Chapter 1
BEHIND THE GLASS DOORS
Episode 1 — The New CEO
The headquarters of Lianhua International stood in the heart of Shanghai, its glass walls reflecting the morning sunlight.
Mira hurried through the revolving doors, holding a folder against her chest.
She glanced at the clock.
8:57 a.m.
“Three minutes…”
Today wasn't an ordinary Monday.
The entire company had been talking about one thing since Friday.
Their new CEO was arriving.
Mira had heard dozens of rumors.
Some said he was only twenty-eight.
Some said he had built another company before joining Lianhua.
Others said he was extremely strict.
Mira didn't care about rumors.
She just wanted to survive her first month without making a mistake.
She reached her department and quietly placed the folder on her desk.
“Mira!”
Her colleague Lina appeared beside her.
“Did you hear? He's coming upstairs!”
“Already?”
“Apparently.”
Before Mira could reply, the entire office suddenly became quiet.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Several executives entered first.
Then he appeared.
Lin.
Dark suit. Calm expression. No unnecessary smile.
The new CEO walked through the office as if he already knew every corner of the building.
Everyone stood.
“Good morning, Mr. Lin.”
Lin nodded.
His eyes moved across the room.
Then, for a brief second, they stopped on Mira.
She looked away immediately.
Why was he looking at me?
Lin continued walking.
A few minutes later, Mira received an email.
From: CEO's Office
«Mira, please bring the Q3 project files to the CEO's office.»
She stared at the screen.
“Me?”
Her colleague smiled.
“Congratulations. You're the first person from our department to meet the new CEO.”
Mira wasn't sure whether that was something to celebrate.
---
She knocked on the CEO's door.
“Come in.”
Mira entered.
Lin was standing near the enormous window overlooking Shanghai.
“Sir, you asked for the project files.”
“Put them there.”
She placed the folder on his desk.
As she turned to leave, Lin spoke.
“Mira.”
She stopped.
“Yes, sir?”
“Have you worked here long?”
“Almost two years.”
Lin's expression changed slightly.
“Two years…”
He looked at the folder.
“Then perhaps you know something about this company that the executives don't.”
Mira frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Lin opened the folder.
A photograph slipped out.
Mira froze.
It was an old photograph of the company's employees.
She recognized the building immediately.
But there was something strange.
Someone had been scratched out of the photograph.
Lin looked at her.
“Do you know who that person was?”
Mira shook her head.
“No.”
Lin quietly replied,
“That's what I'm here to find out.”
Before Mira could ask anything else, someone knocked on the door.
Lin quickly closed the folder.
“That's all.”
Mira left the room.
But as she walked back to her desk, she couldn't stop thinking about the photograph.
And she didn't notice that Lin was still watching her through the glass wall.
There was one thing Mira didn't know.
Lin hadn't asked for the files because of the project.
He had asked for them because her name had appeared in an old company document from ten years ago.
And somehow…
Mira had no idea why.
