Chapter 109: Chapter 82: Black Ice 2
The name brought a hush over the scene.
Tinfoil also became alert.
John wasn’t sure if Internet Surveillance could find out the specifics, but he still didn’t reveal Gino’s name, only mentioning that he was tasked to save Baseball Bat.
The intelligence related to Serum and Pandora was all publicly released by Harbor Company.
Tinfoil also confirmed this point.
"John wasn’t interested in these messages and didn’t pursue the specific results. Those materials were directly sold to Eden, and he hadn’t even looked at them."
The state police looked around and said blandly.
"It seems you all recognize Serum, which makes this easier to explain. The transport order from Tiebang Logistics was signed off by a client named Pacific Connor, which is the hacker Serum’s name."
John and Tinfoil exchanged glances, reading shock and confusion in each other’s eyes.
The state police continued providing intelligence, linking all the incidents involving John recently.
Serum is a super hacker and an absolute genius.
When facing a roaming AI capable of destroying a company’s tech department, she could even resist and capture it alone.
During the six months that she disappeared, the state police barely managed to uncover her true identity, suspecting that she intentionally left traces.
But now it was useless.
Internet Surveillance and Plato Company couldn’t find her.
Until a month ago:
While monitoring the Black Wall, Internet Surveillance discovered an obvious anomalous data fortress. Upon breaking in, they found that someone was jumping through multiple secret routes, connecting to Eden City’s network.
Two hours later.
Fifteen kilometers off the Eden City boundary wall.
The transport convoy of Tiebang Logistics was robbed, the scene was incredibly gruesome, with casualties exceeding double digits, and the accident report indicated the goods were missing.
Tiebang Logistics offered no explanation.
The public relations department even suppressed the news.
The state police, through their own means, found that the recipient for this order was the hacker Serum.
A week later.
A fire occurred in an underground illicit clinic in the industrial area.
A few days later.
Someone on the internet searched for a serial number associated with the roaming AI Black Light, caught by a crawler, and the data was reported to the Internet Surveillance Office.
The state police noticed John at that time.
Internet Surveillance only listed him as a suspect until he commissioned a middleman to access the Tiebang Logistics database to retrieve incident information related to Serum.
The state police considered John the key to all the problems and even suspected him of being the carrier for the roaming AI.
According to Eden City’s Special Management Act:
The state police had the authority to approve an arrest, leading everyone to sit in Harbor Company’s office in the end.
"Internet Surveillance sealed Dan Street Apartment, but I can’t hack into his room, can you give a reasonable explanation?"
"If you can’t hack it, you’re just not good enough. Do you think you’re the best hacker?"
John feared offending no one now.
The state police seriously pondered for a moment.
"Good question. I’m not sure, but almost everyone at my level is dead, and any of the remaining ones you know will be arrested by the Special Affairs Bureau."
After speaking, the state police slightly pressed down with his hand.
"While we’re talking, Internet Surveillance is searching your residence, and if they find anything related to the Black Wall, not even the mayor can save you today."
John was suddenly stunned.
He seemed to understand why the mission required him to make the captain self-destruct in that situation.
Based on the timing, they should be arriving right now.
But it’s of no use...
The room system and both vehicles were all scrubbed by Black Light.
As long as Internet Surveillance has a legal arrest warrant, the Black Gold Gang can’t directly confront a law enforcement agency.
The secret of Black Light might not hold.
Even as the most frequent contact, John had never understood its essence until now.
Hearing the intelligence just now, he couldn’t help but speculate—could the mission be controlled by the roaming AI?
His silence was noted by the state police.
This conversation seemed about to end.
At this moment, the state police received a call, with Eden overseeing, any discovery would have to be presented.
But Internet Surveillance found nothing.
The room was completely empty.
The workshop’s mainframe and room system were thoroughly inspected, with no anomalies, and rehacking tests were smoothly carried out.
The state police couldn’t help but look up.
This was his first direct eye contact with John.
The decisive evidence was gone.
But everyone knew John had secrets, his stay or departure now... depended entirely on Eden’s stance.
This Harbor Company boss was silent for a moment, then looked to the state police and said.
"Give a straightforward solution, otherwise if he dies or disappears later, it will all be blamed on the Internet Surveillance Office. Our business dealings are frequent, don’t create trouble for future transactions."
The state police understood Eden’s meaning.
He took out a small device from his shirt pocket, then explained to everyone:
This is portable Black Ice, a means of cybernetic warfare used for hackers to attack each other in cyberspace.
It mainly consists of two types:
The first is [Anti-Human Black Ice], which directly attacks the hacker’s body, causing their brain to fry.
The other type is this Anti-Program Black Ice.
It counters computing, creates logic loops, and is widely used in combative operations against roaming AI.
Tinfoil was also unsure.
This technology is commonly used online, but it’s her first time seeing a physical version.
"Its designer is the legendary hacker who destroyed the old network, and Internet Surveillance upgraded the technology."
The state police unplugged a data cable.
"If you’re controlled by the roaming AI, it will kill you directly. Connecting to the data slot will prove your innocence, and the Eden City Internet Surveillance Office will also remove you from the list."