Chapter 566: Not Necessarily Reaching This Point

The scene unfolding at Bruker was playing out continuously all over the world:

Keyence, Rigaku, Elmer, Saishi, Agilent...

Yet Saishi Company in China remained calm and undisturbed, like the night before a storm.

The assistant held out the suit jacket; after Li Zhengwu put it on, he straightened his hair in the mirror.

Feeling it wasn't quite neat, he had the assistant bring hair wax and dabbed a tiny bit onto the tips of his hair.

It was no wonder he attached such importance to this: after communicating back and forth for over a week with the Consulate, the Mixed Economic Committee, the Embassy, the Ministry of Commerce, and other departments, Customs and the public security authorities had finally agreed to this meeting.

He had to present his most polished state and maintain the fullest energy to negotiate with Liu Anhua.

At the very least, he could not let Vice President Liu continue to make wild, baseless accusations.

When the number of damaged enterprises and institutions reached a certain level, and the amount of fraud reached a certain standard, it would be like a trickle gathering into a torrent, impossible to resist. Therefore, he had to find a way to seal Liu Anhua's mouth...

The assistant helped him comb his hair, and the secretary brought over the schedule.

There were no other arrangements for today, so the secretary reported the recent important information as per custom:

"President, the Bruker security department has sent another letter, requesting that we inspect the safety performance of the X-ray instruments, magnetic resonance spectrometers, mass spectrometers, elemental analyzers, and other equipment sold in China, India, Vietnam, and other countries..."

"The main focus is to inspect the safety interlocks, bottom-layer passwords, core source code, access logs... and they require a report to be submitted to Bruker headquarters no later than this Wednesday..."

Li Zhengwu interrupted directly: "I have already communicated with Bruker headquarters; ignore it!"

In the entire Asian region, China's sales volume accounted for over seventy percent; if the safety performance of the equipment were to be inspected systematically, the China region would certainly have to be inspected first.

But Liu Anhua, who was in charge of technical maintenance for the China region, was still locked in prison, and the technical director under him had also been placed under exit control, remaining in Beijing to cooperate with the investigation at any time. Without the supervision of senior technical leadership, relying on the engineers below would only result in superficial, perfunctory work.

Most crucially, Li Zhengwu could not spare the time: Liu Anhua's case had reached a point where it had to be resolved, and he could not extricate himself.

Without the coordination of the regional president, there were more than half of the research institutions that wouldn't even let you through the door.

For this reason, Li Zhengwu had specifically communicated with Bruker and called Anderson, the boss of Bruker. Anderson expressed his understanding and said he would personally notify the head of the security department.

Anderson would not break his word, nor would he forget, so Li Zhenghao found it very strange: just how big of a safety accident could have occurred to make Bruker's security department insist on the instruction for the purchasing agent company to carry out safety inspections, even after the boss had already been informed?

He stared at the secretary in the mirror: "Did you ask headquarters what the reason is for Bruker suddenly demanding a safety inspection?"

"I asked, but didn't get an answer... I only know that the atmosphere at Bruker headquarters has been very tense during this time: over seventy percent of the technical team leaders and senior engineers have been interviewed by the security department and the technical department..."

A joint interview by security and technology?

Then, one hundred percent, a major security technical vulnerability had appeared.

But it had nothing to do with him: that was the work of Bruker's R&D department and security department.

Li Zhengwu nodded, signaling the secretary to continue.

"Last week, the sales and security heads of companies like Elmer, Agilent, Keyence, and Rigaku called again, requesting a conference call with you; I refused on the grounds that your schedule was full..."

"The heads of Keyence and Rigaku both indicated that they will rush to Hong Kong within this week and will meet with you in person at that time..."

Li Zhengwu frowned.

He was not surprised that the heads of these companies requested a conference call with him: because these companies already knew that Liu Anhua had taken advantage of the maintenance permissions authorized by each company to leave backdoors in the refurbished machines.

This matter could not be hidden, and Li Zhengwu had not intended to hide it. In the industry, this was already an open secret.

It wasn't just Liu Anhua doing it; selling second-hand refurbished equipment to developing countries had already formed a complete industrial chain in Europe. Many research or pharmaceutical institutions in various countries could not afford brand-new equipment, so they had to settle for the next best thing and buy a batch of second-hand equipment to tide them over. The key was that within this industrial chain, there were even internal personnel from many tech giant companies participating, from senior engineers down to ordinary technical staff.

Therefore, even if just for show, the original manufacturers would inevitably inquire after receiving the news.

