Chapter 114: Artificial Souls - Part 41 |
He had anticipated being exposed, but not so swiftly. To avoid detection, he deliberately moved to a different city, prepared a spare phone with a separate SIM card, registered the SIM card using someone else’s identification, disabled microphone and camera permissions on the phone, covered them with opaque tape, and even took care to change his IP address when uploading videos online.
He had meticulously implemented every precaution he could think of and managed, yet someone still managed to catch him.
After a brief moment of panic, He Kangshi composed himself and picked up his phone, reading the message on the screen:
“Are you interested in collaborating?”
The tone was not coercive.
This slightly eased his rapidly beating heart.
The intentions behind the other party’s voluntary communication were highly suspicious. However, they could have quietly killed or abducted him after obtaining his information, rather than directly sending a message.
He Kangshi hesitated for a full ten minutes without receiving any further messages from the sender.
Those words appeared on screen, not through a text message or any other conventional method. It seemed the other party controlled his phone.
“I’m a hacker,” the person responded instantly. “Although you attempted to disguise your identity, the methods were too crude, leaving vulnerabilities.”
Continuing to type, He Kangshi asked, “Is it possible that someone else might have traced my location like you did?”
“Highly likely,” the other party replied.
“Are you the first one to contact me?”
This time, there was a delay of two or three seconds before the response: “No, signs indicate your phone has been infiltrated by others as well. I’m not the first, but I am the first who chose to communicate with you.”
Cold sweat poured from He Kangshi, nearly causing him to lose his composure. His legs trembled uncontrollably as if they were strumming a pipa, and he felt dizzy, almost collapsing onto the table. Fear consumed his heart.
“Who is it?” With great effort, He Kangshi typed out these words.
“To find out, it would take some time.” The other party seemed quite cooperative. “If you wish to commission me to investigate this matter, I can assist you.”
Kangshi didn’t respond immediately.
The stranger’s proactive gesture indicated a positive sign for him; at least the person controlling his phone wasn’t malicious.
After taking a moment to compose himself, He Kangshi, with trembling fingers, confirmed again: “Someone has infiltrated my phone without my knowledge, and it’s not just one group?”
“Yes.”
“Have they done anything?”
“Several virus programs for monitoring and controlling your phone have been installed.”
He Kangshi nearly fainted. It seemed his attempts at concealment were utterly futile; those malicious individuals had already infiltrated his phone multiple times without him being aware.
“Is our current conversation being monitored?” As soon as He Kangshi typed this question, he realized it sounded foolish. The hacker clearly displayed confidence in their skills by openly conversing with him.
“No,” came the expected response from the other side.
“Then… can you remove these virus programs?” He Kangshi cautiously probed.
Given that the hacker was willing to help investigate who had intruded on his phone, assisting with removing the viruses would likely be a simple task.
The reply stated, “I advise against doing so. Those viruses are installed very covertly. Attempting a hasty removal could raise suspicions and potentially provoke extreme actions from the intruders. We cannot determine the exact motives of those who breached your phone.”
He Kangshi’s eyebrows furrowed, taking a long moment before responding, “And what about your motives?”
The other party approached him voluntarily, with a remarkably friendly attitude, and even offered assistance proactively. He Kangshi felt that either they desired something specific from him or harbored malicious intentions; these gestures of goodwill were merely sugar-coated tactics.
Now came the question: He Kangshi had no clue what he possessed that could be worth their attention. His superhuman ability might indeed be valuable to a Depriver, but if it were, they could simply kill him outright. As for whether they sought something else from him… He Kangshi couldn’t fathom any additional value he held that would warrant such a prominent hacker’s dedicated approach. In both the First and Second Worlds, he was genuinely a small character.
“My purpose has been stated from the beginning; I wish to collaborate with you,” the other party typed. “There are certain matters I cannot directly handle myself, so you will undertake them.”
He Kangshi immediately grasped the implication. “You want to remain hidden while having me act openly on your behalf?”
“Yes,” the other party replied. “I won’t ask you to do anything excessively dangerous; only do what is necessary. The tasks I’ll have you perform will benefit both the First World and its players, aligning our mutual interests. However, since you bear significant risks, I will provide compensation.”
Reward? What reward?
Was it to help him identify who hacked his phone, or to provide personal protection?
He Kangshi neither rejected nor immediately accepted the offer. Without knowing the identity of the other party, agreeing to collaborate seemed too hasty.
“May I ask what I should call you?” He Kangshi wanted to gather more information about this mysterious figure.
The response came swiftly: “You can call me ‘Black Snake’.”
Wow, “Black Snake”? That alias certainly exudes darkness and perfectly aligns with the person’s demonstrated traits—like a snake lurking in the shadows.
