Chapter 70: A Bloody Case Caused by a Small Film
Chapter 70: A Bloody Case Caused by a Small Film
“Is it the Island Nation again?”
Chen Mo frowned. He remembered the company had faced many cyberattacks lately, and quite a few came from Island Nation IP addresses.
“It’s that Hato fan from last time,” Ink Girl said.
Chen Mo’s face twitched. He remembered this hacker well.
Last time, he had ordered Ink Girl to copy all the data from the invading hackers’ computers. On this Island Nation hacker’s computer, all she copied back was small films, posters, and seeds starring Miss Hato. Everything from her debut to her latest works, nothing was missed.
“Why did he come again?” Chen Mo was baffled. Was last time’s punishment not enough?
“He stole data last time and took it back to decrypt. After he succeeded, his computer got infected. All the films, posters, and seeds he had collected on his Hard Disk were gone,” Ink Girl explained.
Hearing Ink Girl’s words, Chen Mo almost laughed out loud. Was this guy invading the company’s servers just for revenge?
“Ink Girl, open a port for him in the fake database. Since he’s here, make sure he leaves empty-handed. Give him a gift.”
Chen Mo thought for a moment and smiled. Since there was nothing else to do right now, he might as well play along.
“What kind of gift?” Ink Girl asked.
“Create an invisible virus program for him to take. Bind Miss Hato’s small films to it and encrypt the file. Let them work hard to crack it.”
Chen Mo really wanted to see the hacker’s expression after spending great effort to finally decrypt it, only to have Miss Hato’s small film pop up on his screen.
“Okay, Brother Mo,” Ink Girl replied.
In just one minute, Ink Girl had successfully created the fake database. Following Chen Mo’s instructions, she opened a hidden port for the hacker, allowing his successful intrusion to happen.
In a dim, foul-smelling room in a corner of Kyoto, Island Nation, the walls were plastered with posters of the currently hottest actress, Miss Hato.
A man sat rigidly in front of a computer, fingers tapping the keyboard, brow furrowed tightly. His pale face looked sinister under the screen’s glow.
On another nearby computer, a movie was playing, its sounds filling the small room.
Suddenly, the man’s frown eased. He revealed his teeth in a weirdly chilling grin.
His progressless intrusion had abruptly found a backdoor. He was in.
After copying all the data and covering his tracks, he withdrew, smirking triumphantly. Before leaving, he still remembered to place a virus into the database.
His computer got infected last time and destroyed all the films he had painstakingly collected. This time, stealing data was also about revenge.
Looking at the encrypted data now in his possession, he didn’t attempt to crack it. He pulled the USB drive from his computer and urgently dialed a number.
“(In Japanese) Mr. Nakamura Kazuo, I have obtained the item you requested,” the man said, his voice excited.
“Oh? I’ll come see you now.” A voice like a raspy duck came from the phone.
“Mr. Nakamura Kazuo, what about the remaining payment?” the man asked.
“I’ll transfer it to you once I have the data.”
“Hai!!”
Ignoring the data still on his computer, the man turned his eager gaze to the other screen playing the movie. An hour later, knocking sounded at the door. The pale man quickly wiped his hands and rushed to open it.
Standing there was a middle-aged man in a sharp business suit, flanked by two bodyguards.
“Mr. Nakamura Kazuo, you’re here. Here is what you wanted. The data inside is encrypted and needs your people to crack it. I haven’t looked at the contents,” the man declared like presenting treasure, handing over the USB drive.
“Hmm.”
The middle-aged man took the USB drive. He glanced into the room, his face twisting with disgust.
“Mr. Nakamura Kazuo, when will the money be transferred?” The man sounded impatient. “I want to use that money to make a film with Miss Hato.” His eyes ignited with a feverish glow as he spoke.
“Let me step inside first, I’ll transfer the money to you.”
“Okay, okay, okay…” The man hastily stepped aside.
As he entered and saw the state of the room, the middle-aged man’s frown deepened, disgust written plain on his face. “I need to check the data.”
“Please go ahead.”
The middle-aged man started to sit on a chair but jumped back up, startled by a sticky substance on the seat. He plugged the USB drive into the computer.
After confirming there was encrypted data inside, he pulled the USB drive out.
“It’s confirmed, right? Mr. Nakamura Kazuo, what about the remaining money? I need it for Miss Hato’s film.”
“Well done. I’ll send it to you later.” The middle-aged man donned sunglasses and turned to leave. His bodyguards instantly understood. They grabbed the pale man. One pulled out a cloth and pressed it firmly over his nose.
