Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 718 I have the right to remain silent!
“Waters’ concerns are not unfounded,” another relatively cautious executive said. “But as James said, Lin Sipeng’s crimes are real, and we have a solid chain of evidence proving that he orchestrated the malicious attack on the Windows system. Even if he was bait, if we act according to the law, the Chinese side can’t say anything. The key is whether we can find a breakthrough with him.”

“I agree,” James, a radical executive, chimed in. “As long as we can get him to confess that he was instructed by Momo Group to attack our system, we will be able to take the initiative in international public opinion. At that time, we will have a hundred ways to sanction the Momo OS system.”

Waters looked at his indignant colleagues and knew he could no longer stop them.

His deep-seated unease remained; he always felt that Cheng Yi's actions must have a deeper meaning, but faced with the opinions of the majority and his desire for revenge, he could only choose to compromise.

“Alright.” Waters took a deep breath and said, “Now that everyone has made a decision, let’s proceed according to plan. But we must ensure that the procedures are legal and the evidence is conclusive, and that we do not leave any handle for the other side. We will try to arrest Lin Sipeng’s team when they go to the airport to leave the country after the summit. This will not only avoid causing too much of a disturbance during the summit, but also confirm his suspicion of attempting to escape.”

"agree."

"That's it."

The resolution was passed swiftly.

San Francisco, the final day of the summit.

Lin Sipeng forced himself to attend the closing ceremony, but his heart was filled with disappointment.

Seven days!

Seven full days!

He made high-profile statements, made self-deprecating jokes online, and even boasted that he would replace Windows in three years, but the FBI remained silent.

"Damn it, the Americans are so inefficient! Or maybe they just didn't even consider me?" Lin Sipeng sat in the car on his way back to the villa, tugged at his tie in frustration, and muttered, "Was my position as vice president for nothing? Was my directorship at the European Semiconductor Association for nothing?"

The lawyer standing nearby comforted him, "Mr. Lin, perhaps we're overthinking it. Microsoft might just be bluffing..."

"Impossible!" Lin Sipeng interrupted him angrily, "Brother Cheng's judgment is absolutely correct. You are questioning Brother Cheng."

The lawyer sensed that Lin Sipeng was in a bad mood, so he didn't dare to say anything more.

Good heavens, he only offered a word of comfort and he's already been given such a huge label. If he says anything more, he'll be out of a job when he gets back.
Back at the villa, the team began packing their luggage, preparing for their early morning flight back home the next day.

Looking at the boxes of brand-new promotional materials bearing the Momo OS logo and his custom-made suit that he hadn't had a chance to show off yet, Lin Sipeng felt increasingly resentful.

"No, I can't just slink back like this." Lin Sipeng suddenly stood up and said, "I have to do something."

Ignoring his lawyer's advice, he insisted on going to the nearby commercial district alone to buy some souvenirs, claiming that he couldn't leave empty-handed. In reality, he wanted to try his luck one last time to see if he could get himself arrested.

He deliberately wandered around the streets, choosing places with many people and a lot of attention, and even fixed his hair in front of the street corner camera.

Unfortunately, things remained calm until he returned to the villa carrying several bags of meaningless souvenirs.

"It's really hopeless..." Lin Sipeng completely deflated, slumped onto the sofa, and said, "I can't be a hero anymore, and I won't be recorded in history..."

Filled with regret and disappointment, Lin Sipeng and his team arrived at San Francisco International Airport the next morning.

Check-in, baggage drop-off, security check...

Everything went so smoothly that he was filled with despair.

After passing through security, Lin Sipeng glanced back at the waiting hall, a wave of sorrow washing over him. He murmured to himself, "Goodbye, America, goodbye, my dream of becoming a hero."

He sighed and turned to walk toward the boarding gate.

Just then, four serious-looking men with FBI badges around their necks quickly blocked Lin Sipeng and his team's path.

The lead agent pulled out his badge and said in a cold voice, "Mr. Lin Sipeng? We are from the FBI. You are hereby formally arrested on suspicion of commercial espionage, computer fraud, and related activities. You have the right to remain silent, but you..."

coming!

finally come!

Lin Sipeng was stunned at first, then an indescribable joy surged up his head, and he couldn't even hear what the man was going to say next.

