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Chapter 72: Skynet World (Part 3)
“What did you just say?” Incredulity covered Shen Qingqiu’s face. Was Xiao Muyu really planning to hack Skynet’s system?
Xiao Muyu’s actions confirmed her suspicion. Her expression was serious and focused. “Even though the world we’re in being a programmed simulation is absurd, there’s something off about those incidents that happened in the instance,” she explained while typing. “So I wanted to test whether this world is what it seems.”
“That small script I ran earlier was just to check if this world’s network system actually exists. From the results, it does seem to function, which means I can put my knowledge to use.”
Through the Skynet player forum’s access route, Xiao Muyu located a hidden backdoor. As suspected, she discovered something upon entering.
Time was tight, so Xiao Muyu said no more. Eyes locked on the screen, her fingers flew across the keyboard. Her speed wasn’t exaggerated, but the stream of code she typed out with barely a thought awed Shen Qingqiu.
Xiao Muyu wasn’t trying to show off. She truly had found something. She discovered port 6537 in Skynet’s system linked to its Redis1 server.
When prompted for a password upon attempting to log in, Xiao Muyu used the ssh-keygen2 command to create a public key file. After some fiddling, she ran the program and reconnected to the client.
To Shen Qingqiu, the entire process seemed incredibly fast and deceptively simple. In the blink of an eye, the screen displayed [Login successful]. Xiao Muyu had successfully obtained root account access to the host system.
As Xiao Muyu was about to take it a step further, the computer screen began to shake. A red exclamation mark appeared and started flashing repeatedly. Less than eight seconds later, a dialog box with an X popped up. Her login had been forcibly terminated.
They had already discovered her. Xiao Muyu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
After a brief pause, she resumed her actions. She hadn’t been sure where “it” was before, but now that it had made a move, Xiao Muyu quickly followed. What ensued was a game of cat and mouse, attack and defense.
The other party appeared extremely tense. They scrambled to encrypt and patch vulnerabilities while simultaneously reinforcing their defenses.
Xiao Muyu, however, brimmed with fighting spirit. Her eyes were cold yet laced with a subtle smile. Her moves were swift and ruthless. Like a hunter certain of her victory, she steadily closed in on her prey, waiting for it to tire before killing it in one strike.
Shen Qingqiu had never seen this side of Xiao Muyu. Usually, she was cold but never cutting—like moonlight on a winter’s night, gentleness amidst frost.
But she was now unsheathing her blade. Cold and lethal, yet impossibly fascinating. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t take her eyes off her. She didn’t know if anyone had ever peeked at this side of Xiao Muyu. She, though, was enthralled.
Xiao Muyu pressed forth one step at a time. Suddenly, the computer’s main unit sparked with a loud pop. A burnt smell filled the air as smoke rose from the machine. The screen went black.
Shen Qingqiu immediately pulled Xiao Muyu away. She warily stared at the smoking computer.
At the sound of the explosion, the internet café owner rushed over, shouting panickedly.
Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu. She coldly stared at the computer, brows tightly knit, not saying a word.
“Boss, you’d better check the computer circuit,” Shen Qingqiu sternly cut off the owner. “It suddenly started sparking. I thought it was gonna blow up, and it frightened my friend. Fortunately, nothing happened. Otherwise, a broken computer would be the least of your worries.”
Her tone stunned the owner. He quickly apologized, offering to waive their charges.
“Forget that. We’ll leave early. Just refund the unused time.” Shen Qingqiu knew they couldn’t stay here any longer. In the real world, hacking someone’s system in an internet café would have the authorities knocking in no time. Although there were no police here, caution was still necessary.
“Alert! Alert! The main system is under attack! Alert! Alert! The main system is under attack!”
In a massive control room, a red box kept popping up on the screen of a supercomputer. A large yellow exclamation mark flashed alongside it.
“What are you doing?” asked a man in the control room, his voice low but seething. “Bunch of dimwits. Who permitted you to let her near a computer?”
“But… Skynet World inherently has…”
“Still dare to make excuses? You useless lot! You let someone in and she almost shut down our entire operation! What’s the point of keeping you around!?” The man’s face was flushed, his eyes betraying unexplainable unease. He yanked open the top button of his collar and took several deep breaths. He appeared significantly angry.
His tense gaze stayed on the computer screen. Only when the red box disappeared and everything returned to normal did he exhale deeply. Even so, his expression remained grim. “Do you really think this is worth it?”
The quiet computer offered no response.
———
After leaving the internet café, Shen Qingqiu led Xiao Muyu to a quiet spot.
