Chapter 152 A Desperate Reversal: Taking the Initiative, Kidnapping the Mutant

"Whoever seizes the initiative has the opportunity to control the situation."

Inside the RV, Song Ying was on the phone with Wen Jinzhao.

The trending search term that is currently at the top of the list was actually sent up by the operations team arranged by Wen Jinzhao at Song Ying's request.

When Wen Jinzhao first heard about this arrangement, he was completely stunned.

She never expected Qin Shu to beat up Qian Lai.

What was even more unexpected was that Song Ying actually took the initiative to expose it.

Most importantly, this is what Song Ying demanded:

"Just do as I say and don't waste time. When the time comes, someone will definitely suppress the trending topic and lower its popularity. You just have to hold on and make sure this topic doesn't fall off the top spot."

Wen Jinzhao almost doubted that he had misheard.

Suddenly, my mind was filled with wild ideas.

"Sister Ying, did you and Brother Qin have a fight? Or did he do something to wrong you? I just saw you two were getting along fine at the fashion gala... If there's any conflict or misunderstanding, why don't you sit down and talk it out? There's really no need to go to such extremes about this..."

“?” Song Ying asked, “We’re doing very well, we haven’t argued or had any conflicts, and he’s sitting right next to me right now.”

Wen Jinzhao: "...Really? I don't believe it..."

If there hadn't been a conflict, why would they have gone to such lengths to trick Brother Qin?

Just as Wen Jinzhao hesitated, Qin Shu's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"Miss Wen, please do as Aying says."

? !

Wen Jinzhao picked at his ear.

That was Qin Shu's voice just now, wasn't it?

"Sister Ying, what exactly are you two trying to do..." Wen Jinzhao was increasingly confused.

I'm even more worried now.

"Don't waste time, get things arranged first. I'll explain to you after everything is settled."

And so, Song Ying's initial statement came about.

"It was indeed Ashu who hit Qian Lai. Rather than letting those people gain the upper hand and use it to their advantage, we should seize the initiative. Although it may cause some misunderstandings, once we have the initiative, we will be one step closer to a smooth resolution to this matter."

"Tonight, you might need to lead a team to monitor the data. This trending topic absolutely cannot be allowed to lose its popularity."

"I need it to stay in a state of explosion until the new entries we've arranged come out."

"Tonight, we have a tough battle ahead."

“Peng Wen will return to the company and stay with you. If you encounter any technical problems, you can ask him for help.”

Wen Jinzhao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, Sister Ying, don't worry, I'll definitely hold onto the top spot! I'll also keep an eye on other related online discussions, and I'll adapt accordingly. I absolutely won't let those bastards succeed!"

-

Meanwhile, the CEOs who had been celebrating earlier were now pacing back and forth in their rooms, as anxious as ants on a hot plate.

"What's going on! Why hasn't the popularity of this topic gone down yet?!"

"What am I supposed to do with you guys! It's been half an hour, and that trending topic is still up there!"

"Can you do it or not! If you can't, pack your things and get the hell out of here tomorrow!"

Every CEO was furiously impotently talking on the phone.

It's been a full half hour!

With so many people in the company and so many technical staff involved, they still can't even remove a regular trending topic!

"President Zhou, it's not that we don't want to surrender, it's that we simply can't! The people on the other side are much more powerful than us..."

"Mr. Li, the department has done its best, but the firewall on the other side is just too powerful. They even added another layer of firewall to Big Eyes. We can't even crash the server and make Big Eyes collapse!"

The reporters were all wiping away cold sweat.

"We suspect that the other side is not an ordinary technician, but a hacker, and a well-known one at that! Otherwise, it wouldn't be this difficult."

"Are you dead?! Go find me a hacker right now!"

Presenter: ...

Do you think life is a novel?

Are hackers really that easy to find?

They're just ordinary programmers working 996 hours a day, where are they going to find hackers...?

That's outrageous.

Yang Xu overheard a part of the conversation and looked up. "Hackers are involved?"

Just a moment ago, President Zhou was scolding his subordinates, but he quickly said, "It's all just nonsense from my subordinates. It's just a small trending topic. Hackers? What a load of rubbish."

The person reporting on the other end of the phone: I have something to say, but I don't know if I should.

"If we can't take it down in half an hour, there might really be a hacker." Yang Xu ignored President Zhou's advice. "Keep the investigation going. I'm going out to make a phone call."

Yang Xu walked out of the VIP room and dialed a phone.

It took quite a while before the call was finally connected.

“Sir, I’ve encountered some difficulties and need Mr. Claude’s help with a few small matters—yes, computer-related issues. Mr. Claude is an internationally renowned hacker, and with his assistance, my progress will be faster. Okay, sir, I’ll wait for Mr. Claude to contact me.”

