The weight of the folder in Yuxi's hands felt heavier than it should have.
Liu Wen stood before her, arms crossed, a knowing smirk playing at the edges of her lips. The entire office had gone silent, waiting—watching—to see how Yuxi would react to the impossible task handed to her.
"You have until tomorrow morning to present a solution," Liu Wen announced, her tone mocking yet firm.
Tomorrow morning?
Yuxi barely managed to keep her expression neutral as she quickly flipped through the thick stack of documents inside the folder. The first page alone sent a sinking feeling through her stomach.
Qinghua Tech: Crisis Report
Issue: A Product ScandalPublic Reaction: Severe BacklashPotential Consequences: Termination of Contract with Gu Corporation
Her heart pounded.
This wasn't just any PR issue—it was a full-blown disaster.
A recent product launch by Qinghua Tech had gone wrong. Customers had reported defective units, safety hazards, and injuries. Social media was ablaze with outrage, with consumers demanding refunds, calling for boycotts, and dragging both Qinghua Tech and Gu Corporation through the mud.
The situation was volatile, and if not handled correctly, Qinghua Tech would sever ties with Gu Corporation, leading to a massive financial loss.
It was the kind of problem that even seasoned PR executives would struggle to contain.
And Liu Wen had handed it to her, a newcomer, on her second week of work.
A cold realization hit her.
They wanted her to fail.
This wasn't about testing her skills. It wasn't about work ethic.
It was a trap.
A carefully planned one, designed to make her fall hard and fast.
She glanced up at Liu Wen, whose smirk had widened.
"If this is too much for you," Liu Wen said, "you're welcome to admit it now. I wouldn't want to force you into something beyond your capabilities."
A few chuckles rippled through the office.
They were waiting for her to back down.
If she refused the task, they would call her weak, incapable, and unqualified.
If she accepted and failed, they would use it as an excuse to push her out permanently.
She had no way to win—not in their eyes.
Yuxi inhaled slowly.
She would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her doubt herself.
Lifting her gaze, she met Liu Wen's eyes head-on.
"I'll handle it," she said firmly.
Liu Wen arched an eyebrow, clearly surprised, but quickly masked it with amusement.
"Good," she said simply before turning on her heels and walking away.
As soon as she was gone, the murmurs started.
"She's dead.""Does she think she can fix this?""I give her until tomorrow afternoon before she's out of here."
Yuxi ignored them.
She couldn't afford to waste time.
By the time she sat at her desk, her mind was already racing.
She pulled out her notepad and scribbled down the core issues at hand:
Defective product complaints
Public backlash on social media
Loss of consumer trust
Qinghua Tech blaming Gu Corporation for poor crisis management
She needed a strategy—one that would restore public confidence and salvage Gu Corporation's relationship with Qinghua Tech.
But she had barely any time to figure it out.
As she buried herself in reports, data, and consumer feedback, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"You're still here?"
She looked up to see Xiao Rui, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
Yuxi glanced at the office clock. It was already 9:30 PM. The office had mostly emptied, except for a handful of employees.
"You should go home," Xiao Rui said. "Liu Wen gave you this task to crush you, not to test you. No one expects you to fix it."
Yuxi leaned back in her chair, exhaustion settling in, but she shook her head.
"I don't care what they expect," she murmured. "I just need to do my job."
Xiao Rui hesitated before sighing. "Alright… Let me see what you have so far."
Surprised, Yuxi turned the documents toward her.
Xiao Rui skimmed through them, her brows furrowing. "Your analysis is solid, but this is way too much for one person to handle in a night. Even experienced PR teams struggle with cases like this."
Yuxi clenched her jaw. "I don't have a choice."
Xiao Rui watched her for a moment before exhaling.
"Fine," she said. "I'll help you."
Yuxi's eyes widened slightly. "Why?"
Xiao Rui smirked. "Because I hate seeing unfairness. And because, for some reason, I think you might pull this off."
A small warmth spread through Yuxi's chest.
She wasn't completely alone.
The two women spent the next few hours brainstorming, revising press statements, analyzing Qinghua Tech's weaknesses, and drafting a counter-strategy.
Yuxi's hand ached from writing, but she refused to stop.
She could not afford to fail.
By the time Yuxi finally left the office, it was past midnight.
The hallways of Gu Corporation were eerily silent, illuminated only by dim security lights.
As she stepped into the cool night air, she found herself wondering—
Did Gu Zeyan know about this?
Did he know that Liu Wen was setting her up to fail?
That she was being targeted and sabotaged?
Would he step in if things got worse?
Or was he silently watching, waiting to see how she handled herself?
A bitter smile played on her lips.
Why did she even care?
She had never wanted his help. She had wanted to do this on her own.
And she would.
Tomorrow, she would face the biggest challenge of her career—the first real test of her abilities.
If they wanted her to break, they would be disappointed.
Because Jiang Yuxi had already endured far worse.
She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and stepped into the night.
Tomorrow, she would prove them all wrong.