I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  Facing a youngster who looked more than a decade younger than him, Zhan Fei had a hard time breathing. The questions he was going to ask got caught in his throat.

  "Please come in, Mr. Zhan."

  For a moment, the young man inspected Zhan Fei who was standing by the door. He then showed a courteous smile. "Please come in, what's with the formality?"

  'Formality my *ss!'

  Zhan Fei opened his mouth and then quickly suppressed the urge to scold him. It would be wiser to proceed with caution before he knew more about the other party.

  Zhan Fei walked into the wonder house box and sat opposite the young man.

  "What would you like to drink?" The young man tossed over the menu.

  "A cappuccino will do," Zhan Fei said without making an effort to pick up the menu.

  "Waiter?" the young man promptly shouted at the door, "The mada… The gentleman will have a cup of cappuccino."

  Having just come in from outside, Zhan Fei still had not adjusted to the lighting in the box. He frowned a little and stared at the youngster sitting opposite him, "So, you're X?"

  "Yes, I'm X."

  To Zhan Fei's surprise, the young man admitted his identity. "I was the one who contacted you lot this afternoon."

  'You call that contacting? That was a threat on top of blackmailing, alright?'

  Zhan Fei cursed in his mind but his expression appeared otherwise. "You said you invited King and the others. Where are they now?"

  "They are all late."

  The youngster motioned with his hands. "But never mind that. King has been observing this place from the opposite restaurant for half an hour now. SB and CZH will be here shortly."

  He even knew about King stalking from the opposite street?

  Zhan Fei frowned. Then again, if this X could hack the base station, it was no surprise that he could trace them with mobile phone GPS tracking.

  It was just as he said, after several minutes, more footsteps approached. Two men with glasses and slightly balding came in together.

  Zhan Fei was not acquainted with these two men. Judging by what X had said, these two should be the infamous SB and CZH.

  These two seemed to be familiar with each other in real life since they came together. Also, the fact that both of them wore thick-rimmed glasses and had signs of balding complemented the age-old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together."

  The two of them walked in and barely glimpsed at Zhan Fei. They cast their heavy gaze on the youngster who sat at the opposite side.

  "Spill it, what do you want from us?"

  One of the two men did not bother with any form of pleasantries. "If you're trying to threaten us with our identity on the dark web, you're going to be in for some disappointment. We're not afraid of your threats. At the end of the day, we have never committed any heinous crimes."

  "That was never my intention."

  The youngster waved his hand and looked at the doorway. "Since you two are here, King may come in as well."

  Zhan Fei and the other two immediately turned around. A middle-aged man in a suit appeared out of nowhere by the doorway.

  The middle-aged man who had just made his appearance had slender cheeks. He was tall and dressed like a noble. Anyone could tell that this man came from a formidable background.

  Yet, for some unspeakable reason, his aura was overshadowed by the young man sitting on the opposite side of the table.

  "Are you really X?"

  The middle-aged man walked in all high and mighty, ignoring the other three people in the room. He glared intently at the youngster. "You're the employee of the company I found from the government official site?"

  "I certainly am." The youngster smiled. "I know it's hard for you guys to make sense of all this. Don't worry about it. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other after we arrive at an agreement."

  "I never said I was going to work with you." Zhan Fei scoffed.

  "Of course. If you guys are still not interested after I've expressed my terms to you, then you're free to leave."

  The youngster who sat on the opposite side smiled. "I promise I will not continue to threaten you guys."

  "Do you give your word?"

  "You have my word."

  The youngster nodded solemnly. "Let's begin with some introductions. I'm Chen Chen, also known as X on the dark web. Of course, I'm sure you guys have never heard of me before. After all, I'm just a small-time player not even worth noting."

  The four of them did not bother entertaining the youngster's courteous introduction. 'If someone like you would call yourself a small-time player, then nobody in the dark web had the right to call themselves a major player.'

  If X had gone all out instead of just threatening them, they would have been long defeated.

  Chapter 39: Unexpected Development |

  All five of them sat silently at the round table in the dimly lit sectioned box. Four of them were looking straight ahead at the person sitting across them.

  The waiter who walked into the strange scene instantly got cold feet. The waiter only served the coffee to each person after a slight moment of hesitation.

  "Thank you, you may leave now."

  After everyone had their beverages served, the young man gestured for the waiter to leave and close the door.

  After that, he took a sip of the coffee on the table. He said in a low voice that could only be heard if you were sitting close by, "I'm sure each one of you have taken a look at the software I sent."

  SB and CZH exchanged glances. SB took out a pack of cigarettes and handed it out to everyone.

  "I'm good, I'll use mine."

  Guo Dazhuang waved it away and then retrieved a pack of cigarettes which he then placed on the table.

  He did not know anyone here. How could he be certain that there was nothing strange mixed in the cigarettes?

  CZH started first. "Your product does have a lot of potential. If you want us to invest in it, the two of us are willing to buy forty percent of your company's shares for two hundred million."

