Chapter 376: A Challenge Declared by Money

Upon hearing this, Su Hao and Huang Fengwen exchanged a bewildered glance.
Seeing this, Du Yuanhang, thinking he had hit the nail on the head, immediately lowered his voice and leaned closer mysteriously:
"I just heard it secondhand, but they say you two have a secret organization with immense power, and even…
They even built a building specifically for this organization!"
Ah…
Su Hao's heart skipped a beat. Could he be talking about… a guild?
But wasn't this rumor a bit too outrageous?
A secret organization? And they even built a building? It's like something out of an urban fantasy novel.
"I've been wondering, what kind of incredibly powerful organization would need to build a whole building as its base?" Du Yuanhang asked with longing.
Su Hao and Huang Fengwen exchanged another glance.
Huang Fengwen's face was contorted with suppressed laughter, a look of utter utter amusement.
"I also heard that even Vice Chairman Lin Fan... was recruited..."
"Ahem!" Huang Fengwen cleared his throat, forcibly suppressing his laughter. "Then why didn't you just ask him directly?"
"I did ask! I tried several roundabout questions, but his mouth was as tight as a clam shell, I couldn't pry it open!
He wouldn't reveal a single word, and even warned me not to pry into things I shouldn't ask!"
"Oh? That kid's got principles, huh?"
Su Hao and Huang Fengwen were barely holding back their laughter, their faces almost turning purple.
Seeing this, Du Yuanhang thought his words had touched a nerve, and quickly stood up, solemnly declaring his loyalty:
"Chairman Huang! Chairman Su! I know I'm a latecomer, jumping ship from another company to Fanghuan.
But my loyalty to the company is absolutely unquestionable!
I dare say, in terms of loyalty, no one in the entire company can compare to me!"
Huang Fengwen squinted at him: "So… you also want to join that organization?"
"That organization must be handling some extremely important matters concerning the company's lifeline!" Du Yuanhang said excitedly,
"Our shipping division is now second only to the investment headquarters in core business!
If I'm fortunate enough to join, I can definitely contribute more to the group and give my all!"
Huang Fengwen stroked his chin seriously, crossed his arms, and adopted a thoughtful expression.
"Su Hao, what do you think?"
"I..."
Du Yuanhang immediately cast a look of utter pity and anticipation, making Su Hao's skin crawl.
"I think... it's great." Su Hao nodded seriously. "Perfect, we're short one spot."
"Chairman Su! I knew it! You're my mentor!"
Du Yuanhang was so excited he almost bowed to Su Hao on the spot.
Su Hao, however, was thinking: Perfect, the guild's front line is short of an off-tank.
Lin Fan, that noob, is really a bit too much for a main tank.
Just imagine putting Lin Fan and Du Yuanhang, those two tanks, in the front line—the scene would be amazing!
"Hmm... since that's the case..."
Huang Fengwen seemed to have made up his mind as well.
But his grin, almost reaching his ears, completely betrayed his inner elation.
“Old Du,” Huang Fengwen asked in an extremely serious tone, “Do you…have a computer at home?”
“Huh? Yes, I have one for work. But I don’t use it much…Mr. Huang, you’re asking about this…”
“Then…you should replace the computer first.”
“…Huh?”
Du Yuanhang was completely dumbfounded. He looked at Su Hao, then at Huang Fengwen, his eyes filled with huge question marks, as if to say: What does this have to do with a computer?
***
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, at the Presidential Palace.
“Based on the analysis of the latest confirmed cases, the WHO has officially confirmed that a new variant of the virus has emerged.”
“A variant virus? Emerging in Indonesia?”
“Yes, Mr. President. Unfortunately, the source is here.”
Indonesian President Joko Widodo sighed heavily, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples.
He’d heard warnings about the COVID-19 variant so many times he was practically sick of them, but he never expected that this first bombshell would explode in his own home.
"What's next?"
"Fortunately, existing mRNA technology is sufficient for a rapid response.
AstraZeneca has obtained the virus sequence information from the WHO and has been working overnight on vaccine research and production.
It's expected to be completed soon, and mass production will begin immediately."
It has to be admitted, this technology is truly impressive.
"Next topic..."
"Wait, Yaman," the president interrupted his deputy,
"Why are you telling me this privately?
Shouldn't it be reported by the relevant department head at a cabinet meeting?"
Vice President Baruf Yaman replied gravely:
"Mr. President, I have canceled today's meeting without authorization.
I have prepared all the matters that need to be reported and brought them with me separately."
"Why? Is there anything that can only be discussed between the two of us?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
Vice President Baruf Yaman was his staunch partner, whom he had fought his way up from the bottom of the political ladder. With just a glance, Jokowi knew what the other was thinking.
"It seems something serious has happened?"
"Yes, Mr. President. I was just about to report to you…
A foundation under Fang Huan Investment has donated three hundred million US dollars to Indonesia."
"Fang Huan?" Joko Widodo's brows furrowed instantly.
"Three hundred million US dollars? That's a considerable sum, even for a national-level donation."
"They claim the money will be used to aid our people affected by natural disasters."
If it were anyone else, this would undoubtedly be a timely act of kindness, and he should be deeply grateful.
But it's Fang Huan…
The name itself carries a chilling, sinister aura.
"Something's fishy here, that's what my intuition tells me. What about you?" The president's voice turned cold.
"This is precisely why I canceled the meeting!" Yaman's tone was incredibly heavy. "I suspect that Fang Huan's donation is part of a huge conspiracy!"
"What conspiracy?"
"Just yesterday, the Xia Kingdom officially lodged a diplomatic protest with us regarding our overdue payments for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed ​​Railway project."
It's that again…
To be honest, after receiving the protest, he didn't take it seriously at all and simply ignored it.
It wasn't that he didn't have the money, but he just felt it was too painful to obediently pay the Xia government.
"...How's the progress on the technology theft?"
"Our people haven't even had a chance to get their hands on the core train control system yet...
Anyway, you see, the time the Xia government issued the protest and the time Fang Huan sent this 'charity' were almost exactly the same. There's something fishy about that!"
"...You mean?"
"They're sending us a message through this donation!" Yaman said, emphasizing each word.
"No! More accurately, it's a warning! A declaration of war thrown at us with money!"