Thoroughly Exploited

Lin Chang's hands trembled as he opened Weibo. The top trending topic read: "King's Grand Reversal." The comments beneath it were completely different from the previous wave of support for Starlight Group.

-- Damn it! Starlight Group stole someone else's game and then had the audacity to accuse Skyveil Group of plagiarism? Disgusting! I’ve never seen such a vile company!

-- Give us an explanation! If you have proof that you developed the game, then show it! @Starlight Group

-- Don’t even bother. They can’t produce any evidence because they straight-up copied Skyveil Group’s game! No wonder their game crashed—they couldn’t even plagiarize properly.

-- &#@…%$! My face hurts from being slapped again. Next time, I’m definitely siding with Skyveil Group!

-- Quick, quick! Go download Skyveil’s King’s Pesticide! It’s way more polished and runs smoother than King’s Heroes!

Lin Chang read the comments and immediately checked the download numbers for King’s Pesticide. The figures were skyrocketing—already hitting ten million.

Just then, Lin Xuan, ever the provocateur, called again. "Chairman Lin, I assume you’re aware of what’s happening to your company? And you’ve seen how public opinion has shifted, haven’t you?" Lin Xuan’s tone was mocking.

Lin Chang gritted his teeth. "Lin Xuan, don’t get too cocky. Your victory is only temporary."

"Chairman Lin," Lin Xuan chuckled, "you’re joking, right? Even at its peak, your company couldn’t compete with Skyveil Group. Now that all you have left are some real estate and hotel assets—with everything else crushed under my heel—what exactly can you compare to me?"

Lin Chang’s grip on the phone tightened, his chest heaving with rage.

This bastard Lin Xuan deserves to die!

He wanted to retort, but there was nothing to say. Back when Skyveil Group was just a fledgling company, he had tried to suppress them at every turn—only to fail repeatedly.

Now, Skyveil Group dominated the industry in film, short videos, and literature. Their gaming division was next in line to become the industry leader.

What could he possibly use to fight Lin Xuan now?

Lin Xuan laughed lightly. "Lin Chang, do you know why I’ve let your company linger like a dying dog instead of just hacking your game outright, despite having top-tier hacking skills?"

Lin Chang sneered inwardly.

How stupid can Lin Xuan be? He’s actually admitting to hacking us over the phone.

Unbeknownst to Lin Xuan, Lin Chang had already hit record before answering. This call would be irrefutable evidence of Lin Xuan’s cyberattacks.

With a dark expression, Lin Chang said, "I know. You’ve been toying with us like monkeys!"

The thought of being played like a puppet made his blood boil.

"Exactly," Lin Xuan agreed. "Where’s the fun in killing the prey too quickly? Don’t you think so, Dad?"

"Lin Xuan!" Lin Chang roared. "Aren’t you afraid you’ll play yourself to death?"

Lin Xuan chuckled. "No need for your concern, Chairman Lin. Everything’s going smoothly for me. Your company’s core industries are collapsing, while mine thrives."

Lin Chang’s fingers dug into the phone.

This ungrateful wretch!

No wonder the fortune-teller had called him a cursed star—a disaster for the Lin family from birth.

He should’ve strangled Lin Xuan in his crib.

"Of course, besides amusing myself, I had another goal," Lin Xuan continued, a smirk in his voice. "I needed Starlight Group as a stepping stone."

"Back then, I used your films and dramas as benchmarks to highlight Skyveil’s superior quality. That drew more viewers to our content, and we even poached some of your overlooked talent."

"And this time, with the game? I should thank you for spending so much effort and money to promote King’s Pesticide for us. Saved my company a fortune. Oh, and my TigerBuzz platform made a killing on ad revenue too."

Lin Xuan’s lips curled.

Having others foot the bill for your success?

Delicious.

Lin Chang’s grip on the phone turned white-knuckled as Lin Xuan carried on cheerfully.

"Truth is, we finished our game long ago. My first hack into your systems was just to track your progress. The moment you launched your beta test, I forced you into full-scale promotion."

"Chairman Lin, this call is my way of thanking you. Your contributions to Skyveil’s growth have been invaluable."

As Lin Chang replayed every past clash with Skyveil Group, the realization hit him—

Lin Xuan had been using Starlight Group as a ladder this whole time!

Lin Xuan checked the time.

Ten minutes already? What a waste.

"Chairman Lin," he said with a faint smile, "enjoy what little happiness you have left."

Soon, the Lin family would be destitute. He wondered if they’d still be so harmonious then.

"Oh, and one more thing—that call recording you saved? Gone. Your hopes of taking this to the police? Crushed."

With that, Lin Xuan hung up, laughing.

What?!

Lin Chang’s eyes bulged. He frantically checked his phone—the recording had vanished.

His chest heaved violently.

Then—

CRACK!

He slammed the phone to the ground, shattering it to pieces.

"LIN XUAN!" Lin Chang’s voice was raw, his eyes bloodshot. "I should’ve killed you when I had the chance!"

How dare this bastard turn against his own father?!

Lin Chang staggered back to the Lin residence, his face ashen, moving like a ghost.

"Chairman! We couldn’t reach you!" The gaming division head rushed over. "PR tried bribing Weibo and other platforms to pull the hashtag, but they refused. We flooded the comments with paid shills—nothing worked."