Chapter 2 — The Truth Will Always Be Proven One Day

Everyone automatically separated to the sides. To Dao was supported by her mother and hobbled forward. She wore a faded staff uniform, her wrists were wrapped in white bandages, and the outside was still splattered with bright red blood stains. As soon as she saw me, her tears immediately fell like a broken string of pearls.

"I thought, in front of all the netizens, you would at least feel a little guilty."

"I didn't expect... you would say I harmed myself just for show."

I looked at her without blinking.

"Didn't you run down to the engine room downstairs and slit your wrists?"

To Dao's shoulders trembled violently. Her mother immediately rushed forward like a lioness to protect her cub.

"Has your conscience been spared by the dog?"

"My Dao Dao considers you my best friend!"

"And yet you took away the work he had been working on for three months, and caused him to lose so much blood that he almost lost his life!"

Suddenly, To Dao's mother made a "thud" sound and knelt down right in front of the camera. She wore an old coat full of grease, repeatedly banged her head on the ground and cried towards the cameras.

"Please everyone on the internet please take ownership for my daughter!"

"We are poor people from remote mountains, but our lives are also human lives!"

"The Le family has power and influence in the company. We common people cannot compete. But my daughter's talent cannot be taken away by them so blatantly!"

Immediately, a "kind" blogger ran over to give her a tissue. To Dao lowered her head to wipe her tears, her voice was hoarse and weak, but just enough for all the surrounding microphones to pick up clearly.

"Mom... stop bowing."

"It's useless."

"Le Nac's uncle can cover the sky with one hand. Bottom-level programmers like us... even if we did, we wouldn't be able to make a single ripple."

That statement is like throwing a barrel of gasoline into a sea of fire. The crowd immediately exploded.

"Did you hear that? Even now the victim is still scared!"

"Le Nac, aren't you afraid of an unjust ghost knocking on your door at night?"

"You think you just stole a few lines of code?"

"No! What you stole was a chance to change someone's life!"

My father couldn't bear it any longer and immediately pulled out his phone.

"I'm calling the police!"

"Whoever dares to gather in front of my house to cause trouble, I will request criminal prosecution for disorderly conduct!"

The female blogger proudly approached.

"Let the police come and see how you leaders bully others!"

To Dao raised her good hand to wipe away her tears, looking pitiful.

"Nac Nac..."

"You return ownership of the core patent to me."

"It's come to this, your power can't protect you anymore."

I looked at her red eyes from crying, only to feel my stomach churn with nausea. Three years as a colleague. I once bought her the most expensive neck massage machine. She used to advance money for training courses so she could have a chance to get promoted. Because we work in two completely different physical isolation areas, she can only eat cheap boxed lunches in the cafeteria. As for me, every day I bring home-cooked meals downstairs to find her to eat with. Yet she used the same warmth I gave her, turned around and stabbed a poisoned knife into my entire family's heart in front of all netizens. I smiled coldly.

"You're best I should pray so that I don't have to regret later."

She immediately panicked and took half a step back. Tears flowed even more intensely, as if I had just scared the hell out of me.

"You... are you threatening me?"

"Did everyone on the internet hear that?"

"She openly threatened me!"

In the blink of an eye, all the lenses were pointed straight at me. I'm too lazy to waste another word. Taking out my phone, I dialed the private line of the industry Intellectual Property Arbitration Committee.

"Hello, Director Truong."

"I would like to register to open a public arbitration session to trace the core origin of the 'Thanh Ngon' project tomorrow morning."

"At the same time, we officially request to declassify this project."

"Venue at the Science and Technology Arbitration Court."

"Open all operating rights to the media."

"Livestream the entire process."

To Dao's crying suddenly stopped for half a second. I walked through the crowd, staring at her.

"Open confrontation."

"Do you dare come?"

To Dao bit her lip. His eyes wavered slightly, then he clenched his fists.

"I am the real author."

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

"What I'm afraid of is that when that time comes... you don't dare connect the lie detector."

I nodded.

"Then tomorrow morning...see you in court."