What Li Zhengwu found strange was that the reaction of the original manufacturers this time was exceptionally large: it was only a case value of a little over one million US dollars, yet they were pursuing it relentlessly? In 2006, seven Chinese pharmaceutical companies filed a class-action lawsuit with a case value of over three hundred million US dollars, and these companies had not attached such importance to it.

It couldn't be that Liu Anhua had confessed something else, and the Chinese judicial authorities had bypassed Saishi to notify these companies separately?

As soon as the thought popped up, Li Zhengwu decisively rejected it: Saishi Company had signed a full agency contract with these manufacturers, including sales, after-sales maintenance, and technical training.

It was equivalent to these companies selling the machines to Saishi, and then Saishi selling them at a markup to Chinese enterprises, including after-sales and technical training. No matter how much Liu Anhua confessed, and no matter how much of an accident or loss the refurbished machines he sold caused, these damaged institutions could only look for Saishi.

If they looked for these companies, they wouldn't even get a response.

Then why?

Li Zhenghao pinched the bridge of his nose: "What day are the heads of Keyence and Rigaku arriving?"

"They said Wednesday!"

That would be tomorrow?

"Contact them and have them come directly to Beijing; I will meet with them in person!"

"Very well, President!"

The secretary turned to the next page, "President, headquarters notified that on April 19th at eight in the morning, an email with the note 'Lin Sicheng Cultural Relic Protection Center in Beijing, China' sent a lawyer's letter to the legal department..."

"The main content is: regarding the security vulnerabilities in the ion chromatograph, infrared spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, and other equipment systems produced by Saishi, they are demanding compensation from Saishi Company... the claim amount is thirty million US dollars..."

"Secondly, they require Saishi Instruments Company to provide a written guarantee!"

Li Zhenghao was stunned for a moment: "How much is he claiming?"

"Thirty million US dollars!"

"And they also require headquarters to issue a written guarantee?"

"Yes, President!"

Li Zhenghao laughed out loud: "Is Lin Sicheng crazy?"

The secretary was just a secretary and could not express subjective derogatory evaluations of clients, but her expression betrayed her: sarcasm and disdain. Last time they met, Lin Sicheng had proposed a compensation of fifteen million US dollars to Saishi China, which was shocking enough.

He didn't expect him to want even more this time: thirty million US dollars!

Thirty million for one, how much would it be for six?

Even requiring the manufacturer to issue a written guarantee... how was that any different from what he said last time about requiring Saishi Company to apologize in the newspaper? The more Li Zhengwu thought about it, the more bizarre it seemed: since Lin Sicheng could send a lawyer's letter to Saishi Instruments, the remaining five would certainly send them too.

Presumably, the compensation amounts would be much the same, and the wording would be largely similar: compensate thirty million US dollars and issue a written guarantee.

So, did the fact that the heads of these companies repeatedly requested conference calls with him, and even wanted to meet him in person, have anything to do with this? There should be a little, but at most, just a little. It certainly wouldn't be enough to make two Japanese company executives chase after him.

Is it possible that Lin Sicheng contacted all the victims and jointly pressured these companies?

But why didn't Saishi receive a notification?

Sorting through his thoughts, Li Zhengwu felt: whether it was or wasn't, he would know once he saw Liu Anhua.

At the very least, he had to ask clearly: exactly how much had he confessed?

He also had to find a way to make him shut up: whatever hadn't been confessed yet, he should not say anymore.

Therefore, the top priority was still to focus on today's meeting.

In a flash of thought, the phone buzzed. The secretary took a glance, answered it, and handed it to Li Zhengwu:

"General Manager, I have already picked up the Consul! The second car reported that they have also picked up Mr. Gaina..."

"Good, I will set off immediately!"

Hanging up the phone, Li Zhengwu straightened his suit: "Prepare the car!"

The secretary took out a mobile phone and walked out while dialing.

Two minutes later, Li Zhengwu went downstairs and got into a brand-new Mercedes-Benz.

The hotel was close by, and in less than half an hour, the car arrived at the entrance of the General Administration.

Registration, photography, clearance.

After getting out of the car, Li Zhengwu did not rush inside, but waited at the entrance.

On the twelfth floor, Li Shichen stood in front of the window and pointed downward: "Lin Sicheng, a foreigner has come, do you recognize him!"

Of course he recognized him.

Lin Sicheng took a look: "Li Zhengwu, General Manager of the Asia region for Saishi Company! English name: Michael Morgan!"

"Morgan?" Li Shichen was stunned for a moment, "The Morgan from JPMorgan Chase?"

"It should be. According to public Information Detachment: 12 percent of Saishi Company's shares are controlled by Vanguard Fund, the predecessor of Vanguard Fund was Wellington Fund, and Wellington is controlled by JPMorgan Chase..."

