by <unknown>
Arriving at this thought, Chen Chen's eyes became cold. He took his phone and selected the application to connect to Little X.
"X, infiltrate the Rainbow Nation Ministry of Defense and look for every information related to me."
After further consideration, Chen Chen added. "One more thing, source all of the calls made today to the Rainbow Nation by the Namibian officials. Compile a list of their official positions sorted from the highest to lowest and send it to me."
"Understood, Father!"
…
Chapter 69: Lydia |
Before daybreak the next day, the residents in Walvis Bay heard a rushed bark of military orders coming from outside the window. It was then accompanied by a large amount of vehicle engine sounds.
Numerous cars whooshed past the windows of the residents' houses one after another. The town was soon enveloped in a thick cloud of suffocating haze.
Many people were taken by shock. They thought it was the uprising of a rebel faction in Namibia or that it was the initial spark to a war.
Many people nervously gazed out their windows to see hundreds of armed soldiers lining up on Walvis Bay. Many military jeeps were parked together in a row and appeared to be inspected by the leaders.
The residents managed a sigh of relief when they noticed that the soldiers were not currently on a state of alert.
What was even more shocking to them was that the troops had stopped in front of the Flamingo Hotel. After a short while, they had escorted an Asian man out of the hotel and had him enter a military vehicle.
At last, the troops left Walvis Bay, all in a mighty display…
…
With the escort of the Namibian troops, Chen Chen had arrived at the Embassy of Mainland China which was located in the capital of Namibia, Windhoek.
Over the next few days, Chen Chen never left the embassy. Activities such as the signing of agreements and meetings were all conducted within the embassy. The mysterious organization from the previous night did not make any further contact with Chen Chen.
However, Chen Chen knew that the other party had not given up yet and they were merely waiting for him to show himself again.
Besides, since their previous attempt of taking him as a captive had failed, their next attempt could very well be an assassination.
Their goal was to stop him from investing in Namibia. Blacklight Biotechnology was an independently-owned enterprise in Mainland China. The legal procedures dictated that in the case of the death of the owner, all related accounts would be seized and inspected before the enterprise could be inherited by his parents. In that case, the investment in Namibia would not be able to proceed as planned.
The results of Little X's investigations did not prove to be surprising to Chen Chen. The event was orchestrated by the Rainbow Nation just as he had expected. The confidential plan against him was simply left on the desktop in a computer of the Rainbow Nation Ministry of Defense.
However, the Rainbow Nation did not directly involve themselves in the scheme as they had entrusted the task to a private military organization known as "Tara".
The full name was Tara Private Security Company.
Chen Chen fell into deep thought when he read the information transmitted by Little X.
This was a new private military company set up by the higher executive branch of the former Executive Outcomes (EO) mercenary organization which was disbanded some years ago.
At the time, EO was second to none in Africa. They operated from the shadows across the entire continent. They were involved in many events such as the quelling of the Rwanda crisis, helping the government of Sierra Leone, and helping Papua New Guinea to curb the riots, defeating the Angolan rebels, and many other such events…
Though they were later disbanded following the establishment of the International Anti-mercenary Act drafted by the United Nations, a sunken ship still provided weapons to be salvaged. "Tara Private Security Company" was inevitable.
However, the fact the information on Chen Chen's side was so quickly transmitted to the Rainbow Nation, even as far as them getting such a fine grasp on his schedule implied it had something to do with the inside circle of Namibia.
Little X had obtained too little information. At the moment, he was unable to figure out who the spy was.
"Mr. Chen Chen?"
There was suddenly a knock on the door outside. It was a staff of the embassy.
"Come in, it's unlocked," Chen Chen informed.
The door was promptly opened gently. A staff of the embassy brought in a black woman.
"Mr. Chen Chen, someone from the Namibian Department of Investment wants to meet you."
Chen Chen hid his frown. When he identified the person who came in, a gentlemanly smile appeared on his face. "So, it's Miss Lydia."
"Mr. Chen Chen knows who I am?"
The lady before him was adorned in a black evening gown and a pleasant expression came to her. "I don't think we've met before."
"I've seen your picture in the Namibian official site," Chen Chen explained politely, "Also, I could distinctly remember your voice."
"I see. I wonder, Mr. Chen, do you feel more so impressed or disappointed after having met me in person?"
The woman sat down in a ladylike fashion in front of Chen Chen. Her movements were swift and graceful.
That was right, she was the "Unlicensed Ride" which Chen Chen had spoken of.
"A little disappointed."
Chen Chen displayed a look of remorse. Before the other person had time to express her surprise, he quickly added. "My disappointment stems from the fact that I didn't come to Windhoek earlier. Otherwise, I would've been graced by your beauty, Miss Lydia. Such a shame, I must say."
"Hahaha, Mr. Chen Chen, you have a way with words!"
