Chapter 101: Not Even a Scrap Left for Them

At the parking lot in front of the headquarters of Fuyun Technology Group in the Fuyun Technology Industrial Park, Sanjiang Town, a fleet of top-tier luxury cars with license plates from all over the country sat silently, while renowned figures from both domestic and international circles, accompanied by their entourages, entered the headquarters building. These influential people had dispatched their teams to Sanjiang Town well before their arrival, making thorough arrangements for everything, including contact and appointment scheduling with Fuyun Technology Group.

At this moment, Fang Zheng, the CEO of Fuyun Technology Group, had hurried back from the capital, and Li Fu, after much contemplation, decided to gather all the major figures together at a specific time to discuss the future of the virtual world. Thus, the scene unfolded where these titans assembled almost simultaneously at the Fuyun Technology Group headquarters.

“Brother Ma,”
“Xiao Li,”
“Boss Lei,”
Many of these faces were old friends, and greetings were exchanged warmly as they met.

The largest conference room in the headquarters, spacious enough to accommodate hundreds, was now filled with the giants of the business circle—almost all the leaders of the internet and electronics industries were present, alongside heads of major venture capital institutions, and even tycoons from real estate and transportation sectors had come to join the fray.

These moguls, pillars of their respective industries, were all formidable figures, adept in conversation. The hall buzzed with lively discussions and laughter, with the topic inevitably centering on the newly unveiled virtual machine. Everyone had come for this, drawn by the promise of the virtual world it would open.

Li Fu, dressed simply and casually, wore a welcoming smile, followed by the impeccably suited Fang Zheng. Their arrival quickly silenced the room, as all eyes turned to Li Fu, scrutinizing the young man who had been named the Talent of the Century by Time magazine.

Pioneer in the new field of biotech viruses, inventor of the AIDS treatment, recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, academician of the country—an impressive array of titles belonged to this young man, whose unremarkable appearance belied an aura that seemed shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see through him.

“My goodness, every person in this room is worth at least several billion,” Li Fu thought as he swept his gaze across the conference room, recognizing faces he had previously only seen online, on television, or in the news. He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

“I never expected so many friends from across the country to gather here at Fuyun Technology. It truly is an honor. If there is anything lacking in our hospitality, I hope you will forgive us.”

Li Fu’s smile remained as he spoke, and while he had anticipated that the launch of the virtual machine would attract considerable attention, he hadn’t imagined so many would come in person. The assembled big names responded with smiles, the atmosphere relaxed.

“Mr. Sun from the Land of the Rising Sun, Mr. Lee from the Southern Peninsula, Mr. Smith from Angel Capital of Western Europe, Mr. Devon from Eagle Country... Would you gentlemen please retire to another conference room for a moment? If our arrangements are inadequate, I beg your pardon.”

Li Fu gave Fang Zheng a glance, and Fang Zheng immediately understood, stepping forward to read off a long list of names. Among them were some locals, but most were foreigners—representatives of foreign capital and interests, some with domestic proxies.

With an apologetic expression, Fang Zheng ushered them out to another conference room. It was clear that they were not invited to participate in the meeting’s main agenda. Li Fu knew well that these figures had come for the virtual machine and the virtual world—the massive cake he himself knew must be shared, as Fuyun Technology alone could neither swallow nor digest it all.

Yet Li Fu’s longstanding principle was not to let foreign interests profit easily, so he had no intention of letting them participate. From the outset, they were excluded.

Having participated in research on the "Divine Arrow" aerospace fighter, Li Fu was well aware of the country's strength; there was simply no need to rely on outsiders. The nation could easily absorb the virtual world’s vast potential, and its rapid ascent to global prominence was only a matter of time.

A flurry of activity filled the conference room. The foreign investors understood perfectly that being shown out meant that the upcoming matters would have nothing to do with them. Even if they wielded enormous influence internationally, it counted for little here. Perhaps in the past, the country would have sought to introduce foreign capital, treating foreigners like ancestors; but now the nation had risen, comprehensively so, and there was no need to bow to them.

Though they were unwilling, ultimately they had no choice but to leave. Clearly, the hosts had no intention of including foreigners in the virtual world—a realm full of treasures.

“Now that we’re all among friends, I know none of you have come to Fuyun Technology out of mere curiosity; you’re here for the virtual machine and the virtual world.”

Once all foreign interests had departed, Li Fu nodded, smiling as he continued.

“For too long, our nation has lagged behind the West in the burgeoning field of the internet. The operating systems for computers and phones are Western, even programming languages are all in English. Since we started late, we have strived tirelessly to catch up. In recent years, the internet and electronics industries have risen rapidly, but overall, we remain downstream and at the margins.

“Even in the core CPC chip technology, we have always suffered. Despite our ability to manufacture highly advanced chips, we can’t bring them to market because all the patents and technical rights are held by the West.

“They use layer upon layer of technological barriers to lock us out. Whether it’s computers, phones, chips—almost every product—our consumers pay more for poorer service.”

Unexpectedly, Li Fu launched into an exposition on the state of the electronics and internet industries. Many listened in silence. Though they were giants domestically, internationally they amounted to little. Most had backgrounds in electronics and internet industries and were well aware of the suppression by Western countries.

Whenever the West released a new fruit phone globally, every region launched simultaneously—except for the country, which lagged by several months or even half a year. This led to people smuggling fruit phones from Hong Kong to the mainland for sale.

There were countless other examples. The West spared no effort to suppress the nation, locking it out technologically, economically repressing it, and dismissing it ideologically.

Everyone present was among the country’s elite; they understood these realities all too well.

“Now, the virtual machine and the virtual world are in our hands. We no longer need to look to them. From now on, they will have to look to us.”

“Today, I’ve asked all foreign powers and capital to leave for a simple reason: In the field of the virtual world, we will eat this cake clean, leaving not a crumb for them.”

As Li Fu spoke, his voice grew stronger, revealing a young man’s passionate spirit. Though many in the room were seasoned veterans, some now well into their years, they couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Crucially, everyone had caught the implication in Li Fu’s words: He would open the virtual machine’s interface to all, allowing them to carve up the virtual world together, leaving the West with nothing but envy.

Brother Ma from the famous online marketplace watched Li Fu with a faint smile. The young man before him was the very picture of patriotic fervor—he had seen many like him, and in his own youth had felt the same devotion, especially given the deep ties his generation had to this land.

Ordinary young people might never dare to speak of dividing the cake before such titans, nor would anyone listen. But this young legend, fresh from campus, a top scientist in biotech and head of Fuyun Technology Group, commanded their attention with every word.

Naturally, at this moment, every magnate was calculating carefully. Since Li Fu, who controlled the virtual machine and virtual world, intended for the nation to consume this enormous cake without leaving even scraps, it was certain that everyone present would claim a share.

No one knew better than these industry leaders just how vast the electronics and internet markets were. If the cake was to be shared domestically, the thought brought a smile to each tycoon’s face.

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