After breaking up with my boyfriend, I made a fortune and rose rapidly in my career.

On the other end of the phone, only a steady "Here" came through before the call ended.

Chen Ping put the encrypted phone back into his pocket, and the underground space was deathly silent.

Jiang Fan and several technicians stood silently around the dismantled equipment. This was no longer simple corruption; it was a malicious attack on the nation's technological foundation.

"Director, this box..." Jiang Fan held the cold, black titanium alloy box, his brows furrowed. "Once the physical self-destruct lock is triggered, the contents inside will instantly vaporize, leaving not even ashes."

Chen Pingfang shifted his gaze from the black box, sweeping over the exposed, broken edges of the intricate circuitry, his eyes revealing no emotion.

"First, seal off the scene and make triple backups of all the data." Chen Ping turned around and climbed up the metal ladder. "Before my people arrive, no outsiders can be allowed to see anything here except for us."

He knew in his heart that if Zhao Bo dared to go to such extremes, his counterattack would not be the conventional kind of thing.

Unearthing the machine is only the first step. The key is how to define this event.

Once accused of illegally accessing core state secrets, damaging major scientific research equipment, or attempting smuggling, even with Governor Zhou's order to investigate, he would instantly go from a hero to a criminal, plunging into endless wrangling and investigation.

He had to get the official characterization of the matter before dawn.

Stepping out of Factory Building No. 3, the cold morning wind on his face made the bloodshot eyes even more noticeable. Without lingering for a moment, he walked to the side and dialed another number.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered, and a sleepy, cool female voice came from the other end.

"Chen Pingfang? You'd better have something terrible happen to you."

"The sky has already collapsed a bit," Chen Pingfang said in a low voice. "I've found that lithography machine."

The other end of the phone went silent instantly; even Xiao Yuhan's breathing ceased.

A few seconds later, her voice rang out again, much faster: "What's going on?"

"They dismantled it." Chen Pingfang looked at the city lights of Nanzhou in the distance. "They broke it down into parts and buried them underground. They want to destroy China's high-tech industry."

Xiao Yuhan gasped.

"They will turn around and accuse you of damaging national strategic assets, and may even label you as a traitor. Procedurally, you are now the prime suspect."

"So, I need you," Chen Pingfang said. "Before the sun rises, before everyone else reacts, speak up for me."

"How do you want to characterize it?"

"In our public statements, we are telling everyone that we recovered the embezzled state-owned assets from the ruins," Chen Pingfang said, emphasizing each word. "I want everyone to know that Nanzhou High-tech Zone is waging a battle to protect state-owned assets."

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Yuhan remained silent for a full ten seconds.

"Okay." She only said one word, "The article should be published before nine o'clock. The title will be—'Nanzhou High-tech Zone: Guarding the Safety of State-owned Assets on the Ruins'."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ping looked up at the horizon.

Now, it all comes down to who moves faster.

……

The editorial office of the provincial newspaper building was brightly lit.

Xiao Yuhan hung up the phone, rushed into her office, turned on her computer, and her fingers flew across the keyboard.

[Our Correspondent Reports: Recently, during an asset inventory of the "Chip Spark Industrial Park" historical legacy project, the newly appointed leadership of the Nanzhou High-tech Zone discovered a significant state-owned asset that had been maliciously hidden and dismantled in the basement of Factory Building No. 3...]

[…According to preliminary estimates, the embezzled assets are worth over 10 billion yuan, with the core components being cutting-edge scientific research equipment that my country had imported at great expense. This discovery has uncovered a long-standing, systemic corruption scandal targeting my country's high-tech industry…]

[...Currently, under the supervision of the Provincial Party Committee, the High-tech Zone Management Committee has established a special task force to urgently recover the lost assets. This is not only a purge of corrupt officials, but also a crucial battle to safeguard national interests and protect state-owned assets...]

After writing the last word, she took the document and knocked on the editor-in-chief's office door.

Half an hour later, the manuscript was marked as urgent and bypassed all the usual review process, going straight to the printing workshop.

At 7:30 a.m., as the first rays of sunlight shone into Nanzhou, the front page headline of the electronic version of the Dongjiang Provincial Daily was quietly updated.

……

In a suite at a top-tier private club in the provincial capital.

Zhao Bo had just finished an all-night party and was lounging lazily on the sofa. A subordinate in a suit was holding a tablet and reporting to him with a grim expression.

"Young Master Zhao, Chen Ping led his men to dig open Factory Building No. 3 last night."

"So what if he digs? It's just an empty shell. What can he possibly find out?" Zhao Bo scoffed, picked up the hangover tea on the table, and took a sip.

He had everything planned out long ago. The moment Chen Ping dared to touch that machine, someone would be watching him. Then, a label of "National Security" would be slapped on him, and not even the Emperor himself could protect Zhou Jiang.

"But... the provincial newspaper has published an article." The subordinate swiped his finger across the screen and handed the report to Zhao Bo.

Zhao Bo's gaze fell on the headline, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

"Nanzhou High-tech Zone: Safeguarding the Safety of State-owned Assets Amidst Ruins"?

He quickly scanned the entire text, his face turning from white to green, and finally to ashen.

"Fine, Chen Pingfang is something else." Zhao Bo slammed his teacup on the ground with a loud bang. "He dares to play public opinion against me."

"A battle to protect state-owned assets? He's trying to portray himself as a hero."

Zhao Bo immediately took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Old Liu, it's me." He ordered into the phone, "Send me a draft saying that Chen Pingfang, the director of Nanzhou High-tech Zone, disregarded national security regulations, colluded with foreign forces, and attempted to smuggle national strategic equipment. He's already being watched by relevant departments. I want to ruin his reputation today."

On the other end of the phone was the editor-in-chief of a highly influential business media outlet in the provincial capital, who was also someone Zhao Bo had placed in the public opinion arena.

"Don't worry, Young Master Zhao, I guarantee the entire internet will be full of his dirty secrets within half an hour," Old Liu readily agreed.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Bo's tense expression relaxed a little.

In his view, using his controlled commercial media to confront the official party newspaper, although he was at a disadvantage, was enough to escalate the situation. As long as controversy arose, he had room to maneuver.

However, half an hour later, the online buzz was calm.

Another half hour passed, and there was still no movement.

Zhao Bo frowned and dialed Editor-in-Chief Liu's number again.

As soon as the call connected, the other party's voice came through, sounding like they were crying.

"Young Master Zhao...something has happened to him."

"The article can't be published; it can't be published through any channels or platforms."

"Why?" Zhao Bo roared.

"The Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department... just issued a strict order." Editor-in-Chief Liu's voice trembled like a leaf. "The notice says that all reports about the Nanzhou High-tech Zone must be based on today's front-page article in the *Dongjiang Provincial Daily*, as a positive example for publicity. All units are required to fully cooperate with the Provincial Party Committee's supervisory team..."

Editor-in-Chief Liu paused for a moment, then added a sentence.

The last few words of the notice were: "...No noise whatsoever."