A Scummy Alpha Supporting Character Accidentally Marks the Heroine After Transmigrating into a Book (GL) - Chapter 7

Director Zheng frowned. “It’s like this. This lady, Li Yuan,” he pointed to the fashionably dressed Omega sitting across from Bai Wan, then back to Bai Wan herself, “has reported that Miss Bai Wan’s design draft is plagiarized.”

Two nearly identical design drafts were placed in front of Yan Nanjue.

“The contents of these two drafts are almost exactly the same,” Director Zheng explained. “Only the minor details have been slightly modified, but Li Yuan’s draft was submitted one day earlier than Bai Wan’s.”

Based on submission time alone, the plagiarism seemed like an open-and-shut case. However, Director Zheng looked troubled and hesitated to make a final decision.

Li Yuan was the same Omega who had gone to the canteen with Bai Wan earlier.

She looked both angry and heartbroken. “This is the work I was about to enter into a design competition. I started preparing it two months ago. This competition is vital for me—if I win, the company will send me abroad for further studies. I don’t know why Bai Wan’s draft is identical to mine. I was shocked when I found out.”

“This is my work; I won’t let you have it. Bai Wan, even if you have ‘connections’ behind you, you can’t just steal my hard work.”

Hearing this, Yan Nanjue tilted her head slightly, her brows knitting. “Connections?”

She asked coldly, “What ‘connections’ does Bai Wan have?”

Director Zheng stammered, “Because Bai Wan took on the MY project as soon as she arrived, there have been rumors among the staff that she has a backer. I tried to stop them from gossiping, but I didn’t expect it to spread this far.”

Yan Nanjue’s gaze landed on Bai Wan. The latter lowered her eyes, avoiding eye contact.

Li Yuan said indignantly, “Director Zheng, President Yan is right here. Are you still going to shield her at a time like this? We all know it—Bai Wan has a ‘relationship’ with President Ming (Ming Yue). This project was just a stepping stone created for her!”

“We regular employees have no problem being ‘extras’—after all, it never belonged to us anyway—but why should I have to give her my own design?!”

Faced with an accusation of favoritism right in front of the big boss, Director Zheng was trembling with nerves. “President Yan, these are all rumors! I have never shown favoritism to anyone!”

Yan Nanjue’s sharp gaze shifted to Li Yuan. “Bai Wan was someone I personally recruited.”

Li Yuan froze.

“Bai Wan has won the ‘Mirror of the Sky’ Award for Best Evening Jewelry Design, the ‘Golden Pearl’ Award for Best Color Application…” Yan Nanjue unhurriedly recited most of the awards Bai Wan had won in the past.

As she read from the script, she couldn’t help but sigh in her heart: If she hadn’t met the original body, the heroine would undoubtedly have become a genius designer in the industry. She was only one step away.

Yan Nanjue said nonchalantly, “In addition, she was the ‘Best New Designer’ at the ‘Heart of Gemstones’ competition.”

‘Heart of Gemstones’ was one of the top jewelry design competitions in the country; everyone in the industry knew it. Bai Wan had snatched that crown at a young age, a feat countless people envied. Unfortunately, she received the award notification after the marriage. By then, she had been placed under house arrest by the original body and couldn’t even attend the ceremony.

Yan Nanjue countered: “Tell me, does she have the ‘qualification’ to take on the MY project? Does she need a backer?”

Li Yuan was stunned. Her first instinct was to look at Bai Wan in disbelief. “That’s impossible, you never said…”

Bai Wan looked at her coldly.

Hearing this, Director Zheng quickly chimed in: “I knew it was all baseless rumors. From now on, anyone who can’t control their mouth shouldn’t blame me for docking their pay.”

Seeing the wind change direction, Li Yuan spoke through tears: “Fine, I’m not as talented as Bai Wan, but that doesn’t mean this work is hers.”

Director Zheng asked, “Since you both claim it’s your draft, who can provide proof of the creative process?”

Bai Wan spoke clearly and logically: “I have the initial sketches and the creation logs. My computer has a record of every modification. My creative thought process can prove this draft belongs entirely to me.”

Li Yuan immediately shouted, “I have those too! Yours was just copied from mine.”

As the room bordered on another shouting match, Yan Nanjue raised her hand to silence them. “Can anyone prove you were drawing these drafts at the office?”

Li Yuan shook her head. “Design drafts are very private. Plus, with so many competitors, I always worked in private. I only told Bai Wan.”

Director Zheng frowned. “If it’s private, why did you show it to Bai Wan?”

Li Yuan bit her lower lip timidly, looking hesitant. “I… I felt sorry for her. Bai Wan once told me she was an orphan. She has no parents, no friends, and a withdrawn personality. I thought we were from the same hometown, so I trusted her as a good friend and told her everything.”

Bai Wan’s eyes were downcast, her bangs hiding her expression. Someone in the room looked at her with pity—it was truly miserable to have one’s status as an orphan exposed publicly in such a terrible situation.

