116: Chapter 116 Crisis, Acquisition, and the Silent Battlefield

The live stream of the "Million Piano Marathon" entered its third day. The enthusiasm of the global audience, rather than fading, continued to surge due to the increasingly deep interactions and emotional connections with the contestants. The truck piano had already traveled from New York to Philadelphia, and the street crowds and fan followings it triggered along the way became news in their own right.

However, the truly dramatic moment occurred during an unplanned interruption of the live stream.

At the time, it was Michael—the veteran with the prosthetic limb—who was performing his second two-hour shift. He chose to play a fusion of military music and classic rock, his emotions stirring and passionate. Just as he reached the climax of an original melody dedicated to his fallen comrades, a drunken middle-aged man suddenly broke through a weak point in the perimeter security (the crowd was too dense at the time) and stumbled toward the piano truck. He shouted incoherently, "My son was in Iraq too... what do you people know!" as he attempted to climb onto the truck.

The scene was filled with gasps. The live stream feed shook violently, and the sounds of security personnel shouting and general chaos could be heard. Millions of viewers witnessed this sudden disturbance.

In the backstage monitoring area, Marcus's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately ordered the main audio source to be cut and prepared to switch to a backup feed. But Alex's voice instantly intervened through the encrypted channel: "Do not cut! Keep the fixed camera on Michael, give him a close-up. Activate the backup audio, only pick up the piano and the sound within a three-meter radius of Michael."

The command was executed instantly. The screen stabilized, focusing on Michael. A shocking scene unfolded: facing the intruder and the commotion just inches away, Michael's hands on the keys did not even tremble. He did not stop playing; instead, he continued that originally mournful melody in a firmer, more grand manner, as if using the music to drown out the clamor of reality. He didn't even look at the intruder being quickly subdued and taken away by security, but instead stared at the photo of his comrade on the piano music stand.

The intruder was taken away, and the commotion subsided. Michael finished the last note, his hands left the keys, and he took a deep breath. Facing the camera, his voice was calm and powerful: "Music cannot bring back those who are gone, but sometimes, it can give those who are living a reason to keep moving forward. Dedicated to all my brothers, wherever you are."

This two-and-a-half-minute, unedited real-time footage became the most impactful segment of the live stream to date. It showed chaos, it showed composure, and it showed the power of music in the face of real conflict. When the Flashpoint team released this video titled "Maintaining wavelength in the Noise," the resonance and praise it triggered were unprecedented. People praised Michael's calm and marveled even more at the live stream team's emergency response and their commitment to "the truth." This accidental crisis, far from damaging the event, pushed it to a higher emotional and moral ground. Alex's on-the-spot decision was regarded by the internal team as a textbook example of crisis PR.

However, the sniping from the business world never stopped and quickly escalated. Just a few hours after the live stream crisis was perfectly resolved, Lauren received a formal acquisition offer from the Summit Creative Group—a holding group that had risen rapidly in recent years and was famous for integrating social media influencers and content production companies, with the shadow of traditional media giants' capital behind it.

The offer was blunt and aggressive: a full acquisition of Flashpoint Lab for $150 million in cash and stock. The document was filled with terms like "synergy," "scaled operations," and "accelerated monetization," but the core intent was clear: either swallow this threat or use a high price to let you and your team "reach the shore" and leave the battlefield.

"They've assessed Flashpoint's potential and also see our delicate relationship with YouTube," Lauren analyzed during an emergency conference call. "150 million is a sky-high price for a company only a few weeks old, but they're betting that we won't be able to refuse the temptation of cash, and... the potentially greater competitive pressure we might face later. If we refuse, they'll likely turn around and support or replicate a competitor of ours, using capital to crush us."

Alex sat in the meeting room of the tour bus, listening to Lauren's analysis without any surprise on his face. "Tell them we have no interest in selling the company. But Flashpoint welcomes strategic investors, provided the investor agrees with our independent operation philosophy and long-term content ecosystem vision, and the investment ratio does not exceed 15%, with no board seat, only observer rights. As for the valuation..." He paused. "Based on our current growth curve and exclusive content model, we value ourselves at $500 million."

"500 million?" Even Marcus was taken aback.

"This isn't just about money; it's about attitude and positioning," Alex's tone was cold. "We are not assets waiting for a price; we are among those defining the future of content. This offer will scare off pure financial acquirers and filter for truly visionary strategic partners. Meanwhile, leak the word that Echo Vision is considering leading a Series A for Flashpoint."

This was a move of using offense as defense. Building a firewall with an absurdly high valuation while demonstrating the parent company's determination to continue its support would deter hostile takeovers and attract allies who might truly be beneficial.

Regarding the military cooperation, the technical white paper was submitted as scheduled. A few days later, feedback arrived: the other party invited the Echo Vision team to a highly classified facility in Arlington County, Virginia, for a "private technical capability demonstration," where "more technical evaluators from relevant fields" would be present.

This meant they had entered a more core circle of evaluation. Rex personally led the team, departing with an upgraded "Adaptive System" 2.0 prototype. Before they left, Alex only gave one instruction: "Show them our thought process for solving problems, not just the technical parameters."

