Chapter 3: Miniature-Scale Verification

The load-bearing test was a total success. As dusk settled over the site, the crew packed up for the day. Engineer Li grabbed Lin Wan, insisting on treating her to dinner. "Tonight's on me! You practically saved my life today!" Lin Wan waved him off with a smile. "Maybe some other time. I've still got to go back and tweak the blueprints tonight."

Zhao Jianguo stood by the edge of the abandoned platform, watching the group walk away, laughing and chatting. His lip twitched. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello, it's me. That 'Rail Fatigue Prediction Method' they used today—find a way to get the detailed data. Yes, I want the full set. Core technology like that shouldn't be left in the hands of some slip of a girl."

The person on the other end said something, and Zhao Jianguo narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping to a low hiss. "Don't worry, I have my ways. She loves the spotlight, doesn't she? I'll let her have her moment—and when she finally falls, we'll see who's left to catch her." He hung up, cast one last cold glance at the rusted tracks fading into the twilight, and sneered before climbing into his car and speeding away.

Night completely swallowed the abandoned stretch of rail. Back in her office, Lin Wan switched on her desk lamp and spread out her blueprints, her fingers tracing the marks she had made during the day. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something hidden behind Zhao Jianguo's smile, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Rubbing her temples, she picked up her pen and began marking the construction details for tomorrow.

Outside the window, a black sedan sat idling in the shadows of a streetlight. The person inside stared up at the glowing office window, their expression unreadable and dark.