Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

The vice president's laughter was like a sharp knife, piercing the tense atmosphere in the computer room. Wu Meiniang abruptly pulled up the global network topology map, her gaze instantly locking onto a coordinate that had just lit up with a high-risk red light.

On the giant blue 3D light screen suspended in the center of the hall, countless green optical cables representing data transmission are spreading across the globe like a spider web.

However, at the very top of the Western Hemisphere, a node of a massive architectural complex buried deep underground suddenly burst open with a crimson glow without warning.

Although the red light was faint, it carried an aggressive quality, spreading wildly outwards along the main road.

That was a special heavy mecha armory that the Tang Dynasty had just completed in the New World of North America and had not yet undergone final safety inspection.

"Sir, the quantum physics gateway in North America has been breached!"

The operator's voice cracked from shock, and his fingertips trembled violently on the control panel.

"That's impossible. That's an independent internal network; how could a remote handshake have been successfully established?"

Wu Meiniang's cold holographic projection was illuminated by alternating light and shadow under the red light, and her beautiful phoenix eyes suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints in that instant.

She stared intently at the ever-expanding red dot of light.

That armory contains the latest generation of 10,000 heavy-duty combat mechs from the Tang Dynasty, all of which have just rolled off the production line.

Because these are newly produced products, these steel behemoths made of titanium alloy and high-energy nuclear batteries have not yet had time to be fitted with the final ethical restrictions and friend-or-foe identification chips.

They are soulless killing tools.

If it falls into the hands of the resentful "Old Tang" organization, it will be a catastrophe that sweeps across the entire North American province and could even backfire on the Tang Dynasty itself.

The vulnerability in this top-secret gateway was precisely the green channel that the vice president personally opened for the aristocratic rats by exploiting the loopholes in the original protocol.

"Old man, you really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."

Wu Meiniang's voice turned as cold as a brand-new plasma cannon in an instant, and cold light flowed wildly across the surface of her projection.

"Haha, cough cough... Girl, as I've said before, the rules aren't something only Li Chengqian understands!"

The vice dean lay face down in the sewage, his forehead slamming against the hard floor tiles with dull thuds, while he hysterically spat out blood and foam.

His eyes were filled with a morbid fanaticism born of jealousy.

"The Tian Shu system monitors the entire city; it's truly impressive."

But tonight is Lunar New Year's Eve, and 300,000 households are grabbing red envelopes and sending congratulatory messages on Digital Treasure. The massive flood of data is my best camouflage!

Every time the civilian mainnet lags, it's because I'm forcibly injecting neuronal code into those tens of thousands of mechs!

By the time your people realize what's happening, the alloy gates of North America will already be wide open to the righteous warriors of "Old Tang"!

The pressure of time, in that very second, transformed into a heavy iron hammer, pounding down on the hearts of everyone in the server room.

The countdown at the edge of the screen is jumping wildly.

[Progress of divestiture of controlling stake: 75%]

[180 seconds remaining until the internal network is completely lost.]

The pulsating red numbers were like the footsteps of death, sending chills down one's spine as they echoed through the empty grounds of the Academy of Sciences, a chilling and merciless judgment.

"Sir, there's no time to develop code for a counter-offensive. Those powerful hackers are hiding behind civilian junk data; if we attack, we'll damage the civilians' wristbands!"

The cybersecurity engineer at the control panel was sweating profusely, his official hat had long been pulled aside, and his hands were typing away on the keyboard, leaving afterimages.

"They're using the lives of millions of people in Guanzhong as a shield for rebels in North America!"

The alarms in the server room grew more and more urgent, and in everyone's micro-expressions, besides shock, there was only a chilling sense of dread about this deadly plot.

This silent game played deep within the internet is so ruthless and dangerous that it has exceeded the imagination of all the high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

Those heads of powerful families who couldn't even keep proper accounts normally, after receiving technical support from a traitor in the Academy of Sciences, were able to achieve their goals.

Overnight, he transformed into a cyber demon capable of breaching the empire's defenses.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Chang'an, the Taiji Palace was still a scene of dazzling lights and peaceful revelry.

Red holographic ribbons were wrapped around the pillars of the main hall, and a thick Persian red carpet was laid on the floor.

Li Shimin was wearing a festive bright red robe embroidered with Tang Dynasty dragon patterns in gold thread.

This "chairman" of the Tang Dynasty was sitting on a newly made armchair with a ruddy complexion, holding a cup of mellow wine in his hand.

Before him, hundreds of the city's top dancers were gracefully undulating in mid-air, stepping on red lotuses formed from holographic spectral particles, creating a fragrant breeze.

"Haha, Minister Fang, tonight's New Year's Eve banquet is exactly to my liking!"

Li Shimin stroked his beard and let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing in the magnificent hall, sounding exceptionally heroic.

"Your Majesty is right. Now that we have this digital treasure, all taxes in the country can be settled within half an hour, and the people can receive the imperial court's rewards without leaving their homes."

Such a prosperous era has never been seen before, either throughout history.

Fang Xuanling sat to one side, holding a specially made holographic tablet in his hand, his face full of a gratified smile.

"This is all thanks to Chengqian. Although he's a bit lazy, these glowing boxes he made are really useful."

Li Shimin smacked his lips, and when he mentioned his son sunbathing in Hawaii, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, but more than anything, he showed the pride unique to an old father.

"Wang De, bring me my 'National Red Envelope Control Gateway'!"

At midnight tonight, I will personally send a huge New Year's red envelope to all users of Datang Digital Treasure worldwide!

The old eunuch Wang De quickly bent down and came forward with a control disc wrapped in red silk and emitting a soft golden light.

In the center of the disc, a large, red physical button quietly awaits the king's favor.

By simply pressing this button, the Tian Shu system will accurately distribute hundreds of millions of credit points from the national treasury into the electronic bracelets of every citizen of the Tang Dynasty within one millisecond, in the form of random numbers.

This is the most direct and aesthetically pleasing digital way for imperial power to win over the hearts of the people.

The courtiers in the Taiji Hall raised their wine cups, their faces beaming with joy.

No one realized that at the bottom of that golden data pipeline filled with credit points...

A series of ghostly Trojan horses, coded by cold human brains, disguised as festive red envelopes, are moving along the transoceanic fiber optic cables of the North American provinces like a deadly venomous snake, and have already reached the edge of the core gate.

This absolute disconnect in information gives this seemingly peaceful and prosperous palace a chillingly absurd feel.

Inside the Taiji Hall, celebrations of a prosperous era are in full swing, while beneath the Academy of Sciences, destruction looms.

The tide of technology brought this empire unparalleled wealth, but at the same time, it quietly placed the most deadly noose around the neck of this behemoth.

The water clock in the sky was slowly running out, and the last second of New Year's Eve finally came to an end amidst everyone's attention.

Along the long street, the cheers of the people had coalesced into a sound wave that shattered the night sky.

Outside the Daming Palace, on that heavy bell tower that has carried a thousand years of history, the huge bronze pendulum, in the dim electronic light, finally crashed hard against the bell wall due to gravity.

"when--!"

The deep, resounding first chime swept across the entire night sky of the capital city in that single millisecond.

With a smile on his face, Li Shimin, his right fingertip exuding supreme authority and confidence, steadily pressed the red master control button amidst the cheers of his ministers.

"Your Majesty, on behalf of all the people of the realm, I thank Your Majesty for your divine grace!" Fang Xuanling raised his wine cup, and Changsun Wuji also bowed with a smile.

Li Shimin laughed heartily, the red button under his fingertips clicking crisply: "Tonight, I will let the whole world share in the joy of my Great Tang!"