The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

The tea had gone completely cold.

The brown tea soup remained still in the purple clay cup, like a stagnant pool.

A few swollen tea leaves unfurled the coiled corpse, sinking to the bottom of the cup, motionless.

The air in the office was very thick.

The central air conditioning vents emitted a faint buzzing sound, like the flapping of the wings of some large insect, amplified infinitely in the deathly silent space.

Zhao Hong sat on that expensive leather sofa.

He didn't touch the cup of tea.

As the general manager of Ant Financial's strategy department, he possesses extremely high professional qualities.

Or rather, obsessive-compulsive disorder related to cleanliness.

He wore a well-tailored dark gray Italian suit with cold platinum cufflinks that reflected a dazzling light as he subtly adjusted his arm.

The orange ant badge on his chest stood out starkly against the backdrop of the top floor of the Microlight Building.

That's more than just a work badge.

On the Chinese internet landscape in 2016, that icon represented a kind of irresistible will.

It is the rule.

He is the referee.

He was also an executioner.

"Mr. Lin, this tea is quite good."

Zhao Hong finally spoke.

He didn't drink it, but just gently played with the rim of the cup with his fingers, his fingertips rubbing the rough purple clay, making a rustling sound.

"Unfortunately, it was overcooked."

Double entendre.

Lin Che sat opposite him, his body sunk into the shadow of the chair back.

He didn't reply, but just quietly looked at Zhao Hong's neatly trimmed fingers.

Shen Nan stood behind Lin Che, his breathing becoming heavy.

He could smell the faint scent of cologne on Zhao Hong.

The taste was exquisite and expensive, filled with the arrogance of the superior.

This made him feel nauseous, as if there was a piece of raw iron stuck in his stomach, causing a sharp, painful heaviness.

"We can be considered half-fellow disciples."

Zhao Hong leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers to support his chin.

This posture makes him look like a doctor examining a patient, with a kind of compassionate indifference.

"I saw your personnel file when you were working on B2B at Alibaba."

"Ambitious and unconventional, he's a fine knife."

"But I never expected that this knife would now be used to cut the heads of those who pave the roads."

Lin Che finally moved.

He tapped a cigarette out of the pack, but didn't light it; he just twirled it between his fingers.

"Did Mr. Zhao come today just to catch up with me?"

"I'm here to save you."

Zhao Hong smiled.

He slowly pulled a document from his briefcase.

The movements were slow and very ritualistic, like some kind of religious ceremony.

The document was pushed to the center of the marble tabletop.

It's just three thin pages.

But when Shen Nan saw the bright red seals on the cover, his pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

"Convention on Self-Discipline and Risk Prevention in the Internet Finance Industry"

In addition to Ant Financial's official seal, there are also the seals of Penguin Financial (Tencent Group) and Baidu Finance stamped side by side.

BAT.

Three great mountains.

In this era where traffic is king, these three red circles together form an imperial edict.

They represent 90% of the traffic entry points for the Chinese Internet.

It represents the ultimate right to interpret life and death.

"The cake has already been divided up long ago."

Zhao Hong tapped the official seals with his fingers, making a dull thud, each tap feeling like a tap on Shen Nan's heartbeat.

"The eldest eats the meat, the second drinks the soup, and the leftover scraps are snatched up by others."

"That's the rule."

"Mr. Lin, it's against the rules for you to try and force your way in with 10 billion yuan in funding."

Lin Che didn't look at the document.

He stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, Beijing's sky was hazy and overcast, with dark clouds hanging low as if they were about to touch the lightning rod of the skyscraper.

The traffic below converges into a river of red and white light, slowly creeping through the gaps in the concrete jungle.

Looking down from here, those who toil for a few coins appear as insignificant as ants.

"Mr. Zhao."

Lin Che's voice was very soft, and it was somewhat diffused by the sound of the air conditioner.

"If I remember correctly, when Taobao was blocked by eBay, Jack Ma also fought his way out of this situation."

"What, now it's your turn to be the dragons?"

The smile on Zhao Hong's face faded.

He didn't like the metaphor.

"Times have changed."

Zhao Hong leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs.

That condescending patience had run out, replaced by blatant threats.

"President Lin, you're a smart man."

"You should know how to write the words 'technical malfunction'."

He paused, seemingly admiring the stiffness of Lin Che's back.

Imagine it.

Zhao Hong's voice became low and sinister, echoing in the empty office.

"New Year's Eve, 8 PM."

"As soon as the Spring Festival Gala started, hundreds of millions of eyes across China were glued to their phones."

"Just one second before your 'Glimmer Red Envelope' prize is drawn..."

He snapped his fingers.

"Smack."

"Server circuit breaker".

"Interface timed out".

WeChat blocks links.

"A message popped up on the screens of hundreds of millions of users: 'This application poses a security risk and access has been suspended.'"

Shen Nan clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh.

That was a nightmare.

That would be a devastating blow to any internet company.

"Your customer service hotline will be bombarded with calls within ten minutes."

"Tens of millions of angry users will flood Weibo with insults."

"The regulatory inquiry letter will be delivered to your desk the following morning."

"And that 10 billion US dollars you just raised..."

Zhao Hong chuckled dismissively.

"It will become a pile of waste paper."

"Because your funds will be frozen on the grounds of suspected money laundering and you are cooperating with the investigation."

Dead end.

This is a meticulously designed dead end.

They don't need to beat you technologically, nor do they need to surpass you in terms of product.

All they need to do is use their control over the "industry infrastructure" to unplug your network cable and cut off your lifeline.

