Wang Qiqi didn't look up after hearing JOHN hang up the phone. "Get the 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 issue, operations had returned to correcting data, causing another delay in the testing schedule.

From Fatty's observations of Sam, he appeared visibly anxious, sometimes muttering about how there were no problems when they ran it before, but now issues kept cropping up. Although he didn't say anything more, it suggested Sam might be getting suspicious. Still, encountering bugs during programming was normal, but it also meant they couldn't drag this out forever.

JOHN nodded. "Got the intel. Coming over to your place for dinner tonight." Now that they had information on the other side, the next step was figuring out how to resolve this mess.

Wang Qiqi gave an "Oh," thinking that while discussing business required a suitable location, why did it always have to be her place? That person was truly infuriating.

After the previous hot pot incident, JOHN no longer insisted on using chopsticks when eating hot pot. He knew forcing it meant he'd eat far less, and he was quite adept with a spoon. What shocked everyone even more was that he surprisingly deployed two spoons simultaneously.

Fatty watched the man brandishing two spoons to scoop ingredients from the pot. "I used to know about the Old Lady of the Twin Guns, but I never expected to see the Handsome Guy of the Twin Spoons today." What irritated Fatty was that the man's scooping speed wasn't slow at all.

JOHN didn't understand Fatty’s Chinese comment, but he could certainly catch the mockery aimed at him. "You have two chopsticks; I have two spoons. It’s the same principle." Even if his table manners were a bit embarrassing, so what? As long as he could eat delicious food, that was all that mattered. "Richard's company has issued a gag order, but my friend heard that when they do show up for work, they're mostly just idling, playing games and taking on small, minor jobs. It’s just that someone higher up is willing to pay overtime, so they agree to stay at the office. Apparently, the company's major project this time is being handled by Richard and his newly hired team in a secret location. Richard only occasionally shows up at the office to confuse competitors."

"A newly hired team? He really knows how to brag," Fatty nearly burst out laughing. "His company is already in such shambles that no one is willing to invest; where would he get the money to invest in a new project?" Fatty didn't believe Richard had the funds for new project development. It was just that when Richard was successful, he was too flashy—constantly swapping mansions and luxury cars, and his girlfriends changed one after another. "I remember Richard's previous girlfriends were either models or second-tier celebrities; how come this time..." If the information gathered hadn't aligned with their previous suspicions, Fatty would have thought they had wrongly accused him.

"He hasn't had a girlfriend in a long time. I heard he's been frequenting gay bars lately, so that's a possibility, or maybe he's doing all this deliberately to lure Sam." JOHN wasn't entirely sure why Richard had changed so much, but that wasn't the crucial point. "If he's talking about a newly hired team, how many people do you think are left in his company? The capable ones have all left. The incapable ones are obviously just coasting. But once they realize there’s no upward momentum, the remaining staff will bolt too. If the whole company empties out, do you think it won't raise suspicion when he suddenly unveils a program? Although releasing it now will also invite speculation, at least he still has a company and subordinates; people can't openly accuse him of plagiarism, right?"

"JOHN, how do you plan to deal with this?" Now that they knew who was making the dirty moves, Han Tao was focused on how to solve the problem. They couldn't let it drag on, or they would constantly be on edge. There's no such thing as guarding against a thief a thousand days a year.

"Should we catch him the moment Sam makes a move, or wait until they meet up?" From the perspective of company security, JOHN preferred immediate action to avoid unforeseen complications. However, he worried that Sam might not expose Richard, and if Richard wasn't caught, who knew when he might pop up again to cause trouble? "My thought is to move in when they meet." That way, they could catch both of them.

Fatty thought the same. "I agree with JOHN's suggestion."

