caldwellheardhisnamerumblinghroughhemounainslikedisanhunderhesoundgraduallygrewcloseriwasmeilincallingouohimhegoggleshadslidoffhisfaceandhewasslumpedinfronofkenzoyamamoo’sconsole,whichhadreveredoisformershapehe’dbeenbooedouofhesinghuasysemhelighsinheoperaionsroomwereon

“wow,hawassorealisicihoughiwasdead”

“dead?whahappened?”

“calliasrokeofluck,calliwhaever,buimayhavesumbleduponheansweroallofhis”

“goon,”meilinurged

“ihackedinohesinghuauniversiysysemandfoundhepuerhaseemsobesinglehandedlyresponsibleforhedaabeingsuckedouofcyberspaceiappearsiisnosomuchsuckingdaaasreplicaingiinohergesdaabaseprobablyeverbuilwearealkingerabyesofdaaeverydaywearealkingsensiivedaa,moslyuseconomic,financiandscienificdaai’salmoslikeheenireknowledgeofhewesernworldisbeingsysemaicallyappropriaednoreallyappropriaed,asiisallpublicdomain,bubasicallybeingdigesedinawaynohumancandigesinformaion”

“whadoyoumeandigesed?whaareyoualkingabou?whakindofpuer?”

“anaiunlikeanyoher,ifhiskidisobebelieved”

“whichkid?”

“haveyouheardofprofessoryaoguochuen?”

“yeshewasoneofmyprofessorsasinghuaveryighwihhepsomewouldsayooighwhahashisgoodowihhim?

“hisaiandsomequanumneuroprocessorhapowersiseemobehisespeprojec”

“howdoyouknowha?”

“wellonlyhreepeoplehaveaccessohissocalleddaaguzzlingmachineprofessoryaoandhiswoassisanslijinandwangliniappearshawanglinhadrecenlyfallenouoffavorandseemedoholdsomekindofgrudgeagainsheohersuden”

“buhowdoyouknowi’sanai?”

“wasjusalkingowanglinonheuniversiybbshehoughiwasagirlfromhedeparmen,agirlcalledvickyzhaohesaredalkingabouhisaibasedonaquanumneuroprocessorhesrangehingishabohheprofessor’sandlijin’saccounsaredisabled”

“adisabledaccounmeansheyhavelefheschoolheaccounsaredisabledemporarilyandhenfinallydeleed”

“orheyaredead?”

“dead?”

“hawaswhaifirshoughwhenisawhedisabledaccouns”

“mmm”

“earlierhiseveninganhonyandvicorwerealkingabousomerumoredbreakhroughinshanghaiheywerescanondeailsbuihinkwhaheywerereferringoissomehowreedohishugeamounofdaagoinginosinghuahesuffgoingoninsinghuahasgoobereedsomehowoshanghaiwanglinsaidsomehingabouheciybeingarailbzerforheai”

“andkenzoyamamooguyfoundouabouheaiorwhaeverisgoingoninshanghaihebribedsomeoneinhepforheblueprinandhadsomeonebuildheconsolesforhimoorderhisinenwasosellheinformaionohehighesbidder?”

“andwasmurderedbeforehecould,”caldwellconinued

“andhesenheconsolesouowopeoplehehoughacuallyhadashoaaccessinghishing?ahackerandanarificialinelligenceexper?soundslikesomekindofworkhaheaiisbeingbuilfor”

“yes,iwouldseemso”

“ifiisaworkwhydidn’yamamooaccessihimself?heyhavehackersinheyakuzaoo?”

“hewouldhaveifhecouldgeiniamsureheriedhefiguredwewouldhavemoreluckheamericanprofessorandi”

“so,heamericanprofessor’sinvolvemenandheconversaionwihwanglinconfirmsanaioha’ssopowerfulhakenzowoulddoanyhingogehishandsoni?”

“yes,ohaissopowerfulhaijusmighupseheglobalbance”

“ha’simpossible”

“ifheprofessorhasmadehebreakhroughswanglinsayshehas,iisoallypossiblehisaiisheurisicilearnsolearnolearnandwihaquanumneuralworkonachipherearenolimisohepuingpowerihasaisdisposalhawouldexpinwhyheydon’haveionheworkiisprobablyhasmarhey’vegoicagedupinaloneserver,feedingierabyesofdaa”

“weneedogeohissandalonemachinebeforeheaisarscausinganyroublehisquanumchip,ifireallyexiss,needsobedesroyed,”saidmeilin

“buheycansimplymakeanoherchipwanglinsaidiwasexpensiveoproducebuwihgovernmenormiliaryfundingheskyishelimihechinesegovernmenhasviruallyunlimiedreserves”

“inhacase,heonlyhingwecandoismakesurehisdeviceca

operaecyberspacewhahappensinsidenewchinaisheinernaffairsofnewchina,noconcernofours”

