Chapter 92: With the US Department of Commerce intervening, Xinghai faces the highest level of sanctions.

A wooden gavel struck the walnut sounding board, emitting a dull "thud."

Washington, Department of Commerce hearing hall.

Rows of giant crystal chandeliers overhead made one's eyes ache, and cold air poured in from all directions.

The air was mixed with the scent of expensive cigars and hair gel.

John Smith leaned back in a large, high-backed leather chair.

He reached out and tugged at his dark blue silk tie, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

On the table lay a freshly printed document, the edges of the paper still holding the lingering warmth of the copier.

Hundreds of foreign media reporters sat below.

The flashes from their long and short camera lenses merged into a blinding daylight.

"Quiet."

John tapped the black microphone in front of him.

A harsh screech of electrical feedback scraped across everyone's eardrums, and the hall instantly fell silent.

He picked up the glass at his side and took a sip of iced mineral water.

The ice cubes clinked against the glass walls with a crisp sound.

"After half a month of investigation, we have reached a conclusion regarding this 'Information Security Hazard Report' in our hands."

John's voice carried a heavy politician's tone, slow and deliberate.

He picked up the document and waved it in mid-air.

"Xinghai Technology from China, using their so-called ecosystem, is illegally stealing our citizens' privacy."

He lied through his teeth, splashing this dirty water without even blushing or catching his breath.

"This behavior constitutes a serious national security threat."

A commotion broke out in the press section below.

People whispered to each other, their leather shoe soles scuffing against the wool carpet with a rustling sound.

A blonde female reporter stood up, holding a voice recorder.

"Mr. John, does this not violate the principles of a free market? They only sell tablets and wristbands."

"We set the rules."

John didn't even lift his eyelids, cutting her off.

He crossed his hands under his chin, a look of arrogant sneer pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Starting today, the US Department of Commerce officially signs the highest-level sanction order against Xinghai Technology."

He read out the name that makes global enterprises tremble in fear.

"Entity List."

As these words landed, the sound of gasps filled the venue.

John leaned forward, his eyes like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"Any components, chip architectures, or even a single wire containing US underlying technology are strictly prohibited from being sold to Xinghai."

He paused for two seconds, filling his words with murderous intent.

"At the same time, we demand that all allied countries and domestic law enforcement agencies take immediate action."

He slammed the table violently.

"Completely shut down all offline direct sales stores set up by Xinghai overseas! Freeze all overseas accounts under their name!"

Cook, sitting in the shadows in the front row, silently adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

He exchanged a look with Andy Rubin beside him.

Both of them simultaneously raised the corners of their mouths in a satisfied arc.

Those tens of millions in political contributions poured into Capitol Hill had finally made some noise.

If you can't win in business, then flip the table.

Directly use the state apparatus to crush this disobedient little Eastern kid in the cradle.

The news traveled along the submarine fiber optic cables, reaching the country at the speed of light.

The whole country was in an uproar.

Major digital forums in the country were directly paralyzed by furious netizens.

It was just past noon in Donghai City.

The sun was so fierce it could melt the asphalt, and the cicadas on the plane trees by the roadside were screaming heart-wrenchingly.

Heat waves rolled in, and the air seemed distorted.

The top floor of the Xinghai Technology building.

"Da da da da!"

The sound of high heels hitting the terrazzo floor was chaotic and hurried, the heels nearly tripping her several times.

"Bang!"

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

The doorknob hit the white wall hard, shaking off a small piece of plaster.

White dust fell in flurries onto the Persian rug.

Shen Qingqiu couldn't even catch her breath.

She wasn't wearing a jacket, and her white shirt was soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to the shoulder blades on her back.

Strands of her long hair, usually kept neatly, had come loose and were stuck to her forehead covered in fine sweat.

"Lu Jingming..."

Her throat was as dry and hoarse as if she had swallowed a handful of sand, her voice trembling.

She was gripping a few transoceanic faxes tightly in her hand, the paper crumpled with deep creases from her grasp.

Lu Jingming leaned back in his boss chair.

He held a white porcelain teacup in his hand, slowly blowing at the floating leaves on the surface of the water.

Steam rose in wisps, blurring his sharp-featured side profile.

"What are you panicking about? You've already dismantled the door."

Lu Jingming took a sip of tea.

The tea was slightly bitter, sliding down his esophagus.

He set the cup on the mahogany desktop, making a dull sound.

"The US has made their move!"

Shen Qingqiu slammed the stack of fax paper onto the coffee table.

Her chest heaved violently, and an uncontrollable flush of red rimmed her eyes.

"The Department of Commerce has issued an Entity List! These bandits aren't even pretending to keep up appearances anymore!"

