53: Chapter 53 The Real and Fake Heiress, I am Liu Ruyan

For several weeks, the daily intelligence system only pushed trivial news—"Light rain in Jiangcheng tomorrow," "Pork prices rising at the East City vegetable market." Zhang Fan frowned at the screen, his fingertip tapping on the "Intelligence Point Balance: 850."

"Something's missing," he muttered to himself.

Gu Jingshen was adjusting his tie in front of the mirror. Hearing this, he turned around. "Missing what? Do you want me to bring you a cup of milk tea?"

"No," Zhang Fan shook his head. His gaze swept across the busy figures in the office—Wang Chengsi was explaining coding standards to a new programmer, Zhou Yurou was checking figures against financial statements, and the rhythmic sound of typing was like clockwork gears.

It was too calm, so calm that his heart felt empty.

Since getting this system, red intelligence had been like a warning bell hanging over his head; every time it rang, it meant a storm was coming. But lately, the system had gone silent, making him feel restless instead.

"Maybe things have been too smooth for you lately, and you're just bored," Gu Jingshen patted his shoulder. "I'm off. I can't be late for the meeting with Digital Power."

Zhang Fan watched his departing figure, that slight sense of unease lingering in his heart.

At five in the morning, Zhang Fan suddenly woke up as a red daily intelligence alert popped up before his eyes.

[Volume Intelligence: True and False Heiresses, a New Storm.]

He woke up instantly. His fingertip swiped across the screen as the details slowly unfolded—

[Core Characters: Liu Ruyan (True Heiress), Liu Mengqi (False Heiress).

Key Events: Liu Ruyan donated blood for free during university and was found to have RH-negative blood (commonly known as "panda blood"). Later, when her mother needed an emergency transfusion after a car accident, the blood type match unexpectedly revealed her identity: Liu Ruyan is the biological daughter of the Liu family, while Liu Mengqi is an adopted daughter who was swapped at birth.

Current Situation: After Liu Ruyan returned to the Liu family, she was loathed by her biological older brother, Liu Mingxuan, and framed by Liu Mengqi (through planted evidence of theft, sowing discord, etc.). Although her biological mother looks after her in secret, she is unable to withstand the family pressure. Feeling unwelcome, Liu Ruyan moved out of the Liu family home after graduating from university to find a job and make a living on her own.]

Zhang Fan stared at the three characters for "Liu Ruyan," his fingertip pausing on the screen. This name was like a pebble dropped into a lake, sending ripples through his heart. The system rarely used the "Volume Intelligence" level of warning; it seemed there was a significant storm hidden behind this family matter.

He rolled out of bed and pulled open the curtains. The morning mist in the Incubator Park hadn't dissipated yet. The breakfast cart downstairs was steaming, and a few students in school uniforms were lining up for soy milk. Graduation season was only a month away, and the air was filled with a sense of restlessness.

When he arrived at the office at 7:30, Zhou Yurou was already at her workstation. She wore a beige knit sweater, her hair tied in a neat ponytail. A half-foot-high stack of resumes sat in front of her, and her fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Morning, Sister Rou," Zhang Fan put down his bag. "Didn't we say we'd close the website recruitment yesterday? Why are there still so many resumes?"

"It's almost May, and graduating students want to secure jobs before they graduate." Zhou Yurou looked up and smiled at him, a faint hint of dark circles under her eyes. "Even though we closed it yesterday, our company's reputation has spread, so I expect there will still be applicants."

She pushed a stack of resumes over. "These have been screened and basically meet the requirements. The rest..." She pointed to the pile at the corner of the desk, "either their majors don't match or their salary expectations are outrageous. I plan to send out rejection letters to all of them."

Seeing that Zhang Fan was wearing a formal suit and a tie today for the first time, she suddenly chuckled. "You're starting to look more and more like a real boss."

"Forced by life," Zhang Fan replied casually. His fingers, flipping through the resumes, suddenly stopped on a certain page.

In the one-inch photo in the upper right corner of the resume, a girl wore a white shirt, her hair tied in a low ponytail. Her features were delicate but carried a hint of aloofness. In the name field, it clearly read: Liu Ruyan.

