Zichen Mo hurried through the living room, his movements sharp and restless. He had already slipped into a crisp white shirt and a dark suit coat, the buttons slightly undone as if even clothing could not slow the storm inside him. His footsteps echoed briefly before disappearing through the main door.
"Zichen—!"
Yueran Mo's voice followed him, but he was already gone.
She remained seated on the sofa, staring at the closed door for a long moment. Her heart felt uneasy. Ever since Jingyan Mo's death, her son had been moving faster than life itself—as if stopping even for a second might cause everything to collapse.
Trying to calm herself, Yueran turned her attention back to the television.
A female reporter appeared on the screen, her tone sharp and urgent.
"Breaking news from Shanghai. The newly appointed CEO of Robowise Corporation, Mr. Zichen Mo—whose father, Jingyan Mo, passed away just days ago—has now been struck by another shocking incident."
Yueran's fingers tightened around the edge of the sofa.
"Last night, confidential ideas related to Robowise's upcoming international contract were stolen. According to sources, four employees who attempted to stop the intruders were found injured."
The reporter paused, then continued seriously.
"This incident raises serious concerns. With such consecutive tragedies surrounding the newly appointed CEO, one cannot help but wonder—are these events merely coincidences, or signs of a deeper danger?"
Before Yueran could process the words, the television screen went black.
"Why did you turn it off?" Yueran asked weakly.
Lianxin Mo stood beside the TV, holding the remote tightly. Her expression was firm, almost angry.
"How many times do I have to say this?" she snapped.
"All of this is exaggerated nonsense. Fake news. Media scams."
Silence fell over the room.
For two full minutes, neither mother nor daughter spoke.
Then Yueran Mo finally broke down.
"How long will you both keep hiding everything from me?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Why don't you just say it clearly—that I'm unlucky? That because of me, you all have to suffer so much?"
Her eyes filled with tears, years of suppressed guilt pouring out at once.
Lianxin's expression shattered.
She rushed forward and hugged her mother tightly. As she held her, a single tear slipped down her own cheek.
"God always tests good people," Lianxin said softly.
"Maybe He wants us to become stronger. I'm sure He has planned something good for us. Please don't lose hope."
Yueran buried her face into her daughter's shoulder, crying silently.
Scene Shift — Robowise Corporation
Chaos had completely taken over Robowise.
Police officers moved swiftly through the building while journalists crowded every corner, cameras flashing nonstop. Questions flew in all directions.
"Mr. Mo! Is this an internal betrayal?"
"Is your company's security compromised?"
"Does this incident relate to your father's death?"
Zichen Mo pushed through the crowd, his face expressionless, his eyes cold. He ignored every question and headed straight toward his cabin.
Inside the company, Xu Beichen stood waiting.
The moment Zichen saw him, he rushed forward.
"Mr. Xu," Zichen said sharply, "what did you find?"
"After investigation," Xu replied gravely,
"suspicion has fallen on one of our managers."
Zichen froze.
"Who?"
"Mr. Zi Xuan."
Zichen shook his head instantly.
"That's impossible. Zi Xuan would never—"
"Please come with me," Xu interrupted quietly.
He led Zichen into a private cabin and opened his laptop.
"Look here," Xu said, pulling up security footage.
"This is from New Year's Eve."
The video showed the company's celebration—lights, laughter, music. But then Xu paused the frame.
"Notice this," he pointed.
"Zi Xuan appears only partially in this footage. In the next camera angle, his gaze is fixed directly on the security camera. And here—"
He switched screens.
"This camera shows an error immediately after."
Zichen frowned.
"What does this have to do with the theft?"
"It has everything to do with it," Xu replied.
"On that same day, you signed the contract. And after your father's death, you ordered the preparation of new ideas—many of which were already successful. Only a few crucial parts remained."
Xu changed the footage again.
"This is from the night the ideas were stolen. Several cameras were deliberately damaged. But if you look closely here—"
He zoomed in.
"You can see Zi Xuan's watch. And here—his ID card. It disappears the moment others enter the frame."
Zichen's breath turned heavy.
"I can't believe…" he whispered.
"I never imagined Zi Xuan could do this."
"The police have declared him the primary suspect," Xu said.
"They will arrest him within a few hours."
"But he went to Malaysia," Zichen argued.
"How could he be here?"
Before Xu could answer, the door opened.
Lianxin Mo walked in, holding her phone.
"He never went to Malaysia," she said coldly.
She showed Zichen her screen.
"For the past four days, his location has been tracked in Shanghai."
The room fell silent.
Zichen slowly clenched his fist.
Betrayal had a face now.
Scene Shift — Anyao Shen's House, Los Angeles
In a quiet LA neighborhood, sunlight filtered gently through the windows.
Emma walked out of her room and found Anyao Shen sitting calmly on the couch.
"Did you see the news?" Emma asked eagerly.
"I don't watch the news," Anyao replied casually.
"I mean today's news," Emma continued.
"Do you know what happened in Shanghai?"
Emma handed her the phone.
Anyao's eyes widened as she read.
"How is this possible?" she murmured.
"I didn't even know Uncle Jingyan Mo had passed away."
Emma looked shocked.
"You know the Mo family?"
"Yes," Anyao replied slowly.
"Very well."
"How?"
"Our families had strong connections once," Anyao said.
"I don't know why they broke. And… Zichen Mo was my childhood friend."
Emma's eyes sparkled.
"Oh! So has he seen you recently?"
"No," Anyao said quietly.
"He probably doesn't even know my name anymore."
"Then why don't you talk to your mom about this?" Emma asked.
As if summoned by fate, Anyao's phone rang.
Anyao answered.
"Hello, Mom."
"I miss you so much," Wang Shen's voice came through.
Anyao didn't waste time.
"What happened to Uncle Jingyan Mo?" she asked urgently.
"How did he die?"
There was a pause.
"He was murdered."
Anyao stood up in shock.
Before she could say anything else, Zeyu Shen suddenly snatched the phone.
"Mind your own business," he snapped harshly.
"Don't ask unnecessary questions. Continue your internship."
His voice turned colder.
"If you ask again, I'll call you back to Shanghai."
The call disconnected.
Anyao stared at the phone, her heart pounding.
Something was terribly wrong.
And deep down, she knew—
Shanghai was calling her back.