Director Zheng nodded, then asked, “Bai Wan, can anyone prove the design was drawn by you?”

The office fell into an eerie silence. No sound came from the end of the long table.

Director Zheng urged, “Bai Wan?”

Bai Wan looked up, her gaze meeting Yan Nanjue’s.

Yan Nanjue almost broke her persona to give her a “hint” look. She was the witness! She had accidentally seen Bai Wan drawing in the apartment; she could prove it. If only Bai Wan would speak up, Yan Nanjue could bring it up naturally.

Bai Wan blinked, her lashes trembling like butterfly wings. She spoke softly, her voice as gentle as a lover’s whisper.

“…No one.”

Yan Nanjue’s heart sank. The heroine would rather be suspected of a crime than have any public connection with her.

As the office reached a stalemate, Assistant Lin suddenly stepped forward, whispered in Yan Nanjue’s ear, and handed over her phone. Yan Nanjue scanned the screen.

[Assistant Lin: President Yan, since you asked me to keep an eye on President Ming and the Madam, someone has been following the Madam. I just looked through the photos sent back; one of them happened to capture the Madam drawing the draft in the rooftop garden.]

Yan Nanjue was shocked. An unexpected bonus? This wasn’t in the original book. Was this the “Butterfly Effect” from her stopping the meeting between Ming Yue and Bai Wan?

Assistant Lin handed over the phone again: [The surveillance footage you asked for has been found. Li Yuan did indeed return to the office after hours several times over the last two months. According to the guard, she said she was forgetful and often lost things. This photo can prove the Madam’s innocence, but if we show it, the Madam might feel you are spying on her.]

Yan Nanjue wavered for a split second. No, she couldn’t watch Bai Wan be slandered. Bai Wan was innocent, and besides, in the heroine’s heart, she was already a controlling, unstable, perverted freak…

Yan Nanjue tossed the hesitation aside and signaled Assistant Lin to speak.

“This is a photo I took accidentally while resting on the small rooftop,” Lin Furuo said, stepping forward. “I didn’t realize I caught Miss Bai in the frame. You can clearly see the manuscript on her table belongs to this design draft. Here is the timestamp.”

“I also checked the surveillance,” Assistant Lin continued. “Li Yuan has seven records of returning to the office after work. Bai Wan works overtime until 8:00 PM every day. Twice, you returned after Bai Wan left. I have already had the Cybersecurity Department analyze both computers. If her computer was brute-forced, it would leave traces. On the night of the 19th at 9:30 PM, your computer was started—after Bai Wan had already left. Li Yuan, why did you return to the office and open a computer that night?”

Yan Nanjue was mentally applauding. Assistant Lin is truly the strongest subordinate!

The office was silent. Countless eyes turned to Li Yuan, who looked panicked. Director Zheng shook his head. “Little Li, you’ve only been here six months. You probably don’t know how powerful the company’s firewall is.”

Assistant Lin added, “The Yan Corporation’s Legal Department is also very powerful. Miss Li, for illegal slander, defamation, and plagiarism—not to mention hacking into company computers—you had better be prepared for a lawsuit.”

The condemnation in the room was palpable. Facing a potential prison sentence, Li Yuan began to shake. Her fake tears turned into real ones. She desperately denied it: “No, I didn’t… it’s my draft, I didn’t hack her, it wasn’t me!”

As her voice cracked into a shriek, Yan Nanjue suddenly caught a strange scent. It was like rich chocolate being crushed and melted. This thick, sweet smell quickly occupied the office. The Alphas in the room experienced a massive change in expression.

Yan Nanjue belatedly realized… Pheromones?

Under intense emotional stress, Li Yuan’s pheromones had gone into a frenzy! An Omega’s pheromones naturally attract Alphas, which could turn nearby Alphas into “mad dogs” searching for the source.

Yan Nanjue stood up abruptly. “Get the blocking spray! Isolate her in the office! Lin Furuo, call the hospital and emergency security! All Alphas, get out!”

The well-trained Betas quickly sprayed blockers around the door and window seals. Soon, the floor was evacuated.

Yan Nanjue held her breath until she reached a different floor. The Alphas who had come out of the office were in poor condition, but she was the only one whose expression hadn’t changed.

“System, why am I different from them?”

【System: Your grade is high. Low-grade, low-compatibility Omegas won’t affect you. Plus, as an outsider, it’s normal to have no physiological reaction.】

Yan Nanjue half-understood, but suddenly felt an intense gaze on her. She looked back.

At the very end of the crowd, Bai Wan was staring at her with eyes as cold as a ghost crawling out of hell.

Even from a distance, Yan Nanjue’s superior Alpha senses allowed her to see the raw hatred on Bai Wan’s face. She looked down and saw a pencil in Bai Wan’s hand—the pencil had been snapped clean in half by her bare hand.

Simultaneously, a sharp, piercing warning rang in Yan Nanjue’s ears:

【WARNING! WARNING! MAJOR WARNING!】

【Heroine’s current Blackening Value: 72/100】