I Swapped Bodies With a Female Celebrity - Chapter 52

The cybersecurity professionals watching the scene unfold in the room all wore grim expressions.

Two years ago, during the last hacking competition, they had held a slight advantage. But now, after just two years, they had been completely crushed?

If word got out, wouldn’t it be a slap in the face for everyone in the industry?

“Total annihilation!” one executive muttered, shaking his head. “The Hacker Alliance really didn’t hold back, did they?”

“Those tech geeks—their brains are all ice-cold logic. Did the organizers really give them no hints at all?”

Ahem. “This time, they really didn’t. But exposing these vulnerabilities is a good thing…”

“Cut the act—I know you’re cursing them harder than anyone else in your head!”

……

Though Qin Lang’s CloudShield antivirus software was still up next, almost everyone in the room assumed it was just a formality.

Were they really supposed to believe that a college student’s work could outperform the products of major corporations?

What a joke!

If that were really the case, they might as well quit the industry and go sell sweet potatoes instead.

Just as they were packing up to leave, however, they noticed Professor Zhao still sitting firmly in his seat.

Then they remembered—the last antivirus software was developed by Professor Zhao’s “beloved student.” Leaving before the event officially ended would be disrespectful.

“So… President Chen, I heard you’ve been looking to break into real estate lately?”

“Haha, no such thing! How could someone like me afford to enter real estate? But I did hear President Wang just bought a plot of land…”

“Wow, your intel is sharp. I tried to keep it under wraps, but you still found out…”

The executives exchanged awkward small talk.

The only reason they were still here was out of respect for Professor Zhao.

But then, one of them suddenly let out a surprised noise.

“Hey—look! Something’s happening!”

At his words, everyone turned their attention back to the big screen.

What they saw left them stunned.

Ten minutes had passed since the test began, yet the hackers still hadn’t breached CloudShield.

This was completely unexpected.

After all, how good could a college student’s work really be?

Every antivirus system they had developed had required massive investments of manpower, resources, and funding.

If even their systems couldn’t withstand the hackers’ attacks, how could CloudShield possibly hold up?

Did the hackers take a bribe? Many executives couldn’t help but wonder.

But they quickly dismissed the thought—they weren’t amateurs. They knew how to assess these things.

Twenty minutes passed…

Then half an hour…

Then a full hour…

By now, everyone in the room was staring at Professor Zhao and Qin Lang with burning gazes—like parched land finally blessed with rain.

Meanwhile, nearly every member of the Hacker Alliance had thrown themselves into cracking CloudShield.

But after two hours, they finally admitted defeat.

Within the allotted time, they had failed to breach CloudShield’s defenses.

The entire Hacker Alliance fell into stunned silence.

They couldn’t believe it. They had broken through the antivirus systems of so many major companies—so why had this little CloudShield stumped them?

“This doesn’t make sense. This antivirus’s defense system is completely different from anything we’ve seen before!” one young hacker muttered in frustration.

A middle-aged man took a deep breath. “This software… really is unlike anything we’ve encountered. And I have a feeling—a technological revolution might be about to begin.”

“Seriously? Just because of this one antivirus? No way…”

……

Back at the convention center, the cybersecurity executives weren’t as concerned about technological revolutions. To them, CloudShield was nothing short of an inexhaustible goldmine.

The technology behind it could be dissected and studied endlessly. Whoever mastered it would dominate the entire antivirus market.

And what did that mean? Monopoly.

“Young man, you’re the developer of this software, right? I’m President Chen from Tianke Networks—here’s my card!”

“Uh… young man, would you be interested in joining our company? I promise you’ll have a bright future at Feitai Technologies!”

……

Executives who had previously ignored Qin Lang now looked at him with warm, eager smiles—as enthusiastic as madams in a high-end brothel.

Qin Lang was taken aback. Their sudden friendliness left him at a loss.

Ahem. Professor Zhao—nicknamed “Ghostface”—cleared his throat. “What’s all this? My student hasn’t even graduated yet. If you’re going to poach him, at least spare me some dignity, alright?”

“Old Zhao, be honest with us—did your student really develop this alone? You didn’t have a hand in it, did you?”

Ghostface chuckled. “It really was Qin Lang’s work. But I know what you’re all thinking—you can negotiate for the software, but hands off the developer.”

The executives’ faces fell.

The antivirus was a golden egg, but Qin Lang—the one who laid it—was the real prize.

Of course, if Qin Lang knew what they were thinking, he’d have to clarify: The real golden goose has gone home. I’m not the one who laid this egg—I’m just the rooster who can’t lay eggs at all!

“If we can negotiate, then I hope Qin Lang will consider selling CloudShield to our company,” one middle-aged man said urgently. “Price is no object!”

“Exactly! Sell it to me, and I guarantee you’ll be more than satisfied with the offer!” another executive chimed in.

Soon, everyone was throwing offers at Qin Lang.

Among them, Xiao Ruolin was filled with regret.

She knew Qin Lang had approached her company first—but she had dismissed him, refusing to even test his software because she didn’t believe in him.

And now, the results proved his antivirus was every bit as powerful as he had claimed.

“Qin Lang!” Seeing the competition heating up, Xiao Ruolin finally spoke up. “Do you remember me?”

Qin Lang glanced at the elegant, mature woman. “Uh… sorry, have we met?”

Xiao Ruolin’s smile froze.

The CEO of Feixing Technologies—ignored by a college student?

He must be getting back at me for looking down on him earlier. What a… petty man!