333: Chapter 333 Chaos

As the Zheng Tu Holographic Generator became a global bestseller, more and more people experienced the convenience of holographic projection. From education, healthcare, and entertainment to industrial design, remote collaboration, and even military simulations, holographic technology began to permeate every industry of human society.

As the owner of holographic technology, Third-Party Technology's reputation soared, further solidifying its status as the world's leading company.

Countless people depended on this company's every whim for their survival.

After weeks of precise calculations and industry research, several world-renowned financial institutions on Wall Street finally jointly released the latest valuation report for Third-Party Technology.

Twelve trillion US dollars!

This figure exploded like a thunderclap in the global financial market, directly becoming the ceiling for corporate valuation in human business history. It was unlikely that any other company could ever reach such heights again.

Many people talked about it with great relish, sighing in admiration.

—

In the center of a first-tier city, a fashionably dressed young man was directing the posting of a poster next to a shop sign.

"It's crooked. A bit to the left. Yes, yes, yes, a bit more to the left. Too far, back to the right a bit."

His name was Chen Chuan, the owner of this Zheng Tu Holographic Generator rental experience store. A week ago, after much deliberation, he decided to take out the savings he had accumulated for a long time to order two 50-meter-class basic model holographic generators, intending to start a rental business.

After all, he had looked into it; many people found renting much more cost-effective than buying outright. It seemed to have great financial prospects, and the reality proved it so.

Just as Chen Chuan started spreading the word, he received several orders from schools and large venues. At this rate, he would be able to recoup his investment in just one year.

"Stop! Master, just like that, don't move."

Once the poster, featuring a planet-shaped logo and images of the holographic generators, was properly pasted, Chen Chuan looked at it and nodded in satisfaction.

Returning to the shop, Chen Chuan stroked the two large silver-white square blocks in the middle of the store as if he were caressing a lover. These would be his bread and butter from now on.

Slumping on the sofa like Ge You, Chen Chuan waved his hand, and a projection screen appeared in front of him, clear and stable, as if it were a physical object.

Chen Chuan opened Third-Party Technology's official website to see if there was any latest news. This was something he did every day, having basically become a habit. He skillfully slid his fingers across the holographic touch interface, browsing the homepage's news updates and product releases.

Everything was normal, and he didn't find anything unusual. But just as Chen Chuan was about to exit the official website, a notice in red font suddenly popped up on the homepage.

"This is..."

Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed as if he had seen something unbelievable. This was actually an apology statement!

The headline read: "Emergency Notice and Sincere Apology Regarding the Hijacking of the 'Sun Disc' Space Station by Lawless Elements."

Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat, and his fingers instinctively zoomed in on the page.

The notice claimed that the greatest space creation in human history had actually suffered a cyberattack by an illegal organization. Third-Party Technology had lost control over it, and company experts were doing their best to salvage the situation...

How is that possible! That was Chen Chuan's first thought, his face showing a look of disbelief.

Third-Party Technology's technological prowess was obvious to all. How could it be breached by hackers? He dared to say that no company today could match Third-Party Technology in this regard.

Then what was this statement all about?

Chen Chuan was utterly confused. Ignoring the customers who had just entered the shop to inquire about renting holographic generators, he hurriedly searched for other information online. After all, this was no joke.

Two months ago, Chen Chuan had followed the entire experiment of the Space-Based Weapons in the Atlantic Ocean. If lawless elements had taken control of this space station...

At this thought, Chen Chuan shuddered. Even a commoner like him knew that this was a disaster threatening every country and the entire world.

At this moment, even though the statement had only been out for a short while, the internet was already in an uproar. Especially after the current location of the Sun Disc space station was exposed by an international astronomical public welfare organization, it was like adding fuel to the fire, becoming unstoppable.

The current orbital position of this hijacked Sun Disc space station was actually right above Tokyo, the capital of Japan!

Now, the whole world was abuzz, and various speculations and conspiracy theories emerged:

"This is BBC News reporting. Earlier this morning, the crown jewel of human technology, Third-Party Technology Company's Sun Disc space station, was confirmed to have been hijacked by an unidentified hacker organization and has maneuvered into orbit directly above Tokyo, the capital of Japan. This news has sparked extreme shock and deep concern worldwide..."

"Dear viewers, this is Europe Express. Today, humanity faces a severe challenge as a giant space station controlled by lawless elements hangs over Tokyo. Its potential threat is incalculable..."

"Five-star General MacArthur stated that this incident could set a dangerous precedent for using space facilities for extortion..."

"A spokesperson for the Indian State Government told reporters that the Indian State Government is shocked by the incident and calls for the United Nations Security Council to intervene immediately to prevent the crisis from spreading. At the same time, they subtly implied that this incident exposed the lack of oversight of strategic space assets by the world's largest private company..."

—

"Viewers, this is NHK Tokyo Headquarters broadcasting live," a female reporter said, taking a deep breath in front of a Tokyo street.

"Regarding the information circulating online, our government has activated the highest-level emergency response plan. Professional personnel from the Self-Defense Forces, police, fire department, and all relevant departments are at their posts, doing their best to protect everyone's safety. The space station above our heads has not shown any attacks or abnormal movements."

"We hope the citizens of Japan will not panic. Please remember," the female reporter's voice took on a touch of warmth as she looked into the camera, as if making eye contact with every viewer:

"Tokyo has experienced earthquakes, tsunamis, plagues... Every time, we have relied on each other and the resilience of this city to pull through. This time will be no exception."

"Please protect yourselves and your families, stay calm, and stay quietly at home to avoid causing chaos..."

But these words had little effect.

Tokyo, the political, economic, and cultural center of Japan and a megacity with a population of over thirty million, now had a giant space station equipped with Space-Based Weapons, controlled by an unknown force, hanging high above it.

Merely a simple deterrent was enough to plunge the city into chaos.