Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

In the Bai family study, only one desk lamp was lit.

The light from the display screen shone on Bai Jingyou's face, making his nonchalant expression exceptionally clear.

On the other side of the screen, Chen Mo was sitting in a car, with the brightly lit office buildings of the Su Group in the background.

"Young Master, Liu Zhen has done his best." Chen Mo rubbed his temples, his voice a little hoarse. "We've obtained the external data, which basically confirms that the Su family's project involved inflated costs. But—"

Chen Mo paused, his tone becoming somewhat annoyed: "The most crucial bid documents, along with those shady financial ledgers, aren't on the server. That bastard Su Nan was terrified; he locked everything in a physical safe in his office. That thing is custom-made in Germany; without a password and Su Nan's retina, forcibly prying it open would only trigger the alarm."

That was Su Nan's lifeline, and it was also the source of his confidence to make a solemn pledge in front of Old Master Su.

As long as the safe remains unopened, the outside world can only speculate and cannot deliver a fatal blow to Su Nan.

"No need to pry it open."

Bai Jingyou leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen in his hand, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing what to have for dinner, "We're civilized people, let's not always think about doing those thieving gentleman's deeds."

Chen Mo was taken aback for a moment: "Then...how do I take it?"

"When a house catches fire, everyone will think about saving the valuables first." Bai Jingyou tapped a few times on the keyboard. "Receive a file."

A ding sound.

Chen Mo's phone vibrated. He opened the encrypted document, and his eyes widened as he read, almost throwing the phone away in the end.

"What... what is this?"

"The project manager in Su Nan now is named Wang Kai, right?" Bai Jingyou picked up his teacup and took a sip. "This is evidence of him taking kickbacks and falsifying accounts at his previous company. Oh, and by the way, there are also the transaction records showing that he transferred several million yuan into his brother-in-law's company under the guise of project procurement during the past six months at Su's."

Chen Mo gasped in shock.

These details are so detailed that they even include which club Wang Kai swiped his card at on which day.

"Young Master, when did you investigate this? This is too..."

Bai Jingyou smiled but didn't explain.

Investigate? There's absolutely no need to investigate.

When he read that lousy book back then, he was so angry about this part of the plot that he almost had a stroke.

In the original novel, Wang Kai is a vicious dog in southern Jiangsu, greedy and insatiable, who makes a mess of the project.

And what happened? Because he was Su Nan's best friend from university, Su Nan managed to cover it up for him.

In order to highlight Su Nan's so-called loyalty and shrewdness, the author deliberately lowers his intelligence, making everyone in the company turn a blind eye to it.

Now the plot has fallen apart, and that forced stupidity aura is gone.

In the real business world, these treacherous parasites are the best entry point.

"Su Nan's current base is supported by these guys. To promote Wang Kai and his cronies, he's severely suppressed the original veterans of the Su family." A cold glint flashed in Bai Jingyou's eyes. "Tell me, what do you think would happen if those long-suffering employees suddenly found this document?"

Chen Mo was a smart man; he understood immediately, and a sly smile, as if waiting to see a good show, spread across his face: "Then the Su family's internal group is going to be lively. Su Nan's situation isn't just a fire in his backyard; it's like he's setting off firecrackers in his own living room."

"Go and do it." Bai Jingyou closed his notebook. "Don't make it too deliberate. Have Liu Zhen print these things out and accidentally leave them in the break room, the copy room, or on the desks of those old directors who have the most complaints about Wang Kai."

"Doesn't Su Nan like to play the 'cut your tail' game? I'd like to see whether he'll protect his good brother or his already precarious position this time."

……

The next morning, at the Su Group project site.

The atmosphere was so eerie it was suffocating.

As soon as Su Nan entered the office, she sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.

The employees who usually bowed and scraped before him were all looking down today, their eyes darting around. A few even huddled together whispering. As soon as they saw him arrive, they scattered like birds.

Good morning, Mr. Su.

The secretary brought in coffee, her hands trembling slightly, and a few drops spilled onto the tray.

"What's going on?" Su Nan frowned, loosening his tie. "What's all the noise outside?"

"N-nothing..." the secretary stammered, glancing at Su Nan's computer screen.

Su Nan's heart skipped a beat. He pushed his secretary aside, strode to his desk, and turned on the screen.

The company's internal forum has been flooded with posts about it.

The pinned post had a striking red title: "Is this what General Manager Su calls an elite team? Let's take a look at the impressive resume of Wang Kai, the project manager."

Attached below are the pieces of evidence that Bai Jingyou sent to Chen Mo.

Every invoice and every transfer is so clear that there is no way to refute it.

"Wang Kai! What is this bastard doing?!" Su Nan slammed his fist on the table, making the coffee cup jump.

Before he could come up with a solution, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

Several elderly men with gray hair stormed in, led by Zhang, the most senior director of the Su Group.

Normally, these old guys are suppressed by Su Nan and can't even lift their heads, but today they're like a pack of wolves that have smelled blood.

"Su Nan! You need to give us an explanation!" Director Zhang slammed a stack of printed materials onto Su Nan's face, the papers fluttering like snowflakes. "This is the talent you insisted on hiring despite everyone's objections? Falsifying academic credentials is one thing, but this embezzlement is even reflected in the company's accounts! This land reclamation project is the group's priority this year, and you've entrusted it to this kind of person?"

"Uncle Zhang, please let me explain. This might be a misunderstanding. Someone is spreading rumors..." Su Nan forced a smile, his shirt already soaked with cold sweat.

"Spreading rumors?" Another director, Li, sneered. "The finance department has already verified that those purchase payments are indeed problematic! Su Nan, we've tolerated your nepotism all this time because of your father. But now you're gambling with the company's future!"

