Our celebration was cut short by a single, high-pitched beep from Li Yan's phone. A video file had been sent to the "Group of Seven" chat.
It was Ying Yue. She was standing in a dark, industrial office, her face bruised from her legal battles, but her eyes were burning with a terrifying insanity.
"You saved your little school memories," she laughed, the sound distorted by the speakers. "But you forgot the most important rule of the corporate world, Li Yan. When you can't win the bid... you destroy the bidders."
The screen shifted to a live feed of our parents' houses—all seven of them. There were black cars idling outside each one.
"The Smart City bid is due in 24 hours," Ying Yue whispered. "If either Aether or Nexus submits their proposal... the 'Seven Stars' will find out what happens when you lose more than just a 90% score."
The screen went black.
Li Yan's grip on my hand tightened until it hurt. The room went cold again. We had saved our past, but Ying Yue was now holding our future—and our families—hostage.
"She's crossed the line," I whispered, my eyes turning into shards of ice.
"She didn't just cross it," Li Yan said, standing up and pulling me with him. "She just signed her own deletion. We aren't playing corporate chess anymore. We're playing for keeps."