Fluent English, with a humble tone.

The attitude towards them was completely different from how they treated the CEOs in the VIP room.

-

On the other side, SY Entertainment.

Wen Jinzhao sat in her office, lazily leaning back on the sofa, scrolling through her tablet, a lollipop in her mouth, her long legs crossed and propped up on the table next to her, her white and blue jeans making her legs look extremely long.

Not far from her were the junior staff who had been working with her in charge of operations and public relations.

The Weibo post exposing Qin Shu's assault sparked considerable controversy.

[Some people, relying on their status, even killed the powerful and influential Qian Lai. They're incredibly arrogant! Today they killed Qian Lai, who knows who will die tomorrow? I wonder who will dare to mess with the Qin family after this? Does the law still restrain them?]

[Please! The trending topic only says that Qin Shu hit Qian Lai, it doesn't say that he killed him. So, if I slap you and you get hit by a car and die tomorrow, does that mean I'm a murderer too?]

[Suddenly reminded of Qin Shu and Song Ying's appearances on variety shows. Every time they appeared, they ruined the show. All the guests who offended them met with bad ends: Jiang Yueyao, Shen Linzhou, Zhou Ruoyu, Xu Lanyan, Sun Ruoxuan, Tan Mu… basically, if they didn't like someone, they'd just get rid of them, right? Is this a real couple?! It's truly terrifying to think about!]

[Aren't these law-abiding officials getting into trouble because they themselves have dirty laundry? It's laughable! If it really was the winning and losing couple who did it, then I'd say they were acting on behalf of heaven to rid the people of a scourge!]

[Stop trying to cover up your actions, you self-proclaimed "legal expert"! Your own idol is already behind bars, and you're still trying to whitewash the couple by attacking them?]

[Over the years, how low-key has the Qin family been? Surely everyone knows that? During every major disaster, the Qin family has always been the largest donor in terms of money and supplies. The Qin Group also boasts the best employee benefits among all companies, with no negative rumors whatsoever. Qin Shu has never used any special privileges in front of the camera. I don't believe anyone would say he's abusing his power.]

If Qin Shu were truly that kind of person, given the Qin family's power, how could they not remove the trending topic after it's been up for so long? They're not stupid; real privileges would render you speechless, resulting in an immediate account ban and the removal of the trending topic.

[Doesn't anyone think this hashtag is ridiculously overhyped? When I first clicked in, the discussion count was less than 100, and there were fewer than 20 posts. Normally, this kind of data wouldn't even make it to the trending topics section, right? Isn't it obvious enough that someone is deliberately buying trending topics to smear the "Win or Lose" couple? Screenshot.jpg]

[This negative trending topic has over 10,086 views, but its discussion volume is now lower than the second-ranked topic, and even lower than the fifth-ranked topic! Screenshot.jpgx5]

Many people didn't have a good first impression of Qin Shu before clicking in, but with the fans' reasoned arguments and rebuttals, they increasingly felt that this was a conspiracy against Qin Shu.

Under Wen Jinzhao's organization, the support group's anti-black campaign is progressing very smoothly.

Just then.

"Miss, there are hackers trying to breach our defenses and the firewall we've installed on Big Eyes. They're very powerful, and we're afraid we can't stop them!"

"What?!"

Wen Jinzhao suddenly turned his head.

Just as she was about to stand up, the office door was opened from the outside.

"I'll do it."

Gold-rimmed glasses, a cold and sharp gaze.

Peng Wen.

Hearing this, he suddenly remembered what Song Ying had said earlier.

Peng Wen will be with them tonight to hold the line.

It turns out that everything was part of Shu Ge and Ying Jie's plan.

Peng Wen is not usually very noticeable. He used to work for Qin Shu, but he was temporarily transferred here to help Song Ying.

However, because he was taciturn, Wen Jinzhao did not have a deep impression of him.

But at this moment, sitting in front of the computer, his slender fingers flying across the keyboard, he resembled a dazzling warrior, fighting desperately on his own battlefield.

On the black screen background, green, red, and white English characters danced, and line after line of code scrolled upwards.

Wen Jinzhao speaks excellent English, but his eyes still can't keep up with the speed at which Peng Wen's code jumps around.

The most crucial thing is... she can't understand the meaning of those codes!

The other programmers around them were different.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Peng Wen was full of admiration.

A few minutes later, Peng Wen finally stopped.

"alright."

He stood up and adjusted his glasses.

"Master! You're amazing!" The programmer excitedly grabbed Peng Wen's hand.

Peng Wen calmly pulled it out, then raised his hand, bent his fingers, and adjusted his glasses.

