Chapter 10: The Nightingale

“Come on, Sister Qiu Yi, add me on OC,” Lin Xiaoyu said, already pulling out her phone with effortless familiarity.

“I’ll add you to our project group’s slack time—oh no, I mean, our tech discussion chat. It’s got everything: from which takeout is the best to which line of code suddenly triggered some inherited mystical bug.”

Lu Qiuyi scanned the QR code and joined the group named [Zhiyu Taskforce Daredevils].

No sooner had she entered than messages started pouring in:

[Welcome the newcomer @Lu Qiuyi]

[Newbie photo bomb!]

[Photo bomb? How about revealing your measurements instead? (joking)]

[Careful, the guy above is tempting fate; watch out for Engineer Xie’s code inspections.]

[Welcome, Assistant Lu. I’m Li Xiang from front-end; hit me up anytime for UI design needs.]

[Welcome! Wang Lei from testing here, your bug exterminator.]

[Curious how the new big shot has survived so long under the overlord?]

A flood of emojis and enthusiastic welcomes instantly filled the screen.

Lu Qiuyi awkwardly typed back: [Thank you all. By the way, who is this ‘Overlord’ everyone mentions?]

Lin Xiaoyu burst out laughing beside her. “Help! You really feel like you’re cut off from the world. In this company, who else could they be talking about?”

She winked and nodded discreetly toward He Jingyue’s office, then quickly lowered her voice, “Sister Qiu Yi, please don’t tell President He about us! We still want to live a few more years.”

Lu Qiuyi glanced at Lin Xiaoyu’s nervous yet playful expression and couldn’t help but smile. She lowered her voice in return, “Of course not. I think it’s perfectly fitting.”

The two exchanged a knowing glance—an unspoken camaraderie born of shared workplace battles.

“Don’t mention it, Sister Qiu Yi,” Lin Xiaoyu leaned closer to show her phone. “Our team vibe is amazing. Although Engineer Xie is a devilish coach and President He is the ultimate boss, everyone’s actually quite nice off the clock.”

“Oh, by the way, to celebrate your joining and to recharge everyone suffering from model compression madness, we’re planning a hot pot feast at the usual spot tonight. Split the bill. How about it? Wanna come?”

Hot pot? Lu Qiuyi’s heart leapt.

But Lu Mingxuan had already arranged to meet her.

She shook her head regretfully. “I have plans tonight, but I’ll definitely join next time.”

“No worries,” Lin Xiaoyu patted her shoulder. “Next time then.”

The entire afternoon, Lu Qiuyi fretted over a project schedule densely packed with Gantt charts.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Expecting an invite for tea from Lin Xiaoyu, she casually unlocked it.

Sender: [J]

Message: [Assistant Lu, to stay updated on project progress, starting today please send me a brief daily report via OC before leaving work. Include: tasks followed up today, issues encountered, and observed project developments. Keep it concise and to the point. — He Jingyue]

The ruthless capitalist’s shadow loomed unrelentingly.

Lu Qiuyi’s smile froze instantly.

[Understood.] She replied through gritted teeth.

At five in the evening, Lu Qiuyi left work punctually and headed to the Blue Sky Lake Teahouse, to the “Bamboo Melody” private room.

Opposite her, Lu Mingxuan sipped his tea leisurely. His eyes behind the lenses were sharp as knives, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

Lu Qiuyi sat in a rosewood armchair, palms sweaty, a cup of now-cold Longjing tea before her.

Restless, she longed to go home and play video games.

“Speak,” Lu Mingxuan set down his teacup, the ceramic clinking sharply in the quiet room, painfully piercing the silence. “He Jingyue assigned you to the project team. What’s your plan?”

Lu Qiuyi forced herself to stay calm, her mind racing. “The core algorithm is still under study. The code is very complex. I need time.”

“Time?” Lu Mingxuan interrupted, his gaze suddenly darkening. “The Lu family has already given you plenty. He Jingyue placing you here is both a crisis and an opportunity. Dragging your feet now means by the time ‘Zhiyu’ officially launches, Lu Corporation won’t even get a drop!”

A wave of overwhelming pressure crashed down. “Listen. No matter how, within one week, deliver the core parameter file of the compressed ‘Zhiyu’ model.”

He slid a small, unmarked black USB drive toward her.

“This,” Lu Mingxuan’s voice lowered further, venomous as a serpent’s tongue, “contains ‘Nightingale.’ If you can implant it into Xie Mingxiao’s or anyone else on the project team who has access to the core server, it will automatically locate and copy what we need, then erase all traces.”

Lu Qiuyi stared at the tiny USB, feeling it like a searing hot iron.

“This is too dangerous. Xie Mingxiao and the others aren’t fools…” she tried to protest.

“That’s your problem,” Lu Mingxuan slammed the table hard, making the teacup jump. “Don’t forget who gave you everything you have now!”

Silence fell like a death shroud over the room.

Lu Qiuyi met Lu Mingxuan’s twisted greed in his eyes and felt a dark resolve rise within. “I understand.”

Lu Mingxuan leaned back, satisfaction creeping onto his face once more with a false smile. “That’s my Lu family daughter.”

After he left, Lu Qiuyi sat alone in the empty room for another half hour.

The lingering scent of tea mixed with the cold perfume on Lu Mingxuan’s skin churned her stomach.

Half an hour later, she appeared at the entrance of the famed “Maze” bar in the capital.

The deafening music and dazzling, hypnotic lights swallowed her whole.

Here, there were no tasks or work, only the heart-throbbing beat and the heavy scent of alcohol in the air.

Lu Qiuyi walked straight to the bar and slapped down a stack of bills. “Reserve me a private booth, and the most expensive drinks!”

“And some male models—only the most handsome!”

Soon, three young men of distinct styles, all strikingly good-looking, surrounded her in the dimly lit booth.

The table was covered in colorful bottles and platters of fruit.

The pounding music drowned out their words; she only saw their flattering smiles bobbing before her eyes.

Someone poured her drinks, others tried to strike up conversation, and one offered dice to play.

“Drink up, all of it,” Lu Qiuyi accepted without hesitation, downing glass after glass.

“Sis, your smile is really beautiful,” a silver-haired boy with a sunny grin leaned closer, handing her a pink cocktail.

“Beautiful?” Lu Qiuyi, bleary-eyed, pointed at herself and giggled, “What’s the use of being beautiful? Still just a pawn being toyed with…”

Suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of hurt, tears sprang unbidden, smudging her makeup into a mess.

“Don’t cry, sis,” another boy, dressed in sleek black with a colder aura, pulled out a tissue to help wipe her face, but she pushed him away roughly.

“Who’s crying? I’m having a great time!” Lu Qiuyi suddenly stood, reaching for a bottle on the table. She stumbled, nearly falling sideways.

In the chaos, her hand fumbled toward the phone on the sofa and somehow long-pressed a shortcut key.

It dialed a WeChat call.