Chapter 289

Chapter 289

The massive screen behind her began playing Margaret's overnight scientific animation.

From cell phone signals to microwave ovens, from sunlight to cosmic rays, this explains the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation in the simplest terms possible.

"...After atmospheric attenuation, Starlink satellite communication power reaching the ground has lower energy density than a Wi-Fi router. If this dosage could cause cancer, we should abandon our phones, computers, TVs first—hell, we should stop going outside and move underground."

Her language was sharp and witty, breaking down complex scientific concepts crystal clear.

"As for those so-called 'experts' and 'internal data,'" her tone shifted, eyes razor-sharp, "our legal department has secured all evidence. You'll see their performance in the international court very soon."

The video ended with a three-way split screen.

Professor Phillips on the left, Dr. Isaac Schmidt on the right.

Two internationally renowned authorities used their most authoritative language to explain Starlink's technical safety, strongly condemning the use of pseudoscience to create panic.

This was a textbook-level counterattack.

Professional, authoritative, hitting right where it hurts.

Within an hour of the video's release, public opinion completely reversed.

The rumor-spreading marketing accounts frantically deleted posts, bandwagon followers switched sides en masse, spontaneously hunting down the remaining bots.

"Beautiful."

Richard stood behind one-way glass, watching Margaret debrief with her team in the room, speaking in a low voice.

The Blackstone Squad tech lead stood beside him.

"Mr. Neville, we have a lead on the attack source."

The tech lead handed over a tablet. "Their counter-tracking ability is extremely strong. We had to deploy Shield Protocol's military-grade systems to strip out the core IP address."

Richard took the tablet, his gaze falling on the screen.

The geographic coordinates pointed to a neutral small country in the Balkans, with less than twenty thousand square miles of territory.

"This country is famous for permanent neutrality—it's a server hosting location and tax haven for many multinational corporations."

The tech lead explained, "The real problem is their national firewall was designed by an old adversary of ours. Defense level: 'Fortress-grade.' Tracing back without alerting them is nearly impossible."

Richard's finger tapped lightly on the country's name.

The Shadow's lair was hidden here.

A place with sovereign nation status and fortress-grade network defenses.

No wonder they were so brazen.

Richard looked up, his gaze piercing through the glass to land on Margaret again.

She'd just won a beautiful battle, but showed little joy.

She seemed to sense this was merely her opponent's probe.

The real war was far from over.

And he, though he'd caught the enemy's tail, discovered that tail was connected to a beast hiding in an iron fortress.

On the day of Starlink's global beta launch, Lakehaven basked in brilliant sunshine.

However, deep underground in Margaret New Energy Group's core control center, the air hung heavy as lead.

The massive curved screen blazed with countless data streams, a blood-red countdown pulsing at the center.

Margaret sat at the main console in a black pullover, hair casually tied back.

She silently watched the screen, fingers hovering above the control panel like a statue ready to leap into battle at any moment.

Richard stood in the shadows not far behind her, the Blackstone tech lead at his side.

He hadn't gone to the observation deck upstairs, choosing to stay here instead.

He wanted to witness her war firsthand.

"Countdown: ten, nine, eight..."

The mechanical voice echoed in the silence, hammering against everyone's hearts.

"Three, two, one! System globally online!"

In that instant, the data streams on screen seemed infused with life, instantly flooding the world map.

Light points representing users flickered to life across continents, converging into a digital galaxy.

"North America region connection normal!"

"Europe region data stable!"

"Asia region user feedback is positive!"

Good news poured in. The technical director's tense face finally showed a hint of a smile as he turned toward Margaret—

"Wait." Her voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire control room.

All eyes focused on her.

"South America ground station three," she pointed to an imperceptible fluctuation on the screen. "Data packet loss rate: zero-point-zero-zero-one. Magnify."

The region quickly enlarged.

That subtle tremor, invisible to ordinary eyes, revealed an ominous pattern under system monitoring.

The technical director's face darkened. "It's a probe. They're knocking."

Before he finished speaking, deep maximum-alert sirens suddenly blared.

On screen, a dozen red attack paths slithered past outer firewalls like venomous snakes, striking straight at the system's core protocols.

They weren't trying to destroy—they were trying to seize control.

"Here they come!" someone called out.

"What's the panic?"

Margaret's voice remained steady. "Activate Hunter Protocol. Isolate nodes seven, twelve, and twenty-one. Open ghost channel B-3."

Her commands were clear and concise; the team responded instantly.

Hunter Protocol wasn't a simple firewall, but a carefully constructed digital maze.

It deliberately left "escape routes," luring intruders into virtual prison traps.

The technical director watched red paths rush eagerly into the "ghost channel," his lips curving in a cold arc.

"Ms. Kennedy, fish on the hook. They really think we're pushovers."

"Don't rush."

Margaret stared intently at the data streams rampaging through the maze, fingers flying across the keyboard. "The opposition is a top-tier team—they'll catch on soon."

Sure enough, within thirty seconds, the other side began violently assaulting the maze barriers.

"They're about to break out!"

"Let them break out," Margaret said.

The technical director froze. "What?"

"Give them a taste," she spoke rapidly. "The moment they break through the final barrier, thinking they've succeeded—plant the 'beacon.'"

This plan was extremely risky—equivalent to deliberately exposing your throat, then counterattacking at the last second.

One wrong step meant total failure.

The tech lead beside Richard went pale, instinctively looking at him. "Mr. Neville, attack level is approaching core instruction sets. Shield system can forcibly take over..."

"No need." Richard cut him off.

His gaze remained fixed on Margaret's silhouette.

It was complete focus and control.

He remembered her words: "This is my battlefield."

Perhaps his meticulous Shield Protocol was itself a form of distrust to her.

"Trust her," Richard murmured.

The control room suddenly erupted in suppressed cheers.

"Planted! Beacon successfully implanted!"

The technical director's voice cracked with excitement. "They really think they succeeded—they're retreating! Our beacon caught a ride!"

On the main screen, a new tracking window opened.

A blazing red line extended from within the system, frantically jumping across the global map.