Author Archives: sandy

Aerial Acrobat!

When Luer saw what was happening on the Huaguo team’s side, the first thing that came to his mind was this phrase. The reason? The product that Fang Ziyang and his team had unveiled for the third round was none other than the “Flying Wristband.”

As the name suggests, wearing this wristband allows you to fly freely in the air.

Using the same hovering technology, but compared to the M team’s hover car, the difference was like that between a grade schooler and a university student.

“…We’ve named this product the ‘Flying Wristband.’ In simple terms, wearing this wristband allows you to fly freely in the air. The product uses our country’s latest LX hover technology…”

“Our country’s hover technology is already well-developed. The Flying Wristband can reach a maximum altitude of 1,000 meters. Once airborne, the wristband creates a protective shield around the body based on the magnetic field, ensuring safety and stability. These safety measures are fully integrated within the wristband…”

“Additionally, there are two flight modes: one for free solo flying and another for preset route flying. Our country is currently working on developing the related infrastructure and traffic regulations for the use of this Flying Wristband…”

The staff explained the product according to the information provided.

While some of Fang Ziyang’s team members demonstrated the product, others controlled the central program to ensure that audience members didn’t get too carried away during their solo flights, preventing chaos on-site.

As the staff continued their explanation and the impressive flight demonstration took place nearby, the audience didn’t hesitate for a moment. They quickly rushed to line up, eagerly waiting for their turn to experience it.

A flying wristband!

It might look small, but its capabilities were mind-blowingly impressive. Compared to the M team’s hover car, which could only hover 10 meters off the ground and had unresolved issues with safety and stability, this half-baked product was utterly outclassed!

The viewers in the international livestreams were equally astonished, with the chat exploding with comments:

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, a Flying Wristband? This is for real! Look at that—it’s just like something out of a futuristic movie!”

“Is this really the year 20xx and not xx02? Did I time-travel? Has technology really advanced to the point where we can fly with just a wristband?”

“I always thought Huaguo’s technology was behind and mostly about copying others. Even though they’ve improved over the years, I assumed their chips were still pretty rough. This competition has really changed my view—this is unbelievable…”

“This is absolutely mind-blowing! I’m so bummed I didn’t get tickets to watch the competition live!”

The online viewers were filled with envy and regret. Even though they knew the tech competition would feature many innovative products, they hadn’t expected this level of advancement!

The competition had only reached the third round, yet already it had showcased the Mental Relaxation Device with holographic technology and a mature hover technology… Even though the M team had encountered some setbacks, the two finished products they presented still held immense technological value.

Regret! Such immense regret!

Had they known this tech competition would be this exciting, they would have spared no expense or effort to secure tickets!

It’s common knowledge that the products showcased in the competition would eventually be available on the market, but who knows how long it would take for that to happen?

The appearance of the Flying Wristband truly dazzled both the live audience and the online viewers.

Meanwhile, Moore, who had been closely watching the livestream, had his expression change dramatically the moment the Flying Wristband was revealed. His face grew dark, and words could hardly capture his anger.

“So that’s it!”

Moore stared at the livestream with gritted teeth.

He had been puzzling over how Shi Liangchen had mysteriously disappeared, and the investigation had been ongoing.

At the time, they were on the thirty-something floor of a high-rise building, with no exit other than the window. According to the witnesses, Shi Liangchen had jumped out of the window.

But strangely, there was no sign of Shi Liangchen’s body below—the man seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving everyone baffled!

Now, however, it all made sense.

With the Flying Wristband, Shi Liangchen could easily escape after exiting the window.

Shi Liangchen had never betrayed the country! He likely had a good relationship with Fang Ziyang all along, and the whole story about betraying due to hatred over his sister was a complete fabrication!

No wonder there had been no significant movement on Shi Meijing’s side—Shi Liangchen had probably given up on his sister long ago and had been using her to mislead him.

To think that he, Moore, so clever and astute, had been played by such a minor figure! It was infuriating!

“Damn it!”

Moore was beside himself with rage.

He had never lost his composure like this before, but since the tech competition began, he had suffered loss after loss, making it feel like he was cursed.

At the same time, in a certain villa…

Yan Tong’s expression also changed drastically when he saw the scene in the livestream, as if he had realized something. His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

“How… how is this possible… How could the Flying Wristband appear…”

Yan Tong’s voice was filled with terror.

If one occurrence was a coincidence, and a second might still be a coincidence, then a third occurrence could no longer be called a coincidence!

Previously, he hadn’t paid much attention to the emergence of many groundbreaking technologies in Huaguo. After all, even though the book mentioned that the Lu family’s inherited data was in the golden finger, it didn’t rule out the possibility that other data files might still exist out there.

So, he wasn’t too worried about the changes in Huaguo over the past couple of years. In the book, Fang Ziyang had chosen to hand over the golden finger’s data to the authorities to collaborate on research and development, and nothing unusual had happened since then.

But the Flying Wristband, the hover technology…

These were supposed to be exclusive to the golden finger!

If Fang Ziyang had access to the golden finger’s data, then what was the golden finger he had?

At that moment, Yan Tong’s face turned pale, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It seemed he had overlooked something all along—he had underestimated Fang Ziyang’s character and intelligence.

When he first read the book, although he didn’t particularly like Fang Ziyang as the protagonist, he still read through most of it until the author reached the latest serialized chapters…

Aside from his liking for the supporting male characters in the book, Yan Tong did acknowledge Fang Ziyang’s excellence. Many of Fang Ziyang’s workplace strategies were worth learning from. Fang Ziyang was a proud and talented individual, someone who was persistent and always avenged wrongs.

Yan Tong had previously stolen Xie Wenxu, incited Fang Yandong and Fang Qianhao, and later even seduced Lu Yan, throwing Fang Ziyang’s life into chaos and causing his family and friends to scatter. He had seriously offended Fang Ziyang.

Given Fang Ziyang’s temperament, how could he not hate Yan Tong? How could he let him off so easily? Yet, up until now, Fang Ziyang had merely ignored him or said harsh words when they met, without taking any real action against him—completely out of character for Fang Ziyang.

Fang Ziyang had always dealt with his enemies with a decisive blow. So if he was acting out of character, there had to be another motive!

Thinking back on it now, Yan Tong felt a chill down his spine.

A strong urge to flee gripped him.

But as soon as he stood up and made a move toward the door, the bodyguards that Moore had stationed blocked his way like an unmovable mountain.

“Young Master Yan, the master has ordered that you are not to leave the villa. Please don’t make things difficult for us.”

The bodyguards’ expressions were cold. Although they used a respectful term, their tone was anything but respectful.

Yan Tong bit his lip. “Can’t I even go to the garden for some fresh air? You can follow me.”

The bodyguards didn’t answer; they just looked at him coldly.

There was no room for negotiation—he couldn’t even approach the door, let alone leave the room!

“…”

Yan Tong’s face turned pale.

He had no idea what to do.

Escape? There was no way out.

Should he tell Moore that the information he provided might have serious flaws? The only outcome would be death—Moore would never offer a chance for redemption.

But if he didn’t say anything, and the data indeed turned out to be flawed, the consequences…

At that moment, the fear and regret in Yan Tong’s heart reached an unprecedented level.

…

The result of the third round of the competition was unsurprising.

Using the same hover technology, the Huaguo team’s Flying Wristband was far superior to the half-finished hover car.

Although the other teams had unique innovations, they couldn’t compare to the spotlight-stealing Flying Wristband.

For the entire two weeks of the competition, even though the lines for experiencing the Flying Wristband were long, audiences still eagerly chose it. After trying it out, most gave it a five-star rating. The few who gave four stars did so out of frustration from the long wait.

By the end of the third round, after the results were announced, the Huaguo team’s ranking and points could be described as being far ahead of the competition.

However, during this third round, a minor incident occurred in the competition area. The original exhibition area allocated to the Huaguo team caught fire due to an electrical issue. Fortunately, the staff discovered it in time, and the fire was contained before it could spread. The matter was quickly handled and brushed off.

The incident didn’t catch much attention from the audience.

Only Professor Yu returned with a grim expression that day, and there was a brief exchange of glances among the judges.

With the third round over, everyone took a few days to rest.

The fourth round finally arrived.

By this point, after the Huaguo team’s outstanding performances in the previous rounds, there was intense curiosity and anticipation for their next exhibit.

This time, Fang Ziyang and his team again opted not to use the new exhibition area provided by the competition. Citing the large number of audience members, they directly applied for another open space to serve as a temporary exhibition area.

They didn’t keep things under wraps this time. On the eve of the competition, they revealed the fourth-round entry during a press interview.

“Holographic gaming? Do you mean the kind of holographic gaming we’re thinking of?”

The reporter who asked the question was wide-eyed with surprise.

He had asked casually, not expecting the Huaguo team, known for their secrecy, to give a direct answer this time.

But this answer—it seemed almost too good to be true!

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The second round of the competition ended in a way that was both perfect and imperfect. After a three-day break, the third round officially began.

Like the previous round, the third round was also a half-month-long technology competition with similar rules. The only difference was the theme—this time, the theme was transportation. In other words, the items competing in this round just needed to be related to transportation.

Since the competition themes were given in advance, all the teams had ample preparation time. Even though only eight teams remained, the competition was still fierce, and the pressure was immense for everyone.

Well, everyone except Fang Ziyang and his team.

At 10 a.m., after a simple entry ceremony, the teams re-entered their new exhibition areas, which had changed according to their rankings. The Huaguo team, still in first place, retained their original exhibition area.

The hostess in charge of leading them followed the procedure, guiding everyone to their area. However, Fang Ziyang and his team didn’t enter the designated space as planned. Instead, they politely declined and explained,

“Thank you, but the product we’re showcasing today requires a larger open space. It’s not very suitable for the indoor exhibition area, so we’ll be using this open field next to it. Our team’s professor has already applied for approval.”

The competition venue was originally a large soccer stadium that had been converted for the event. While it had a retractable transparent roof to protect against bad weather, the outdoor space could still be used without worrying about the elements.

The hostess, not needing to know the specifics, simply nodded with a polite smile, “Alright.”

As for setting up the area, that would be handled by other staff members, so it wasn’t her concern.

Once the hostess left, Fang Ziyang and his team didn’t waste any time. They immediately called their support team to have the product for the day delivered.

The judges, noticing this, looked puzzled, unsure of what was happening. However, one of the staff soon brought a temporary application for a change of venue to the judges’ table.

This wasn’t a particularly big deal. As long as the team wasn’t concerned about the hassle or potential loss of audience traffic, the competition organizers generally didn’t mind requests to change the venue, as long as the requirements weren’t too demanding.

Most of the judges didn’t react much to this news.

However, the expressions of the three judges seated at the front visibly changed.

The Huaguo judge, seated in the center, noticed their reactions and smiled, “Mr. Boer, Ms. Miss, Mr. Karim, you don’t look well. Should I call for medical assistance?”

“Hmph!”

The three judges didn’t respond, merely snorting coldly, unwilling to speak.

Throughout this competition, they had repeatedly suffered setbacks at the hands of the Huaguo team, leaving them with a deep-seated frustration. Their once-solid confidence was now shaken, and they felt their positions were seriously threatened. Just the sight of the Huaguo team was enough to set their tempers off!

In the lounge, Moore’s expression darkened when he saw that Fang Ziyang and his team didn’t enter the exhibition area but instead set up their equipment on the adjacent open field.

In that moment, many thoughts raced through his mind.

He ultimately arrived at one conclusion: someone had betrayed him again!

If someone hadn’t betrayed him, why would Fang Ziyang and his team suddenly decide to change their exhibition venue at the last minute?

There was no way this was a mere coincidence. He had just given orders yesterday, and today the Huaguo team responded as if they had anticipated it. If this was truly a coincidence, it was far too convenient!

Moore was seething with rage.

Shi Liangchen’s betrayal could be somewhat excused as a lapse in judgment. After all, Shi Liangchen was a mid-game recruit, and Moore had been drawn in by the man’s impressive skills and the allure they presented.

But the others under his command were different. Each had been carefully cultivated by the family for at least ten years, yet now, even among them, someone dared to betray him. It was an immense disgrace!

“Damn it!”

Moore was furious beyond words.

However, with Fang Ziyang and his team not falling into his trap, there was nothing he could do for the moment. He had no choice but to suppress his anger and give the order, “Clean up the loose ends from yesterday’s operation thoroughly. Check everything again and make sure nothing can be traced back to us.”

The plan had already been set in motion and couldn’t be changed now, so the only option was to cover their tracks.

This year had truly been one of bad luck—nothing had gone smoothly since the competition began!

With a cold gaze fixed on the live broadcast, Moore’s heart was filled with frustration.

Meanwhile, at the competition site, the remaining eight teams began the new round.

Due to the constraints of the transportation theme, the range of items presented in this round was relatively limited. Moreover, the current era had already seen significant technological advancements, with many excellent transportation-related innovations already in existence.

