62: Chapter 62 Relocation of Rock Foundation Factory

The echo of the sirens still buzzed in their ears, and the dust in the courtyard hadn't fully settled yet.

Chen Fan stood by the office window, watching the reporters' cars swarm away like a receding tide. Excitement still lingered on their faces as their fingers tapped rapidly on their phones, clearly racing to publish the first-hand news.

But just half an hour later, Lin Hao's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot while staring at his phone. He slammed the table hard: "Damn it! The trending search 'Long Group Blackmail' just climbed to seventeenth place and then vanished! 'Wang Deshun Arrested' is still up, but searching for 'Long Group' yields nothing. It's all been censored!"

His fingers quickly switched pages, opening the news apps of several major media outlets. The front pages were filled with celebrity scandals, international conferences, and even weather reports from random places. This morning's storm was the only thing missing, as clean as if it had never happened, making one's skin crawl.

Only a few local independent media outlets with little influence still carried a short news flash, and their view counts were pitifully low.

"The Long family moved too fast!" Lin Hao gritted his teeth, his jaw bulging. "This isn't just removing a trending topic; they're forcibly scrubbing public opinion!"

Wang Defu sat in a rattan chair, the teacup in his hand having gone cold long ago. His voice was as hoarse as sandpaper: "They... do they really have that much power?"

Chen Fan turned around, his face expressionless but his tone heavy: "The Long family has been operating nationwide for decades, monopolizing several tech industries by riding the dividends of the era. Their foundation is deep. Media relations, networking, even exploiting regulatory loopholes—they can do it all. This isn't surprising."

He walked back to his desk and opened his laptop, pulling up an encrypted email log—this was the complete evidence package that Xiao Zhi had sent anonymously to major regulatory departments, mainstream media reporters, and public opinion monitoring agencies the moment the incident occurred.

The emails showed 'Delivered,' but aside from two small financial independent media outlets that sent automated receipts, the other recipients were as silent as the dead, with not a single peep.

It had vanished without a trace!

"What about the reporting materials?" Wang Defu leaned forward anxiously. "The police... they should have something to say, right?"

"Likely gone south too." Chen Fan clenched his fists, his voice tinged with anger.

Wang Defu opened his mouth, then finally let out a heavy sigh and lowered his head in dejection. Lin Hao punched the wall in anger with a muffled 'thud,' shaking a bit of dust off the plaster.

In the silence, Chen Fan's voice was exceptionally clear: "This is reality. The Long family can use their power and money to suppress us with the most ruthless means. Regular channels are useless; they've suppressed them all."

His tone shifted, his eyes instantly becoming sharp and full of determination: "But this absolutely doesn't mean we've lost! They are fast, so we will be faster! We'll first crush the Long family's businesses in other fields and shake their foundation. Only then can we completely bring these bastards down!"

Wang Defu and Lin Hao exchanged glances and nodded fiercely, their frustration replaced by fighting spirit.

Chen Fan looked at the two and made a direct decision: "By tomorrow, move all the core equipment and raw materials of Panshi Foundation to the first basement floor of Fanxing Factory!"

Lin Hao was stunned: "Move everything? Then what about this place?"

"We'll sort out the property rights for Uncle Wang first," Chen Fan looked at Wang Defu, his tone softening. "I'll pay to rebuild this place. Uncle Wang will live out his retirement here in comfort."

He had long since considered Wang Defu as family.

"Xiao Fan, don't spend any more money on me!" Wang Defu's eyes reddened, his voice trembling. "You've already given me enough. Even if my own son were still here, he might not treat me this well."

"Uncle, don't refuse!" Lin Hao chimed in from the side. "Fan Zi is doing this out of genuine care for you. Accepting it is the best response you can give him."

Chen Fan smiled and mediated: "Exactly. I have my own selfish reasons too. Once the house is built, I can come stay sometimes and enjoy the perks through you."

His tone shifted again: "Uncle Wang, I still need you to oversee things at the Fanxing Technology plant—you understand material recycling better than anyone. We can't do without you."

Hearing that he was still so useful, Wang Defu straightened his back, took a deep breath, and nodded heavily: "Alright! Xiao Fan, I'll follow your arrangements!"