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

Before Han Tao could finish his sentence, Fatty panicked and quickly cut him off. "TAO, what nonsense are you talking?"Steal it from them, and then let them run it? Do you realize that even if Richard is overusing drugs, he’s not a complete idiot?" Fatty didn't believe Richard had lost all his foundational skills; even a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

JOHN started to understand the scheme TAO was proposing. "You mean we give him the wrong program? But that’s not right either. Even if Sam can’t tell anything is amiss, Richard definitely will." JOHN understood Sam's capabilities; he wasn't the sharpest, but the key was keeping it hidden 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 been contemplating how to counter Richard. Qiqi had mentioned a few days ago that to defeat the enemy, they needed to crush them completely; otherwise, the opponent would keep reappearing like an unkillable cockroach, causing endless trouble. To prevent future problems, it was better to solve it with one decisive strike. "Once Richard gets our program, he absolutely won't just implement it as is, right? He'll surely modify it. And the countdown starts the moment he reopens it. Then, when Richard is fully prepared and ready to launch, he'll face widespread paralysis. What can he do besides eat this loss silently? His reputation will be ruined, and forget about financing. What will happen to him then..."

Fatty immediately jumped up. "Yes, yes! That tactic is brilliant!"

JOHN considered this. 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 of creating it secret, but JOHN had tested it once, and the effect was absolutely perfect. "How did I not think of that? TAO, we’re counting on you this time."

Wang Qiqi sat quietly on the side, continuously blanching vegetables. This was a matter for the men to decide, and Han Tao needed to showcase his capabilities in front of JOHN. Wang Qiqi certainly wouldn't steal her man's moment of glory.

"Then can our re-testing begin? Oh, and there are always people in the office; how will Sam make his move?" Fatty asked, concerned. Generally, Sam would never be the last to leave; otherwise, if anything went wrong, he would immediately become the prime suspect. That would make finding an opportunity difficult, and Fatty didn't want this dragged out indefinitely.

"I have a plan for that," JOHN thought. Preventing them from stealing their program was somewhat difficult, but making them steal something that wasn't a small feat in itself. "If this test succeeds, the company will have a celebration." Although it would cost a lot of money, it would be worth it. "Once this is resolved, financing moves to the front burner; we aim to finalize it by the end of the month." Moving the company to a new location involved many things, and the lease for the current place expired at the end of March, so the schedule was tight.

When Fatty heard JOHN’s plan, he realized it was a flawless way to create an opportunity for Sam to act without arousing suspicion while simultaneously clearing out the premises.

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

"Yes," JOHN thought, realizing this was the crucial part. "After dinner, we're hitting the bars. Attendance is mandatory. If you can't hold your liquor, it's fine; we aren't working the next day."

JOHN’s proposal was met with unanimous cheers. "If we're going to the bar, bring your significant others if you have them." JOHN was also quite pleased. The current investors weren't very generous, essentially waiting for the results of their second large-scale test. Once the results were good, JOHN knew things would develop favorably for him. Thinking of this, he smiled happily.

Sam was also smiling widely. He had been worrying about how to get the program out after the test succeeded, and suddenly, the opportunity presented itself. The thought of the rewards his dear would give him upon success made Sam beam uncontrollably.

Fatty looked at Sam's joyful smile and smiled even more happily, thinking, Smile, smile. The happier you are now, the more miserably you will die later.

The company's second large-scale test was watched closely not just by investors but by several IT companies as well. When the program ran stably, and Han Tao announced the excellent operating results, even though everyone had been prepared, hearing such good news made everyone ecstatic. JOHN leaned against his office doorframe, seeing everyone staring at him. "I know, I know! I’ve already booked the dining location, and the bar too. Everyone needs to show up."

"No excuses for not coming! TAO, last time you skipped drinking because you had to handle business; you can't miss out this time, and TOM..." JOHN called out names one by one, telling them they absolutely had to drink their fill this time. "This test finally passed; the company's prospects will only get better from here on out."

Of course, JOHN didn't overlook Sam. "You can't skip drinking either. I know you'll have a bit."

JOHN certainly didn't intend to get Sam completely drunk; otherwise, the plan couldn't proceed. But he had to get Sam drunk enough. The precise degree was tricky to gauge, but JOHN was determined to complete this, no matter how difficult.