---

The script reading for city of instantaneity officially began. Alex participated remotely via video on the first day. Listening to the actors use their voices to initially construct that time-warped world and watching the visual previews of "Time Scars" and "Memory Precipitation" being rendered synchronously on the screen, he was certain that once this film was completed, it would be more than just a movie; it would be a visual revolution. Sophia Chen reported that international film festival scouts had already proactively inquired about the project's progress.

It was against such a backdrop of intertwined pressures and opportunities that Alex made a decision.

Late at night, in a hotel suite in Pittsburgh. He summoned the system interface, his gaze falling on Information Node Implantation (Basic). Exchange cost: 18,000,000 points. His current available points: 25,880,030 points.

"Exchange."

[Exchange confirmed. 18,000,000 popularity points paid.]

[Current available popularity: 7,880,030 points]

['Information Node Implantation (Basic)' loaded.]

There was no flash of light, no strange sound. But he could clearly perceive that an extremely hidden "interface" had appeared in the depths of his consciousness, along with a complex set of operating instructions on how to choose carriers, how to minimize physical traces for implantation, and how to set information feedback modes and encryption protocols. The effective range of a node was about a hundred meters, the feedback information was fuzzy (able to distinguish general types of sounds, vibration intensity, and whether the carrier was moved), and a single node would automatically degrade and fail after thirty days.

This was a powerful tool, but also a dangerous toy. Alex was well aware of its weight.

The opportunity for its first use came quickly.

After refusing Summit Creative Group's acquisition offer and proposing a sky-high valuation, the other party did not give up. They arranged an "informal coffee meeting" through an intermediary at a private members-only club in New York with excellent privacy. Alex had Lauren and Marcus attend while he did not show his face, but he arrived at the club an hour early and stayed briefly in the room next to the booked booth under the guise of a "potential member tour."

Utilizing those brief few minutes, he relied on Environmental Perception Enhancement and his newly acquired ability to implant the first information node on the inner back of a heavy oil painting frame on the booth's wall. The entire process was silent; he didn't even touch the front of the frame.

A few hours later, Lauren and Marcus met with two of the other party's executives in the booth. Alex, in a car several blocks away, received fuzzy feedback from the node via the system interface: long periods of steady conversation (unable to hear content), occasionally heightened tones (likely arguing over key points), a distinct vibration from tapping the table (likely indicating dissatisfaction or emphasis), and finally, the sound of slightly hurried rising and leaving.

After the meeting, Lauren reported immediately: "Their attitude was aggressive. They insisted our valuation is 'detached from reality' and hinted that if we don't cooperate with Summit, we might 'face unnecessary challenges' in content distribution, artist collaborations, and even public opinion in the future. They even mentioned the names of several of our contestants, implying they have the ability to provide 'personal development opportunities they can't refuse.'"

Alex combined the node's feedback of "heightened tones" and the vibration of "tapping the table" to confirm the other party's pressuring posture. And mentioning the contestants' names was a naked threat.

"The negotiations have broken down," Alex said calmly. "But they've exposed their hand—they're desperate, and their methods might not be so clean. Notify Hank and Rex's teams to strengthen personal security and network privacy protection for core contestants and key members of Flashpoint. Meanwhile, have the deep investigation team from Voice of Truth start quietly collecting public information on whether Summit Creative Group and its associated capital have engaged in unfair competition or monopolistic behavior in past business rivalries. We won't initiate a provocation, but we must prepare our shields and... ammunition for a counterattack if necessary."

The first use of Information Node Implantation did not bring decisive intelligence, but it validated the capability's feasibility and provided a profile of the other party's negotiation attitude at a critical moment, making Alex's decision-making more evidence-based. This invisible dagger had quietly been drawn.

The system interface expanded again late at night.

[Influence Event Settlement]

· "Million Piano Marathon" live stream crisis transformed into an emotional and moral high ground (Content control and the art of PR)

· Successfully repelled a hostile acquisition offer and reshaped Flashpoint's positioning with a sky-high valuation (Business defense and strategic resolve)

· Military cooperation entered a deeper stage of classified demonstrations (Technical strength highly recognized)

· city of instantaneity progressing steadily (Healthy progress of the art project)

· Exchanged and strategically used Information Node Implantation (Basic) for the first time (Beginning of the practical application of extraordinary abilities)

[popularity gain (net growth after deducting exchange consumption): +1,200,000 points]

[Current available popularity: 9,080,030 points]

(Historical cumulative: 75,080,030 points)

[Hint: Historical cumulative popularity has surpassed 75 million points. Continue accumulating; when it breaks 100 million points (100,000,000), it is expected to unlock extraordinary options involving more fundamental rule levels.]

One hundred million points! A new and grander threshold appeared in the distance. The abilities after that might touch the level of "rules." This filled him with a more essential motivation to continue expanding his influence.

Inside him, new and old powers intertwined and settled.

In his hands, the chess game of business and creativity became more complex.

In his ears, the fuzzy whispers of the world from the node heralded a brand-new dimension of perception.

Alex stood before the window, the lights of Pittsburgh reflected in his deep eyes.

The old war had not ceased, and a new war had already begun in unknown corners.

And he already quietly possessed the ability to define the rules of war across more dimensions.

The night was still long.

The game was becoming more three-dimensional.