A Sharp Edge Emerges From The Mist Chapter 14

Fighting Side by Side

Gemini Data Center, Basement Level 1, Emergency Isolation Zone.

This area was originally a backup server room, but it had been temporarily converted into a frontline command post to combat the ransomware. Compared to the spacious and bright main control room upstairs, this place felt cramped and oppressive. The low ceiling was crisscrossed with thick silver ventilation ducts and cable trays, emitting a constant, low-pitched hum. Cold white LED strips illuminated the space without a single shadow, yet the light lacked any warmth.

The air was thick with the hot wind from server cooling fans running at full capacity, the scent of ozone, and the mixed aroma of caffeine and anxiety radiating from the technical staff.

A long, makeshift table was cluttered with various professional equipment: data analysis terminals, network traffic monitoring screens, high-performance computing units running virus sandboxes, and several humming small cooling units attempting to combat the intense heat generated by the server clusters. On the screens, streams of data and waterfalls of code scrolled by, while red, yellow, and green warning indicators flashed, vanished, and lit up again.

Lin Jianfeng stood before the temporary command console, holding a vibrating police communicator in one hand while listening to reports from different teams through her earpiece. Her sharp gaze swept across the various screens. She was like a stabilizing anchor, maintaining a clear flow of instructions amidst the chaos.

Shen Qingwu occupied the other end of the long table. Three screens were arranged in front of her: one displayed core code fragments reverse-engineered from the virus samples; another monitored the residual data flow within the Gemini network after isolation; and the third was connected to her private encrypted channel, performing deep pattern matching and correlation analysis at a speed far exceeding any other device on-site.

Over her soft loungewear, she had temporarily thrown on a deep blue work jacket provided by the Cyber Security Detachment. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing the clear lines of her forearms. Her hair was tied back into a neat low ponytail, with a few stray strands damp with sweat and clinging to the side of her neck. Her expression was one of total concentration. Her fingers moved rapidly between the keyboard and trackpad, almost leaving afterimages. The typing was crisp and dense, creating a unique, rhythmic background noise.

Lin Team, the screening results are out! Xiao Chen walked over quickly, holding a freshly printed list. Among the employees of Gemini and its three main suppliers who resigned within the past year, twelve have suspicious financial anomalies or recent contact with unidentified overseas accounts. Three of them have very deep technical backgrounds and are fully capable of planning an attack of this level.

Lin Jianfeng took the list, her eyes quickly scanning it. Apply for a collaborative investigation on these twelve people immediately and put them under key surveillance. Additionally, contact the current employers or local police stations of the people on this list to understand their recent movements. Be discreet; do not alert the enemy.

Yes!

Engineer Zhang, any progress with the sandbox environment?

Engineer Zhang from Cyber Security wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head. The virus’s core encryption algorithm is custom-made. It combines variants of several known ransomware strains and includes self-destruct and anti-analysis traps. We tried seven different decryption paths, and all failed, even triggering three simulated environment crashes. As it stands, without the original key, the possibility of a brute-force crack in a short time is… nearly zero.

Time was ticking away. Nearly six hours had passed since the twenty-four-hour deadline given by the extortionists.

Pressure weighed on everyone’s heart in the isolation zone like an invisible boulder.

Just then, a very faint notification sound, nearly drowned out by the equipment noise, came from Shen Qingwu’s side. Her fingers suddenly stopped typing, and she leaned forward slightly, staring intently at the middle screen.

Lin Jianfeng. she spoke. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut clearly through the surrounding noise.

Lin Jianfeng immediately walked to her side and leaned down to look.

Shen Qingwu’s screen displayed a complex network topology map. A data link highlighted in bright red extended from an inconspicuous node within the Gemini internal network, piercing through layers of isolation walls and finally pointing to an anonymous server located in an overseas data port.

They didn’t leave. Shen Qingwu’s voice carried a cold certainty. The ransom is a ruse; even the large-scale encryption is a cover. The real data theft has been ongoing. Look here— She enlarged a section of the topology map. After the virus was activated, in the final few milliseconds before all encrypted servers lost responsiveness, they sent a highly compressed and disguised data packet to this internal relay node. The packets are small, but the transmission frequency is extremely high. When accumulated, the traffic is staggering. This relay node itself was ‘encrypted’ by the virus and looks like a victim, but in reality, it is continuously transmitting the received packets outward through a hidden channel established using a vulnerability in an old maintenance protocol.

She pulled up the traffic monitor for that hidden channel. The graph showed an extremely faint but steady blue data stream, like a ghost line, silently slipping past the heavily guarded network perimeter.

What are they stealing? Lin Jianfeng asked in a low voice.

