Chapter 343 The Night of the Hunt
The banquet hall lights shone on Su Wantang, who was wearing a dark green maternity cheongsam. Although her waist was rounded, it was still slender.
She stood on the stage, holding a microphone, her voice clear and bright.
"Distinguished guests, welcome to the Haitang Technology exchange meeting."
Her gaze swept across the audience, lingering on Joanna and Viper for a second.
"Today, I would like to share with you the initial results of the 'Dawn' project."
She pressed the remote control, and charts and data appeared on the screen behind her.
"This is a breakthrough for our team in the semiconductor field. Although it is still in the experimental stage, it has already proven its feasibility."
The guests below the stage nodded in agreement, their eyes full of admiration.
Old Chen sat in the first row, holding a teacup, a gratified smile on his face.
Meng Wan sat next to him, looking tenderly at her daughter-in-law on the stage.
Viper and Joanna exchanged a glance, a hint of excitement flashing in their eyes.
They thought this was what they were looking for.
But Su Wantang's next words made their hearts sink.
"Of course, core technologies involve secrets, so we can only show peripheral results today."
She smiled gently, "But I believe that everyone here can see the potential of this project."
The viper tapped its fingers lightly on its knee, its gaze behind its glasses growing colder.
Joanna bit her lip, feeling somewhat resentful.
Halfway through the exchange, Su Wantang stepped off the stage, carrying a glass of juice as she weaved through the crowd.
Joanna took the opportunity to come closer.
"Sister Baishu, your speech today was truly wonderful."
Her voice was sweet, but her eyes gleamed with calculation.
Su Wantang turned around and smiled gently.
"Sister Qiao, you flatter me."
Joanna leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"Sister, I heard you've been researching some special medicinal herbs lately."
Her eyes darted across Su Wantang's face, trying to catch anything unusual.
Su Wantang picked up her juice and took a sip, her expression calm and composed.
"I've studied many kinds of medicinal herbs. Which one are you referring to, Sister Qiao?"
Joanna's eyes flickered.
"It's... the kind that can treat neurotoxins."
A hint of a smile flashed in Su Wantang's eyes.
"Oh, you mean that batch of medicinal herbs from the Northwest?"
She paused for a moment, then said, "That is indeed the case, but it's still in the experimental stage."
Joanna's breathing quickened.
Could you tell me more about it?
Su Wantang glanced at her and smiled meaningfully.
"Sister Qiao is interested in this."
Joanna nodded, her eyes full of anticipation.
Su Wantang shook her head.
"This involves trade secrets and is not convenient to disclose."
She turned to leave, but Joanna grabbed her hand.
"Little sister, we're friends now, could you please make an exception?"
Su Wantang looked at her, her smile deepening.
"Sister Qiao, what's wrong...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Joanna's eyes suddenly became deep.
She stared into Su Wantang's eyes, her voice becoming low and rhythmic.
"Bai Zhu, you're very tired, aren't you?"
Su Wantang's eyes flickered, but quickly returned to normal.
Joanna continued, "You want to rest, you want to tell me all your secrets..."
Her voice was like a lullaby, echoing in the air.
But Su Wantang suddenly laughed.
"Sister Qiao, what are you doing?"
Her voice was clear and bright, and her eyes were bright and alert.
Joanna's face changed, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
She felt a wave of dizziness and her body swayed.
Su Wantang helped her up, her voice filled with concern.
"Sister Qiao, are you alright?"
Joanna took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"It's nothing, I'm probably just too tired."
She turned and left, her back looking somewhat disheveled.
The viper walked over and its eyes swept over Su Wantang's face.
"Miss Bai, what did Miss Qiao just say?"
Su Wantang smiled innocently.
"Nothing much, just chatting for a bit."
The viper stared at her, a hint of suspicion flashing in its eyes.
But he said nothing and turned to walk toward Joanna.
Su Wantang watched their retreating figures, a smile curving her lips.
She walked back to the stage and picked up the microphone.
"Distinguished guests, I will now be playing a video."
She pressed the remote control, and a blurry image appeared on the screen.
The scene shows a Gobi Desert where several people in protective suits are collecting plant samples.
"This is a rare medicinal herb that our team discovered in Northwest China."
Su Wantang's voice was calm, "Its growth environment is extremely harsh, and it can only survive under specific geological conditions."
She paused for a moment, then said, "Our initial assessment is that this medicinal herb may have remarkable effects on certain intractable diseases."
The guests below the stage began to discuss it.
Viper and Joanna sat up straight, their eyes gleaming with greed.
Su Wantang continued, "This medicinal herb has very special characteristics; it requires a type of purple clay to grow."
There was a hint of regret in her voice, "Unfortunately, this kind of clay is extremely rare in China."
The viper tapped its fingers on its knees even faster.
Joanna leaned close to his ear and whispered, "It's moonflower."
The viper nodded, a hint of excitement flashing in its eyes.
They finally found a clue.
Su Wantang put down the microphone and smiled gently.
"That concludes today's exchange meeting. Thank you all for attending."
She was about to step off the stage when she suddenly stopped.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing to announce."
She turned around, and the smile on her face disappeared.
"Haitang Technology will cooperate deeply with the military. From today onwards, all information related to the 'Dawn' project will be classified as confidential."
Her voice turned serious. "To ensure safety, the security level on site will be increased, and all exits will be temporarily closed."
The guests in the audience were stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
But Viper and Joanna's expressions changed.
They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with wariness.
The viper stood up, its voice calm.
"Miss Bai, we have other matters to attend to. May we leave now?"
Su Wantang looked at him and smiled meaningfully.
"Director Li, I'm sorry, but it's a military regulation that no one is exempt from."
The viper's eyes turned cold.
"Miss Bai, what do you mean by this?"
Su Wantang didn't answer, she just clapped her hands.
The banquet hall door was suddenly pushed open, and Qin Zheng walked in with a group of people.
They were dressed in civilian clothes, but each had a weapon tucked into their waistband.
Qin Zheng walked to the front of the stage and showed an ID card.
"Military special forces, everyone cooperate with the inspection."
The guests in the audience stood up, their eyes filled with shock.
But when they saw the stamp on the document, they all fell silent.
Old Chen picked up his teacup, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.
Meng Wan looked at Su Wantang on the stage, her eyes filled with pride.
Viper and Joanna's expressions changed completely.
They realized they had fallen into a trap.
The viper turned to leave, but Qin Zheng stopped it.
"Director Li, please cooperate with the inspection."
The viper's eyes were as cold as knives.
“I work for the Ministry of Culture; you have no right to detain me.”
Qin Zheng sneered.
"Ministry of Culture, can you explain why your fingerprints are exactly the same as those of a wanted criminal in Hong Kong?"
The viper's expression changed, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
He suddenly made a move and threw a punch at Qin Zheng.
But Qin Zheng was prepared. He dodged to the side and then grabbed him with a backhand, pinning him to the ground.
Joanna screamed and turned to run.
But she had only taken two steps when she was stopped by two guards.
She struggled, her eyes filled with despair.
Su Wantang stepped off the stage and slowly walked up to Joanna.
She crouched down, her voice very soft.
"thrush."
Joanna froze, her face turning deathly pale.
She looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"How...how did you know..."
Su Wantang smiled, but her eyes were devoid of any warmth.
"Do you think you've hidden it well?"
She stood up and looked down at Joanna.
"I knew who you were from the first time you appeared in front of me."
Joanna's eyes were filled with despair, and her body went limp on the ground.
She knew she was completely finished.
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