Miss Beautiful C.E.O and her system

"Hmm, Ms. Ling," Carlos stuttered uncomfortably, her body pressed against the wall.

Well, Carlos wasn't restrained, but Ling Qingyu's momentum was too overwhelming. Even though the latter merely held her chin in a teasing manner, she couldn't move.

However, she didn't expect to be molested by her boss on the first day. Here she thought that since the boss was a woman, the risk of sexual harassment cases should decrease.

Instead, she became the first victim? It wasn't that STAR Hospital was entirely clean of filth. The second-generation heirs and shareholders still subtly abused their power.

For instance, although there wouldn't be direct suppression, some female doctors and nurses—perhaps even a few male employees—must have experienced the power of favoritism and coercion.

Who knew how many times their butts and sensitive areas had been groped when no one was paying attention? Nobody dared to complain. Since men made up the majority—if not nearly all—of the board, the number of affected women was significant.

Due to the large number of players involved, the shareholders showed restraint, aiming to preserve their reputations and avoid being exploited or kicked out of the roundtable.

So, the effect wasn't excessive. Or who knew whether there were silent victims?

Carlos had been excited when she heard Ling Qingyu was the sole owner.

Hmm, women teasing women should be okay, right? She had no idea.

While her thoughts were running wild, Ling Qingyu noticed that her teasing had the opposite effect of what she intended.

Ling Qingyu withdrew her hand and coughed. "Ahem, you were struggling to say something. You can confess to me now that we're alone."

Carlos wondered why Ling Qingyu's words sounded more misleading the more she spoke, almost making her forget her original thought.

"I thought I was about to be harassed?" Carlos blurted out her true thought, darkening Ling Qingyu's face.

She admitted that she wanted to tease this serious woman, who seemed to mingle among the elite. Yet, she had no lustful thoughts at all.

"How could you say that? Please don't misunderstand. I was using an intimidation technique to get words out of you since you appeared so reluctant."

Gaslighting at its finest.

Carlos rolled her sparkling eyes and took a deep breath. Since Ling Qingyu was her superior, she had the final say.

She took out a pair of refined spectacles and put them on. "Alright, Ms. Ling. Someone wants to hurt you."

"I know. Since I own this place, I expected this day to come," Ling Qingyu said, turning around. "Do you have any clues about potential threats?"

Even though Ling Qingyu scoffed at these threats, she had no intention of ignoring them. She was in the safest place the world could afford, but she still had to protect her close friends and loved ones.

Preemptive strikes were the most viable option to eliminate any threats in the cradle.

To her expectation, Carlos shook her head.

"I have no idea, but it's unlikely to be one of us," Carlos answered. "Of course, they won't act directly and might test the waters first."

Ling Qingyu understood what she meant. It was impossible for the former shareholders and stakeholders to attack her directly—they should have some apprehension.

After all, not just anyone could take away their wealth so easily, kick them out of the roundtable, and leave them with little time to react.

What kind of identity could do that to them? Unimaginable.

However, that didn't mean they held no resentment or had no ideas about stumbling the person responsible—aka Ling Qingyu.

More than likely, Ling Qingyu was targeted by their opposition. Though business interests remained paramount, factional disputes were inevitable, with conflicts arising from even the simplest daily affairs, unrelated to the corporations or industries underneath.

At the same time, these former shareholders preferred to watch the two titans fight and take advantage of the situation, which didn't surprise Ling Qingyu, nor did she condescend to their actions.

Perhaps they had the idea of testing Ling Qingyu's limits. Yes, everyone had investigated her background and found nothing that caught their attention—except for her extensive coverage of different sectors, though none had yielded significant benefits yet.

Not to mention, she had yet to expand internationally, apart from a hotel chain—Imperial Resort—in Phoenix Continent.

Everyone thought the same, including Carlos and her colleagues, until they witnessed Ling Qingyu firsthand and spoke with her closely.

Ling Qingyu exuded an unimaginable aura of mystery and strength—enough to make anyone struggle to breathe. Despite her humble and approachable demeanor, Carlos dared not underestimate the figure before her.

"So, you're worried about me. How touching," Ling Qingyu teased.

"I just don't want to find another job," Carlos sighed in response.

Ling Qingyu somehow had a strange feeling, as if she had found her match in conversation—excluding Tang Ziyi, Xiao Yue, and Yang Qingyue.

