"It's not there either."
"Send me a video."
"Okay."
Less than two minutes after hanging up, Qiao Meng sent a video.
The folder on the screen was indeed completely empty.
Zeng Keqin's mind went blank. Steadying herself, she said, "Don't panic first. Wait until I get to the office."
She rushed into the company, ignoring greetings from colleagues, and hurried to her computer. The shared folder was indeed empty.
Zheng Zhixi walked in with a coffee cup and saw her sitting at her desk, her face pale. "What's with the look like you've seen a ghost?"
"The files in the group folder are gone," Qiao Meng whispered.
Zheng Zhixi paused, then frowned. "Gone? What do you mean?"
"The complaint, evidence list, and legal research report—all gone."
Zheng Zhixi put down his coffee cup, walked to his own computer, and logged into the shared folder. His expression changed drastically.
"Who did this?"
His voice was angry as he looked around.
The only answer was silence.
There were less than twenty-four hours left until the deadline. Starting from scratch was nearly impossible.
Qiao Meng hesitated. "Should we tell Lawyer Zou?"
"It's useless. We lost the files ourselves. Lawyer Zou will just think we're incompetent."
His gaze suddenly fell on Zeng Keqin and Qiao Meng. "What time did you two leave yesterday?"
"I left at seven."
"Almost nine."
"Who was the last one to use the computer?"
Zeng Keqin caught his implication and her voice turned cold. "Are you suspecting me?"
"I'm not suspecting you. I'm just asking for the facts."
"The fact is, I lost the files too. These are materials I spent several nights organizing."
"That's not necessarily true."
A hint of coldness flashed in Zheng Zhixi's eyes. "I saw you chatting and laughing with Zhao Mo in the break room yesterday. Who knows what you talked about."
Zeng Keqin lowered her voice. "What do you mean?"
"I just think it's too coincidental. Right after you talked to Zhao Mo, our files disappear. That would mean their group wins directly, right?"
Qiao Meng finally couldn't hold back. "Zheng Zhixi, that's going too far! Xiaoke worked overtime for this case for days and was always the last to leave. You saw that yourself!"
"Maybe she pretends to be dedicated to deflect suspicion."
Looking at his face, Zeng Keqin knew no explanation would convince him. "I didn't delete the files. Believe it or not. Right now, the priority is to redo them."
"How?"
"You must have backups of what you've done. We'll put them together."
"How late will that take? I have plans tonight."
"Fine. You leave on time. Xiao Ke and I will handle it."
Zheng Zhixi sneered and said nothing more.
For the next twenty hours, Zeng Keqin and Qiao Meng barely slept, drinking one cup of coffee after another. Outside, day turned to night.
At two in the morning, Zeng Keqin's phone lit up with a message from Jiang Shiyu: [Still working overtime?]
She glanced at it but didn't reply, continuing to organize the files until the dark sky turned into the pale gray of dawn.
Zeng Keqin typed the final period, saved the document, and leaned back in her chair with a sigh. Her eyes were dry and sore, her neck stiff as a board.
Qiao Meng was asleep beside her, mouth open, a strand of glistening drool at the corner.
Zeng Keqin looked away, checked the document from start to finish, confirmed nothing was missing, and sent it to Zou Min's email.
"Ding-ding-ding—"
The phone alarm broke the morning silence.
Qiao Meng jerked awake, rubbing her eyes and looking around. Then, as if realizing what happened, she said, "Sorry, Xiaoke, I fell asleep just now."
Zeng Keqin's voice was a bit hoarse. "It's okay. I've already sent the file to Lawyer Zou."
Qiao Meng bit her lip, her eyes reddening. "I'm sorry. As team leader, I didn't help at all and even made you suffer."
Zeng Keqin was silent for a long time, unable to find comforting words because she was also exhausted.
Employees of Bai Run'er began arriving one by one.