After hanging up the phone, Xiao Xun returned to his office and began infiltrating the 'Deep Sea'.
The Ark survivor had appeared online a few days ago and shouldn't be unfoundable. There was only one possibility: the opponent's technology was exceptionally advanced and they were very wealthy, requiring no virtual addresses or "meat puppets." Of course, their real identity remained unknown.
Now, he was looking for Da Lanhua. He had acquired a supercomputer specifically to calculate the opponent's precise coordinates. No matter how many times they changed them, he could pinpoint their exact location within a minute.
Da Lanhua's last known location was G City. "Hiding in plain sight? Interesting."
Xiao Xun picked up the phone. "Z, block off Star Internet Cafe on Dongcheng Road. Don't let anyone escape. First, disable the cafe's signal, and I'll be there shortly."
"Understood."
Xiao Xun changed his jacket and went to the parking garage. He selected an SUV, first inspecting the exterior and then using a detector to check the underside of the car. This had become almost routine.
After confirming there were no issues, he started the car and drove to the internet cafe at the locked address!
Z, with a large contingent of plainclothes officers, had sealed off all entrances and exits and windows of the internet cafe. Since phone calls couldn't get out, the police couldn't be alerted either.
Xiao Xun entered the cafe. The manager immediately recognized the main figure and hurried over, offering a cigarette. "Boss, have a smoke."
Z stopped him. The manager said with a pained expression, "Boss, I'm not the owner. Please don't make things difficult for me, an employee!"
Xiao Xun scanned the people in the cafe. "I won't make things difficult for you. I'm just looking for someone. Once I find them, I'll leave."
"How many computers are currently online?"
Hearing Xiao Xun's question, the manager quickly went behind the counter, checked, and told Xiao Xun, "There are twelve computers online."
Xiao Xun counted and found only eleven people.
He turned to Z. "Take a few people and search. See if anyone is hiding. Be thorough."
Z nodded and went over.
The internet cafe wasn't large and had no private booths or rooms. It was easy to get a general overview. The only places someone could hide were the equipment room, the restroom, or under the desks.
Fearing the opponent might be armed, Z kept his left hand in his pocket as a precaution.
The equipment room was fine, and the areas under the desks were also clear. That left only the restroom.
Z tried the restroom door, but it was locked from the inside.
He knocked. "Are you done? I can't hold it anymore."
There was no response. He drew his gun. As soon as he drew his weapon, two people beside him also drew theirs.
Xiao Xun frowned and shouted, "I want him alive!"
*Bang!!!*
The restroom door was kicked open. No one was inside. Z suddenly looked up. A person, using all four limbs, was wedged above the restroom door.
Z pointed his gun at him. "Get down."
The person responded, then leaped down, only to be apprehended by the two people behind Z.
They began a search, and the results were astonishing: they found narcotics.
He was dragged by two people to Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun looked at the white powder in front of him. "Alright, send him to the police station."
Then Xiao Xun looked at the eleven people present. "Da Lanhua, you might as well come out. Do I have to invite you?"
The manager looked surprised. "You were looking for me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a pistol was pressed to his head.
"Thank you all for your cooperation. Give each of them a hundred yuan. Take the manager with me."
The manager reached out. "Wait a minute, why are you arresting me? I haven't broken any laws."
Xiao Xun looked at the manager. "No rush, we can chat more back at the base."
After the manager was taken away by Xiao Xun, various rumors about him circulated in the internet cafe, the most prevalent being that his true identity was a hidden underworld boss known as Da Lanhua.
Since he never reappeared, everyone assumed he had been secretly executed.
Back at the base, the manager sat in the interrogation chair, though his movements were not restricted.
"You are Da Lanhua?"
The manager nodded. "That's correct."
"I always thought someone named Da Lanhua would be a woman."
"Cut the nonsense. While I'm a hacker, I haven't done anything illegal. You have no right to detain me."
"Let me correct you, I am inviting you, not detaining you."
The manager scoffed. "A fine invitation, holding a gun to someone's head."
"Since you claim you haven't broken the law, with your excellent skills, why are you working as an internet cafe manager?"
Da Lanhua sighed. "Do you think I want to? I didn't even finish high school and I love computers. If I don't work as a manager, what else can I do?"
"With your talent, earning so little each month, and not committing crimes? Remarkable, truly remarkable."
"I simply love computers. But I cannot use the thing I love to commit illegal acts."
Xiao Xun nodded in appreciation. "You are far superior to some people. How about this: join my organization and serve me."
Da Lanhua sized up Xiao Xun. "Who are you?"
"Hei Da Shuai."
Da Lanhua's expression of surprise was no less than that of Black Shark. "You are Hei Da Shuai?"
"Is there a need to be so surprised?"
"Hei Da Shuai is actually so young..."
"You're not that old either. Alright, if you're willing, I'll start assigning you work."
Da Lanhua began to shake his head. "Although I'm a hacker, I don't do illegal things."
"How do you know what I do is illegal?"
"You wielded a gun and committed an assault, isn't that illegal?"
"Then the person I caught had white powder on them, and he broke the law. I didn't. If you have a bit of brainpower, you'd realize this is a legitimate organization."
"I've never heard of a legitimate organization looking for hackers to help them."
"My time is precious. Just tell me, are you joining or not!"
Xiao Xun had lost patience with everything lately; he was truly annoyed.
Da Lanhua lowered his head in thought, then looked up abruptly, a smile on his face. "Okay, I'll join."
Xiao Xun extended his hand and shook Da Lanhua's. "Now that you've joined us, help me find the next person."
"The next person? Who?"
"Yitelan."
In an office of a multinational corporation in N City, several employees looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, their faces ashen.
They were all staring at their computer screens. The female secretary said to the CEO behind her, "Mr. Mark, something's happened, something's happened..."
The CEO didn't look up. "Speak slowly, what happened?"
"Someone has infiltrated our company's servers and taken control of all our stock transactions."
"Close the market immediately."
"It's too late. This isn't just an ordinary trader trying to target our company. We have absolutely no room for counterattack now."
Mark shouted to the people in the office, "Everyone stop what you're doing and don't do anything for now."
The secretary panicked. "Boss, are we just going to watch the company be taken down like this?"
"None of you need to worry about it. I have my own way."
Mark took out his phone and sent a text message, eight characters: "Old friend in trouble, requesting urgent rescue."
At the same time, in a suite in a hotel in N City, a foreign man around thirty years old sat in a wheelchair, leisurely sipping his afternoon tea.