102: Chapter 102 The more she investigated, the more alarmed she became! Ella was completely shaken.

Aila stared at the photos, her alarm growing with every check she made.

Her small rental apartment was a chaotic mess; wrinkled jackets were piled on the sofa, the ashtray on the coffee table was overflowing with cigarette butts, and the air was thick with the lingering smell of smoke. A desk lamp shone blindingly bright, illuminating the thick investment banking documents spread across the table, along with the enlarged photos of AI projection data on her phone.

The cigarette in her fingers burned down to the filter, scorching Aila and making her jerk her hand back. She hurriedly crushed the butt into the overflowing ashtray. Ignoring the stinging pain in her fingers, she kept her eyes glued to the computer screen, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she compared Lin Chen's projection data against Microsoft's official financial reports and authoritative global tech market reports item by item.

With every item she checked, her expression grew colder, and her brows knitted together so tightly a mosquito could have been crushed between them.

Market entry points, risk management, compliance checkpoints, profit projections... all the data aligned perfectly. The logical chain was so complete that not a single loophole could be found; it was even more precise and practical than the professional reports from her own investment bank.

"Impossible... How could he be right?"

Aila stared at the perfectly matching data curves, her voice trembling uncontrollably. For the first time, panic appeared in her previously arrogant eyes. She leaned back in her chair, irritably raking a hand through her hair, and looking at the piles of documents, she felt a suffocating sense of unease.

She had ridiculed him so much at the entrance of the Grocery Store, convinced that Lin Chen, someone who just ran a small shop, wasn't qualified to touch a giant like Microsoft, and had even boasted that she would watch him lose everything. But now, the undeniable data laid out before her was a harsh slap in the face.

What made her even more agitated was remembering the forecast report she had recently submitted to her investment bank, which stated in black and white that Lin Chen's Microsoft strategy was doomed to fail. Now, that report had become a colossal joke.

Aila took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and consoled herself: "It must be a coincidence. He just guessed the data correctly. If he actually tries to implement it, there will definitely be problems."

But she couldn't even convince herself of that. The disdain in her eyes had long since vanished, replaced by an unmistakable sense of wavering.

On the other side, in Lin Chen's temporary office, the lights were bright and clear, forming a stark contrast to the chaos on Aila's side. The desktop was clean and tidy, files were neatly categorized and stacked, code for compliance auditing flickered on the computer screen, and the only sound in the air was the light tapping of keyboards.

Chen Xi sat at the computer, working with swift efficiency without a moment's pause. Soon, she stopped and looked up at Lin Chen, her tone rigorous and concise: "Mr. Lin, I have finished screening the first batch of third-party institutions for the Microsoft original share acquisition channels you requested, and I have excluded three that had records of non-compliance."

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, his expression remaining calm and composed. He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk in a steady rhythm: "Keep digging deeper. List all the channels that are compliant and have no associated risks. Don't let any detail slip by."

"Understood." Chen Xi nodded, her efficiency extremely high. "By tomorrow morning at the latest, I will have the complete channel list ready, with a preliminary compliance audit report attached to each one to ensure there are no slip-ups."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his tone calm: "No rush. Channels are secondary; compliance risks must be locked down first. We cannot afford a single mistake. It is better to be slow than to be chaotic."

Just as he finished speaking, Li Wei pushed the door open and walked in, holding a folded list of contacts. His steps were brisk and efficient; it was clear he had been prepared for a while. He walked up to Lin Chen and volunteered, his tone full of certainty: "Brother Chen, I just heard that you need to connect with channels for Microsoft original shares. Let me handle this!"

Lin Chen looked up at him.

Li Wei patted his chest, his tone sincere and capable: "I'm familiar with the acquisition channels and reliable contacts in the industry. It's much more efficient than just digging through data, and I can avoid those unreliable, shady operators. As long as I take action, I can get the first batch of legitimate channel providers connected as early as today."

Lin Chen knew that Li Wei always had a sharp eye for work and was reliable, so he didn't hesitate: "Fine, I'll leave it to you. But remember my rules: all processes must leave a paper trail. Compliance comes first. No private, under-the-table maneuvers allowed."

"Don't worry, Brother Chen!" Li Wei agreed immediately, his gaze firm. "I know what I'm doing. I definitely won't cross the red line. I guarantee I'll filter out the safest channels and won't cause you any trouble."

"Go ahead."

Li Wei acknowledged the order and turned to get to work, acting with swift efficiency and not dragging his feet at all.

In the office, Chen Xi continued to bury herself in organizing the channels, while Lin Chen stared at the compliance data on his screen, his expression calm and confident. The entire strategy was advancing steadily according to his plan.

Meanwhile, at the corner downstairs from the temporary office, Aila wrapped her coat tightly around herself, hiding in the shadows, and watched the scene inside clearly through the glass door.

Watching Chen Xi organize the channel list and seeing Li Wei leave in a hurry with the contact list, Aila's heart sank completely.

She had originally held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that Lin Chen was just using fake data for show and wouldn't dare to actually execute the strategy. But now, everything before her eyes proved that Lin Chen was not only serious, but was also advancing methodically, with every step taken firmly and securely.

Her previous arrogance, ridicule, and disdain had now all turned into needles pricking at her. Aila gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white, her lips pressed into a stiff line, and the last shred of her resolve completely collapsed.

What made her even more panicked was that a notification from her investment bank suddenly popped up on her phone screen, with an eye-stinging title: 【Notice of Internal Audit Regarding Aila's Recent Market Forecast Errors】.

Aila's face turned deathly pale instantly, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. She had established her footing in the investment bank by relying on accurate forecasts and had never made such a serious mistake. With headquarters launching an investigation directly, she didn't even dare to imagine the consequences.

Before she could calm her surging emotions, her phone rang sharply. The screen displayed the dedicated landline number for the investment bank's headquarters.

Aila's heart skipped a beat. Her hand holding the phone trembled slightly. After hesitating for a few seconds, she ultimately bit the bullet and pressed the answer button.

From the other end of the line, her superior's cold, emotionless voice came through directly.

Aila received the call from the investment bank and was ordered to be suspended from her position.