38: Chapter 38: Who is the prey, and who is the hunter?

The news that the hacking attack had failed and a full set of top-tier equipment had been lost quickly reached the capital.

Qian Boan sat in his office, listening to the shocked and furious report from the head of the 'Ghost' team over the phone, remaining silent for a long while.

"Mr. Qian, I must warn you," Snake Eye's voice was trembling on the other end. "The defensive technology possessed by your target is beyond our understanding. That wasn't technology; it was... it was witchcraft."

"Two of my men are still in a trance, constantly claiming they've seen 'unclean' things. Our 'Ghost' team is dropping this mission."

The call was cut off.

Qian Boan held the receiver, his face terrifyingly dark.

Witchcraft?

He naturally didn't believe such nonsense. To him, this only proved one thing: the technology in that girl Jiang Ning's hands was even more bizarre than he had imagined.

It was so formidable that even the top hacking team from Country M couldn't even scratch the surface.

This instead caused the desire to obtain it to burn even more fiercely in his heart.

"Chairman, what should we do?" the female secretary asked softly from the side. "The 'Gecko' plan has already invested all available resources, but it seems... to have no impact on them."

"No impact?" Qian Boan sneered. "That's because they're still living off their old stock. Once their inventory of materials is exhausted and their new project starts, they'll have to come crawling to me when they need what we have."

He stood up and walked to the window.

"I admit, I underestimated her. She's a technical genius, but in other areas, she's incredibly stupid."

"She doesn't understand business, she doesn't understand the human heart, and she certainly doesn't understand compromise."

"People like her either soar to the heavens or... crash and burn."

"Continue the plan," he ordered. "Tighten the net even further. I want to see just how long she can hold out."

...

The "Kuafu" Base.

Director Zhao Lixin arrived once again by private jet.

As soon as he landed, he went straight to the command center and called Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo together for a brief meeting.

"Director Zhao, you've finally arrived!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo couldn't help but complain the moment he saw him. "That old fox Qian Boan is a real piece of work! He's got us completely bottlenecked; the project's progress has slowed by more than half!"

"I know," Director Zhao Lixin's expression was very calm. "I've been keeping a close eye on the situation."

He opened an encrypted tablet and pushed it toward the two of them.

On it was a massive network of connections. At the center was Huanyu Group, with hundreds of lines extending from it, connecting to various companies, organizations, and even individuals.

"This is the commercial empire and network of connections belonging to Qian Boan that our Ninth Bureau spent seven days digging up," Director Zhao Lixin pointed at the screen. "Over the years, he has used various means to infiltrate over a dozen key fields domestically, including energy, materials, and transportation. What he's using to throttle us this time doesn't even amount to a tenth of his total power."

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo felt their skin crawl as they looked at the dense web.

They knew Qian Boan was powerful, but they hadn't expected him to be this formidable. His reach was far too long.

"Then... then what do we do?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo felt a bit uncertain. "We're no match for him if we fight head-on."

"Who said we're going to fight him?" Director Zhao Lixin smiled.

He tapped the tablet, and the image on the screen changed.

Outside the Huanyu Group's web, a larger and more rigorous red network had quietly opened up, completely enveloping Huanyu Group.

"This is..." Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's eyes widened.

"This is the power of the State," Director Zhao Lixin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a convincing weight. "From the day Qian Boan's son was kicked out, a massive net targeting him has already been cast."

"He thinks he's the one setting the board and cornering us. In reality, he himself has long been the fish in the net."

Director Zhao Lixin explained, "We've already sent task forces into those companies he acquired to audit their accounts. The people he bribed are already being invited for 'tea' by comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission. Every single fund he mobilizes is under our surveillance."

"The reason we haven't moved against him yet is because we are waiting."

"Waiting for him to reveal all his trump cards, waiting for him to extend all his dirty hands, waiting for him to walk to the edge of the cliff himself."

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo listened with their mouths agape, their backs drenched in cold sweat.

Only now did they realize how laughable their previous worries and anxieties were.

Before the machine of the State, Qian Boan's frantic maneuvering was like a monkey putting on a show.

"Then... what about us now?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo asked.

"Continue to wait," Director Zhao Lixin said. "Now is not the time to pull in the net. What we want is not just to wound him, but to... uproot him entirely."

He paused and looked toward the top of the high tower outside the window.

"Furthermore, the Chief Consultant also needs an opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

"Yes," Director Zhao Lixin nodded, his expression becoming a mix of complexity and anticipation. "An opportunity that will drive him completely mad, making him do the stupidest things at any cost."

"The Chief Consultant's Foundation Establishment is the best opportunity."

Although Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo didn't understand what "Foundation Establishment" was, they understood Director Zhao Lixin's meaning.

This was fishing.

Using Chief Consultant Jiang Ning as the largest and most enticing bait to hook the bloodshot-eyed shark that was Qian Boan.

"I understand!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan slapped his thigh. "Then what we need to do now is put on an act! The more realistic, the better! We'll make him think we've truly been driven into a corner by him!"

"Exactly," Director Zhao Lixin looked at him with approval. "Old Wang, for this, we'll need you to step up. You are highly respected in the engineering world; if you come forward and publicly state the project is facing difficulties, or even... seek help from the public, Qian Boan will definitely believe it."

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan chuckled, his eyes lighting up.

"No problem! Acting is what this old man does best!"

A grand play to "lure the tiger from the mountain" was decided right there in that small command center.

Meanwhile, the "bait" they spoke of was still in seclusion at the top of the tower, completely unaware.

The air around her seemed to undergo a subtle change.

Something was surging toward her from all directions, drilling into her body.

The power within her was nearly at its limit.

That invisible barrier finally showed signs of cracking.

Foundation Establishment was only one last step away.