Xiao Muyu had been lost in her thoughts. The change in scenery made her turn her head. She found Shen Qingqiu staring at her with a complicated and unreadable expression.
“Muyu, earlier… I mean, how did you…” While Shen Qingqiu was no expert in computer science, she wasn’t completely clueless. Xiao Muyu had accomplished a world-shaking feat in the internet café. Skynet’s system probably never anticipated someone would be bold enough to find and exploit its flaws from within.
Failing to find a better way to describe it, Shen Qingqiu spread her hands. “You’ve astounded me,” she said in an amazed tone.
Xiao Muyu looked at her, then shook her head. “It’s nothing. I didn’t cause any real damage. It was warning me. If I had gone further, I wouldn’t be exploiting its flaws. It might have labeled me as a bug and erased me.”
She paused, glancing at the world around them. After a moment, her lips curved into a brief smile. She leaned close to Shen Qingqiu’s ear, hand raised to cover her mouth. She whispered, “But its overreaction already gave me my answer.”
If Skynet was another world, her initial probing shouldn’t have provoked such an intense reaction. After all, a “system” would merely be a minor cog in a complete world’s grand scheme of things, not its lifeline. A breach would only affect a small part of an expansive network, barely causing change.
Moreover, the punishment had been far too simplistic. Though seemingly disruptive, Xiao Muyu’s actions were ultimately inconsequential. If she genuinely wanted to breach it, she’d have to be stealthy, strike swiftly, and deliver a decisive blow before the system could respond.
It had been suspiciously sensitive.
Shen Qingqiu blinked. She looked around, then nodded in understanding.
“But the system you accessed earlier wasn’t part of any core domain, right?” Shen Qingqiu suddenly asked.
Xiao Muyu looked slightly surprised. “What makes you say that?”
“Millions of people enter this world. There must be plenty of individuals skilled in this field,” Shen Qingqiu replied, smiling at her. “I doubt you’re the first to attempt something like this.”
Xiao Muyu studied her for a long moment. A soft smile eventually spread across her lips. “You may be right. But…” She pulled out her phone to check the time. Unconcerned, she added, “Probably very few can break in so quickly and spar with it a few rounds.”
Her words came out unhurriedly. Her tone sounded calm yet exuded undeniable confidence and frivolity. Far from being off-putting, it made her shine all the more brilliantly.
Shen Qingqiu watched her retreating figure. Her gaze brimmed with irrepressible admiration, bordering on infatuation.
They already finished their business at the internet café. The priority now was finding a new place to stay. While 600 gold coins per day for a hotel room wasn’t exorbitant compared to food or clothing, the cost would add up to an alarming sum over time.
After scouting around, Xiao Muyu found that Skynet didn’t differ much from the real world. It had all sorts of professions and fully equipped facilities.
Among those professions was one about to become obsolete in the real world—real estate agents.
In other words, Skynet resembled a 21st-century reality.
By the fourth time they followed the real estate agent on a so-called electric scooter to view another apartment, Shen Qingqiu’s face had turned icy. She refused to acknowledge anyone.
Her attitude toward Xiao Muyu remained relatively warm. However, she showed no politeness towards the agent wearing a work badge.
The young man, who looked to be in his late twenties, parked his scooter in front of a somewhat aged apartment building. He glanced cautiously at Shen Qingqiu. Despite her stunning looks and approachable demeanor, the woman was chilly. Her gaze felt like a knife. She stressed him out every time she looked his way.
“We… We’re here. It’s on the sixth floor,” the young agent explained as he ushered the women into the elevator. “There are elevator access, two bedrooms, and a living room. I checked the listing—great interior. The landlord only wants 8,888 a month. Let me tell you, with a setup like this, anything less than 12,000 would be impossible. I even suggested he raise the price, but he refused.”
Once they reached the unit, he fished out a key and opened the door. He looked back, reassuring them, “You’ll love it. Just look—”
The door opened, revealing a dimly lit interior that looked nothing like the bright and pristine photos in the listing. Through the light spilling in from the balcony, Xiao Muyu spotted blotches on the base of the wall separating the bathroom and bedroom. The wallpaper was peeling due to poor waterproofing. The wood flooring had holes and splinters. Some panels were even warped and sticking up.
Never mind Shen Qingqiu, this apartment even made Xiao Muyu frown. They didn’t bother stepping inside. With the picky lady beside her, that was out of the question. Forget about living here.
The real estate agent went silent. Slack-jawed, he stepped inside to inspect the unit. He looked at the photos on his phone again in disbelief. After a long pause, he muttered, “No wonder it’s so low-priced. This place is… worth exactly that much.”
