45: Chapter 45 The Long Group Emerges

Chen Fan stared at the alert interface popped up by Xiao Zhi, his fingertips lightly tapping the desk in a steady rhythm that betrayed not a hint of anxiety.

An encrypted signal from abroad... this was definitely not a character someone as incompetent as Li Zeyu could hire!

“Hao Zi!” Chen Fan didn't even look up as his voice suddenly chilled several degrees. “Immediately transfer all core data for Stardust-S1 and S2 to an offline server for physical isolation! Also, reinforce the firewall on your end by three more layers; don't let so much as a strand of hair slip through!”

Lin Hao leaned in toward the screen, watching the frantically jumping strings of garbled code. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Is this... are they coming for our core technology? They're even more malicious than that bunch of bottom-feeders from Night Rat!”

“Night Rat is just a petty thief, only capable of small-time pilfering,” Chen Fan said, his eyes fixed on the code. “This one is a hunter!”

Xiao Zhi's reverse-tracking progress bar moved forward slowly. The source address of the attack on the screen was jumping around like crazy, clearly a deliberate attempt to mask their tracks. Chen Fan's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's; a network attack of this level could not be achieved without a massive entity backing it!

“Don't stop the reverse tracking!” Chen Fan said in a low voice. “Save every single one of the opponent's attack data packets for me!”

Just as he finished speaking, Xiao Zhi's notification sound blared again, more urgent than before:

【Reverse tracking blocked! The opponent has activated high-level proxy jumping technology. The attack source address is suspected to be from the core business district of Magic City!】

A moment later, a glaring name slowly emerged on the screen—Long Group!

“The Long Corporation...” Lin Hao sucked in a breath of cold air. “You mean that tech giant that reigns supreme across the entire Blue Star? Why would they set their sights on our small operation?”

“A man's innocence is no shield when he carries a treasure!” Chen Fan slammed his phone down and turned his gaze out the window, cold light swirling in the depths of his eyes. “The potential of stardust material has touched the Long Group's cake! How could they possibly sit by and watch us rise?”

He paused, his tone becoming more solemn. “The Long Corporation's background is so powerful it reaches the heavens. The little tricks we used to deal with the Li Group are nothing but child's play to them! We must find another way!”

“Hao Zi, tomorrow, come with me to see Old Master Qin,” Chen Fan said, his voice grave as he clenched his fists.

“See Old Master Qin?” Lin Hao was momentarily stunned. “The Old Master Qin who helped you coordinate the military orders?”

“Yes!” Chen Fan nodded, his eyes deep. “The Long Corporation's hand is reaching too far. We need a stronger protective umbrella!”

———

The next day, in Old Master Qin's study.

Chen Fan pushed the test report for Stardust-S2 in front of Old Master Qin. His tone was steady, yet carried an undeniable confidence. “Grandpa Qin, the performance of Stardust-S2 is 1% better than S1! More importantly, it can withstand temperatures of ten thousand degrees Celsius and the impact of Mach 10! Using this material in the military and aerospace sectors could directly leapfrog our country's equipment performance by an entire grade!”

Old Master Qin picked up the test report, becoming more excited as he read. He suddenly looked up at Chen Fan, his eyes full of shock and his voice slightly airy. “Little Chen, this... is this the new material you've cooked up?”

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“Lin Hao and I partnered to open an R&D factory called Fanxing Technology, specializing in commercial material applications.” Chen Fan took the opportunity to introduce the company, his words carrying a clear hint. “I was wondering if this new material could be applied to the military and aerospace fields. As far as I know, our material is the most advanced on the Blue Star.”

“Fanxing Technology?” Old Master Qin's eyes lit up, his face full of surprise. “The company that was recently in the financial news for toppling Lis Sci-Tech and leading a revolution in heat-conducting materials?”

“Exactly!” Lin Hao finally couldn't help but interject, his chest puffed out and his face beaming with pride.

“Good! Good! Good!” Old Master Qin said 'good' three times, slapping his thigh in admiration. “Chen Fan, oh Chen Fan, you really always manage to surprise me!”

One had to realize that Chen Fan had managed to secure the military drone mesh order from Engineer Yang through sheer strength, while simultaneously developing a new disruptive material. This R&D speed would leave even the top domestic research institutes in the dust!

“Grandpa Qin praises me too much.” Chen Fan's face remained calm, but his tone suddenly shifted, carrying a touch of helplessness. “When it comes to technical research and development, we brothers aren't afraid of hard work or exhaustion. But if it comes down to playing games of schemes and plots, we're just blind outsiders!”

Hearing this, Old Master Qin indeed frowned and pressed, “What do you mean by that? Is someone looking for trouble with you?”

