"My heart is like this mask—half pure white, half shadow. I can choose to let you see it… or not.
This circus act excites me, but it frightens you.
Because you are beasts—
And I am the clown."
The ransom scheme had succeeded. The funds were transferred, and late at night, the performance ended. The clown's message closed with one final flourish:
"Looking forward to the next circus.
By the way, someone paid us three million dollars just to say:
Thank you to the Marching Ant Company for your support.
One last warning to the CIA:
Don't try to catch us.
Or we'll crash the global network."
The statement sent shockwaves across the globe.
Less than half a day had passed since the attack on ten major cities, and already, the clown organization was announcing its exit. No one had expected such a quick and dramatic turn.
Who had paid the ransom?
Was it the United Kingdom? The United States? The island nation?
The world was left guessing. If any government had paid up, it meant they had capitulated to cyberterrorism—a precedent with deep implications.
The U.S. had officially labeled the Clown Organization a terrorist group. It was unlikely they would pay.
That left the U.K. and the island nation as the prime suspects.
In response, both governments issued urgent denials, claiming they had not paid the ransom. But whether a government figure or third party had quietly made the payment was another matter entirely.
The Marching Ant Company issued a stern condemnation, accusing certain competitors of colluding with the Clown Organization to damage their reputation through unfair tactics. But in the flurry of news, their voice was barely noticed.
Back at the company, Chen Mo put down his work as Zhao Min walked in.
The clown's show had ended, and Chen Mo no longer paid it much attention.
"What's the latest?" he asked.
"It's chaos," Zhao Min replied. "All three governments are denying they paid the ransom. But the opposition parties are going crazy, accusing them of compromising with terrorists."
"After the clown's final message, they vanished. Even the global clown virus disappeared within hours. The aftermath is worse than the attack—governments are scrambling, scandals are flying everywhere."
Zhao Min looked amused. "The clown really did pull off a twisted circus. They played the whole world like a bunch of monkeys."
"One tweet, and the global order's in turmoil." She shook her head. "Honestly… I'm curious. Who paid the three million just for them to drop our name?"
She looked at Chen Mo, instincts telling her he knew more than he let on. This man always seemed unshakeable, no matter what storm blew through. It was as if nothing could ever ruffle him.
Chen Mo answered calmly: "Microsoft."
Zhao Min wasn't surprised. She raised an eyebrow and studied his face.
"I feel like an insider right now," she teased. "Almost like you're the one working with the Clown Organization."
"I'm not that bored," Chen Mo said dryly. "Blackmailing the world sounds like a lot of unnecessary trouble."
Then he gave her a strange look. "You're not secretly into younger men, are you?"
Zhao Min blinked. Her cheeks flushed as she realized he was teasing her—and worse, that she'd been staring at him.
Recovering quickly, she snapped back: "Hmph. Sister here is happily unmarried. One year's salary is enough to last a lifetime. Free, independent—who needs men?"
"Right," Chen Mo nodded with mock solemnity. "Very free."
Back to business, Zhao Min cleared her throat. "Anyway, about tomorrow. We're heading to the capital for the Earthquake Warning Network launch. Our flight's in the afternoon."
The day after tomorrow marked the official debut of the national earthquake warning system—an important milestone.
The seismographs developed by the Marching Ant Company would be delivered to the Seismological Bureau right after final testing. From there, they'd be dispatched to key regions, with real-time monitoring and data collection already underway.
The recent earthquake in the island nation had reignited painful memories of disasters. Public concern was high.
The government had issued priority policies, and with full support from the Earthquake Administration and the Institute of Geophysics under the Huaxia Academy of Sciences, the national warning network had been built in record time.
Capital International Airport.
Evening.
Li Chengzhi stood waiting outside the arrivals gate. Beside him stood a man and a woman—government drivers assigned to receive Chen Mo and his team.
Both wore serious expressions, eyes locked on the gate. Though they'd seen Chen Mo on TV, this would be their first face-to-face meeting.
Soon, a small group exited the terminal.
Chen Mo wore a simple scarf, carrying two suitcases—looking like any ordinary young man. On his left was Xiao Yu, on his right Zhao Min. Behind them, their bodyguards: Wang Hai and White Pearl. A clean and low-key formation.
Li Chengzhi stepped forward to greet them with a smile.
"You're right on time. It's chilly tonight."
"Thanks for waiting, old man," Chen Mo replied casually.
"No need for thanks. What you've done with this earthquake system is a massive contribution to the country. Waiting here a little while is nothing."
Chen Mo chuckled. "I was worried you were frozen stiff."
He handed off his suitcase to Wang Hai and climbed into the car. Xiao Yu and Zhao Min followed, and the convoy headed for the hotel.
On the way, Li Chengzhi brought up the Clown Organization.
"That group scared the hell out of us," he admitted. "A few cities down, and the economic losses were off the charts. During the worst of it, our cybersecurity teams worked round-the-clock, afraid of a similar incident here."
His face was serious. If the country's most critical cities had been hit, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"You should consider switching to the Termite System," Chen Mo said with a grin. "I'll give you a discount."
Li Chengzhi laughed. "You really are a businessman now—can't go three sentences without selling something."
Then he passed a folder to Xiao Yu. "This is the detailed schedule for tomorrow's launch ceremony. Miss He, take a look and relay it to Mr. Chen."
His tone grew serious.
"There's one more thing."
He looked at Chen Mo directly.
"Tomorrow morning, the head of state would like to meet you. After that, we'll head to the launch event. Someone will pick you up—be ready by 8:30. Okay?"
He didn't say where the meeting would take place, but both Chen Mo and Zhao Min understood.
They'd expected this, but hearing it from Li Chengzhi made it real.
Chen Mo nodded. "No problem."