Chapter 103: Meeting

The Voltage Sisterhood video was never deleted.

In fact, the next day they released another video exposing that Qianli Technology had offered them money to delete the post.

And questioned: Qianli Technology, what are you so guilty about?

This woman really was brave.

Fang Wei’s team probably never expected to shoot themselves in the foot.

Online discussions about Qianli Technology became even more heated.

And the hackers attacking Qianli Technology further fueled the raging public opinion.

Qianli Network’s main portals crashed entirely.

Lines of code scrolled repeatedly on the homepage.

After just 10 minutes, the display was stopped, replaced with a 404 error page.

At first, not many people paid attention—most didn’t understand code anyway.

Until several programmer netizens translated the code into plain language and posted technical explanations.

Based on those explanations, it became clear that the code revealed part of Qianli Network’s algorithm, internally referred to as “maternal avoidance.”

Qianli Network disguised permission requests to track user behavior on other apps on the same device, performed behavioral simulations, and labeled job seekers accordingly. These labels were then used to recommend job postings.

With the maternal avoidance algorithm in place, some women experienced downgraded job compatibility and suppressed salary offers.

For example:

If commuting distance analysis showed a home within 3 km of a kindergarten/maternity hospital, points were deducted. In consumer profiles, purchases like folic acid/formula triggered alerts. Circadian rhythm monitoring: no food delivery after 10 p.m. in the past year was flagged as potential pregnancy planning…

Then the algorithm would intervene in job recommendations to improve success rates.

Women over 30 without children were auto-tagged with “emotional instability risk.” In tech hiring, mothers of two had their learning ability coefficient defaulted to 40% lower. Women with children were preferentially shown flexible jobs—effectively locking them into low-growth roles.

Even the AI interviews that users had once praised tested childbearing-age women by playing baby cries in the background to assess focus. If the applicant looked toward the sound more than three times, a report labeled her as “easily distracted.”

Administrative and customer service roles were continuously pushed to married women over 30. A “maternal trait match” parameter was embedded, hiding high-pressure job listings and showing “position filled” messages instead.

…

One algorithm logic after another was translated and exposed by programmers online…

After a brief silence, public backlash against Qianli Technology exploded.

Influencer accounts extended the topic and amplified the drama.

Competitors stepped in, declaring their innocence while taking the opportunity to slam Qianli Technology, denouncing the practice of labeling job seekers.

Major state media directly named and criticized Qianli Technology. Forget about reputation—for the information already exposed, investigation was inevitable.

In tech circles, though Qianli Technology was condemned for its ethics, its algorithms were acknowledged as technically impressive.

Netizens cursed Qianli Network while gleefully following the drama.

Someone even started a fan club for the hacker.

No one knew the hacker’s identity, but they were given the name “Thousand-Slaughter.”

Qin Qing never did manage to find “Thousand-Slaughter.” She was just another drama-hungry netizen at that point.

But soon, she had no time to care about Qianli Technology’s self-inflicted disaster.

Zhang Yao took her to report to the main bureau and meet her direct superior.

The head of the Risk Alert Management Center, Feng Qiuyang.

Feng Qiuyang was busy, only sparing a brief moment to meet her.

She was straightforward, skipping small talk and getting right to the point.

“You don’t know me, but I know you well. This meeting is mainly for you to see me.”

She paused and stared directly at Qin Qing.

Qin Qing was puzzled.

After about 30 seconds of silence, Feng Qiuyang spoke again.

“Remember now?”

Qin Qing: “…More or less. I don’t rely solely on faces to remember people.”

Feng Qiuyang tossed a stack of files at her. “There are quite a few major Beifu conferences lately. I want you to follow up.”

“What exactly am I following?”

“Report any suspected anomalies you detect. Espionage, corruption, public safety…”

Luckily, Qin Qing had upgraded to include the tagging feature—otherwise this job would have been impossible.

Even so, it still felt daunting.

She skimmed the materials. These conferences were national, even international. The attendees’ identities spoke for themselves.

Compared to this, the people and affairs of Shuangyu City were like shallow puddles.

“Too difficult?” Feng Qiuyang asked.

That was putting it mildly.

Qin Qing gave a wry smile. “People who know too much tend to die faster.”

“So you have confidence in your skills, but not enough trust in the organization.” Feng Qiuyang raised an eyebrow. “You don’t trust the organization, but you should trust your value to it.”

Qin Qing didn’t respond. Feng Qiuyang didn’t push further. She added simply, “When you leave here, go find Zhang Yao. He’ll take you somewhere to help you feel more secure.”

Zhang Yao had waited outside during their conversation.

Qin Qing found him in the hallway. “The woman inside said you’re taking me somewhere.”

Zhang Yao: “Director Feng.”

“Oh, Director Feng.”

Zhang Yao took her across the city—to a cosmetic surgery hospital.

They weren’t there for beauty treatments. Zhang Yao led her through a hidden door in a break room down to a basement.

There was a special effects makeup studio.

A masked technician showed Qin Qing before-and-after face models. With the transformation, not even her parents would recognize her.

The altered face bore no signs of makeup—it was a true disguise, undetectable even up close.

The technician explained, “The facial prosthetic is just step one. We also need to adjust your posture, expressions, even your aura.”

Qin Qing stood in a 360-degree light chamber while the technician made observations, then printed several photos from a computer for Zhang Yao.

