During Kim’s meetings with his friends, it was apparent that Shen, Lian, and Cai’s attitudes were different than his. Their frequent discussions began to influence him as did the money he was getting paid, which allowed him to sample Harbin’s feast of goods, services, and personal freedom. His growing affection for Cai was by far the greatest influence.
The project meetings and training were conducted after class and were run by Shen. He emphasized network and system penetration skills and identified the specialized hacking tools that they would be using. Kim’s training sessions only included Cai, Lian, and Shen, but he knew there had to be other hackers based on the large range of targets.
At the conclusion of each week of training, Shen handed everyone an envelope with cash that was normally around 1500 yuan, more than 250 US dollars. That was an exorbitant sum by North Korean standards. He decided not to inform his superiors about that detail. The money could be used to help his family.
Kim decided to use some of the money to invite Cai out to dinner at the Shangri La. It would be their first official date. He approached Shen after the training session.
“Hi, Shen, I need some help.”
“What could you need help with? Your hacking skills and penetration tactics are the best I’ve seen.”
“No, not with the training. I want to ask Cai out for a date at the Shangri La. Can you set up a reservation for this weekend?”
Shen laughed. “No problem, but you better ask her first.”
“I’ll ask her tomorrow.”
“She’ll say yes. Lian says she really likes you.”
“Thanks, that makes it easier.”
The next day after class, he approached Cai.
“Do you have any plans this weekend, Cai?”
“Yes, we have our normal weekend training with Shen and Lian. Have you forgotten?”
“I meant after the training is over on Saturday evening.”
“Are you asking me out on a date, Kim?”
“Yes, I have reservations at the Shang Palace in the Shangri La Hotel.”
“Oh you do—so you assumed I’d say yes?”
“No, I was hoping you’d say yes.”
Cai smiled and said, “Relax, Kim, I’d be happy to go with you. Did you book a room at the hotel as well?”
“No, I didn’t.” Kim hesitated and then asked, “Were you expecting me to?”
“Of course not, but I wanted to see your reaction.”
“Did I pass?”
“You did. What time do you want to meet?”
“I could meet you at your place at six, if that’s okay.”
“Meet me in the lobby of the hotel at six. We can have a drink before dinner at the pub. I love their Irish coffee.”
“I’ll be there,” Kim said with a huge smile. He was glad that hurdle was over.
The next afternoon, Kim approached Shen after the training session.
“Have you made the reservations, Shen?”
“Yes, everything is prepaid, compliments of our employer. Here’s the envelope with your Shangri La priority card. Give it to the concierge before setting up your dinner reservation.”
“Is this part of the agreed-upon payments or is it an addition?”
“It’s a bonus for superior performance during training.”
“But I haven’t demonstrated my capabilities yet.”
“I know, but I talked with your Korean friend the other day, and he said you were one of the best cyber warriors in North Korea.”
“My friend? What’s his name? Where’d you meet him?”
“He approached me after class and didn’t give me his name.”
“What’d he say?” Kim asked nervously.
“Just that he was a friend and that you were selected for this school because you were at the top of your class at Huichon University in North Korea. Don’t worry, he said that he was just checking to see how you were doing at school.”
“Why was he talking with you, Shen?”
“I was wondering about that, too. He said that he just wanted the opinion of a fellow student on your progress and that he saw us talking and decided to ask me directly. I told him you were one of the brightest students in the school.”
“Thanks. Please let me know if he contacts you again.”
Kim walked away with a concerned look on his face. He wondered if he was being monitored and what he’d done to warrant such attention. This was completely unnecessary, Kim thought. He’d done everything they’d ever asked and done it well throughout his career.
The next day, Shen approached Kim.
“Is everything okay, Kim?”
“Everything’s fine, Shen.”
Kim was still concerned but he didn’t want to alarm Shen and become a possible liability. He changed the subject.
“Do you know where I can go to find some dress clothes for my date?”
“Meet me after class. I’ll take you to where I buy my clothes.”
“Okay, but don’t buy anything for me. You’ve done enough.”
“More than you know,” Shen said, as he laughed.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Just enjoy your date with Cai.”
After his last class, Kim walked out the front entrance of the main building at HIT and saw Shen sitting with Lian in his Mercedes. Why is Lian there? he thought.
“Hi, Lian,” Kim said, as he got in the rear seat.
“Hi, Kim. Are you wondering why I’m coming along?”
“I assume you’re also shopping.”
Lian laughed. “Yes, I’m going to assist you. Shen has horrible taste in clothes. I pick everything he wears, even his underwear.”
“I have underwear. I just need some dress slacks, shoes, and a sport coat.”
“I can help with that, especially since I know what Cai likes.”
Shen drove to the Hongbo Century Square shopping mall, one of the largest in Harbin. Lian took Kim through several stores where they selected some dress shoes, several pairs of dress pants, and a sport coat. It only took about an hour.
