As usual, the man didn't seem to pay attention to Shi Nian.
Or did he?
When the chairman of the Bosi Group was ushered into the room, the first person his eyes found was Shi Nian.
To him, the world was black and white but wherever she stood, it seemed to come alive with color.
Yet, as quickly as he looked, he turned away. Shi Nian, unaware, missed the faint flicker of light that had crossed his eyes the moment he saw her.
The meeting began without delay. The auditors were unsurprised by the chairman's appearance they had already been informed and had arrived earlier due to his pre-announced attendance.
Taking the lead, Manager Ji addressed the room.
"Today, we'll be taking a more thorough overview of the proposal discussed with BaiYue. We'll also be reviewing the contract and the division of profit shares between RainCloud and BaiYue."
He proceeded to introduce the auditing team and then gestured toward the man seated at the head of the table.
"…Also with us today is the chairman of the Bosi Group, who will be overseeing this meeting, along with his assistant, surnamed Bo."
The moment his words fell, the audience rose in polite applause.
"I'll now invite Assistant Director Bei Chuan from BaiYue Skincare to give us an overview of their product," Manager Ji concluded and stepped down from the podium.
Another round of applause followed.
Bei Chuan walked to the podium, bowed, and began,
"I am the Assistant Director of BaiYue Skincare Company, and with me today are Director Shi Nian and her secretary, Shang Wei."
"Our product branded as Parley Beauty Cream is an innovation in the skincare industry. Originally known internally as Product Formula XG1, it was first developed under our late Director Cheng last year."
"The formula contains an important component our team discovered, called the XD Formula. Today, we'll be showing a vial of the component we successfully extracted and tested to be both safe and effective."
He carefully opened the temperature-controlled storage container and brought out a pre-sealed vial.
"This storage case can be adjusted to different temperatures. For this demonstration, we've set it to room temperature to show that the XD Formula has a long shelf life. We've also tested it under multiple conditions, with the full data included in the shared documents," Bei Chuan explained confidently.
But as soon as the vial was exposed to the air, the glass container exploded.
Shards scattered across the room as the vial evaporated instantly.
"Th–This wasn't supposed to happen…" Bei Chuan's voice trembled, his eyes wide as he stared at the mess in disbelief.
Gasps filled the room. Several people instinctively ducked.
Shi Nian, however, remained still and calm.
She rose unhurriedly, extending her hand. Instantly, the glass shards paused midair, then drew together gathering neatly into her palm.
A stunned silence followed. Then, realizing no one was hurt, Bei Chuan exhaled deeply in relief.
What just happened? How had Director Shi recalled the shards like that? He had too many questions, but now wasn't the time. He quickly apologized to the auditors, inwardly thankful for Shi Nian's timely intervention.
If anyone, especially the chairman had been injured, BaiYue's chance at partnership with RainCloud would have been over.
Noticing his unease, Shi Nian stepped forward and addressed the audience herself.
"The brief interlude just now was an unforeseen accident, likely caused by vibration during the vial's transit. We failed to consider that possibility. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and any alarm caused."
She bowed apologetically.
She knew, of course, that it hadn't been an accident. The sabotage was deliberate.
But now wasn't the time to confront it. Exposing BaiYue's internal conflict here would be far worse.
As she spoke, Secretary Shang lowered his head in guilt.
She must have known, he thought bitterly.
Though she brushed it off as an accident, Shi Nian had truly been frightened for one reason only. Si Yehan was in this room.
She could bear whatever schemes Shi Wang devised, but if even a trace of harm reached Si Yehan, her anger would be merciless.
She couldn't confront him now but she would teach him a lesson , and soon.
After the tension subsided, Shi Nian calmly resumed the presentation.
From her briefcase, she brought out a smaller storage device. Activating it, the top slid open, revealing another sealed vial inside.
Bei Chuan sighed audibly in relief. He had blamed himself for the earlier failure, thinking he had mishandled the container during transport.
Fortunately, Director Shi had been prepared for contingencies. Otherwise, BaiYue's reputation and his fellow colleagues hopes would have been destroyed.
Shang Wei also exhaled shakily. He had tampered with the first vial under Shi Wang's orders, and the guilt had eaten at him since.
Seeing how easily Shi Nian restored order now filled him with regret.
He had betrayed Shi Beicheng, his mentor, for the wrong side.
Unperturbed by their inner turmoil, Shi Nian continued.
She explained the XD Formula's chemical stability and its enhancement to the XG1 product before concluding her presentation with quiet poise.
The RainCloud auditors listened intently.
When she stepped down, Manager Ji took the podium once more.
"We've reviewed the potential of Product XG1," he began evenly. "However, its success depends largely on market reception. BaiYue's current reputation remains unstable."
He paused briefly, exchanging looks with his team before continuing.
"After deliberation and with the chairman's approval, RainCloud has decided to invest in this product. However, RainCloud will retain 70% ownership of the product's revenue throughout its lifecycle, while BaiYue will hold 30%."
The words hit hard like a stone.
Bei Chuan's face paled, RainCloud was practically buying them out. BaiYue had poured its last resources into the research, and such a contract meant financial ruin.
Still, he held his breath, waiting for Shi Nian's response.
"I personally agree with the division," Shi Nian said slowly, her voice calm, "but only if BaiYue takes seventy percent and RainCloud thirty. That would be fair to both sides."