Great Power Reclamation

A few minutes later, as a string of complex symbols flashed across the screen, Huang Shanshan exclaimed softly, "We're in. The 'Starfire Alliance' core server, tsk, the defense is even worse than I expected."

She quickly browsed the directory, and a large number of encrypted files were rapidly downloaded and decrypted.

It contains more details about the Sanyou Consortium's technology theft plan, which targets not only the Warrior Group but also several other high-tech companies in the country.

More importantly, she discovered a long-term covert operation codenamed "Deep Dive".

"Uncle Ye, we've found something."

Huang Shanshan's voice came through the communicator: "Their internal communications mentioned that the Tanaka Group was just bait and expendable pawns. The person truly responsible for contacting the 'Shadow Warrior' and carrying out the ultimate infiltration mission was another person codenamed 'Narcissus,' with extremely high authority and deep concealment."

"Furthermore, the 'Spark Alliance' database contains multiple access records originating from... an unauthorized IP segment within our Military Reclamation City!"

This news sent chills down the spines of everyone in the know. There was more than one mole! The one caught in Operation Qingyuan might just be a small fry.

"Can you locate that internal IP address?" Ye Yuze asked immediately.

"The other party is very cunning; they used an internal network jump server and even spoofed physical addresses. We need time to conduct traffic analysis..."

As Huang Shanshan was speaking, suddenly, a very subtle alarm flashed on the screen—the reverse tracking trigger she had set up in the system had been activated!

"Someone is reverse-tracking my access point!"

Huang Shanshan exclaimed in surprise, her fingers flying across the keyboard, "It's a 'Shadow Warrior' level countermeasure! He's trying to pinpoint my location!"

The atmosphere in the command center instantly became extremely tense.

Kevin's voice came through the channel, tinged with urgency: "Shanshan, disconnect! Immediately!"

"No! If we lose the connection now, all our efforts will be wasted, and he'll know we've discovered 'Narcissus'!" Huang Shanshan gritted her teeth, her eyes unusually bright. "Give me thirty seconds! I want to give him a 'big gift'!"

Instead of retreating, she pressed on head-on, her hands leaving afterimages on the virtual keyboard as she wrote an extremely complex string of offensive code.

This is her self-created "digital tripwire," which combines her father's technology with her own ingenious ideas.

A battle between top players in the virtual world erupted instantly.

Data packets collide, clash, disguise, and deceive at the speed of light. Huang Shanshan's forehead was beaded with sweat, but her eyes remained utterly focused.

She used the immense computing power of supercomputers to construct countless false images and traps, leading the opponent's tracking algorithm astray.

At the last moment, she successfully downloaded the encrypted data packet containing the codename "Narcissus" and internal IP information, and at the same time, her "digital tripwire" was deployed.

"Goodbye, Mr. Mystery." Huang Shanshan slammed down the Enter key.

On the screen, the cursor representing the other party's tracking path suddenly crashed into a fake server node, triggering a series of junk data bombs and logic locks. At the same time, Huang Shanshan's access traces were completely erased, as if she had never existed.

She escaped safely and successfully sent a tiny, undetectable tracking Trojan back deep into the other party's system, following their anti-tracking path—this was the first external contact point of the "Hive" system.

"Done." Huang Shanshan let out a long sigh, slumped in her chair, but wore a victorious, tired smile on her face. "I've shaken him off for now. Also, I sent him a small gift; I hope he likes it."

Ye Yuze and Kevin both breathed a sigh of relief, while simultaneously being astonished by Huang Shanshan's boldness and skill. Kevin muttered in the channel:
"This girl... is even crazier than I was back then..."

The intelligence Huang Shanshan brought back was crucial. The warrior group and security department immediately launched a new, more covert internal investigation based on the clues from that internal IP segment, focusing on personnel with access to core network equipment and whose recent behavior had been unusual.

Huang Shanshan, on the other hand, plunged headlong into analyzing the "Shadow Warrior" and the reverse tracking signal.

She discovered that the other party's activity frequency had increased significantly recently, and their target seemed to be the design blueprint for the latest core router chip that Junken Electromechanical was developing for quantum communication networks.

“Their goals have been upgraded,” Huang Shanshan reported at the meeting. “They are no longer satisfied with stealing the technical outline, but want to obtain the most basic design details that can realize hardware-level backdoors.”

If this succeeds, the security advantages of quantum communication will be completely lost.

