Chapter 509: Let's Discuss Some Business (Part 2) (Patreon)

Transformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List

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A young man with a receding hairline held a heavy laptop computer in his arms and presented it to Liu Zhen and the others. On the screen, a peculiar window appeared.

Wu Qingyuan leaned forward, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

He himself was a senior computer engineer. Despite being only thirty-five years old, he was among the first batch of highly talented graduates who had received specialized training in computer science from universities in China. He had grown up alongside the internet, both domestically and internationally.

Therefore, Wu Qingyuan immediately noticed the issue. The window displayed on the laptop's desktop seemed like a chat interface.

Liu Zhen and the others looked visibly relieved when they heard that the file had been opened.

Zheng Ming, the head of the technical department and also their immediate superior, managed to squeeze out a smile.

"… Xiaowu, your Network Division still has some talented individuals. Well done…"

He had just been about to ask the young man with the receding hairline for his name to commend him later, but the technician's mouth twitched, and he interrupted with a hint of embarrassment, "… Chief, I didn't crack the file… the file opened by itself…"

"Opened by itself?"

Wu Qingyuan and the others quickly looked towards the data center, where two 500-inch LED screens were connected, and they were indeed displaying the same window.

Just as Liu Zhen and the others were starting to feel relieved, the situation took a turn again.

At that moment, the peculiar windows on the 500-inch LED screens in the data center suddenly flickered.

Simultaneously, the chat-like window displayed bold, black traditional Chinese characters that caught everyone's attention.

"It seems our technicians have caused some unnecessary trouble for all of you. Here, on behalf of the entire Progressive Chinese Federation ([pcf]) to all colleagues at the National Security Bureau, I express our sincere apologies!"

"…However, the sudden visit today has its reasons. I wonder if Director Liu of your bureau is present. We from the [pcf] have some business we'd like to discuss with Director Liu!"

Liu Zhen's expression turned completely dark this time, and Wu Qingyuan felt his forehead sweating as Liu Zhen's gaze swept over him.

Meanwhile, the other technicians in the data center all lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze. After all, the technicians recruited into the Network Technology Division of the National Security Bureau were all highly skilled computer engineers, many of whom had been rebellious hackers or technical experts in the past.

Being caught off guard and exposed like this was a blatant humiliation.

Zheng Ming, as the head of the technical department, though the Network Division was just one of the many subordinate units under the technical department, had to admit that this time, the embarrassment lay with his team. Noticing the Director's gaze on him, he forced a smile, then sighed, "The responsibility for this incident lies with me, Director. I accept any consequences."

Seeing him readily shoulder all responsibility, Liu Zhen gave him a deep look and waved his hand, saying, "Let's address the issue at hand first before discussing anything else."

At that moment, another line of text appeared on the big screen: "Director Liu is here, faster than I imagined."

Upon seeing this line, not only Liu Zhen but also everyone else's faces changed drastically. Their gazes instinctively turned to the several surveillance cameras above the LED screens in the data center, and sweat began to bead on their foreheads.

This was the data center of the National Security Bureau's headquarters, theoretically one of the most secure areas in the nation.

Yet, here they were, every move and word monitored by an unknown invader who identified as [pcf].

Liu Zhen, having worked in intelligence agencies for decades, despised—or rather couldn't tolerate—such a situation.

He immediately demanded, "Who are you? Why did you invade the National Security Bureau's headquarters? Do you realize you've committed a crime against national security, one of the gravest offenses?"

The chat window quickly displayed a reply: "My personal name isn't important. As I've mentioned before, I am from the Progressive Chinese Federation ([pcf]). As for the reason for our sudden intrusion into the National Security Bureau's headquarters, it's related to all of you."

Furrowing his brows, Liu Zhen asked, "What is this [pcf] you're talking about? And when you say the reason for invading the National Security Bureau's headquarters is related to us, you better provide a reasonable explanation, or you won't be able to handle the consequences!"

All the top officials within the National Security Bureau in the data center looked nervously at the enormous screen in front of them. It was evident that their curiosity had been piqued by the invader's identity and claims.

Their curiosity, however, was soon satisfied.

Several lines of dialogue, longer than the previous ones, appeared on the screen almost instantly after Liu Zhen finished speaking.

"[pcf], Progressive Chinese Federation. The Chinese translation is [Progressive Chinese Federation]. Director Liu, you can understand us as a secret organization—a platform for communication formed by overseas ethnic Chinese who are enthusiastic about new technologies and advanced sciences."

"As for why we suddenly invaded the National Security Bureau's headquarters, it's because you have been investigating a technical elite cultivated by us, [Cybertron Technology Group]'s current CEO, Mr. Sun Cheng. This investigation seriously endangers his and his family's personal safety. According to the fourth clause of [pcf]'s code, 'An enemy of one is an enemy of all of us.' We [pcf] have been forced to retaliate!"

Liu Zhen was close to bursting into laughter. As the Director of the National Security Bureau, one of China's most prominent intelligence agencies, he had never imagined that one day he would be threatened.

Nevertheless, despite his anger, the professional training he had received earlier in his career prevented him from losing his composure.

Of course, his tone still carried a hint of irritation: "I don't care whether your [pcf] is a communication platform or a secret organization. Understand this one thing: this is the National Security Bureau's headquarters. Any provocation against the National Security Bureau can be regarded as the highest-level offense against national security. I order you to immediately remove all Trojan horses you've implanted within my internal network and cooperate with investigations at National Security Bureau-affiliated institutions across the country. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences!"

While his tone remained strong, Liu Zhen quietly made a gesture with one hand.

He knew there were others nearby, and they would understand that he was asking them to investigate the so-called 'technical elite' that the National Security Bureau had targeted in order to identify the invader's identity.

The elite members of the National Security Bureau in the data center didn't disappoint Liu Zhen. After noticing his subtle gesture, one of them immediately took a step back, planning to exit the range of the surveillance cameras and investigate the identity of the person Liu Zhen mentioned.

However, before he could make a move, text appeared on the screen once again.

"Regrettably, most of our [pcf] members are overseas Chinese. Director Liu, even if you want to interfere, you won't be able to reach us in a short time."

"[pcf] is dedicated to improving the status and quality of life of ethnic Chinese as a whole through new technologies and advanced sciences. We rarely violate the laws of the countries we reside in and are willing to cooperate with our common motherland."

"In recent years, we've begun to cultivate local technical elites in China, such as Mr. Sun Cheng, the current CEO of [Cybertron Technology Group], who is under investigation by your bureau. He is one of the top talents that [pcf] has nurtured for our motherland in recent years."

This statement caused the National Security Bureau elite who had been about to leave to awkwardly halt in their tracks.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 510 Let's Talk Business (End)