Chapter 72: Chapter 69 Accelerated R&D: Watchdog (Please follow~)

[Accelerated Information Laboratory Research Progress]

[In this mode, your researchers will interact with individuals from different dimensions, please appropriately soothe the thoughts of the researchers.]

[Target Technology: ctOS]

[Target Contact World: Watch Dogs]

[Currently Available Modes:]

[Text Conversation: 500 Technology Points]

[Video Games: 1000 Technology Points]

[You have selected Text Conversation mode.]

[Technology Points -500]

[Current Technology Points: 1300]

[In 2014, as technology advanced, electronic products became increasingly important in people’s lives.]

[Bloom Company developed the urban intelligent management system ctOS, tasked with monitoring and managing the entire city, the project ultimately implemented in Chicago]

[ctOS indeed helps the Government manage the city, but it also faces significant risks.]

[The life trajectories of all citizens are crystal clear within ctOS, leaving no privacy to speak of]

[Under such circumstances, the hacker organization DedSec caused chaos by invading ctOS, aiming to alert the citizens to the dangers of the system]

[There are other hackers, too, who invade ctOS to achieve their goals—like the individual you’re about to make contact with, Aiden Pearce.]

[Your interaction with Aiden Pearce will take place via a certain hacker forum]

[Aiden Pearce: Offering a bounty for security network information of the Merlaut Hotel.]

A string of text appeared on the computer, and Skye raised an eyebrow, "So, this Mr. Pearce is planning to hack into the hotel? What’s he up to?"

Lille shrugged, "The hotel’s security is managed by the ctOS system, you could offer him some help, and then you’ll know what he’s up to."

Looking back at the computer, sure enough, a string of neatly packaged code popped up, along with a schematic of the ctOS subnetworks deployed in the hotel.

So complete... doesn’t seem fabricated.

Skye pointed at the computer, "So boss... if you’re saying you’ve already completed the system construction, you could just send me the manual, why bother having me play this text game?"

"To get you more acquainted with the capabilities of the product you’ve developed, you will play the role of a hacker during this process, hacking into the refined version of ctOS."

"Alright... I’ll give it a try then."

After reviewing the data, Skye suddenly felt that ctOS was indeed a very impressive intelligent city system.

But as a hacker, the more secure something claims to be, the more they want to tinker with it.

After looking over the data, Skye gave it some thought and followed up with a post on the computer—she also wanted to try hacking into this system and see just what Mr. Pearce was planning to do.

[Skye: I have it, but I don’t want money. I just want you to send back data to me, you know, for learning purposes.]

[Aiden Pearce: If it’s just technical data, that’s fine, deal.]

"Let’s see what Mr. Pearce is up to—boss, can you spoil it for me?"

Lille shrugged.

Of course, he knew what would happen next.

Aiden Pearce and his partner Damian were plotting to hack the hotel guests’ bank accounts, but unfortunately, this hotel was no ordinary hotel.

About ten minutes later, Aiden reappeared on the forum—

This time it was a private message, and the timestamp showed it was already two days later on his end.

[Aiden Pearce: Who the hell are you? Damn it, you played me!]

[Skye: What are you talking about? What about the technical data we agreed on? Can’t you deliver?]

[Aiden Pearce: It’s all fucked! My partner’s been targeted by a cleaner, there’s a bunch of encrypted videos in the hotel, and there’s a hacker watching over there!]

[Aiden Pearce: This job was supposed to just be hacking into hotel guests’ accounts for money, but now we might have been exposed!]

Skye was taken aback—cleaner?

A line of small text popped up on the game interface:

Cleaner: Professional assassins, mercenaries, experts in cleaning up messes; as long as you pay them enough, they can do any dirty work for you.

Encrypted video? Cleaner?

Lille continued, "Mélot Hotel is a place for the powerful, the Mayor of Chicago, aldermen, they all come here."

Without needing Lille to go on, as someone who once aspired to be a hacker digging up secrets, Skye immediately realized these videos were not so simple.

For now, they still needed to keep Aiden Pearce stable—because at that moment, a window popped up in the text game:

[Please note, the contact might sever communication.]

Skye’s mind raced, and immediately typed:

[Skye: Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you were caught during the invasion, hackers could trace your entire Chicago network through your information.]

[Skye: You’d better lay low for a while, do you have family? Stay away from them.]

[Aiden Pearce: Damn it! I shouldn’t have taken this job!]

The communication ended, the conversation interrupted.

Now Skye’s curiosity was piqued—Lille’s game... was a bit too real.

Curiously, Skye asked, "It’s my first time hearing about a text game where you can type and interact, boss, what kind of black tech is this?"

"Don’t worry about that, your earlier assessment wasn’t wrong. If the other hacker has ctOS access, Aiden’s family will certainly be targeted.

You can now boldly guess what those videos are about, and what will happen to Aiden afterward.

But personally talking, you can try to save Aiden’s family first."

Skye stroked the keyboard: "If the hackers really have ctOS access, aren’t they likely to be the developers? Developers... Bloom Company, isn’t that our company?"

"You can think of it as a possible direction for our company’s development. In any case, although it’s a text game, you can see a complete world from Aiden’s experiences.

All the technology, schematics, and maps needed in the game will appear on the computer. Have fun playing."

Lille finished speaking and patted Skye, who was frowning tightly.

"Oh, and don’t forget about your job. The data that appears in the game is all solid technology, don’t underestimate this game."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Aiden sent a message.

[Aiden Pearce: You were right, the cleaner showed up, my niece and nephew have been admitted to the hospital, the doctor says Lena might never wake up...]

[Aiden Pearce: I put them in danger, I should have listened to you, I thought you were trying to lure me away.]

[Aiden Pearce: Help me, help me find who’s targeting me, who’s behind the scenes.]

[Skye: I’m sorry to hear this, but I’m just a regular hacker—if you want to find out these things, I suggest you start by hacking into ctOS.] 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

[Skye: ctOS would have access records, and if all this started because you saw those encrypted videos, you should also see what’s actually in the videos.]

[Skye: Whoever the content of the videos threatens is naturally responsible for these events.]

[Aiden Pearce: Makes sense, I’ll find them.]

[Skye: Listen, I thought our cooperation wouldn’t go this deep, but since we’re to continue, I have to tell you my demands.]

[Skye: I want to know what Bloom Company is up to, what’s in those videos, deal?]

[Aiden Pearce: Deal.]

The thoughtful, eager expression confirmed to Lille that the girl had entered the zone.

Good, that’s how you should work, with energy and drive.

Lille quietly left the studio.

John had left him a list of things to handle, and he had to tackle them one by one.