There were items like hoverboards, amphibious vehicles, multifunctional bicycles, and other small-scale transportation tools.

As for larger-scale items, many were not practical to showcase. In terms of large transportation vehicles, most of the focus was on civilian cars, but even these had limitations, with most of the innovations centered on engines, body functions, and similar aspects.

However, given the current state of technology, these areas didn’t allow for much dramatic progress, so most of the products presented by the teams didn’t stand out.

Aside from the M team and the Huaguo team, the other teams’ presentations were rather lackluster. The Huaguo team was moving a bit slower due to the temporary setup of their venue, so they hadn’t showcased their product yet. Meanwhile, the M team was fully prepared and immediately grabbed everyone’s attention, both at the competition site and in the livestreams worldwide.

“A hover car?! It’s really a hover car!”

As soon as the M team unveiled their product, people on-site and in the livestreams reacted with astonished exclamations.

Hover car technology had been under research in various institutes for a while, with progress being made, albeit slowly. However, achieving the level of technology seen in science fiction was still a long way off.

The M team’s product, though not as advanced as one might imagine, could hover up to 10 meters off the ground. While issues with safety, maneuverability, and stability still needed to be addressed, and the product was not yet ready for mass production, it was still far superior to other products in the competition, which were more conventional.

“They actually managed to create a hover car. No wonder they’ve been so arrogant…”

The other teams were disgruntled, but the gap in technology was too obvious to ignore, leaving them no choice but to concede.

The audience was equally excited and curious,

“Can we try out this hover car right now?”

“Yes, but due to some technical aspects that still need improvement, the car can only be operated by a central control system. It’s not possible for someone to drive it independently at this time.”

A member of the M team stepped forward to explain, clearly thrilled.

Although their hover car was far from the idealized version and only solved the hovering aspect while still having unresolved issues with safety, stability, and maneuverability, they were confident that it was enough to outperform 90% of the other teams in the competition!

Of course, if it weren’t for the need to be modest and avoid any unexpected setbacks, they wouldn’t mind boasting that their product could crush all the competition.

Despite the explanation, the audience was a bit disappointed that they couldn’t drive the car themselves, but they quickly realized that achieving hovering technology was already impressive, so they shouldn’t expect too much.

Soon, interested spectators lined up to experience the legendary hover car. However, since there were only a few prototypes, each person’s experience time was limited to just five minutes.

Not long after the first batch of spectators completed their experience, they came down with excited expressions and eagerly shared their feedback with others.

“It was amazing! It really hovered, just like being on a plane. The only downside is that you can’t drive it yourself, and it’s not very maneuverable… but even so, it’s still incredible. Finally, someone has cracked hover technology—this is fantastic!”

Many young people gave similar enthusiastic reviews.

Meanwhile, those of the same nationality as the M team members were bursting with pride.

Luer was one of them.

At that moment, he was proudly showing off to his boyfriend, Xiao Qi, unable to hide his smugness,

“See, dear? I told you our country’s technology is top-notch. Although there was a little hiccup in the last round, the tech itself is still cutting-edge. This round, look at that—hover cars, developed first by our country. The experience was absolutely fantastic, wasn’t it?”

Xiao Qi, however, wasn’t convinced. “Hmph, you haven’t even seen what our country’s team has to offer, and you’re already boasting. Be careful, or you’ll end up eating your words! Our country’s development has been incredibly rapid in recent years…”

Despite their disagreement, Luer and Xiao Qi were a loving couple. But since Luer was from M country and Xiao Qi from Huaguo, their nations often had opposing international stances. Both were patriotic, which led to frequent debates like this one, with neither willing to back down.

Of course, these disputes never affected their relationship; otherwise, they wouldn’t be together.

Their frequent arguments stemmed not only from their love for their respective countries but also from a shared goal: each wanted to convince the other to settle in their own country.

Feeling triumphant, Luer didn’t take offense at his boyfriend’s defiance today.

Crossing his arms confidently, he said,

“Alright, alright, dear. To use a phrase from your country, you really won’t believe it until you see it with your own eyes. This time, I’ll make sure you’re convinced. We agreed that if your country’s ranking isn’t higher than ours in this round, you’ll move to M country with me and we’ll get married there. No backing out now…”

“Agreed. But if it’s the other way around, you’re coming back home with me.”

Xiao Qi didn’t back down in the slightest.

While he appeared defiant on the outside, inside he was quietly pleased: Luer, you fool. You haven’t been to Huaguo in a year and have no idea how rapidly it’s changing—there’s no way you’re winning this bet!

Both of them secretly felt confident in their own victory.

They were just about to line up again to experience the hover car one more time before heading over to the Huaguo team’s exhibition area when suddenly, a commotion erupted from the Huaguo team’s side.

Luer glanced over at the noise, and his expression instantly froze as he blurted out, “Damn!”

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The elderly lady looked very flustered. Her husband, equally worried, quickly held up his phone and said,

“Don’t worry, dear. I just recorded a video of you. It’s clear that the device broke on its own, and it’s not our fault. We’ve got evidence!”

The elderly couple was extremely nervous. Although they usually led a youthful life and kept up with modern trends, they were still just an ordinary old couple with limited education. Their comfortable life and the chance to attend this grand technology event were all thanks to their filial children, but they didn’t actually understand much about the technology around them.

When they entered the exhibition area, they were curious yet cautious, sticking close to the tour guide out of fear that they might accidentally break something expensive—after all, they’d heard that these high-tech products could be incredibly pricey!

If it hadn’t been for the fact that everyone else was trying out the devices, the couple wouldn’t have dared to participate. And now, something had indeed gone wrong!

“Don’t worry, Grandma, it’s okay. There’s no need to panic—I’ll testify for you. Maybe the device just ran out of battery. Let me go find a staff member to check.”

The young woman who had been pulled aside by the grandmother was amused but not upset. After comforting the elderly couple, she went to call for assistance.

The staff quickly came over after hearing about the issue, but after a thorough check, they couldn’t find anything wrong and simply replaced the device with a new one for the grandmother.

The elderly lady, who had a good-natured temperament, wasn’t frustrated. Since the experience was free and the tickets to the technology event were expensive, she was determined to make the most of it!

However, it didn’t take long before she noticed… the device seemed to have broken again!

“Oh my, young people, this isn’t just bad luck on my part—this really seems like a problem with the quality of your device. If you can’t figure it out, you should call a technician. I’ve heard this is high-tech stuff, and only a technician can fix it properly…”

The grandmother spoke earnestly, thinking to herself that while people often say foreign imports are good, that might not always be true. This fancy-sounding “Healthy Motion” device seemed impressive at first, but it clearly had some serious quality issues!

The staff member was unsure what was wrong with the device and quickly reported the issue. Upon entering the control room, they found that several other staff members had also come to report similar problems.

“Lise, why are you here too? Don’t tell me your device is malfunctioning as well?”

Seeing another colleague enter, everyone began asking questions.

Lise, the staff member who had just arrived, was a bit stunned. “…What do you mean, ‘malfunctioning as well’? Does this mean it’s happening everywhere?”

It didn’t take long for Lise to understand the situation. Indeed, the issues weren’t limited to the device she was managing—other spectators were experiencing similar problems, and the number of malfunctioning devices was growing rapidly.

The staff members reporting the issues had no idea what was going on. The M team members were sweating profusely with anxiety.

“Captain, this isn’t working. We need to notify Mr. Moore immediately. We have to get a lead developer over here—there’s a problem with the core data, and none of us here can handle it.”

“Hold on, I’ve already contacted Mr. Moore. We need to use the master control to prevent further malfunctions!”

The team captain was also frantic, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he tried to control the situation.

But unfortunately, their efforts were futile.

The problems that initially appeared in just a few scattered machines in the exhibition area soon spread, and within an hour, nearly half of the products in the area mysteriously malfunctioned, exhibiting severe quality issues. Even when they replaced them with newly unpacked devices, they would fail within ten minutes.

Since the competition was being livestreamed, the audience’s experiences were broadcasted to the viewers.

Netizens from various countries noticed the situation and naturally focused their attention on it.

“What’s going on? Everything was fine for so many days, and now suddenly there’s a problem?”

“I don’t know. I saw someone in the audience who seemed knowledgeable saying that it might be a problem with the product’s operational data.”

“That’s impossible. These are prototypes for a competition—they should have been meticulously checked before leaving the factory. How could there be such a serious data issue?”

“Could it be a hacker attack? It’s hard to believe that a competition product would have such major quality problems.”

“Who knows? Let’s wait and see…”

**

Netizens speculated and discussed the situation. Other teams in the competition also noticed what was happening. The reactions varied—some were gloating, some were watching thoughtfully, and others didn’t care much—but most were pleased.

After all, one less competitor means less competition, especially when it’s a strong opponent like the M team.

But while the competing teams might have been amused, the spectators weren’t as concerned. Seeing that the M team’s products were malfunctioning and unusable, they quickly moved on, taking their experience tickets to other exhibition areas.

In the last three days of the second round of the competition, the M team had to end their participation early due to the quality issues with their products.

When the competition ended and it came time to evaluate the results, the M team, despite having accumulated a high number of audience votes in the early stages, sparked significant controversy over their ranking due to the product failures.

After deliberation, the judges decided to allow the M team to advance, but they did so in last place.

This outcome drew mixed reactions from netizens worldwide.

Meanwhile, Moore was furious!

“How could there be a data issue? Didn’t I tell you to double-check everything? How could this kind of mistake still happen?”

Moore, in a fit of rage, began smashing everything within reach, unable to maintain his usual gentlemanly composure. His eyes were bloodshot with anger.

The past few days had been nothing but bad news, one after another.

Ever since the competition started, nothing had gone smoothly. Not only did the earlier attack fail to harm their opponents, but it also cost them several allies!

Even more concerning was the mysterious disappearance of Shi Liangchen and the missing laboratory professors, all of which pointed to the possibility that he was being outmaneuvered by someone else.

Knowing this made him even more worried about the rest of the competition. He had ordered a thorough inspection of all their competition products and even took the risky step of altering certain parameters and data for extra security, but it still wasn’t enough to prevent the disaster.

Shi Liangchen, that bastard—could he have really sabotaged things right under my nose? But how is that possible!

“Investigate it for me. I want a definitive answer before the third round of the competition starts! We can’t afford even the slightest mistake in this round!”

Moore’s face was dark as he gave the order. The James family had put everything on the line for this competition. He could hardly imagine what the allied politicians would do if they failed. His ability to keep those people in check depended entirely on the success of these projects. If they failed… he didn’t dare to think about it.

The researchers, also troubled by the situation, replied hesitantly,

“Mr. Moore, we’ve already thoroughly inspected everything. There’s no evidence of tampering during the product development process. We monitored Shi Liangchen’s every step, and we can assure you of that… From our findings, it seems the problem lies with the core data.”

“A problem with the core data?”

“Yes, Mr. Moore, it’s definitely a core data issue. We didn’t notice it earlier, but we’ve now discovered that the ‘Healthy Motion’ core data was flawed—it’s missing several crucial lines of code. To fix this, we’d need to consult the person who provided the original data…”

Moore’s eyes narrowed as he radiated cold fury. “And what about the product for the third round?”

“There’s no issue with the hover car that’s up next. We’ll need to conduct a more in-depth inspection for the subsequent products.”

“Good. I don’t want to hear any more bad news. You can go.”

Moore restrained his anger as he waved the researchers out of the room.

Once they had left, Moore unleashed his rage, smashing everything within reach until the room was in shambles. With his expression still dark, he finally left the room and ordered,

“Bring Shi Liangchen to me… And call Loki over as well. The losses I’ve suffered will not go unpunished!”

Moore’s fury after these events was something Fang Ziyang didn’t witness directly, but he could certainly imagine it. Moore was never known for having a good temper; he was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows—cunning and quick to anger. By this point, Fang Ziyang was sure that Moore had begun to suspect something.

Given Moore’s nature, Fang Ziyang was certain that he wouldn’t just sit back and let things happen. If he couldn’t manipulate things within the rules, Moore would undoubtedly resort to tactics outside the rules. After all, the James family wasn’t directly involved on the surface, so if something went wrong during the competition, they could easily deny any “involvement.”

As for whether this would drag down other allies… that wouldn’t even cross Moore’s mind.

With this in mind, the day before the third round of the competition, Fang Ziyang approached their team leader, Professor Yu.

“You’re asking to change our exhibition area? Why? Is there something wrong with our current area? Changing locations now would be problematic—not to mention that it would waste the accumulated audience data and votes, and we’re running out of time.”

Professor Yu looked concerned.

Requesting a change in the exhibition area at this point would indeed be difficult. Even setting aside the issue of losing the votes they’d already gathered, the timing was a major problem. With the third round starting tomorrow, there wasn’t enough time to apply for a change and set up a new area overnight.

“Professor Yu, we don’t need a complicated exhibition area. Tomorrow’s product only requires an open space. Please trust me on this—we have to change locations for tomorrow’s competition, and…”

Fang Ziyang took a deep breath, “I would like you to submit the application tomorrow, at the last minute.”

