Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 11：The Elder Long Takes the Stage

Penguin Headquarters, Kyoto!

A military jeep swiftly approached, coming to a halt beneath the towering skyscraper. Two individuals disembarked quickly, rushing into the lobby.

They approached the reception desk and presented their identification.

"We are from the National Security Bureau. Where is the highest-ranking leader of your group?"

The receptionist, upon seeing the credentials, was taken aback, her expression turning pale. She hastily replied, "Please wait a moment. I'll contact our leadership right away!"

She immediately reported the situation to the administrative department's leader over the phone, who in turn relayed the message to Deputy General Gao Zhiwei.

Soon after, the receptionist informed the two security personnel, "Our Deputy General is on the 21st floor in the General Manager's office."

Without further delay, the two security agents entered the elevator and made their way to the 21st floor.

Upon reaching the General Manager's office, Deputy General Gao greeted them warmly. Although he didn't know the reason for their visit, he knew that officials from state departments should always be treated with respect.

"Please, take a seat. Let me brew some tea for you," Deputy General Gao said, ushering them in.

"No need," one of the officers responded, presenting their official credentials. "We are from the National Security Bureau."

Deputy General Gao, glancing at the document, noted the yellow star and the bold "Security Bureau" inscription stamped with a steel seal. Although he had never seen such an official document before, the crimson stamp assured him it was genuine.

"What can I assist you with? I am currently the highest-ranking leader of Penguin Group," Deputy General Gao said, as the company's CEO, Mr. Ma, was attending a closed training session abroad, leaving him in charge of the company's affairs for the time being. It was also an opportunity for him to prove himself.

Without further pleasantries, one of the officers stated, "We need you to delete the data of an account and erase any traces of its transmissions."

Hearing this request, Deputy General Gao immediately refused. Deleting a set of data from the database was strictly forbidden at Penguin Group.

"Deleting user data would lead to a loss of trust from our clients. If this were exposed, it could cause a chain reaction, potentially resulting in a massive user exodus and even the collapse of the company!"

One of the officers slammed his hand on the desk. "I'm not asking for your opinion; I'm informing you!" he said sharply.

Deputy General Gao, however, was unshaken. He had dealt with countless high-pressure situations, and even though these were state officials, he was unwavering when it came to protecting the core interests of the company.

"Please leave," he said firmly. "Data deletion is absolutely prohibited at Penguin Group. I won't comply."

The officer didn't waste time arguing. He immediately made a call and sat down on the sofa to wait.

Sure enough, within two minutes, Deputy General Gao's phone rang. Seeing it was from Mr. Ma, he quickly answered.

The moment the call was connected, Mr. Ma unleashed a barrage of angry words.

"Are you tired of living? Do you want the whole company to go down with you? I hired you to solve problems, not create them. You'd better cooperate with the National Security Bureau, or I'll have you locked up myself!"

Deputy General Gao didn't dare respond and, without saying another word, led the officers to the database office.

"Which data would you like us to delete?" Deputy General Gao asked.

"First, help us track a data set linked to Jiang Fan from Lingzhou City, age 18, ID number: 41..."

"Understood, I'll have the tech team retrieve it immediately."

In no time, the technician pulled up the data. After the officers traced the email's transmission path, confirming it had only been sent to the Dragon Tech University email, they were reassured.

"Now, delete all of his personal data, as well as any data related to him," they instructed.

Two minutes later, Jiang Fan's Penguin email account was erased.

Once the two officers left, Deputy General Gao was drenched in cold sweat. Had Mr. Ma not called in time, he might have been detained by the authorities that very day.

Kyoto, Dragon Tech University President's Office!

President Lu, visibly anxious, turned to the head of the admissions office. "Why is the admission notice taking so long? It's been over ten minutes!"

The admissions head, helpless, replied, "Our admission notices are batch-processed, but you insisted on having a special one made. It's naturally taking longer."

President Lu, already worried, couldn't help but hound the office again. The stakes were high—several top universities in Dragon Country, including Huqing University, Dragon National University, and Jing University, had already received the application.

Although Jiang Fan had applied to Dragon Tech, President Lu was concerned that one of these rival schools might snatch him up before they could finalize the offer.

"Dean Li, when is the helicopter from Minister Zhou's office scheduled to depart?" President Lu inquired.

"Another hour," replied Dean Li. "Minister Zhou is currently coordinating with the city government of Lingzhou."

"Good," President Lu nodded. "We must secure Jiang Fan no matter what. If we bring him to Dragon Tech, it'll elevate our funding and recruitment prospects."

Dean Li and the admissions head were visibly excited by the prospect.

"President, what if we call on Elder Long? That would give our school a better chance," Dean Li suggested.

"Elder Long?" President Lu mused. Elder Long was an esteemed academic at Dragon Tech, renowned for his contributions to nanotechnology and rocket fuel research. Now in his sixties, he still lectured and led the Institute of Materials Research.

Given his stature, Elder Long's involvement would indeed carry weight.

"Alright, I'll call him right now."

Just as President Lu was about to dial, the door suddenly opened. An elderly man walked in—his hair white as snow, his brows long and sharp, yet his steps were energetic.

"Lu, you discover such a promising candidate and don't inform me? If that old fool from another university grabs him, it'll be a huge loss for us!"

President Lu immediately stood up, beaming with a smile. "Elder Long, I didn't want to disturb you..."

"Enough nonsense!" Elder Long cut him off sharply. "Let me see the data on this young man!"

President Lu quickly handed over a stack of papers. Elder Long skimmed through it, nodding in approval.

"Very impressive. I want him."

Hearing this, President Lu was overjoyed. With Elder Long's support, the chances of bringing Jiang Fan to Dragon Tech were now assured.

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