Hong Yuan's wife had been stricken with cancer, and her days were numbered. She needed constant care and companionship, leaving Hong Yuan no choice but to delegate all the company affairs to his brother, Du Kaifeng. Trusting his brother implicitly, Hong Yuan never imagined that Du Kaifeng would harbor such deep-seated ambition.
For a long time, Du Kaifeng had been envious of Hong Yuan's success and wealth. Seeing his brother's moment of vulnerability, he seized the opportunity with both hands. He secretly bribed key executives within the company and started falsifying financial records, siphoning off money for his own gain.
By the time Hong Yuan realized the full extent of Du Kaifeng's betrayal, it was already too late. His beloved wife had passed away, and his grief was compounded by the shocking news that the company he had worked so hard to build had been thoroughly gutted. Du Kaifeng had not only drained the company's finances but had also left behind enormous debts to the bank. To add insult to injury, he had stolen the company's valuable research findings.
It took Hong Yuan twenty long years to recover from this catastrophic blow. With sheer determination and unyielding grit, he painstakingly rebuilt his life and his career, ultimately achieving the revenge he had so desperately sought. Throughout these two decades, he faced countless obstacles, many of which were directly orchestrated by Du Kaifeng, who seemed intent on ensuring Hong Yuan's perpetual downfall. That is, until Hong Yuan encountered a benefactor who would change his fortunes forever.
Qin Sheng bit down thoughtfully on her pen, her mind turning over the intricate details. She realized that the current moment was when Hong Yuan had just discovered Du Kaifeng's treachery. It was apparent that tomorrow would be an opportune time for her to meet him.
She meticulously wrote down several more names on her notepad. These individuals were her prospective recruits for a new gaming company she intended to establish. In her previous life, she had conceptualized an advanced, fully intelligent game, but fate had never given her the chance to see it through. Now, with a second chance, she was determined not to let the opportunity slip away again.
Closing her notebook with a sense of purpose, Qin Sheng switched on her laptop and logged into the enigmatic cyber realm known as Black Emperor. Her eyes gleamed with focus as she targeted Hacker C, a formidable figure ranked first on the Black Emperor leaderboard—a virtual domain renowned for being a gathering place of the world's most talented computer experts. Hacker C's skills were legendary, his reputation unparalleled. If she could convince him to join her company, it would be an invaluable boon.
However, Qin Sheng knew better than to get her hopes too high. Hackers, by their very nature, possessed a distinct pride. Hacker C, being the unrivaled leader of the platform, would undoubtedly be a tough nut to crack. Yet, the prospect of such a challenge only fueled her determination.
Her slender, fair fingers flew deftly across the keyboard as she expertly navigated the digital landscape, attempting to trace Hacker C's previous activities in order to infiltrate his system. In the past, Qin Sheng had always managed to go undetected, leaving no trace of her cyber incursions. However, it wasn't long after she began her infiltration into Fu Hanchuan's computer that she realized she was not dealing with an ordinary opponent.
Fu Hanchuan's firewall was virtually flawless, an impregnable fortress that cleverly lured intruding hackers into a digital labyrinth from which there was no escape. The instant any hacker breached his defenses, an alert would be sent directly to his phone, allowing him to respond immediately.
As soon as Fu Hanchuan received the intrusion alert, his eyes narrowed with sharp focus. He opened his laptop, and a warning flashed across the screen—a hacker alert.
"QS?"
Half-reclining in his chair, Fu Hanchuan's mind immediately conjured up the image of Qin Sheng, his stern expression softening just slightly.
His fingers tapped out a message with a surprising gentleness: "QS, to what do I owe this visit?"
Qin Sheng's hand hesitated for a moment. In both her lifetimes, this was the first time anyone had ever detected her intrusion. Hacker C was indeed living up to his formidable reputation.
A playful smile tugged at her lips as she replied with a hint of nonchalance, "I'm looking to start a company. Would you be interested in joining?"
Fu Hanchuan found himself intrigued by this enigmatic QS. It wasn't just the name that caught his attention but also the audacious and carefree manner of the invitation.
He typed slowly but deliberately, "Not interested."
"Okay, sorry to bother you," came her prompt reply.
Just as Qin Sheng was about to log off, she realized she had been trapped within his system.
Another message from Fu Hanchuan appeared on the screen, "You can't get out."
Qin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly, her fingers dancing even faster over the keyboard as lines of code rapidly scrolled across her screen.
Meanwhile, Fu Hanchuan leisurely sipped his tea, reclining comfortably in his chair as he watched how QS would attempt to escape his digital snare.
Qin Sheng remained seated before her computer, her sharp, bright eyes fixed intently on the screen. Her interest in C had been piqued—not greatly, but enough to stir her curiosity. Rarely did anything or anyone captivate her interest, but this was the first time she had encountered someone capable of entrapping her in such a manner.
It was a contest between masters, a high-stakes game of wits and skill.
Lines of code were written and erased repeatedly as she meticulously worked to dismantle his defenses. It wasn't until half an hour later that she finally paused, realizing that her efforts had made no progress.
Her mind raced, considering every possible angle, and after a long moment, a faint smile appeared in her eyes. She wasn't finished yet—not by a long shot.
(End of Chapter)