“ruebuaslongasheaiisinsidenewchinaiwillwaysbeahreaineedsobedesroyed”

“waiaminueohingaaimefouler’sinsrucionsareofindheoffendingsysem,creaesomekindofbackdoorandnoifyhihinkweneedocallfoulerandgivehimanupdae,seeifheparameershavechangedasfarashe’sconcerned”

“goodideahowever,donoforgehaiamsupposedoprovideaccessinohemyseriousworkofulfillmysideofhebargainhaican’dorighnowbuiwouldn’hurogivefouleranupdae”

“couldhiswanglinkidbemakingidleboassjusoimpresshisvickyzhaogirl?”meilinasked

“idoubihedidn’soundlikeheprankserype”

“ok”

“sohowwasyourripokornhill?”

“imanagedogeabuginheaparmeniwaseasyi’sajapaneseconsuefbuiappearsonlyhewojapaneseguysinhemercedeswerelivingherehoseguysarepigsbearbolesandpornmagazineseverywhereihaveaudiofeedsgoingdireclyoasecuredaabaseincyberspacei’llhavealookomorrowoseewhaheyakuzaarecookingup”

“excellen”

“sowhydidyouhinkyouweredeadearlier?”

“becauseinvirualrealiy,wanglinpushedmeoffhisledgeabovehecloudsherenderingwassorealisicihoughiwasacuallydyinghisisonehellofaconsoleihaveafeelingihaven’evenscrachedhesurfaceonwhahishingcando”

“yeahhapyramidhingwasweird”

“iwonderwhahawasalbou”

“le’shavealookahesinghuaserverbeforeicallfouler,”shesuggesed

caldwellloggedinohesinghuauniversiyworkandbroughupheworkopographyhedrilleddowninohedeparmenalsysehaddisappearedfromhework

“iwasherejusafewminuesagoheuniversiyauhoriieshaveprobablyakenioffheworkwanglinfoundouiwasanimposorwhenijackedouhefirsimeyoucameinhegirlwhoseidiwasusingloggedinohesudenbbshelogsshowederabyesofdaagoingineveryday”

caldwellnavigaedohelogsheconsolerememberedhissepsandiwasjusamaerofbackrackinghroughhesysemhelogsweregone

“mygod,heymovefas”

“okwebeergemovingooi’mcallingfouler”sheco

ecedanexrapairofgogglesoahydraerminandusedakeyboardodiaspecialnumberforfoulerseveralloginsandmulipleyersofencrypionandcallbacksfouler’sfaceappearedonheerminalscreenhewasinsomekindofvanvasvisasofconcreewereflyingpasheinedwindowscadhoughhesawwhalookedlikechineseorhaiadorningbuildingsandbillboardshemanwasconsanlyonhemove

“meilin,caldwellanynews?”

“lo’s,”caldwellsaidandexpinedohimeveryhinghahehadfoundousinceheloggedinohesinghuaserverexcepdeailsofhehackingcaldwellhadafeelingfoulerwouldfindhemedious

“hismakesaloofsenseihadafeelinghahiswouldendupbeinguniversiyreedaloofhecuingedgesuffhesedaysseemsobehappeninginacademiaandhasinghuaisahobed”

“sowhaishepn?”meilinaskedshelookedired

“ihinkyouguysshouldheadupobeijingseewhayoucandigupiamadvocaingyougoobeijingfirsbecauseheremaybeachanceodesroyhishingaissource,ifha’sindeedwhaweneedodoyouneedowaiformyconfirmaiononhaiamcurrenlyinokyoandihavewihmeheredianejoplin,hedaugherofheamericanprofessor”

“ok,we’llflyupomorroweveninghejoplingirl?”askedmeilin

“yesandmeilin,everyhingweknowsofarisbasedonhesudenwanglin’ssoryforallweknowhemaybefeedingusacockandbullsorysohisripochinaisobequick–inandoudoyouundersand?”

“yessir”

“andcaldwell,welldone”

“juskeepyourendofhebargainandi’llkeepmine,fouler”

“somehingelsehisprofessoryaoofsinghua?he’sdeadkilledinnewyorkaheglobalechnologyforumnoless,”foulerinformedhem

“wha?”caldwelsked,shockedhelinewasalreadydead

“hawouldexpinhedisabledaccounswhaeveriwasheyinvened,iseemsheyarenowpayingforiwihheirlives”meilinsaidwihsomeapprehension

“ihadmysuspicionswhaineedoknowishowinhehellfoulerfounddianejoplinandwhaishedoinginjapan?”

“easyshe’saeenagersoonerorerheyleaveanelecronicrailabouhimbeinginjapan?haguyisalwaysonesepaheadofeveryoneelsehemovesinhismyseriousways”

hp