He Kangshi grinned, feeling as if he had stepped into a spy thriller sci-fi mystery film where some ultra-cool, enigmatic organization was extending him an invitation.
His long-dormant chuunibyou tendencies stirred, threatening to reignite. Unable to resist, he replied, “If I accept your collaboration, do I need to come up with my own code name?”
Black Snake: If you want, you could even choose something like ‘Ultraman.’
“Heh!” Instantly, He Kangshi felt considerably lighter-hearted. Black Snake was joking with him.
Regardless of the intent behind that remark, He Kangshi experienced a significant reduction in mental stress.
“That’s better… The other side seems normal, open to discussion and even making jokes; not some deranged killer.” He Kangshi wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead, his lips curling into a stiff smile.
If the responses had been curt and menacing with very few words, that would have frightened him. It had been too long since he interacted with normal people. Black Snake’s humor instantly lightened the conversational atmosphere, making him less resistant.
“Stating just one codename isn’t enough,” He Kangshi said, not letting down his guard. “This can’t be considered cooperation.”
“You’re right,” Black Snake replied. “Then you can view this more as ’employment’. I’ll be your employer; you work for me, and I’ll pay you a ‘salary’. Is this arrangement acceptable?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s unacceptable.” Nervously rubbing his hands, He Kangshi typed out a message but quickly deleted it, only to type again before finally sending it after much hesitation, “But I must ensure my personal safety is guaranteed.”
“I won’t reveal my real name, but I can tell you my forum username,” Black Snake responded.
He Kangshi stared wide-eyed at the screen, intensely focused.
“My forum nickname is ‘233’,” Black Snake said. “If you frequently browse the forums, then you should be familiar with my nickname.”
He Kangshi was greatly astonished.
This nickname was familiar to him and almost indelible!
Forum Legend 233 was among the earliest to provide educational posts on the forum. This influential figure educated the clueless players about alien creatures, secret cults, and Variant Blood individuals. When the Federation began capturing and purging players, this legend was the first to step forward and inform others of the situation.
Initially, some people suspected that Forum Legend 233 and Depriver No. 233 were the same person, but after their warning was issued, these suspicions vanished. Those daring enough to share such confidential information on the forum typically had significant roles or connections within hidden organizations, either as government personnel or with unclear ties to covert groups. Essentially, they risked their lives to disseminate knowledge.
To some extent, He Kangshi’s decision to warn people in this world against entering “Crimson Earth” was influenced by this group. Seeing someone take the lead, he followed suit.
“Can you post a thread on the forum to prove that you’re indeed No. 233?” He Kangshi, barely maintaining his composure, requested verification.
The Black Snake replied, “Yes. Specify the content of the post.”
“You should post ‘Bear Biscuits Hop and Skip’ on the forum,” He Kangshi casually suggested.
Less than a minute later, the Black Snake said, “Post sent.”
Swiftly switching pages, He Kangshi clicked into the forum. Upon refreshing, the thread titled “Bear Biscuits Hop and Skip” stood out conspicuously amidst the serious discussions.
Within the thread, players continued to post strings of question marks.
1L: Glancing at the username, has 233’s account has been hacked?
2L: How could this forum be hacked?
3L: ? What is Big Shot doing?
Feeling completely reassured, He Kangshi let out a long sigh and slumped back in his chair. He messaged the Black Snake and said, “I saw it. So it truly was you, No. 233.”
“In the future, calling me Black Snake will suffice.”
He Kangshi fell silent for a moment before asking, “Why did you choose me as your partner? Is it because my identity was exposed, leaving you with no other choice but to approach me?”
“No, with my capabilities, I could easily find more players and select those who are useful or possess stronger superhuman abilities,” Black Snake replied. “But you are different; you’re a person of integrity with clear principles. I don’t need someone indecisive, swayed by every breeze, to be my collaborator. By risking your life to stand up, you sufficiently prove that your character is beyond reproach. Good people deserve recognition and protection; you shouldn’t just perish like this. Therefore, I chose you.”
For a moment, He Kangshi was stunned, then suddenly felt a slight itch on his face. When he touched it, he realized he had unknowingly started crying.
“Then… I agree,” he typed.
Black Snake did not anticipate that he would accept so readily.
“Don’t you need to ask about the rewards first?”
“Haven’t you mentioned providing me with protection? That’s enough.”
“Do you not need to know what tasks I’ll have you perform?”
“No need for that. If you intended to harm me, you wouldn’t be talking to me here. I trust Mr. Know-It-All 233’s character; there’s no reason for you to harm me or anyone else.”