“Have you received some bad news?”

Professor Yu’s expression grew tense upon hearing this.

He had been briefed by the higher-ups that Fang Ziyang was far from being as simple as he appeared. This referred not only to his research skills but also to his strategic thinking and cunning.

Before they set off, he had been instructed to cooperate with any special requests from Fang Ziyang. However, Professor Yu was still concerned, given the high stakes of the competition.

“In a way, yes. Let’s just say, based on my calculations, our current exhibition area might have bad feng shui tomorrow…”

Fang Ziyang smiled slightly.

Professor Yu: …

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The crowd watched, utterly bewildered.

Meanwhile, Ross and Bert were having the time of their lives, fully immersed in a brand-new world. Although their bodies remained on the sofa, their senses transported them to a vibrant, blue ocean world. They were surrounded by colorful schools of fish, stunning coral reefs, and shells reflecting beams of sunlight in a dreamlike underwater scene. It was a delightful and mesmerizing experience.

Both Ross and Bert had always loved the ocean and often visited the seaside. However, Ross’s poor health had always prevented him from diving into the water, leaving them unable to explore the mysterious underwater world—a source of regret for both.

So, when they were asked to choose a scene, they unhesitatingly selected the underwater world. They had expected it to be similar to a high-quality 7D movie, with a somewhat immersive experience, but had assumed the “realism” aspect was just marketing hype.

To their surprise, once they actually experienced it, they realized the advertising hadn’t exaggerated at all—if anything, it had been modest!

This wasn’t just realism; it felt like they had truly entered another world!

This wasn’t just a “Mental Relief Device”—it was more like a simplified version of a full-dive holographic game!

When Ross and Bert finished their brief experience and returned to the real world, they were initially disoriented but quickly became excited, their faces flushed with enthusiasm.

The two of them eagerly grabbed the staff, speaking in a mix of excitement and disbelief,

“This is incredible! Is this what they call a full-dive holographic game? Like the ones you read about in novels or see in futuristic movies? It felt so real—I actually believed I was swimming in the ocean. Every sensation was so authentic; it’s unbelievable…”

“We still have four experience tickets each. Since no one else is here, can we extend our session and stay in the world a bit longer?”

Bert handed all their remaining tickets to the staff, eagerly proposing the idea.

A full-dive world, a true full-dive world—no matter how good the other projects might be, they were determined to spend the rest of the day here!

“Sure, no problem.”

Seeing the empty exhibition area, the staff member kindly agreed to their request.

So, everyone watched as the two men once again reclined on the sofa, closed their eyes, and started acting as if they were under a spell…

Someone in the crowd was confused, “Isn’t this supposed to be a Mental Relief Device? Something to relax and treat insomnia? Why do those two look like they’ve been bewitched?”

An older woman in the crowd asked curiously, “I heard that red-haired young man mention something about a holographic game. What’s that?”

A young man nearby kindly explained, “Granny, a holographic game is a really immersive game that feels like you’re in another world—pretty amazing stuff. They show it a lot in futuristic movies, but… wait, Granny, what did you just say? A holographic game?”

“Yes, young man, you heard right. I heard it too. So, if it’s really a holographic game, why are they calling it a Mental Relief Device?”

“Maybe we should… go in and check it out?”

The crowd in the back was puzzled, while those in the front who overheard bits of the conversation started discussing it immediately.

A good product name is crucial. The name “Mental Relief Device” didn’t evoke much interest. No matter how grand the advertising claims were, the name alone significantly diminished people’s enthusiasm. However, the words “holographic world” were like pouring cold water into hot oil—the reaction was explosive.

When Fang Ziyang and the others were deciding on a name, they considered going for something more eye-catching. But in the end, they decided against it.

Although this sleep software indeed had holographic features, it was different from a true holographic game, and it wasn’t meant to be a game. The primary function of the software was to relieve mental stress and treat insomnia; the entertaining aspects were merely additional features.

No matter what they called it, the product’s functionality wouldn’t change.

If they had focused on the software’s entertainment value, there was a risk that other teams might maliciously accuse them of straying from the competition’s theme. After all, the theme for this round was “life,” not games.

Besides, they planned to introduce a real holographic game later, so there was no need to steal the spotlight prematurely.

Once the first person tried it out, it was only natural for others to follow.

Curiosity quickly spread among the crowd, and within minutes, more people started entering the exhibition area.

And then…

The rest of the crowd noticed that once people went in, they didn’t come out.

After their first experience, just like Ross and Bert, they realized there weren’t many people yet and immediately used all their remaining tickets to extend their time in the experience.

This only fueled everyone else’s curiosity and eagerness to try it out.

As a result, more and more people began entering the exhibition area. In less than an hour, a long line had formed, just like at the other popular exhibits.

And the line kept growing, with the people inside smiling more and more broadly.

Humans are naturally curious beings. The less they know and understand, the more they want to try something out.

By the time the other teams noticed, Huaguo’s exhibition area… had gone viral.

Yes, it had inexplicably gone viral.

Because the people in line didn’t even know what they were lining up for—seeing everyone else having a great time, they figured… why not join the line too?

The members of the M team next door looked both frustrated and bewildered.

“Witchcraft! They must be using witchcraft!”

The team member who first suggested the idea of witchcraft reaffirmed his belief. Although he was a serious researcher, he also believed in the existence of witchcraft. He was convinced that the so-called “superstitions” debunked and discredited by society were just poor imitations, and that true masters were hiding in the shadows!

The others rolled their eyes at him, annoyed.

“Witchcraft, my foot! Didn’t you hear someone mention something about a ‘holographic world’? I remember two years ago, Huaguo released a ‘sleep software.’ Although it was short-lived, it caused quite a stir because it contained a super trojan virus that wreaked havoc within Huaguo. Some of that news leaked out…”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about it too. Apparently, that software had holographic technology. My professor wanted to research it, but Huaguo’s government locked it down so fast that no information managed to escape.”

Another member chimed in.

“It’s said that the latest chip ID cards in Huaguo use this technology. My professor speculates that Huaguo’s rapid technological progress in the past two years is largely due to the data and information contained in that software.”

The others, whether they had known about this or not, listened intently, their expressions growing more serious.

Although many countries publicly deny the significance of Huaguo’s chip ID cards, with various news reports dismissing them, saying that this kind of cutting-edge technology couldn’t possibly come from Huaguo and predicting that the technology would fail soon… those who truly understand technology know what these chip ID cards represent and how terrifying the technology within them is.

Countries have tried countless methods in secret to spy on and crack the technology, hoping to acquire it, but so far, they’ve come up empty-handed.

It’s precisely for this reason that the M team adopted the research results provided by the James family and why their government painfully agreed to cooperate with the James family, sacrificing significant power in the process.

Otherwise, they would have no chance of winning this technology competition.

Everyone felt a bit uneasy.

But with the competition underway, they couldn’t afford to lose confidence. Besides, their project wasn’t inferior either. The outcome of this competition was still uncertain.

“Alright, there’s nothing to worry about. Our project is strong too. And let’s not forget, Mr. Moore is on our side. This technology competition is our stage, not someone else’s stepping stone. We are still the leaders in global technology. Stand tall and proud, gentlemen…”

The captain clapped his hands, using an air of arrogance and confidence to encourage the team.

But his words didn’t truly comfort everyone.

Except for a few, most of the team members felt a sense of unease in their hearts despite the captain’s speech.

Most people in the tech field tend to be rather proud and hold their academic integrity in high regard, making it difficult for them to accept anything underhanded or unethical. While they were confident in their own skills and the projects they were working on, the higher-ups often made decisions that crossed ethical boundaries to ensure 100% success. This left the team of technicians feeling conflicted, troubled, and deeply uncomfortable.

It made them feel as though their expertise was being questioned.

This was particularly true given that Mr. Moore was a member of the James family—a name that sent shivers down the spines of the senior professors in the field…

Even though there were plenty of spectators flocking to their exhibition area, indicating that they were likely to achieve great results, most of the M team members couldn’t find much joy in it.

**

Because the second round of the competition involved audience participation, each round would last for half a month.

On the first day, since the public was unfamiliar with the research outcomes of each team, the competition was relatively calm, and the experience data for all 10 teams was about the same.

However, starting from the second day, the data for each team began to show differences.

The teams that saw the most significant rise in their data were the Huaguo and M teams.

One team had holographic technology that fulfilled people’s fantasies and expectations of future technology while also treating the common issues of insomnia and mental stress; the other team solved the challenges of exercising and losing weight, making healthy movement no longer an insurmountable test of willpower.

Both teams had absolute, strong advantages, causing the spectators to struggle with choosing between them, and leaving the other teams feeling crushed and wanting to cry out in frustration!

It wasn’t that the other teams’ projects were bad; it was simply that these two projects were so groundbreaking that there was no real comparison.

The other teams watched with envy, their eyes turning red with jealousy.

In the midst of this intense yet calm competition, half a month quickly passed, leaving only three days remaining.

Then, an issue arose at the competition.

To be precise, the problem occurred in the M team’s exhibition area.

A group of spectators who were thoroughly enjoying their experience with the healthy movement device suddenly noticed that something seemed… off.

In a corner,

“This young lady, quick, quick! You were watching Grandma use this just now—Grandma didn’t do anything, didn’t touch anything, but it suddenly stopped working. It wasn’t Grandma who broke it; you’ve got to testify for me!”

A stylishly dressed elderly lady, looking panicked, grabbed a nearby young woman, her tone urgent.

She had the look of someone who feared she was about to be accused of breaking the device and was pleading for the young woman to vouch for her innocence.

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Jin Yu’s enthusiastic praise might have been a bit exaggerated, but she managed to convey the main points effectively. Although Mingyan Liquid hasn’t been released for sale yet, its counterpart, the beauty serum, has gained significant fame after more than a year of buildup. Not only is it well-known in Huaguo, but netizens in many foreign countries have also heard of it.

Word of mouth is the best form of advertisement, and in today’s age of advanced communication, the distance across oceans no longer poses a barrier. With just a computer or a smartphone, people can easily share all sorts of information.

The international forum established for this technology competition provided an even greater platform for such exchanges. So, when people heard the mention of the beauty serum, their interest was immediately piqued. By the time Jin Yu finished speaking, both the on-site reporters and the viewers in the livestream were buzzing with excitement.

“Miss Jin Yu, are you saying that this Mingyan Liquid is indeed part of the same product line as the beauty serum, developed by the same pharmaceutical company?”

The reporter asking the question was visibly excited.

“Yes, but Mingyan Liquid hasn’t been released for sale yet. If you’re interested, keep an eye on Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ official website. I’ve got to go for the competition now, but you can come back and interview me later—I’ll tell you all about it then.”

Jin Yu was patient and willing to chat, but time was limited since they were still in the middle of the competition. The reporter understood and, despite the excitement, didn’t press further and regretfully stepped back.

However, the netizens in the livestream chat exploded with activity.

“Is this Mingyan Liquid for real? Can it really cure nearsightedness? Completely cure up to 800 degrees and reduce anything above that to 200 degrees?”

“If it’s true, this is a godsend for those of us who wear glasses! My mom won’t have to worry about me watching TV and playing on my phone all the time, haha!”

“I’ve bought Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ beauty serum before—it was such a pain to get, had to queue up forever and apply for some Huaguo overseas certificate. It was such a hassle… But once I got it, it was totally worth it! I don’t know about Mingyan Liquid, but that beauty serum is seriously amazing, just super hard to buy.”

“I just checked Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ official website, and there really is a product called Mingyan Liquid, but it’s only just been advertised and isn’t on sale yet. We’ll have to wait another half month…”

“Yes, half a month. The ad says it’s in sponsorship and support of the technology competition. Every time Huaguo advances in the rankings, Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals will release a new product.”

“Wow, really? I’ve only used Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ beauty serum, but I’m already a huge fan! Mingyan Liquid sounds just as amazing.”

“You guys are making it sound so great, now I’m really curious. How do you apply for that Huaguo overseas certificate? What’s the website? I’m going to try it out…”

“But seriously, while Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ products are great, their naming skills… kind of lack sophistication.”

“Haha, really? I actually like it—straightforward and easy to remember. This is what they call ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ The names of their products stick with me as soon as I hear them.”

“Hahaha, well said!”

**

The viewers in the livestream chat started sending messages, discussing the products enthusiastically. Everyone had heard of the beauty serum, and now that it was being mentioned again, those who had used it were singing its praises. This only made the viewers who had previously just heard the name even more curious, and their desire to purchase it grew even stronger.

At the same time, Mingyan Liquid caught everyone’s attention, and many quickly logged onto Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ official website to check it out.

People love beauty, but they also cherish their health. While nearsightedness might seem like a minor issue, no one truly wants to suffer from it. Wearing glasses might be manageable, but the real concern is the potential for long-term damage that could lead to blindness. However, in today’s world, asking people to give up using computers and smartphones is unrealistic. Though eye issues are rarely discussed openly, everyone understands how crucial vision is.