Lydia responded to his remark with a bright smile which revealed a row of pearly white teeth. She leaned in considerably closer to Chen Chen as she whispered in an extremely seductive voice, "Then, you mean to…"
"Ahem, Miss Lydia, are you here to reminisce about the past with me?" Chen Chen suddenly coughed sternly, changing the topic of the conversation.
"Uh, well, no… I'm here on behalf of the investment department. We hope that you'll attend the speech at the town hall on the 28th December." Lydia seemed to be having trouble keeping up with Chen Chen. She was initially startled and shot a quick, bitter look at Chen Chen before she got to explaining the reason she came.
"Speech?"
"Yes, I'm sure you're aware that basic infrastructures such as electricity are very rare in our country. People all over the country are more than eager to have sufficient electricity. This investment may simply be another step of your business strategy to you but to us Namibians, you might as well be a godsent angel…"
Lydia looked at Chen Chen eagerly and went on explaining without reservation, "However, due to some internal complications, there have been some conflicts with the Ministry of Environmental Protection concerning the location of the nuclear plant. If you'd participate in the speech and gain the support of a portion of the citizen, the problem with choosing the location should be out of the way!"
"When and where?" Chen Chen asked.
"It'll begin at noon on the 28th December. It'll be hosted in the plaza in front of the town hall."
"It's not done from a studio? Then wouldn't I be exposed?" Chen Chen frowned slightly.
"No worries, we'll be sure to appoint enough security forces to ensure nothing will happen to you."
Lydia promptly explained.
"Oh?"
There was a hint of change in his expression as he seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly lifted his head and looked behind Lydia.
There was a city map of Windhoek framed on the wall behind Lydia.
[Windhoek is positioned on the south latitude 22°34′S, 17°06′E. The speech will be on 28th December 2022, the sun will be projected at 23°26′S, achieving an angle of 90° (The direct projection of sunlight �
� latitude). Factoring that into a formula, we get…]
[Judging by the angle of the sunlight on the 28th, if they are planning to assassinate me with an appointed sniper… Using the Fresnel effect, I should be in this position at noon…]
[In that case, if I want to turn the situation around on them, I will need to…]
In a split instant, countless arithmetic formulas rushed past Chen Chen's mind. From Lydia's perspective, all Chen Chen did was merely take a glance behind her and went on as normal.
Lydia continued trying to persuade him. "Besides, it'll be conducted in the city. Even if they were to ambush or even assassinate you, where could they run to?"
"You're absolutely right." Chen Chen nodded and gave her a look like she was making perfect sense. "But, I have one additional request."
"Please do tell." Lydia became full of spirit.
"I hope that the speech can be conducted here instead."
Chen Chen walked past Lydia and pointed at a spot on the map on the wall. "For my safety, I hope that the speech could be hosted here, right by the embassy. I think this location would be ideal."
"But this spot by the embassy is close by the suburbs…" Lydia was a little troubled by this.
Chen Chen did not utter a word except for silently staring at her.
Lydia lowered her head with a hint of embarrassment. "…Alright, if you insist."
Soon, Lydia said her farewell and took her leave.
Chen Chen showed her way to the door. He observed her gracious figure from behind, a thoughtful look greeted his expression.
Chapter 70: Arithmetic |
Three days later, sharp at noon. Chen Chen sat backstage of a podium constructed for the occasion. He silently listened to the host providing a careful description of Namibia's future.
The host was Wharton. He spoke with a grandiose tone and provided a lively description of the good things to come. The crowd cheered and hollered along with every word he said, their eyes were full of hope and longing.
Chen Chen, who was waiting backstage, shook his head. He figured even he might have bought the speech if not for knowing that it was them who had been begging him to construct a nuclear power plant.
Chen Chen looked at the time and suddenly retrieved a packet of chewing gum from his pocket. He opened the cap and poured out a black pill.
After that, he nonchalantly tossed the pill into his mouth, barely paying any mind to the vomit-inducing bitterness of the pill.
When he looked at the date on the phone, he suddenly realized that it had been exactly a year since the day he had acquired the USB drive.
Looking back at the past year, Chen Chen felt a swell of emotions. Who would have thought that his life would undergo such a drastic transformation in just one year?
From a mere university student to being one of the wealthiest men in the world. To think that all of these had stemmed from a sack of tiny pills.
Yet, he had barely explored the potential of the USB drive.
If he had not happened to drop his pen below the table last year, perhaps he would still be seated in the classroom of Shangdu University now. Who knew, maybe he would be having the time of his life, living a carefree university life?
Maybe he would have a girlfriend by now…
Ahem!
Chen Chen immediately silenced the thought. How very foolish, what good was a girlfriend for anyway. As long as he had the USB drive, he had power and power led to money. What else could he not get with money?
NZT-48's effect slowly kicked in.
In an instant, Chen Chen's mind directed him away from these strange, rambling thoughts, and continued pondering on the meaning of life.
[Who am I, where am I, what will I do?]
Plato's three philosophical questions could be summarized as one question questioning human life: What was the meaning of life?
After acquiring the USB drive, Chen Chen felt he was gradually becoming more qualified to provide an answer to such a question.
