Wang Qiqi heard John hang up the phone, not even lifting her head. "Get any news?" The company had been operating as usual these past few days; the new receptionist had arrived, and due to the discovery of a minor glitch, operations required a data correction, thus delaying the next testing phase.

From Fatty’s observations of Sam, the man looked utterly anxious, occasionally muttering about how there were no issues when they ran it before, but now everything was going wrong. While he didn't say anything else, it clearly indicated Sam was becoming suspicious. Yet, programming errors popping up during execution were common enough, but it also meant they couldn't drag this matter out indefinitely.

John nodded. "Got the intel. Coming over to your place for food tonight." With the opposing side's information secured, the next step was figuring out how to resolve this issue.

Wang Qiqi let out a soft "Oh," thinking to herself that while discussing matters required a specific location, why did it always have to be her place? That certain someone was truly infuriating.

Having learned from the previous hotpot incident, John no longer stubbornly insisted on using chopsticks. He knew forcing himself that way would only result in eating far less. And John was quite adept with a spoon—what surprised everyone even more was that the man employed a dual-spoon technique.

Fatty watched the man wielding two spoons to scoop food from the bubbling pot. "I used to know about the old lady with twin guns, but I never expected to witness the handsome man with twin spoons today." What annoyed Fatty was that the speed at which John scooped food was anything but slow.

Although John couldn't understand Fatty's Chinese remark, it didn't stop him from catching the mockery directed at him. "You have two sticks; I have two spoons. It’s the same principle." His table manners might have been slightly embarrassing, but so what? As long as he could get to the good food, that was all that mattered. "Although Richard’s company issued a gag order, my friend managed to find out that their staff are mostly idle at work, just playing games or taking on small side jobs. They only stay because someone higher up is willing to pay overtime for them to remain at the office. Apparently, the company’s big project this time is being handled by Richard and his newly hired team in a secret location. Richard occasionally showing up at the office is just a tactic to mislead competitors."

"A newly hired team? He really knows how to brag," Fatty nearly burst out laughing. "His company is in such dire straits that no one is willing to invest, yet he has the money to fund a new project?" Fatty found it hard to believe Richard could afford new development. The man had been far too ostentatious during his heyday—constantly swapping mansions and sports cars, and cycling through girlfriends one after another. "I recall Richard's girlfriends used to be models or B-list celebrities. What about this time..." If the information gathered hadn't perfectly matched their previous suspicions, Fatty would have thought they had wrongly accused him.

"He hasn't had a girlfriend for a long time. I heard he frequents gay bars now, so that’s a possibility. Or maybe he’s doing all this deliberately to lure Sam," John admitted he wasn't entirely sure why Richard had changed so drastically, but that wasn't the crucial point. "If he doesn't mention a new team, how many competent people do you think are left in his company? The talented ones have already left. The incompetent ones are just marking time, but once they realize there's no sign of improvement, the rest will bolt too. All the company personnel are gone. If he suddenly rolls out a program, don’t you think the outside world will be suspicious?" Although presenting it now would still invite speculation, at least he had the company structure and subordinates to deflect accusations of outright plagiarism.

"John, how do you plan to handle this?" Now that they knew who was playing dirty, Han Tao was focused on the solution. They couldn't let this drag on, otherwise, they'd constantly be on edge. There was no sense in guarding against a thief a thousand days a year.

"Should we catch him in the act while Sam is making the move, or wait until they meet up?" From a security standpoint, John preferred striking immediately to avoid any unforeseen complications. However, he worried Sam might not implicate Richard. If Richard wasn't caught, he might resurface later to cause more trouble. "My thought is to strike when they meet." This way, both could be apprehended.

Fatty shared the same view. "I agree with John's suggestion."

The two turned their gazes toward Han Tao, awaiting his final decision. "I think, why don't we let them think they successfully stole our work, and then run it..."

Fatty panicked before Han Tao could finish his sentence, quickly cutting him off. "Tao, what nonsense are you spouting? Let them steal ours and then run it? Do you realize that even if Richard is high on drugs, he isn't a complete idiot?" Fatty didn't believe Richard had lost all his fundamental skills; a starving camel is still larger than a horse.

