Chapter 107: The Crucial Key

Just as Wen Nan was pondering how to steer the conversation toward the "Gate," Irene Guan closed the video conference window.

"Sigh..."

Sitting by the desk, Irene kept her hand pressed over the back of Wen Nan's hand, which was still resting against her chest. The shadow over her face grew even darker.

"Does it still hurt?" Wen Nan asked, gently kneading the spot beneath his palm.

Irene's fingers tightened around his wrist. She forced a smile and shook her head. "I'm fine."

She clearly didn't want to talk about it, but her inner thoughts raced on—

*I'm so tired.*

*I gave up all my family's financial support to build this from scratch. Even now, I work day and night for the company just to draw a clear line between myself and that family. Yet, in the end... my own family raided my home turf.*

*Who else around me can I actually trust?*

*The entire Irene Group, from the board of directors to the management level, has probably been rotten to the core for a long time.*

Hearing Irene's thoughts, the line from the background description of his second main quest flashed through Wen Nan's mind: *Irene has been sick lately.*

So, was this the "sickness" they meant?

"Is something going wrong at work?" Wen Nan asked gently, guiding the conversation. "Did something happen during the meeting just now?"

Irene lifted her beautiful, pale face and looked at him for a moment. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to confide in him, but in the end, the constraints of her position and company regulations held her back. She said nothing.

"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."

*I still can't tell Ye Jiu about this.*

*Even if I want to, I shouldn't, and I cannot drag him into this.*

Wen Nan waited for a moment, but when no explanation followed, he decided to fish for information. "Is there trouble with the laboratory behind the G-Point?"

Hearing his words, Irene's eyes widened in surprise.

*How does he know about that top-secret lab? How does he even know it's located behind the G-Point?*

*There are only two keys to that lab. One is in my hands, and the other is with Stephen. And Stephen was instigated by Jane Yang...*

*Could it be that Ye Jiu... is a mole Jane Yang deliberately planted by my side?!*

*That would certainly fit Jane's scheming nature. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she's planted a spy near me...*

*But Ye Jiu... why does it have to be Ye Jiu...*

*Why does it have to be the one person in this entire company I care about the most...*

*Are you going to betray me too? Sob...*

Standing beside her, Wen Nan hadn't uttered a single word, yet he had just listened to the soft female voice in his head weave a grand melodrama combining corporate warfare, espionage, and palace intrigue all on her own.

He watched as her lips pressed into a tight line, her face turning paler by the second. Her grip tightened so hard that Wen Nan's wrist began to ache.

Wen Nan suspected that if he didn't speak up to stop her, her next step would be to label him as "Jane Yang's spy" and kick him right out of the office.

"I accidentally overheard it mentioned during your conference call just now, so I asked out of curiosity," Wen Nan explained in a calm, soothing tone. "I'm sorry, is it a confidential matter?"

Irene studied his eyes intently. Seeing his open and honest expression, which didn't look like a lie, she finally relaxed. She shook her head and gave a simple reply, "No, it's just that it's not convenient for me to go into details with you."

*It seems I was overthinking. He really has nothing to do with Jane Yang.*

*I was careless during the conference call just now. I never expected the other party to suddenly bring up the lab during a routine weekly partner meeting. I lost my composure for a moment and spoke about things that should have remained confidential.*

*It's all because of this annoying chest and stomach pain. It's making it impossible for me to think straight.*

*Come to think of it, why did this chest and stomach pain suddenly start first thing this morning? It feels like I've been impaled right through the middle. It hurts so much, sob...*

The image of the soul doll surfaced in Wen Nan's mind again. He wanted to ask more, but the system prompt chimed in his head at the worst possible moment—

9527: [Your skill, Mind Reading, has ended. It is now on cooldown.]

Ended already?

Even with the triple-duration multiplier from the Tear, the mind-reading window still felt far too short.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Just as he was thinking, a knock sounded at the door.

Wen Nan looked up toward the entrance and saw a familiar figure push the door open and walk in.

"Sis, you wanted to see me."

Jane Yang, dressed in a casual Gucci skirt suit, walked in slowly with a smile on her face.

The moment her eyes fell upon Wen Nan, who was sitting by the desk massaging Irene's chest, the smile froze on Jane's face. "What are you doing here?"

Wen Nan stood up. "I just came to deliver something. I'll leave now so I don't interrupt your conversation."

As he hurried across the office and brushed past Jane, she grabbed his arm once more.

She pressed her lips close to his ear, the heavy, almost cloyingly sweet scent of her ambergris perfume instantly flooding his nose.

"Hey, little brother, don't forget what you promised me last time."

Before Wen Nan could reply, Irene spoke coldly from behind her desk:

"Jane, I've told you before. He is my man. Stay away from him."

Jane shot back mockingly, "Oh? What, did he sign his life away to you?"

Though she won the verbal sparring, Jane was still somewhat intimidated when she met Irene's icy gaze. Not daring to truly provoke her, she sensibly let go of Wen Nan's arm.

Wen Nan took his leave of both of them and quickly exited the office amidst the tense, hostile atmosphere.

The moment he closed the door behind him, Betty Zhang rushed up to him.

"Senior! Help! It's an absolute emergency!"

Looking at his junior sister's round face, Wen Nan felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. How was this so similar to yesterday's events?

While he was dazed, Betty had already impatiently grabbed his hand and dragged him into a cramped storage room next to the pantry.

*Click.*

Locking the storage room door from the inside, Betty cornered Wen Nan against the wall.

"Uh..." Wen Nan felt like their physical positions were a bit swapped. "You're not actually going to sexually harass me at work, are you?"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Betty looked down, her gaze landing on Wen Nan's perfectly defined chest. She swallowed hungrily, thought about it, and nodded. "Well, since we're already here... I guess a little harassment wouldn't hurt."

Wen Nan feigned annoyance. "I am your senior brother!"

Betty's hands, which were about to reach for his chest, paused for a moment. Then, her smile grew even more mischievous. "Incest? That's even better!"

Wen Nan was taken aback. He raised a hand and tapped her forehead with a finger. "What on earth goes on in that little head of yours all day?"

Betty clutched her forehead. Seeing that he wasn't going to play along with her act, she finally remembered her actual business. Dropping the playful look, her face fell back into a miserable expression.

"Senior, this is a real emergency. You have to help me, or I'll lose my job! Please, I'm begging you!"

Wen Nan said seriously, "What is it? Tell me."

Betty pulled a key out from her cleavage and held it up in front of Wen Nan.

Wen Nan frowned. "What's this?"

Betty grit her teeth and laid it out plainly: "This is the key to a certain secret laboratory."

(Note: The previous chapter was partially edited due to sensitive content.)

(End of Chapter)