could do was buy time for Ye Huan.

There was no point in wasting breath trying to persuade these two idiots—short-sighted, self-serving, and obsessed with internal power struggles, they were completely indifferent to the bigger picture.

"Uncle, do you dare to make a wager with me?" Lin Xi asked, looking calmly at Lin Qingyun.

Lin Qingyun was taken aback. He had framed Lin Xi, alleging she wanted the Lin Group to fail and had therefore brought in Ye Huan—a mere butcher—to pose as a computer expert and assist hackers in stealing company data. He had expected her to argue back in a rage; instead, she was proposing a bet. It felt like punching a shadow and throwing his back out.

"What do you want to bet?" Lin Qingyun asked.

Seeing her uncle take the bait, Lin Xi felt a flicker of satisfaction. "If Ye Huan fails to repel the hackers and the company data is stolen, I will voluntarily resign and never step foot inside the Lin Group again for the rest of my life."

Lin Qingyun grew excited. He hadn't expected Lin Xi to be so foolish as to pin her hopes on a butcher.

Lin Xi continued, "But if Ye Huan repels the hackers and resolves this crisis, you must resign and promise never to step foot inside the Lin Group again for the rest of your life."

"Fine, you're on!" Lin Qingyun agreed without a moment's hesitation. In his eyes, since Wang Bin and the entire network security department couldn't stop the hackers, there was no way a butcher could.

"I don't agree!" Lin Canglan interjected, frantic and furious. "Xi, have you lost your mind? How can you gamble your entire future on a butcher? I refuse! I absolutely do not consent to this bet."

Ignoring her father, Lin Xi kept her eyes fixed on Lin Qingyun. "Words are empty promises. Uncle, please go and draft a written agreement immediately. We must both sign it and press our thumbprints on it."

"Exactly what I was going to suggest!" Lin Qingyun turned and marched out.

*Finally, I’ve successfully tricked one of them away,* Lin Xi thought, feeling a sense of relief.

"Xi, you're being delusional!" Lin Canglan pointed at her, looking pained. "Ye Huan is just a butcher! You only met him today. How can you entrust the life and death of the Lin Group to him?"

Lin Xi remained calm. "Dad, you have a prejudice against him, which is why you don't believe in his abilities. But you know me—would I really risk the company's collapse just to let Ye Huan play around?"

"He doesn't have a shred of ability!" Lin Canglan retorted, his voice filled with frustration. "They say love makes a woman lose her intelligence, and I didn't believe it before, but now I do! You used to be so sharp, so why have you become an idiot since meeting this butcher? If he were capable of solving a problem that Wang Bin and his team couldn't, he’d be working as a high-salaried network security engineer at a major firm, not slaughtering pigs."

The logic was sound. Lin Xi found herself unable to argue, so she seized the opportunity to act regretful. "You're right, Dad. Hurry, go stop Uncle from drafting that agreement."

Seeing his daughter finally coming to her senses, Lin Canglan immediately turned and ran off to chase after Lin Qingyun.

*Another one tricked,* Lin Xi thought. Now, no one would bother Ye Huan while he dealt with the hackers.

"All the cunning in the Lin family seems to have been concentrated in you," Ye Huan said with a smile as he continued his digital battle.

Lin Xi frowned slightly. She hadn't expected Ye Huan to see through her ploy to buy time. *This butcher is actually quite smart.*

"I’ve bought you the time you needed. I hope you don't let me down," Lin Xi said sternly.

"Don't worry. This hacker is no match for me. If he hadn't gained the upper hand first, I would have wiped him out in minutes," Ye Huan said with supreme confidence.

To Lin Xi, however, his confidence sounded like mere posturing, which only made her feel even less certain.

Wang Bin leaned in and whispered, "Ms. Lin, I can't make heads or tails of what this 'butcher' is doing. I have zero faith that he can win this defense battle. If he fails, won't you be forced to resign?"

Lin Xi smiled. "Do you really think Grandfather would allow me to resign?"

Wang Bin blinked, then immediately understood. Even if Lin Qingyun managed to get past Lin Canglan and forced Lin Xi to sign the agreement, Chairman Lin Tai would never recognize the legitimacy of such a wager. Even if Ye Huan lost and Lin Xi was willing to resign, Lin Tai would never permit it.

"Ms. Lin, the butcher was right—you really are incredibly cunning!" Wang Bin whispered, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

Lin Xi didn't answer, watching the computer screen intensely—specifically, the percentage counter for the data transfer.

*Data transfer: 12%...*
*Data transfer: 19.7%...*
*Data transfer: 31.4%...*
*Data transfer: 94.7%...*

With every increment, Lin Xi’s face grew paler. As the company data neared total theft, her expression turned as white as a sheet, and she felt a wave of absolute despair. *The butcher really was just bluffing; he couldn't stop the hackers after all.*

"Lin Xi, I’ve brought the agreement..." Lin Qingyun’s excited voice boomed.

Lin Xi looked over. Lin Qingyun’s hair was disheveled, his face was covered in bloody scratches, and his clothes were torn to shreds, as if he had just survived a life-or-death brawl. He walked with great difficulty, dragging something behind him.

Lin Xi and Wang Bin looked down to see an even more wretched-looking Lin Canglan, who was sprawled on the floor, clinging tightly to Lin Qingyun’s right leg.

"Lin Xi, sign it and press your thumbprint!" Lin Qingyun panted, dragging Lin Canglan toward her and thrusting the agreement, a pen, and an inkpad toward her with manic fervor.

"Xi, don't sign it! Don't sign it!" Lin Canglan wailed from the floor.

Ignoring him, Lin Xi quickly signed the document and pressed her thumbprint onto it.

"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!" Lin Qingyun stared at the signed document, laughing hysterically. "Lin Xi, you're finally going to be kicked out of the Lin Group! I can finally take my seat as the company president."

Wang Bin and his team looked at Lin Qingyun as if he were a complete fool. *This guy is so happy about being played by Ms. Lin—how pathetic,* they thought.

"Lin Qingyun, you're celebrating a bit too early," Ye Huan said, rising from his chair with a smile.