The Luo Corporation, as the world's largest conglomerate, naturally doesn't lack its share of scandals.
But this time, it's about tax evasion—a matter that’s always been a no-go zone. Over the years, countless companies have crumbled due to tax-related issues.
If a giant like the Luo Corporation were to collapse, it wouldn't just shake the economy but also cause significant social upheaval.
Yet, Luo Yao seemed entirely indifferent to it all. Her only thought was sticking to Lin Ran—getting close to him in the office, at the mall, and even at the estate.
"Ran, we’ve had our fun today. Let’s go home!"
"Alright."
Seeing Luo Yao’s calm demeanor, Lin Ran couldn’t help but admire her composure while also wondering if she'd been blinded by his charm.
There’s truth to the saying, "handsome faces bring disaster." How many rulers have been ruined by just such "disasters"?ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ
The moment they returned to the estate, Lin Ran’s phone buzzed with a news notification. When he opened it, he saw that the manager of Luo Pharmaceuticals had stepped forward to release an official statement, declaring that there was absolutely no tax evasion within the company.
But looking at the comment section, Lin Ran felt a pang of frustration.Though Luo Pharmaceuticals’ timely response had somewhat shifted the tide of public opinion, the majority of netizens still weren’t buying it.
There was no helping it. To the average person with a grudge against the wealthy, making money itself is a crime.
[User: A Cow That Went to Heaven and Still Poops] – "Luo Pharmaceuticals is the cornerstone of the Luo Corporation, and they're engaging in such despicable acts? It’s outrageous!"
[User: Dumpster Diving on Douyin] – "From today on, I’m boycotting all medicines produced by the Luo Corporation. Disgusting."
[User: Stubborn Donkey Refuses Rides] – "But some of their specialized drugs are exclusive to Luo Pharmaceuticals. Even if you don’t take them, someone else will."
[User: A Lonely Cucumber] – "I thought Luo Pharmaceuticals’ prices were fair. Why would they stoop to this?"
[User: Roaming with Keys in Hand] – "Ha! Don’t be naïve. Medicine production costs are dirt cheap, yet these capitalists mark prices up by dozens, even hundreds of times. If that's not heartless, what is?"
[User: Can’t See, Don’t Provoke] – "You think R&D comes free? Costs include labor, facilities, equipment—none of it’s, you know! Sure, tax evasion is shameful, but does it erase all their effort? They work hard to develop these medicines. Isn’t that just to drain the common folk dry?"
[User: Without Liu Ruyan, I Can't Be a Jerk] – "I remember someone once said: Good medicine doesn’t necessarily make good business."
[…]
Lin Ran scrolled through the comments for a while. Most people remained unconvinced, with only a rare few showing signs of changing their tune.
"Ran, what are you looking at?"
Casually, Lin Ran passed his phone to her. He knew Luo Yao would be aware of these things anyway, even if he didn’t show her.
Luo Yao cast a glance at the screen.
"Is this it? This batch of netizens isn’t nearly aggressive enough."
"Yao Yao, you worried at all?"
"Worried about what? If I wanted to, I could shift public opinion in an instant."
"Alright then, I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
Seeing Luo Yao so unruffled, Lin Ran felt reassured as well.
He knew that her confidence wasn't without reason—if she was this composed, she must have a solution ready.
Just as Lin Ran was about to close his phone, another trending topic notification popped up.
[Shocking! A Traitor in Luo Technology – What’s Behind This Scandal?]
Lin Ran clicked on the headline with a puzzled expression and was completely stunned when the article loaded.
This time, things seemed slightly... off.
Luo Technology, a research institution collaborating with the authorities, been accused of leaking core technological information to "Little Days" (a derogatory nickname for Japan in certain Chinese discourses). Shockingly, the culprit turned out to be one of the experts within Luo Technology’s specialized team.
Once again, Luo Corporation was thrust into the eye of the storm.
Tax evasion and dodging responsibilities were things that people might grudgingly tolerate. But when national affairs are involved, that’s crossing a line no one can endure.
By the next morning, crowds were already gathered outside Luo Corporation’s headquarters.
"Traitors! Get out of China!"
"Traitors! Get out of China"Traitors! Get out of China!"
Echoing slogans filled the air, banners fluttered like a sea in motion, and the commotion necessitated a significantly increased security presence.
Luo Yao, however, didn’t bother going to work. At this moment, she had no desire to confront "those ignorant masses." She simply decided to wait and let things unfold as they may.
Right now, all she wanted was to spend quality time with Lin Ran.
Whenever the corporation faced chaos, it conveniently coincided with Luo Yao announcing her leave of absence.
“Yao Yao, you look completely unconcerned. To outsiders, this might just confirm Luo Corporation really is a traitor,” Lin Ran remarked.
Luo Yao clung to Lin Ran lazily, unwilling to let go. She seemed almost intent on melting her entire being into his.
“Why bother with them? What they’re saying is mostly true anyway. No matter how much damage control you attempt, it won’t change the facts.”
Lin Ran froze for a moment. He didn’t recall this happening in his previous life and felt certain his memory wasn’t failing him.
Something so significant wouldn’t have escaped his notice.
This left only one possibility: Luo Yao had deliberately exposed this information. She must be plotting something through this entire scandal.
“Wait, does Luo Corporation really have traitors? Did they also evade taxes?”
Luo Yao nodded.
“It’s true, but not entirely accurate.” Her smile was unwavering, never disappearing from her face.
Lin Ran was frankly speechless. He realized he was being far too anxious about this.
Luo Yao was never someone who could be easily manipulated. What was he worrying about?
“Ran, do you want to know why I haven’t taken any steps to counteract all this yet?”
Lin Ran shook his head, signaling he didn’t want to know.
“As long as you can handle things competently, that’s all I care about. I just want you to be happy and enjoy yourself. As for me, being a useless nobody suits me just fine.”
Lin Ran’s words always seemed to inadvertently strike the deepest corners of Luo Yao’s heart.
“No. I’ve told you before, I never hide anything from you. I might as well tell you outright—this is all part of a fishing expedition.”
“Fishing for whom?”
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Miss, Old Master Luo has issued an official summon. He wants all Luo family members to gather at the ancestral hall tomorrow.”
Luo Yao spread her hands and shot Lin Ran an impish expression.
“See? It’s already starting.”
Lin Ran was momentarily stunned. He didn’t often get to see such a playful side of Luo Yao.
She really was changing. Was it because of him?
At the same time, a wave of unease swept through his heart. So Luo Yao had been setting a trap for members of the Luo family all along.
Lin Ran knew about the strained relations between Luo Yao and other prominent members of the Luo family, particularly the direct relatives. They always seemed to be oppressed under her rule.
But as the heir of a distinguished family, one could hardly expect anything less than ruthlessness to secure footing.
Luo Yao’s rise to status and power must have been a violent struggle riddled with bloodshed. The wealth and position she held now were undoubtedly built on the bones of those she crushed along the way.
Lin Ran had never once doubted that.
Luo Yao didn’t want to confront the darkness lurking around her. So, she chose to pretend she didn’t know. Perhaps one day, she would realize she didn’t care about any of it after all.
“Ran, would you like to come with me to the old family residence?”
Lin Ran nodded. “I want to stay by your side. Without you near me, I can’t eat or sleep in peace.”
Luo Yao embraced Lin Ran, her tone light and casual.
“Don’t worry. If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll take care of them myself.”
Lin Ran couldn’t help but marvel at the boldness of her words.
“Well then, I wish them good luck!”