Wang Qiqi heard John hang up the phone without looking up. "Did you get the information?" The company was operating as usual these past few days. The new receptionist had arrived, and because a small issue was discovered, the company's operations had reverted to correcting data, causing another delay in the testing schedule.

From Fatty's observations of Sam, he appeared anxious, sometimes muttering that things had worked fine before, wondering why problems were cropping up now. Although Sam hadn't said anything else, it suggested he was becoming suspicious. However, in programming, encountering issues during runtime was normal, but it also signaled that this matter couldn't be dragged out indefinitely.

John nodded. "I got the news. I'll come over for dinner tonight." Now that they had intelligence on the other side, the next step was figuring out how to resolve this.

Wang Qiqi let out an 'oh,' thinking that while discussing things required a suitable location, why did it always have to be her place? That person was truly infuriating.

After the previous hotpot incident, John no longer insisted on using chopsticks when eating hotpot. He knew that doing so would only result in him eating less, and John was quite adept with a spoon. What surprised everyone even more was that the man actually wielded two spoons simultaneously.

Fatty watched the man waving two spoons to scoop food from the pot. "I used to know about the 'Two-Gun Granny,' but I never expected to see the 'Two-Spoon Hunk' in person." What annoyed Fatty was that the speed at which John scooped food was not slow.

Although John didn't understand Fatty's Chinese remark, it didn't stop him from recognizing the mockery. "You have two chopsticks; I have two spoons. It's the same thing." Even if his table manners were a bit awkward, so what? As long as he could eat delicious food, that was enough. "Although Richard's company issued a gag order, my friend found out that when they are at work, they are just idling, playing games or taking small side jobs. It’s just that someone high up is willing to pay overtime, so they are willing to stay in the office. Apparently, the company's big project this time is being handled by Richard and his newly hired team in a secret location, and Richard only occasionally shows up at the office to mislead competitors."

"A newly hired team? He really knows how to brag," Fatty was nearly choking with laughter. "His company is already so destitute 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 simply because the man had been too high-profile during his peak—constantly swapping mansions and luxury cars, and cycling through girlfriends one after another. "I remember Richard’s past girlfriends were either models or second-tier celebrities; how could this time be..." If the information gathered hadn't aligned with their previous assumptions, Fatty would have thought they had wronged someone.

"He hasn't had a girlfriend for a long time. Rumor has it he frequents gay bars now, so that’s a possibility, or perhaps he’s doing this deliberately to seduce Sam." John wasn't entirely sure why Richard had changed so much, but that wasn't the crucial point. "If he claims a new team, who do you think is left in his company? The capable ones have left. The incapable ones are naturally just marking time, but once they realize there's no sign of recovery, the rest will flee too. If everyone leaves, and he suddenly produces a piece of software, won't outsiders be suspicious?" While presenting it now would also invite speculation, at least he still had the company structure and subordinates; people couldn't openly accuse him of plagiarism.

"John, how do you plan to resolve this?" Since they knew who was behind the malicious action, Han Tao started thinking about how to tackle the issue. They couldn't let it drag on, or they would remain constantly worried. There was no such thing as guarding against a thief for a thousand days.

"Should we catch him in the act while Sam is making the move, or wait until they meet up?" From the perspective of company security, John preferred to strike immediately to avoid unforeseen complications. However, he worried Sam wouldn't implicate Richard. If Richard wasn't caught, who knew when he might resurface to cause more trouble? "My idea is to strike when they meet." That way, both men could be apprehended.

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

The two men turned their gaze to Han Tao, awaiting his decision. "I think, why don't we let them think they successfully stole our thing, and then run it..."

Before Han Tao could finish speaking, Fatty became agitated and quickly cut him off. "TAO, what nonsense are you spouting? Let them 'steal' it and run it? Do you have any idea? Even if Richard is overmedicated, he isn't a complete idiot." Fatty didn't believe Richard had lost all his basic skills; even a starving camel is bigger than a horse.

John began to grasp the idea; so, this was Tao's plan. "You mean we give him the wrong program? But that’s not right either. Even if Sam can’t spot anything, Richard certainly can." John understood Sam's capabilities—not the brightest sort—but the critical factor was whether they could deceive Richard.

"What if I have a way to make the program delay its activation for thirty days?" After hearing what John said, Han Tao had been contemplating how to counter Richard. A few days ago, Qiqi had mentioned that to truly defeat the opponent, they had to crush him completely, otherwise, he’d keep popping up like an unkillable cockroach, causing endless trouble. Rather than face endless future problems, it was better to solve it with one decisive strike. "Once Richard gets our program, he absolutely won't just deploy it as is, right? He'll definitely modify it. The countdown starts the moment he reopens it, and then the program automatically deletes itself. When Richard is fully prepared and ready to launch, he discovers massive system failure. What choice does he have but to swallow the loss silently? Plus, his reputation will be ruined, and forget about financing. What will happen to him then..."

Fatty immediately jumped up. "That’s it! That trick is brilliant!"

John paused to consider. He knew Tao had this program because Tao had accidentally developed it long ago at their old company. Tao had always kept the method 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 properly in front of John. Wang Qiqi certainly wouldn't steal her man's moment of glory.

"Then can we start our re-testing? Also, there are always people in the office; how will Sam manage to make his move?" Fatty asked, concerned. Generally, Sam would never be the last to leave; otherwise, if anything happened, suspicion would easily fall on him, making finding an opportunity very difficult. Fatty didn't want this matter to drag on endlessly.

"I have a way for that," John thought. Preventing them from stealing their program was somewhat difficult, but arranging for them to successfully steal something wasn't a small matter either. "If this test is successful, the company will have a celebration." Although it would cost a significant amount of money, it would be worth it. "Once this is settled, financing moves up the agenda; we aim to complete it by the end of the month." Moving the company to a new location involved many tasks, and the lease for the current place expired at the end of March, so the timeline was tight.

When Fatty heard John's plan, he realized it was a perfect opportunity—one that wouldn't raise suspicion and would conveniently clear the space for Sam to act.

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

"There will be," John thought, realizing this was the key part. "After dinner, we're going drinking. Attendance is mandatory. It doesn't matter if you can't hold your liquor; we aren't working the next day."

John's proposal was met with unanimous applause. "If we go drinking, bring your partners if you have them." John was quite happy too. The investors were currently holding back because they were waiting for the results of their second large-scale test. Once the results were excellent, John knew things would move in his favor. Thinking of this, he smiled broadly.

Sam was also smiling very happily. He had initially worried about how he would get the program out after the test succeeded. He hadn't expected the opportunity to arrive so conveniently. Thinking of the reward his 'dear' would give him upon success, Sam couldn't stop grinning.

Fatty looked at Sam’s happy smile and smiled just as widely, thinking, Keep smiling, keep smiling. The happier you are now, the more miserably you will die later.

The company's second large-scale test was being watched not only by investors but also by several IT companies eager for the results. When the program ran stably and Han Tao announced that the results of this run were excellent, even though everyone was prepared, hearing the good news couldn't help but bring joy. John leaned against the doorframe of his office, watching everyone look at him. "I know, I know! I've already booked the restaurant and the bar. Everyone must show up."

"You can't skip it! TAO, last time you claimed you had to handle work and didn't drink; you can't miss out this time! And TOM..." John started calling names one by one, emphasizing that they absolutely had to drink to their heart's content this time. "This test has finally passed. The company's future prospects will only get better from here."

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

John certainly wasn't planning on getting Sam completely drunk; otherwise, the plan couldn't proceed. But he had to ensure Sam was intoxicated enough. The exact degree was difficult to gauge, but John was determined to accomplish it, no matter how challenging.