Chapter 3: The Living Yama’s Interest

The silence in the ballroom was so heavy it felt physical. On the massive LED screen, the red text [SYSTEM BREACHED: WELCOME HOME, GHOST QUEEN] pulsed like a heartbeat.

Lin Zhen’s face transitioned from purple to a ghostly white. This wasn't just a glitch; it was a public execution of his reputation. The "Aegis" protocol was supposed to be the Lin family’s ticket into the big leagues. Now, it was a laughingstock.

​"Lin Xia!" Lin Zhen roared, finding his voice as he rushed toward the stage. "What have you done? Turn it off! Guards, seize her!"

Two security guards moved forward, but they stopped dead in their tracks.

​Lin Xia didn't move. She didn't flinch. She simply tapped a command on her tablet, and the ballroom’s sound system let out a sharp, digital chirp. Suddenly, every smartphone in the room vibrated simultaneously.

The guests pulled out their devices. Gasps erupted.

​"Is this... Lin Group’s internal ledger?" one investor whispered.

"Look at these transactions! This isn't software development; this is money laundering!" another cried.

​Lin Xia turned her gaze to her father. "I didn't break the system, Father. I simply opened the curtains. If the house is rotten, don't blame the person who turned on the lights."

​[The VIP Balcony]

From his vantage point, Lu Jingshen swirled the amber liquid in his glass. His eyes, usually as cold and unreadable as deep-sea water, were fixed on the girl in the emerald dress.

​"Master Lu," his assistant, Yan, whispered nervously. "Should we intervene? The Lin Group's stocks are plummeting in real-time. This girl... she’s dangerous."

Lu Jingshen’s lips curved into a microscopic, dangerous smile. "Dangerous? No. She’s precise."

He had seen geniuses before, but they were usually arrogant and loud. This girl moved with a lethal efficiency he had only seen in elite mercenaries. And that "Ghost Queen" signature... it teased a memory of a legend he thought had vanished a month ago.

​"Cancel our contract with the Lins," Lu Jingshen commanded, setting his glass down. "And bring the girl to my car. I want to see if she’s as 'explosively cool' in person as she is on a screen."

​[The Ballroom Floor]

​"You... you bitch!" Lin Mu lost all her "White Lotus" composure. She lunged at Lin Xia, her manicured nails aimed at her sister's face. "You ruined everything!"

Lin Xia stepped aside with the grace of a matador. She caught Lin Mu’s wrist and twisted it just enough to force the younger girl to her knees.

​"Sister," Lin Xia whispered, leaning down so only Lin Mu could hear. "This is just the first patch. I have a whole suite of updates waiting for you. For the drugs you slipped in my tea, for the rumors you spread... I'll collect it all with interest."

She shoved Lin Mu away and walked toward the exit, the crowd parting for her like the Red Sea. She didn't look back at the chaos, the shouting, or her father’s desperate attempts to explain the red screen.

However, as she reached the grand entrance, four men in black suits blocked her path. They weren't Lin family guards; these men had the disciplined aura of professionals.

One of them bowed slightly. "Miss Lin. Our Master would like a word."

​Lin Xia glanced at the black Maybach idling at the curb. Through the tinted glass, she could feel a gaze as sharp as a laser.

She checked her tablet. Battery: 15%.

She checked her heart rate. Steady.

​"Your Master has three minutes," Lin Xia said, tucking the tablet into her clutch. "I have a busy schedule, and revenge doesn't wait for anyone."

​She stepped into the car. The door closed with a heavy, expensive thud, sealing her inside with the most powerful man in the country.

Lu Jingshen sat in the shadows, his presence filling the cabin. "Lin Xia. Or should I call you by your other name?"

Lin Xia leaned back against the leather seat, her eyes meeting his without a shred of fear. "In this car, there are no names. Only interests. What do you want, Mr. Lu?"

Lu Jingshen leaned forward, the light catching the sharp angle of his jaw. "I want to know how a 'dropout' knows a coding language that hasn't been released to the public yet."

Lin Xia tilted her head, a stray lock of hair falling over her eye. "I'm a fast learner. Now, you have two minutes left. Make them count."

The Ghost Queen was playing with fire, and for the first time, she found a flame she didn't want to extinguish.

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