I’m trying to reconstruct the packet structure; it will take time. Shen Qingwu’s fingers flew across the keyboard again, pulling up another set of analysis tools. But based on the types of servers sending the data and correlation analysis of past logs, it’s highly likely to be financial transaction records, engineering design blueprints, internal communication emails, and… original scanned documents and meeting minutes related to land approval and environmental assessments for the New City Project.

All of it was core sensitive information sufficient to plunge multiple companies into a fatal crisis or even shake the legitimacy of the New City Project.

Can we cut this channel? Engineer Zhang leaned in as well, his face pale.

We can try, but the risk is immense. Shen Qingwu didn’t look up. The channel itself is extremely fragile. Any active interception or blocking action could trigger the virus’s preset self-destruct sequence, leading to the total destruction of all encrypted data. Moreover, the other party certainly has backup transmission paths.

She paused and added, More importantly, if we cut it now, we alert the enemy. We don’t know how much they have already stolen, nor do we know who the final receiving point and recipient are.

Your suggestion? Lin Jianfeng looked at her profile.

Beat them at their own game. Shen Qingwu looked up, her eyes meeting Lin Jianfeng’s, appearing incredibly calm. I need highest-level authorization to temporarily take over several network nodes near the exit of this channel. Without alerting the other side, I will perform mirror copying and partial content replacement of the transmitted data packets. Simultaneously, I will set up a carefully disguised ‘honeypot’ at the exit to induce the receiving end to expose more information, or even… perform a reverse trace.

This was an extremely bold plan with high technical difficulty. It required millisecond-level precision, a profound understanding of network architecture, and the ability to react quickly to various emergencies. The slightest error would not only expose the operation but could also result in catastrophic data loss.

Engineer Zhang opened his mouth as if to question her, but seeing the dizzyingly complex analysis interfaces and precise judgments on Shen Qingwu’s screen, he swallowed his words. This suddenly appeared consultant demonstrated a professional level far exceeding his own team.

Lin Jianfeng did not hesitate for long. She trusted Shen Qingwu’s judgment and ability. More importantly, this was currently the only plan that could potentially turn the tide or even counter-attack the opponent.

What resources do you need? she asked directly.

An independent server with sufficient computing power, completely under my control and not connected to any other network on-site. A detailed internal network architecture map of Gemini and the authorization keys. Additionally, Shen Qingwu looked at Engineer Zhang, I need three of the Cyber Security Detachment’s top reverse engineers to cooperate. They will be responsible for embedding the tracking code and false information fragments I provide into the mirrored data. It must be seamless, leaving no detectable ‘fingerprints.’

Can do! Engineer Zhang immediately agreed and turned to arrange the personnel.

Xiao Chen, Lin Jianfeng commanded, coordinate all units on-site to fully cooperate with Consultant Shen’s operation. Block all news; except for the core personnel present, no one is to be told about our counter-attack plan.

Understood!

The orders were quickly dispatched, and the atmosphere in the isolation zone shifted abruptly from anxious passive defense to a tense and orderly active offensive.

Shen Qingwu received the resources she needed. The independent server was pushed to her side, and she quickly connected. Her hands typed on the keyboard at a speed that was nearly a blur. Windows popped up, switched, and merged on the screen as complex instruction streams poured down like a waterfall.

Lin Jianfeng stood slightly behind her. She didn’t disturb her, simply standing guard like a shield. She watched Shen Qingwu’s focused profile, seeing the fine beads of sweat break out on her forehead and slide down her clear jawline. She saw her brow furrow slightly when encountering a problem, only to smooth out the instant she found a solution.

At this moment, Shen Qingwu was no longer the woman who needed her protection or who struggled alone in the dark. She was a powerful, focused warrior engaged in a peak confrontation with an invisible enemy. Her wisdom, her calmness, and her decisiveness bloomed with a radiance that made it impossible to look away in this cold server room.

Time flew by amidst the dense sound of typing, the hum of equipment, and occasional short, sharp commands.

Three hours later.

Shen Qingwu hit the final Enter key and leaned back against her chair. She let out a long sigh of relief, her face showing obvious fatigue, but her eyes were incredibly bright.

Channel takeover complete. The mirrored data stream is established, and the false information packets have been successfully embedded and have begun mixing into the normal transmission flow. The ‘honeypot’ is deployed, disguised as a temporary packet backlog caused by slight network fluctuations. Her voice was somewhat raspy, yet carried the certainty of having completed a grueling task. Now, we just wait for the fish to bite.

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the screen monitoring the honeypot flickered. A green indicator light representing an established connection lit up.

There’s a connection attempt! a cyber security engineer whispered.

