No. 48 The Nightmare Absolved by Glory
Under the quiet fluorescent lights, lines of data flickered across the black DOS interface.
This cyber battle had been raging for an entire week.
The difference was, I had to attend school during the day and could only participate in the evenings, while they were on defense 24/7.
The Queen Bee Hacker Alliance, the most secretive and skilled hacker group in the country.
I had joined them in my previous life, driven by professional necessity, and had gained access to a wealth of information about this city.
Including historical events and the movements of influential figures.
The alliance possessed a vast database of intelligence. If I wanted to investigate the people Pai Ge had mentioned, they were my best resource.
It was a highly secretive organization, unaffiliated with any particular group or cause. They didn’t impose restrictions on their members or force them to complete tasks. They didn’t actively recruit. If your skills were exceptional, they would extend an invitation. Once you joined, you could seek help from other members whenever you encountered difficulties—although they had the right to refuse.
Joining the Queen Bee Hacker Alliance was one of the few things I didn’t regret in my previous life.
Now, I was a sixteen-year-old girl. Logically, I had no business being involved in the world of hacking. Even if I knew their website, their headquarters, even the contact information of their key members, I couldn’t join them with my current identity.
How could I convince a group of elite hackers that I was their equal?
Simple: by breaching their defenses.
So, I had chosen one of their servers in Upper Capital City, a server they claimed was impenetrable.
I possessed advanced hacking techniques and knowledge from ten years in the future. They had superior computing power. And so, the battle had raged for seven days and nights.
During those seven days, Xiaodie’s father had been formally accused of corruption by an “anonymous citizen.” Due to the large sum of money involved and the public outcry, the court had scheduled a hearing in two weeks. For her safety, Xiaodie was now staying at a safe house arranged by Ouyang Dati on the outskirts of the city.
It was worth noting that Ouyang Dati had suppressed the Huang Qinghao incident, officially labeling it as a “gang-related death.”
Huang Qinghao’s father, pressured by the military, had reluctantly agreed to this arrangement, vowing to find the true culprit.
“Beep! Beep! Beep!”
At 8:20 PM, a triumphant chime echoed through my headphones. I had gained root access to the server.
After seven days and nights, I had emerged victorious.
“We surrender.”
As I established a connection, those words appeared in the chat window.
“We don’t know if your attack was malicious or benevolent, but we have to admit, it’s been a long time since we’ve encountered such a formidable opponent.”
Like martial arts, the world of hacking followed the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.
This server was specifically designed for penetration testing. Breaching it wouldn’t cause any real damage. So, instead of immediately patching the vulnerabilities and transferring data, they chose to communicate with me, acknowledging their defeat.
“We’ve never seen such sophisticated sniffing and encryption techniques. Even after analyzing your Trojan, we couldn’t decipher its syntax and structure. We’re truly impressed. Please allow us to address you as ‘Master.’”
Three messages appeared in rapid succession. I considered my response carefully. “You flatter me. I’m just a humble computer enthusiast. I don’t deserve such a title.”
“No, no, we’re the losers. You’ve earned that title, Master. Please tell us your demands.”
In the world of hacking, there was no time for formalities or polite exchanges. These people were direct and to the point.
No one wasted their time attacking servers for no reason.
“I want to join your alliance.”
I typed those words without hesitation. The chat window fell silent for a full minute.
Yes, I needed their help.
My own abilities were limited. I could access any information I wanted, but time was running out. Xiaodie was the only person whose future I couldn’t see. Who knew if those people, after framing the mayor, would turn their attention to her and me?
“That’s all?”
A message finally appeared.
“Yes.”
“Please forgive my bluntness, but you’re wasting your talent on the Queen Bee Alliance. With your skills, you could join a more prestigious organization, even the national cybersecurity department.”
“No need. The Queen Bee Alliance has always been my dream. I’ve been working towards this goal for a long time.”
Technically, I had learned the Queen Bee Algorithm, the very technique I had used to defeat them, from their future leader in Upper Capital City.
“If that’s your wish, Master, we won’t turn you away. Are you free tonight?”
They were clearly excited about my request.
“Yes.”
“This might be a redundant question, but please allow me to ask: are you a resident of Upper Capital City?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, one of our members will be waiting for you at the Rice Ball Coffee Shop in the city center with a black laptop. The password is: ‘Are you the little bee?’ The response is: ‘The little bee has been taken home by the Queen Bee.’”
“Okay, I’ll be there in about half an hour. I’ll send you the patch for the vulnerability and the hacking tools I used in five minutes.”
I completed the transfer, shut down my computer, which had been running nonstop for seven days, and sighed in relief.
Unlike the Black Dragon Society and the Jiang Nan Gang, whose true nature was still unclear, the Queen Bee Hacker Alliance was an organization I could trust.
Their members came from all walks of life, united by their passion for hacking.
Their operations were transparent, including their finances and member activities.
It was like a university club… or perhaps even more liberal. At least they didn’t have constant meetings, mandatory events, or fundraising drives.
And most importantly, I knew all their members in Upper Capital City.
I changed into a pair of shorts, concealed the knives Pai Ge had given me in the seams of my pants, and put on the baseball cap Lan Zhuoyue had brought back from France, which had become my signature accessory.
I remembered the location of their headquarters in my previous life, but I wasn’t sure if it was the same now.
The city center was quite far from my home. It took me over an hour to reach the Rice Ball Coffee Shop by bus.
Coffee shops were usually frequented by wealthy people. It wasn’t that the prices were exorbitant, but most people weren’t accustomed to going to a special place just for coffee. Only those with leisure time and disposable income would spend their afternoons in coffee shops, sipping lattes and working on their laptops.
The Rice Ball Coffee Shop wasn’t crowded. I quickly spotted the guy with the black laptop.
Wang Cai, a gentle-looking boy with glasses, a tech geek, a local, and a mechanic. Yes, the kind who toiled under cars and trucks all day. Despite his unassuming appearance, he transformed into a “mad scientist” whenever he encountered a mechanical problem, oblivious to the world around him.
Every member of the alliance had a unique nickname. You could ask for their real names if you were close, but in formal settings, you addressed each other by your nicknames. I had been good friends with Wang Cai in my previous life. Of course, he wouldn’t recognize me now. I had to reintroduce myself.
I adjusted my cap and sat down across from him.
“Little sister, this seat is taken.”
He glanced at me, his tone apologetic.
You were thirty in my previous life. You must be around twenty now, still in university. And you’re calling me “little sister”? Do I look that young?
“Aren’t you going to ask if I’m the little bee?”
I sighed inwardly and gave him what I hoped was a charming smile.
He stared at me for ten seconds, then his eyes widened in recognition. “You’re…”
“The little bee has been taken home by the Queen Bee.” I maintained my smile. “Hello, I’m the little bee. Pleased to meet you.”
“No way!”
He jumped to his feet, his face full of disbelief. “You’re the one who…”
I held up a finger, silencing him.
“Oh, sorry…”
He glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention to us, then sat back down. “Is this for real? How old are you?”
“It’s rude to ask a girl her age, you know.” I placed my hands on the table. “My birthday is January 9, 2000.”
“You just turned sixteen? My god… you…”
He was about to lose it again, so I interrupted him. “Maybe we should talk somewhere else?”
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