TheairinthecontrolroomattheThirdDepartment’sHaidianpoundinBeijingwasthickwithtobaccosmokeandthehumofputerconsoles.Adozentiredtechnicianstypedaway,eagertogivethemajor-generaltheimpressionthattheywerestillalert,evenafterseventy-twooddhoursonthejob.Severalofthemhadbeenasleepattheirterminalswhenthemajor-generalhadwalkedin.TheywerenowfearfulofthetrajectoryoftheirvariousPLAcareers.Thetimeonthedigitalwallclockread7.08AM.
Themajor-generallookedpissed.Hehadstormedindemandingtohaveananswertothenigglingproblemofthenetworkintrusionwhichhadbeendiscoveredthedaybefore.Hundredsofmanhoursaftertheinitialdiscovery,theywerestillnonethewiser.AndLieutenantLiu’sfuturewaslookingevenmoreprecariousthantheirs.Thatfactwasbeingincreasinglyapparent.Theyoungertechnicianswatchedfromthecorneroftheireyesasthelieutenant,pale-facedandblotchy-skinnedthroughlackofsleep,veinsthrobbingviolentlyinhisneck,triedtoexplaintothemajor-generalthetechnicaldetailsofwhytheywerenotmakingprogressindetectingthesourceofthenetworkintrusions.Yet,themajor-generalwasonlyinterestedinthesolutionnotthemechanics.Hisbulkyuniformedframejuststoodtherelikeanimmovableobject,puffingawayonhiscigarette,hiseyesdangerouslyfixedonthelieutenant.
“Sir,theintruderseemstoberewritingthenetworkcodetoavoiddetection.Thismakesitimpossibletodetect,”LieutenantLiuofferedweakly.Hewasrapidlyapproachingthepointwherehedidn’treallycareifthemajor-generalfiredhimonthespot.Hejustwantedtogohome,makepeacewithhiswifeandfallasleep.
“YouaretellingmethatwithmillionsofNewChinaYuanofintrusiondetectionAIs,state-of-the-artICEandthefactthatyoucanseeeverybitandbytethatisgeneratedonthesystemusingthisveryfancyandveryexpensiveequipmentofyoursthatyouhavenoideawhotheintruderisandwhattheyaredoing?”themajor-generalhowled,pointinghisburningcigaretteatthenumerousdisplaysshowingthelifesignsofthesystemanditssubjects.
“Yes,sir,”LieutenantLiusaidsimply,feelingtheenergytotrytoexplaindrainoutofhim.
Themajor-generalwasvisiblytakenabackbyLieutenantLiu’sapathy.Hetriedtospeakbutthewordsstuckinhisthroat.Intheblinkofaneye,itseemedthathisentirebloodsupplyrushedtohisfleshyface.Themajor-generalwasabouttoexplodeintoatorrentofragewhenhiscellphonerang.Adeathlysilencedescendedontheroom.
“Speak,”themajor-generalmanded.Someinternalcalmingtechniquehadbeenappliedandthestormseemedtohaveresidedtemporarily.
“It’sme.ThestudentwasinHongKongmeetingupwithsomeRussian.”
“Andyouhavehim?”Thelookonthemajor-general’sfacesuggestedthatthiswasnotaquestionbutastatement.However,thiswaslostontheassassinwhowasnotphysicallypresent.
“No.Hadhiminmysightsbutlosthim.”
“Losthim?Whatthehelldoyoumeanlosthim?IseveryoneinthePLAinpetent?”themajor-generalroared,thestormthreateningtorageagaininaviolentexplosionofthunderandlightning.Themenintheroomflinched.Yet,theassassin’svoiceremainedcalm.
“He’sgone.ItwasluckythatIevenfoundhimgiventhecircumstances.Atanyrate,hewasinHongKongdoingadealwithsomeRussiantosellaputerchip.”
“Computerchip?”Themajor-general’sfaceturnedfromredtoapalewhiteintheblinkofaneyeastheblooddrainedfromhisface.Hiswholeworldseemedtobecollapsingaroundhim.ProfessorYao’sactionsingoingtoNewYorkhadsetinmotionaveritabledominoeffectthatwasthreateningtobringdownoneofthePLA’smostremarkablecareers.Everythingthathehaddreamedoffwasnowinthebalance.Everything.Forthefirsttimeinhiscareer,major-generalWangstartedtosuspectthathewouldnotbeabletobringthecurrentspateofeventsundereffectivecontrol.
