Chapter 236: The Hackers (1/2)
Just as I had expected, the explosion itself was a performance.
”Can we watch those videos now?” I asked.
”No, these are all live streams,” Young Master Wang shook his head. “They are only available on Sunday nights. Besides, this client doesn’t allow for the recording of videos. If you try to open it while other programs are running, it will crash.”
The client created by these hackers was phenomenal. If the source code were altered, perhaps even the intelligence agencies could use it!
When I asked Lao Yao if he had found anything, Lao Yao apologized, ”I'm sorry. I was too engrossed in watching the live streams that I forgot to do anything!”
”Why are you even here then?!” I fumed.
”Xiao Song-song, look at how anxious you are!” His lips curled in a snarky smile. “I'm just teasing you. I’ve been tracking the data stream. The data received by this client has a complicated encryption algorithm. I’m afraid to make any big moves lest I alert the other party.”
”Do you think the person who replied to my post on the forum is an insider?” I asked.
”Most likely,” nodded Lao Yao. “Otherwise, why would a bunch of people suddenly attack me? Just forget about that. It’s impossible to make a breakthrough from this angle.”
”Are they better than you?” I asked.
My words seemed to have threatened Lao Yao's self-esteem. ”Better than me?” he exclaimed, his voice rising an octave. “You must be kidding! They just have more people on their side.”
A battle between hackers wasn’t so different from an ordinary fight. After all, the side with the numerical advantage usually won the war. As soon as Lao Yao took any action, the people on the other side would attack him at the same time and instantly cripple his system. He didn’t have the power or resources to fight back at all.
”So after all this talk, what have you found?” I asked.
Lao Yao picked a bottle of red wine from the table, poured himself a glass and leaned in to sniff the bouquet. ”I just checked the background program and found a monitoring program that runs simultaneously with the client. But I altered the source code and turned it off! We can take this computer away and run other programs on it now.”
I tried to open QQ on Young Master Wang's computer and it worked.
”We have to confiscate your computer and cell phone,” I told Young Master Wang.
”What about the voice authentication?” he asked.
Lao Yao leaned into his office chair and sipped on the wine. ”That’s simple. The verification code is made out of letters and numbers. We’ll record him reading the alphabet and numbers later. I'm great at synthesizing audio and creating deep fakes!”
At first, the young master refused to hand in his cell phone. Under my strong insistence, he sent a mass message informing his acquaintances of the change in phone numbers. Then, he removed the sim card and handed it to me.
When we were about to head back to the station, Young Master Wang ran after Xiaotao, shouting, “Xiaotao, I hope you understand that I have my own circle of friends. Some of the things I do might seem strange to you but...”
”Mr. Wang, as a suspect, I think you should stop speaking or you might reveal some other sordid secret!” sneered Xiaotao.
Her words were no different from a slap in the face. As we walked downstairs, Dali clapped his thighs and roared with laughter. ”Oh my God, that was hilarious!”
”And my father wants me to marry such a man!” Xiaotao heaved a heavy sigh.
”As he said, you do run in different circles,” I pointed out. “And it’s difficult for your father to meet people outside his. Judging by his outside appearance and successful career, he seems like a good choice. But I guess your father never expected Young Master Wang to be a poisoned apple–good without but rotten within.
Dali combed his fingers through his hair. ”Your father should get to know honest men of humble origins like me!”
”Poverty can’t be equated to integrity,” scoffed Xiaotao as she rolled her eyes at Dali. “As the saying goes, a woman’s character is tested when her man has nothing, but a man’s character is tested when he has everything. I think the old adage is true. When a person is poor, he doesn’t have the opportunity to do anything bad. But once he has money, he also has many choices before him. That’s when you know his true character!”
”When will I finally get the chance to see my true character?” lamented Dali.
”Don't underestimate yourself!” encouraged Xiaotao. “You still have a bright future ahead of you. You won’t be penniless all your life!”