“Done. Use these faces to make the IDs.”

Qin Qing examined the photos—completely unrecognizable as herself.

“You haven’t even started doing my makeup. How do you already have the finished effect?”

“Experience,” the technician said. “I can estimate bone structure just by looking. Once I know the shape, I can design the features around it.”

Qin Qing’s role at the conference was as a staff member. The day before, she and Shi Jiang went to the clinic again.

The special effects makeup took longer than expected—seven hours just for her. With Shi Jiang’s prep added, the whole day was gone.

Staring at her reflection, Qin Qing felt like she’d been reborn.

The technician was proud of the result. “The material on your face will last a month, no problem.”

“So I’m not washing my face for a month?”

“It’s breathable and absorbs sweat and dust. Technically, yes.”

“…”

Aside from initial discomfort, the material barely felt noticeable.

Qin Qing accompanied Shi Jiang through various conferences.

She had preset specific tags on the System Panel—if any suspicious person entered her sensory range, the panel would alert her.

She even spent 150 experience points to expand her sensing radius to 1,500 meters. Combined with the original 500, she could now cover 2 kilometers—enough for any venue.

Thanks to this setup, she caught an anomaly on day one.

She hadn’t even entered the venue yet—just reached the parking lot when the System Panel alerted her with a “spy” tag.

The man was a journalist nearing forty, with a clean background.

But he had apparently been a spy for almost twenty years.

In high school, he was an excellent student. But after failing the college entrance exam twice, his life took a nosedive.

At that moment, he received an acceptance letter from a foreign “prestigious university,” offering him a full scholarship and even annual transportation subsidies for family visits.

He went abroad for a few years, polished his résumé, and returned to secure a job at a television station.

He worked diligently, climbing from a junior assistant to a senior reporter.

During his tenure, he achieved commendable results.

However, the employment background check failed to reveal that the full scholarship he received abroad was part of a spy training program he was unknowingly enrolled in. By the time he realized it, he was already deeply entangled.

After returning to the country, he used his position to leak critical information multiple times through special channels, causing subtle yet significant damage to key national projects.

He remained hidden for over a decade without ever arousing suspicion.

But his path was about to end—he had encountered Qin Qing.

With Shi Jiang by her side and cameras above, Qin Qing couldn’t file a report without first laying eyes on the target.

Following the map provided by the System Panel, she ran into the journalist—camera still hanging from his neck—at the restroom entrance.

They nearly collided. The man stepped back and nodded politely in apology.

Judging by appearances, he seemed refined and courteous.

Qin Qing gave him a smile and glanced at the name on his press badge.

After he left, Qin Qing said the name to Shi Jiang: “We can arrest him now.”

Shi Jiang was stunned by the efficiency—snagging someone on the way to the restroom?

Qin Qing patted her on the shoulder. “Trust me, I’ve shown restraint.”

Shi Jiang shut her mouth and lowered her head to send a message.

Five minutes later, two Grey Jackets in black shoes and crew cuts arrived—one carrying a briefcase, the other a black pointed umbrella.

They located the journalist, flanked him from both sides, and quietly escorted him out of the venue.

Silent, discreet, and efficient.

Aside from this successful start, the three-day conference uncovered no other anomalies.

Qin Qing stood so long in the back of the venue that her feet were sore.

Then she attended a conference she was assigned to monitor.

It was a closed-door forum for domestic private entrepreneurs.

Before it began, Qin Qing sat idly in the lounge.

[Suspected accomplice to espionage activity approaching. Read data?]

Hmm, this was the first time the System Panel used the term “suspected.”

Read.

It was Chinese, yes.

But deciphering it felt like reading gibberish.

She decided not to make things hard on herself.

She dipped her finger in water and wrote one word on the table: KEVLAR.

Then she asked Shi Jiang, “What is this?”

Shi Jiang glanced sideways. “It’s the Chinese transliteration of Kevlar—an aramid synthetic fiber. Low density, high strength, great toughness, heat-resistant, and easy to process and mold.”

“What’s it used for?”

Shi Jiang replied seriously, “Mainly in military applications. Tanks, armored vehicles, and bulletproof vests use it as a key material. When added to aluminum or steel plates, the resulting composite armor is used on nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and missile destroyers, greatly improving protection and maneuverability. If combined with materials like boron carbide, it becomes ideal for helicopter cockpits and pilot seats.”

Qin Qing: “With current technology, is there a better alternative?”

“There is—but the cost increases exponentially, and the strength improvement is minimal.”

With that, Qin Qing understood.

Worried that Feng Qiuyang might be too busy to get the message in time, she called Zhang Yao directly.

“Notify Qingdao Customs to intercept a batch of outgoing cargo. It’s textile exports from a company named ‘Tang Yun Garments’—about 2,000 tons total. The rest doesn’t matter. Focus on a silk composite product called ‘Imitation Tang Brocade’—only 50 tons. Move fast!”

Zhang Yao: “Got it, I’ll handle it. But Qin Qing, I trust you. Still, I need a reason for the approval process.”

Qin Qing: “The tear resistance of Imitation Tang Brocade is more than twice that of Kevlar, and the cost is only slightly higher than typical civilian textiles. The technology is entirely domestic—even the manufacturing plants are already in-country.”

Then she asked, “Is that reason good enough?”

Zhang Yao caught his breath.

“Wait for my update!!!”