Li Shichen was startled: "You even know this?"

"It's all public information; if you know English and can use the internet, you can look it up!"

"In that case, is this person a key figure?"

"Of course, the kind that can directly influence the stock price of Saishi Company!" Lin Sicheng emphasized, "Very, very rich!"

Li Shichen joked half-heartedly: "So, you hired a full eight bodyguards?"

There was nothing to be embarrassed about admitting; Lin Sicheng nodded: "Whatever leaks out from between his fingers is enough to buy my life several times over!" Did Lin Sicheng have moments of cowardice too?

Li Shichen couldn't help but laugh: "Lin Sicheng, aren't you being too exaggerated this time?"

Lin Sicheng didn't speak.

Bureau Chief Li felt it was too exaggerated because he didn't know what he had done: including Saishi, six tech giants were not spared; all of them received extortion emails containing Bottom-layer Password and core source code.

If this matter were to be exposed, it was unknown whether the stocks of these six companies would avalanche or if the companies would go bankrupt. But Saishi's stock would absolutely hit one circuit breaker after another.

It was not impossible for it to even drop directly to delisting.

If Saishi Company's market value was 100 billion USD, 12 percent would be over 10 billion.

It wouldn't take much; just take out 100 million for a bounty on the dark web. Believe it or not, the assassins taking the job could line up from here to the United States...

If you still don't understand, refer to the founder of the British Software company Autonomy, Mike Lynch.

He directed financial fraud and sold the company to HP for 11 billion; HP sued for 4 billion in damages and eventually lost the case. Mike got carried away and traveled to Italy, and the cruise ship he was on encountered Wind and waves. After the ship capsized, more than thirty people including the chef, waiters, and driver were all safe and sound, but Mike's family of seven did not have a single survivor.

And when this incident happened, it was already 2024.

Now it is 2009, fifteen years early, but it will only be crazier.

Seeing Lin Sicheng not speaking, thinking he was embarrassed to talk, Li Shichen changed the subject: "What did you tell Liu Anhua yesterday to make him change so quickly?"

Before, no matter who requested a meeting, Liu Anhua would refuse them all.

Including the Consulate, lawyers, and even the Embassy.

And no one's persuasion worked; he even threatened death.

Since they couldn't see him, these parties thought Liu Anhua had suffered some physical persecution and the public security bureau didn't dare let them see him. Or perhaps he had received personal threats and Liu Anhua didn't dare to see them.

Then, they complained one after another to the Foreign Affairs Department.

Foreign Affairs notified public security, public security notified Customs, and the leaders of the General Administration asked every few days. They even asked Li Shichen if he had really used "methods." But what era was this?

Li Shichen was fuming, wishing he could drag Liu Anhua out, make him stand at the entrance of the detention center for two hours, and let these foreigners who were full of talk about human rights take a good look.

But things weren't done that way. Li Shichen had no choice but to treat a dead horse as a living one and invited Lin Sicheng over.

Who would have thought it would be so effective?

After Lin Sicheng arrived, he only chatted with him for ten minutes, and Liu Anhua suddenly agreed.

"I didn't say much!" Lin Sicheng said unhurriedly, "I just discussed with him how to make his prison sentence longer!"

Li Shichen looked strange: "He agreed?"

"Of course!"

Otherwise, Li Zhenghao wouldn't have been able to get here.

As for the things Liu Anhua did, he wouldn't escape a "death" sentence sooner or later: the Smuggling ring wouldn't let him go, and capital wouldn't let him go either. And those gray gangs in the refurbishment industry chain were even more eager to grind his bones to dust.

Just take one point: the instruments Lin Sicheng purchased, which one wasn't the most advanced, most comprehensive, and most authoritative latest-generation instrument with professional technology? Which manufacturer behind them wasn't a world giant or a scientific research tycoon?

Getting the Bottom-layer Password and Core Module of one was possible, but six?

Imagine: how dense and complex must the network of relationships behind this industry chain be, and how deep must the background be?

But with Lin Sicheng exposing it like this, how many moles would be dug out, and how many people's livelihoods would be cut off?

Therefore, for every extra day Liu Anhua sat in prison, he could live one more day.

Under this premise, as long as a crime could be pinned on him, whether he did it or not, there was nothing Liu Anhua wouldn't dare to admit.

By the same token: how dangerous Liu Anhua was, that was how dangerous Lin Sicheng was, perhaps even more so.

Of course, this was the worst-case scenario: all the scandals were fully exposed, and all the companies' stocks avalanched.

Although he wasn't certain, Lin Sicheng was confident: it shouldn't reach that point...