  Zhan Fei shot a strange look at the two of them. Based on their aggression, he had expected that they would have something to say about being threatened. Instead, they made no mention of that and focused on the topic of the product right off the bat.

  Just like the saying, there was no such thing as enemies so long there were mutual benefits.

  Zhan Fei reflected for a split second before he quickly followed up. The ship was going to sail off if he just waited a moment longer.

  "In that case, I'm also willing to buy ten percent of your company's share for fifty million. I'm sure this is a reasonable price?"

  This was not a gesture of generosity on Zhan Fei's part. Even an outsider could recognize the potential of the software.

  Nobody present at the moment was a fool. On the way here, Zhan Fei had thoroughly inspected the software. He even tried to steal the algorithm.

  The only problem was that he was unable to break into the core section of the code so he had no choice but to give up and come here.

  "Sorry, I'm only selling eight percent of my shares. It'll also be limited to this project only."

  The youngster made no visible reaction at the notion of hundreds of millions. "Two percent each, no more than that."

  They exchanged glances again. CZH put on his negotiation tone. "Only this project? Is your company not accepting financial investments? No issues on the financial side?"

  "Actually, money isn't a problem."

  The youngster shook his head. "The only reason I'm willing to accept investments at such a discounted price is that I'm aware of the influence of each one of you in the IT industry. Did you really think that my translator assistant bot is only worth five hundred million?"

  Zhan Fei and the others fell silent.

  "Also, my team is currently developing another translation software that can translate conversations in real-time. Once it has succeeded, I'm certain that the profession of translat
ors will be a thing of the past."

  Such audacity!

  They shot harsh looks at the youngster. It was as if they were trying to pierce through him with their gaze.

  It was a widely acknowledged fact that the translator profession would eventually be replaced by AI. However, nobody ever dared to make such a bold proclamation out loud.

  When the bold claim came from the mysterious youngster, it somehow came out as being a lot more convincing.

  On top of that, he had already proven that his hacking capabilities rivaled their own. The Little X Translation Assistant was also a symbol of his breakthrough in the artificial intelligence sector.

  More importantly, it would be a waste of effort to stage this entire thing just to pocket several hundred million.

  He could have taken it to technological giants like Apple instead of targeting them.

  "With an investment of ten million today, I'm certain that each one of you will see a return of at least tenfold in the future."

  "What I'll need from you all is to act as a safeguard for my company while it's still in its infancy and protect it from competitors. That's also why the only project comprised 'Little X Translator Assistant'. Otherwise, won't I be the one getting ripped off here?"

  The youngster motioned with his arms spread open and resumed his explanation. "This is the reason I've invited all of you here. There are no threats, blackmail or any other strings attached. If you're not interested in my project, you're free to take your leave. I promise that you'll never have to meet X again."

  "…"

  The box was drowned in silence again.

  After some time, Zhan Fei finally got up. "In that case, I agree to invest in this project of your company. Have your people contact me. I'll be available over the next few days."

  After he had finished, he turned around and left.

  "Same thing for both of us."

  SB and CZH followed after and made their leave. "Actually, you should consider our suggestion as well. Remember to contact us if your esteemed company is willing to sell your shares."

  After three of them had left, it was just the youngster and Guo Dazhuang left in the box.

  "Mr. King, have you made your decision?"

  "I thought that you were just going to be a representative and the real X will not reveal himself so soon."

  Sat across the table, Guo Dazhuang glared intently at Chen Chen. "But when I saw your calmness and confidence, I was convinced that you're the X that had defeated me."

  "You flatter me."

  The youngster picked up a cigarette and began fiddling with it. "How would you react if I told you that I'm not X?"

  "What?"

  Guo Dazhuan raised an eyebrow. "No, you're X. I went through all of your files. Freshman in Shangdu Jiao Tong University's Institute of Biological Science. You recently published two academic research on stem cells as the corresponding author. It sent waves across the entire academic world and you were hailed as a genius, am I right?"

  The youngster began to clap in response. "I never planned to hide all that. It's not that impressive digging up all that."

  "I never expected you to hide your tracks as a hacker so well. I couldn't find any trace of it no matter how hard I searched."

  Guo Dazhuang sighed. "If it wasn't for me witnessing your abilities as a hacker, I'd never believe you were a part of the hacker world. What they say about you is true. You're not just a genius in biology but you're also a genius with computers."

  "Let's skip the small talk, King. Tell me your decision." The youngster urged.

  "I choose to refuse."

  Guo Dazhuang suddenly continued again. "I'm sure you didn't see this coming. My principle in life is that we all have to face the consequences of our actions. I'll never tolerate being threatened!"

  The youngster was mildly surprised. He looked at Guo Dazhuang. "That's a shame. In that case, I sincerely apologize for my previous actions."

  "It's too late."

  Guo Dazhuang got up and shook his head. "I'm not a businessman, I merely established a company out of interest. My true identity is a hacker and you have just crossed the line."

  "Are you challenging me?"

  The youngster's expression became colder.

  "That's right. Unlike the three of them, I don't value monetary gain as much. I already have more than enough to spend anyway."

