Chapter 40: Movements Across All Sides

Qin Feng, in his study, like a master strategist playing go, dropped the two heavy pieces: "Galaxy Chip" and "Qin Feng Venture Capital." The ripples and vibrations these pieces stirred upon landing on the vast board of the real world were spreading across the globe at an astonishing speed.

In Yanjing, within a heavily guarded courtyard surrounded by red walls.

An elderly man, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and radiating vigor, sat in his study, listening to a middle-aged Secretary's report. On the desk lay preliminary materials concerning "Qin Feng" and his suddenly launched "Galaxy Chip" project.

"... The source of funds is extremely mysterious, massive in scale, preliminarily judged to exceed tens of billions of U. S. dollars, with transaction paths nearly impossible to trace. Technically, if their claimed performance targets are genuine, they will completely rewrite the global semiconductor landscape," the Secretary said with grave tone.

The old man lightly tapped the documents on the desk, his eyes sharp as a hawk: "Have you uncovered Qin Feng's background? And any possible forces behind him?"

"The information we can obtain is extremely limited. On the surface, he appears merely a lucky man who suddenly inherited a vast fortune. But those around him are no ordinary people—especially Tang Rou, the new recruit, who was once a talent the other side desperately tried to retain. Her decision to follow Qin Feng is itself a strong signal."

The old man fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "That girl Tang Rou has sharp eyes. If she's willing to go, then Qin Feng is no ordinary fish in a small pond. 'Galaxy Chip'... our own 'Huaxin' project is currently in a critical phase. If such a dark horse truly emerges, it may not be a bad thing."

He raised his head, his gaze deep: "Maintain close surveillance. Within policy limits, offer appropriate observation and... limited facilitation. But maintain restraint—observe what real substance he can deliver, while preventing key technologies from leaking or being sabotaged by others. Have relevant departments follow up and monitor international reactions."

"Yes!"

Across the ocean, in M Country, Silicon Valley, at the headquarters of a tech giant.

Inside the CEO's office, the atmosphere was tense. A massive screen displayed "Qin Feng Venture Capital"'s newly released, earth-shattering investment manifesto, along with the quiet registration of "Galaxy Technology."

"Five billion U. S. dollars? Focused on cutting-edge technologies that change the world? What audacity!" snorted the CEO, his hair white but his eyes as sharp as a leopard's. "Investigate! Find out who this 'Qin Feng' really is! And where did they get their chip technology? Did they steal some of our cutting-edge research?"

"Sir, our intelligence network is activating. But preliminary feedback shows their secrecy is impeccable—core team information is virtually blank. We only identified their security lead as likely a former elite of the 'Phantom Bird' unit: Lin Xuan."

"Phantom Bird?" The CEO's pupils contracted—those were the mysterious unit even they found troublesome. "Our new friend isn't just rich—he's serious about protecting himself." He tapped his desk, his tone darkening. "Instruct the lobbying team to intensify activities on Congress Hill, emphasizing the 'technological threat' and 'unfair competition' from the East. Meanwhile, activate our 'Plan B.' I won't tolerate an uncontrollable challenger emerging, especially in the chip sector."

In Europa, Risch, a private lakeside villa.

Several well-dressed, composed elders sat together, representing ancient financial families spanning centuries.

"Another powerful catfish is about to swim in," said an elderly man slowly exhaling a cigar smoke ring. "Tens of billions in mysterious capital, targeting the pinnacle of technology. What do you all think?"

"The obscurity of his background is the greatest risk—and the greatest opportunity," added another elder with gold-rimmed glasses. "If he succeeds, the current technological and capital map will be reshaped. We should not blindly resist, but seek contact and potential collaboration. Perhaps through 'Qin Feng Venture Capital'?"

"Collaborate? With someone of unknown origin?" questioned a stern-faced old woman beside him. "I prefer observation. Have our people try to make contact with his financial assistant, Lin Wei. See if she's truly as flawless as rumored."

In some dark corner, a secret online forum.

Here gathered the unseen hyenas—top international hackers, information brokers, and corporate spies.

A high-stakes bounty was quietly pinned to the top: "Target: Core chip design data of 'Galaxy Technology.' Reward: One hundred million U. S. dollars, or equivalent cryptocurrency. Note: Estimated security level—extremely high (indications of state-level involvement; suspected security lead is former 'Phantom Bird' member). Proceed with caution. Act at your own peril."

Below the post, silence. The massive reward tempted, but "Phantom Bird" and the name Lin Xuan were enough to deter most mercenaries. Yet in the shadows, a few pairs of greedy, confident eyes silently weighed risk against reward.

Beneath Qin Feng Manor, deep underground.

Lin Xuan had transformed it into a fortress combining Command Center and safehouse functions. On massive screens, real-time global data streams captured, filtered, and analyzed by "Star Sea" were displayed. Countless news reports, intelligence briefings, darknet bounties, and encrypted communications regarding "Qin Feng," "Galaxy Chip," and "Qin Feng Venture Capital" were extracted and assessed for threat levels.

Lin Xuan stood before the screens, her gaze icy. She had just intercepted at least three probing attacks on the manor's network, originating from multiple directions.

"Boss, the fish are biting," she reported via encrypted comm. "Probes coming from multiple fronts: commercial rivals, intelligence agencies, independent hackers. Threat level currently remains yellow, but will rise steadily as our project progresses. I've activated the 'Iron Curtain' defense protocol and begun reverse-tracing the most active IP sources."

Qin Feng's voice came calm and unshaken through the communicator: "Handle it according to your plan. If necessary, give them... a profound lesson."

"Understood." A cold smile curved Lin Xuan's lips.

In the manor's study.

Qin Feng ended his call with Lin Xuan, his gaze falling on a resume in his Tablet Computer. The subject was Dr. Isabella Rosen, a scientist renowned in artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces, yet ostracized by mainstream academia for her radical theories.

"Star Sea"'s evaluation noted: "Extremely high potential. Theoretical framework shows partial latent alignment with 'Imprint' knowledge."

Almost simultaneously, Su Wenqian's internal line rang in, her voice tinged with barely perceptible surprise: "Boss, Dr. Isabella Rosen contacted us via the unpublished 'Qin Feng Venture Capital' email address we left in Nature. She expressed 'deep interest' in our investment manifesto and attached an unpublished core paper of hers."

Qin Feng's eyebrows lifted slightly.

Movements from all sides—storm clouds gathering. The wheels of fate, it seemed, had begun to turn faster.