13: Xinghai was established

Bai Qianqian covered the microphone and looked at Chen Tao.

Chen Tao raised a hand, gesturing to delay, his brows furrowed deeply.

He quickly walked to the window, turned his back to everyone, and lit a cigarette.

Amidst the smoke, he rapidly weighed his options in his mind.

Two billion was no small sum; although he could make the decision, if the Ghost took the money and then disappeared from the internet without fulfilling the task, the Seventh Bureau's current methods would make it genuinely difficult to trace the source.

They had tried many times; as soon as they touched an information source, devices within a certain range would immediately crash, making it impossible to investigate.

And this burden would naturally fall on him, the branch director.

However, if they could truly obtain [Nemesis], this achievement would be enough for him to advance further.

He stubbed out his cigarette, walked to a corner, and dialed an encrypted phone number.

After a brief exchange, his expression grew even more solemn.

The superior's reply was clear.

The situation was known; Chen Tao was to decide based on the on-site circumstances.

Chen Tao took a deep breath; he had already understood the message from above—this matter was inevitable.

If he faltered at this moment, the consequences would also be something he couldn't bear.

After realizing this, Chen Tao returned to Bai Qianqian's side, took out a pen and paper, and wrote:

"Three days."

"Two billion is no small sum; give me three days."

"Alright."

The call ended.

Bai Qianqian sighed deeply; Bais Technology was, after all, dragged into a storm it couldn't possibly handle.

Chen Tao: "President Bai, thank you for your cooperation."

Watching the group of people leave the office with their advanced equipment, Bai Qianqian sank into her chair, closing her eyes, looking utterly disheartened.

Cloud Deer Garden.

He Ming fell into contemplation, looking at the list of corporate executives in his hand.

He was well aware of his own capabilities; managing a company well and making it grow strong was inherently difficult.

It was more reliable to leave professional matters to professionals.

There were eleven people on the list, all top talents he hoped to recruit.

Jiang Zhonghua, at the top, was the only SS-level management talent.

"The first step towards the sea of stars begins with you."

Huanyu Building.

Jiang Zhonghua carried a cardboard box, his steps heavy, as he walked out of the office building where he had spent twenty years.

He was 49 years old, serving as Human Resources Director, an executive at a Fortune 500 company.

However, these accolades seemed pale and powerless in the face of the company's structural optimization and cost-cutting directives.

He had long had a premonition, but he hadn't expected this day to come so quickly.

The days that followed were filled with countless rejections.

His impressive resume became the biggest obstacle to finding a job.

"President Jiang, our small company truly can't afford you."

"Old Jiang, the market isn't good right now. With your level and age, it's too difficult."

...Returning home, Jiang Zhonghua felt a deep pang of sadness facing his wife's worried gaze.

The new house bought for his son needed mortgage payments.

His youngest daughter's tuition required a large sum of money.

His eldest daughter divorced and moved in with her two children, dramatically increasing the financial pressure.

He sat in his study, looking out at the scenery outside the window, feeling a sense of confusion he had never experienced before.

Although he received a large severance package, the cost of living in Modu was no joke; it would eventually run out.

Just then, an unfamiliar number called.

Jiang Zhonghua picked up the phone, and when he saw the caller ID, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

With a question in his heart, he answered the call.

"Hello, is this Mr. Jiang Zhonghua?"

An electronically synthesized voice came from the phone.

"It is. Who is this?"

"My surname is He. I'm planning to establish a biomedical company with an initial capital of two billion. Are you interested in becoming its CEO?"

Jiang Zhonghua's first reaction was that it was a scam call.

"Mr. He, that's quite a big joke you're playing."

"The compensation will be based on Fortune 500 company standards."

Jiang Zhonghua's heart skipped a beat.

Combined with the somewhat strange phone number, he actually felt a glimmer of anticipation.

"I need to see something that proves your identity."

"Alright."

A few seconds later, a new email notification sounded.

Jiang Zhonghua opened the email; it was an encrypted copy of an asset certificate, with a dizzyingly large number.

Jiantong Bank, balance over two billion.

"If you agree, print out the attached contract and sign it."

Jiang Zhonghua took a deep breath; he was a smart man.

The other party used an electronic voice for the call to avoid revealing his identity.

He was already at the lowest point in his life; he had nothing left to lose.

There was no harm in trying, as long as he was careful not to reveal any important personal information, he wouldn't be scammed.

"I accept."

"Very good. After signing the contract, your task is to build the company's framework and get it running in the shortest possible time."

"You don't need to worry about the technical aspects. Oh, by the way, feel free to ask for anything you need."

The call ended.

Time flew by, and half a month passed.

Jiang Zhonghua sat in his impressive office, frowning as he looked at the personnel list in his hand, which was filled with crosses.

The good news was that two billion had indeed been deposited into the company account.

The bad news was that he couldn't recruit anyone.

The headhunters' feedback was direct: the top talents Jiang Zhonghua had his eye on instantly lost interest once they heard it was a startup.

Mid-level management talents were also hesitant.

Quite a few entry-level newcomers showed up, but Jiang Zhonghua felt a headache coming on after glancing at their resumes.

They were either fresh graduates or slackers eliminated by big companies.

He needed people who could immediately take on major responsibilities, not rookies who came to learn.

After much sifting and selecting, the basic framework was finally established.

"President Jiang, a Mr. He is here to see you; he said you had an appointment."

Jiang Zhonghua then remembered the mysterious call from that morning; the Big Boss had assigned someone to him, saying he would be the head of the information network security department.

"Let him in."

The door opened, and He Ming walked in.

Jiang Zhonghua took a quick look; he appeared to be twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in simple casual wear, carrying a notebook bag.

"I am He Ming, here to report to the Information Security Department."

"Mr. He, is it?"

Jiang Zhonghua stood up to shake hands, forcing a smile.

"I'll show you to your office."

He led He Ming through the office area and casually pointed to the smallest cubicle.

"How about here?"

"It's fine."

He Ming wasn't picky; he put down his bag and began examining the network interface.

Jiang Zhonghua stood at the doorway, looking at this young man, who was likely a favored connection, and secretly sighed.

"Do you need me to assign you an assistant?" Jiang Zhonghua asked very politely.

"No need."

He Ming opened his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

Jiang Zhonghua shook his head and turned to leave.

Back in his own office, he looked out at the bustling scenery of Modu and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He couldn't hire top talent, couldn't recruit mid-level executives, and now, the Big Boss had directly sent a young man to be the head of the Information Security Department.

Could this company even continue to operate?

He Ming connected to the company's network. On the notebook screen, lines of code scrolled rapidly, and the Ghost Protection System was installed.

"That's about it."

When the last Enter key was pressed,

the entire network system of Xinghai Biotechnology transformed into an impenetrable fortress at that moment.