63: Chapter 63 The Game on the Transportation Line

Fanxing Factory, first basement level.

The lights were blindingly bright, and the metallic rust smell unique to new equipment mixed with the scent of machine oil, filling the entire space. He stepped onto the newly laid anti-static floor, his feet feeling a bit light. Looking at the vast space in front of him that had been transformed into the "new home of Panshi Foundation," he couldn't snap out of it for a long time.

It was too big! It was damn big!

It was more than five times larger than his shabby recycling station! The pipes and vents overhead were dense, like an intricate spider web; the reinforced ground beneath his feet was dark and hard, feeling incredibly sturdy to the touch.

The entire space was divided into several sections by transparent special glass—the Raw Material Area, Processing Area, Amplification Core Area, Inspection Area... Everything was planned clearly and organized perfectly. Compared to his previous messy yard, it was like heaven and earth!

"Uncle Wang, how is it? Are you satisfied?"

Lin Hao's voice came from behind, followed by a bottle of chilled mineral water handed over.

Wang Defu grabbed it, unscrewed the cap, and poured it into his mouth. After gulping down half the bottle, he wiped the water droplets from his chin and grinned. "Great! Nothing to say! This place is more impressive than any factory building I've ever seen in my life!"

"Of course, look who made it." Lin Hao raised his eyebrows smugly.

Wang Defu was about to make a joke when he caught a glimpse of a figure walking in from the entrance.

The person who arrived was Chen Fan.

He had changed into deep blue work clothes, with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing smooth-lined forearms. Although his face still bore the fatigue of staying up late, his eyes were incredibly bright, radiating a sense of drive.

"Uncle Wang, is everything tidied up?" Chen Fan scanned the various areas that had already begun to take shape, his voice steady.

"All tidied up!" Wang Defu nodded quickly, his tone filled with excitement. "The raw materials are sorted and stacked neatly just as you said! The equipment is all in place. As soon as the power is turned on, it can start running immediately!"

"Good!" Chen Fan nodded heavily and turned to look at Lin Hao. "Hao Zi, how's the convoy doing?"

Lin Hao nimbly pulled out a tablet and swiped his finger, bringing up the real-time monitoring screen.

On the screen, twenty green dots were slowly moving on an electronic map. The routes were winding, consisting of the most remote paths imaginable. The real-time data next to them was even denser—vehicle speed, tire pressure, engine status, container temperature, and even the drivers' heart rates were clearly visible.

"Everything is normal and proceeding according to plan!" Lin Hao pointed at the screen, his tone calm. "They're all traveling separately, specifically choosing those godforsaken mountain gullies! Every route was scouted in advance with drones. It's clean; we haven't seen so much as a hair of the Long Corporation! The defense and shielding equipment on the vehicles are also installed. Even if the Long family wants to cause trouble, they won't find a place to strike!"

"By the way," Lin Hao added, "by tomorrow afternoon, the next batch of thirty heavy trucks will all be in place!"

Chen Fan stared at those steadily moving green dots, but his brow didn't relax at all. Instead, his gaze became increasingly grave. "That bastard Long Zaitian is very sinister; he definitely has a backup plan. Tell the brothers that the closer they get to the destination, the less they can afford to be careless. Keep your eyes peeled for me!"

Just as he finished speaking, his phone vibrated slightly.

It was a message from Xiao Zhi.

Chen Fan looked down, and his expression instantly darkened.

[Abnormal signal captured. Source: Long Corporation Headquarters. Frequency highly consistent with the backup channels of vehicles No. 2, 7, and 15. Intent: Cracking or interference.]

Just as expected!

A leopard can't change its spots! Since they couldn't do it openly, they're playing dirty—they want to mess with the transportation line!

"Uncle Wang, I'll leave this to you. I'm going up to handle something." Chen Fan just patted Wang Defu's shoulder and turned to leave, his pace faster than when he arrived.

"Oh, okay! You go ahead!" Wang Defu nodded repeatedly.

---

Long Group Headquarters, top-floor office.

Long Zaitian looked at the electronic map where several "accidental" ambush points he had pre-arranged were now glowing red in isolation, like glaring jokes.

Chen Fan didn't take any of the main roads he had carefully controlled; he specifically chose the most obscure mountain paths!

