460: Chapter 460: Tit for Tat!
460: Chapter 460: Tit for Tat!
Cough cough!
Two violent coughs startled Tang Xiao in Wu Jie’s arms.
“Bastard!
Let go, soone’s coming!”
“It’s Cai again, that guy really knows how to pick his monts!”
Wu Jie had just murmured when the door was knocked.
“President Tang, Mr.
Wu, the ambassador has returned, it’s ti for dinner!”
Upon hearing the word “ambassador,” Wu Jie finally released Tang Xiao.
There would be other days for such matters; business was more important!
“We’ll be right there!”
Tang Xiao replied, and with an angry pout, she clenched her fist and thumped Wu Jie’s chest hard.
How could she et people without freshening up first?
Wu Jie chuckled, unhurriedly got up, dressed, and bent over to operate his laptop.
He erased all traces of intrusion and data copying, making it undetectable.
After shutting down the computer and packing it away, he also put darts into his backpack and prepared his cigarettes and lighter.
Cai Xu waited for a while before Wu Jie and Tang Xiao erged.
Upon seeing them, Cai Xu whispered:
“An interdiary contacted , saying that if we’re willing to pay five hundred million Gold Coins for security fees, the Youth Army of Aseyah guarantees the smooth progress of our project without any safety issues!”
Wu Jie and Tang Xiao looked at each other, montarily dumbfounded.
Dammit!
They’re exploiting not just the previous contractor but the next one as well.
They want to make money off international forces and scam the Tanglong Industrial Group.
And…
They’re asking for five hundred million Gold Coins right off the bat!
It’s not just outrageous, but it also proves they know about the project’s security budget of five hundred million Gold Coins.
Not a penny more, not a penny less.
At first listen, it sounds like they are not extorting, but legitimately seeking a cooperation deal to provide security services and make money.
Indeed, Tanglong Industrial Group really needed to hire security.
But…
First, they cause an explosion, and then they offer a deal.
Is this how legitimate cooperation is supposed to work?
How is this any different from extortion and blackmail?
If they had started off by talking about cooperation, it might have seed a bit more sincere.
But now…
This is nothing but intimidation and extortion!
If we actually paid, they’d probably turn on us in a heartbeat.
And if we didn’t pay, future troubles would be inevitable.
“Damn it, what kind of cooperation is this!” Wu Jie cursed angrily.
Tang Xiao also looked furious, huffing:
“Tell the interdiary that I’d rather spend five hundred million Gold Coins hiring the best rcenaries in the world than give one penny to those terrorist extremists!”
“Okay!
But…
should I reply later?
Maybe once you’re safely back ho, then tell them, to prevent them from acting rashly out of desperation?”
What Cai Xu was hinting at was a delay tactic.
“Decide for yourself when to say it!
But make sure our colleagues left here stay cautious and vigilant!”
Tang Xiao instructed sternly.
Cai Xu nodded repeatedly: “I understand, let’s go then, the ambassador and the others are waiting in the banquet hall!”
With that, the group headed to the banquet.
The dinner was lavish, with several local dishes.
Twice-cooked pork, spicy chicken, shredded pork with garlic sauce…
All were simple but classic ho-style dishes that were very appetizing.
At the table, they didn’t discuss business matters.
Instead, they casually chatted about the differences in food culture.
It wasn’t until after dinner, in the lounge, that they closed the doors for a business talk.
“After the explosion, I imdiately contacted the Presidential Palace and then went to urgently et with the President!”
“The President asked to express his apologies for not providing adequate security.
It was their failure!”
“As for the SAM project, he steadfastly supports your company’s winning bid and hopes you will not withdraw voluntarily!”
“Finally, the President’s ban will be lifted tonight at eight o’clock.
After coordination, dostic flights have already taken off!”
“You can continue to stay here, or you can head to the airport to return ho.”
After the ambassador finished, Tang Xiao solemnly stated:
“This project was not easy to secure, and we fought hard for it, like a battle with blood and sweat!”
