CHAPTER 179: CHAPTER 179: BASEMENT? (UNEDITED)

Yue Ning’s brows furrowed. "If that’s true, we can’t just sit back and wait for them to make a move."

Huo Feng leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest in a measured rhythm. "That’s why I said not to worry about Huo Fei. Huo Mingjie and Song Kai will act, and when they do... they’ll expose themselves."

"You already have something planned, don’t you?" Yue Ning asked quietly, studying his face.

He smiled faintly. It was that calm dangerous curve of his lips that made her heart race every time she sees it. "Every move they make is within my board."

"Board?" she repeated, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"Chess," he replied simply, standing up and walking toward the window. "And they’ve already taken their first pawn."

The way he said it sent a chill down her spine. She followed his gaze and saw his reflection in the glass. His eyes were cold, and calculating.

Her breath caught in her throat. He was dangerous... she knew that much.

"Sometimes," he continued, "you don’t stop your enemies. You let them believe they’ve outsmarted you. Then you crush them when they least expect it."

Yue Ning’s eyes softened. "You’ve already begun, haven’t you?"

He turned slightly, a knowing look in his eyes. "The moment Song Kai said the word strike, he lost."

Just then, Ah Si knocked lightly on the door, walking in.

"President Huo, a message from the security team. Someone tried accessing the restricted floor using your brother’s ID." He informed them.

Both Yue Ning and Huo Feng froze for a beat.

Huo Feng’s faint smile disappeared. His eyes darkened.

"Looks like," he murmured, "the game’s begun sooner than I thought."

Yue Ning was silent for a while as she stared at Huo Feng whose expression had darkened slightly. Her eyes held slight admiration. Indeed, a man looked the best when he was serious.

But the following chimes that came snapped her out of her admiration.

[Mission: Stop Huo Mingjie’s move.]

[Reward: Healing abilities.]

[Time frame: Five hours.]

"What?" She screamed loudly.

Huo Feng and Ah Si turned to her with concern flashing in their eyes.

"Are you okay?" Huo Feng asked, his eyes flickering with worry.

"No... nothing." She shook her head. "I’m fine. Anyways, what are you planning to do with the mole?" She changed the topic without hesitation.

Huo Feng’s gaze remained on her, but she had a smile on her lips. When he saw that she was really okay, he exhaled.

His expression darkened further as the urgency of the situation hit him. "The mole will be dealt with immediately," he said coldly, his voice firm.

"Ah Si, get the security team on it. I want all the surveillance footage reviewed and cross-referenced with any known contacts of Huo Mingjie. The bastard’s trying to play us."

"Yes, President Huo," Ah Si replied without hesitation, his voice tight as he turned to leave the office.

Yue Ning watched Ah Si leave, but her mind was still racing. The mission prompt had thrown her off balance. [Stop Huo Mingjie’s move. Five hours.] That was not a lot of time. But she had to do it. The rewards were tempting.

If she could get the healing abilities...

’I think it’d be nice to tell you that the abilities only work for other people. It doesn’t work for you.’ The system cut through her thoughts.

"It doesn’t matter. I have you here with me, so I wouldn’t be too worried. The healing skills would be able to save Huo Feng or any other person when in danger. I feel something is about to happen."

She looked at Huo Feng, who seemed unfazed by the rush. It was almost as if he anticipated this. He had mentioned his game of chess—was this part of it?

"Do you know what they are trying to do?" Yue Ning asked, her voice low, as she leaned forward slightly.

Huo Feng looked at her for a long moment before he said, "I have a suspicion. Mingjie and Song Kai think they can outsmart me. They’ve been working together for a while now, and they think I’m blind to their games." He paused, swirling the pen in his hand.

"But the truth is, I’ve already anticipated this move. Ever since I’ve foiled their last plans, they’ve been restless. Huo Fei’s situation was just a decoy. I’ve allowed them to think they’ve got the upper hand."

Yue Ning’s brows furrowed. "Song Kai and Huo Mingjie. They’ve been plotting together. But what could they be planning?"

