With a loud bang, the doors to the Hacker Alliance were shoved open, and Qiang Ge stormed in, his face twisted with rage.
“Who? Who released the Plague Virus out into the world?”
The moment Qiang Ge caught wind of the Plague Virus wreaking havoc on the news, he instantly realized—this very virus was one that had been sitting in the Hacker Alliance’s own vault!
Back when they’d first created it, almost every ounce of effort from the entire Alliance had gone into its development. But their goal had never been to unleash it upon society—it was purely to push their own technical boundaries. And the instant the virus was completed, Qiang Ge had ordered everyone to destroy every last scrap of data related to it.
Internally, the only place the Plague Virus’s original code still existed was in their secure storage drive—and that drive came with heavy encryption!
So who, exactly, had cracked that encryption and set the virus loose?
The few members present in the Alliance fell deathly silent. They exchanged uneasy glances, but not a single one spoke up.
Because they all knew, deep down, that the source of this plague was none other than their own organization.
They’d known it the second they saw the news.
Still, none of them had a clue who’d actually released it.
Qiang Ge swept his gaze across the room, fury burning in his eyes. “Fine. Nobody’s fessing up, huh? Then don’t blame me for being harsh—I’m calling the police right now—”
“Qiang Ge!” A young man suddenly stood up. “Qiang Ge, you’ve been our guide, and we’re all grateful for that. But if you do this… don’t you think it’s a little… uncalled for?”
Qiang Ge stared at the man who’d risen, a pang of hurt flashing across his face. “Xiao Feng… was it you?”
The man called Xiao Feng shook his head. “No, it wasn’t me. But… we’re the Hacker Alliance. We’re not Red Hackers. We’re not the world’s police. We’re hackers—so what’s wrong with us creating computer viruses? Besides, other hackers out there have made fortunes off their skills. And us? We’re still stuck in this run-down place…”
“Nonsense! What you’re describing are crackers, not hackers!” Qiang Ge roared. “What did I tell you all when I first brought you into this field? We don’t cross the line into illegality! Have… have you all been keeping something from me?”
Suddenly, a thought struck him. His sharp gaze swept across the room once more.
Under his stare, quite a few people lowered their heads.
Just then, the screen on the computer up front flickered to life.
“Qiang Ge, don’t make this hard on them. Everyone has their own aspirations. Your old-school ways just don’t cut it anymore in today’s world. Every man for himself—that’s the law of nature. With all the skills they’ve got, what’s the point of staying cooped up here as small-time hackers? Ask them—who doesn’t want to make serious money? Who doesn’t want to make a name for themselves? Do you really think everyone’s content with a little comfort and security like you are?”
A synthesized voice echoed through the room, reaching Qiang Ge’s ears.
His pupils contracted. “Ghost… are you saying you did all this? You cracked the vault and released the Plague Virus?”
Among the members of the Hacker Alliance that Qiang Ge had built, there weren’t just people he’d trained from scratch—there were also skilled experts who’d come seeking him out.
And Ghost was one of them.
But unlike the others, nobody knew Ghost’s real identity. He always communicated with Qiang Ge through the network.
Qiang Ge had never minded the anonymity.
After all, a hacker’s identity was a sensitive thing, and plenty of people preferred to keep it hidden. Truth be told, even Qiang Ge didn’t really know who most of his own people were in real life!
The Hacker Alliance valued skill above all else. Character… well, that wasn’t something hackers typically concerned themselves with.
Ghost’s technical prowess was formidable—even Qiang Ge had often praised him. He also had plenty of fans and admirers within the Alliance.
“That’s right. I’m the one who released it.” Ghost admitted without hesitation.
“Why would you do that!” Qiang Ge fought to keep his rage in check, his voice icy. “Do you have any idea how much damage the Plague Virus will cause to the world—especially to the digital world—once it spreads?”
“Heh heh heh!”
A mocking laugh crackled from the computer. “Qiang Ge, you disappoint me. Our mission as hackers is to lead the evolution of network technology, not to cower in some corner. I used to think you’d be the Spartacus of the cyber world—but no, you’ve let me down.”
“You had the power to shake up the digital world, but instead, you sheathed your blade and unsaddled your warhorse. The Plague Virus could have driven progress forward, but you locked it away. That’s on you!”
Qiang Ge stared at the screen in disbelief. “Ghost, you’re insane! Are you trying to destroy the entire digital world with this virus?”
“And if this world is so fragile that it crumbles at the first push—then so be it,” Ghost replied coolly. “Relax. What you don’t have the guts to do, I’ll do for you. People aren’t meant to be restrained. Under your thumb, these folks’ minds are caged, their talents stifled. But with me? They’ll be unstoppable warriors. They’ll sound the charge of war!”
Insane. Absolutely insane.
Qiang Ge looked at the screen, shaken. “Ghost—are you serious about all this? You want to overturn the entire digital order?”
“The Plague Virus carries my hopes and effort in it. It embodies all of our hard work—not something you get to bury on a whim. Qiang Ge, I respect your skills, but your convictions… your philosophy… they’re obsolete!”
“A hacker who fears real-world constraints will never go far. Only by setting your spirit free can you become a true pioneer!”
A hint of seduction crept into Ghost’s voice. “Qiang Ge, you’re old. Your thinking can’t carry the Hacker Alliance forward anymore. As masters of cutting-edge tech, you couldn’t even crack a simple antivirus program. That’s when I knew—there was no hope left in you. So… I stepped up.”
“Qiang Ge, hand the Alliance over to me. I’ll lead them to a far brighter future.”
The voice cut off abruptly.
The entire room fell into dead silence.
“Is this how you all feel?” Suddenly, a woman stepped forward, barely containing her fury. “Are you all betraying Qiang Ge?”
Another man quickly defended himself: “Sister Lin, it’s not betrayal—we’re just pursuing our own future, our own lives…”
“Enough with the excuses! Without your cooperation, how could Ghost have possibly broken through the vault’s defense systems…”
“That’s enough, A-Lin. People have different ambitions.” Qiang Ge’s face was etched with sorrow.
He’d never expected that these people—the ones he’d personally mentored—would actually turn their backs on him. On everything he believed in.
Was human nature truly so fragile in the face of money and fame?
“I won’t stand in the way of your futures,” he said quietly. “If any of you still see me as your big brother, then step forward right now—and come with me.”