He awkwardly glanced at Xiao Muyu, scratching his head before looking timidly at Shen Qingqiu. “I-I have two other listings. Really great ones this time. I’ve personally inspected them. I swear they’re nothing like…”
“You’re a player, aren’t you?” Xiao Muyu asked, feeling a headache forming.
“Y-yes, yes, I am. This is just a side job. But I’ve had professional training. I just got careless this time. I’ll find you another place right away…”
Before he could finish, Shen Qingqiu grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the wall. The nearly six-foot-tall man couldn’t move at all. The color drained from his face as fear set in.
“A side hustle to earn some extra cash, huh? Understandable.” Shen Qingqiu’s lips curled into a half-smile. “But don’t waste my time here. I’m not interested in following your busted little scooter around for a fifth time.”
“I-I can give you a ride! It… it can carry passengers…”
Shen Qingqiu: ……
“Do you think that’s my problem right now?” Her fingers shifted to his throat, applying just enough pressure. Panic flickered in his eyes. Shen Qingqiu’s tone turned icy. “I believe I’ve made our requirements crystal clear. I’ll give you one last chance. If the next place isn’t up to standard, I’ll dismantle you and your scooter. We’re all players here, so you should know—I don’t make empty threats.”
Shen Qingqiu casually released him. She adjusted her sleeves with a flat look. “Hurry up.”
Zhuo Minghang ceaselessly complained in his mind. This so-called profession wasn’t as easy as it looked. Sure, he’d been a little crafty before. This time, however, he’d genuinely thought he had found a decent property, and one look would seal the deal. But it ended up crashing and burning. These two seemingly delicate and stunning women were not to be trifled with.
He thought he had luck on his side. Yet, Shen Qingqiu’s move just now made it abundantly clear he had run into someone formidable.
“There is one place I can show you,” Zhuo Minghang said cautiously. “In Yellow Springs District, there’s a building called Sunset Apartments. It has great lighting and ventilation and is beautifully renovated. However, people say it has bad feng shui. Players who lived there reported strange occurrences. It’s haunted. Quite a few tenants have already cycled through. That’s why the rent is so low—only 6,888 gold coins per month. Would you dare to give it a shot?”
Shen Qingqiu arched an eyebrow. A hint of interest gleamed in her eyes. “Haunted? What, like ghosts? I’ve seen more ghosts than I can count. Why should I be scared now?”
“Sunset Apartments?” Xiao Muyu repeated quietly. What a coincidence. Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian lived there.
Shen Qingqiu also recalled this detail. “Lead the way.”
Zhuo Minghang’s face lit up with relief. He climbed onto his electric scooter, then hesitated. “It’s a bit far from here, so you might want to—”
“Get off,” Shen Qingqiu said calmly, approaching him.
“Eh?” Zhuo Minghang was puzzled but obeyed.
He watched Shen Qingqiu swing her long leg over and settle herself on the seat. Then, she gestured to Xiao Muyu. “Hop on.”
“You can ride this thing?” Xiao Muyu asked skeptically.
“Would I put you in danger?” Shen Qingqiu sounded confident.
Just as Xiao Muyu settled behind her, Shen Qingqiu twisted the throttle. The scooter shot forward. Startled, Xiao Muyu wrapped her arms around Shen Qingqiu’s waist. But before she could tighten her grip, the equally startled Shen Qingqiu quickly slammed on the brakes.
The momentum made Xiao Muyu’s soft body press against her back. She tightened her arms firmly around Shen Qingqiu’s waist. Shen Qingqiu’s heartbeat went haywire. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “I’ll… go slower.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t respond. She released her grip, sat upright, and rested her hands on Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. The warmth at Shen Qingqiu’s waist faded. Her heart steadied its beat but felt empty.
The two women, striking and elegant, looked incongruous perched on a scooter with their long legs folded.
Zhuo Minghang speechlessly watched the scooter disappear into the distance. He let out a long sigh. What a bad start. Making a living these days was just too hard.
Author had something to say:
The content in this chapter was pieced together from research I did. Professionals, please don’t laugh at me—it’s been so tough. Big thanks to the experts who helped me out, mwah! Of course, there’s no way Xiao Xiao could have succeeded. Otherwise, the system would have immediately crashed, haha.
Footnotes:
TL: I was questioning if it was necessary to put those footnotes in. But hey, saves you time from googling it yourself, and gives you a gist of what Muyu was doing besides these unexplained terms you’ve probably never heard of.
D[Translator]
Been doing this for over a year now. I don't do simple translation but aim to retell a story as engagingly, smoothly, and true to the author's intent as I can, which means lots of editing and googling as well. Click on my ko-fi button if you want to support my work.