Chapter 2103: Chapter 2103: Meeting

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lin Yi helped Liang Ruoxu adjust her blanket, then left the room. After buying some buns, he hailed a taxi and headed to the airport.

When Lin Yi arrived, he contacted Luo Qi right away and successfully met her at the airport entrance.

“Brother Lin, you’re here.”

Luo Qi was dressed very casually, wearing denim shorts paired with a white shirt, and a pair of Li-Ning City 9 sneakers, looking full of energy.

“Let’s wait a bit longer. The others are on their way and should be here soon.”

“Brother Lin, I heard the mysterious organization from before was the Freemasons?” Luo Qi asked nervously.

Lin Yi nodded. “A few days ago, they caused trouble at the Central Guards Brigade. We’re heading there to give them a taste of their own medicine.”

“How will we do that?”

“Lundun’s been cold lately. Let’s heat things up for them.”

Luo Qi shivered. She still didn’t know what exactly Lin Yi planned to do, but it felt like they were about to pull off something big.

About ten minutes later, Qiu Yuluo and Ning Che arrived at the airport with their respective teams, and they all boarded their flights.

Everyone behaved very casually, as if they were on a vacation.

This was also a requirement for the Central Guards Brigade, to avoid drawing suspicion from any keen observers.

Having booked the entire first-class cabin, they had plenty of privacy. The group gathered to discuss the details of their upcoming mission.

“Our mission this time is to burn down the Freemasons’ headquarters. It’s a relatively simple task, so no need to stress about it. Just treat it like a trip.” Lin Yi said.

“Team Leader Lin, setting a fire is not too difficult, but since it’s the Freemasons’ headquarters, I doubt they’d leave it undefended. Although it’s now a public facility, it still holds significant symbolic importance to them. I suspect they have security measures in place that outsiders are unaware of.”

The speaker was Li Fang, a member of Team 2.

“I’ve considered that. We can’t act recklessly. We’ll need to conduct on-site investigations.”

“We’ll handle that, no problem.” Qiu Yuluo said.

“I’d also like to know if the Freemasons have deployed any combat forces throughout Lundun. If they have, it could hinder our plans.” Ning Che said.

“Secondly, with the Freemasons’ power and influence, I suspect they’re aware that their plans have failed. They might have ramped up security, which could pose a significant threat to us.”

“Don’t worry about that. Luo Qi and I will handle the fire. Your job is to investigate the interior of the church and its surroundings, and provide us with relevant information.”

“No problem.”

For the next few hours, the group continued refining their plan, making sure there would be no surprises.

“By the way, there’s something I forgot to ask.” Lin Yi said.

“What’s the update on Fang Jing?”

“Death penalty.” Ning Che replied.

“Her family was also implicated, though not to the extent of imprisonment. Still, their future is ruined. They’ll be limited in everything they do.”

Lin Yi nodded without saying much. This outcome was in line with the Central Guards Brigade’s typical handling of such matters.

“She deserved it for what she did. The real pity is Team Leader Li.” Qiu Yuluo said.

“It was his oversight that allowed Fang Jing to secretly copy the access codes, leading to this situation. So, he was dismissed.”

“Really? If it weren’t for Team Leader Li’s help, you wouldn’t have held on until I arrived. He deserves credit.”

“That’s just how the Central Guards Brigade operates.” Qiu Yuluo said.

“But he hasn’t been expelled, just transferred to another department. If he performs well, he could be reassigned here. Like you said, he did contribute.”

“At least there’s some humanity in that decision. Otherwise, all his efforts would have been in vain.”

“Yeah, poor Director Li.”

After chatting about the Central Guards Brigade, everyone went back to their tasks, thinking through the next steps of the operation.

About twelve hours later, their plane landed at Lundun Airport. The team left the terminal in small groups and headed to the Savoy Hotel, which had been booked in advance.

The hotel was in a prime location, near the Thumes and the museums, and was one of the most luxurious hotels in Lundun. Even the cheapest room cost close to 500 pounds, which was considered extravagant anywhere in the world.

Once at the hotel, the three teams went their separate ways, acting as if they didn’t know each other.

The details of the mission were left to each team leader.

After settling in, Luo Qi went out while Lin Yi made a call to Qi Xianzhao.

“President Lin.”

“Are you in Lundun?”

“Yes, there’s an international semiconductor conference. Director Shen and I are here for it.”

“Where are you now? I’m in Lundun too. Let’s grab a meal.”

“Sure, sure! Where are you? I’ll come to you. Should I invite Director Shen?”

“Master Shen is focused on the technical side. No need to call him. Let’s chat about the company.” Lin Yi said.

“I’m at the Savoy Hotel, room 409.”

“Got it. I’ll head over now.”

About 20 minutes later, the doorbell rang. Lin Yi opened the door and welcomed Qi Xianzhao inside.

“President Lin, it’s been a while.”

Qi Xianzhao smiled as he greeted Lin Yi, looking like he was seeing an old friend.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to visit the company. You’ve been holding down the fort—thanks for your hard work.”

“It’s my duty. Honestly, I’m just doing my job. The real hard worker is President Ji.”

“President Ji? Ji Qingyan?”

“Yes.” Qi Xianzhao nodded.

“The company’s been facing a lot of issues lately, many of which could impact future developments. I couldn’t make the decisions on my own, so Yuanyuan contacted President Ji. She’s been handling most of the company’s business lately. She also came to Lundun for this conference.”

“She’s here too?”

Lin Yi suddenly felt like fate was playing tricks on him.

Though it wasn’t intentional, it seemed that the two of them always ended up in the same place at the same time.

Lin Yi couldn’t explain it, so he just chalked it up to destiny.

“You didn’t tell her you were meeting me, did you?”

“No, no.” Qi Xianzhao said.

“Your relationship with her has been a bit tense lately, so I didn’t mention it. I just said I was meeting a friend, and President Ji didn’t ask further.”

Despite his steady demeanor, Qi Xianzhao was very thoughtful, considering everything carefully.

“Tell me about the conference. Who’s attending? Does it affect our company?”

“It’s hugely impactful.” Qi Xianzhao confirmed. “Not only are we here, but companies like ASML, TSMC, and Samsung are attending as well. However, the situation isn’t favorable for us.”

“Explain in detail.”

“The conference has established a new semiconductor communication protocol. All semiconductor manufacturers worldwide must now follow this new framework.” Qi Xianzhao explained.

“Our previous chip architecture is completely incompatible with this protocol. Many of our designs and code will need to be redone. According to Director Shen, the workload is immense, and our original plans have been completely disrupted.”

“I bet they’re behind this.”

“It’s not just them,” Qi Xianzhao said with a grim expression.

“This is just the surface of the trade war. Unfortunately, we’ve become the scapegoats. The conference just ended, and not only Longxin, but even Didi Chuxing’s stock prices have been affected. We’re looking at a potential 50% drop in shipments over the next year.”

“Who proposed the new protocol and architecture?” Lin Yi asked quietly.

“ASML and TSMC.”