In the underground research facility of Zengmu Shoal, Research Base No. 9, an elevator ascended, and the doors opened.
Out stepped a strikingly beautiful girl with a commanding presence.
The sea breeze from the South China Sea caressed her face, her long hair fluttering. She adjusted her collar, her beauty cold and indifferent.
This girl was Grace Wang.
Several soldiers in dark blue uniforms approached. These uniforms, rarely seen in China, bore a strange insignia. They saluted Grace with precision.
Grace nodded and, accompanied by the soldiers, walked towards an armed helicopter. This Red-1 helicopter, developed by China, had never been publicly disclosed and rivaled the performance of the American Apache.
Grace made a phone call.
"Grandfather, I've established contact with XO. Yes, it's confirmed to be the real XO."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. Even with the 'Second-Generation Cube,' we couldn't track him."
"Yes, he did see some of America's core data..."
Grace boarded the helicopter and made a gesture.
The helicopter slowly ascended, and the soldiers on the ground saluted again. Grace returned a small salute. The helicopter gradually departed from Zengmu Shoal.
"Yes, but he has a request..." Grace hesitated, pondering how to present the absurdity of the request before deciding to be straightforward.
"Is there also a plan to go online and interact with netizens?" Grace was a bit surprised by the response. "That's quite a coincidence. Let's choose the forum called 'Strong Country.'"
"Understood. I'll do my best."
"Grandfather, after completing this task, can I finally focus on my own matters?"
"Hmm..."
Grace ended the call, tucked her flying hair behind her ear, and gazed at the boundless South China Sea. The reflected light from the sea was dazzling, but Grace didn't blink. Her thoughts had already drifted away from this place, pondering unknown matters.
...
While China was busy with their plans, across the Pacific, in the United States, the White House was enveloped in gloom.
"Mr. President, Defense Secretary Gomez is here." "Let him in!"
Gomez saluted.
"My Defense Secretary, has the XO matter been resolved?" the President asked sternly.
"Regrettably, Mr. President, the plan to locate XO in China has failed."
"And then??"
Gomez continued, "The EU also withdrew from the '101 Total Paralysis Plan' some time ago."
"That's wonderful news," the President said coldly. "I heard that damned hacker posted data and weaknesses of the F-22 online. It seems like the EU was behind it."
"Mr. President, we discussed it with America's top military experts. While the data is authentic, it's not highly significant. We've been addressing those weaknesses."
"Defense Secretary, who was the idiot who claimed hackers wouldn't remember important data?"
"Uh, that was just some basic data..." Gomez awkwardly defended.
"Enough!" the President snapped, pointing his pen at Gomez. "Tell me, is there any good news?"
"Yes. It's confirmed that the Queen's actions were actually done by XO to lure out European hackers. XO discovered their plan, prompting the EU to withdraw."
"Hmph, what a bunch of useless hackers, touted as the best in Europe, yet easily played by XO," the President said disdainfully, feeling somewhat consoled that even the powerful EU couldn't handle the hacker.
"This hacker is the greatest threat to the United States!"
"Indeed. XO is now on Interpol's records, the FBI's most wanted list, and the Anti-Terrorism Committee has labeled XO the top terrorist. The bounty for XO has increased to 230 million dollars!"
"Excellent. I'll draft a document for the UN Security Council, urging global cooperation to apprehend XO. Let's see how Red Country responds," the President nodded, finally looking a bit relieved.
After a moment of silence, the President, having vented his anger, muttered weakly, "So, we've lost this war."
"A total defeat," Gomez replied without hesitation.
The President frowned. "If this hacker is truly from China, that would be disastrous."
"I don't think so," Gomez scoffed arrogantly. "Even ten years ago, the Queen only succeeded because of the Cold War environment. Otherwise, the North American Missile Crisis wouldn't have happened. The EU or even Russia seems more likely... This whole confrontation might just be a small EU diversion."
The President nodded thoughtfully.
At that moment, loud laughter echoed from outside the door.
"Today's young people are increasingly disappointing."
The President and Defense Secretary looked up in shock. Someone had dared to walk straight into the President's office. Just as the President was about to lose his temper, he saw who it was and fell silent.
The former President!
"Mr. Former President!" Gomez saluted solemnly.
The current President plastered on a smile, walking around the desk to warmly shake the former President's hand.
"Am I interrupting important business?" The former President's smile was inscrutable, making the current President feel like a child in his presence.
"America has become an international laughingstock, all because of a hacker claiming to be from China? Even the fifth-generation computer was infiltrated and damaged, right?" The former President's smile remained, offering no opinion.
The current President felt a chill. "Yes. It was my oversight."
"Have you caught him?"
"I'm sorry. That hacker is incredibly elusive, seemingly able to dominate everything online!" Gomez replied helplessly.
"If he's the master of the internet, then bring him into the real world to deal with him," the former President's calm tone carried an icy chill.
The President and Gomez exchanged confused looks.
"Sir, what do you mean?" Gomez asked respectfully.
The former President replied, "We've cultivated many separatist organizations in China. There's one called Rebiya that's quite popular. I have a suggestion. Would the President like to hear it?"
"Of course, of course," Mr.President nodded repeatedly.
"I reviewed the hacker's information. One point is particularly interesting," the former President smiled kindly. "If true, he might be a patriot."
Gomez nodded. The hacker war memorandum described XO as quite passionate at the end. But what did that mean?
Seeing their confusion, the former President shook his head. "Do people nowadays not understand their enemies? China has a rich 5000-year history, full of lessons to learn."
"By the way, could this hacker be the same girl from ten years ago?" the former President asked.
"Unlikely. China provided us with information proving she wasn't near a computer during the hacking incident," Gomez replied. "So she's been ruled out."
"Oh. Such an obedient girl. Ten years have passed in a flash," the former President reminisced.
The other two were sweating.
Why was the former President speaking so cryptically? They couldn't understand his point.
Seeing their confusion, the former President combined his thoughts into a clearer statement: "On Chinese national day, have that dog deliver a gift to that girl on our behalf. I believe this gift will make XO come out and open it, assuming XO is patriotic enough..."
"What??"
The President and Gomez were dumbfounded.
Seeing the former President's profound and sinister expression, they trembled.
This man should never be offended!!
...
Leon Chen suddenly shivered, instinctively looking out the window. Approaching October, the weather was starting to cool.
"Senior, are you cold?" Lily Lin's timid voice came from beside him.
Leon smiled, "Let's continue practicing."
"Okay."
Just then, Leon's phone rang. Answering it, a loud voice echoed in the dormitory, "Leon, get on the Strong Country forum! The nation's highest leader is interacting with netizens, go now!!"
"What?"
Leon was stunned.
The request for the leader to go online had actually happened?!