Chapter 143: Microsoft's Crisis

While Bill was in his office scheming up ways to teach Lin Feng a lesson, his beautiful secretary abruptly burst in, looking panicked and failing to knock for permission. Bill was already boiling with rage, and the untimely arrival of the secretary served as the perfect outlet for his fury.

"Damn it! Are you tired of working here? If you don't want the job, pack your things and get lost right now!" Bill barked, staring at the flustered secretary with a chilling glare. The gentleness and gentlemanly demeanor he usually reserved for her were completely gone.

Without minding his reprimand, the secretary panted and blurted out, "Chairman, we're in big trouble! Major portals and social networking sites all over the internet are plastered with information about our company evading taxes, complete with supporting evidence. Netizens are in an uproar, demanding that the relevant state departments thoroughly audit our company's finances. Right before I came in, I heard the head of the finance department receive a call that authorities are sending people over to inspect our accounts. They're already on their way!"

"What? How did anyone get their hands on our confidential data, and how did it end up online?!" Bill yelled, his eyes widening in shock as his anger flared up once more.

Convinced only after the secretary nodded firmly, Bill finally realized this was no joke. Panic-stricken, he bolted out of his office.

The news of Microsoft being investigated for tax evasion instantly triggered a commotion among the domestic elite families. They knew this was far too coincidental; Microsoft's troubles hadn't happened a moment sooner or later—they struck precisely when Future Technology and Microsoft clashed. The reason was blatantly obvious without having to guess: the leak and online exposé of Microsoft were unquestionably Lin Feng's doing.

While the domestic families in China could figure this out, Bill naturally could as well. However, he no longer had the luxury of time to plot against Lin Feng. Simply dealing with the company's internal crisis and the state inspectors heading his way was already more than enough to overwhelm him.

"Haha! Mo Tian, I wonder what kind of expression is on Bill's face right now!" Lin Feng chuckled as he watched the chaotic discussions among netizens online, turning to ask Mo Tian.

"Heh, I imagine he's having a miserable time!" Mo Tian replied with a smile.

Though Lin Feng and Mo Tian were merely guessing at Bill's current plight, they were remarkably close to the truth. Bill was indeed having a wretched time. Aside from being slapped with a massive fine after state authorities uncovered accounting irregularities, he had been forced to swallow his pride and make numerous guarantees just to send the inspectors away.

The moment the state officials left, Bill's expression contorted viciously. With a fierce snarl, he lashed out, kicking the company's glass door as hard as he could to vent his frustration while screaming at the top of his lungs, "Lin Feng! I will never let you off!"

Before long, Lin Feng and Mo Tian saw reports circulating online confirming that the United States government had investigated Microsoft for tax evasion, verified the company's illegal activities, and imposed a heavy fine.

"Haha! Looking at this penalty amount, it feels as satisfying as personally carving a chunk of flesh right out of Bill!" Lin Feng said cheerfully, staring at the pop-up news window on his screen.

"You kid, the whole mess with Microsoft was caused by you anyway, so it's not like that piece of flesh wasn't cut by your own hands!" Mo Tian chuckled, pleased by Lin Feng's good mood and seizing the rare chance to tease him.

"In that case, let's fan the flames a bit more. It would be a shame to let this lively scene cool down!" Hearing Mo Tian's words, Lin Feng looked up and replied.

Understood. Mo Tian caught Lin Feng's drift, shrugged, and once again merged into Lin Feng's consciousness to take control of his body, uploading yet another piece of news to the internet.

Poor Bill had barely finished venting his frustration by kicking the glass door at the entrance when another Microsoft employee came stumbling toward him in a panic.

"Damn it! If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, see if I don't fire you on the spot!" Bill grabbed the fallen employee by the collar, threatening him with bloodshot eyes.

"Ch-Chairman, someone just published another news story online related to Microsoft. It's a massive bombshell—you really need to see it, Chairman!" Terrified and shivering in the grip of his collar-grabbing boss, the employee stammered out the purpose of his arrival.

Though Bill had no idea what had happened this time, having already endured the tax evasion scandal, the initial terror had worn off. He doubted anything could frighten him more than what had just transpired.

When Bill walked back inside, his secretary rushed over with a laptop, urging him to look at the latest headline displayed on the screen. The moment Bill read the contents, fear was no longer what he felt—his entire body began to tremble.

"Th-This is our top-secret data! How could this... how could this happen?!" Snatching the laptop from his secretary, Bill smashed it fiercely onto the floor and cursed at the gathered senior executives of the company.

At this point, none of the executives dared to utter a word. The issue was simply too monumental for anyone present to handle.

