The next morning, the auxiliary server room was clean, but the atmosphere in the Liang mansion was heavy with tension. Liang hadn't slept. He sat across from Xiao Mei at the dining table, watching her sip her coffee, looking like a relaxed housewife. He still couldn't reconcile the clumsy girl who burned eggs with the Code Queen who saved his corporation.
"Who was it?" Xiao Mei asked simply.
Liang placed the captured data chip on the table. "The IP address led to a shell corporation registered three months ago. The coding signature... it matches a unique virus Li Wei used during her university project."
"Li Wei," Xiao Mei confirmed, nodding slowly. "She used the divorce application as a distraction while the virus deployed. She wanted the shame of divorce and the destruction of your company simultaneously."
Liang closed his eyes in defeat. "I underestimated my own sister. I never saw her cruelty."
"You saw your sister. I see a competitor who broke the rules," Xiao Mei corrected. "I stopped the payload, but the damage report needs to be officially released. If you don't control the narrative, the market will assume the worst."
Liang stared at her, a profound realization dawning. "You sound like you know exactly what to do."
"I do. The protocol is standard for a reputation-based attack."Liang pushed his untouched breakfast plate away. "Xiao Mei, I need you. Not as a distraction, not as a flirtatious wife, but as the programmer who wrote that firewell. I need you to be my Chief Security Officer (CSO)."
Xiao Mei raised an eyebrow. "CSO? Isn't that a little drastic? I was banned from the kitchen yesterday; today I'm running your cyber-defense?"
"I don't care about the board, the shareholders, or the media. The only person I trust with my company's existence is the one who saved it," Liang insisted, his eyes hard and sincere. "I will announce the appointment this afternoon."
Xiao Mei felt a rush of professional pride she hadn't felt since her past life. "Accepted. But I work on my own terms. My office must have the latest quantum processors, and Zhang Min is my second-in-command."
"Done," Liang agreed instantly. "Now, let's craft the official statement."
That afternoon, Liang called an emergency press conference. The media had gathered, expecting news of the cyber-attack and possible resignations. Instead, Liang stepped onto the stage, radiating cold authority, with Xiao Mei—now dressed in a perfectly tailored dark-blue suit—standing calmly by his side.Liang began by confirming the attack, but immediately dismissed the rumor of a data leak. "Our systems were breached by a unique, sophisticated virus, but it was neutralized instantly by a superior countermeasure."
Then, he dropped the bombshell.
"I am officially announcing the appointment of the new Chief Security Officer of the Liang Group: my wife, Xiao Mei," he stated.
The reporters erupted into chaos. The Flirty Trophy Wife? CSO? Was the CEO insane?
Xiao Mei stepped forward, silencing the room with her mere presence. She wasn't smiling; she was focused.
"Liang Group detected and neutralized the attack within four hours," she said, her voice clear and carrying authority. "The attack was traced to a specific coding signature. That signature belongs to Li Wei, the former head of our innovation department and Mr. Liang's sister."
The shock in the room was palpable.
"Furthermore," Xiao Mei continued, projecting the captured data chip onto the massive screen behind her. "We have retrieved evidence that Ms. Li Wei was using company resources to fund her own rival startup, 'Phoenix Tech,' and planned to use the reputation crisis to drive Liang Group stock down before making a hostile takeover bid."
Liang concluded with an ice-cold finality. "Li Wei has been reported to the authorities for corporate espionage. The Liang Group does not tolerate betrayal, whether it comes from a competitor or a family member. We are stable. We are secure. And we are moving forward."That evening, the Liang family elders descended upon the mansion in fury. They were less concerned about corporate espionage and more concerned about the public disgrace.
Liang's elderly grandmother, the matriarch, banged her ornate cane on the floor. "Liang! You arrested your own sister?! And you gave a position of power to this... this frivolous woman who spends her time flirting?! Have you lost your mind?!"
Liang remained calm, but firm. "Grandmother, Xiao Mei saved the company from destruction. Li Wei tried to destroy it."
"She may be a hacker, but she lacks the necessary decorum and business acumen to hold that title! You must replace her with a respected elder of the family!" demanded his uncle, looking venomously at Xiao Mei.
Xiao Mei stood quietly, letting them argue. She knew her battle wasn't with Liang; it was with the old world he represented. She had to prove her worth to the family, not with charm, but with competence. The new war had just begun.