While shopping, Kim thought he saw a young Korean man following them through the mall. He couldn’t confirm it without alerting Shen and Lian. Kim thought he saw him again as they were leaving.
The next training session on Saturday ran for about six hours and was getting into the details on how the attacks on the dedicated targets would be implemented. Kim understood the basic methodology, since he’d used it many times. It was based on the Information Systems Security Assessment Framework. The framework was the model for all penetration methodologies used by hackers to penetrate IT systems and networks. Normally the framework included a probing phase consisting of information gathering, target discovery, target identification, vulnerability analysis, and social engineering. Shen had eliminated social engineering, since the target was in America, which required English-language skills that most of the hackers didn’t have.
The probing phase would provide information on the target systems and their vulnerabilities. It would be followed by an exploitation phase in which identified targets were hacked. The exploitation phase would include initial target hacking and the identification of valuable data and assets. This was followed by more advanced hacking that allowed continuous access to the most valuable data and assets.
Kim saw some problems with the project schedule, and he talked to Shen about it.
“The plan for the attack seems too short and overly optimistic to gain the desired results, Shen.”
“Why do you think that, Kim?”
“Based on my past experience, the probing of these systems has to be done delicately and slowly so that it isn’t detected by the target’s intrusion detection systems. That generally requires many weeks or even months of effort before a successful attack of this size can be implemented. The current schedule limits the probes to a few weeks, and the actual exploitation to a few days at most. I also don’t understand why there’s no apparent emphasis on con
tinuous access. It seems like a hit-and-run attack.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not our problem. Just enjoy the money.”
Kim took Shen’s advice since he didn’t want to rock the boat. After the training session was over, Kim walked out with Cai.
“Are we still meeting at six, Cai?”
“Of course. Why do you ask? Are you worried that I’ll stand you up?”
“No, I wasn’t worried about that. I was just checking the time so I’m not late.”
“Good, because I’m looking forward to it. What do you think of the plan for the cyber attack? It seems like the schedule is much too short.”
It was as if Cai were reading his mind.
“It seems like a very optimistic schedule. But maybe they’ll have us use some new techniques and hacking tools that I’m not aware of.”
“That could be. I don’t have the depth of your experience. Nor does anyone else on the project, according to Lian.”
“Why did she say that? Does Lian know every member of the project?”
“No, but Shen does, and he told Lian that you’re the best. Everyone at HIT knows about your skills, Kim. That’s probably why those two men have been watching our class from the back of the lecture hall. I think they’re probably recruiters for a local company.”
Kim tried to keep his cool.
“I never saw them. What’d they look like?”
“They were wearing black overcoats and were fairly young, probably in their mid- to late twenties. They looked like twins.”
“Were they Chinese or Korean?”
“They spoke fluent Chinese, but they could’ve been from Korean ancestry. There’s a large population of ethnic Koreans in Harbin who are Chinese citizens. Are you worried they might be from North Korea?”
Kim didn’t want to alarm Cai. “No, probably just recruiters. There’d be no reason to monitor North Korean students in Harbin, unless my country thought I was going to defect, which I’m not.”
“Too bad, I was hoping you might stay in China.”
“You never know what might happen. Though I doubt the Chinese would accept a North Korean as a defector.”
“There are other options. Maybe we should save that discussion for another time.”
“Yes, maybe we should. I’ll see you at six.”
“Don’t be late,” Cai said with an alluring smile.
Kim decided to walk home, even though it was about three miles away. He purposely walked very quickly down streets that he knew wouldn’t be crowded to observe if anyone was tracking him. For a moment he thought he saw someone in a black overcoat following him, but the man quickly disappeared and Kim didn’t see him again.
When he got home, Kim did some hapkido exercises to take away the tension. He then took a shower and a short nap before getting ready for his date. He dressed in his new clothes and took a taxi to the Shangri La, arriving about ten minutes early. Kim immediately saw Cai in the lobby. She was dressed in a long black leather coat over a gorgeous red dress with black stiletto heels that made her almost as tall as Kim. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” Kim said as he approached Cai.
“You look incredible yourself, Kim.”
“Before we go to the pub, I need to arrange our reservation for dinner at the Shang Palace.”
Kim walked up to the front desk with Cai and handed the card Shen had given him to the woman at the concierge counter.
“What time would you like to have dinner?” the woman asked.
Kim looked at Cai. “Is seven okay?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
The woman booked the reservation and then handed him a plastic card. “Here’s your room key.”
“What room key? I didn’t reserve a room.”
“The priority card you gave me was set up for dinner and a large luxury suite with a river view.”
“I don’t need the room. There must be a mistake.”
Cai interrupted. “I realize you had nothing to do with this, but keep the room, Kim. I’d like to see what the room is like. I bet it’s fantastic.”
