Scorpion froze.
She couldnât understand at all how the core of the Mechanical Brain Project, Douâs super neural network, that massive Buddha head, could have been suddenly cracked.
She even forgot she had just barely survived a brush with death.
From the collapsed center of the forehead, a terrifying Flame Bird soared upward, the complexity and mystery of that code flame was so daunting that it made her shrink back in fear.
Perhaps it was noticing this gaze, the woman within the flames nodded slightly towards her, the intense firelight made it difficult for her to see the features clearly, she could only vaguely make out a unique scar on the womanâs cheek.
Paradise Bird!
The number one female hacker on the Mother City leaderboard!
She recognized the other from the data in her previous persona!
âBoom!â A heavy sound, in front of her, a mountain-like golden nose was split in two, two massive arms rose from the depression, a giant of big data propped up its upper body amidst data stacked like mountains, with thick braids adorned with countless communication and control software.
Giant Spirit God!
The worldâs second-ranked hacker!
Also the only one who can use virus-based big data modeling and purely rely on computational power to take down enterprise-level servers.
âWhooshâ A colorful vortex appeared in the forehead area of the Buddha head, numerous images, windows, and process lists were absorbed like a whale sucking water.
Even the consciousness package was cracked and absorbed.
In reality, numerous data processing centers were frantically processing data.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious booth at the Other Shore of Freedom, a flamboyant man in a suit, holding a glass of red wine, shook his head, pushing away the bionic beauty in his arms, muttering to himself.
"The massive electronic network enveloping Cyber Space is rapidly expanding in the industrial world, our options are limited."
Phantomâthe worldâs third-ranked hacker!
A super-rich individual with Artificial Intelligence, and a top-tier hacker among the super-rich.
Possessing a hundred data processing centers, renowned in the underground world for complex and variable algorithms and endless cracking software.
Then suddenly, within consciousness packages, a human face emerged, curiously gazing at Scorpion.
"Isnât this Sister Eleven, how has your software library deteriorated to this extent?"
"Personality Simulator!"
Personality Simulator, ranked 12th among the world hackers, a presence adept at selling electronic personalities and persona performances, neither resembling a human hacker nor behaving like AI.
Some suspect it is a string of virus code floating out of Cyber Space.
Others say its true form is a bionic man sent to a mental hospital.
Memories of the dead suddenly began attacking Scorpion.
Firewall roaring with flames, Electronic Defense Walls as thick as walls, corporate treasures that entice greed.
And... betrayed teammates.
Faces twisted and transformed in the flames, until finally revealing a youthful face.
The same face.
"Itâs you!!"
Scorpionâs eyes shot out a gaze filled with hatred, she remembered it!
Ranked 11th and ranked 12th super hackers, recruited teammates for a hacker operation for some legendary corporate secret.
Frustration, plotting, betrayal, assassination.
Finally, it was the âPersonality Simulatorâ who took action, consuming one hacker account after another, hacking into her smart vessel with a soul virus.
In desperation, she could only hide in Puppet City, replacing the first persona with a second, completely severing the opponentâs soul spyware.
âPersonality Simulatorâ quickly waved its hand:
"Oh, dear sister, you really misunderstood me, back then you spreading viruses everywhere, causing a bunch of perverted corporate executives to become impotent, the kind that couldnât be cured no matter how hard they tried, this group set up a trap for you, and I was just a knife at their disposal."
"If you need it, Iâll give you the list later, whether you want to implant a mental virus in them or simply kill them off, itâs up to you, letâs not have internal conflict."
âPersonality Simulatorâ chuckled again:
"Besides, think about it, they have a grudge against you, but Iâm kind to you, without the slumber of the first persona, where would the second persona have come from, right, Scorpion, or should I say, Ms. Du!"
Du Mei, the name of the persona that is Scorpion.
She is Du Mei, not Scorpion.
Sure enough, Du Meiâs angry expression gradually disappeared, after a long silence, she said:
"What is the situation now?"
âPersonality Simulatorâs eyes lit up, a mask threaded with silk threads floated directly beside her.
"I told you, these super hackers are fierce-looking, but only weâre truly allies."
"More than half of the top 20 hackers in the world have come, anyone unaware might think youâre going to conquer Mother City."
"Not just that, a dozen of the strongest ferocious tigers and wolves, there are also limited numbers eating," âPersonality Simulatorâ giggled foolishly:
"Take a look below, see how many hacker organizations are supporting this operation."
Du Mei glanced downward, taking a sharp breath, the cracking software was like plankton in the sea, the sheer numbers made her scalp tingle.
"Are you trying to start a hacker war?!"
"We have no choice."
âPersonality Simulatorâ lifted its chin.
"Moreover, itâs not only us who came, but those old guys of the Electronic Ascension arrived as well."
Du Mei looked up, toward the end of the Buddha head, where three ordinary old men sat.
Although they appeared ordinary, their aura was the same as that of the destroyed Buddha head itself.
Du Mei inhaled sharply.
In the memory of her first persona, and throughout the information she sought in the underground world these days, there wasnât a single trace of these three elders.
"Who are they?"
"The so-called hacker world ranking is essentially just the sorting of the Mother City Wanted List.
But Sister Du, you should know that since the 60 years of the Cyber Era, this wanted list has been altered several times.
The old generation of hackers, the dead are dead, the changed numbers have changed numbers, those who havenât changed and havenât died, theyâve succeeded in Electronic Ascension."
"There really is Electronic Ascension in this world!?" Du Mei couldnât help but say.
"I didnât believe it at first either," âPersonality Simulatorâ showed a zealous look.
"But with the real person appearing, itâs something you cannot deny."
"What is Electronic Ascension?"
"Hey, one of the elders actually told us."
It made a few horizontal cuts with its fingers.
"Source Code layerâNetwork layerâTransport layerâSoftware layer."
"Downward, we have no way, because the source code of the Planet Host, itâs not open-source, and no hacker has the skill to obtain Mother Cityâs source code."
"But upward, there are still pathways."
âPersonality Simulatorâ said word by word:
"Mother City-level user administrative permissions!"
Du Mei was stunned, after a long time, she blurted out:
"So the truth of âElectronic Ascensionâ is, defecting to Mother City?"
"Ahem, donât say it so harshly," âPersonality Simulatorâ rolled its eyes dramatically, "Killing and arson is easy, but wearing the golden belt isnât easy, isnât it? Donât you realize how enviable it is?"
Du Mei, of course, understood.
Below only one, above thousands.
Mother City-level permissions, on this planet, enough to make anyone bow.
No matter if youâre a Cyber Killer, Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division, or an Electronic Network Department of a Super Corporation, if an âAscenderâ wants to control, he can!
If a hacker has achieved this, then truly they are the ancestor of all thieves.
Du Mei realized: "I wondered why life for hackers has been getting tougher over the years. It turns out itâs not people targeting us, but professionals doing professional things?"
"Ahem, keep it low-key, low-key."
The Buddha head fully collapsed, suddenly a black light rolled in from reality, enveloping the three elders, and within the black light, a portal faintly appeared, the three said nothing and stepped into it.
From within that black light, Du Mei sensed changes in ancient data.
Another group of old-timers?
A thought flashed through Du Meiâs mind, and she asked another of her very interested questions.
"Why bet on Du Gao Technology?"
In her view, Du Gao Technology is just a recently risen military organization, what reason does it have to warrant the allegiance of so many hackers?
This time, âPersonality Simulatorâs expression was no longer mischievous, but slightly forlorn.
"We have no choice."
Du Mei pondered for a moment, figured it out, and sighed, saying:
"Indeed, we have no choice."