Chapter 145: Stirring Up Trouble

Recently, Huaxia personnel placed a detection device near our territorial waters. The coast guard found it and fished it out.

After the Island Nation released this news along with photos of the device, it immediately stirred up a frenzy.

“Huaxia’s Spy Device Retrieved from Our Territorial Waters.” — Asahi Shimbun

“Huaxia, a Threat to the World!” — CNN

“Huaxia Deploys Spy Device Toward Island Nation.” — The Times

…

As soon as the Island Nation’s announcement came out, Western media outlets quickly reposted it. Various smear campaigns and sensational stories spread rapidly, reaching every corner of the globe in the shortest time. The long-dormant “Huaxia Threat Theory” once again became a hot topic among many Western media platforms.

Smearing Huaxia had always been a specialty of Western media. This time, they seized an opportunity, and many outlets began reposting the news, launching frenzied attacks.

It wasn’t just the media; on the popular social media platform Facebook, foreign netizens were also in an uproar. Within just two hours of the news breaking, tens of thousands of comments had appeared.

“A copycat country—this nation is filthy in every way.”

“They stole all their technology, and now they think they can rule the world.”

“I’m sure that device is broken because it’s MADE IN…”

“This country will destroy the whole world.”

On Western media platforms, within just a few hours, there were all sorts of negative comments. The device retrieved by the Island Nation also became the center of attention.

At a routine domestic press conference.

“The Island Nation’s coast guard announced that they retrieved a spy device deployed by Huaxia researchers near their territorial waters. Is this information accurate? What kind of device was retrieved? How do you respond to the Island Nation’s retrieval actions?”

Ren Ying smiled at the reporter who asked the question. She waited until he finished before nodding slightly.

“I have also heard about this and received some information. First, I want to reiterate a few points. First, based on the information I have, the device was deployed in international waters. Second, it is just an ordinary geological survey device, not a so-called spy device. Third, it does not belong to our researchers. We regret the Island Nation’s retrieval actions. According to the International Law of the Sea Convention…”

Ren Ying’s response was still evasive and mild, making those who heard it feel as though they had punched cotton.

Soon after, photos of the retrieved device were exposed online. The moment the photos surfaced, everyone was stunned, followed by an uproar.

Legion Ant Company.

The distinctive army ant head logo of Legion Ant Company was particularly noticeable in the photo. The text on it clearly read “Legion Ant Company.”

Almost immediately, all eyes turned to Legion Ant Company. They had been so low-profile that they barely made the news, but the moment they appeared, they stirred up an international incident.

“Shame on them for embarrassing the country abroad. Trash Legion Ant.”

“I only care about what this device is. Can someone explain?”

“There’s only one truth (Conan BGM). Rumors online say the retrieval location was in the West Pacific Ocean, at the junction of the Eurasian and Pacific plates. It’s one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Earthquakes—does that sound familiar? Three months ago, Chen Mo from Legion Ant Company published a paper on earthquake early warning. Based on analysis, this device might be related to earthquake early warning.”

“Does Legion Ant Company really think they can create a seismograph that predicts earthquakes? They’re just a small ant—why do they take themselves so seriously?”

The sarcastic comments that had disappeared some time ago resurfaced with the news, flooding the internet once again.

When it came to companies that stirred up news, this year, Legion Ant Company was undoubtedly the one. All media outlets immediately sent people to Binhai City.

This company always did unexpected things.

Early the next morning, the entrance of Legion Ant Company was surrounded by reporters from various outlets.

By then, everyone knew the device bore the Legion Ant Company logo, but so far, the company had not issued any response.

If something seemed unusual, there was likely a reason. If there were no issues, they would have clarified immediately.

In the conference room of Legion Ant Company.

Zhao Min looked upset, and Chen Mo also frowned. Executives like Zhang Yi, Old Luo, Zhu Li, Li Lingfeng, Li Danni, and Wang Sijia hardly dared to breathe.

This time, the Island Nation had retrieved their device from international waters and tried to preemptively shift blame, blowing the matter out of proportion.

If the Island Nation lodged a protest, they would take the initiative. Their plan was clever—shift the blame to Legion Ant Company while positioning themselves on the moral high ground to take control.

With Western media smearing them, it was obvious that the higher-ups would be unhappy. Legion Ant Company had to take full responsibility for this matter and show the world the value of the seismograph.

Damn Island Nation, they had created a huge problem. At this point, some things could no longer be hidden, and there was no need to hide them anymore.

The Island Nation’s actions had brought Legion Ant Company’s affairs into the open.

“Let’s hold a press conference. I will go on stage to respond,” Chen Mo said.

He had to handle this personally.

He had already contacted Wu Zhen. The retrieved device was the last one they had deployed. The Island Nation likely tracked them and retrieved it after they left. There was no one to blame—they had prepared for the worst when deploying it.

“How do you plan to respond?” Zhao Min asked.

This matter was not small and involved too many things. If mishandled, Legion Ant Company could face serious trouble.

“How else? We publicly demand the device back,” Chen Mo said firmly.

The authorities could only assist them; they couldn’t directly demand the device. So, Legion Ant Company had to speak up. The device bore their logo, and they were the main party involved. Whether it was good or bad, they had to take responsibility.

“That’s the only way,” Zhao Min nodded after a moment’s thought.

The device had their Legion Ant Company logo on it. Denying it wouldn’t help much and would only make them seem weak. In this situation, they had to be strong and assertive, especially since their opponent was the Island Nation. Their device was in international waters, so they had done nothing wrong. With a clear conscience, they had nothing to fear.

“Lingfeng, notify the team immediately to arrange a press conference,” Zhao Min said.

“Okay.”

Li Lingfeng did not delay and stood up to leave the conference room.

“The rest of you, return to your work and make sure the employees don’t gossip,” Zhao Min said to the others.

After the meeting, everyone left. Only then did Zhao Min turn to Chen Mo. “Will the seismograph technology be leaked?”

“No,” Chen Mo replied. “The core components of the seismograph are essentially two things: the machine’s core algorithm and the extremely long-wave communication. When they forcibly retrieved the device, the self-destruct function already burned out the chips and circuit boards. They definitely can’t obtain the extremely long-wave communication technology. As for the other technologies, their laboratories already have them—they just haven’t put them together.”

Chen Mo wasn’t worried. As long as the seismograph’s algorithm wasn’t exposed, even if someone tried to copy the device, it would only look the same on the surface without its true essence. It would be a soulless imitation, completely useless.

“That’s good,” Zhao Min said, relieved. Her biggest fear was the technology being leaked.

As soon as Legion Ant Company announced the press conference for the afternoon, many media outlets immediately rushed to Binhai City without stopping, preparing to report firsthand.

After lying low for months, this time, Legion Ant Company had stirred up quite a commotion. Everyone wanted to see how the company would respond.