Huo Feng smiled faintly. "Exactly. They thought they could use Huo Fei to weaken Huo Yan’s position, but all they’ve done is given me an opportunity to strike back."

"As for what they are planning, we have plenty of time to find out."

Yue Ning nodded, her thoughts aligning. "So, you’re letting them believe they’ve won?"

Huo Feng’s smile became sharper. "Yes. Sometimes, you don’t stop your enemies. You let them think they’ve outsmarted you. Then you crush them when they least expect it."

Yue Ning’s eyes softened. "You’ve already begun, haven’t you?"

Huo Feng smiled, but didn’t reply. That smile was enough for Yue Ning to know what was on his mind.

But her brows knitted slightly. Five hours. It wasn’t enough time. She couldn’t sit back and do nothing. Seeing that Huo Feng was busy typing away on his phone, she decided to have a conversation with the system.

"System, what can I do?" She asked, wringing her fingers together.

’You could run a background check on each employee.’ It answered.

"But that’d take a lot of time." Yue Ning protested.

’Are you forgetting that you are backed by me? Just have a laptop in hand, and I’ll do the rest.’

Yue Ning’s eyes darted. Right — she had the system with her.

"Huo Feng, I want to run a background check on your workers... if you don’t mind." She spoke up, gaining his attention.

"Can you do it? We have a lot of employees." Huo Feng asked, his brows creasing.

Yue Ning smiled. "You don’t have to worry about it. Do you trust me and my capabilities?"

Huo Feng chuckled faintly. How could he ever doubt her? "Fine." He nodded, and Yue Ning heaved a sigh of relief.

While the couple discussed with smiles on their faces, the same couldn’t be said for their growing enemies.

Huo Mingjie sat opposite Song Kai, his eyes glinting with confusion and questions.

Huo Mingjie’s eyes narrowed, his suspicion rising as he observed Song Kai’s calm demeanor. There was something unsettling about the way Song Kai seemed to know every detail, down to the company’s restricted areas.

"I still don’t understand how you knew about the basement. I haven’t mentioned it to you, have I?" He leaned forward slightly, his gaze never leaving Song Kai’s face.

Song Kai’s lips curled into a thin, knowing smile. He took a slow sip from his coffee, the steam rising as he placed the cup back on the table with deliberate care.

"A businessman never puts his eggs in one basket," he replied vaguely, his eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

Huo Mingjie didn’t let his guard down. Instead, he egged him on. "You’re not answering my question," he muttered, his voice sharp.

"How do you know about the basement?"

Song Kai leaned back in his chair, his fingers lacing together. "Do you really think you’re the only one with resources?" He raised an eyebrow, the words laced with a quiet challenge.

"I’ve been watching, Mingjie. Long before we even started working together. You don’t rise to the top without making a few... alliances."

Huo Mingjie’s expression hardened. He could sense the game Song Kai was playing—trying to keep him on edge, trying to provoke him. But he wasn’t going to bite. Not yet.

"What do you mean by that?" Huo Mingjie asked, his eyes not leaving Song Kai. He didn’t trust Song andhe knew the latter didn’t trust him as well.

They are only two people bound by a common goal — destroy Huo Feng. Song Kai was the type of person who could turn his back and bite his allies. The situation with the directors was a perfect example.

But that didn’t mean he would wait till Song Kai bites him. If there was any flicker of mistrust and betrayal, he’d be the first person to take that step.

Song Kai calmly sipped from his coffee, staring at the eager man.

Suddenly, he burst out laughing causing Huo Mingjie to furrow his brows.

"Sorry for laughing. But I couldn’t help myself."

"You look like someone who is about to go to war." Song Kai chuckled, and placed the cup on the table which separated both men.

"I asked a question," Huo Mingjie balled in his hands into fists. "How did you find out about the basement where all records of projects are kept."

Song Kai’s lips upturned into a smirk as he tilted his head. "I have my ways."

Huo Mingjie’s eyes narrowed, the feeling of doubt and mistrust slowly creeping into him.