As Lin Hao sauntered into the kitchen, the aroma of sizzling spices and simmering sauces wafted through the air. His mother was a blur of motion, tirelessly working on the food, while Lin Chang was dutifully assisting her. As he watched her in the cramped kitchen, he couldn't help but feel that she was not the person he had imagined her to be, nor the one that others had portrayed her as.
Despite this, he couldn't bring himself to approve of her. He vividly remembered the way she had spoken to his mother, rudely calling her useless. He couldn't forget the sadness that had engulfed his mother when her own biological daughter had rejected her. And now, he couldn't fathom why she had returned.
As the sun began to set, the family of four gathered around the dinner table, their faces beaming with joy. Lin Chang's heart was filled with an indescribable happiness as she realized that she now had a big brother. However, as she caught a glimpse of Lin Hao's piercing glares, she knew that her brother didn't share the same sentiment. Without a second thought, she diverted her attention back to her plate, not wanting to provoke any further animosity.
Lin Lisha's heart swelled with contentment as she watched her son finally return home. She doted on him, serving him his favorite dishes, but she didn't forget about Lin Bao and Lin Chang.
The clock had struck midnight long ago, yet Lin Chang's fingers continued to dance across the keys of her laptop. With only one hand, she tirelessly typed away, her eyes devoid of any hint of sleep. As she worked, she couldn't help but feel a sense of ennui creeping up on her.
The night before, after dinner, Lin Chang had decided to venture into the Dark net. She had heard of this mysterious underworld site in the pages of old novels from her past life, and her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. It had taken her mere minutes to find her way into the Dark net, a powerful platform that promised 'anything I'd possible'.
But as she scrolled through the endless pages of illicit offerings, Lin found herself feeling underwhelmed. The Dark net may have been a hub of clandestine activity, but it lacked the excitement and intrigue she had expected. Still, she soldiered on, completing random tasks in order to earn a bit of extra cash.
In a mere five hours, she had already conquered over fifty tasks with ease. These tasks were typically categorized into four distinct levels, with +A1 being the most challenging and lucrative, followed by +A, A1 and A, which were of lesser importance. Her sights were set solely on the +A1 tasks, as she had no interest in small earnings. Her focus was on making a substantial amount of money in one fell swoop.
In a mere 5-10 minutes, she was able to accomplish the tasks that would typically take months for any top hacker in the dark net. Her laptop, a technological marvel is centuries ahead of its time, is already equipped with the latest and greatest advancements. But that wasn't enough for her. She had taken it upon herself to rewrite the script in KI, a language of the future that was notoriously complex but incredibly advantageous. This script was dimensions beyond anything currently in use, a true testament to her unparalleled skill and ingenuity.
Her online alias is Cera, derived from the name of her miniature robotic pet in a previous life. Yesterday, Cera was a mere newborn name in the depths of the Dark net. But within just five hours, she had already clawed her way into the top 10 rankings. As Lin Chang completed yet another task, she casually scrolled through the Dark net for her next tasks within the thousands of tasks, as if she were playing a mundane game rather than navigating the treacherous world of cybercrime.
Little did she know, her name was already circulating through the Dark net. Talks of a mysterious hacker named Cera were spreading like wildfire. People kept discussing Cera on the homepage, and more and more Hackers joined the chat.
"Who's this maniac Cera? She's crushing these tasks like it's nothing!"
"+1"
"Seriously, what's going on in the Dark net lately? Is it still the wild west of cybercrime or just a bunch of kids playing around? First we had Hacker W, now Cera."
"I feel you on that, but let's not compare Cera to W. W only does A level tasks, while Cera's out there crushing the +A1 level tasks like a boss!"
"Indeed, up until yesterday, I held the belief that Hacker W was an unparalleled prodigy, soaring from the depths of the 300th rank to the upper echelons of the top 50 in a mere week. However, my perspective has since shifted, for I have come to understand the age-old adage that there is always someone superior waiting in the wings."
"Very true, I also used to think that completing 3-4 'A' level tasks within a day was the ultimate feat of hacking, but now, this Cera is on a whole other level. She's completing level +A1 tasks in just 5-10 minutes - it's downright devilish!"
"Hey, did you see that? She just finished another task!"
"Check out her profile, she introduces herself as a 'money making bit*h'. How cute"
"Hell yeah, +1 for that!"
"I was checking out Vera's status bar and she's already finished 58 tasks and she only joined last night at 10:30PM. It's only been 5 and a half hours and she's already in the top 6 of the platinum level hackers club."
"Wait, hold up. Did you just say that Cera is only one step away from joining the exclusive Diamond Hackers Club in the top 5 of the Dark Net? That's insane! Those top 5 hackers in diamond club are practically legends and also the creators of dark net, and yet here comes Cera, ready to shake things up and challenge their positions. It's like watching a rising star in the making."
"Speaking of Cera, I just checked out her profile and found out she's a woman. And let me tell you, I'm in love."
"Yo, if Cera needs a crew, I'm down to be her right-hand man. She's the queen of the Dark Net and I wanna be her loyal servant."
"I'll do anything for Cera, even if it means being her little pet. She's just that amazing."
Many clients and hackers tried to message Cera on private chat, but the person in Hot Topic, Cera aka Lin Chang, just finished her 60th task and accepted today's last payment. With a satisfied smile, she glanced at the total amount she had earned that day, a sum that would make most people's jaws drop.
Last week, she had registered for her own bank account, and just two days ago, she had received her card. Now, as she looked at the balance on her account, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Over 600 million yuan within 5 hours - a fortune that would make even the wealthiest of individuals envious.
With her work done for the day, Cera closed her laptop and logged out, ready to retire for the night. But in another room of the same house, Lin Hao was still wide awake, his eyes glued to the dark net website on his computer screen. As he read through the discussions about Cera, he felt a sense of awe wash over him. Here was someone who had achieved the impossible, a true miracle worker.
As a Silver club hacker in the top 50 of the dark net, Lin Hao had seen his fair share of impressive feats. But nothing had ever come close to what Cera had accomplished.
"Cera" he murmured and smiled, 'if only I could meet her someday' he thought and sighed as he logged out of the dark net retiring for the day.