"A thorough investigation is necessary!"

"Wang Kai should be suspended immediately!"

"We also need to find out if this was done on your behalf, Mr. Su! After all, Wang Kai was someone you brought in!"

Su Nan's head was throbbing from the noise. Looking at these old guys who usually pretended to be deaf and dumb in front of him, he suddenly realized what was going on.

This isn't really about Wang Kai.

This is clearly a case of Xiang Zhuang performing a sword dance, with his true intention being to target Liu Bang!

They want to use this opportunity to remove Su Nan from his position as project leader!

At the back of the crowd, Liu Zhen, holding a folder, quietly watched this scene.

He adjusted his glasses, a barely perceptible smirk playing on his lips, before quickly adopting a pained expression and pushing forward: "Fellow directors, please calm down. President Su has certainly been misled. The most urgent task is to seal off the project's accounts to prevent anyone from destroying evidence..."

"Yes! Seal the accounts!" Director Zhang waved his hand. "Liu Zhen, you're familiar with the business, you keep an eye on this! Anyone who dares to touch the books, call the police immediately!"

Su Nan suddenly looked at Liu Zhen with a sinister gaze.

Liu Zhen, however, acted as if he hadn't seen anything and began directing people to seal the computers with an air of righteousness.

This is what Bai Jingyou meant by handing over the hammer. And now, that hammer has landed squarely on Su Nan's toes.

Su Nan wanted to get angry and yell at someone, but her phone rang.

Upon seeing that the caller ID showed it was the chairman, he deflated completely, like a punctured balloon.

……

Haicheng University.

If the Su Group was like a wildfire spreading, then Haicheng University was like a wall collapsing and everyone kicking it while it was down.

The bulletin board was surrounded by students, three or four deep.

Li Yan, with a steamed bun in his mouth, squeezed his way in with difficulty: "Excuse me, excuse me! What's all this commotion? Is the cafeteria raising prices again?"

"What price increase? Look! Big news!" My roommate, Lao Zhang, excitedly pointed to the red-headed document on the bulletin board.

Decision on expelling Lin Ruyu, a student of the School of Economics and Management of this university.

The announcement was written in a very official and uncompromising manner:

"An investigation revealed that student Lin Ruyu repeatedly and seriously violated school rules and regulations during her time at the school, causing extremely negative consequences. It has been decided, after deliberation, to expel Lin Ruyu from the school..."

"Holy crap, fired?" Li Yan forgot to chew his steamed bun. "That's ruthless?"

"What's so ruthless about her? You haven't seen the exposé online." A girl next to her curled her lip, her tone full of disdain. "I heard she hired ghostwriters to take all her major courses in her sophomore year, and that award-winning paper was just a revised version of a previous draft. If someone like that doesn't get out, what are we, who worked so hard to get into this university, for?"

"Exactly, he used to pretend to be a pure and intelligent academic, but he's just a good-for-nothing."

"I heard she's still carrying a debt of ten million, and they won't even let her stay in the school dormitory anymore. She might have to sleep under a bridge from now on."

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Looking at the notice, Li Yan suddenly felt a bit bored.

He and Bai Jingyou used to treat Lin Ruyu like a treasure, holding her in their hands for fear of her melting away.

Now it seems that what they were holding onto wasn't a treasure at all, but clearly a garbage bag covered in gold leaf.

When you tear off the gold leaf, all that's left is rotten vegetable leaves.

"Let's go, let's go." Li Yan patted Lao Zhang on the shoulder. "It's bad luck to put someone like that on the school bulletin board. Go back and play games."

……

Meanwhile, in a small alley behind the school.

Lin Ruyu was wearing a baseball cap with the brim pulled down very low, and an old sweatshirt that she had picked up from somewhere.

She huddled next to the trash can, clutching the crumpled copy of the dismissal notice tightly in her hand.

That was something the counselor had kindly handed her, asking her to sign it and get out.

She didn't sign, but that doesn't change anything.

She heard Li Yan's voice and the mocking laughter when she passed by the bulletin board.

Every word felt like a slap in the face, making her cheeks sting.

The phone had already shut down due to running out of battery.

It doesn't really matter whether the phone is off or not, because if you turn it on, all you'll get is a barrage of insults and debt collection messages.

Why...?

Lin Ruyu leaned against the cold red brick wall, her tears washing away the dust on her face, leaving two deep creases.

She doesn't understand.

That's not what's written in the book.

She's read so many novels; shouldn't a beautiful girl like her be the protagonist of the world?

Shouldn't there be countless domineering CEOs vying for her affections, and she be forgiven no matter how big a mistake she makes?

Why is reality so cold and harsh?

If Bai Jingyou were here, he would probably immediately say, "Do you really think everyone is an idiot?"

......

The air conditioning in the conference room on the top floor of the Su Group building was a bit too strong.

A dozen or so people sat around a huge mahogany round table, each with a bottle of exquisite Evian water and a thick financial report in front of them, but no one touched it.

The air was as stuffy as a fishpond before a downpour, with only the buzzing of the projector fan audible.

Su Nan stood in front of the podium, dressed in a sharp suit and with his hair neatly combed, but the back of his shirt was already soaked with sweat.

"Regarding the recent stock price fluctuations," Su Nan said, his knuckles white from gripping the page-turning pen, yet his voice maintained a composed and confident tone, "it's mainly due to the impact of Zhao Feng's illegal activities. Coupled with the malicious manipulation of public opinion by certain competitors, this has led to a temporary wavering in market confidence."

He pressed the page turner, and a complex candlestick chart and several screenshots of media reports appeared on the screen.