Soon, the man was motionless and breathless.
They cleared any evidence neatly, then placed the man’s body back into his seat before leaving the room.
The next day.
At the Lingjiao Group headquarters in the Island Nation, Nakamura Kazuo stared intently at his technical staff operating a computer. Watching the decryption progress on the screen, a gleeful expression spread across his face.
“Mr. Nakamura Kazuo, the password has been cracked.” A computer technician wiped sweat from his forehead.
“Yoshi!” Nakamura Kazuo clapped, beaming with delight. He immediately dialed a number.
“Mr. President Ishuu, we have obtained the item you wanted…”
After hanging up, Nakamura Kazuo looked at the computer folder. “You! Open these files and look at them.”
In the conference room, President Ishuu had just put down his phone, a satisfied smile on his face. “Gentlemen, Nakamura Kazuo just called. We’ve obtained incredibly valuable technology. Next, what we need to develop is…”
“Um… Um! Ah! Ah! Stop! Faster! Faster!”
Ishuu’s words choked off as a video suddenly sprang to life on the conference room projector. Miss Hato, fully naked and gasping, screamed on screen. The boardroom directors sat frozen in horrified silence. The only things filling the room were the graphic visuals and sounds.
“President Ishuu, shall we… develop this?”
“What? This isn’t…!” Ishuu’s face flushed red. He looked at his laptop and paled. His screen showed the same thing. Every computer was infected.
Not just the conference room. Every computer across Lingjiao Group Headquarters displayed the same scene. The computers were completely locked down. Shutting them down or restarting had no effect.
Even the building’s speakers erupted with the same rhythm.
“Brother Mo, the invisible virus has activated. It’s at Lingjiao Group’s Island Nation headquarters.” Chen Mo, reading in his office, was interrupted by Ink Girl’s voice.
“Pull back the surveillance feed for me.”
Chen Mo put down his book and sat at his desk.
Watching the live surveillance Ink Girl streamed from the Lingjiao HQ, Chen Mo smirked.
He could see the directors’ faces twist through a gallery of expressions, rivaling a circus clown’s performance.
“Go ahead and retrieve some important data from their company computers,” Chen Mo said.
“Okay.”
Now, Lingjiao Group headquarters descended into total chaos.
Every single company computer was locked, playing… lively action films.
Lingjiao Group’s computers were infected. They were completely commandeered by the small films. Unplugging, restarting – nothing changed the display.
“Bakayarou! Nakamura Kazuo! What on earth is this?”
Ishuu slapped Nakamura Kazuo hard across the face. His own face was dark as thunderclouds.
The company’s computers broadcasting obscene content for all to see! As President, he had no idea how to explain this to the board.
And worse – the crucial data was still saved on his own computer, not yet transferred to storage. If that data was lost, he could kiss his job goodbye.
“Mr. President, I don’t know! I opened the file we got from Itō Rō, and every single computer in the company became… like this!” Nakamura Kazuo looked utterly miserable, near tears.
“Bakayarou! Idiot! You didn’t even recognize a virus?! Where is Itō Rō?” Shaking with rage, Ishuu lashed out with another stinging slap.
“He died,” Nakamura Kazuo mumbled.
“And you told me he stole the Smart Assistant from Legion Ant Company! The data! Where is it?!” Ishuu grabbed him by the collar, eyes spitting venom.
“I don’t know,” Nakamura Kazuo stammered, flinching in terror.
“What did he say before he died?”
“He said the data was encrypted, we had to crack it ourselves.”
“And? What else?”
“He said… he wanted the money… to make a film with Miss Hato,” Nakamura Kazuo managed to say, trembling.
“Don’t mention Hato in front of me!” The very name “Hato” triggered Ishuu’s fury. Now, every company computer booted straight into her image.
“Uh… Ah! Faster! Faster!”
“Bakayarou!”
This sound triggered full-blown rage. Ishuu grabbed a decorative item from his desk and hurled it at a computer blasting the fighting scene.
“Was it worth scrimping on that payment?! Why didn’t you pay him and get the real data?! Find it! Itō Rō must have hidden that information! If you can’t find it, you can go make your own films!”
“Hai!” Nakamura Kazuo’s face crumpled like he might cry any second.
Chen Mo had no idea his prank had conveniently framed a dead man. He sat in his office, waiting for Ink Girl’s results.
“Brother Mo, Ink Girl has retrieved some information from Lingjiao Group’s computers.”