  Guo Dazhuang sneered. "Also, I'm not just a hacker, I have some friends in the underworld as well. Don't you think about threatening me with the dirt you have on me, otherwise, I can't guarantee the safety of your parents."

  The youngster was not upset at the threat. He sighed instead. "I was too naïve. Human nature is always so unpredictable and difficult to grasp."

  Guo Dazhuang scoffed. He adjusted his coat before heading out.

  "You forgot your cigarettes."

  Just as Guo Dazhuang was about to push open the door, the youngster spoke.

  Guo Dazhuang halted in his step.

  It was at this moment, the fluorescent lamps in the box went out with a "pfft".

  The box turned pitch black in an instant.

  "What's going on? A blackout?"

  Guo Dazhuang turned around in shock. He saw the mysterious youngster remain silently seated. He could barely make out his silhouette.

  "Is this your cigarette? I'm sure you don't mind me smoking one."

  The figure in the dark raised his right hand. Following a sharp flick, a pea-sized flame shot up and illuminated half of the youngster's face.

  Amid the shadows and the flickering flames, the youngster's face faded in and out like an apparition…

  Guo Dazhuang's fierce expression gave away and he looked like he was caught in a daze. He saw the flames leaping up and down, like stars in the sky.

  He counted a star, two, three…

  Chapter 40: Xia Yin |

  At the end of the day, it was still impossible to grasp human nature even after taking NZT-48.

  Should this be attributed as being a limitation of NZT-48 or the unpredictable nature of humans?

  The strong bite of the cigarette smoke made Chen Chen cough a little. As he looked at Guo Dazhuang's figure turning away, his eye became slightly bloodshot.

  Just as Chen Chen had expected, the previous three candidates had agreed to work together when they saw the potential profit. However, Chen Chen forgot to factor in someone like Guo Dazhuang.

  Perhaps it was this perseverance and unwavering spirit of his that made him one of the leading members of the largest hacker organization in the world as well as the CEO of a company with a market value above a billion.

  This failure was a sharp reminder to Chen Chen who was growing bolder by the day.

  It seemed like he had crossed the line with Guo Dazhuang.

  With that said, Chen Chen would not continue to trouble Guo Dazhuang just for refusing to invest. He was not in dire need of Guo Dazhuang's assistance anyway so he would not even mind apologizing on the spot.

  However, what Chen Chen did not expect was that not only was Guo Dazhuang prepared to challenge him but he even threatened Chen Chen with his parents.

  In this regard, Guo Dazhuang had crossed the line with Chen Chen as well.

  Thus, the endless battle was ignited.

  There were moments where life and death were decided in an instant.

  Chen Chen silently crushed the cigarette butt. He got up to open the curtains and then looked down.

  Outside the building, he could tell there was something off with the way Guo Dazhuang walked. He silently walked out of Mickey Café and walked toward the road without a moment's pause.

  It was a busy road. There was an endless stream of vehicles coming back and forth.

  It was as if Guo Dazhuang did not notice the traffic at all as he walked past the sidewalk and went straight ahead to the opposite road.

  One car, two cars, three cars…

  One after another, the cars blazed past Guo Dazhuang with their horn
s screeching along the way. Guo Dazhuang paid no mind to all the dangers around him. It was as if he had been possessed.

  "Bang!"

  Finally, as Guo Dazhuang was crossing through the barrier in the middle of the road, an SUV that was unable to stop in time violently crashed into Guo Dazhuang.

  The harsh screech of the brake rang across half the street. Countless people turned toward the direction it came from.

  At the same time, Chen Chen closed the curtains. He snapped his thumb, turned toward the door and smiled:

  "Waiter, the bill please."

  …

  "Ring ring ring!"

  As Chen Chen was riding his scooter back to his warehouse, his phone suddenly rang.

  Chen Chen frowned when he heard the ringing.

  He had preset his phone so that it would only ring like this when X contacted him.

  Before he headed out, he had already put X into standby mode just in case something happened while he was gone.

  There was only one scenario in which X would be awakened – someone was detected in the warehouse.

  Chen Chen had installed dozens of cameras in the warehouse. They were positioned perfectly so that there were no blind spots. The feed went directly into X's processor.

  The very moment it had detected signs of any stranger, X would come out of standby mode and immediately alert Chen Chen.

  Chen Chen parked his scooter by the road and quickly took out his phone to investigate.

  X had sent him around ten pictures taken from the cameras.

  In the first picture, a girl in a white t-shirt and denim shorts got down from a red car. The girl had a slender figure. Due to the resolution of the picture, the face was blurry.

  In the second picture, the girl stood before the warehouse door and was gently knocking on the roller shutter door.

  In the third picture, the girl sat down on the slope in front of the warehouse door. She seemed to have realized there was no one in the warehouse and was taking out her phone.

  In the fourth picture, the girl had put down her phone.

  Chen Chen shook his head. He put the phone back in his pocket and restarted the scooter.

  The girl was not just any other person. It was Xia Yin.