Lu Li entered his study, turned on his computer, and logged into several industry-specific programmer forums.
There, discussions were ablaze with talk about the massive event unfolding all the way across the ocean in Big Apple City.
Unlike ordinary gossip, the conversations among these seasoned programmers focused heavily on the technical process behind the attack executed by the mysterious hacker.
While most of them lacked the technical prowess to replicate it, a few elite programmers were able to break down and analyze the entire process, especially the critical steps. It was precisely this understanding of the technical difficulty that made them feel an ever-growing sense of awe and respect for the anonymous hacker.
Some even claimed this individual deserved a spot among the top ten hackers in the world.
Lu Li, himself a veteran in the field, might not be among the elite, but his hacking skills were comfortably above average. So, he knew exactly how earth-shattering the hacker's actions were.
Beyond the forums, on Weibo and elsewhere, countless netizens were captivated by the two haunting lines that the hacker had displayed on screens:
"I will die!"
"The whole world should bury me!"
Lu Li bypassed the firewall and began browsing foreign news networks.
On the major news outlets in Big Apple City, the incident dominated every screen.
Some shows even invited psychological profilers and experts to interpret those two infamous lines.
"Based on preliminary assessments, it's likely the hacker is dying, possibly from an illness…"
"This hacker clearly possesses a theatrical personality. As he wished, he has orchestrated an event that has stunned the world!"
"As of now, the Investigation Bureau has intervened and gone directly to Big Apple City University's computer lab. However, when they attempted to shut down the supercomputer, they were blocked by the lab director, Mr. Smith, who claimed they were trying to regain access without risking critical data loss. According to him, the hacker had already encrypted key experimental data, and forcibly powering down the system would lead to catastrophic data loss…"
Lu Li skimmed through the headlines.
His assessment aligned with the experts: this was the work of a dying genius hacker.
And Lu Li had only one goal—recruit him.
In this era dominated by information, computer science was everything. If he could get someone like that to join The Immortality Club, the benefits would be immeasurable.
This man was a rare talent!
To other governments or institutions, the hacker might not hold much value due to his limited life expectancy.
But to Lu Li, things were different.
There were two major problems to solve: first, how to get in touch with this hacker; second, how to convince him.
Lu Li leaned back in his chair, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the tabletop.
"One thing is clear," he murmured. "This hacker doesn't want to die. He's like a trapped beast making a final stand—his will to survive is strong."
"That's to my advantage."
After some thought, Lu Li picked up his phone and personally called Guo Yanzhi, assigning him a critical mission.
...
Not long after hanging up, there was a knock at the door.
Yang Zhen'er opened it, and a staff member in a black suit handed Lu Li a brand-new laptop along with a disposable wireless data card.
At the same time, several of the Republic's top hackers began planting covert messages in the digital spaces frequented by Robert Tapan Morris.
The message was simple:
"Find me, and I can save you."
Then, they waited for Morris to take the bait.
The cyberattack on Big Apple City lasted more than three hours. Eventually, the university regained control of the Windsor Green supercomputer.
By then, Morris had noticed the hidden message left by the Republic's hackers—and he followed it.
"Who are you?" he typed.
"Our boss will give you the answers."
Through countless proxy servers, the two sides began probing and conversing.
Morris clicked on a link the Republic's hackers provided.
He had faith in his skills—and besides, with his death looming, he had nothing to lose.
Upon clicking, a video invitation popped up.
Morris disabled his webcam and clicked "Accept."
A man in casual clothing wearing a black mask appeared on his screen—an Asian man.
"Hello," said the masked man in English.
"You said you could save me?" Morris typed.
"Of course," the man replied with a slight smirk behind the mask.
"This world is vast… and full of mysteries."
The Asian man stood up, turning the camera to reveal a scenic river view outside his window. Boats glided peacefully across the water.
Then he snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Suddenly, a terrifying sight unfolded.
The tranquil boats sped across the river like racing yachts!
No—that wasn't all.
Everything behind the man was accelerating as if time itself was flowing faster.
The scene looked like it belonged to a different temporal dimension.
Then, with another snap of his fingers, everything returned to normal.
"Join us," the Asian man said in a raspy, solemn tone. "I can grant you eternal life."
In his dimly lit apartment, Robert Tapan Morris frantically searched for any evidence that the video had been edited.
But he found nothing.
No trace of tampering.
It was all real.
After a long silence, goosebumps spread over Morris's skin, and he trembled as he typed:
"Where are you?"
"Republic. Zhonghai," came the reply.
Lu Li smiled as he closed the laptop—and threw the single-use machine straight into the trash.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。