“We have defeated the three giants, so of course, we will not fear the likes of the Youth Army of Aseyah!”
“I believe the authorities of Aseyah would not want an international bidding completed fairly and openly to beco a laughing stock!”
“Lastly, our group will donate one million Gold Coins to the victims of the explosion, in the na of humanitarian aid!”
Wu Jie sat quietly by.
The soldiers who were killed or injured in today’s explosion had it rough.
Even if Tang Xiao hadn’t ntioned it, Wu Jie would have proposed a donation as well.
The ambassador nodded slightly:
“Winning the East African SAM project is of great significance, with unprecedented influence!”
“If this project is well developed and expanded, it will greatly benefit our country’s developnt, and also boost the economic growth of Aseyah!”
“Since you operate legally and conform to regulations, the country will, of course, support you in every possible way without hesitation!”
His words were very by-the-book.
But the core lies within the term ‘in every possible way’.
This inevitably includes intelligence, military force, diplomacy, etc., though it wasn’t explicitly stated.
This was the profoundness of national language, a subtle finesse.
Tang Xiao and Wu Jie, of course, understood and nodded in agreent imdiately.
Twenty minutes later.
The eting ended, and Wu Jie and Tang Xiao returned to their room to rest.
They would head to the airport once the President’s ban was lifted.
There was still ti.
Wu Jie wasn’t in the mood to flirt, so he simply turned on his laptop.
Together with Tang Xiao, they analyzed the data to see what valuable information they had snagged.
Personnel files, salary and benefits, financial records, project details…
The highly automated offices of the three giants stored much of their information on corporate servers.
And of course, the most precious were the business secrets involving core technology and unfair competition.
On the technical side.
Things like core component design plans, technical processes, product testing, upgrades and maintenance…
all of these needed to be filed in comprehensive electronic archives for troubleshooting and root cause analysis when problems arose.
For instance, if a piece of equipnt, tested internally by a company, proves problematic when used by the custor under high-intensity working conditions due to a design defect, it is necessary to trace the issue to its source and see where the problem lies.
Especially international giants that emphasize quality managent have strict and ticulous systems for technical R&D and quality managent.
But this greatly facilitated Wu Jie’s all-in-one sweep.
On the business side.
The most secretive information, of course, pertains to project costs and under-the-table expenses.
Like when a company completes a project, how much the internal costs are, and how much they sell it to the custor after marking up the price.
Once leaked, it’s easy to investigate exactly how much tax the company paid and how much kickback they gave their custors.
So, this is an absolute secret that can’t be disclosed.
And now, Wu Jie had all these tightly guarded data and docunts in his hands.
…
It took him half an hour to speed-read through everything.
You really don’t know until you look, and once you do, it’s shocking!
The so-called ‘behemoths’ of the three international giants have countless patented technologies, a vast number of projects, and many complex entanglents of interests.
This is also why, within so big corporations, the teams of accountants, financial lawyers are exceptionally large.
Because accounting needs to be done!
They use legal loopholes and their professional knowledge to conceal so illegal business activities and produce legitimate, compliant accounts.
It’s for this reason, too, that law firms and accounting firms abroad are coveted, high-paying, and highly profitable entities.
“Incredible!”
Tang Xiao exclaid in astonishnt:
“If these docunts get out, the three behemoths will definitely be in big trouble!”
“If it attracts global attention and forces their local governnts to investigate thoroughly, they will most definitely go bankrupt!”
Wu Jie laughed and said, “Isn’t that just perfect?
But…”
After a slight pause, Wu Jie brought the laptop back, hamring away at the keys with a flurry of rapid motions.
Tang Xiao asked curiously, “But what?
What are you planning to do now?”
Wu Jie replied with a sneer:
“How could I easily expose them?
The Youth Army of Aseyah dares to threaten , trying to extort five hundred million Gold Coins?”
“What cos around goes around!
I’m going to let them feel what it’s like to be threatened!”