A bunch of netizens began browsing the website. While most were skeptical about the effectiveness of Mingyan Liquid, when they saw the number of pre-orders for the beauty serum, their hesitation lasted only a few seconds before they decisively joined the pre-order queue.

Whether Mingyan Liquid works or not is uncertain, but the beauty serum seems pretty good. It’s pricey, but maybe it’s worth a try!

And so…

In the backend of Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ website, the staff responsible for recording and organizing orders suddenly noticed a surge in data. Alarmed, one of them immediately called out to the supervisor,

“Supervisor, something’s up! It looks like there’s an issue with the backend order data—there’s been a huge increase in international pre-orders. We need to call tech support right away!”

The supervisor walked over calmly, patted the employee on the shoulder, and handed them a tablet, “Stay calm, the data is fine. Our young boss just had someone advertise for us at the technology competition…”

The employee realized what had happened, smacked their forehead in excitement, “Oh, I totally forgot about that!”

The supervisor chuckled, enjoying the situation, “Just focus on your work, don’t worry. The ones who should be concerned are the production department. Relax…”

Production department staff: … pain and joy!

…

Meanwhile, putting aside the online excitement, the competition continued. After the grand entrance ceremony, the second round officially began, with the ten advancing teams entering their designated exhibition areas.

As the teams entered, the host passionately introduced the event,

“…The second round is where our technology competition truly begins. From this round onwards, all the advancing teams will showcase their complete research achievements… And the theme for this round is just two words: Life.”

“No matter what the research achievements of each team are, as long as they relate to life in some way, they qualify for this round. We’ll now begin introducing the teams, starting with the one in 10th place…”

To maintain mystery, create buzz, and boost ratings, most competition introductions like to start with the lowest-ranked team, saving the heavy hitters for later.

Although the organizers didn’t initially consider Huaguo a heavyweight, Huaguo had made a big splash in the previous round and was involved in the attack incident. Showing any further bias against Huaguo would not sit well with the global audience.

Thus, in the second round, Huaguo was treated more fairly.

For this round, Huaguo’s team showcased their research achievement, which was none other than the Sleep World technology they had originally used to set up Fang Yandong.

Compared to the defective version that Fang Yandong had previously presented, the Sleep World product they were unveiling now was a thoroughly tested and truly reliable product. Although this software had caused a major scandal initially, its significant development potential couldn’t be denied. In today’s high-pressure society, people really need a software that can regulate emotions, treat insomnia, and help them relax.

However, due to the previous controversy, they couldn’t use the original name, so the team decided to rename it “Mental Relief Device.”

So, when the host introduced their competition entry, he couldn’t help but show a look of excitement on his face.

“…Oh, according to the description, Huaguo’s entry is truly impressive—treating insomnia? Regulating emotions? Entering a mental world? This sounds so cool! I hope the product lives up to the hype because I want to try it out myself later.”

The host’s slightly enthusiastic introduction naturally sparked even more interest and curiosity in Huaguo’s team.

However, they didn’t completely steal the spotlight, as the other teams also brought out impressive products, making the competition fierce.

In the end, before the actual demonstration, all the teams had submitted descriptions that were likely embellished, making every product sound amazing just from the introductions alone. The true quality would only be revealed after the audience’s experience and the judges’ evaluations.

Even though the competition organizers had been pressured into making some subtle moves, the surface rules were still very fair.

To prevent bias, the competition stipulated that while audience members could experience their own country’s products in the exhibition areas, they weren’t allowed to vote for their own country’s team. After all, in an international competition like this, no matter how rational people are, patriotism is almost unavoidable.

Despite the various hidden agendas behind the technology competition, it was indeed intended to promote scientific progress.

Competition breeds pressure, and pressure drives motivation!

…

At 10 AM, all the teams finished preparing in their respective exhibition areas, and the audience, holding their experience tickets, began to enter the venue, freely exploring and trying out the exhibits.

Because of their adjacent rankings, Huaguo’s exhibition area was placed next to that of Country M.

Although the international audience had been impressed and shocked by Huaguo’s performance in the previous round, this mainly pertained to their prowess in defense and attack techniques. When it came to overall technological prowess, people still instinctively leaned towards the major technological powers they remembered.

So, at this moment, Huaguo’s exhibition area being placed next to Country M’s put them at a slight disadvantage.

Country M’s entry for this round was called “Healthy Motion,” which, as the name suggests, was a technology designed to assist with exercise.

However, unlike ordinary exercise tech products, this one was clearly much more advanced. In summary, it could be accurately described as a forced exercise device.

“…This product is specifically designed for those who dislike or struggle to maintain a regular exercise routine. As we all know, exercise is the foundation of good health, but in today’s fast-paced society, it’s also a luxury that few can afford, and even fewer can stick with it…”

“In short, after using ‘Healthy Motion,’ it stimulates your nerves to force you to move, helping you achieve your fitness goals. Additionally, it includes programs for activities like kung fu, boxing, taekwondo, and dance, making complex exercise routines more effective in shaping your body…”

In simple terms, with this device, you can instantly become a fitness enthusiast, and working out or losing weight will no longer be a challenge.

For people who lack the motivation to exercise, this product is practically a miracle!

Weight loss, health, body shaping… these three key points struck a chord with people of all ages.

Unsurprisingly, after this introduction, many passersby rushed into Country M’s exhibition area.

Meanwhile, although Huaguo’s product introduction was also compelling, it was clear that it didn’t immediately earn the audience’s trust.

Many people hesitated as they read the introduction to Huaguo’s product. After all, each person only had five experience tickets per day, while there were ten participating teams. If they didn’t choose wisely and missed out on a good project today, they’d have to wait until tomorrow. However, by then, the popular projects would surely have much longer queues, making today’s choices crucial.

As a result, people wavered.

Half an hour into the exhibition, Huaguo’s team still hadn’t had a single person try out their product. However, the members of the team remained calm, sitting quietly in their exhibition area, completely unfazed by the current lack of participants.

This wasn’t mere calmness; it was strong confidence. They knew that the quiet was temporary. Once someone entered to experience the product, they were certain that they’d be swamped with visitors for the next half month without a moment’s rest!

The Huaguo team’s composure was striking.

Even the members of the M team, who had initially wanted to mock them, didn’t dare to say a word. They couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with this Huaguo team—they didn’t seem quite normal.

Over at the M team’s exhibition area, one member was watching Fang Ziyang and the others, muttering quietly,

“Captain, do you think those Huaguo team members have lost their minds? It’s been half an hour, and they don’t have a single participant. Why don’t they seem worried at all?”

“I think there’s something eerie about them!” another member chimed in, looking serious. “I’ve studied Huaguo’s culture, and their current demeanor resembles something out of an Eastern ritual. When Eastern shamans perform rituals, they often have this mysterious aura…”

“Are you serious, Joem? Don’t try to fool me—I didn’t read much in school!”

The rest of the team looked shocked.

Just then, someone finally gathered the courage to enter Huaguo’s exhibition area, which had been deserted for the past half hour.

It was a very young, attractive foreign couple, both male—one with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking angelically beautiful, and the other with red hair and brown eyes, appearing ruggedly handsome.

Ross, shyly clinging to his boyfriend’s arm, was the timid and introverted type who generally avoided standing out. But he was really curious about Huaguo’s technology.

A year ago, he had been an ugly duckling disliked by everyone, but after accidentally using the beauty serum from a Huaguo pharmaceutical company, he had not only become one of the most popular boys at school but had also started dating Bert, the boy he had long been secretly in love with. The product had nearly changed his entire life.

Since then, he had developed a strong interest in everything related to Huaguo. This technology competition was his chance to focus on Huaguo’s team, especially since one of the members was a shareholder in the same Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals company he had grown to trust. This connection gave him more confidence in Huaguo’s project.

Bert, well aware of his shy boyfriend’s thoughts, patted Ross and then decisively led him into the exhibition area, handing over their experience tickets.

“I saw the instructions outside. This lets two people experience the same dream at the same time, right? We’d like to try that.”

“No problem. Right this way…”

With their first participants finally arriving, the staff at the exhibition area greeted them with polite smiles.

While Fang Ziyang and the others weren’t concerned about the initial lack of participants, they didn’t mind using this opportunity to demonstrate and advertise their product to everyone. So, the staff placed Ross and Bert near the entrance, where people outside could see their experience through the transparent glass.

The crowd watched curiously and nervously.

Once inside, Ross and Bert reclined comfortably on a sofa, closing their eyes as if they were receiving a massage. A staff member beside them pulled out a wristband, accessed a futuristic transparent panel, tapped a few times, then placed the wristband on the coffee table and left with a smile.

The onlookers were puzzled, wondering, “…This service seems a bit too simple?”

Before they could think too much about it, something even more puzzling happened.

Ross and Bert, who had been lying quietly on the sofa, suddenly started laughing out loud, their arms and legs flailing wildly in the air, completely losing their composure.

The crowd: … a bit confused.

The M team members: This must be Eastern magic for sure!

Previous TOC Next

As a secret plane landed in Huaguo, Moore received an urgent call from his family.

“What? All the people in the laboratory are gone? What happened!”

Upon hearing the report on the phone, Moore shot up from the sofa. This news enraged him even more than the mysterious disappearance of Shi Liangchen.

He also felt a surge of panic.

He knew very well that the professors in the family laboratory were far from ordinary people. Over the years, the family had used every possible means—both coercion and bribery—to force these individuals to work for them. If these people were ever exposed to the public, the James family would be finished!

The person on the other end of the line was trembling with fear as they reported,

“Mr. Moore, we… we don’t know what happened. There’s no sign that any of the lab’s security measures were triggered. Everyone on the island is gone, including the staff who handled chores—none of them are left. If it weren’t for the people who went to deliver supplies today, we wouldn’t have even discovered it…”

“People don’t just disappear without a trace. We investigated the scene and found evidence that suggests they left through normal channels.”

“Normal channels? Are you saying there’s a traitor in my ranks?”

Moore’s voice turned icy upon hearing this.

Although he hadn’t officially taken control of the James family, it was practically a done deal, and he had already begun to assume family responsibilities. The laboratory was one of his most crucial assets. Now, if the people in the lab had left through normal channels without triggering the base’s alarms, didn’t that imply there was a mole? And did it indirectly suggest that his leadership had a fatal flaw?

Before officially taking over the family, there was still a chance he could be ousted. Although the person on the other end of the call likely had no ill intentions, they had touched a nerve.

“No, Mr. Moore, that’s not what I meant. I was just sharing the preliminary findings based on the traces left at the scene. This matter still needs your personal judgment…”

The person on the other end quickly tried to explain, having sensed Moore’s displeasure and growing more fearful.

Moore let out a cold snort.

“Seal off all information about this incident for now, and make sure you find out who’s responsible! Also, clean up any traces left by the laboratory. If those professors can’t be found, be prepared for the consequences. Furthermore…”

Moore calmly and methodically issued a series of instructions.

After hanging up the phone, he angrily threw it to the ground, smashing it in a fit of rage.

He paced around the room for a few moments, his face dark with anger, before finally opening the door and ordering his bodyguards,

“Investigate Shi Liangchen’s disappearance that day again. And no matter what it takes, get Shi Meijing to talk. Even if she’s mute, I want her to speak! If she dares to mess with me, I’ll make sure they can’t afford the price!”

“Yes, sir.”

The bodyguard felt a chill run down his spine but dutifully accepted the order and left.

…

The string of unexpected events left Moore overwhelmed, forcing him to temporarily put aside his previous schemes and focus on the competition. At this moment, he naturally became suspicious of Shi Liangchen’s mysterious disappearance. He couldn’t fathom how Shi Liangchen managed to escape from a building over thirty stories high, but he was certain that the exposure of the attack incident was somehow connected to him.

Moore was both furious and anxious because Shi Liangchen had been involved in too many of his important matters. Setting aside other concerns, Shi Liangchen had significantly contributed to the research results that Moer had brought to the competition. If Shi Liangchen had tampered with anything, Moer could be doomed.

However, after some thought, Moer reassured himself that the other people in his team were not to be underestimated either. Moreover, the research wasn’t solely developed by Shi Liangchen; he had merely assisted in speeding up the progress. The core data came from elsewhere, so tampering wouldn’t be easy for Shi Liangchen.

Moore deeply regretted his previous foolishness. How could someone so smart be so blinded? Back then, Shi Liangchen’s remarkable abilities had impressed him so much that he impulsively placed his trust in him.

If Fang Ziyang were present, he might have told Moore: “This is the power of fate. Shi Liangchen’s persona is designed to easily win people’s favor; otherwise, how could he have fooled even the most cautious in the past life?”

Even though Fang Ziyang had already disrupted the storyline significantly, many things remained unchanged.

Now, Moore could only try to clean up the mess as best as he could. After having dozens of expert professors meticulously inspect the research results for the competition, he still wasn’t satisfied. He brought out Yan Tong for questioning,

“Are you sure there are no issues with the sources of this information? No one else in the Lu or Fang families knows about it?”