"Hao Zi," Chen Fan looked at Lin Hao, "get the first batch of equipment for the Spark Alliance shipped immediately. We have to pick up the pace!"

"Understood!" Lin Hao responded immediately, full of energy.

———

The night view of Shanghai was dazzling. Long Zaitian stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling city below.

He held a briefing in his hand, which detailed today's events regarding Wang Deshun from beginning to end, including the results of the public opinion management.

"Third Young Master, all negative reports have been cleaned up," the assistant behind him, dressed in a sharp suit, reported in a low voice. "Don't worry about Wang Deshun; dead men tell no tales. It will absolutely not implicate the group."

Long Zaitian gave an "mm." "Have the equipment and raw materials they're sending to the Spark Alliance been shipped yet?"

"We've already sent people to watch them. They should be departing within the next two days," the assistant reported quickly.

Long Zaitian's voice was full of the indifference of someone long accustomed to a high position: "Thinking they can shake the foundations of the Long Corporation with a bit of minor technology? Pure wishful thinking."

The assistant lowered his head and asked cautiously, "Their production capacity is indeed expanding quickly. Should we throw a few more obstacles in their way?"

"No need." Long Zaitian waved his hand, walked to the liquor cabinet, and poured himself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling around the ice sphere. "Let them expand. Let them expand as much as they want."

He took a sip of the liquor, his eyes glinting with a cold light: "The wider they spread themselves, the tighter their capital chain will become. Once they've bet everything they have, at the most critical moment..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the assistant felt a chill run through him, instantly understanding his meaning—that would be the moment the Long family moved in for the harvest!

"By the way," Long Zaitian put down his glass, his tone flat, "what's the status of the heat shield tile order for AVIC's 'xuanyuan phase one'?"

"No word from the research institute yet," the assistant reported hurriedly. "The project liaison, Fu Dong, has a very good relationship with Chen Fan. He even supported Chen Fan at the Xuanniao press conference last time. They've been waiting for Fanxing's final samples for flight validation. However... the institute's technicians have been in contact with us recently, saying Fanxing's samples are overdue and asking if we can provide an emergency alternative."

The smile at the corner of Long Zaitian's mouth deepened, a hint of calculation flashing in his eyes: "Tell them the Long Corporation is on standby at any time. As long as we can secure the order, push back the schedules for all other clients! Any business Chen Fan tries to touch, we will snatch it away at all costs!"

"Yes!" the assistant replied immediately.

"Also," Long Zaitian added, his tone as cold as ice, "have the 'little accidents' prepared for Fanxing's transport fleet been arranged properly?"

The assistant bowed: "Everything is arranged. It's absolutely foolproof."

Silence fell over the office once again.

Long Zaitian stood alone by the window, looking at this city that the Long family had managed for decades. The lights were like a galaxy, yet calculation and ambition were hidden everywhere.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number, his tone instantly becoming respectful: "Eldest Brother."

Long Zaitian reported the situation.

"Mm," the voice on the other end was deep. "Proceed as you see fit, but remember to maintain a sense of proportion."

"Understood."

The call ended.

Long Zaifei had to handle matters at the group headquarters and had temporarily returned to Beijing.

Long Zaitian held his phone, standing before the massive glass curtain wall. The neon lights outside reflected on his face, half in light, half in shadow.

———

On the other side, the relocation of the Panshi Factory was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Thanks to that space jade pendant, moving things was like having a cheat code! Wang Defu only needed to exert a thought, and those heavy machines and mountain-like piles of raw materials were all placed into the pendant's space, saving immense effort.

Following the timeline set by Chen Fan, the relocation was completed smoothly, and Panshi Foundation moved entirely to the first basement floor of Fanxing Factory.

With the two factories brought together, coordinating work became much more convenient, and efficiency doubled instantly.

Twenty heavy trucks were loaded with the remaining equipment and raw materials, ready to depart.

Chen Fan had long expected the Long family to play dirty. He deliberately had the fleet depart in batches and chose less-traveled backroads for the routes, avoiding all possible dangers.

The real-time location and driving status of every truck were clearly transmitted back to Fanxing's control center, monitored throughout to prevent and respond to any potential issues!