The former two relied on their fists to shut her up. The latter drained all her strength just to hurt her. Love prevailed in the end.

"Thank you for the heads-up," said Ling Qingyu. "That's not all you wanted to say, right?"

"Of course not," Carlos replied. "In fact, I suspect you might have already been tracked the moment you landed on this island."

"Really? That's interesting." Ling Qingyu stared into Carlos's eyes. The latter held her gaze for a moment before looking away.

"If you don't believe me—"

"No, I trust you, Carlos. Can I call you that?"

"Yes."

"I believe your every word because I sense your sincerity. You have something to ask from me." Ling Qingyu paused. "It's just that I'm baffled—with the tight in-and-out control, how could the hospital be infiltrated?"

"Every wall has its holes and vulnerabilities. Most of the time, the source comes from the inside, Ms. Ling. Although I can guarantee the six of us are genuine, I can't say the same for those under us."

"Honestly, I suspect the mercenaries hired for security might have facilitated it. However, I don't think they would crudely resort to assassinating me, right?"

"That should be their backup plan," Carlos added. "Ms. Ling, you should be careful on your trip ahead. They will test you using the country's government power."

"Fret not. The island and the surrounding ones belong entirely to me," Ling Qingyu said. "STAR Hospital won't face any policy or military interference—I can guarantee that, apart from logistical issues, which can be resolved by seeking alternative sources."

Her statement left Carlos stunned, her beautiful red lips slightly parted.

Ling Qingyu brought her fingertip to seal them and smiled.

"I hear your concern, but it won't be necessary. As long as you and your team manage the hospital well and abide by all laws—moral, ethical, and regulatory—you will have my full support."

"But—"

"Now, how would you like to be rewarded? Do you want my kiss?" Ling Qingyu giggled, breaking the tense atmosphere.

She understood Carlos's concern and already had a remedy for it—one that Elena would love.

Fortunately, in her plan, she had already intended to fly to the capital to discuss matters with the head of state, nipping the problem in the bud once and for all.

As for cases involving pirates and terrorism threats, Ling Qingyu would have only smiled with joy. It would be the perfect opportunity to provide her girls with overseas combat experience. Plus, her shipgirls had been growing bored lately.

Carlos sighed helplessly and gave up on arguing with her new boss's teasing.

Regardless, her boss now completely owned everything, including the surrounding island chain.

How terrifying was her background? Even the former shareholders lacked the capacity and capability to do what she did.

Although Carlos felt a little taken advantage of by Ling Qingyu, she now envied her luck in narrowing their relationship.

Ling Qingyu leaned against the table nearby, her lower back resting against the wooden rail. Frankly, she hadn't paid much attention to the room since entering.

They were now in some kind of resting area for the workers—two small, comfortable beds, a coffee machine, and a refrigerator.

There were no personal belongings; the space was simply meant for employees to take a break.

The reason Ling Qingyu spoke so confidently about confidential matters was the small jamming device she held.

Athena controlled it and had turned it on the moment their conversation began—without needing Ling Qingyu to say a word.

Meanwhile, Carlos didn't think much of it and assumed she could speak more freely in private. A gap in awareness between the two emerged, and Ling Qingyu liked that.

Carlos seemed accustomed to dealing with 'ordinary' people and was open about everything. Athena's background check had given her a green flag.

"Ms. Ling, in that case, since you've already settled everything, I may have overstepped," Carlos apologized.

"No need. I'm grateful you made up your mind to tell me, even if your approach was initially transactional."

"Forgive my rudeness. I really need a favor, and I don't know who else to turn to. When you said you were flying to the capital, my hope became you, Ms. Ling."

"Manager Carlos, you can say it, but I can't make any promises," Ling Qingyu said, crossing her legs.

"Hours ago, my nephew called me in a panic, asking for help. He stressed that I must not inform the embassy. I don't know what he did, but I can vouch for his morals and behavior."

"Do you have any idea what happened?"

"I don't know. He sounded so afraid, and now I can't reach him anymore."

"What's he doing there?"

"He's a journalist."

Ling Qingyu's expression froze.

It couldn't be what she suspected, right?

"Did he uncover something he shouldn't have?"

"I have no idea," Carlos admitted and her face paled as she noticed Ling Qingyu's reaction. She also realized her nephew might be in deep shit.