She proposed an even bolder plan: using the previously planted tracking Trojan, combined with the active detection capabilities of the "Hive" system, to set a trap for the "Shadow Warrior"—a fake transfer of chip design data.

"We need to build a virtual laboratory and data warehouse that are realistic enough to fool people, put out the bait, and wait for him to take the bait."

Huang Shanshan's eyes sparkled. "This time, I'm going to let him walk in by himself."

The plan was named "Operation Shadow Capture." Huang Shanshan became the absolute technical core.

She not only had to build a perfect virtual environment, but also monitor the "Shadow Warrior's" every move in real time and lock onto its real location at the most critical moment.

On the night of the operation, the Junken Electromechanical Network Security Department was brightly lit. Huang Shanshan sat in the center, surrounded by her technical team and security personnel on high alert.

The bait has been laid. In the virtual "chip design center," a seemingly top-secret "core chip design draft" is marked "awaiting transmission."

Time ticked by. Suddenly, the "Hive" system sounded a piercing alarm!
"The fish has taken the bait!" Huang Shanshan whispered.

On the screen, an almost transparent data stream was skillfully bypassing layers of virtual firewalls, approaching the decoy file.

The exquisite skill in its execution left all the knowledgeable technicians holding their breath.

Huang Shanshan focused intently, guiding the "Hive" system to silently attach itself and conduct multi-layered tracing. A silent battle of tracking and counter-tracking was once again unfolding in the digital world.

"He's using proxy servers in at least seventeen countries...the signal source is very blurry..."

"Increase the computing power! Analyze the minute hourly differences in data packet transmission!" Huang Shanshan commanded, her hands moving non-stop.

The tense atmosphere almost froze. Kevin provided support from the other end of the line, and the father and daughter's thoughts were synchronized at high speed via radio waves.

Suddenly, Huang Shanshan slammed her hand on the control panel: "Got it! Signal source locked! Not in international waters, but in Tokyo, Japan! The exact coordinates are..."

The security department sprang into action instantly, and the coordinates were immediately sent to relevant partner units. Almost simultaneously, the intrusion data stream on the screen seemed to sense something and began a frantic retreat.

"Trying to run?" Huang Shanshan sneered and activated the final trap—"Digital Cage".

In the virtual environment, all exits are instantly locked, and countless attack programs disguised as normal data begin to surround it, frantically extracting any information from the other party's system and attempting to paralyze its operation.

The opponent was equally formidable, immediately initiating self-destruct procedures and even more powerful countermeasures. A chaotic clash ensued in the data world.

After about ten minutes, the confrontation gradually subsided.

"The other party has cut off all connections, physically disconnecting from the network," Huang Shanshan reported, with a hint of regret. "We couldn't completely keep him here, but he certainly didn't fare well either. My 'digital cage' has at least peeled off a layer of his skin, enough for us to analyze for a long time. Moreover, his real location has been exposed."

Soon, the news arrived. Based on the coordinates provided by Huang Shanshan, security personnel raided a high-end apartment in Tokyo and apprehended a suspect who was attempting to destroy equipment—an internationally renowned chip design expert of Japanese descent who was a regular participant in various technology forums.

A large amount of evidence that had not been destroyed was found in his equipment, pointing not only to the Sanyou Group, but also to a deeper international technology monopoly alliance behind it.

The true identity of the "Shadow Warrior" shocked everyone.

Huang Shanshan, a "slacker" who graduated from the military reclamation technical school, once again made outstanding contributions to the military reclamation city and to the security of Chinese science and technology with her irreplaceable technical skills.

She doesn't need dazzling academic credentials to prove herself; in the world of 0s and 1s, she is the uncrowned queen.

However, she knew that the capture of "Shadow Warrior" might only be the beginning, and the covert war in the online world would never end. She looked out the window at the sunrise over the military reclamation city, her eyes shining with the same unwavering determination as her parents to face the next challenge.

The capture of "Shadow Warrior" caused a huge uproar in the international science and intelligence communities, and Huang Shanshan's name quietly circulated within a very small circle of top talents.

But in the military reclamation city, she was still that tech geek who would occasionally oversleep and be late, and who would be nagged by Aunt Zhang in the canteen for "not eating properly."

At the celebration banquet, Mr. Ni and Ye Yuze personally presented her with a special contribution award.