Shen Qingwu immediately sat up straight, her fingers tapping the keyboard to pull up the connection details. Source… after seventeen hops, the final exit is… a public data center in a Southeast Asian country. They are very cautious. She operated quickly. I’m attempting to inject a tracking program back along the connection path, but the other side has set up dynamic anti-tracking traps… it will take time to crack.

Can you determine the identity of the recipient? Lin Jianfeng asked.

Not yet. But the honeypot feedback shows the other side is verifying the authenticity of the false information packets. Shen Qingwu stared at the screen. The fake information I embedded includes several carefully designed ‘key’ transaction records pointing to several fictional New City Project partner companies and overseas shell accounts. If the other side knows enough about the internal details of the New City Project, they will be interested in these records and might even try to verify them further… which gives us more opportunities to capture their traces.

Just as she finished speaking, an abnormal fluctuation appeared in the data stream on the screen. The other side’s verification speed accelerated, and they began attempting to access several simulated directories in the honeypot that appeared to hold more sensitive ‘original files.’

They’ve taken the bait. A cold curve formed at the corner of Shen Qingwu’s mouth. They are moving deeper along our preset ‘lure’ path. The tracking program has broken through the first layer of countermeasures… currently parsing the real IP of the next hop…

Everyone’s heart leaped into their throats as they watched the screen with bated breath.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared through the isolation zone!

It didn’t come from Shen Qingwu’s screen, but from the data center’s physical security system!

Report! An unidentified heat source and smoke have been detected in backup power room number three! The fire suppression system has automatically activated! a security guard’s urgent shout came through the radio.

What?! Lin Jianfeng’s expression changed. The backup power room? That was the lifeline that kept the entire data center running during a power outage, especially the critical equipment in the isolation zone!

Almost simultaneously, the monitoring screen in front of Shen Qingwu flickered violently. The tracking connection that had just been established was forcibly cut! The honeypot was hit by a high-intensity external DDoS attack, and the data flow was instantly severed!

They’re making a move in the physical world too! Shen Qingwu stood up abruptly, her voice carrying suppressed anger. A diversion! The network attack drew all our attention while they sent someone to sabotage the backup power, creating chaos to cover the real data recipient’s retreat!

Xiao Chen, take men to room three! Be careful; it could be arson or sabotage! Lin Jianfeng ordered quickly, then looked at Shen Qingwu. As for the network…

Before the interruption, the tracking program captured the last two hops with relative clarity! Shen Qingwu quickly saved the logs. Although we didn’t reach the final point, the range has been greatly narrowed! Give me a little time, and I can lock down several highly suspicious overseas servers and at least one secondary springboard that might be local to Shuangcheng!

Engineer Zhang, I’m leaving the network defense and recovery to you! You must protect the recovered data and the channel! After speaking to Engineer Zhang, Lin Jianfeng grabbed Shen Qingwu’s wrist. Come with me! It might not be safe here anymore!

She pulled Shen Qingwu along, quickly leaving the isolation zone and retreating toward the upper floors via the emergency exit. Behind them, the fire alarm shrieked shrilly, mixed with the sounds of people running and shouting.

In the chaos, Shen Qingwu was held tightly by Lin Jianfeng’s side. She felt the firm, burning warmth from the other woman’s wrist. They ran through the faint, drifting smoke and flashing emergency lights, their footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell.

The enemy was far more cunning and ruthless than imagined, attacking simultaneously online and offline.

But they hadn’t let the enemy have their way entirely.

At the very least, they had fought side by side, torn away a layer of the enemy’s disguise, and caught the tail of a vital clue.

Running out of the stairwell and into the relatively safe lobby, Lin Jianfeng stopped and looked back at Shen Qingwu. Both were breathing slightly hard, their hair was messy, and their faces were stained with a bit of soot.

Amidst the surrounding alarms and chaos, Lin Jianfeng looked at Shen Qingwu’s cheeks, flushed from the intense battle and the run, and those eyes that still burned with an unyielding fire. She suddenly felt something strike her heart heavily.

She released Shen Qingwu’s wrist and instead gently took her hand.

Nice work, Consultant Shen. Lin Jianfeng said. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it fell clearly into Shen Qingwu’s ears.

Shen Qingwu was stunned for a moment. Then, the cold fire in her eyes seemed to melt at the edges, giving way to a very faint, genuine smile.

Likewise, Officer Lin. She squeezed Lin Jianfeng’s hand back, her fingertips applying a bit of pressure.

Palms pressed together, their warmth merged.

The alarms were still ringing, and the battle was far from over.

But at this moment, they both knew they were each other’s most reliable comrades and most steadfast support.

Fighting side by side was not just a slogan.