“Yes,IhaveaHongKongandShanghaiBanksafetydepositslipthatthestudentleft.ThemanhewastransactingwithwasoneOlegKrachev,accordingtohispassport.RecentlydeceasedIamafraid.Collateraldamage,”theassassinsaidwithoutemotion.
“OlegKrachev,”themajor-generalrepeatedtohimself.Thenamesoundedfamiliarandtheutteranceofitwasmerelyaquerytothevastdatabaseofinformationstoredinhisbrain.OlegKrachev.Theanswercameinasplitsecond.TheMoscowInstituteofSuperputing.Purchasing.ProfessorYaohadfabricatedasecondchipandthestudentLiJinwastryingtosellittotheRussian.Ontheprofessor’sorders?
“Yes.Whatdoyouwantmetodowiththeslip?”
“Destroyit.I’llarrangetogetthechipbackdirectly.”
“Thereisanotherthing.TheRussianhadwithhimawirelessinternationalcredittransferunit.HehadjusttransferredalargesumofmoneytoLiJinsoit’sjustamatteroftracingthemovementofthemoneytofindhim.”
“Leavethattome.Andtheotherone?ThisCaldwellcharacter?”
“TheAIsarenowtalkingaboutShanghai.”
“Shanghai.Areyousure?”Themajor-general’sworstnightmareswereingtrue.Yet,oncethequarrywasinShanghaiwouldn’tresolutionofthatproblembemerelyacademic?Theenemywaswalkingofitsownaccordintothedragon’slair.ItwasatwistedmanifestationofFooltheemperortocrossthesea,yettheendresultwouldbethesame.Deathanddestruction.
“Positive.BeijingtoobuttheprobabilitiesonShanghaiareskyhigh.”
“TheJoplingirl?”
“StillTokyo.Sheseemstobeleavingatrail.TheAIsprovidedahotel,roomnumber.Thatonewillbeeasy.IwillbeinTokyobymidafternoonasperyourinstructions.”
“Nofailuresthistime,itdoesn’tbeeyou.”
“Yes,failureissomethingtotallynewtome.NotsomethingIwouldliketorepeat.”
“Youhaveservedmewellbutmypatiencehaslimits.Understand?”themajor-generalaskedtheassassin.LieutenantLiubusyperusingcodeonanearbyterminalcouldnothelpbutfeelthatthesameultimatumappliedtohim.
“Thistimetherewillbenofailure,”theassassinsaidsimply.
Themajor-generalhungupandturnedhisattentiontoLieutenantLiu.Thelieutenantstoodupshakilyandmentallybracedhimselftobearthebruntofthemajor-general’sire.Hewassurprisedwhenitdidn’tebutwhatthemajor-generalsaidwasmuchworse.
“Youhavethirtyminutestogetready.WearegoingtoShanghai?”
“Shanghai,but”LieutenantLiumuttered.Hisfacehadturnedasicklyshadeofgray.Helookedlikehewasabouttohaveapsychoticepisode.Hismarriagewassurelyover.HiscurrencywithMajor-generalWanghaddeclineddramaticallyinvalue.Hisbodywasabouttogivein.Hesuspectedhisbloodpressurewasskyhigh.
“Yes,maybeinShanghaiyou’llhavebetterluckdoingyourjob.First,IwantyoutoputHongqiaoandPudongairports,trainstationsandportsonhighalert.WhoeverisintrudinginoursystemsisontheirwaytoShanghaiandwearegoingtocatchthem.”ThisobservationhadnoeffectonLieutenantLiu.Hiseyeshadgrownwild.Hismindwasbrokenwithfatigueandhishandsjusthunglooselyathissides.Hedidn’tevenfeelhewouldhavetheenergytopickupthetelephone.Yet,heknewthathehadnochoicebuttocontinueonthiscrazymission.
“Yes,sir.”
“TheAIwillbeshippedtoShanghailatertoday.Onadifferentflightofcourse.We’llperformthereconfigurationofitthereandoverseeitsinsertion.It’simportantthatthesetestsarepletedwithoutfurtherdelay.Oncethatisdoneyou’llgetyoursleep,”themajor-generalpromisedwithoutconviction.Itwasnothingbuthollowlipservice.NothingmatteredbutthenetworkandthesuccessfulinsertionoftheAI.