Moore’s gaze was dark and menacing.

Yan Tong trembled with fear, not daring to use his usual tricks in front of this terrifying man. Shaking uncontrollably, he stammered in terror,

“R-really, I swear, these materials were something I discovered by chance. No one else in the Fang or Lu families knows about them. The space button, once it’s bound to an owner, can’t be used by anyone else unless the owner willingly erases the binding data. When I got the necklace, it hadn’t been bound…”

“Mr. Moore, I’m not lying to you, and I wouldn’t dare lie to you. I wish for nothing more than Fang Ziyang’s death. If it weren’t for him, Xie Wenxu wouldn’t have sold me off to the Caesar cruise. Only if you win, Mr. Moore, can I have a good life. I would never betray you, please believe me.”

Yan Tong trembled with fear.

He knew all too well how insidious and terrifying Moore could be. In the original novel, Moore was practically a madman, someone who almost managed to take down Fang Ziyang. Yan Tong had never intended to get involved with Moore, but now, he was truly out of options. There was no longer a place for him in his home country, and after enduring the dark and hopeless days on the Caesar cruise, his hatred for Fang Ziyang had deepened. Now, Moore was his only refuge, his only possible support.

Even though Moore treated him as nothing more than a pet he could exploit and kept him confined to a single villa, Yan Tong was oddly content. At least he didn’t have to worry about food and drink, and he was no longer bullied and used as a plaything. As long as he managed to carefully ration out the information from the golden finger necklace, he could potentially live out the rest of his life in relative comfort.

After everything he had been through, Yan Tong no longer yearned for glory or to stand at the pinnacle of life. His only wish was to survive in this world until old age.

The people here were far scarier than he had imagined!

Even Xie Wenxu, the supposedly gentle and deeply affectionate male character in the novel, had thought up the cruel idea of selling him off to the Caesar cruise as revenge. Who knew what the true faces of the other characters would be?

Yet, deep down, Yan Tong had a nagging feeling that his current days of comfort might not last much longer. But he had no other choice—aligning himself with Moore was his only chance for survival.

“You better hope nothing goes wrong with my plans, or your future will be even worse than your days on the Caesar cruise. Hmph!” Moore kicked Yan Tong away in disgust before turning to leave.

Having reached this point, Moore had no choice but to keep moving forward, no matter how treacherous the path. However, given what happened with Shi Liangchen, he didn’t fully trust Yan Tong’s words. He immediately ordered a thorough reinspection of all the research results brought to the competition and had all the core data parameters altered as a precaution.

…

With these anxious and troubled thoughts, the incident involving the attack on the confidential database was temporarily set aside, and the technology competition continued.

Thanks to the presence of Fang Ziyang and Tang Xun, the team defense and offense battles saw Huaguo unsurprisingly taking first place and advancing to the next round.

The result was both expected and unexpected.

After all, in the previous technology competition, Huaguo, like many other countries, was merely there to make up the numbers, getting eliminated in the first round. In just 10 years, Huaguo’s technological advancements had reached such a level—how could that not surprise people?

From this moment on, the global perception of Huaguo began to change, no longer confined to the one-sided reports from domestic news outlets.

After the ups and downs of the first round, the top ten rankings were finally announced, marking the official start of the real technology competition.

That’s right.

The first round was essentially a preliminary selection, providing an opportunity for countries with less advanced technology to participate and showcase themselves on the world stage, embodying the “international” aspect of the competition.

Starting from the second round, the competition would truly become a battle of technological prowess.

According to the competition rules, each team would be allocated a display area to showcase their research achievements. The exhibition would be open for half a month, during which the audience attending the competition would visit, experience the displays, and then vote and rate their satisfaction. The more popular exhibits would naturally have a higher advantage in the final scoring.

Of course, the quality of the location and facilities of each exhibition area would vary.

The allocation method was based on the rankings from the first round.

Since Huaguo secured first place in the first round, regardless of what some might think, their exhibition area in the second round was undeniably the best, right in front of the global audience.

On the day of the second round, the remaining teams participated in another grand entrance ceremony.

Because only the top teams were left, this entrance ceremony was even more grand and elaborate, with each team having dedicated photo ops and interview time.

Having made a big splash previously, Huaguo’s team naturally became the focus of the interviews.

However, after learning from the previous incident where Fang Ziyang’s “whimpering white lotus” attack caught them off guard, the reporters were more cautious this time. They no longer dared to provoke recklessly with their questions.

Fang Ziyang and the others had no intention of making unnecessary enemies, so as long as the reporters didn’t cause trouble, they were cooperative, responding with the unique warmth and humility of the Huaguo people—humble without being weak, confident without being arrogant. Even when they showed off, it came across as particularly pleasant and endearing.

For instance:

The inevitable question from reporters: “You seem quite confident in winning this competition, don’t you? What do you think of the other teams? It looks like your country is well-prepared this time?”

The members of the Huaguo team didn’t come off as overly proud, but they weren’t overly modest either,

“Of course! As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general is not a good soldier. If we don’t even have the confidence and courage to aim for the championship, how can we talk about progress and catching up in technology?”

“As for the other teams… that’s a tough one. If I say we’re confident in winning, you’ll call us arrogant; if I say we’re feeling the pressure, you’ll laugh at us for being weak. So, you tell me, how should I answer?”

“Our country is definitely well-prepared this time. Isn’t that how everyone is? Coming to a competition unprepared would just be a joke, wouldn’t it?”

While these responses might not sit well with the reporters, they were hitting the nail on the head for the viewers watching the live broadcast from various countries.

“Ooh, I love that saying: ‘A soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general is not a good soldier.’ It makes so much sense.”

“Haha, the question about what they think of the other teams really is tough to answer. This guy from Huaguo is spot on—no matter what you say, you’ll get criticized. But is it really okay to just bluntly tell the truth like that? Haha.”

“The last question was ridiculous. Asking such a dumb question at an international competition? Haha, did you see the reporter’s face? He looked so confused, he was probably thinking ‘pfft’ inside.”

“Don’t you think that in recent years, a lot of the questions from reporters at international events have been really stupid?”

“Tsk, they still think they can fool us like they did with our parents’ generation, who didn’t have much education.”

Nowadays, people from all over the world have very open and free-thinking minds. Unless it’s a particularly sensitive topic, online discussions are full of banter. Otherwise, the term “keyboard warrior” wouldn’t even exist.

So, not only do netizens have a high level of acceptance, but their skills in detecting insincerity and hypocrisy are also sharper than ever. The days when the media could manipulate public opinion with a few words are long gone—people aren’t that gullible anymore.

The live streams from various countries were buzzing with excitement.

Netizens were thoroughly enjoying watching the different teams navigate tricky questions from reporters. After all, it wasn’t just the Huaguo team facing these pitfalls; other teams from less powerful countries were dealing with similar treatment, and no one wanted to appear weak and bring shame to their nation.

But as they continued watching, some viewers noticed something peculiar.

“Did anyone else notice that the Huaguo team seems a bit different from the other teams?”

“Different how? Besides being more confident, they don’t seem all that different to me.”

“I didn’t notice anything either. I have a hard time distinguishing between Asian faces unless their looks are exceptional. Otherwise, they all seem pretty similar to me.”

“Wait a minute, there really is something different.”

“Haven’t you noticed that none of the members of the Huaguo team seem to be wearing glasses?”

“…”

“Oh my gosh, you’re right!”

Once it was mentioned, viewers quickly focused their attention on the Huaguo team, who had already walked past and were now standing in the corner of the video. Sure enough, not a single member of the Huaguo team was wearing glasses.

“Could they be wearing contact lenses? After all, they’re on TV, so they need to pay attention to their appearance.”

“Impossible. While contact lenses are convenient, they can’t be worn for extended periods, especially when using a computer. Over time, they cause dryness and can seriously harm your eyes… Even though the second round is about showcasing research, many operations still require the use of computers. These researchers wouldn’t harm their eyes just for appearances. They know how important their eyesight is.”

“So it’s not possible that every member of the Huaguo team has perfect vision, right? I mean, considering how much time tech people spend in front of electronic devices, even regular folks find it hard to avoid nearsightedness.”

That point was hard to argue with.

In this era of increasingly advanced electronic devices, people’s lives and work are almost inseparable from mobile phones and computers. Under such circumstances, it’s rare to find someone who isn’t nearsighted, not just among adults but even among students!

And it’s even more common among researchers, whose levels of nearsightedness are usually more severe.

So, why is it that none of the members of the Huaguo team are wearing glasses?

The livestreams across different countries quickly filled with similar comments, even in the Huaguo livestream. People were curious about why none of their team members wore glasses. It was indeed a bit of a mystery!

The on-site reporters quickly noticed the chatter in the livestreams. Their eyes lit up, and they hurried over to interview the Huaguo team, following the curiosity and expectations of the viewers.

“Hello, could you help us with an interesting phenomenon that the viewers in the livestream have just noticed?”

This time, the reporters chose to interview Jin Yu.

Their choice wasn’t random; it was well thought out. Previously, they had interviewed the male members of the team, assuming they would be more concerned with appearing gentlemanly and careful with their words. However, to their surprise, each interview turned out to be tougher than expected.

Jin Yu, on the other hand, was the perfect interview target. She was quiet, seemingly harmless, and as gentle as a little princess when she wasn’t speaking or acting. Protected by her family, she exuded a sense of innocence, making her the ideal person to interview.

Jin Yu didn’t disappoint. As soon as she heard the question, her eyes sparkled, and without holding back, she eagerly began to share,

“Oh, you’re talking about that? Well, I have to brag a bit now!”

“First, let’s start with my face. Take a good look… isn’t my skin great? Not a single pimple! Dark circles and dull, sallow skin from late nights? Completely nonexistent! Am I fair? Am I glowing? Do I look good?”

“I could go straight to the eye issue, but you probably wouldn’t understand right away, and even if you did, you might not believe me. We have plenty of time, so let me explain it slowly…”

Jin Yu excitedly began her enthusiastic pitch. While she loved the product that had cured her nearsightedness, for her as a girl, the beauty serum was even more thrilling. Since she usually spent her time doing research and experiments, she rarely had the chance to be in the public eye. Now that she had the opportunity, she wasn’t going to miss the chance to show off.

After all, she was a super VIP at Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals, with special privileges to skip lines when buying products. It had to be known worldwide to truly reflect her high status!

Jin Yu, blissfully unaware of how long-winded she was being, launched into a lengthy and off-topic rave about the beauty serum.

The reporters suddenly had the urge to run away.

But for the sake of the eagerly waiting viewers and the chance to win the Best Reporter Award for this competition, they gritted their teeth… and endured!

Half an hour later, the reporters, feeling dizzy, summarized, “So, it’s because you used a product called ‘Mingyan Liquid’ that cured your nearsightedness?”

“Yes, yes, that’s it! Mingyan (bright eyes) Liquid is just as amazing as the beauty serum. If you’re not too familiar with it, you can check out the customer videos of the beauty serum—it’s already gone viral, so I’m sure you can find related videos on the international web…”

Jin Yu seemed a bit disappointed that she hadn’t finished her speech. She had barely started, and these people had already gotten the main point. How annoying!

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The three individuals whose faces turned pale in the livestream were not alone; in the neighboring room, Moore and a group of suited government officials also had the same reaction. They had been closely watching the livestream, and although the situation on screen was dangerous, they had maintained a sense of hope and confidence.

Moore, in particular, wouldn’t have entrusted such an important task to Shi Liangchen if he didn’t have a high level of confidence in him.

However, to say that Moore fully trusted Shi Liangchen would be an exaggeration. For someone like Moore, true trust was something he only placed in himself. The reason he relied on Shi Liangchen was primarily because Shi Liangchen’s technical skills were irreplaceable; he was the unique ace up Moore’s sleeve.

Moore had considered the possibility that there might be someone more skilled than Shi Liangchen, but over the past year, Shi Liangchen had continuously surprised him with his extraordinary capabilities. Geniuses like Shi Liangchen weren’t common, and he seemed to possess wisdom far beyond his time.

But now…

Reality was shattering his perceptions. Geniuses like Shi Liangchen were apparently not as rare as he thought—weren’t there three of them right across the way?

“Move out immediately!” Moore reacted swiftly, making a decisive decision the moment he saw the content of the livestream.

The others weren’t fools either; if they didn’t leave now, they wouldn’t have a chance later!

Their location had already been exposed in front of the entire world, and the event organizers, to save face, would undoubtedly notify the police to lock down the area for investigation. They couldn’t just stand there and wait to be exposed.

Everything else could be dealt with later; escaping was the priority.

While they moved quickly, the three individuals in the inner computer room couldn’t flee as easily. Their faces were already revealed to everyone, making escape impossible. Moreover, they couldn’t afford to run. Someone had to take the fall for this, and the three of them were the perfect scapegoats. If they didn’t take responsibility, it wouldn’t just be their own lives at stake—they’d drag their entire families down with them.