“Are you sure?”
“I didn’t say I was going to stay the night, but I would like to see it.”
“Okay. I think we should get a drink. I know I need one.”
As they walked into the pub, the same bartender who they’d seen the previous time waved at them.
“Kim, Cai, so happy to see you again. What can I get you?”
“A coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream, whipped cream with a cherry, and an Irish double espresso.”
“Same as last time?”
“Yes. You have a good memory,” Kim said.
“It’s an occupational requirement.”
Kim and Cai walked back to the same table where they’d sat when they were in the pub with Shen and Lian.
“I’m sorry about the room, Cai. I think Shen must’ve thought I’d like it,” Kim said after an awkward silence.
Cai pulled him closer and kissed him on the lips.
“I’m sure you would and so would I. But I think we should wait a little while. Is that okay?”
“I can wait for as long as you like. I really like you, Cai.”
“I like you, too, but you need to know I’m not completely inexperienced, in case that’s what you’re looking for.”
“No, neither am I.”
They both laughed, and as they sat there, a man walked in who immediately caught Cai’s attention.
“That’s one of the men who was in the classroom, Kim.”
Kim looked over her shoulder and saw a husky man less than six feet tall who looked to be Korean.
“Are you certain?”
“I’m absolutely certain.”
“It’s probably just a coincidence.”
Kim really didn’t believe that, but he didn’t want to scare her.
“This is a popular hotel. He may just be staying here and wanted a drink,” Kim said, as he crouched a little lower in his chair.
Cai and Kim relaxed when the man left after buying some cigarettes.
“Does the North Korean government monitor their citizens outside their country, Kim?”
“They do. They’re notorious for doing that and a lot worse.”
“Why would they be monitoring you? You’re just a student.”
Kim hesitated for a few seconds, struggling with how he should respond. “You need to know that I’m not just a student, Cai. I’m a lieutenant commander in the North Korean Navy and an intelligence agent. The North Korean government trained me to hack into Western military computer systems and businesses. I hope you’re not upset with me for not telling you earlier, but I could be executed if my superiors knew.”
Cai smiled and said, “I appreciate you telling me, Kim. I kind of suspected that you were more than just a student. Did you ever think about leaving North Korea?”
“They don’t allow you to just leave, but if I did find a way, it would have to include my mother and sister.”
“If China won’t give you asylum, where would you go?”
“To one of the countries in Western Europe. Where would you go if you left China?”
“Probably America. I have family there. They escaped to Taiwan and then to New York after the nationalists lost to Mao decades ago. One of their children came to Qufu to find my family. She told us how wonderful America was.”
Kim and Cai finished their drinks and walked out of the pub. Cai suddenly grabbed Kim’s arm and pulled him back to their table.
“What’s wrong, Cai?”
“The man we saw earlier was standing by the front desk.”
“I’ve had enough of this,” Kim said, as he walked over to the front desk where the husky man was standing.
“Are you looking for me?”
“Commander, I need to talk with you.”
Kim pulled him away from the front desk, and said in a low voice, “Don’t call me by my ran
k. How’d you know I was here?”
“We’ve been following you for over a week, sir.”
“Why have you been following me?”
“To determine if your contacts on this hacking project are Western agents. Our superiors are worried they might be luring you into a trap that would embarrass both you and our homeland.”
“Have you seen anything suspicious?”
“Nothing to indicate it’s a trap, which is what we’ve reported to our superiors. We were told to make contact with you. Our superiors want to determine if you need any assistance in identifying who’s behind the project.”
“I actually may need some help, but it’ll need to wait until tomorrow. I have a date with an eager young lady, if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, sir. We can meet at your apartment tomorrow.”
“Okay, meet me there at one.”
Kim watched the agent leave the hotel. He then walked back to the pub to inform Cai as to what was going on.
“So they weren’t really spying on you?” Cai asked.
“Oh, they were definitely spying on me. Otherwise I would have been informed about the surveillance. Their primary goal, however, was to determine if any of my contacts in the project were Western intelligence operatives.”
“So they were also spying on me?”
Kim nodded. “Probably Shen and Lian as well,” he said.
“They seem very paranoid.”
“Paranoia is the national pastime in North Korea. Are you ready for dinner? Then we can see the room.”
“We could just have dinner sent up to the room.”
“That sounds even better.”
They took the elevator to the top floor of the hotel and were both stunned when they walked into the suite.
“This suite is magnificent. It’s at least four times larger than my apartment.”
“It’s incredible,” Cai said. “The bedroom is huge and there are two bathrooms.”
“There’s also a kitchen and a separate dining area with a bar.”
“Let’s order dinner. Here’s the room service menu, Kim.”
“Okay, select what you want, and I’ll call in the order.”
Cyber Countdown Page 11