"Did Weiguang Payment buy its license from that shell company called 'Huitong'?"

Zhao Hong unleashed his final trump card.

"That company's original accounts are a complete mess."

"This is original sin."

"Once we submit this document, Mr. Lin, you'll probably be spending the Spring Festival in the Economic Crime Investigation Team's interrogation room."

The office was deathly silent.

Shen Nan felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, making it difficult to even breathe.

anger.

Extreme anger.

But he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

This is the arrogance of monopolists; they stand on their pedestals, casually tossing down a stone that can shatter the dreams of countless people on the ground.

"Are you done talking?"

Lin Che turned around.

His face showed no sign of fear, as calm as a bottomless lake.

He slowly walked back to the table and stood opposite Zhao Hong.

Zhao Hong raised his head, his eyes filled with the domineering presence of a victor.

"The solution is on the last page."

Zhao Hong raised his chin.

"Full acquisition".

"We'll merge into Ant Group, retain your CEO position, and give you 10% of the company's stock."

"This is the best outcome you could get."

Lin Che reached out his hand.

His hand reached for the purple clay cup.

The smile on Zhao Hong's face widened.

He thought Lin Che was going to offer tea.

This is the unwritten rule of the martial arts world: offer tea, apologize, and the matter is considered closed.

Zhao Hong straightened his tie, sat up straight, and put on a magnanimous expression, ready to accept the submission of this young billionaire.

"Those who understand the times are..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Lin Che's wrist suddenly twitched.

There were no signs whatsoever.

The movement was as fast as lightning, yet as steady as a precise surgical procedure.

"Splash—"

A full cup of cooled, stale tea traced a brown arc in the air.

Tea leaves, mixed with murky liquid, were splashed squarely onto the "Industry Self-Discipline Convention."

The tea spread rapidly.

Those bright red BAT company seals were instantly swallowed up by brown stains.

The remaining half-glass of water splashed onto Zhao Hong's custom-made suit, which was worth five figures.

There were even a few tea leaves stuck comically to his expensive platinum cufflinks.

Time stood still at that moment.

Zhao Hong's smile froze, as if it had been sealed onto his face with cement.

He stared incredulously at the soaking wet document on the table, his mind going blank for a moment.

Splashed tea?

He actually dared to spill tea?!

"Lin Che!!!"

Zhao Hong suddenly jumped up, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

He frantically patted the water stains off his suit, his composed elite demeanor instantly crumbling, leaving him utterly disheveled.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Do you know what you're doing?!"

His voice became shrill and even cracked due to extreme shock and anger.

Lin Che casually tossed the empty cup into the trash can.

"Clang!"

A sharp crack shattered the last vestige of dignity.

He placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at Zhao Hong with his dark eyes.

There was not a trace of fear in his eyes, only a chilling madness.

"original sin?"

Lin Che's voice was low and had a metallic quality.

"Mr. Zhao, you've reminded me."

He held up a finger, pointing to the crumpled document soaked in tea, his tone full of mockery.

"Since that is original sin, I will wash it into the Bible."

"you……"

Zhao Hong was so angry that he was trembling all over, and his finger pointing at Lin Che was shaking.

"Rules are made for the weak."

Lin Che straightened up, his eyes instantly turning as cold as knives.

"The rules of the strong are forged by their own actions."

"Take your trash and get out."

There is only one word.

Simple, brutal, and leaving no room for compromise.

Zhao Hong's face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently.

He glared fiercely at Lin Che, then glanced at Shen Nan, who stood beside him with clenched fists and a murderous look on his face.

He knew that today, the feud was truly set in stone.

"well!"

Zhao Hong gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words.

"Good advice is hard to persuade a damned ghost."

"Lin Che, you wait."

"On New Year's Eve, I want to watch your 'Glimmering Tower' turn into a deathly grave!"

He didn't even bother to pick up the document; he turned around, slammed the door, and left.

The sound of leather shoes clattering on the marble floor was rapid and disordered, like the whimpering of a defeated dog.

"Bang!"

The heavy solid wood door was slammed shut.

........................

The office returned to silence.

Only the sound of the air conditioner was still going on.

Shen Nan stared at the still-dripping tea stain on the table, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

The scene he just witnessed was so shocking that his heart was still pounding.

"Brother Che..."

Shen Nan's voice was a little hoarse.

"We've completely fallen out."

"If they really join forces to block it, on New Year's Eve..."

He dared not think any further.

The hellish scene described by Zhao Hong was so realistic.

"No need to wait until New Year's Eve."

Lin Che walked behind his desk and picked up the red secure phone.

His expression remained calm, but beneath that calm, it was as if magma was surging.

"Did they think we were just waiting to die?"

Lin Che pressed a number.

That's the highest-level access line directly to the Micro-Light Technology Department.

"Old Wang."

Wang Pangzi's alert voice immediately came from the other end of the phone: "Boss, I'm here."

Lin Che turned around and looked out the window at the oppressive dark clouds.

A storm is coming.

Then let the storm rage on.

"Launch the 'Red Project'."

Lin Che's voice echoed in the empty office, each word carrying a bloody undertone.

"Exchange all two hundred million in cash in the account for ammunition."

"At the printing plant, they operate on three shifts, with machines running non-stop even when people are resting."

"Do they want to see the server crash?"

A chilling smirk finally appeared on Lin Che's lips.

"Then so be it."

"I want this rain of red envelopes to be heavier than snow."

"Big enough to smash through their defenses and flood their servers!"

Outside the window, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky.