Chapter 123 Cook takes over and starts playing dirty tricks with Starsea.

Across the ocean in California, the sun was scorching.

Inside the CEO's office on the top floor of Apple headquarters, the silence was so heavy that one could hear the faint whistling of the air conditioning vents.

Cook stared intensely at the thin international shipping invoice on his desk.

Underneath it lay a printed high-definition screenshot of a GIF.

It was from that Twitter account with the official Xinghai golden checkmark.

The raw egg frying on the white magnetic charging pad, with its edges turned golden brown, felt like a resounding slap in the face.

It struck him hard across the face.

"Ten boxes of graphene cooling film. Shipping paid on delivery. Lu Jingming..."

Cook squeezed these words through his teeth.

His back molars ached from clenching, and a faint metallic, sweet taste seeped from his gums.

He grabbed the shipping invoice.

His knuckles turned a deathly pale white.

With a "rip," the invoice was torn into shreds.

They scattered like snowflakes onto the expensive mahogany desk.

The Greater China Executive stood before the desk, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples and dripped into the collar of his suit.

"Boss, our stock price is still falling. The public opinion on Twitter is already out of control."

Cook yanked loose the suffocating silk tie around his neck.

His chest heaved violently, like a broken bellows with a snapped cord.

The technical counterattack on a physical level had failed completely.

Xinghai's wireless microwave transmission, which defied the laws of physics, could not be dismissed with just a few smear pieces.

"If we can't beat them with technology, then we'll flip the table."

The red blood vessels in the whites of Cook's eyes spread like spiderwebs.

He braced his hands on the edge of the desk, revealing the vicious fangs unique to a corporate tycoon.

"Notify the procurement department. Start the 'choose one of two' poison pill plan immediately."

The Greater China Executive jerked his head up, gasping in cold air.

The cold air rushed down his throat, raising goosebumps.

"Choose one of two? You mean..."

"Contact Sony's senior management."

Cook's voice was hoarse, laced with a predatory ruthlessness.

"Tell them that all of Apple's camera sensor orders for next year are now under re-evaluation."

He tapped his knuckles on the desk, making a dull "thud-thud" sound.

"And Corning. Give them an ultimatum."

"If they dare to supply even one glass panel to Xinghai, Apple will immediately cancel the entire global annual order contract!"

The executive swallowed dryly, his Adam's Apple bobbing with difficulty.

Apple's annual shipment volume exceeds two hundred million units.

This is an astronomical figure that could make any supply chain giant kneel and beg for mercy.

Using this as a bargaining chip to coerce parts manufacturers is simply cutting off their livelihood.

"Boss, this is a unilateral violation of the unwritten rules of the supply chain. If it triggers a backlash..."

"Backlash, my ass!"

Cook violently grabbed the half-cup of black coffee on the table and smashed it onto the carpet.

With a dull "bang."

Brown liquid splashed onto the executive's trouser leg.

"Lu Jingming is about to strip our bones to make soup!"

The corner of Cook's eye twitched violently, his face twisted.

"Cut off their supplies! Without foreign lenses and screens, I'd like to see how he manages to assemble those millions of units!"

The weather in Donghai City was as stifling as a giant steamer.

In the top-floor office of the Xinghai Technology building.

The air conditioner was huffing out white mist, keeping the temperature very low.

Lu Jingming sat in the leather executive chair.

His legs were crossed, resting casually on the edge of the dark desk.

He was still wearing that faded black T-shirt, the neckline a bit loose.

Shen Qingqiu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window not far away.

The collar of her white shirt was buttoned meticulously.

Her high heels made a faint friction sound as they stepped on the wool carpet.

She adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Although we won the public opinion war on Twitter."

Shen Qingqiu turned around, a sharp, shrewd light flashing behind her lenses.

"But Cook is no pushover. Those people on Wall Street are experts at playing dirty off the board."

Lu Jingming didn't respond.

He reached his right hand into the pocket of his worn-out jeans.

He pulled out that one-dollar green plastic lighter.

His thumb pressed against the metal grinding wheel.

"Click."

A ghostly blue flame shot up, dancing restlessly at his fingertips.

"Off-board tricks?"

Lu Jingming stared at the flame, a careless, cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth.

A sharp canine tooth glinted coldly in the firelight.

"What else can that old guy do besides throwing money at people?"

He casually snapped the lighter shut.

The flame extinguished instantly with a crisp "snap."

"We currently have a valuation of one trillion sitting on our books. If he dares to throw money at us, I'll bury him with money."

At that exact moment when the lighter went out.

A flurry of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

It sounded like a wild boar running amok in the hallway.

"Bang!"

The heavy solid wood door was roughly shoved open with a shoulder.

The door panel slammed hard against the sound-absorbing pad on the wall, bouncing back half a foot.

Chu Xuan stumbled into the office.

He was wearing a loud blue shirt with yellow flowers today, two buttons popped open.

His tie had long since flown away to who knows where.

He was clutching that wad of tissues he always kept handy.

But now, the tissues were completely soaked through with cold sweat.

They were stuck stickily in his palm, dripping water between his fingers.

"Lu, Mr. Lu!"

Chu Xuan gasped heavily, his chest heaving violently.

His legs were trembling, and he almost tripped at the threshold.

He scrambled toward the desk.

"Something happened! Something big happened!"

Chu Xuan's voice cracked completely, sounding like a broken erhu with a snapped string.

He slapped a few crumpled fax papers onto the glass desk.

With a crisp "thwack."

Shen Qingqiu frowned sharply.

"Speak clearly."

She walked over, her high heels tapping a rapid rhythm on the carpet.

"Are our overseas accounts frozen?"

"It's not about money!"

Chu Xuan wiped the waterfall of greasy sweat from his forehead indiscriminately.

The red blood vessels in his eyes were about to burst.

"Our containers at customs have all been detained!"

Chu Xuan pointed at the fax papers.

His fingers were trembling as if he'd been electrocuted.

"Sony's camera sensors! And the one hundred thousand micro-crystalline glass panels Corning just shipped!"

Lu Jingming lowered his legs from the desk.

He leaned forward slightly.

In those eyes that had been relaxed just a moment ago, a terrifying, fierce light instantly gathered.

"By what right does customs detain our goods?" Lu Jingming's voice dropped.

"It's not customs detaining them; it's the suppliers unilaterally forcing a recall!"

Chu Xuan swallowed dryly, his throat parched.

"Sony and Corning would rather pay the breach of contract penalties than honor the supply contracts for the second half of the year!"

Chu Xuan grabbed the edge of the desk for dear life, his legs so weak he could barely stand.

He stared intensely at Lu Jingming, his voice laced with a desperate, sobbing tone.

"Mr. Lu! They received a death order from Cook!"

"They don't dare offend Apple! Cook is trying to cut off our supplies!"