He struggled to suppress the upward curve of his lips and quickly entered the mode of a tragic hero that he had rehearsed countless times.

He straightened his back, a hint of humiliation at being wronged showing on his face, and shouted in accented but deliberately slowed English: "You're framing me! I am Lin Sipeng, Vice President of Momo Group. I strongly protest your accusations. This is baseless slander and persecution by Microsoft because they can't compete with our Momo system."

His voice was loud enough to immediately attract the attention of many passengers, and countless eyes and mobile phone cameras instantly focused on him.

“Mr. Lin, please come with us.” Ignoring his protests, the detectives quickly stepped forward, skillfully handcuffed him, and then held his arms on either side.

"I will cooperate with your investigation to prove my innocence." Lin Sipeng held his head high and, before being taken away, shouted to his team members in Chinese, "Contact the group immediately! I am innocent! Tell the domestic media that truth and justice are on our side!"

He acted hysterically, perfectly portraying the image of a tech elite who suffered injustice but still upheld his integrity.

Watching Lin Sipeng being led away by FBI agents, the remaining team members immediately began to act according to the pre-arranged plan.

The legal team stepped forward to negotiate and follow, while the public relations specialist began frantically contacting domestic and international media outlets to release pre-prepared press releases.

[Breaking News! Lin Sipeng, Vice President of Momo Group, was arrested by the FBI in the US, suspected of being framed by Microsoft.]

[A senior executive from Huaxia Technology was imprisoned after attending a conference in the US; what is the future of independent operating systems?]

The news spread like wildfire across the global tech and media communities.

The first reaction of the attendees upon hearing the news was shock and unease.

On the world's largest technology exchange forum, news about the detention of Lin Sipeng, vice president of Momo Group, is everywhere.

[Has the FBI arrested the general manager of Momo OS on charges of commercial espionage? Is the evidence conclusive?]

What's so conclusive about it? Isn't the evidence just what they say?

[Momo System? Is that the operating system that's been driving Windows into a deep strait in the Chinese market lately?]

This sounds like Microsoft is using non-market tactics to eliminate competitors.

[The American giants are playing their old tricks again.] [When they can't win fairly in the market, law and security become their most convenient weapons.]

【Shh...】

Many people are disgusted by Microsoft's move, believing it undermines the atmosphere of competition based on merit in the technology industry. However, knowing the tactics of IT giants well, they simply made a few innocuous remarks and let it go.

In China, thanks to the strong promotion of Momo Group's public relations team, headlines such as "National Tech Elite Shamelessly Framed by the US" and "Lin Sipeng, Hero Fighting for the Rise of an Independent Operating System" dominated the front pages of major portal websites.

The press release detailed Lin Sipeng's illustrious career.

What computer genius at Handong University, what student union president of the School of Computer Science at Handong University, what core contributor to the development of the Momo system, what single-handedly planned the counterattack against Microsoft XP Lite, what a hastily promoted vice president of Momo Group, what a personal director of the European Semiconductor Association...

Under the shaping of public opinion, the image of a technical hero who endured humiliation and hardship for the rise of national science and technology was quickly established.

"Support President Lin! Down with American imperialism!"

"Microsoft can't afford to play dirty, so they resort to underhanded tactics!"

"This is a provocation against our entire Chinese technology industry!"

In various comment sections, posts about Lin Sipeng instantly flooded all the comment sections of related news. Nationalistic sentiments were completely mobilized at this moment, and Lin Sipeng's name became a household name overnight, becoming a symbol of China's scientific and technological community's resistance against Western technological hegemony.

Numerous domestic technology companies, regardless of whether they have cooperated with Momo Group, have issued statements expressing serious concern and firm support for Lin Sipeng's plight, and calling on the US to handle the matter fairly.

Even when Lin Hua was asked about this matter at a regular press conference, he publicly stated, "my country has taken note of the relevant reports and expresses serious concern about the treatment of Chinese citizens in the United States. We demand that the US side strictly abide by the law, earnestly protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, immediately clarify this matter, provide a reasonable explanation, and ensure fair handling."

Momo Group seized this crisis public relations opportunity precisely, completely shaping Lin Sipeng into a once-in-a-century computer genius and a national technological hero.