"Third Young Master..." The assistant stood to the side, forehead sweating and voice trembling. "They... didn't take any of the routes we predicted. Our people... all came up empty."

Long Zaitian didn't speak. His fingers lightly tapped the mahogany desk, making a dull "thud-thud" sound that was particularly piercing in the silent office.

After a long while, he slowly turned around, his lips curling into a cold arc as he let out a cold laugh. "Interesting. This kid Chen Fan is a bit cleverer than I thought."

He had originally thought Chen Fan was just a bumpkin who had risen from the bottom, someone who didn't know the heights of the heavens after getting a bit of technology and luck, a mere ant that would be crushed by Long Zaitian's business tactics.

He hadn't expected the kid to be so cautious. The route planning was completely unconventional, making the inescapable net he had laid out a total waste!

"We were careless and underestimated their counter-reconnaissance awareness." The assistant quickly bowed his head to admit the mistake.

"It wasn't carelessness." Long Zaitian picked up a cigar from the desk, and the assistant hurried forward to light it. He took a deep puff and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, narrowing his eyes. "It was underestimating the enemy. I thought he was an ant I could crush at will, but I didn't expect him to be a prickly hedgehog!"

Changing the subject, a hint of confident composure flashed in his eyes again. "However, he might escape today, but he won't escape forever. He was lucky this first shipment because his vigilance was high."

He suddenly stubbed out the cigar and stared at the assistant, his tone forceful. "Send out the word: have everyone outside withdraw, and don't leave any traces! Also, re-scout every possible transportation route for Star of Fortune, including those remote paths we looked down on before! I want to know every intersection every one of their vehicles might pass through, and every stretch of terrain where it's easy to strike! Not a single detail can be missed!"

"Yes!" The assistant's spirits lifted as he quickly agreed, then asked cautiously, "Third Young Master, are you planning to..."

"He got away the first time because of luck." Long Zaitian's voice was as cold as ice. "The second time, I'll make him understand the consequences of opposing the Long Group!"

He walked to the map and jabbed his finger hard at the location of Fanxing Factory, his tone ruthless. "Isn't he in a hurry to send this batch of goods to the Spark Alliance to grab production capacity and time? Then I'll make sure his goods never arrive!"

---

Fanxing Factory, ground-floor office.

Chen Fan looked at the images sent back by Xiao Zhi. The abnormal signals from the Long Corporation Headquarters had completely disappeared.

"They've withdrawn?" Lin Hao leaned in to take a look and breathed a sigh of relief. "At least they know what's good for them!"

"It's not that they know what's good for them; they're going back to prepare for something bigger." Chen Fan turned off the screen. "Failing the first time will only make Long Zaitian more annoyed and more eager to regain face. The next move will only be more ruthless and more hidden."

He immediately gave Xiao Zhi an order: "Completely upgrade the convoy's monitoring and defense levels. For the next transport, activate the 'Phantom Protocol'."

"Phantom Protocol?" Lin Hao was stunned and cried out, "Isn't that our ultimate contingency plan?"

"Yes, a combination of the virtual and the real, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood." Chen Fan nodded and deployed the plan rapidly. "Send three decoy convoys to flamboyantly take the three routes most likely to be heavily monitored by the Long family to draw their attention. The real goods will be mixed into ordinary logistics convoys, taking the most common national highways and crossing the border low-key. Additionally, equip every real vehicle with emergency drones. If you encounter unavoidable danger, remember, prioritize saving people; the goods can be abandoned!"

"This... won't the cost be too high?" Lin Hao was speechless. Three decoy convoys would be a significant expense.

"No matter how high the cost, it's better than being wiped out in one go!" Chen Fan's voice was resolute. "The Long family has already bared its fangs; we can no longer have any illusions!"

He paused and added, "Tell the brothers that for the next transport, the danger factor will double, and the subsidies and bonuses will also double! If they're willing to go, I, Chen Fan, will remember their favor; if they have concerns, I won't force them!"

"Good!" Lin Hao's blood was instantly stirred. He patted his chest. "I'll go arrange it right now!"

Watching Lin Hao's hurried departure, Chen Fan walked to the window and looked at the factory building, which was still brightly lit in the night.

The roar of the machines in the workshop could be faintly heard, like a crouching beast gathering its strength.

Long Zaitian wants to cut off his transportation line?

Then let him try!

This game of wits has only just begun!