Tang Xiao frowned and said: “You an to tell …
Oh my god!
You’re setting soone up again?”
“Hey!
As a scholar, how can you call it setting up?
This is simply using their own thods against them!”
While saying this, Wu Jie again used the sa thods to disguise his real network address by utilizing multiple proxies and disguises.
Tang Xiao leaned in close by, her gaze fixed on the screen.
Wu Jie was operating very swiftly, planning to list the confidential data he had obtained into a directory.
He then mixed in so real content to make it easier for the other party to verify its authenticity.
Lastly, of course, he prepared three anonymous emails, to be sent en masse to the top executives, senior directors, and major shareholders of the three giants.
They needed to know that the data and secrets they guarded so closely had been quietly stolen.
Suddenly!
Wu Jie hesitated.
“What do you think is an appropriate amount to demand from them?
And into which account should they transfer it?”
With a twist of her mouth, Tang Xiao responded: “You’re admitting it’s a setup, huh?
Hmph, each of those three giants has annual revenues in the hundreds of billions of Gold Coins.
If you dare to demand sothing from them, don’t na a small amount!”
“As for the receiving account, naturally, it should go to an anonymous Swiss bank account!
You’re not really considering giving them a dostic card number, are you?”
Wu Jie chuckled:
“Actually, giving them a dostic number makes no difference!
They will definitely guess that it’s us behind this, seeing how we just broke through their security recently.
There’s no one else in the world but us who can now threaten them with this information!”
With a sheepish grin, Tang Xiao said: “If you know that, why are you still doing it?”
“I can’t swallow this insult!
I freaking hate being threatened by others!”
In the middle of speaking, Wu Jie entered Tang Xiao’s frequently used anonymous account number into the three emails.
Tang Xiao saw this and did not object.
Apparently, she had implicitly agreed.
Whether it’s a setup or not, and how much money they can swindle…
actually didn’t matter.
The key point was to let the three giants and the international powers know they were not to be trifled with.
As if they were soft persimmons to be squashed at will!
Since they dared to use the Youth Army of Aseyah to threaten with a series of bombings!
Then they can’t bla Wu Jie for stealing classified data and threatening them in return!
Tang Xiao wanted to see who would co out on top!
Ever since the start of this international tender, everyone had been at odds, incompatible as fire and water.
So now, why bother being polite?
“Let them each give one thousand billion!
A deadline of twelve hours, otherwise all the business secrets in the directory will be exposed!”
Just as Wu Jie was about to send the emails, Tang Xiao suddenly said this, startling him into trembling.
Goodness !
A thousand billion Gold Coin!
And for all three of them…
The world’s richest man, with his stock market value, only had a little over a thousand billion Gold Coins in wealth.
And even that was not solid, as it could shrink with a downturn in stock prices.
Tang Xiao was truly ruthless!
The mont she spoke, she aid for three thousand billion Gold Coins!
That was basically equivalent to one year’s revenue for each of the three corporations.
Considering a profit margin of 20%, their annual net profits would at most be two hundred billion Gold Coins.
To give up a thousand billion Gold Coins…
Wouldn’t that be equivalent to working for free for five years?
Brutally ruthless!
Brother likes it!
Wu Jie simply added another 200 billion without hesitating, knowing the three giants would never agree to such an outrageous demand outright.
They would likely bargain.
Ask for the moon to settle for the stars!
With a thud!
Wu Jie firmly pressed the enter key, and the three terrifying anonymous emails were swiftly sent out.
After pulling the stunned Tang Xiao into his arms and giving her a firm kiss, he then laughingly erased the traces and quietly went offline.
Tang Xiao ca to her senses after a mont of surprise.
“Are you crazy?
You added the 200 after the 1000!
“A thousand billion has turned into a hundred million billion Gold Coins.
Are you trying to scare them to death?”
Ah??
Did brother slip up with the numbers?
Wu Jie montarily paused but then imdiately laughed and said:
“What’s there to be afraid of?
It’s better if all of them get scared to death!”
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