The three stared in despair at the screen, their minds buzzing as they stood frozen in place.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast rooms around the world erupted into chaos.

No one had expected that the people tracked down in the end would be the team leaders of R, U, and A countries!

At this point, aside from those from the implicated countries crying foul and calling it a conspiracy, viewers from other countries had no doubts about the authenticity of what they were seeing. Fang Ziyang and his team had tracked them down in front of everyone’s eyes, and the expressions on the faces of those three in the video made it clear to anyone watching that something was fishy. Who would believe otherwise?

As for Country U, its strength was such that even if they advanced in the first round, they would likely be eliminated in the second. It was obvious they targeted Huaguo under pressure from a bigger power.

But R and A countries were different; they were strong contenders for top rankings.

Anyone with a bit of common sense could see what was likely going on here.

“Actually, I had some suspicions earlier—this is clearly targeted at Huaguo. Given Huaguo’s current situation and potential, there are plenty of eyes that don’t want to see it rise…”

“The strength Huaguo displayed in the individual competition indeed made many people wary. We just witnessed another performance, and it’s clear that Huaguo has the capability to compete for a top spot.”

“As for R country, forget about them—they’ve always been the sidekick following the big brother. No matter how much they jump around, they’re confined to their little corner. But A country has really lost its dignity—completely tarnished the image of a major power…”

“I’m neutral towards Huaguo, but I believe if the event organizers don’t provide a reasonable resolution to this incident, I won’t accept it. Who’s to say Huaguo’s situation today won’t be ours tomorrow…”

“This is clearly a well-orchestrated drama…”

“I’m also waiting for the outcome. Such dirty tactics being exposed like this—I’m curious to see how they’ll manage to sweep it under the rug. Ha.”

“Exactly. Last time, our G country’s team leader ‘accidentally’ got food poisoning, and we just accepted it. But this time, Huaguo’s incident is definitely no ‘accident’…”

Netizens from various countries reacted strongly.

Although this was an issue primarily concerning Huaguo, most people felt a sense of foreboding. If Huaguo’s situation was just brushed aside, then weaker countries wouldn’t stand a chance in the future.

G country’s netizens were especially sarcastic; they had suffered greatly last time. If they hadn’t missed out on the championship in the previous competition, their country’s development over the past decade would have reached a whole new level.

With everyone watching and emotions running high, the event organizers were under immense pressure. They couldn’t ignore the situation, and a perfunctory resolution wouldn’t do, but handling it properly was also a headache.

This wasn’t just a simple attack; it was a full-blown power struggle.

Due to the incident, the team competition scheduled for the next day was postponed by a week.

Huaguo, of course, knew it was impossible to eliminate the competition in one fell swoop, but they could at least gain some leverage. So, they provided a lot of evidence in the following days, and naturally, the entire process was livestreamed.

In a certain secret meeting room, numerous teacups were smashed in anger, and curses were hurled at the person who initially suggested the livestreaming.

In the end, after much turmoil, the event organizers issued the following ruling:

Country U, being the mastermind, was disqualified and forced to withdraw from the competition; the involvement of R and A countries was attributed to the selfish actions of their team leaders. While these two countries retained their eligibility to compete, half of their points were deducted, and the two selfish team leaders were sent to international court.

In summary, they pushed the weaker Country U to take the fall as the scapegoat, while the other two team leaders were portrayed as “noble” individuals who “selflessly” sacrificed themselves for their countries.

…

Fang Ziyang wasn’t surprised by the event organizers’ decision at all.

Country U didn’t have the qualifications to compete for the top spots, so it was inevitable that they’d be sacrificed. After all, R and A countries still had strong competitive potential in the later stages.

Everyone had somewhat anticipated this outcome, so there wasn’t much anger—on the contrary, people found it rather amusing.

Professor Yu’s face wrinkled with a broad smile,

“Although the resolution isn’t entirely satisfactory, it’s not without its benefits for us. Not to mention the news we’ve received that Country U has already reached out to us—they might join our camp as a strong ally. As for the upcoming competitions, we’re likely to gain a significant advantage…”

Indeed, they were about to gain a significant advantage.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this matter has simply blown over, with everything that needed to be concealed successfully hidden. People from various countries aren’t idiots or blind; while the common folk are the easiest to control, they’re also the hardest to control. As the old saying goes: “Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.” Even in times when royal authority was supreme, rulers and nobles, despite disregarding the common people, still valued public sentiment greatly.

The more the event organizers try to cover up and protect certain interests, the more it fuels the public’s rebellious spirit. In the upcoming competitions, audience voting will have a significant impact on the results, and if they lose the audience’s favor, the difficulty of the competition will undoubtedly increase.

“Alright, everyone should rest well for the next couple of days. The authorities will handle the other matters, so don’t get distracted and focus on performing well,” Professor Yu advised everyone with a smile before cheerfully leaving, giving them space to discuss freely.

At this moment, Xie Zheng finally had some time to settle accounts with his little beloved.

He took Fang Ziyang back to their room, and unlike his usual gentle approach, he finally showed his ‘dominant CEO’ side, thoroughly exhausting Fang Ziyang the entire night. Only when the person in his arms was too worn out to do anything but whimper did he finally feel satisfied and let him rest.

“Baby, don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what happened earlier?” Xie Zheng asked, holding Fang Ziyang in his arms with a slightly stern expression. Of course, this look would have been more convincing if his other hand wasn’t skillfully massaging Fang Ziyang’s waist.

Fang Ziyang, nestled against Xie Zheng, didn’t want to move. Hearing the question, he felt guilty and sheepishly replied, “Husband, why bring that up again? Didn’t I already say it was just a coincidence? Back then, I was short on money and just used an alias for a deal. How was I supposed to know I’d run into you? Don’t hold a grudge against your obedient little baby, okay?”

He tried to appease Xie Zheng with a guilty smile while also sliding his leg over to seduce him, hoping to use a bit of charm to brush over his black history.

But Xie Zheng wasn’t falling for it—having just been intimate, he could definitely resist.

“Your little butt doesn’t hurt anymore?” Xie Zheng smacked the pale, tender spot without mercy.

Fang Ziyang quickly covered it, feigning grievance, “Husband…”

Xie Zheng remained unmoved: he was determined to stay strong today.

“Brother Xie…”

Xie Zheng’s ears twitched: it had been a while since he heard Fang Ziyang use that term.

“Husband?”

Xie Zheng’s heartbeat quickened: Was this role-playing?

“My dear husband?”

Xie Zheng wavered: I really like that…

Seeing Xie Zheng’s struggle, Fang Ziyang smiled triumphantly, his finger tracing circles on Xie Zheng’s chest as he softly whispered, “Master~”

Xie Zheng quickly covered his little lover’s seductive mouth, resolutely resisting the devil’s temptation!

Fang Ziyang stifled a laugh, then pulled out his trump card.

He pried away the hand covering his mouth, enthusiastically wrapped his arms around Xie Zheng’s neck, and, with an innocent yet alluring smile, climbed on top, saying, “Husband, how about we have a baby? A baby that looks like both of us, okay?”

Xie Zheng: …

Defeated.

This was something he just couldn’t refuse!

However, Xie Zheng earnestly set a condition, his ears turning red, “But you have to be in this position every time.”

“Deal.”

Fang Ziyang’s eyes curved in happiness, revealing his immense joy.

Meanwhile, in Huaguo, a plane secretly landed at an airport. Under military protection, several dozen elderly professors, their hair graying and their expressions weary and dazed, still dressed in their lab coats, disembarked. These professors included both those from Huaguo and others from different countries, representing various nationalities.

Among them was none other than Shi Liangchen, who had “disappeared” after jumping from a building at the competition site.

Seeing the safe arrival of the group, the attending government official finally relaxed, a smile spreading across his face as he greeted them,

“Mr. Shi, professors, welcome back to your homeland… and to those of you visiting Huaguo. From now on, General Sun and I will be fully responsible for your safety and well-being. Please rest and recover in the place we’ve prepared for you. Only when you’re healthy will you be able to testify in international court to bring those who persecuted you to justice.”

Upon hearing this, many of the elderly professors teared up.

One of the professors, despite his age, still retained traces of his former handsomeness. Overcome with emotion, he rushed forward and grabbed the official’s clothes, losing his composure,

“Comrade, I want to see my loved one—right away. Can you help me find him quickly? His name is Li Ran, and he lives in Bai Xing District, Yunlong Town, C City. I promised him I’d come back to find him…”

“Mr. Cheng, we’ve already been informed about your situation by Mr. Fang. Before we set out, we had already arranged for Mr. Li to be brought here. You’ll be reunited very soon.”

The official immediately recognized the elderly professor and, with a solemn salute, reassured him.

A former hero of the nation deserves the highest honors.

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Fang Ziyang completely ignored the expressions of the investigators. Without waiting for their reaction, he quickly assigned tasks to his team and prepared to begin the tracking operation. This was all happening live.

By the time the investigators realized what was going on, it was too late to stop it. Fang Ziyang was indeed codenamed “Little Elf,” but he had already provided irrefutable evidence proving his innocence from the night before, rendering their reason for coming to take him away invalid. Now, with the whole world watching, he had every right to clear his name publicly, and they had no grounds to stop him!

The investigators exchanged uneasy glances. Not only had they failed to accomplish their mission, but it seemed they had also made a mess of things. But who could have predicted that Fang Ziyang would record a video last night?

The atmosphere at the scene was tense, while the live broadcast rooms across various countries were buzzing with excitement.

On Fang Ziyang’s side, everyone followed his instructions and took their positions, no longer paying attention to the surrounding stares. They all focused on completing their assigned tasks.

Meanwhile, Professor Yu, in the short time available, led the security team to secure the hotel’s electrical controls and network. He also brought a few reporters to livestream the event to prevent anyone from cutting off the power or internet, which could sabotage the operation. After all, cutting off power or internet might seem trivial, but in the online world, it’s the most direct and effective method of disruption!

Once Zhao Kairui and Yuan Zhuoting had completed the data barrier, Fang Ziyang, Tang Xun, and Xie Zheng immediately began their actions, their fingers flying across their keyboards.

“Brother, you’re responsible for the route to Country A…”

“My dear, you handle the route to Country H…”

“I’ll take care of the route to Country M. The investigator just mentioned that the intruder’s method is very similar to our new programming language. I suspect they might be using a simulation program that can mimic any code shell after running…”

“This type of simulation program is available on the market, but the effects are usually crude. Hold on, let me check this… This one is sophisticated, but it still has significant vulnerabilities. I’ve found a lead. I’ll send it to you guys right away; just follow this lead for the trace…”

As Fang Ziyang typed on the keyboard, he communicated with Tang Xun and Xie Zheng and explained things to the viewers in the livestream. After all, these technical matters are hard to understand without expertise, and even professionals need a certain level of knowledge to grasp them. Without explanation, the general public in the livestream would likely be confused, which wouldn’t achieve the effect Fang Ziyang wanted.

He had learned this tactic of using public opinion from Yan Tong in his previous life. Although he had always understood the importance of public opinion, he hadn’t paid much attention to it until he suffered multiple losses at Yan Tong’s hands. After reading the golden book that recorded the plot after his death, he realized that public opinion was far more powerful than he had imagined.

In the book, after his death, the James family’s dirty scandals were exposed. What should have been fatal blows ended up being brushed aside. Besides relying on the goldfinger materials provided by Yan Tong, the key factor was that Yan Tong had an excellent public image worldwide. Just a few words or a bit of “evidence” from him, and everyone would believe him unconditionally.

So now… Fang Ziyang could also use public opinion to protect and help himself and his people.

Using a livestream format for this tech competition was indeed a very smart decision. Some people were going to regret it deeply after the competition.

Fang Ziyang and Tang Xun, having trained together at the base for a year, already had the advantage of being naturally close due to their blood relationship. By now, their teamwork was highly synchronized. Although Xie Zheng hadn’t worked with them as much, he was Fang Ziyang’s partner, and they had a natural understanding and trust between them. Moreover, Xie Zheng, who usually kept a low profile, was no less skilled; his codename “Heavenly Scourge” was not just for show.

Xie Zheng and Tang Xun had been friends for many years, so they also had a certain level of mutual understanding.

As a result, the three of them worked together seamlessly, each handling one data line without any signs of difficulty or panic.

Meanwhile, knowledgeable viewers online were getting excited by their operations.

“Wow, look at Xie Zheng’s computer! Isn’t that code ‘Heavenly Scourge’s’ signature move? I can’t be wrong—only Heavenly Scourge uses this code! Holy crap, Xie Zheng is actually Heavenly Scourge? Is this finally a big reveal?”

“Oh my god, I used to think the ‘Little Elf’ thing was just hype since there was no interaction between him and Heavenly Scourge on the forums, but they’re really a couple!”

“No wonder. I always felt that Heavenly Scourge’s style was a bit familiar. It turns out it’s really similar to Xie Zheng! No wonder Xie Zheng could start New World Technology; he’s Heavenly Scourge, for crying out loud. This feels like a dream…”

“So Xie Zheng is Heavenly Scourge, but what’s Tang Xun’s codename? Tang Xun’s operation is also amazing, but I can’t figure out which legend he might be.”

