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

Chen Ping stared at the line of text on the screen and tapped the side of his phone twice with his finger.

tomorrow.

Expo.

Zhao Bo wanted a public execution, to trample Xin Huo into the mud in front of everyone.

He turned his phone upside down, placed it face down on the table, and got up to walk to the window.

As night fell, the lights of the provincial capital stretched out in a continuous line, and the outline of the convention center was faintly visible in the distance. Tomorrow, that place would be packed with investors and media from all walks of life, as well as many government officials; the Zhao family had already laid out their trap there.

Chen Ping didn't return to his office immediately; instead, he dialed a number.

"Director Li, please confirm tomorrow's arrangements."

Li Jianguo's voice was very calm and steady.

"The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has dispatched three working groups: one to Huajing Technology, one to Yunding Club, and the other to the main venue of the Expo. The technical investigation equipment of the security inspection team has also arrived and will record Zhao Bo's video calls throughout the entire process."

"it is good."

Chen Ping paused for a moment.

"There's one more thing, what about Lin Xiangdong?"

"He will sit on the podium at the opening ceremony, but he won't speak," Li Jianguo said in a low voice. "Governor Zhou's instruction is for him to keep an eye on things and not make any moves."

Chen Pingfang immediately understood Governor Zhou's intention.

Lin Xiangdong is a veteran in the province with considerable resources, but he cannot be allowed to intervene prematurely in this situation. The Zhao family wants a complete performance, and any premature intervention will alert them.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ping returned to his office.

Zhang Chao was still at his workstation, with a dense stream of data refreshing on the screen.

"Director, the Zhao family has made some new moves."

Zhang Chao pushed a document over to me.

"The Provincial Construction Investment Group issued an internal notice tonight stating that Zhao Xilai will hold a small media briefing after the opening ceremony of the Expo tomorrow, with the theme of the integration and future of the semiconductor industry."

Chen Ping glanced at the notice and his lips twitched.

Integrate.

These two words sound grand and dignified.

Do you have a list of media representatives attending the event?

"Yes, there are thirteen in total. Provincial newspapers and financial weekly are here, as is Science and Technology Daily." Zhang Chao turned to the next page. "Su Qingwan is also on the list."

Chen Ping put the document back on the table.

Su Qing's attendance at the party was expected. Her reporting had already made Xin Huo the focus of public opinion, and the Zhao family needed her presence, needed her camera to record the victor's posture.

"You're coming with me tomorrow."

Zhang Chao nodded without asking any further questions.

---

The opening ceremony of the expo was held at 9:00 AM.

The main venue of the convention center was packed with more than two thousand seats.

Chen Pingfang sat in the third row, near the edge, surrounded by representatives from several provincial companies, all from the semiconductor industry chain. They all nodded politely to Chen Pingfang, but their eyes held a mixture of curiosity and hesitation.

The predicament of the Chipfire project has spread throughout the industry in the past few days.

Chen Pingfang did not initiate a conversation, but simply sat quietly, his gaze sweeping across the podium.

Governor Zhou sat in the center, with Lin Xiangdong to his right, and several key provincial leaders to his sides. Zhao Xilai sat in the second row, impeccably dressed in a suit, a polite smile on his face, conversing quietly with the person next to him.

The opening ceremony proceeded as scheduled.

Governor Zhou delivered a 15-minute speech, emphasizing Jiangdong Province's strategic plan and determination in emerging industries. He mentioned the Chipfire project, but only briefly stated, "We will fully support every promising innovative project."

As soon as he finished speaking, applause rang out in the hall.

Chen Ping's phone vibrated.

It was a message from Su Qingwan.

"Zhao Xilai's media conference will be held at 11:00 AM in the VIP lounge on the east side of the convention center. I will be live-streaming the entire event."

Chen Ping did not reply and put his phone away.

After the opening ceremony, the crowd began to move to the various sub-venues and exhibition areas.

Chen Pingfang didn't rush to leave. He stood in the corridor outside the main venue, leaning against the wall and watching people come and go.

