Chapter 207
Rupert's voice wasn't loud, but each word landed like iron.
"I want them bankrupt."
The Russell Group's "red cease and desist letter" was no empty threat. In legal circles, receiving such a letter was tantamount to a commercial death sentence.
The storm hit faster than anyone anticipated. When the stock market opened the next day, the share prices of the competitor companies behind the smear campaign plummeted. Rupert hadn't even deployed his capital weapons—a single announcement from the legal department was enough to shatter market confidence.
The media outlet that published the original article, along with its parent company, was found within twenty-four hours to have committed tax evasion, financial fraud, and a series of other violations. The founder was taken in for questioning.
Several prominent bloggers who had reposted the article were banned from their platforms overnight. Their advertising contracts were terminated, leaving them facing astronomical compensation claims.
Rupert demonstrated in the most direct way possible what price would be paid for attempting to cross his line.
Diana observed it all with detachment. Sitting in her laboratory, she watched Athena executing her commands on the screen before her.
"Evidence chain tracking complete. All defamatory articles' distribution paths, funding sources, and masterminds have been identified."
"Package the encrypted files and send them to Lauren," Diana said, her tone flat.
"Command confirmed. Additionally, while tracing financial flows and cross-verifying their server, I discovered an interesting redundant data backup. This backup is located on the Russell Group's highest-privilege private server, with encryption matching the 'Ouroboros' database. Would you like me to decode it?"
"Decode it."
With the new command, data streams on the screen began reorganizing.
Moments later, an independent folder was cracked open.
The folder had a simple name—"D.Y."
Inside were no business secrets or shady deals.
Only subfolders meticulously organized by year and category.
"Non-invasive Intervention in Neuronal Regeneration and Signal Transduction"—her first paper published in Cell at sixteen, scanned in PDF format.
"Several Conjectures on Establishing Dynamic Bioinformatics Models"—her speech from an international young scientists forum, with accompanying audio recording.
The Lancet's annual personality profile, Valeria's Max Planck Society Medal, Stellar University's Outstanding Young Scholar Award... from her rise to prominence to her later deliberate retreat from the spotlight.
Every paper she had published, every award she had received, even minor articles that had only appeared in university publications—all organized meticulously.
Some clippings had yellowed edges, clearly scanned from physical newspapers kept for years.
The most recent update was an internal document screenshot of "Hermes" passing through the fast-track approval channel.
Diana's gaze fixed on the screen, her fingertips hovering above the keyboard, motionless.
She had thought Rupert's interest in her began with "Prometheus."
But this folder pushed the timeline much further back.
Back to when he was still the untouchable head of the Russell Group, and she was just a researcher immersed in her own world.
He had been watching her all along.
Diana closed the folder.
She didn't delete Athena's access records, nor did she ask Rupert why.
Some things, once questioned, change their nature.
She simply picked up her phone, opened their triple-encrypted chat, and sent a message.
[Athena says your private server firewall has vulnerabilities.]
The reply came within five seconds.
[Is that so? Then perhaps its owner needs to come fix it personally.]
Diana looked at those words, almost able to see his serious yet playful expression as he typed them.
She replied: [Too busy.]
The public controversy was forcibly suppressed by Rupert's iron-fisted methods.
But the undercurrents hadn't stopped.
To completely silence external speculation about their "personal relationship" and to protect the Technology Strategy Committee's independence, they tacitly reduced all public contact.
Their communication shifted entirely to their encrypted channel.
[At today's board meeting, Mr. Howard proposed tripling your lab's budget and upgrading 'Hermes' security to the highest level.]
[Tell him I'll take the money, but security isn't necessary. No one can take what's mine.]
[A new restaurant opened across the street. I hear it's good.]
Diana simply sent back a screenshot of a food delivery app showing her little feast.
A moment later, Rupert sent a photo.
On a fine bone china plate sat a few pieces of bland-looking boiled chicken breast and several broccoli florets.
Diana: [My condolences.]
---
Days passed in tense development and silent maneuvering.
"Hermes" entered the final sprint of mass production stability testing.
Diana practically lived in the laboratory, and everyone on the team was on edge.
That afternoon, as Diana was verifying the final batch of clinical feedback data, her project deputy—the young man who had cheered about the fast-track approval—knocked and entered.
His name was Julius Wood, handpicked by Diana from a pool of graduates—talented and driven.
"Dr. York," Julius's expression was uncomfortable as he held an envelope.
"Problem with the data?" Diana didn't look up.
"No, the data is perfect. I... I'm here to resign."
Diana's typing hands stopped.
She looked up at the young man she had personally mentored.
His eyes darted away, avoiding her gaze.
"Reason," Diana said calmly.
"I'm sorry, Dr. York." Julius placed the envelope on the table, shoulders slightly hunched forward as he nodded, his tone heavy. "It's... Corvantis Biopharma. They've made me an offer I can't refuse—Chief Researcher position, and also..."
Corvantis Biopharma—one of the world's top pharmaceutical giants and the Russell Group's strongest competitor in the biopharmaceutical field.
"And 0.5% of future 'Hermes' sales revenue, correct?" Diana completed his sentence.
Julius's face instantly drained of color.
This condition had been sent to him via encrypted email. He was certain no one could have known.
"You're a smart person. You should know what you can take with you and what you can't."
Diana's gaze returned to her screen, as if their conversation had been a trivial interruption. "HR will handle your paperwork."
Julius opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately couldn't form a single word.
He knew that before Diana, any explanation would seem pathetically hollow.
He nodded slightly again and quickly left the laboratory.
After the door closed, the laboratory returned to silence.
Diana pulled up Athena's internal monitoring system.