“Tang Xun probably doesn’t have a codename. I’ve heard he was recruited by the National Security Bureau long ago, and according to the rules, he’s not allowed to act independently outside…”

“I’m totally impressed. Haven’t you noticed that this entire family is incredible? All four of them are big shots!”

“Haha, I’ve wanted to say that for a while… A scientific research giant, a business tycoon. Tang Xun’s partner is low-key, but there are rumors that he comes from an overseas conglomerate family. And now Fang Ziyang is a rising star we’ve practically watched grow into fame.”

“This family of four, with two couples—saying they’re a strong alliance is an understatement. It’s more like a ‘super-strong’ alliance. I can already foresee the birth of a powerful family…”

“Um, if you guys put it that way… if I bribe King Yama now for a chance to be reincarnated, do I still have time?”

“No, it’s too late, haha.”

Netizens love gossip. While they do pay attention to the technical aspects, they are more interested in scandals and rumors. After all, most ordinary people don’t really understand the technology; they’re just here because it’s a national-level event, joining in for the excitement. It’s like spectators watching the Olympics—not all of them are sports enthusiasts; they just enjoy the thrill of competition and the lively atmosphere.

So, in the eyes of the general audience, they were more interested in the identities and relationships of Fang Ziyang and his group rather than the technical details. And at this moment, Fang Ziyang and his team didn’t mind exposing their alter egos.

First of all, an alias can always be changed; secondly, none of their aliases had any black history of illegal activities. Even if they had, it was done so discreetly that no evidence was left behind. So, it didn’t matter if they were exposed—they might just attract some enemies they had offended in the past. But it’s not like they weren’t already under scrutiny by many people.

Thus, they made no effort to conceal their identities during their operations, and who knows, they might even boost the stock prices of New World Technology and Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals in the process.

As the three of them continued their in-depth operations, the gossip in the live chat gradually gave way to comments from professionals:

“This operation is seriously impressive, 666! I thought it was a dead end, but they managed to carve out a path…”

“It’s not carving; it’s a diversion. The main thing is that Fang Ziyang and the others are launching such a massive attack that it’s multiplied several times over, completely surpassing world records, so these diversions are useless.”

“They even managed to find such a hidden data channel. I’m totally floored.”

“It seems the opponent is scared too—the traces they left behind have been found, and they’re starting to fight back…”

As the pursuit became more intense, the live chat was increasingly dominated by excited and active professionals.

In a certain computer room, the people inside became truly anxious as Fang Ziyang and his team’s attack grew more intense, and it looked like it would take less than ten minutes for them to be traced back through the internet.

“My God, are these three people crazy?”

“Mr. Shi, think of something quick! I can’t hold on any longer. In less than ten minutes, they’ll have tracked me down!”

“Cut the internet, hurry up and cut it!”

The three people sent to help were sweating profusely, their faces filled with anxiety, their voices trembling.

Shi Liangchen, seeing this, remained calm and coldly ordered, “Quiet! Do your best to maintain the firewall; I’ll handle the rest.”

As he spoke, Shi Liangchen swiftly tapped on the keyboard a few times.

The three who had been under intense pressure suddenly felt a lot more at ease, and they breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Shi Liangchen with grateful eyes. They couldn’t help but think, as expected from someone associated with Mr. Moore—he really is on a different level.

Just as they were feeling grateful, Shi Liangchen, who had been diligently working, suddenly stopped.

“Mr. Shi, what’s wrong?” The three of them looked at him in confusion.

“The opponent is too difficult to deal with. I need to use a special method. You hold the line; I need to grab an instrument…”

Without waiting for them to ask more questions, Shi Liangchen walked toward a computer bag placed in the corner.

Since it was a critical moment, the three of them didn’t have time to keep their attention on Shi Liangchen. Seeing that he was just going to the corner to get something, they quickly turned their focus back to their screens.

But in that brief moment of distraction, Shi Liangchen swiftly activated a wristband on his arm, then, without any hesitation, pushed open the window and jumped directly from the high-rise building, over thirty stories up.

“My God, Mr. Shi just jumped!”

Hearing the commotion, the three of them turned to see that Shi Liangchen had already fallen out of the window, causing them to scream in shock.

However, because the room was well soundproofed, their screams didn’t reach anyone outside the room.

When they realized what had happened, they immediately ran to the window to check, but they didn’t see the expected gruesome scene. Outside was empty and silent, with no sign of someone having just jumped.

The three of them were left in shock and confusion.

At this moment, Fang Ziyang and his team finally completed their trace, and the control of all the computers and electronic devices in the room changed hands in an instant.

And then, the faces of the three people appeared in front of the audience watching the global livestream.

“These three look like… the team leaders of the R, U, and A country teams… right?” An eagle-eyed viewer quickly recognized them.

The three turned around and saw the live broadcast displayed on the computer screen. Their faces instantly turned pale, and only two words echoed in their minds: It’s over.

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The expressions of everyone on site froze. The live stream’s chat also went eerily silent.

Xie Zheng stared at his little lover, his expression… a bit bewildered.

Xie Zheng never imagined that Little Elf would actually be his wife’s alternate identity!

The reason he had confidently confronted the investigators was because he knew that the attack from the previous night was absolutely not Little Elf’s doing. Little Elf had mentioned being seriously ill and staying in a medical capsule, with no intention of appearing at the technology competition.

Although Xie Zheng hadn’t interacted much with Little Elf, he trusted his judgment of people. After all, Little Elf had created a highly valuable antivirus software. If money had been the motive, it could have been sold abroad for a much greater profit. The decision to sell it domestically, sacrificing such significant profits, indicated that Little Elf had good character.

Therefore, Xie Zheng hadn’t doubted the information Little Elf had shared. He believed that if he could get in touch with Little Elf, the hacker could easily perform a live reverse-tracking demonstration, exposing this blatant conspiracy in front of the entire world. This would not only clear the Hua Country team of suspicion but also reveal and publicly punish the real culprits.

But all of this was based on the assumption that Little Elf was still in the medical capsule.

And now… Little Elf was actually here with them…

Xie Zheng felt that he, someone who had prided himself on being smart his whole life, had just done something incredibly foolish. There was also an unspeakable feeling of being wronged—his spouse had kept such a big secret from him!

—

Fang Ziyang’s heart was also racing as he met his husband’s gaze, feeling incredibly guilty.

He swore he hadn’t meant to keep this secret from Xie Zheng. When he initially created the Little Elf persona, it was purely for a one-time deal—he just wanted to sell the software to raise some quick cash and then disappear.

Who could have predicted that fate would have the Dragon King’s temple flood, leading family to clash with family!

Especially back then, when he had no idea that Heavenly Scourge was Xie Zheng’s alias. Feeling safe behind his pseudonym, he had spoken freely and recklessly, leaving behind a mountain of embarrassing chat logs…

After he found out that Xie Zheng was Heavenly Scourge, he was even more reluctant to come clean, firmly keeping his identity as Little Elf under wraps.

Until now, he hadn’t used this persona for over a year, thinking his disappearance was perfectly logical. But who could have guessed that his husband would be so loyal to his friends and hold Little Elf in such high regard!

In fact, Fang Ziyang had known this situation would arise because he was the one who had instructed Shi Liangchen to make it happen. His plan had been to use one of his old aliases to put on a live hacking demonstration for the world, showing off his skills and taking out one of his opponents while disrupting the already shaky alliance of the major powers.

But he hadn’t expected his embarrassing secret to be revealed so suddenly…

“Are you the one with the codename ‘Little Elf’?!”

The investigator, realizing the situation, suddenly had a gleam in his eyes, filled with excitement. They hadn’t truly intended to take any severe action against the Hua Country team today; their plan was merely to find an excuse to remove the official team members, thereby preventing them from participating in the team competition tomorrow.

But now, they were handed such a surprise, delivered right to their doorstep. What was this? This was the perfect case of “No effort required to find what you’re looking for.”

Now, how could the Hua Country team argue their way out of this and refuse the investigation?

Professor Yu and the others realized this as well, and their faces changed with concern.

Xie Zheng wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but he quickly noticed Fang Ziyang subtly shaking his head.

Fang Ziyang took a deep breath, stepped forward, and smiled lightly,

“Yes, my online codename is ‘Little Elf.’ So, as for the accusations you’ve just made, I do not accept them. Moreover, I strongly suspect that this is a deliberate and despicable plot aimed at our Hua Country team, with the intention of preventing us from competing.”

Though everyone might understand the underlying situation, knowing it in their hearts and stating it openly are entirely different matters.

Initially, Fang Ziyang hadn’t planned to be so assertive, but given the current circumstances, he had no choice but to stand firm. If his identity as Little Elf was exposed, certain people would undoubtedly try everything they could to eliminate him. After all, he had orchestrated a massive cyber event back then, and even though no evidence was left behind, there were certainly many who still harbored a grudge against him.

The investigator’s main objective today was to apprehend someone; they weren’t interested in listening to any excuses or arguments.

“Mr. Contestant, your suspicions are understandable, and we do not deny any of your defenses. However, these matters need to be investigated and verified. Last night’s attack caused significant damage and involves malicious competition related to the competition. We must protect the rights of every team and conduct a fair and impartial investigation on every suspect…”

The investigator wore a mask of righteous indignation, but it was clear he was being hypocritical.

Fang Ziyang scoffed,

“Fair and impartial to every suspect? Can you guarantee that you’ll ‘fairly and impartially’ uncover the truth before tomorrow’s competition? If we are ultimately proven innocent, how will the competition organizers compensate us? Will the competition be postponed? Or restarted?”

“Or… is it that the competition organizers think Hua Country is easy to bully, and they can just squeeze us however they please?”

With these words, the investigator’s expression shifted again.

Although that might have been exactly what he was thinking, it was certainly not something he could admit in front of the entire world. Such an admission would be blatant discrimination, not only angering the people of Hua Country but also inciting public outrage from other nations.

After all, although Hua Country is often hindered internationally, it is still considered a significant power. If even Hua Country can be bullied so easily, what hope is there for other, slightly weaker nations? Admitting to such a thing in front of the entire world is out of the question.

The investigator immediately put on a serious smile and said, “You’re overthinking it, Mr. Contestant. We’re just following the rules. All the current evidence points to your involvement. Please trust in our ability; if you are proven innocent, the competition organizers will surely provide a satisfactory response.”

Compensation is something to be dealt with later; that’s for the higher-ups to worry about. His job is simply to carry out their orders. And if Little Elf really is a member of the Hua Country team, those in charge will surely take full advantage of this situation.

“But we don’t need compensation after the fact,” Fang Ziyang replied with a cold smile. “Fine, if you want to talk about evidence, let’s do that. Are you certain that the classified databases of M, A, and H countries were attacked last night?”

“Yes, we are absolutely certain.”

“And what were the exact times of these attacks?”

“Sorry, that information is classified. It’s not appropriate to discuss it here. If you have any doubts, you can clarify them in the investigation room,” the investigator replied. He wasn’t sure where Fang Ziyang was going with these questions, but his instincts told him it was time to end this conversation. His tone became more severe, signaling his desire to wrap things up quickly.

But why should they comply when they have no reason to?

“Alright, I won’t ask any more questions. So, it all happened last night, right? However…” Fang Ziyang turned to the camera, showing a helpless expression. “However, I spent the entire night in my room playing Go. I didn’t touch my computer at all. Your so-called evidence doesn’t hold up. I have every reason and right to refuse your ‘invitation’ to the investigation room, don’t I?”

“Mr. Contestant, whether or not you touched your computer last night is something we’ll investigate. Your word alone isn’t enough to clear this up,” the investigator replied, growing impatient. He felt that the Hua Country team was stalling for time due to the live broadcast. If he had known this would happen, they would have kept the reporters out and just taken the person away.

“But I have evidence.” Fang Ziyang raised his phone. “Go is our national treasure, a game that greatly benefits logical thinking. There’s a saying in our country: ‘The onlooker sees more clearly than the player.’ So every time I play, I like to record the process.”

“So… if I provide the video now, I believe I should be allowed to refuse your current ‘invitation’ to investigate, given our crucial match tomorrow, correct?”

“Of course, if there’s a real need for our team to cooperate with the investigation, we’ll be more than willing to do so after the competition.”

The investigator’s expression changed drastically. If Fang Ziyang truly had such a video, they wouldn’t be able to take him away in front of the entire world. Insisting on it would seem overly excessive, especially when he could prove his innocence and had an important match the next day.

“However, I believe that to avoid any misunderstandings, the sooner we handle this investigation, the better. As the accused, we can’t tolerate being falsely accused like this. It greatly affects our national image. Therefore, I volunteer to demonstrate my skills live and catch the culprit. How about that?”