The meaning of life was to continuously delve into the unknown. In the process of coming to terms and understanding the unknown, the growing knowledge became a strength for one to continue seeking for a higher plane of the unknown.
Science itself was like a sphere. The more you knew, the larger the sphere expanded, and so shall the surface of the unknown grow exponentially.
The more that humans as a whole understood, the more they found themselves awed by its complexity and mystique. Science was human's device to reach into the unknown. At the same time, it was the process of endlessly edging in closer to the truth of all things and yet never completely attaining it…
"Mr. Chen, you'll be up soon."
It was then when a staff member suddenly appeared backstage to give him a gentle reminder.
Chen Chen nodded in response. He got up and tidied up his suit to make himself presentable. A phone seemed to have appeared in his hand out of nowhere.
Chen Chen gave it a gentle tap and the phone immediately dialed a number.
After the call had been connected, Chen Chen tucked the phone back into his pocket. After that, he headed to the exit of the backstage, toward the podium.
There was an electrifying presence of a crowd by the stage. The host had pushed the afternoon's atmosphere to its climax.
"And now, I present to you the chairman of Blacklight Biotechnology Company – Mr. Chen Chen to give you a picture of the exciting, glorious future to come!"
The moment Chen Chen stepped foot on the stage following the grandiose introduction of the host, the crowd erupted into a passionate bout of cheering.
"Dear citizens of the city of Windhoek and citizens of the country Namibia. I'm Chen Chen from Mainland China. It's a pleasure to be with you today to make a small presentation for my Blacklight Biotechnology…"
While on stage, Chen Chen's temperament was light and natural. He was completely unnerved by presenting himself before thousands of people.
Chen Chen scanned the thousands of people below the stage. If his foe wanted to assassinate him, it would not be a wise choice to do so from among the crowd. There were hundreds of armed soldiers stationed on both sides of the crowd, keeping their eyes on them.
Therefore, the only possible angle of the assassination would be from the city's direction.
Chen Chen raised his head and cast his gaze in a faraway direction.
"I know that when the topic of nuclear power plants comes up, most people tend to think of nuclear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction, terribly large scale nuclear radiation, contaminating the surrounding air and water sources…"
"However, I'd like to clarify that this is a common misconception…"
Chen Chen continued narrating and explaining on stage. The pace of his presentation was perfectly adapted to cater to the crowd. It served to completely draw the crowd into the scenario he was getting at.
As Chen Chen raised his head while he was giving his speech, he caught a glimpse of a reflection of a mirror in his eyes.
The reflection was not a strong one. It was so dim that if you were not paying attention, you would not have noticed it at all.
If someone was standing beside Chen Chen at this moment, the said person would be able to immediately notice Chen Chen's pupils contracting slightly for just a brief instant!
[Perfect, they did show up.]
Chen Chen smiled. He continued his speech on stage. Unbeknownst to anyone present at the moment, his brain was currently operating on overdrive!
[If they're planning to assassinate me, this speech would be the perfect opportunity for them to do so. If they let this chance slip by them, I'd likely have signed the official agreement with Namibia. Therefore, the chances of them attempting to assassinate me during this speech are above 95%.]
[With that said, there are many forms of assassination. Under the circumstances where they want to kill me and slip away from countless armed soldiers, there's only one ideal option – no need for a large amount of
personnel or immense funding. All they need is a rifle and a befitting sniper to get the job done.]
[The chances of them employing a sniper for this job is up to 90%.]
[Once they decide to go with using a sniper, they'll need a scope. In weapons manufacturing, there are three primary scopes for daytime usage: telescope sight, collimator scope, and reflective scope. These days, collimator scopes are slowly fading out. It's rarely if ever used at all.]
[Besides, collimator scopes and reflective scopes are more suited for close combat, they have next to zero long-distance aiming functionalities. This way, I can conclude that they'll be employing the use of telescope sights.]
[The optical functionalities of telescope sights are achieved using the Kepler telescope system alongside with the use of a rotational system. The outermost layer is a convex spherical mirror which is a subclass of divergent type mirrors. It's able to reflect light at an approximate angle of 120° in front of it.]
[Using the universal laws of reflection, my speculation is as follows. As long as I stand in this location on stage around noon today, the angle of the sunlight will align with the 60° angle which I'm facing and create a pincer angle. If there's a convex spherical mirror placed in an angle facing toward me, a faint beam of reflection will be reflected in my eyes.]
[I've already deduced from the map that in the 60° angle from where I stand, there are three high-rise buildings. If they plan to snipe me, the sniper will use one of the three buildings as a vantage point.]
[And now, I know exactly which building they have chosen…]
"Everyone, there's a bright future ahead for nuclear power plants. As a form of clean energy, nuclear power plants will prove to be several folds more efficient than thermal power plants…"
As Chen Chen kept going on with his narration, he lowered his right hand. He repeatedly tapped his pocket from an angle obscured from the audience.
It looked as if he was typing out a string of code…
