Across the ocean, at Google headquarters.
"Hasn't it been long enough? Why haven't they cracked the System Accelerator yet?"
"Manager, it's not that the team isn't working hard. It's the hardware. They've been working non-stop for weeks. But every time we crack the outermost encryption layer, the computers... restart. All the data's wiped. So we have to start over from scratch."
"Again?"
Before the manager could process it, someone ran in, pale.
"Boss, something's wrong. The systems restarted again. All the data—gone. Two of the chief engineers were so frustrated they started vomiting blood!"
"What the hell?!"
The cracking teams—more than a hundred people—were dead silent.
Finally, one of the sharpest engineers stepped forward.
"I don't think it's a hardware issue. I think it's the software itself. The System Accelerator might contain a built-in protection program—like a Trojan. Once we crack the outer shell, it activates and forces a full system restart."
"So it's... self-protecting?"
"Exactly. And it doesn't trigger right away. It waits—lets you waste days cracking it, then deletes everything the moment you get close. It's messing with us."
They tried targeting the operating system next.
"It's hopeless," one engineer groaned. "We can't even understand it. It's like a seamless sphere. Viruses can't penetrate it. Every attack either bounces off or triggers a self-wipe."
They didn't know that the OS was encrypted using ancient Bagua logic from the Book of Changes[1], implemented by Liang Cong himself. Most people in China couldn't even understand it—let alone Google's engineers.
"What the hell do we do now?"
Frustration filled the room.
Each cycle was brutal—days of work, sleepless nights, and just as they cracked the surface, it restarted. Data gone. Try again.
Samsung had tried, too. They failed. That's why they came to buy it instead.
Just then, the secretary rushed in.
"Manager Shi, the president wants to see you."
Shi arrived at the CEO's office.
"Mr. President, you asked for me?"
Sundar looked up with a tired expression.
"How's the cracking going?"
Shi hesitated. "We're... not making progress."
Sundar didn't let him finish.
"Forget it. Give up on cracking it. Instead—find the developers."
Shi blinked. "To threaten them? Buy them out?"
"Neither."
Sundar leaned forward, eyes sharp.
"This technology is extraordinary. And now, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, and Nokia are all paying attention."
"The president of Samsung China already visited Huaxing this morning."
"People from Microsoft and Apple are en route."
"You're going too. Your flight is booked. Acquire the System Accelerator—no matter the cost. It must not fall into the hands of the other four."
"If Samsung gets it, they'll finally build their own OS."
"If Nokia gets it, they could rise from the ashes."
"But if we lose Android?"
Sundar exhaled.
"Google without Android... is no longer Google."
Shi nodded grimly. "I'll leave immediately."
After he left, Sundar sat in silence.
They'd noticed the Hongmeng S1 the moment it launched.
Android was Google's crown jewel—their most complete product. They had the best software engineers in the world, constantly updating and optimizing it.
So they couldn't believe it when another company's software made Android run 90% smoother and used 40% less power.
They bought a Hongmeng S1.
Ran tests.
And the results?
All true.
No lies. No tricks. Just a real performance.
They tried for a month to figure it out. Burned through entire server rooms.
And still—nothing.
Now, Android's global OS share has hit a terrifying 70%, rising sharply in just weeks—all thanks to the System Accelerator. People didn't care about brands anymore. They just wanted the phones that could run it.
Apple's iOS had dropped to 15%.
The remaining 15% belonged to outdated or dying systems.
Meanwhile, at China's Huaxing lab...
Haifeng sat calmly, sipping tea as Liang Cong approached.
"I've notified every company that's attempted to crack the System Accelerator," Liang said. "Told them Samsung's trying to acquire it."
"How many do you think will show up?" Haifeng asked.
"Apple, Microsoft, and Nokia are already en route," Liang replied. "Only Google's missing."
Haifeng smirked.
"Let them come. I've waited a month for this. When they finally show up, they'll pay a very heavy price."
[1] The Bagua (also known as the Eight Trigrams) are eight symbols, each composed of three lines (either broken or unbroken), that represent different aspects of the universe, such as sky, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain, and lake.