Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 76 Hacker Support [Please Read On]

"To implement the technology you mentioned, the only existing way is to upload the program's feedback data to a server, which would enable multi-user interaction."

Cat finally called back; she was talking to Lin Yue about the analog chip.

Lin Yue had just finished sparring with Mann and was walking back to his room, wiping away sweat.

The voice of the cat is that of a young woman, with a calm and slightly languid voice, similar in style to the cyber cat in her call avatar.

Lin Yue laughed and said, "Your voice is quite nice... but can you be more specific? Uh... to be honest, I don't know much about hacking techniques."

Lin Yue felt that this task would be quite troublesome, as he didn't have anyone with hacking skills to support him.

Unfortunately, V seems to be working for the company recently, and since Lin Yue hasn't had any direct contact with any Arasaka employees other than V, he has to fumble around and solve the problem himself.

The cat chuckled. "Thank you, but it's an AI voice. I accept your compliment. Not understanding hacking techniques... that won't do. Nix said you're an excellent lone wolf; not understanding technology is a real disadvantage—"

Then she continued:

"If you have an offline server or something similar, it's easy to solve. Write the program into your personal data storage, use the server's computing power to transmit the analog chip data to the server with low latency, and finally feed it back to each 'host'."

"But all current network programs are based on the [IGTA] algorithm, and this code completely replaces what the military science researchers used. You can think of it as the old transmission protocols no longer meeting current needs; outdated technology doesn't meet the requirements and isn't compatible—let alone a company-classified product like this. Being able to modify it already makes you a very skilled [hacker]..."

"Of course! I really admire the person who helped you modify the chip. As it stands, the solution I provided is the best. After all, rewriting the chip's contents would definitely require hiring a top-notch person at a high price, and you certainly don't want that."

As Lin Yue listened to the cat's explanation, he also retrieved the explanations of these technical terms from Arasaka's internal information database. He had to admit that the increase in intelligence points did indeed help with the ability to process more information and complex matters at the same time.

In short: Cat means using a server to allow team members to share the contents of an analog chip via a network connection, while also enabling multiplayer online play via a local area network. This is similar to playing a game together on a local area network.

Lin Yue's goal was to enable the team to conduct more coordinated operations and avoid such reckless, headless actions.

"Hmm." Lin Yue listened while typing the information he needed to record onto the separation chip. The information resources within the Ara-Saka network were enormous.

When the original network was destroyed by Bartmouth, the reason why Network Surveillance fought desperately to save the collapsed network was because a huge amount of information was still inside the old network. The establishment of the Black Wall barely saved 21% of the old network. Since then, no one has dared to risk entering outside the Black Wall under the attack of the roving AI. Therefore, information sharing has become a huge joke. The company has established its own subnets and absolute control over the network. The power continues and is even more oppressive.

Lin Yue sat on the sofa, deep in thought. The cat opposite him was very patient and didn't urge him at all.

"Are there any other ways?" Lin Yue asked.

If he were to follow the cat's method, it would likely take him a long time to do it himself, and Lin Yue wasn't sure if he could actually learn the vast amount of network technology...

Because what he lacks most right now is time.

Hanz will soon be competing fairly with him, which means that the business and connections that Hanz didn't hand over are still in his hands. Lin Yue doesn't just want a gang; he wants everything Hanz has.

Whether it's investigation, malicious exclusion, training a team and then leaving it to others, or acting as a mediator... all of these take time.

"Hmm... that's not a good solution. If you can't let me come to the site in person to do these things for you, then I can only assist you remotely. Finally, you can feed the data back to me, which will save you a lot of trouble!"

Lin Yue: "Doesn't that mean you can access our [Biomonitoring Panel] at any time?"

Clearly, the cat is a shrewd businessman. "You don't need to worry at all. The biometric monitoring panel only records your personal vital signs and only involves things like your name. Your private data still needs to be extracted on the spot."

Lin Yue: "Okay, let me think about it."

After saying that, he hung up the phone and sent a text message to Nix to ask about it. Only after Nix replied and confirmed that what the cat said was true did he feel relieved and agree to the proposal.

The cat replied quickly after receiving Lin Yue's consent:
[Cat: Thank you very much! o(=ェ=)m】

When Lin Yue saw the reply text message, he thought it was really rare to find a female hacker like this in Night City.

Perhaps because he was used to the rough way people communicated, Lin Yue felt that this message was a bit like chatting with an ordinary girl.

I hope she can stay adorable while also managing her own affairs well.

The next few days were not just torture, they were hell.