John began to understand Tao's intent. "You mean we give him the wrong program? But that's not quite right either. Even if Sam can't spot anything, Richard certainly can." John understood Sam’s capabilities; he wasn't the sharpest tool, but the critical part was concealing it from Richard.

"What if I have a way to make the program delay its activation by thirty days?" After hearing John’s report, Han Tao had immediately begun contemplating how to counter Richard thoroughly. A few days prior, Qiqi had mentioned that to defeat their opponent, they needed to crush them completely, otherwise, they would be like an unkillable cockroach, constantly reappearing and causing endless trouble. To prevent future infinite problems, it was better to resolve the issue in one decisive blow. "Once Richard gets our program, he absolutely won't just upload it as is, right? He'll certainly modify it. The countdown should start the moment he reopens it, and the program should automatically self-destruct. When Richard is all set up and ready to launch, he discovers a massive system failure. What can he do besides suffer the loss in silence? And his reputation will be ruined. Forget about financing. What then..."

Fatty immediately jumped up. "Yes! Yes, this plan is brilliant!"

John paused in thought. He knew Han Tao had this program because Han Tao had accidentally created it back at their old company. Han Tao had always kept the method a secret, but John had tested it once, and the effect was undeniable. "How did I not think of that? Tao, we're counting on you for this one."

Wang Qiqi sat quietly on the side, continuously blanching vegetables. This was a moment for the men to take charge, and Han Tao needed to showcase his capability to John. Qiqi certainly wouldn't overshadow her man at a time like this.

"Then can we restart our re-testing? Oh, and there are always people in the company. How will Sam manage to make his move?" Fatty asked, concerned. Generally, Sam would never be the last to leave, or if something happened, he would easily become the prime suspect. This made finding an opportunity difficult, and Fatty didn't want this matter to drag on indefinitely.

"I have a way for that," John mused. Making the enemy fail to steal their program might be difficult, but making them steal something else wasn't a small feat. "If this testing succeeds, the company will hold a celebration." Although it would cost a lot of money, it would be worth it. "Once this is settled, financing moves to the agenda. We aim to finalize it by the end of the month." Moving the company to a new location meant a lot of logistics, and the rent here expired at the end of March, so the timeline was tight.

Fatty realized that John's idea was indeed a flawless opportunity—it wouldn't arouse suspicion and would create the perfect opening for Sam to act.

The very next day, Han Tao publicly announced the news, immediately drawing cheers from everyone present. "Will there be activities after dinner?"

"There will be," John thought, realizing this was the key element. "After dinner, drinks at the bar—attendance is mandatory. If you can't hold your liquor, it's fine; we aren't working the next day."

John’s suggestion was met with unanimous applause. "If you’re going to the bar, bring your significant others if you have them." John was quite happy; the current investors were holding back until they saw the results of this second large-scale test. Once the results were overwhelmingly positive, John knew things would move in his favor. Thinking of this, he smiled broadly.

Sam was also smiling widely. He had been worried about how to get the program out once the test succeeded, and now the opportunity had simply arrived. The thought of the reward from his beloved upon success made Sam unable to close his mouth from grinning.

Fatty, seeing the other man's delighted smile, also smiled happily, thinking, Smile, smile, the happier you are now, the more wretched your end will be.

The company's second large-scale test was eagerly watched not just by investors but by other IT firms as well. When the program ran stably, and Han Tao announced the results were excellent, although everyone had anticipated it, hearing the good news sent everyone into high spirits. John leaned against the doorframe of his office, seeing everyone looking at him. "I know, I know. I’ve already booked the restaurant and the bar. Everyone must attend."

"No excuses for skipping, Tao, you claimed you had work last time and missed the drinking. You can't miss this one, and Tom..." John called them out one by one, stressing that they had to drink to their hearts' content this time. "This test finally passed. The company’s prospects will only get better from here."

Naturally, John didn't overlook Sam. "You can't skip either. I know you’ll have a little something."

John certainly didn't intend to get the man completely drunk, as the plan couldn't proceed then. But he had to get Sam drunk enough. It was a tricky line to walk, but John was determined to accomplish it, no matter how difficult.

P.S.: My apologies for forgetting the update yesterday. The second update will be at eight. (.)RU