Under the lights, Huang Shanshan, unusually dressed, wore a dress. Her bright eyes and white teeth, along with her upright posture, attracted everyone's attention. She gripped the trophy somewhat awkwardly, her mind seemingly wandering elsewhere.

Just then, a small commotion broke out at the conference room door. The head of the security department led in a strange man and reported to Ye Yuze:

"President Ye, this is Comrade Qin Zheng, a special investigator sent by the department to assist in handling the aftermath of the 'Shadow Warrior' incident and the internal 'Narcissus' case."

All eyes turned to him. The newcomer was tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, wearing a sharp dark suit, exuding a cool and stern aura.

His face had distinct features, a high nose bridge, tightly pursed lips, and sharp, eagle-like eyes that swept across the room with an unquestionable sense of authority and scrutiny.

He stood in stark contrast to the casually dressed, even somewhat rustic, technical backbone of the military reclamation city.

Huang Shanshan felt her heart skip a beat. She had met many outstanding men: Ye Mao was handsome and sunny, Yang Geyong was bold and rugged, Kevin was an unruly genius…

But no one had ever struck her like the man before her. It was a unique charm that blended immense power, extreme calmness, and an air of asceticism, which was fatally attractive to someone like her who was used to absolute control over the data world.

Qin Zheng gave a brief self-introduction, his voice deep and magnetic, his logic clear, his wording precise, without a single wasted word.

His gaze seemed to pause slightly as it swept over Huang Shanshan, but it was merely out of professional interest in the protagonist of the evening, nothing more.

The celebration banquet continued, but Huang Shanshan's attention was completely drawn to Qin Zheng.

She saw him standing alone in a corner, holding a wine glass but not drinking much, calmly observing everyone in the room.

She almost immediately formed a preliminary model of him in her mind: highly self-disciplined, rational, vigilant, and unapproachable.

"Interesting." Huang Shanshan's lips curled up slightly, her eyes flashing with the excitement of discovering an extremely complex encryption system.

She can overcome any challenge in the world of data, so why can't she overcome a living, breathing man who moves her heart?
She has never been a coy person. Inheriting Kevin's easygoing nature and her mother Huang Yaru's decisiveness, she always has clear goals and strong execution capabilities.

As soon as the celebration banquet ended, Huang Shanshan, carrying a glass of juice (she was allergic to alcohol), went straight to Qin Zheng.

"Investigator Qin, hello, I'm Huang Shanshan." She extended her hand gracefully, her smile bright, without the slightest hint of girlish shyness.

Qin Zheng was clearly somewhat surprised, but still politely shook hands with her.

His hands were large, warm and dry, and he applied moderate pressure.

"Comrade Huang Shanshan, I've long admired your name. This operation was truly brilliant." His praise was very official, carrying a sense of distance.

"Thank you." Huang Shanshan looked directly into his eyes, those sharp eyes even more unsettling up close. "Regarding the cases of 'Shadow Warrior' and 'Narcissus,' I have some technical details and speculations that haven't been included in the official report, which may be helpful to your investigation."

"I wonder if Investigator Qin is free tomorrow morning? We can discuss this in more detail."

The reasons are plausible and beyond reproach.

Qin Zheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Okay. I'll be waiting for you in the temporary office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"See you there." Huang Shanshan's smile deepened, like a little fox who had successfully laid a trap.

The next day, Huang Shanshan appeared on time. She not only brought a detailed technical analysis, but also, with her absolute control over the Junken City network, provided several clues about the suspicious internal IP that even the security department had not noticed. Her unique thinking and ingenious perspective surprised and impressed even the usually calm Qin Zheng.

"Comrade Huang Shanshan, your abilities are truly beyond imagination," Qin Zheng said sincerely, looking at the analysis chart she was demonstrating on the screen.

“Just call me Shanshan.” She replied naturally, leaning forward slightly to close the distance. A faint, unique tech-geek scent, a mixture of electronic components and mentholatum, wafted into Qin Zheng’s nostrils.
"I'm glad I could help you. If you have any technical questions in the future, feel free to contact me anytime; I'm online 24/7."

Her gaze was frank and direct, containing not only the candor of technical exchange, but also an undisguised interest and aggression that Qin Zheng had never felt from any other woman.

Qin Zheng wasn't stupid; he vaguely sensed something, but Huang Shanshan's performance was so professional and efficient that he couldn't find any fault with her and had to rely on her professional support.

He could only maintain a businesslike attitude: "Thank you very much for your assistance." (End of Chapter)