This is not my original work; I am merely providing a translation.
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Although Wang Xiaofeng didn't want to admit it, he had been thoroughly defeated in the world of computer hacking. The reality left him no choice.
After lighting a cigarette, Wang Xiaofeng took a deep puff and began typing. "I never expected to encounter an expert like you, brother. I wholeheartedly admit defeat. By the way, how should I address you?"
A Handsome Guy Who's Unwilling To Reveal His Identity: "Call me Shadow."
"Shadow?"
Wang Xiaofeng thought for a moment, then shook his head. He had never heard of this alias before.
As a hacker and the administrator of the Hacker's Forum, Wang Xiaofeng was familiar with practically all the top hackers in the country. After all, they all moved in the same circles. But he had never heard of anyone going by the name "Shadow."
It seemed that in a country as vast as China, there were countless hidden experts.
With that in mind, Wang Xiaofeng continued typing. "Shadow, I've given up on tracking you. But you should delete your post before the cyber police find out. If they do, they'll shut down the Hacker's Forum."
---
Inside his rental apartment, Chu Tian read Wang Xiaofeng's message and frowned.
Delete the post?
No way!
His program was still making money!
The reason Chu Tian hadn't deleted the post had nothing to do with Wang Xiaofeng's challenge. He kept it up because it was a steady source of income.
But Wang Xiaofeng had a point.
Accessing hotel registry records without permission was illegal. While Chu Tian was confident that even if the cyber police found his post, they wouldn't be able to trace him or delete it, they could shut down the entire Hacker's Forum.
If the forum's servers were taken offline, his post would disappear too.
What to do?
Chu Tian was unwilling to delete the post—it was still generating income. But he also didn't want the Hacker's Forum to be shut down. After all, it was the only platform he knew where he could make money right now. If the forum went offline, he'd lose his income stream.
As Chu Tian wrestled with the dilemma, another message from Wang Xiaofeng arrived.
Wang Xiaofeng: "By the way, Shadow, are you interested in taking on jobs through the forum?"
Jobs?
Chu Tian was confused. He typed back: "What do you mean?"
Wang Xiaofeng: "??? Brother Shadow, have you never taken on a job before? Jobs are the kind of business our Hacker's Forum is involved in…"
As Chu Tian read Wang Xiaofeng's explanation, he was stunned.
During the three years he had frequented the Hacker's Forum, he had always thought it was a place for enthusiasts and hobbyists to discuss computer knowledge. Occasionally, users would share programs they had written. But now, he learned that the forum also facilitated high-paying, behind-the-scenes jobs.
These jobs weren't the typical request posts on the forum. They were much bigger, often netting hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. However, they were highly secretive and never publicly discussed. Instead, they were handled through private messages, reserved for expert hackers like Wang Xiaofeng and his peers.
Wang Xiaofeng: "Shadow, if you're interested, we can work together. The forum is short on manpower, and with your skills, you'd be a perfect fit."
Chu Tian chuckled and typed back: "Sure, I'm in. I've been bored lately anyway. Do you have any jobs available right now?"
Wang Xiaofeng: "We do. It's a tough one, but we can discuss it later. First, delete your post. If the forum gets shut down, none of us will be able to make a living. Most of our clients find us through the forum. I'll fill you in on the job details after you delete the post."
Chu Tian sighed and reluctantly deleted the post with his hotel registry software.
There was no other choice.
Checking hotel registries wasn't a sustainable way to make money. It was better to focus on something more long-term. He couldn't risk killing the goose that laid the golden egg by shutting down the entire forum.
After deleting the post, Chu Tian sent another message: "Done. I've deleted it. Now, tell me about this job. The pay's good?"
Wang Xiaofeng: "The pay is excellent. The client is offering $4.3 million. It's the highest-paying job I've ever seen. But it's not easy. The requirements are extremely high. Even the other experts on the forum and I can't handle it. It might even be too much for you, Shadow."
$4.3 million?!
Chu Tian's eyes widened in shock.
Holy!
That much money?!
Is this some kind of national security-level job?
After a moment of thought, Chu Tian responded: "Tell me more."
Wang Xiaofeng: "The client is a married woman. Her husband is extremely wealthy—one of the top 100 richest people in the country. Recently, she had a one-night stand with a black man she met at a nightclub."
[Note: Being in the top 100 richest people in China means the husband is a billionaire.]
Wang Xiaofeng: "Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal. But the problem is, the black man secretly recorded their encounter and uploaded the video online."
Wang Xiaofeng: "The woman is terrified. She signed a prenuptial agreement with her husband. If he finds out about the video, he'll divorce her, leaving her with nothing—not a single cent."
Wang Xiaofeng: "That's why she's made an extremely high-stakes request: the video must be completely erased from the internet and prevented from being reuploaded."