Extra Story: The Young Lady and Her Loyal Wolf-Dog - Protecting the Master

The farce surrounding Wei Xianzhe soon died down.

In the vanity fair of Jingzhou, new jokes replace old ones every day.

Wei Xianzhe, along with his rather unsavory romantic affairs,

and even his dubious investments,

were all quickly forgotten.

Qin Ya remained the same, lofty and unattainable.

She still wore the most eye-catching red dresses and the highest heels.

She battled fiercely in the cruel world of business and navigated the hypocrisy of high-society banquets.

Only, the space around her had become much quieter.

The men who harbored various intentions and tried to get close to her now treaded carefully.

A new joke began circulating in their circles.

Want to court the Qin family's eldest daughter?

First, ask the invisible little hellhound behind her if he agrees.

Qin Ya merely smiled at this.

Huangfu Chengshi also seemed to have returned to his old self.

That quiet little pendant, trailing behind her.

He would still follow her with his sparkling eyes at gatherings.

He would still, when she was irritable, hand her a glass of her favorite juice, no ice, at just the right moment.

It was as if the hunter who had lurked in the shadows setting traps during the Wei Xianzhe incident was just an illusion.

But Qin Ya knew it was no illusion.

Her little wolfdog had grown real fangs.

Huangfu Chengshi had completely lost interest in the affairs of the Huangfu family.

The infighting within the Huangfu family was boring.

Even revenge had become dull.

He had once hated those so-called relatives who had bullied and neglected him.

But now he found that when your heart is filled with someone,

those past hatreds that once kept you tossing and turning at night become insignificant.

He acted increasingly mediocre within the Huangfu family.

He no longer deliberately sought his grandfather's attention.

Nor did he provoke conflicts with anyone anymore.

He was like a transparent shadow, quietly staying in his own corner.

The Huangfu family didn't mind keeping a docile good-for-nothing.

His father paid him no mind, and his stepmother was even more pleased with the situation.

He finally possessed the freedom he had always dreamed of.

He poured all his time and energy into his own world.

Code, data, algorithms.

In that world built of 0s and 1s,

he was the true king.

He displayed astonishing talent in his studies,

especially in the fields of computer science and mathematics.

He was no longer content with borrowing Qin Ya's influence.

He wanted to forge his own, real power.

He began using programs he wrote to gather intelligence for Qin Ya within the vast world of the internet.

He became a pair of hawk eyes circling above Qin Ya, unnoticed by anyone.

Qin Ya grew busier and busier.

Her position within the Qin Group became more and more secure.

The power in her hands also grew.

With it came increasingly numerous open and covert attacks.

The Qin family was like an exquisite yet brutal gladiatorial arena.

She was the most dazzling gladiator in the ring.

And inevitably, the target of everyone's attacks.

Qin Ya faced an important test.

An acquisition case for a new energy battery patent from Europe.

This was a crucial step in the Qin Group's future strategic layout.

On the eve of the final negotiations,

Qin Ya was still in her office with her team, running through the final simulations.

Her private email received a new message.

No sender.

No subject.

Just an encrypted attachment.

Qin Ya's eyebrow lifted slightly.

It was him again.

Ever since the Wei Xianzhe incident, she had been receiving a few such anonymous emails every month.

Sometimes, it was an analysis of a competitor's financial loopholes.

Sometimes, private photos of a certain opponent.

Sometimes, the secret transaction records of a certain executive within the group.

The information wasn't voluminous, but each piece was a precise, lethal strike.

Qin Ya never replied, nor did she ever mention it to anyone.

It became a tacit, secret game between them.

She opened the attachment.

Inside was a concise yet crystal-clear report.

It revealed that the company's chief scientist possessed an unpublished next-generation patent.

Furthermore, this scientist was already in talks with her cousin Qin Wei about a partnership to start his own venture.

If Qin Wei succeeded, what Qin Ya would be buying would likely be outdated technology and endless legal disputes.

Qin Ya quietly read through all the content.

She closed the email, her expression unchanged.

Then, she printed the document.

"Send this to Legal and the technical consultants."

She handed the printed pages to her assistant.

"Have them reassess the contract's risk clauses overnight."

"Also."

She paused, a cold curve forming at the corner of her mouth.

"First thing tomorrow morning, I want to see photos of my dear cousin Qin Wei 'having a grand time' at that private club in the west of the city."

"Along with a report on the financial issues of the subsidiary company he oversees."

"Appear where they should appear."

The next day, at the negotiation table.

The atmosphere was amicable, a signing seemingly imminent.

The people Qin Wei had arranged in the shadows were already prepared to release the news to the media.

Just as the other company's CEO was about to pick up the fountain pen, Qin Ya elegantly raised her hand to stop him.

"Before signing this agreement, I believe we might explore a more forward-looking cooperation plan."

Under the puzzled gazes of the others, Qin Ya said slowly:

"For instance, the Qin Group directly investing in the 'New Power' company that Dr. Winter is about to establish."

"Simultaneously, acquiring your company's existing patent assets—which are soon to lose their core maintenance team—at a more reasonable price."

"This would be a three-way win, more beneficial for all parties involved."

After Qin Ya finished speaking, the room was stunned.

The faces of several executives from the other company changed dramatically.

Clearly, no one had anticipated that Qin Ya would be so intimately aware of the internal upheaval within their company.

The person Qin Wei had placed in the conference room turned deathly pale instantly.

Qin Ya, at a price far lower than the original plan, not only secured the existing patents but also locked down the source of the future core technology in advance.

After the meeting ended,

Qin Ya stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the traffic flowing below.

She picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number.

The phone rang once before being answered.

"Ya-jie!"

Huangfu Chengshi's voice, as full of energy as ever, came from the other end.

"Hmm."

Qin Ya responded faintly.

"What are you doing?"

"Just finished class! Heading to get food!"

"Oh."

Qin Ya's gaze fell on the sky outside the window.

"Do they still have that chestnut cake?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line.

Then, an explosion of immense delight.

"Yes! Yes! I'll go buy it right now! Ya-jie, are you at the company? I'll bring it to you!"

"No need."

Qin Ya cut him off.

"I'll come get it myself."