She bit her red lips, not noticing the slight trace of blood seeping out.

"Seventeen overseas direct sales stores in Los Angeles, New York, and London were all sealed by local police half an hour ago!"

The "patter" of slippers hitting the floor came from the hallway.

Chu Xuan, with his greasy center-parted hair, darted in like a headless fly.

He held a tablet in his hand, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

"Lu, Mr. Lu! There's a huge disaster!"

Chu Xuan swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing several times.

"A video sent back from the foreign internet! Those foreign police entered our stores with guns drawn!"

He shoved the screen in front of Lu Jingming, his hands shaking so much he could barely hold it.

"The store manager was pressed to the ground and searched, and the hundreds of thousands of units of stock in the warehouse were all tagged for confiscation."

Chu Xuan slapped his thigh in desperation.

"The cargo ships! Those two fully loaded cargo ships we had docked at the port of San Francisco were directly detained by customs! They didn't even give a reason!"

Lu Jingming lowered his eyelids, glancing at the image on the screen.

Several white police officers were acting roughly, pulling down the blue sign of Xinghai Technology.

He pulled out the one-dollar plastic lighter from his pocket and spun it around his knuckles twice.

Shen Qingqiu braced her hands on the edge of the desk, her nails scratching against the wood grain with a soft sound.

"There's something even more deadly."

Her voice carried an uncontrollable panic.

"UBS just sent an urgent email. Restricted by the US long-arm jurisdiction act."

She took a deep breath, tears welling up in her eyes.

"The billions of dollars we have in overseas accounts, intended for expanding the ecosystem..."

"Have all been frozen."

"Not a single cent can be withdrawn."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xuan's legs went weak. He slumped directly into the single sofa nearby, the leather creaking under his weight.

"This is digging up our roots, damn it."

He pulled at his hair, his face deathly pale.

"The money is gone, the stores are smashed, the goods are seized."

Chu Xuan looked up, staring at Lu Jingming with a miserable expression.

"The internet trolls I hired just posted two posts on Twitter crying injustice, and the accounts were banned in seconds."

"These Americans have no honor; they didn't even leave us a megaphone to call for help."

The office fell into a deathly silence. Only the "hissing" sound of air leaking from the central air conditioning vent hovered overhead.

This scorched-earth tactic was too ruthless and vicious. It ignored business logic and legal terms. It was pure, brute-force oppression.

For any private enterprise, this combination of moves would force them to declare bankruptcy and liquidation within three days.

Shen Qingqiu looked at the man still sitting in the swivel chair. Her fingertips dug into her palms, forcing herself to calm down.

"Lu Jingming, we have to think of a way out."

She lowered her voice, her tone dry.

"The domestic cash flow can still hold out for a while. Abandon the overseas market and retreat completely back to the country."

"Cut our losses in time, before we are dragged to death."

Lu Jingming's lighter stopped in his hand. His thumb flicked the grinding wheel. "Click."

A deep blue flame flared up, flickering twice in the cold air conditioning breeze. The firelight illuminated his deep, calm pupils.

"Cut losses?"

Lu Jingming scoffed.

He released his hand, the flame extinguished with a crisp sound.

"They've slapped us across the face, and you want me to back down?"

He threw the lighter on the table and stood up.

The hem of his black T-shirt swept across the table as he slowly tugged at his collar and straightened his sleeves.

Shen Qingqiu froze, watching his leisurely demeanor.

"This is an emergency! Do you still think this is just a verbal squabble with competitors back home?"

She stomped her feet in anxiety, her high heels clacking against the floor.

"This is the state apparatus! What do you have to fight against the US?"

Lu Jingming didn't take the bait.

He walked around the large mahogany desk and strolled to the floor-to-ceiling window, one hand tucked into his jeans pocket.

He looked down at the trucks unloading below, a cold, sharp edge in his eyes.

Like a wolf that had been starving in the snow for three days and finally caught the scent of blood.

"The sanction list is out?"

Lu Jingming turned his head, half his face hidden in the intersection of light and shadow.

He looked at the two people sweating with anxiety, pulled up one corner of his mouth, and revealed a chilling smile.

"Qingqiu."

Lu Jingming's voice was not loud, but it carried a fierce, destructive intensity.

"Go tell Dazhuang."

Shen Qingqiu stared at him blankly.

"Tell Dazhuang what?"

"Tell him to find those old shovels in the warehouse."

Lu Jingming turned back, looking at the blinding sun outside the glass window. A fire of madness ignited in the depths of his eyes.

"Since they like to drive us to the wall."

"Then it's time for us to go dig graves for these foreign devils."