Since Phyllis's light touch on John's wrist, things had subtly shifted. On the surface, John remained the cool, in-control CEO, but Phyllis noticed he was becoming... different. His headaches grew more frequent. Sometimes, in the middle of a meeting, he would suddenly pause, his brow furrowed intensely, his face alarmingly pale, as if struck by something violent. Fine beads of cold sweat would appear on his forehead. On one occasion, he even pressed the wrong floor in his private elevator in the Yarfi Building, freezing in place, his eyes filled with a profound disorientation as if his soul had momentarily departed, only to regain focus after a long moment.
The most noticeable change was his increasing reliance on Phyllis. Though he never spoke of it, and even his gaze held a subtle resistance, Phyllis found that when she was near, John's demeanor was significantly more stable. He no longer zoned out as frequently in meetings and seemed more focused when handling documents. If she was occasionally out of his sight, perhaps in the restroom or fetching a file for him, he would instinctively look for her, his eyebrows furrowed in a restless irritation, like a child who had suddenly lost their favorite toy. A few times, Phyllis even observed John unconsciously picking up a pen she'd left on his desk while working alone, gently fiddling with it, his fingertips tracing the barrel repeatedly, as if the pen offered him some special comfort and security. Phyllis watched, her heart a mix of aching concern and sharp vigilance. This man's memories were like a locked box, now slowly coming loose. But what would be revealed when it opened? The sweet truth of five years ago, or deeper pain and a bloody conspiracy? She didn't know, and she dared not casually touch that heavy unknown.
Phyllis, however, was far from idle. Even under John's "gilded cage" surveillance, she quietly continued her investigation. She tried to find clues about the train accident from five years ago within the Yarfi Group's old archives, hoping to understand John's situation at the time. She attempted to search the group's internal database for reports related to terms like "train accident," "survivors," and "Yarfi family secret projects." But each time she touched upon these sensitive terms, the information became incredibly elusive. Search results were either blank or directly displayed "insufficient permissions," as if an invisible hand was manipulating everything from behind the scenes. She even tried to find some long-serving Yarfi family employees, hoping to inquire about events before and after John's amnesia. But those individuals seemed to be under a gag order; they either stammered and avoided eye contact, or flat-out refused to meet her. Some even changed color and quickly scurried away at the mere mention of "five years ago." Phyllis cursed inwardly. This resistance was far from ordinary, making her acutely feel the pervasive, insidious power of the "Shadow" organization, like a vast net covering every aspect of the Yarfi family, almost suffocating her. She felt like a moth trapped in a spiderweb, each struggle only tightening the strands.
The stalled investigation gave her a headache. Coincidentally, John had recently assigned her several technical tasks that required collaboration with Lynn. Lynn, the tech genius, though a bit disheveled with perpetually messy hair and thick black-rimmed glasses, was truly a master with computers and data, practically a living search engine! He usually had an innocent, detached demeanor, showing little interest in anything beyond code and snacks, but in the technical field, he was an absolute expert. On one occasion, while they collaborated on cracking an old encrypted file within the group, Lynn expressed immense admiration for Phyllis's superb analytical skills, his eyes shining as if he'd discovered a rare treasure. He even proactively sought her advice on technical challenges.
During several collaborations, Phyllis subtly probed for information. She would casually ask about John's old work habits or some of the Yarfi family's early technical projects. Lynn, being straightforward, revealed some small details without much thought. For instance, he mentioned that John used to have a private workstation, not connected to the internet, but it stored many of John's personal habits and some old project files, even some code notes John had written in his youth. Lynn also said that the system had a small loophole he'd left behind when he was younger for his own "convenience," a secret only he knew. He also mentioned John's habit of hiding important private encrypted files in a very inconspicuous subfolder, with filenames that were chaotic combinations of numbers, like "010101.txt" or "temp_data.bin," completely unreadable to outsiders. These seemingly innocent remarks ignited a spark of hope in Phyllis's heart, like seeing a beam of light in the darkness, suddenly illuminating the path ahead.