Zhang Chao walked over and handed him a glass of water.

"Director, Director Li has informed us that Zhao Bo's video conferencing equipment has been set up for the banquet at the Cloud Top Club."

Chen Ping took the water glass, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hand.

"Have the people from Huajing Technology arrived yet?"

"We've arrived. Vice President Lu brought three people with him, and they're currently in exhibition area number two."

Chen Ping placed the water glass on the windowsill and turned to walk towards exhibition area number two.

Exhibition Area 2 is a dedicated area for semiconductor equipment and materials, with booths lined up one after another and a large flow of people.

Huajing Technology's booth was at the far end. Vice President Lu was standing in front of a lithography machine model, explaining something to several customers. He was in his early fifties, his hair was neatly combed, and he spoke with large gestures, appearing very confident.

Chen Ping stood at a distance, glanced at the crowd a few times, but did not approach.

Vice President Lu's gaze swept over, lingered on Chen Pingfang for a second, and then casually looked away.

But that one second was enough.

Chen Ping turned and left the exhibition area, heading towards the VIP lounge on the east side.

A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the VIP lounge, consisting of reporters and industry professionals waiting to attend Zhao Xilai's media conference.

Chen Ping didn't go in; he stood in the rest area outside the door, looking through the glass door.

Zhao Xilai was already seated in the main seat, surrounded by several senior executives from the provincial capital construction investment company. A microphone was placed in front of him, and a stack of documents was on the table, indicating that he was well-prepared.

Su Qingwan sat in the first row, holding a voice recorder in her hand, her expression focused.

The meeting started on time.

Zhao Xilai's opening remarks were brief, but every word carried weight.

"Dear media friends, today I would like to talk to you about the current state of the semiconductor industry in Jiangdong Province, as well as the strategic layout of the Provincial Construction Investment Group in this field."

He paused, then scanned the entire room.

"Over the past few years, we have seen many projects rise and fall. Some projects have received a lot of funding but have failed to produce results for a long time. Some projects have been wrong in terms of technology from the beginning, but they are still stubbornly sticking to it."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Everyone could tell who he was talking about.

"The attitude of the provincial capital construction investment group is very clear."

Zhao Xilai raised his voice another notch.

"We will integrate and reorganize, putting the truly valuable technologies and teams in the right places."

After saying that, he casually picked up the documents on the table.

"Just recently, we completed strategic investments in three semiconductor supply chain companies, holding more than 50% stakes in each. In the coming period, we will carry out industry integration to create a truly competitive Jiangdong semiconductor ecosystem."

Applause erupted.

Chen Ping stood outside the door, listening to every word Zhao Xilai said.

Integration, strategic investment, ecosystem.

These words sound nice, but in reality, they mean annexation.

The press conference lasted forty minutes, during which Zhao Xilai answered several questions from reporters, all of which were pre-arranged soft questions.

After it ended, the crowd began to disperse.

Chen Ping did not leave; he continued to wait in the rest area.

Ten minutes later, Zhao Xilai walked out of the VIP room, accompanied by several assistants.

When Zhao Xilai saw Chen Pingfang, he paused for a moment, and then walked over to him.

"Director Chen, it's been a long time."

Zhao Xilai extended his hand, a smile on his face.

Chen Ping shook hands with him briefly, without any further expression.

"Chairman Zhao, your speech just now was excellent."

"Not at all," Zhao Xilai waved his hand, a hint of smugness in his voice. "I'm just stating the facts. Director Chen, I heard the Corefire project hasn't been going very well lately?"

Chen Pingfang did not respond.

Zhao Xilai didn't mind and continued talking.

"Actually, I've always been very optimistic about Chipfire's technology roadmap. If Director Chen is interested, we can sit down and talk. The Provincial Construction Investment Group is willing to provide financial support, provided that we can participate in the project's management and decision-making."

After saying that, he lowered his voice and leaned closer.

"Director Chen, I heard things have been going a bit turbulent in your lab lately. Some of the photos I saw really broke my heart."