76: Chapter 76 A Tale of Two Extremes!

Long Group Emergency Command Center, 5:00 AM.

The air was thick with a mixture of caffeine and anxiety. On the large screen, three line graphs representing different business sectors fluctuated violently, and red and yellow alarm markers were packed together like an abstract painting splashed with color.

Technical Director Zhang Zhaoming slumped in his chair, his glasses crooked and his collar wide open. He stared at a line of code that had just popped up on the screen, his pupils constricting sharply; his mouth hung open, but no sound came out.

"Director Zhang?" his assistant nudged him cautiously.

"No... impossible..." Zhang Zhaoming muttered to himself, his finger trembling as he pointed at the screen. "This code... this code is the low-level interface of our internal encrypted communication protocol! Only the five people in the core development team have the authority to modify it! But it... it now has three logic backdoors inserted into it!"

He stood up abruptly, the legs of his chair scraping harshly against the floor. "I need to see President Long! Immediately!"

Five minutes later, Long Zaitian strode into the command center.

"Explain clearly." Long Zaitian didn't even sit down, staring directly at Zhang Zhaoming.

"The attackers..." Zhang Zhaoming's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper. "The attackers didn't just hack our production systems and supplier networks; they also... they also infiltrated our internal development environment."

They obtained core code permissions and buried backdoors inside. Now these backdoors are being remotely activated, causing... causing all system modules based on this communication protocol to exhibit unpredictable abnormal behavior."

He pulled up a topology map, where dozens of nodes were flashing red frantically.

"The heavy industry production management system is randomly modifying production parameters, the real estate smart home hub is switching devices on and off indiscriminately, and the finance settlement engine is generating incorrect transfer instructions..." Zhang Zhaoming's voice grew lower and lower.

"What's even more terrifying is that we cannot repair it remotely—because the repair instructions would also pass through this contaminated communication protocol, potentially being tampered with, intercepted, or even... triggering a more severe chain reaction."

The command center fell into a dead silence.

Everyone understood what this meant.

The "Unified Intelligent Management Platform" that the Long Group was so proud of, built with hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, had now become the most lethal weapon in the enemy's hands. They were like being trapped on a self-destructing giant ship, where every command attempting a repair could become an order to accelerate the sinking.

"Is there a physical isolation plan?" the assistant suddenly asked.

"There is, but..." Zhang Zhaoming smiled bitterly. "The servers for this platform are distributed across three different data centers; physical disconnection would take at least six hours. And..." He paused. "We aren't sure if the attackers have buried 'logic bombs' in the system. What if they automatically trigger a data destruction program upon detecting physical isolation..."

"Then we just watch the system completely paralyze?!" an executive couldn't help but shout.

"I'm trying to find a way!" Zhang Zhaoming shouted back. "But the opponent's methods are too professional! They aren't just simple hackers; they are... they are system architects! Their understanding of our platform is deeper than some of our own developers!"

"A mole," Long Zaitian slowly spat out those words.

This time, no one argued.

To be able to infiltrate the core development environment so precisely, modify low-level code so skillfully, and bury such deep backdoors without being detected—this was definitely not something an external attacker could accomplish alone.

There must be someone on the inside assisting.

Someone must have personally handed the Long Corporation's lifeblood to the enemy.

"Investigate," Long Zaitian said only one word, but the chill soaked into it made everyone present feel a shiver down their spines. "Screen everyone who has had contact with this platform's core code, including those who have left the company. The Technology Department, Network Security Department, and—the Administration and Human Resources Departments will cooperate."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present:

"Three days. I'm giving you three days. Within three days, I want to see the system restored and the mole caught. If you can't do it..."

He didn't continue.

But everyone knew what the second half of the sentence was.

If you can't do it, you're out.

Maybe even... worse.

"I've asked Zhaoshu Company, the top network security firm in the country, to come and help. You will cooperate with them and resolve the issue as quickly as possible," Long Zaitian said in a low voice, suppressing the anger in his heart.

---

Engineer Li returned from his business trip and arranged to meet Chen Fan at his company in the morning.

On the wall of Engineer Li's office hung complex orbital calculation charts and dense engineering schedules.