LieutenantLiuwasnowsureofit.Themajor-generalwascrazy,crazybeyondbelief.Thatchainsmokinghadobviouslygivenhimatumorinthebrain,causinghimtothinkandbehaveirrationally.Allthisforsomestupidnetwork,whichthederangedmanbelievedwouldmakehimaheroinNewChina.Sowhatifitwasthecuttingedge?Itwastotallywithintherealmsofpossibilitythatifanyofthisnonsensecametolightthemajor-generalcouldbecourt-martialedformisappropriatinggovernmentfundsintoasecretprojectthatwasnotgovernment-approved.Thenewtechnologywasamazing,aworldfirst.Itusheredinanewparadigm,onewithlimitlesspossibilitiesthatwouldgiveNewChinatheedge.AndoncetheAIwasunleashedintocyberspace,theWestwouldneverbeabletorecoverfromtherepercussionsofaChina-ledsingularity.Yet,themotivationsbehindthemajor-general’sfullonchargeintothefuturemadehimblindtotherealitiesofthepeoplewhoworkedforhim,andthefactthattheyhadfamiliesandlivestogohometo.Thelieutenantknewthatgivingupwasnotanoption.Heknewtoomuchandwouldsurelybekilledifheinsistedonquitting.
Inaperverseway,despitethefactthathehadn’tsleptproperlyforseventy-twohours,thelieutenantwasthankfulforthenetworkintruder.TheintrusionhadprovedthatthesystemwasfallibleandthatAIswerenotaspowerfulasallthat.Allthirty-sixintrusiondetectionAIshadfailedtostoptheintruder,suggestingahackerofunparalleledability.CoulditbethattheintruderwasthisCadCaldwellcharacter,theonethatKenzoYamamotohadsenttheconsoleto?Ifso,hewasaworthyadversary.Yet,ifhewenttoShanghaihewouldsurelybecaught.Thetrapwouldbesprungtight.ButifthehackerwassmartenoughtoinfiltratethesystemfromoutsideShanghaiandremainundetected,thenhemightjustbesmartenoughtoavoiddetectioninthephysicalworld.Anyway,thatwasn’thisproblem.Hisproblemwasthemajor-generalandnowwasthetimetogivehimthegoodnews.Theotherpieceofbadnewstofollowwouldhavetobeperfectlytimed.
“Thankyou,sir.Wedohaveonepieceofgoodnews.ThereportonthebugsontheYamaguchi-gumihassomeinterestingitems.First,theyknowabouttheJoplingirl’spresenceinTokyoandtheyfailedtoretrievetheconsolebecausethegirlwassnatched.”LieutenantLiuwasleavingthebiggestbombshelltilllast.
“Snatched?Bywho?”
“TheyreckonitwasanoutfittheyreferredtoasHYDRA.”
“HYDRA?Fuckyourmother.”Itwasn’taninsulttothelieutenant,justanoutletforthemajor-general’smountingexasperation.
“ThegoodnewsisthattheYakuzadon’thavetheconsole,”LieutenantLiuoffered.
“Youdimwit!IfHYDRAhastheconsolethatisordersofmagnitudeworse.Don’tyougetit?Iftheyknowabouttheexistenceofthatconsolewhatdoyouthinkthechancesarethattheyknowabouttheotherconsole,theoneinthepossessionofthehacker?Andisn’titpossiblethattheyarebehindtheintrusionattempt,whichyousoineptlycan’tfigureout.”Allthisscreamedbythemajor-generalinafuryofspittleandbreathpregnantwithnicotine.
“Sorrysir.”
“Fuckyourmotherandyourapologies.BettermakesuretheContingencyPlanisinplaceandhopewedon’thavetouseit.IfHYDRAisinvolvedthenthegameistrulyoverforus.”
LieutenantLiuwaslividbeyonddescription.Nowwasthetime.
“Yessir.YoumustalsoknowthatMinisterTakahashihasorderedyourdeath.”LieutenantLiuvisiblyshudderedashedeliveredthispieceofinformation.Forthefirsttimeever,hesawwhathehadalwaysknownwastrue.Withineveryman,eventhosewhowieldedincrediblepower,wasaninsecureindividualwaitingtobeexposed.ThelookonMajor-generalWang’sblood-drainedfacewasoneofunmistakablefear.
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