By now, it wasn't just American netizens who were in an uproar; people all over the world were raising a ruckus, bombarding Microsoft with demands for explanations. They wanted to know if Microsoft had been assisting the U.S. government in using computers and operating systems to covertly harvest confidential information from various nations.

Even the highest leaders of other countries were placing calls to the U.S. government, demanding answers.

True to its usual habits, the Washington administration naturally refused to admit fault, at most attempting to pin the blame solely on Microsoft as a rogue corporation. However, the evidence published online definitively confirmed the collusive partnership between Microsoft and the American state.

After Mo Tian guided his body to upload the second piece of intelligence to the web, Lin Feng shut down his phone and stopped paying attention to the computer. He already knew he had won this showdown against Microsoft.

Just as the computer powered down, Lin Feng's phone suddenly rang. He initially assumed it was Bill, but on second thought, Bill surely wouldn't concede defeat quite that fast. He picked up his mobile, glanced at the caller ID, and immediately guessed who was on the line.

"Lin Feng, it's Grandpa Zhu. I have an urgent question, and you must answer me honestly!" As the call connected, Premier Zhu's stern voice came through. Unlike his usual relaxed tone, this time he sounded grave.

"Alright, go ahead, Grandpa Zhu!" Lin Feng replied casually, paying no mind to the premier's solemn tone.

"Good! Right now, the President, the Minister of National Defense, and I are in a meeting discussing the Microsoft and U.S. government scandal. Can you tell me if this matter is true?" Because national interests were at stake, Premier Zhu cut straight to the chase.

"Uh, Grandpa Zhu, aren't you asking the wrong person? How would I know anything about Microsoft's troubles! I've been sleeping in and lounging at home all day today, I haven't gone anywhere!" Lin Feng played dumb, brushing off the premier's inquiry.

Premier Zhu was far from satisfied with this answer. Only a fool would believe Lin Feng's innocent act! Yet the old man could do nothing with Lin Feng. Given the exceptional circumstances, they needed to know whether Lin Feng's intelligence was authentic before deciding their next move.

"Stop playing games and confess, kid. Do you take everyone else for fools? Who couldn't see that a trick this simple was your doing? Is it real or fake? Spill the beans right now, the President and the Minister of Defense are waiting for an answer." Premier Zhu pressed on.

"Fine, it's true. I dug all this data straight out of Microsoft's servers. It is absolute fact!" Cornered, Lin Feng finally conceded and told the premier the truth.

Having received confirmation from Lin Feng, Premier Zhu hung up the phone and nodded toward the President and the Defense Minister.

"Good lad! I thought he might buckle under Microsoft's pressure and was even prepared to lend him a hand, but it turns out he had planned this all along. Microsoft is going down hard this time!" Minister Xie exclaimed excitedly upon receiving confirmation from the premier.

"Heh, 'going down' is an understatement. Not only do they have to pay a massive fine to the state, but even their stock price is plummeting into the abyss. Terrified by the revelations Lin Feng released, everyday investors are dumping their Microsoft shares at rock-bottom prices, selling off whatever they can!" Hearing Minister Xie mention Lin Feng, Premier Zhu smiled wryly, thinking of Lin Feng's maneuvers targeting Microsoft on the stock market.

After exchanging a few remarks, the President finally chimed in, "This kid is no ordinary character. He must have had Microsoft's dirt in his hands for a long time. Investing that massive fortune earlier was clearly calculated to let him reap the spoils as a third party. He's exceptional. Let me know the next time he visits so I can meet him." Even the President had taken a personal interest in Lin Feng.

Lin Feng would never have imagined that he had become the topic of conversation among the three highest-ranking leaders of the nation.

As their discussion drew to a close, Minister Xie asked once more, "Mr. President, Premier, how should we handle the fallout regarding Microsoft helping the U.S. government gather intelligence?"

"Haven't you seen other nations already lodging protests, demanding explanations from the U.S. and Microsoft? How can China possibly sit out such an entertaining spectacle?" the President said with a wise and knowing smile.

Imagining the plight of the United States and Microsoft, all three of them were in high spirits. In an era of peace, catching the U.S. off guard and dealing them a heavy blow through such unconventional means was a deeply gratifying affair.

After chuckling for a moment, the President turned serious again and said to the premier, "This incident serves as a wake-up call. We need to accelerate the pace of replacing our computers, servers, and operating systems! With domestic products from Future Technology now available, we can finally lift this heavy stone weighing on our chests regarding national security."

The President's words resonated deeply with the other two leaders. After a long pause, the premier replied, "I will expedite the equipment replacement process. However, Future Technology's production capacity can't fulfill our entire order overnight, so we will have to phase it in gradually."

"Very well, just make sure you stay on top of it," the President nodded in response to Premier Zhu.