"This plan is no good, it's pure nonsense!" Old Zhao from the R&D department was so angry that his glasses were practically askew as he slammed his fist on the table and yelled.

"Old Zhao, calm down! We need to come up with new ideas now, we can't keep clinging to the old ways." Young Liu, dressed in a trendy manner, was sharp-tongued.

"A new trick? What kind of new trick is this? Have you calculated how risky it is? If it fails, the whole project will be ruined!" Old Zhao's face was ashen, and his hand trembled as he pointed at Xiao Liu.

"How can you do scientific research without taking risks? If you're afraid of this and that, you might as well stay home and take care of your kids!" Xiao Liu sneered.

Old Zhao was so angry that he clutched his chest and could barely speak.

Old Wang, the head of the R&D department, quickly tried to mediate: "Say less! It's all for the company, don't argue and hurt our harmony."

"Brother Wang, it's not that I'm stirring up trouble, it's just that some people won't listen to advice! They only care about themselves!" Old Zhao's voice was hoarse.

"Who are you talking about? You stubborn old man, you're the one who's dragging the company down!" Xiao Liu retorted, getting angry.

Old Wang roared, "Shut up, all of you! The company's barely scraping by, and you still have the nerve to argue?!"

Everyone fell silent, but their faces all showed their resentment.

"Now is not the time to argue, we need to work together! Only in this way can we get through this!" Old Wang said this quite sincerely.

But no one reacted to what they heard. The rift within the R&D team had deepened to an almost bottomless level.

“Brother Wang, I can’t take this anymore, I’m quitting!” A young engineer suddenly stood up.

"I'm quitting too! I can't stand this place anymore!" another person shouted.

Old Wang felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that if things continued like this, the entire R&D department would fall apart.

There was also a mishap on the overseas listing side. Vice President Chen Ming rushed into Lin Fan's office in a panic, his face pale and sweat dripping down his face.

"What's wrong? Tell me slowly." Lin Fan was also annoyed, but he still asked Chen Ming to sit down.

"The investment bank we're working with... is operating illegally! It's being investigated by the regulatory authorities!" Chen Ming's voice trembled.

Upon hearing this, Lin Fan's face turned pale. The investment bank's troubles meant that Qihang Technology's overseas listing was doomed! It could even lead to a hefty fine and lawsuits!

"How could this happen..." Lin Fan felt dizzy.

"President Lin, what should we do now?" Chen Ming was pacing anxiously.

"Change! Change partners immediately!" Lin Fan gritted his teeth. "No matter how much it costs, we must minimize the losses!"

"But...it's too late!" Chen Ming said with a bitter face. "We need to investigate the new partner and prepare materials. We...we won't be able to meet the original schedule."

Lin Fan fell silent. He knew Chen Ming was right, but he couldn't admit defeat!

"Contact other investment banks! Tell them that as long as we can go public as soon as possible, the terms are negotiable!" Lin Fan seemed to have made up his mind. "Also, activate the backup plan and rearrange the listing schedule!"

"Yes, Mr. Lin!" Chen Ming was unsure of himself, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

Lin Fan rubbed his temples, feeling like he was about to collapse.

Just then, the phone rang; it was Lin Qiang calling.

"Hey, Lin Qiang, what's up?" Lin Fan's voice was hoarse.

"Mr. Lin, regarding that corporate spy... I've found something new," Lin Qiang said on the other end of the phone, "but... this matter is quite complicated."

"How complicated is it?" Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat.

"That corporate spy has connections with one of our important partners," Lin Qiang finally said.

Lin Fan's heart sank. Important partner? Corporate spy? Putting these two words together made his heart sink.

"Which one?" Lin Fan's voice was cold.

"Yes...yes..." Lin Qiang stammered.

"Speak quickly!" Lin Fan roared.

"It's...it's Huayao Technology," Lin Qiang finally said.

Huayao Technology is one of Qihang Technology's most important partners in the chip industry. The two companies have a very good relationship and work together on many projects.

"Are you sure?" Lin Fan's voice trembled. He couldn't believe that his most trusted partner would betray him.

"We're pretty sure," Lin Qiang said. "I've found some evidence, but... it's not enough to completely prove that Huayao Technology did it."

Lin Fan was now in a dilemma. If the investigation were made public, it would definitely affect his relationship with Huayao Technology, and the two companies might even fall out.

This is no small matter for Qihang Technology.

But if they don't investigate, company secrets might continue to be leaked, and Lin Fan can't stand that.

He hesitated.

The booth of Qihang Technology was packed with people, and flashbulbs were going off everywhere. On the big screen, a promotional video for Qihang Technology's latest chip was playing, and the effect was stunning.

"Welcome, everyone, to Qihang Technology's booth!" the host announced in a loud voice. "Today, we're showcasing our latest 'Morning Star' series chips! These chips will change the future!"

Music started playing, and the screen began displaying various data about the "Morning Star" chip.

"We've been working on this technology for three years! A full three years!" the host exclaimed passionately.

Suddenly, the screen flickered, the image started jumping around, and finally turned into static.

A commotion broke out in the crowd.

"What happened?"

"Something went wrong?"

"What's going on?"

The host's face turned pale instantly, and he broke out in a sweat. He quickly instructed his staff to fix it, while reassuring everyone, "Don't worry, it's a minor issue, it'll be fixed soon!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone in the crowd shouted, "A minor problem? I think it's your chips that are faulty!" A short, stout man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward, a mocking look on his face. "Qihang Technology, is that all you've got?"

This man is Zhao Fei, the general manager of Phytium Technology, Qihang Technology's arch-rival.

"Zhao Fei? What's he doing here?"

"This is going to be good!"

"Qihang Technology is going to lose face this time!"

Upon seeing Zhao Fei appear, another murmur arose from the crowd.

"That bastard, he's definitely doing this on purpose!" Lin Fan's brows furrowed tightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He saw through Zhao Fei's trick at a glance; it was definitely Feiteng Technology pulling the strings behind the scenes!

"Mr. Zhao, what do you mean by that?" Lin Fan strode forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Zhao Fei. "Our Qihang Technology's chips have undergone rigorous testing, and their performance is absolutely flawless!"

"No problem? Then what's going on now?" Zhao Fei sneered, pointing to the screen that had turned into static. "Could this be caused by our Phytium Technology's chip?"

"Whether it was you who did it or not, you know it in your heart!" Lin Fan retorted without backing down.

"Lin Fan, don't make false accusations!" Zhao Fei's face darkened. "Feiteng Technology is a legitimate company. How could we do such a despicable thing?"

"Despicable? Mr. Zhao, do you dare to let everyone inspect your equipment?" Lin Fan pressed on relentlessly.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Zhao Fei sneered. "But what if the test results prove that the problem lies with Phytium Technology?"

"If it really is a problem with Qihang Technology, I, Lin Fan, will apologize to you on the spot and compensate Feiteng Technology for all its losses!" Lin Fan said firmly.