The group's technical department assisted in the production and publication of a large number of technical documents and architectural design ideas led by Lin Sipeng, and even disclosed some of his forward-looking technical blog articles written in his early years.

Although Lin Sipeng had never even read these articles, this world is just so magical.

If it's said to be yours, then it's yours; if it wasn't yours, then it's yours.

If you say it wasn't written by you, then it wasn't written by you; if you did write it, then it wasn't written by you.

With the publication of these articles, not only are people in China marveling at Lin Sipeng's abilities, but even some overseas technical forums have begun to repost Lin Sipeng's technical documents.

On Reddit, one of the most popular forums abroad, the top post on the homepage is "[The resume of Lin Sipeng, the IT prodigy from China]".

The trending posts were filled with expressions of astonishment: "So young and yet has such a profound understanding of the system kernel and security architecture, amazing!" "No wonder Momo's system was so successful, there really is a genius at the helm," and so on.

News reports consistently emphasize that Lin Sipeng risked going to the United States for the sake of China's independent and controllable operating system, but unfortunately fell into the enemy's trap. He was portrayed as a pure scientist who was single-mindedly devoted to technology, and his arrest was a loss to the entire industry.

These news stories even brought tears to the eyes of the car models who had been intimate with Lin Sipeng.

They suddenly realized that the guy who liked to touch their legs was actually such a great person.

In addition to news reports, many television stations also invited well-known financial writers and technology commentators to discuss the global technological competition behind the Lin Sipeng incident.

Publishers even started contacting him, hoping to publish a biography of Lin Sipeng.

In his office, Cheng Yi looked at the overwhelming news reports about Lin Sipeng and the surging public opinion in China on the screen, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

In this battle of public opinion, Momo Group has already taken the lead.

Every extra day Lin Sipeng is detained in the United States solidifies his status as a figure of immense influence in China. This deal is truly a bargain.

A few days later, in an FBI precinct in San Francisco, Lin Sipeng sat on a cold metal chair, his wrists still bearing the marks of handcuffs, but he stood ramrod straight, his face bearing an expression of utter desolation.

This is the signature expression of a tech-savvy tough guy that he practiced hundreds of times in front of the mirror.

Two detectives, one old and one young, were sitting opposite each other.

The veteran detective was experienced and had sharp, eagle-like eyes, while the younger one seemed impatient and eager to resort to violence.

“Mr. Lin,” the veteran detective began, his voice attempting to create a peaceful atmosphere, and he smiled kindly, “We understand your emotions, but cooperating with the investigation will only benefit you. Tell us first, those… um… those system optimization tools you developed, were they instructed by which senior executive of the Momo Group?”

Lin Sipeng didn't even lift his eyelids; he had completely lost focus.

Seeing that he remained silent, the young detective grew impatient and pushed a stack of printed code and network logs in front of Lin Sipeng, angrily saying, "These malicious code attacks on Windows systems, after being traced by our technical department, are highly similar to some of the server scripts you used in the Sailor Moon online game. How do you explain that?"

A flash of anger crossed Lin Sipeng's face, but he quickly returned to his usual calm silence, even closing his eyes and imagining the sensational scene of his return to China.

"Silence does not mean innocence! It will only increase suspicion against you!" the young detective slammed his fist on the table and roared.

The veteran detective restrained his companion and continued with a smile, "Mr. Lin, aren't you worried about your family? You need to understand that here, only telling the truth can help you. What promises has Momo Group made to you? Is it worth risking your life for them like this?"

Lin Sipeng had rehearsed all of these processes, so he remained as steady as a mountain, his breathing rate unchanged, as if he were a meditating monk.

Over the next two hours, the two detectives took turns using coercion, bribery, appeals to sympathy, and technical questioning...

They used every interrogation technique imaginable.

They asked for details of the attack, but Lin Sipeng remained silent.

When they asked about the technical architecture, Lin Sipeng remained silent.

No matter what they asked, Lin Sipeng stubbornly remained silent.

He kept Cheng Yi's advice firmly in mind: "All their questions are traps. As long as you remain silent, they can't do anything to you."

After several days, the interrogation made no progress.

Aside from requesting to see a lawyer as required, Lin Sipeng fully complied with the demands they made when they arrested him.

You have the right to remain silent.

(End of this chapter)