The opportunity arrived! On a stormy night, thunder and lightning flashed outside, and heavy rain poured down. Taking advantage of a brief power fluctuation in the Yarfi Building's electrical system due to a lightning strike, which caused a temporary blind spot in some security systems, Phyllis quietly slipped into John's private office. Using the information Lynn provided, she bypassed layer upon layer of security. Infrared sensors, pressure sensors, and even fingerprint recognition systems were all cleverly circumvented under her expert touch. She successfully infiltrated John's "unconnected" old workstation. The screen lit up, and the familiar command-line interface brought a sense of familiarity. Following Lynn's hints, she entered the hidden command, and sure enough! There, she found some encrypted files and email correspondence. Although fragmented, these files clearly pointed to a connection between the "Shadow" organization and the train accident five years ago. There were even records of suspicious, massive financial transactions between some Yarfi family members and the "Shadow" organization, a truly shocking sight. John's amnesia was no accident! This discovery made Phyllis's heart pound. She knew she was getting closer to the truth, but she also felt an unprecedented danger.
Just as she was engrossed in copying these precious documents, the office door was suddenly flung open! A loud "bang" made Phyllis's heart leap. A dark figure flashed in, moving astonishingly fast, almost instantly charging towards her. Phyllis instinctively dodged, simultaneously drawing the dagger hidden in her boot. The blade glinted coldly in the dim light as she prepared to retaliate. The assailant was agile and well-trained, their moves lethal, clearly a professional assassin. Phyllis parried while searching for an escape route, her heart sinking. The assailant was clearly not after money, but rather to silence her. And how did they know she was here?! She realized her whereabouts had been exposed long ago, and the "Shadow" organization's knowledge of her was far deeper than she had imagined; they were like omnipresent specters, constantly monitoring her every move.
Just as she was about to give out, a sudden loud crash came from outside the door! "Boom!" It felt as if the entire floor trembled. Immediately after, a familiar figure burst in – it was John! He was still in his pajamas, clearly having rushed over, his face ashen, his eyes tinged with blood, filled with furious rage. He practically roared as he charged at the black-clad figure, moving faster and more fiercely than ever before! Each punch carried the force of thunder, each kick aimed directly at a vital point. The black-clad figure clearly hadn't expected John's sudden appearance and his astonishing burst of power. He was sent flying by a single punch, crashing heavily against the wall with a grunt, then sliding to the floor, motionless.
John rushed to Phyllis, pulling her into his embrace with a force that seemed to want to meld her into his bones. He held her tightly, his body trembling slightly from anger and fear, his chest heaving violently. Phyllis felt the taut muscles in his arms, his chin resting on her head, his heavy breaths carrying a faint scent of blood. She even heard him whisper, trembling, a name – "Yaya!" This name, from five years ago, was her childhood nickname, used only by him! Phyllis froze, her eyes instantly welling up. He... he remembered?! Had a miracle truly happened?!
However, after only a few seconds, John's body stiffened abruptly. His furious eyes instantly regained their coldness and clarity, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion. He released Phyllis, but his hand still gripped her wrist tightly, with a force that almost crushed her bones. He glanced at the fallen black-clad figure, then back at Phyllis, his voice as cold as ice, devoid of emotion: "Kevin!"
Kevin almost teleported into the room, startled by the scene. John's face was terrifyingly grim. He directly ordered Kevin: "Deal with this person cleanly, and find out who is behind him! Furthermore, effective immediately, Phyllis's security level is to be elevated to the highest. Ensure her absolute safety at all costs. Anyone who dares to approach her one more step, kill without mercy!" His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over Phyllis, then over the fallen black-clad figure. That unquestionable dominance sent a chill down Phyllis's spine. She knew he had reverted to the aloof "Zhuo," the cold and ruthless CEO.
Phyllis looked at him, her heart a whirlwind of emotions. That momentary vulnerability and tenderness, that familiar "Yaya," had made her almost believe a miracle had occurred, that all the bitterness and waiting would vanish. But in an instant, he had reverted to the cold, distant CEO. He ordered Kevin to increase her surveillance, this time for protection, but for Phyllis, was it not also a deeper "gilded cage"? A cage woven from love and fear, even harder to escape.
She knew John had begun secretly planning to uproot the "Shadow" organization. And she herself, after experiencing this brush with death, felt even more complex emotions towards John. She was touched by his timely appearance and his desperate protection, yet she also ached for his confined memories and his occasional erratic behavior. The craving for truth and the determination to expose the "Shadow" organization, at this moment, became stronger than ever. This battle had just begun, and she knew it would be a tough one! A tough battle of love, memory, and life and death!