Without waiting for a response, Fang Ziyang turned to the camera, smiling, “Friends from the various live-streaming nations, I don’t think my suggestion to prove our innocence is unreasonable, right? After all, this concerns our national honor, not just my personal reputation.”

The idea of witnessing a top-tier hacker in action, live, was almost unthinkable!

Not to mention how exhilarating and intriguing it would be for the general audience, for those who understood the technology, this was an incredibly valuable learning opportunity.

The viewers in the live streams weren’t concerned with all the details; they were there to watch the competition. Although national pride was on the line, what they cared about most were the match results and the various exciting incidents that occurred during the event.

Immediately, similar comments started flooding the live stream chats across different countries:

“Ahhhh, not unreasonable at all! I support this!”

“Whether innocent or not, being detained for investigation would be a stain. It’s best to clear things up on the spot!”

“I want to see this; it’s so thrilling!”

The audience members from different countries were eager for excitement, practically cheering for the drama.

Even the ordinary viewers from M, A, and H countries didn’t see any issue with Fang Ziyang’s request and suggestion. Although they looked down on Hua Country, they were more concerned about finding out who truly attacked their national databases. If they didn’t get to the bottom of it this time, wouldn’t it mean that the real culprit could escape and pose a future threat?

The investigator’s expression turned grim, unsure of what to do next. This situation was even more unexpected than Fang Ziyang’s sudden revelation of his alternate identity.

But Fang Ziyang never intended to let them lead the conversation.

“Jin Yu, please upload the video of my Go game from last night to the internet.”

“Professor Yu, could you personally ask a few hotel security guards to ensure the hotel’s electricity and internet are stable?”

“Assistant Chief Zhang, could you arrange for someone to secure the site to prevent any disturbances?”

“Zhao Kairui, Yuan Zhuoting, please help set up a data shield. Although our skills are good, if someone tries a data flood attack, it could slow down our pursuit.”

“And finally…” Fang Ziyang turned to Tang Xun and Xie Zheng with a smile, “Brother, darling, shall we catch the culprit together?”

“Of course,” Tang Xun agreed without hesitation, his expression dark. Anyone who dared to bully his brother was his greatest enemy!

Xie Zheng didn’t say anything but nodded and went into the room to get his computer. However, before going in, he gave Fang Ziyang a deep look that clearly said, You little trickster, just you wait.

Fang Ziyang clutched his heart, feeling guilty…

Meanwhile, in a meeting room, a group of men in suits and ties watched the live stream, their faces showing signs of concern. They exchanged glances, and one of them couldn’t hold back and turned to the relaxed-looking Moer James, who was sipping wine.

“Mr. Moore, are you sure there won’t be any problems with this? Leaving Fang Ziyang aside, Tang Xun is no simple character. And while we don’t know much about Xie Zheng’s abilities, if he’s being brought in, he can’t be weak either. What if…?”

“There won’t be any ‘what if,'” Moer replied, narrowing his eyes. He then looked at Shi Liangchen, “Shi, I should trust in your abilities, right?”

This time, Shi Liangchen didn’t respond immediately. His usually calm expression finally showed some seriousness.

Seeing this, Moore‘s gaze grew more dangerous. “Shi, I think your sister needs better treatment.”

Shi Liangchen’s face subtly changed at these words. After a minute of silent contemplation, he met Moore’s gaze and said, “I need two more assistants.”

With that, Shi Liangchen stood up and walked into the next room filled with computer equipment.

Seeing his reaction, Moore smiled with satisfaction, but his eyes were venomous as he sent a text message:

[Ensure that Shi Meijing is securely detained.]

In the room, Shi Liangchen calmly stared at the computer screen, gently touching the bracelet on his right wrist, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips.

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The Hua Country team had anticipated that their victory in the first individual competition would bring trouble, but they hadn’t expected retaliation to come so swiftly and blatantly.

The day after the individual competition, everyone followed Professor Yu’s instructions and stayed in their hotel rooms, not daring to wander around. However, even though they didn’t go out, trouble came knocking on their door.

Several uniformed investigators arrived, accompanied by a group of reporters.

“What are you saying? Last night, a hacker of Hua Country nationality allegedly infiltrated the classified archives of M, A, and H countries, and someone reported that this hacker is in our team? This is absurd!” Professor Yu was so furious upon hearing the visitors’ accusations that he lost his composure on the spot.

What did they mean by a Hua Country hacker infiltrating the confidential libraries of several countries last night? And what did they mean by saying that this hacker was now among their team members? This was clearly an attempt to frame them and prevent them from participating in the next day’s team competition!

They had known that some people involved in the competition were despicable, but they hadn’t expected them to be this shameless. These people had obviously been in a position of power for too long and thought they could do anything.

Although most of the team members did have hacker identities, such matters couldn’t be openly discussed. Moreover, while many of them were technically hackers, they hadn’t engaged in any particularly egregious hacking activities. Those who had been recruited by the country had passed strict background checks, and their secondary identities as hackers had been reported and cleared. If someone truly had a problematic character, the country would have exposed them, and no nation would take such a risk.

Of course, if there were someone who had slipped through the cracks, it could only be because their skills were so advanced that they had hidden themselves exceptionally well. But this was clearly an attempt to frame them!

The competition rules explicitly prohibited hackers with criminal records from being part of the competing teams.

Their enemies didn’t need to prove any crimes; they just needed to delay them long enough to miss the next day’s team competition. Even if they narrowly advanced, their ranking would be poor. Coupled with the previous bet, this tech competition would essentially be over for them.

While this wouldn’t affect the technology they had mastered, and they could still develop in the future, it would waste a lot of unnecessary time. It would also lead to a significant blow to their international image, making them vulnerable to open suppression and exclusion by M, A, and H countries.

This move was truly a ruthless, underhanded tactic.

The investigators who had arrived were clearly following orders, showing no interest in hearing any explanations.

“Professor, please remain calm. Nothing has been concluded yet. We are simply asking everyone to come in for an investigation. Last night’s hacking attack caused significant damage to M, A, and H countries. These countries’ teams are key contenders in this competition, and we have reason to believe that this attack was part of a targeted, shameless conspiracy.”

“According to an anonymous report, and based on the data left behind from the attack, the intruder’s methods closely resemble the new programming language your Hua Country has been using. Additionally, the anonymous report identified the intruder as someone called ‘Little Elf,’ who is reportedly the second-ranked hacker on your Hua Country’s Qianye Forum.”

The investigator presented a file, clearly well-prepared.

Professor Yu’s expression turned grim, beyond words. He couldn’t believe this was true—it was clearly a deliberate attempt to frame them. How could such a coincidence be anything else?

The other team members shared the same reaction; this was clearly an open conspiracy.

Of course, they knew who ‘Little Elf’ was. As members of the Hua Country’s tech community, they were all familiar with Qianye Forum. Although Little Elf had rarely appeared online after their initial rise to fame, their exploits and reputation were well-known within the forum.

Even though they hadn’t interacted much, Little Elf’s organization of a major online event back then, dedicated to supporting Hua Country, indicated a strong sense of patriotism. Usually, someone with such patriotism wouldn’t engage in something so reckless, especially at such a crucial and sensitive time.

These people were not only shameless but also slandering a figure they respected, which was utterly infuriating.

The investigator, ignoring the reactions around him, continued in a seemingly just and impartial manner, “All the evidence points to a connection with your team. We ask that you cooperate with the investigation. We won’t falsely accuse any innocent person, but neither will we let any suspect go unpunished.”

Nonsense! Such sanctimonious hypocrisy!

The team members were trembling with anger.

The technology competition’s live broadcast wasn’t limited to the matches alone. It also covered the daily lives of the participants from various countries, as well as unexpected incidents like this one, striving to maintain complete transparency so that the global audience could participate, evaluate, and supervise.

Now that the investigators were accompanied by reporters, the entire scene was being broadcast live.

As the shocking news reached viewers in different countries’ live streams, discussions erupted, and the number of viewers rapidly increased.

“What’s going on? The confidential libraries of M, A, and H countries were all hacked last night by the same person?”

“Even though Hua Country’s performance yesterday was impressive, pulling off something like this isn’t easy. Aren’t these three countries supposed to be tech giants? How could a single Hua Country hacker manage to breach their security?”

“Um… doesn’t this whole thing seem a bit fishy to you? Isn’t it just a little too coincidental?”

“Finally, someone said it. I was thinking the same thing—this seems way too convenient. Even if they were going to attack, why do it last night of all times?”

“Shh, better stay quiet for now, or you’ll get your account suspended. Coincidences like this aren’t unheard of. Remember last year when the G Country team had that unfortunate ‘accident’ with food poisoning right before the competition? ‘Accidents’ do happen when you least expect them, right?”

“It’s hard to say… But I’m really curious about who this Hua Country hacker ‘Little Elf’ is and what kind of skills they have to be dragged into this mess.”

“I’m curious too. If they’re being called out by name, they must have some serious skills, right?”

“I know about this! Let me fill you in… I have a friend from Hua Country who studies computer science. I just asked him about it, and it turns out that Little Elf is a top-tier hacker who emerged in Hua Country in the past couple of years. Although they’re only ranked second on Hua Country’s Qianye Forum, it’s said that’s just because they’re relatively new and low-key. Their actual abilities are on par with, if not better than, the top-ranked mysterious figure, Heavenly Scourge.”

“Those of you who spend a lot of time online might remember the network outages that happened in A Country and R Country two years ago, right? Those two countries were involved in a massive hacking battle that nearly turned them into mortal enemies.”

“But later on, both countries realized they’d been played. There was actually a third party involved in that ‘feast,’ and because their actions were so well-hidden, neither side noticed at first. After a long investigation, they finally identified and confirmed that the organizer of that event was this ‘Little Elf.’ However, by the time they tried to retaliate, Hua Country had already upgraded to a new security network, making it impossible to infiltrate, so they had to swallow their losses.”

“Wow, that’s impressive! I’ve heard that A Country’s defenses were top-notch at the time—like diamond level. And they still got played?”

“Exactly. And it’s rumored that Little Elf and Heavenly Scourge are a couple, a power duo. If last night’s intrusion really happened, it must have been the two of them working together; otherwise, it’s hard to believe one person could take on three major countries at once.”

“But were they really the ones who did it…? Would people this smart really choose such a sensitive time as last night to act, and then conveniently leave clues to get themselves reported?”

“…”

The reason this is called an “open conspiracy” is that it’s clearly a setup, but there’s nothing that can be done about it.

Not everyone in the world is gullible. While the citizens of the three “victimized” major countries might be genuinely outraged, the discussions in other countries’ livestreams are much more rational and clear-headed.

It’s obvious that Hua Country is facing an even more shameless tactic than the one G Country encountered last time.

At this point, it’s not just a matter of whether the Hua Country team is innocent or not—just undergoing an investigation would mean losing the points from the team competition. After all, how could the substitute players compete against the main team members from other countries? It’s a guaranteed loss.

It’s a shameless and despicable tactic, but it’s undeniably effective and still within the rules.

Unless the Hua Country team can immediately provide undeniable proof of their innocence, which is almost impossible.

And indeed, that’s the situation they’re in.

For ordinary people, proving it on the spot would indeed be impossible. But for someone with highly advanced reverse-tracking technology, it’s not that difficult.

Fang Ziyang subtly touched the bracelet on his wrist, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. Just as he was about to step forward, someone beat him to it.

“You say the suspected intruder’s code name is ‘Little Elf’?”

Xie Zheng strode out of the crowd, his cold and stern face radiating an intimidating aura. His calm voice, however, carried a commanding presence.

No one expected that before the members of the team could say anything, he would be the first to step forward.

Although Xie Zheng’s face wasn’t known worldwide, anyone with an interest in the financial world would be familiar with him. After all, before the collapse, the Xie Corporation was one of the world’s top-ranking conglomerates.

The investigators were a bit surprised by Xie Zheng’s sudden appearance, but they didn’t think he would have much impact on the situation.

“That’s correct. The intruder from last night left a data trail very similar to the one left by Little Elf, who previously participated in cyberattacks on Country A and Country R. We’ve received an anonymous tip claiming that Little Elf is currently in your Hua Country team, so we need your cooperation for this investigation.”

“Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this and not wrongfully accuse anyone.”

The investigator spoke with a tone of unwavering conviction, as if he were truly upholding justice.

Upon hearing this, Xie Zheng let out a cold laugh.

“Is that so? Well, it just so happens that I know Little Elf personally. Since the whole world is watching this live broadcast, to avoid wasting unnecessary time on this investigation, why don’t I contact Little Elf right now? We can have a face-to-face confrontation.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the investigator’s expression froze for a split second—completely caught off guard by this turn of events.

Ignoring their reactions, whether they agreed or not, Xie Zheng took out his phone in front of everyone, opened his chat app, found Little Elf’s account, and sent a video call request.

In the dead silence that followed, the sound of Xie Zheng’s phone ringing with the video call request filled the air.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd’s phone began to ring.

Everyone immediately turned to look.

Fang Ziyang, who had no time to cancel the call: …

Husband, actually, I have another identity too.

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