Lin Yue spends his days in the network room of the facility, assigning cats. Every time his back aches, he wonders if he's even working for someone else. The cats, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly skilled. At first, they would at least say something like "thank you for your hard work" when they called, but later it was just:

Hurry up, you have to do this... This made Lin Yue think that he had some special fetish for obeying orders.

However, the results are encouraging. With the joint efforts of Lin Yue and the cat, the basic construction work has been successfully completed.

During this period, Lin Yue also learned a lot of basic network knowledge, including some hacker terminology. Although he is now like a primary school student who has just learned the basics, he is no longer a clueless "blind man" on the internet.

Cat: "OK...like this...um, and then like this, that should do it. How about we run around and try it out?"

"Let's test it out." Lin Yue agreed, and despite his aching back, he sat down in the chair and inserted the wires into the brain-computer interface at the back of his neck.

If you want to properly connect to the network, you have to install a deep-sea device, but obviously the data volume of this simulation chip is far from that level. It simply packages the personal behavior data in the simulation chip and sends it to the server on the cat's side, and then returns it to Lin Yue's simulation chip program. The delay is only a few milliseconds, which is not a big problem.

Lin Yue inserted the data interface into the back of his head, and the light particles around the prosthetic eye began to sink rapidly. The familiar feeling of the analog chip returned.

The surrounding cover made of light particles and the complex environment, plus the weapon reading panel...

Wait a minute? How come the hypothetical enemy has emerged so quickly?

A virtual character with an indistinct face and slender waist waved from afar, "Hi~"

屮!
The sudden appearance of a living person inside the immersive chip startled Lin Yue.

"Let me check this out, just in case there are any problems." With that, the guy looked around with his hands behind his back.

Lin Yue let out a long breath, "You are... a cat? Oh my god, don't just barge in like that... I can't take it."

"Your teammates can try it out; it should be fine." The cat checked for a moment and then logged out.

Looking at the simulated training ground around him, Lin Yue felt a sense of joy as his plan gradually matured.

Just then, Mann and the others finished their training, and Lin Yue called everyone over to test the simulation chip.

And at this very moment, in Watson District.

The dimly lit room was filled with the low rumble of the server, and ice cubes floated in the slightly yellowed and scratched bathtub.

Wow!

A hand broke through the surface of the liquid and clung to the edge of the bathtub. The girl reached out and rubbed her hair, then picked up a towel and carefully dried herself. The black dress on the chair concealed her slender figure.

"Lin Yue... Lin Yue..."

Sasha muttered a few words, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Mann, we've finally found you."
-
[IGTA]: This stands for the Ihara-Grubb conversion algorithm. In the Cybernetic Realm of 2077, the initial cybernet underwent a technological revolution in early 2014. This algorithm aimed to create a near-realistic virtual experience on the cybernet, representing a major update. At the time, all businesses and individuals were required to go offline within ten hours of the algorithm's reconstruction to prevent unforeseen consequences. However, [Bartlemos] did not go offline and witnessed the initial cybernetic redesign firsthand. Despite the immense workload, he injected the [Rabids] virus into the initial cybernetic's foundational code. This virus was, in effect, linked to his life; if Bartlemos were to meet with misfortune, the initial cybernet would also collapse. (IGTA was created by the Regulatory Commission.)
[Razi Bartomos]: To avoid too much information, we will temporarily regard him as one of the cyber gods in the 2077 universe.

【NetWacth】: In the 2077 cyber universe, NetWacth is a police organization established in London, England, in 2013.

[Roaming AI]: After the Rabids virus was released, it began to replicate in large numbers. A large number of enterprise and military-grade artificial intelligences began to break free. With their extremely fast iteration and evolution speed, they slowly evolved into a cruel artificial intelligence virus.

[Black Wall]: The regulatory committee and the network surveillance team once launched the initial network collapse protocol, but it failed. As a last resort, the network surveillance team joined forces with ten top hackers to create the Black Wall to protect the remaining 21% of the network. The Black Wall itself is an AI.

　This chapter might be a bit more serious, but I still want to make it more immersive. If hackers just glare and instantly kill, without exploring these world-building aspects, it would feel empty. If you find it difficult to read, please give me feedback, and I'll try to make it easier in future chapters.

　　(Here's my personal understanding of the Black Wall: why is it agreeing with humanity? My personal understanding is that AI iterates too quickly. Artificial intelligence needs to consume data. The Black Wall separates AI from humanity, allowing it to nurture itself while also helping AI recuperate. As the slider in 2077's Shadow of the Past said, "From the AI's perspective on the other side of the Black Wall, we are all outdated code, like cockroaches." I personally lean towards the idea that AI no longer values ​​human data; it's waiting for the fat sheep to grow and then fatten itself up again.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)