Chapter 218: The Wandering Script

Of course, the virus wasn't released by the NSA itself.
A mysterious hacker group breached the NSA's servers, stole a few "tools," modified them, and launched an indiscriminate cyber nuclear war across the world.
"This attack tool exploited a low-level vulnerability in the Windows system.
It could have been defended against by consistently applying security patches.
But established companies like Maersk clearly didn't prioritize that."
IT giants like NVIDIA are always very attentive to security updates, so their losses were minimal.
But traditional industry companies like Maersk, with their Stone Age-like security awareness, were wiped out instantly.
“Maersk’s losses are incalculable; at least billions of dollars have gone down the drain.
I heard they signed numerous performance-based agreements to compete with Fanghuan Shipping for business.
Now they’ve breached them all, and the penalties alone will be enough to bankrupt them.”
“What about our raw materials? Can’t we switch to other shipping companies?”
“It’s difficult. The main shipping routes there are almost entirely controlled by Dongda and Fanghuan Shipping.
They’re charging extra ‘passage fees’ to all cargo ships heading to TSMC, up to ten times the original price!
Either pay, or they simply won’t let you into the port.
Other shipping companies simply don’t dare take on this hot potato.”
The last hope, Maersk, has collapsed.
Jenson Huang closed his eyes in despair. A terrifying possibility surfaced in his mind.
“This ransomware attack…” an executive began cautiously,
“Could it be a joint operation by Fang Huan and Jiang Jin?
The timing is too suspicious. We just delivered the raw materials to Maersk, and then this thing exploded.
And didn't Fang Huan also run a Bitcoin exchange?
Coincidentally, the ransom those hackers received was in Bitcoin!”
Holy crap!
These lunatics!
To prevent raw materials from reaching TSMC, they actually launched a global cyberattack?
To create a smokescreen, they indiscriminately infected countless computers, but precisely targeted Maersk, killing them in one fell swoop and paralyzing the entire logistics chain.
“When exactly… did they start preparing all this?”
Monopolizing the shipping market. Leveraging the Dongda strategy to control key ports.
This was no easy feat!
This was a meticulously planned, meticulously woven, and massive network, built step by step from the very bottom!
Unbeknownst to tech giants like Jason Huang, the behemoth from the East had quietly completed its hunting preparations.
Fang Huan.
That damned Fang Huan!
Those people must have been designing and implementing this terrifying plan, aimed at disrupting the entire semiconductor market, a long, long time ago!
And now, the chessboard is set, and the pieces have been placed.
Vivint, and countless other companies reliant on TSMC, have become immobilized pawns on the chessboard.
Most terrifyingly, no one knows how long this disaster will last.
"If this continues…!"
Jenson Huang felt a chill run down his spine to the back of his neck; he instinctively touched his neck.
He could clearly feel an invisible, sharp blade hanging over his throat, icy cold.
***
"Wow! One hundred million! A full one hundred million subscribers! That's incredible! Who would have thought Netflix would become this popular..."
For Netflix, today is a historic day.
Netflix's global subscriber count has officially surpassed the one hundred million mark.
When it first became a phenomenon with *Stranger Things*, the biggest question was its sustainability.
After all, it's a monthly subscription model. What if viewers unsubscribe after finishing *Stranger Things*?
That's why Netflix has already begun rapidly preparing for the second season of *Stranger Things*.
But before that, they need a blockbuster to fill the gap in their lineup.
"And then, *Money Heist* burst onto the scene!
Honestly, I used to only watch English-language shows, nothing else. But this Spanish-language show, I stayed up all night and binged it!"
Following *Stranger Things*, *Money Heist* once again ignited a global phenomenon, proving an undeniable truth:
As long as the script is brilliant and the story is captivating, language barriers are simply insignificant in the face of absolute brilliance.
"Mr. Su," Li Huilin continued cheerfully,
"Netflix sent over a huge pile of *Stranger Things* and *Money Heist* merchandise, along with a commemorative trophy for reaching 100 million subscribers."
"..."
"No way, Mr. Su," Li Huilin looked at Su Hao's calm expression, utterly shocked, "You...you haven't even watched either of these shows yet?!"
"No," Su Hao answered honestly.
"Huh?! Such a good show, you haven't seen it?"
Is it really that good? Su Hao thought to himself, it seems I really need to catch up when I have time, otherwise I won't be able to keep up with everyone's conversation in the meeting later.
"I think sending these things is just an excuse," Li Huilin handed over a folder,
"Their real purpose is probably this."
Sure enough.
What Netflix really wanted to send was a list of new shows currently in production or already on the shortlist.
"This time the shortlist is incredibly diverse, including shows from all over the world.
I guess the success of *Money Heist* has given them tremendous confidence, so they're preparing to make a big splash in non-English language drama projects."
To be honest, picking out the gems from a pile of synopses every time is quite a chore for Su Hao.
But when he thought about Netflix's soaring stock price and the huge dividends deposited into the company's account every quarter, that impatience instantly vanished.
Well, this little bit of trouble isn't unbearable.
What good stuff is in there this time?
Su Hao reached out and took the folder from Li Huilin.
The instant his fingertips touched the folder—
"Hmm?"
A strong intuition suddenly surged from his fingertips!
What on earth is hidden in this damn file?
Su Hao suppressed the strange feeling and flipped through the file page by page.
In the entire list, one name gleamed with gold, instantly catching his eye.
The golden light was so intense that he could barely make out the characters.
Su Hao took a deep breath and gently touched the surface with his fingertips.
Li Huilin, observing this, immediately said:
“Chairman Su, this script has been seeking investment since 2008. It's been going around in circles for over a decade, receiving several rounds of funding and even starting production, but each time it was abandoned halfway through.
Everyone in the industry says that it's a cursed 'wandering script,' passed around by so many people without anyone taking it on.”
A long-standing, seemingly hopeless project condemned by the industry for over a decade?
“The estimated investment is 300 million, the estimated production period is 2-3 years, and the name is…
'The Squid Game'!”