After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 13

Bian You remained completely unaware of the mess caused by Assistant Zhou’s meddling. At this moment, her only thought was to contact Qi Zhi’e.

[Bian You]: Everyone knows about you marking me now, including my mom.

[Bian You]: Pitiful.jpg

She had no intention of taking down the online articles exposing her marked status, even allowing the buzz to grow. Her unflinching attitude was so bold that even the mastermind behind the leak was taken aback.

No one expected her to care so little about so-called Alpha pride.

Qi Zhi’e lowered her gaze to the messages on her phone. She was well aware of the online uproar but hadn’t intervened. To her, the backlash was solely directed at Bian You, leaving her unaffected, so she saw no reason to step in.

Yet Bian You’s messages suggested she hadn’t faced any real consequences from Bian Lian. At the very least, that worked in Qi Zhi’e’s favor.

Wasn’t the only reason she tolerated Bian You’s closeness because the woman was useful? If Bian You lost everything, her value would vanish too.

Qi Zhi’e sent a perfunctory reply.

[Qi Zhi’e]: This has blown up quite a bit. Be careful these next few days.

Extremist Alphas might very well try to teach Bian You a lesson.

[Bian You]: Got it! I’ll be careful!

[Bian You]: Can I invite you to dinner tonight?

The last message carried a hint of hesitation, as if afraid of rejection.

And rejection was exactly what came naturally.

[Qi Zhi’e]: No, I have work to finish tonight.

Qi Zhi’e was swamped, juggling corporate responsibilities and her personal team’s affairs, leaving her with barely any sleep.

Though Bian You had expected this, disappointment still flickered briefly before she suppressed it. After clearing her morning workload, she dove back into probing Qi Zhi’e’s website for potential system vulnerabilities.

Once Qi Zhi’e set her sights on a goal, she acted without hesitation. Thanks to Bian You’s disguised role in Qi Zhi’e’s team, she had some insider knowledge. Most entrepreneurs meticulously planned every step, terrified of a single misstep leading to ruin.

But Qi Zhi’e was different. She moved the moment inspiration struck like her current ambition to develop a payment software capable of rivaling banking systems, even before her website officially launched. Anyone would call it audacious.

Bian You admitted that, in Qi Zhi’e’s shoes, she wouldn’t have dared make such a decision so quickly.

Yet since Qi Zhi’e had committed, Bian You would support her wholeheartedly. At the very least, she’d ensure no one could breach this payment software to sabotage it.

When money was involved, users needed absolute security to trust their funds were safe.

By the time Bian You finished all her tasks, it was already 9 p.m. Remembering Qi Zhi’e mentioning overtime work, she wasn’t sure when Qi would finish but still drove to the Qi Group building. Looking up at the floor where Qi’s office was located, she smiled softly when she saw the dark, unlit window.

It’s good to finish work early and go home.

However, what Bian You didn’t know was that Qi Zhi’e’s so-called overtime wasn’t at the Qi Group at all, but at a newly constructed office building in the new district, the temporary workspace for Qi’s company team.

“President Qi,” everyone greeted as Qi Zhi’e arrived.

The members of Qi’s team all appeared quite young, radiating an energetic and ambitious vibe. Perhaps they understood that if their current project succeeded, it would be something revolutionary for the era, which was why they worked with such enthusiasm.

Another important point was that many of them were fresh graduates who had struggled to find jobs due to their lack of experience. No one would have expected that people like them, whom no one wanted to hire, would be personally sought out by Qi Zhi’e.

Looking at this group of young people, Qi Zhi’e’s usually cold and indifferent face softened into a faint smile, making her appear much more approachable.

Most of them had followed her in her previous life. Since she had been given a second chance, she had found them early and nurtured them to maximize their potential.

Entering her private office, Qi Zhi’e’s expression remained unchanged as she took in the surroundings, but she felt a deep sense of reassurance in her heart.

This was everything that belonged to her completely separate from that Qi family.

The young woman who followed Qi in began reporting the work progress and the challenges they had encountered with serious focus.

When she mentioned that major brands were still unwilling to join their platform, Qi Zhi’e wasn’t the least bit surprised.

It had been the same in her previous life they refused to lower their prestige by joining this so-called online sales channel.

But their reluctance didn’t mean no one was willing to take the risk.

Qi Zhi’e had already established a dedicated business team to seek out influential merchants who could join the platform and bring in traffic.

Since the big brands weren’t interested, Qi Zhi’e turned her attention to small and medium-sized businesses.

She was also willing to invest heavily, offering substantial support to the first batch of merchants who joined. Promotions and marketing would require even more funding later, making things more challenging than they were now.

After working in the new district until 11 p.m., Qi Zhi’e stepped out and saw many still at their desks. With mixed emotions, she said, “I know there’s a lot of preliminary work, but you still need to take care of yourselves. Leave when it’s time and get some rest.”

Sometimes, Qi Zhi’e wondered what was wrong with them did normal people love work this much? Staying up late just to get more done.

“It’s fine, President Qi. We’re all still young, and there’s nothing much to do back home anyway. We just want to push forward and get our product out to the public sooner,” they replied with bright, tireless grins.

“President Qi, you don’t need to worry about whether we have someone to accompany us. We’re all single, our parents aren’t around, and going back means being alone, it’s quite boring.”

The chorus of voices left Qi Zhi’e momentarily speechless. Looking at these young faces before her, she conceded: “Then I’ll order some late-night snacks for you. After eating, go back early to rest well and work hard tomorrow.”

She understood why they were pushing themselves so hard they were still idealists full of passion, steadfastly marching toward the goals they believed in.

Yet sometimes Qi Zhi’e couldn’t help feeling dazed. Even she didn’t understand why, across lifetimes, she had earned such unwavering loyalty from them.

“Great!” Everyone cheered, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

The corners of Qi Zhi’e’s lips unconsciously lifted. After ordering their supper, she finally returned home, sinking into the bathtub to relieve the tension that had built up throughout the day.

She had recently moved out of the Qi family estate. Her current residence was conveniently located between Qi Corporation and her own company, with roughly equal distance to either.

Leaning her head back against the tub’s edge with closed eyes, the slight discomfort from the hard surface didn’t prompt her to adjust her position. Instead, her heart grew increasingly heavy.

As time passed, she couldn’t avoid confronting a very practical problem.

What should she do about her approaching estrus cycle?

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