This was exactly the opening Chen Fan had been waiting for! He immediately handed over the attack data analysis compiled by Xiao Zhi and said solemnly, “Our Stardust technology just had a breakthrough, and the Long Group came knocking! They directly employed high-level network attacks, trying to steal our core technology!”

Old Master Qin's expression darkened instantly. He flipped through the analysis report, his eyes cold. “The Long Group has held a tech monopoly for so many years; they've long since become a cancer hindering technological progress! If you try to go head-to-head with them, I'm afraid you'll suffer a great loss!”

Old Master Qin paused, then continued, “I actually have a method that can both neutralize the Long family's threat and allow you to focus on your research!”

Chen Fan's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward. “I would like to hear the details. Please enlighten me, Grandpa Qin!”

“Your Stardust series technology is already mature; there's no need to rely entirely on yourselves for production!” Old Master Qin said, hitting the nail on the head. “On one hand, if the Long family gets desperate and sabotages your production lines, the liquidated damages alone could crush you! On the other hand, your advantage lies in R&D, so you should spend more effort on that!”

He took a sip of tea and continued, “Since you hold the patents, recruit agents directly! Let them produce for you. You only need to provide core machine leasing and raw materials, earning agency fees and the price difference on the materials! Keep the top-tier R&D technology in your own hands and only take on military orders! That way, even if the Long family wants to act, they'll have to think twice—can they afford the consequences of touching a national project?”

After listening, Chen Fan felt as if he had been struck by a moment of enlightenment. Old Master Qin's method was brilliant! Since the Long family wanted a monopoly, they would publicly hand over all production to agents. With so many agents, the Long family wouldn't be able to target them all even if they wanted to.

“This method is fantastic! I'll implement it as soon as I get back!” Chen Fan was so excited his voice trembled slightly, all his worries swept away.

Old Master Qin nodded in satisfaction. “I'll introduce you to someone: Fu Dong, the project head of the National New Materials Research Lab. I've already recommended you to him. Give him a call and just say Qin Jiang recommended you!”

“Thank you, Grandpa Qin!” Chen Fan saved the contact information. “Then we won't disturb you any longer. Please take care of your health!”

“Wait!” Old Master Qin suddenly called out to him, his face full of praise. “That knee brace you made for me last time is simply miraculous! My old cold legs haven't hurt once since I started using it! You really should consider mass-producing it, boy; it could help so many people ease their pain!”

After saying goodbye to Old Master Qin, Lin Hao rubbed his hands together excitedly. “President Fan, are we heading back to the factory now?”

“You call a car and head back to the plant first.” Chen Fan patted his shoulder, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “I have some private business to attend to.”

“Private business?” Lin Hao instantly flashed a mischievous grin and winked. “Going on a date, are we?”

“You're just too clever!” Chen Fan laughingly kicked at him, his face beaming with pride. “What, are you jealous?”

“Fine, fine, you guy who values romance over friendship! I'm off!” Lin Hao waved his hand and went to hail a car.

Chen Fan drove straight to the hospital where Su Qingyue was.

At dusk, the afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of a popular restaurant, offering a view of the river outside.

Watching Chen Fan eat heartily across from her, Su Qingyue felt a pang of sympathy and placed a piece of meat in his bowl. “You look like you've lost weight again. Have you been too tired lately?”

Chen Fan swallowed his food and recounted the events with Li Zeyu and Uncle Wang vividly. “It was all about matching wits and courage with that kid Li Zeyu. Uncle Wang even got injured, and I've been busy with everything these past few days, so indeed...”

“Then were you injured?” Su Qingyue became tense instantly, her grip on her chopsticks tightening as her eyes filled with worry.

“I'm fine, don't worry!” Chen Fan quickly reassured her. Seeing her worried expression made his heart feel sweet, yet he also felt a bit of regret for saying things that would make her worry.

Only then did Su Qingyue breathe a sigh of relief, then asked further, “How is Uncle Wang doing now?”

“He's long since recovered, can run and jump!” Chen Fan replied with a smile.

Just then, Su Qingyue suddenly put down her chopsticks and looked at him seriously. “Chen Fan, I want to ask you a question.”

Seeing her like this, Chen Fan also put down his chopsticks, feeling inexplicably nervous. “Ask away.”

“What am I to you?”

This question was like a pebble thrown into the lake of Chen Fan's heart, stirring up layers of ripples. He opened his mouth, the words 'my girlfriend' hovering on the tip of his tongue, yet he lacked just that bit of courage. Finally, he managed to squeeze out: “You're... the person closest to me.”

Su Qingyue saw the evasion in his eyes and sighed softly. She didn't press him, only saying seriously, “Then from now on, you can't hide anything from me.”

Chen Fan looked into her clear eyes; the trust and concern within them flowed into his heart like a warm current.

He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming incredibly solemn and his voice low and clear. “Qingyue, actually... I have a secret.”