"Mr. Chen, I've carefully reviewed the heat exchange system simulation data you sent," Engineer Li said, getting straight to the point with a furrowed brow. "The performance parameters are indeed astonishing; the cooling efficiency is 21% higher than our current solution, while the weight is 37% lighter. However—"

He paused and pulled up a comparison chart:

"But in your design, you've used three material structures we've never seen in public literature. Especially this 'gradient nanocrystalline ceramic-metal composite material'; its thermal expansion coefficient matching and thermal shock resistance both exceed the theoretical limits of current materials science. Could you please explain?"

Chen Fan's expression was calm.

He had long expected Engineer Li to have such questions.

"Engineer Li, the specific preparation process of the materials involves trade secrets, so I cannot disclose the details," he said candidly. "But what I can tell you is that all the performance data for these materials has been verified through actual testing in our laboratory. If you need, we can arrange for a third-party testing agency to review it."

Engineer Li was silent for over ten seconds.

He was weighing his options.

On one hand were technical parameters beyond his understanding, and on the other were mysterious materials with no traceable background. In the field of aerospace, this was an extremely dangerous signal—any tiny unreliable factor could lead to catastrophic consequences.

But... those data were too tempting.

If it could really reach 8%—no, even just 60%—of the design indicators, it would be enough to let their suborbital vehicle project leap over at least two years of technical hurdles.

"Mr. Chen," Engineer Li finally spoke again, his tone solemn, "I must ask clearly—have these materials of yours undergone simulation tests in environments of long-duration high temperature, high vibration, and high radiation? Have you done vacuum thermal cycling experiments? Have you..."

He asked seventeen professional questions in one breath.

Every single one pointed directly at the most stringent reliability requirements for aerospace materials.

Chen Fan listened quietly, and only after Engineer Li finished did he speak slowly:

"Engineer Li, we've done all the tests you mentioned. And... we did them even more extremely."

He took out the document prepared by Xiao Zhi and handed it over.

"This is the 'Extreme Operating Conditions Simulation Test Report' we conducted. Test conditions include: 200 degrees Celsius continuous high temperature for 72 hours, 100G random vibration for 3 hours, 10 times the radiation dose equivalent to geostationary orbit, and... 1000 rapid vacuum-atmosphere cycles."

Engineer Li opened the file, and after reading just a few lines, his breathing became rapid.

Those test parameters could no longer be described as "stringent"; they were simply "insane." Many of the test conditions had already exceeded the limits of existing ground simulation equipment.

"How... how did you do it?" he couldn't help but ask.

"We have special testing equipment," Chen Fan didn't elaborate. "But more importantly—our materials were designed to withstand these conditions."

He paused, his tone becoming serious:

"Engineer Li, I know what you're worried about. A new company, a batch of new materials, a technical solution without flight verification—in the aerospace field, this sounds like a fairy tale. But I can guarantee you that since Fanxing Technology dared to take on this job, we are prepared to take full responsibility."

"If the materials don't meet the standards during testing, we will bear all research and development costs."

"If problems arise during prototype integration, we will be responsible to the end."

"Even..." Chen Fan looked at Li Hang, "if a failure occurs during actual flight due to the materials, we are willing to sign an unlimited liability compensation clause."

Engineer Li's fingers tapped gently on the tabletop.

After a long time, he finally looked up:

"Mr. Chen, I need three days. Within three days, I will organize a team of experts to review your data. If the review passes—"

He paused, emphasizing every word:

"We can sign a small-batch trial production contract. Fifty sets for the first batch—can they be delivered within a week? But this is only the beginning. If the trial products pass our ground tests, and... if your materials really prove themselves in actual flight, then we can talk about deeper cooperation."

"Time is not an issue," Chen Fan said.

"Including the joint development of thermal protection components for the next generation of reusable launch vehicles," Engineer Li's voice was soft.

After Chen Fan left, he let out a long breath.

"Master," Xiao Zhi's voice sounded, "monitoring of the Long Group's internal communications shows that they have launched an internal investigation procedure, focusing on screening core development personnel. They have also found Zhaoshu Company in the field of network security."

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Chen Fan's mouth.

Infighting.

This is the most classic reaction of all behemoths when facing a crisis.

Finding a scapegoat, calming the situation, and maintaining a facade of stability.

"Zhaoshu Company does have some skills; let's pause the subsequent attacks for now."

"Okay, Boss."