"Just basic stuff."

"Do you take on apprentices? I'm very eager to learn!"

"Thank you, but I won't accept it."

Peng Wen politely but coldly refused, then silently sat down to drink water.

Wen Jinzhao: ...Damn it, he tricked me.

-

On the other side of the world, in a dark room, a middle-aged man with deep-set eyes stares at a computer screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

After the young man named Yang Xu explained the situation, Claude felt that it was a waste of his talents to ask him to handle such a trivial matter.

Since the man had given the order personally, he had no choice but to accept it.

At first, he easily broke through the opponent's defenses.

But before he could even rejoice, the information he had implanted was quickly deciphered, as if someone had suddenly appeared and become his new adversary.

The opponent was no weakling, and Claude's damned competitive spirit was quickly ignited.

In this virtual world, the two engage in a fierce battle, using code as their sword, on a silent battlefield filled with the glint of blades.

A few minutes is a very short time.

But a few minutes can feel very long.

Claude stared intently at the screen, his expression growing increasingly grave.

From his previous unwavering confidence and disdain, little by little, his mask was torn away, and he gradually became angry and violent.

The moment he was defeated, he clenched his fists and slammed them onto the keyboard in front of him!

"SHIT!"

Yang Xu has been waiting for the trending search terms to come down.

At first, the entry did drop several places, but in the blink of an eye, it returned to the top of the list.

It was as if the brief drop just now was a mistake he had made in a daze.

After that, the entry stopped moving.

"Mr. Yang, is that hacker you hired... really reliable? It's been over ten minutes, and the entry still hasn't changed..."

"Mr. Yang, please forgive me for being nosy, but you haven't been scammed, have you?"

“Impossible.” Claude was a capable assistant to the master, and Yang Xu preferred to believe that the other party was still sleepy due to jet lag rather than that Claude was less skilled. “I’ll go ask again.”

So Yang Xu dialed the same number again.

Before he could even speak, Claude used him as a punching bag and berated him. Just as he was about to say something more, the other party hung up the phone.

Yang Xu: ...?

Are you grumpy when you wake up?

Yang Xu then dialed the number again, but this time, he couldn't get through at all.

...

Yang Xu was stunned and could only dial the original number again.

"Sir, I'm very sorry to bother you again, but it's still about Mr. Claude. I think..."

“He already told me, Yang, that he is not as skilled as the other side, and that the other side’s hacker is more capable than Claude.”

The voice on the other end of the phone was young, but calm as the sea, like a clear spring that could soothe the restlessness in one's heart.

"Mr. Qin has not disappointed me. Yang, it is only natural that you and Claude lost to him. Give up on that little entertainment company of yours. I will send someone new to take over and do the work that you cannot do."

The mysterious man's tone was calm and elegant, like a breeze blowing over roses, but the words he spoke made Yang Xu's heart sink.

"Sir, there's still a chance for this. I can..."

"Yang, there's nothing shameful about admitting you're not as good as others. Besides, I've given you plenty of opportunities and time; you just didn't cherish them. Prepare your materials and get ready to welcome new friends."

After saying that, the other end of the phone hung up.

Yang Xu looked exhausted and staggered.

He's going to be expendable...

"Mr. Yang, what's wrong?" Someone noticed his strange expression and asked, "About the hacker..."

"I can still do it even without hackers!"

Yang Xu gripped his phone tightly, his expression sinister.

He had been lying low in the capital for many years, and finally made a name for himself. How could he possibly give up such a good opportunity? How could he be kicked aside because of a small trending topic!

"Where is Qian Lai's son? Record a video immediately and have him identify Qin Shu as the killer of Qian Lai!"

Yang Xu's eyes were bloodshot as he dialed a number, but the instructions he gave shocked everyone else.

"You, you kidnapped Mr. Qian's son?"

"The money's in your hands?!"

After Qian Lai's death, his son and sole heir, Qian Jin, disappeared.

Qian Lai's wife asked around, but no one knew where the money had gone.

"Ah Jin always likes to go out and have fun. Has he gone on another long trip recently? Or is he upset about Boss Qian's matter and went out to clear his head?"

Everyone made this guess and tried to dissuade Madam Qian.

No one expected that Qian Jin would end up in Yang Xu's hands.

They thought they were all in the same boat and had already shared information, but who would have thought that Yang Xu would be acting behind their backs...

Once it happens, it's bound to happen again. No one can guarantee what else Yang Xu is hiding from them...

The seasoned veterans in the business world are all on high alert right now.

Seeds of suspicion and distrust began to sprout, and cracks appeared in an already fragile alliance.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed in surprise.

Qin Shu has issued a statement!