His heart felt like it had been struck by something. He calmly looked down:

[Educational Background: Jiangcheng University of Science and Technology, Computer Science and Technology, Bachelor's Degree

Awards: Second Prize in the National Undergraduate Programming Contest, Outstanding University Graduate

Position Applied For: Game Development Programmer

Expected Salary: 4,000 RMB / Month]

Zhang Fan's brow furrowed. Jiangcheng University of Science and Technology was at least a Tier 1 university, and she had won a national competition award. Even as a fresh graduate, it wouldn't be hard for her to find a development position in Jiangcheng with a starting salary of 8,000. Yet, she only filled in 4,000, which was lower than an intern's.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Yurou noticed his unusual behavior and leaned over to look. "This girl... is really beautiful."

Liu Ruyan in the photo was indeed good-looking, but not the aggressive beauty of Gu Feifei. She had a temperament as clean as green bamboo after rain, especially those eyes—clear and black-and-white, hiding a sense of stubbornness.

Zhou Yurou's gaze lingered on the photo for two seconds. She suddenly lowered her head to organize the documents, her voice softening slightly. "Fresh graduates can be prideful; she might be difficult to manage."

Zhang Fan didn't catch the nuance in her tone and pointed at the salary column. "Look at this, 4,000 RMB. Is that normal?"

"It is low indeed." Zhou Yurou leaned in, her fingertip tracing the awards on the resume. "A national second prize means her skills definitely aren't bad. Either her family isn't short on money and she's just here to pass the time, or... she has some hidden troubles."

Hidden troubles? Zhang Fan thought of the "framed" and "unwelcome" parts of the system intelligence and had a rough idea. She was likely deliberately lowering her salary expectation to be hired as quickly as possible so she could live independently.

"Keep her," Zhang Fan placed the resume on top of the "To Be Interviewed" pile. "Have her come in for a chat this afternoon and see if she's worth training."

Zhou Yurou looked up at him. The morning light happened to fall on her eyelashes, casting a faint shadow. "You seem... particularly concerned about her?"

"Do I?" Zhang Fan avoided her gaze, picking up another resume to hide his fluster. "I just think this girl is quite special."

Zhou Yurou didn't press further, but her fingertips tightened slightly as she picked up her coffee cup.

She was ten years older than Zhang Fan and was a divorcee with a child. Looking at the young, vibrant faces in the studio these days, she occasionally felt an untimely sense of insecurity.

Seeing Liu Ruyan's photo just now, that feeling surfaced again—clean, young, and with a bright future, just like what Zhang Fan should be matched with.

"By the way," she changed the subject. "Old Wang mentioned that the Technology Department wants to hire an intern to handle documentation. What do you think...?"

"Let him decide for himself." Zhang Fan's mind was still on Liu Ruyan's resume. The system intelligence didn't mention her technical focus, and he wondered if he could fit her into the "stardust leap" development team.

Zhou Yurou nodded and said no more. Only the sounds of turning pages and typing remained in the office. The sunlight slowly crawled across the desk, shining on the three characters "Liu Ruyan" as if plating them with a gold border.

It's so good to be young. She sighed softly in her heart and placed the resume in the deepest part of the drawer, as if doing so could temporarily avoid that inexplicable sense of crisis.

But she knew that once some things began, they could no longer be avoided. Just like the invisible chasm between her and Zhang Fan, and the storm Liu Ruyan was about to stir up—both were quietly approaching.

At 1:50 PM, the girl at the front desk knocked on the office door. "President Zhang, President Zhou, Liu Ruyan is here for her interview."

Zhang Fan and Zhou Yurou glanced at each other, both seeing a hint of complex emotion in the other's eyes.

"Let her in."

The moment the door was pushed open, Liu Ruyan, wearing a light blue dress, stood at the doorway. The sunlight outlined a slender silhouette behind her, like a freshly drawn sketch. She tightly gripped a canvas bag in her hand, her eyes showing nervousness, yet she was trying her best to maintain her composure.

"Hello, President Zhang, President Zhou. I am Liu Ruyan."