121: Chapter 122 Shocks the Old Master's Technical Trump Card! An Invitation Covered by the Highest Official Standards

The Old Master could no longer maintain his composure, his body lunging forward abruptly.

In those eyes that were usually as calm as an ancient well, there was a rare, unconcealable urgency and worry.

"What on earth happened?"

The Old Master stared intently at his second son:

"Did that brat stir up some huge trouble in the business world that he can't cover up? Or did he provoke some disaster he shouldn't have?"

Without waiting for Secretary Shen Hai to reply, the Old Master slammed his cane down, instinctively shielding him as he repeatedly denied it:

"That shouldn't be! During the time he's been in Shanghai, although I haven't asked much, I know that his Jiyuan Technology has been fighting bloody business wars. But he's always been airtight in his actions and has never touched any red lines of illegal activity!"

Watching the Old Master fire off so many urgent questions in one breath, Secretary Shen Hai knew clearly in his heart.

In this massive family with strict rules, the only person who could make the Old Master, who was always as steady as Mount Tai, so worried and even unreasonably biased, was that grandson he hadn't seen more than a few times.

Taking a deep breath, Secretary Shen Hai shook his head slightly, interrupting the Old Master's shielding and speculation.

"Old Master, don't think the worst; it's not because of those things."

Secretary Shen Hai's tone became incomparably grave, even carrying a hint of shock he couldn't hide himself:

"It's that brat—he has quietly accomplished something earth-shattering in the chip manufacturing industry, which has been tightly blockaded by foreign countries for so long!"

Following this, Secretary Shen Hai did not hide anything. He laid out every single piece of absolute classified information regarding Shen Du that the official intelligence network had recently acquired.

"That kid is bold beyond measure! He threw a full billion into Sheshan and forced a laboratory into existence. Not only did he secretly take in six technical madmen who were completely blacklisted by the mainstream Western scientific community, but right under the nose of the whole world, he used various covert channels to frantically purchase the most cutting-edge experimental equipment and high-purity wafers!"

The faster Secretary Shen Hai spoke, the more his voice rose, and by the end, he was unconsciously raising his volume:

"Just a few days ago, he even sent people south with the newly manufactured physical chip core to quietly find a large foundry for physical motherboard packaging! He is trying to forcibly tear a hole in the Western technological blockade!"

After hearing this earth-shattering report... the Old Master's eyes, which had previously been somewhat murky and drowsy, instantly cleared of sleepiness, erupting with two beams of terrifying, tangible, sharp light!

The originally warm air in the room froze completely at that moment. The Old Master gripped the hardwood armrests of his master chair tightly, his body lunging forward. His voice even trembled slightly from shock:

"Are you sure?! Do you dare to stake your current position and guarantee to me that your subordinates haven't made a single error in their investigation?!"

Facing the Old Master's highly oppressive interrogation, Secretary Shen Hai was not the least bit flustered; instead, he smiled calmly. Between his brows, he displayed the absolute confidence and dominance belonging to the "top leader of Shanghai."

"Old man, don't forget what position I'm sitting in right now. What I hold in my hands is the top-tier official intelligence network!"

Secretary Shen Hai leaned back in his chair, his tone filled with absolute confidence:

"Could I have checked wrong? Even taking a step back, even that mistress of his named Red Phoenix—what she's doing with that film base in Zhejiang right now, who she meets every day—I know it all clearly, down to the very bottom!"

As for the matter of Red Phoenix, the Old Master naturally knew it like the back of his hand. It was just that, hindered by that woman's complicated background in the underworld, he was somewhat displeased. However, in order not to interfere with his grandson's private life, he had always turned a blind eye.

Hearing his second son bringing up this gossip at such a critical moment, the Old Master waved his hand impatiently, interrupting him directly:

"Enough! Stop rambling with me about this and that! Talk about the real business. Since you know the rules, how do you plan to make contact?"

Secretary Shen Hai knew that the Old Master, in order to protect Shen Du, never wanted the other party to acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan while his wings were still unformed, dragging him into the deeper waters within the family. He took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and laid out his meticulous plan:

"Old man, I plan to arrange it this way."

"Recently, the national leadership happens to have the intention to take the lead in vigorously reorganizing and supporting the local technology and semiconductor industry. I will use this official pretext and, in the name of the top leader of Shanghai, personally organize a 'closed-door meeting for technology enterprises' of the highest specifications."

A flash of ambition like an overlord flickered in Secretary Shen Hai's eyes:

"With this official meeting as a cover, I can legitimately call him over. At that time, I will find an opportunity to meet with him alone, only to probe for the core secrets regarding chip manufacturing, as well as the subsequent resource docking at the national level."

In order to completely dispel the Old Master's concerns, Secretary Shen Hai raised his right hand and solemnly guaranteed:

"Rest assured. I guarantee that during the entire conversation, I will handle things strictly according to official business. I will absolutely not reveal a single thing about the family lineage to him, and I will absolutely not cause him any trouble!"

After listening to Secretary Shen Hai's nearly flawless official contact plan, the Old Master slowly leaned back into his master chair and fell into a long silence.

Even though he was not well-versed in those complex and obscure underlying technologies, as an old man who had struggled at the pinnacle of power for most of his life, he knew all too well what terrifying value lay behind the phrase "capable of manufacturing chips independent of the international system."

This was no longer just the private business of a single commercial company, Jiyuan Technology; it had already risen to the absolute height of national strategic security.

After contemplating for a moment and repeatedly weighing all the pros and cons, the Old Master finally sighed and relented.

"Contact is fine, but you must play this act out in full!"

The Old Master's gaze became cold and sharp again, pointing directly at Secretary Shen Hai:

"Remember, the meeting must be done properly. You must call in every notable technology enterprise in Shanghai to talk one by one! You absolutely cannot just summon Shen Du alone for the sake of convenience!"

The Old Master paused his cane, his tone carrying an indisputable and severe warning:

"How others speculate about the relationship between Shen Du and the Shen Family is their business. But at the official level, you absolutely must not show even the slightest bit of special favoritism! As long as you don't reveal any flaws, that kid won't have any life-threatening trouble on the surface for the time being."

Hearing that the Old Master had finally relented, Secretary Shen Hai's tense nerves immediately relaxed, and he let out a long breath.

"I knew it, Old Man, when it comes to major matters of principle, you would definitely agree."

Secretary Shen Hai nodded solemnly and promised in a deep voice:

"Rest assured, I will definitely arrange this closed-door meeting seamlessly, and I will absolutely not let him get dragged into our family's vortex."

Three days later, at the headquarters of Jiyuan Technology.

Accompanied by the soft sound of the elevator, an official envoy wearing a high-end custom suit and a cold expression walked into the CEO's office under the personal guidance of General Manager Chen Shengqiang.

In his hand, he held an invitation for the "Technology and Semiconductor Industry Closed-Door Meeting," which bore a gold-stamped national emblem and represented the highest official specifications in Shanghai.

This invitation was thus placed solemnly on Shen Du's large desk, under the awestruck gazes of numerous executives.