heairinheconrolroomahehirddeparmen’shaidianpoundinbeijingwashickwihobaccosmokeandhehumofpuerconsolesadozeniredechniciansypedaway,eagerogivehemajorgeneralheimpressionhaheyweresiller,evenafersevenywooddhoursonhejobseveralofhemhadbeenasleepaheirerminalswhenhemajorgeneralhadwalkedinheywerenowfearfulofherajecoryofheirvariouspcareersheimeonhedigialwallclockread708am

hemajorgenerallookedpissedhehadsormedindemandingohaveananswerohenigglingproblemofheworkinrusionwhichhadbeendiscoveredhedaybeforehundredsofmanhoursaferheiniialdiscovery,heyweresillnohewiserandlieuenanliu’sfuurewaslookingevenmoreprecarioushanheirshafacwasbeingincreasinglyapparenheyoungerechnicianswachedfromhecornerofheireyesashelieuenan,palefacedandblochyski

edhroughckofsleep,veinshrobbingviolenlyinhisneck,riedoexpinohemajorgeneralheechnicaldeailsofwhyheywerenomakingprogressindeecinghesourceofheworkinrusionsye,hemajorgeneralwasonlyineresedinhesoluio

ohemechanicshisbulkyuniformedframejussoodherelikeanimmovableobjec,puffingawayonhiscigaree,hiseyesdangerouslyfixedonhelieuenan

“sir,heinruderseemsoberewriingheworkcodeoavoiddeecionhismakesiimpossibleodeec,”lieuenanliuofferedweaklyhewasrapidlyapproachinghepoinwherehedidn’reallycareifhemajorgeneralfiredhimonhespohejuswanedogohome,makepeacewihhiswifeandfalsleep

“youareellingmehawihmillionsofnewchinayuanofinrusiondeecionais,saeofheariceandhefachayoucanseeeverybiandbyehaisgeneraedonhesysemusinghisveryfancyandveryexpensiveequipmenofyourshayouhavenoideawhoheinruderisandwhaheyaredoing?”hemajorgeneralhowled,poininghisburningcigareeahenumerousdispysshowinghelifesignsofhesysemandissubjecs

“yes,sir,”lieuenanliusaidsimply,feelingheenergyoryoexpindrainouofhim

hemajorgeneralwasvisiblyakenabackbylieuenanliu’sapahyheriedospeakbuhewordssuckinhishroainheblinkofaneye,iseemedhahisenirebloodsupplyrushedohisfleshyfacehemajorgeneralwasabouoexplodeinoaorrenofragewhenhiscellphonerangadeahlysilencedescendedonheroom

“speak,”hemajorgeneralmandedsomeinernalcalmingechniquehadbeenappliedandhesormseemedohaveresidedemporarily

“i’smehesudenwasinhongkongmeeingupwihsomerussian”

“andyouhavehim?”helookonhemajorgeneral’sfacesuggesedhahiswasnoaquesionbuasaemenhowever,hiswaslosonheassassinwhowasnophysicallypresen

“nohadhiminmysighsbuloshim”

“loshim?whahehelldoyoumeanloshim?iseveryoneinhepinpeen?”hemajorgeneralroared,hesormhreaeningorageagaininaviolenexplosionofhunderandlighninghemeninheroomflinchedye,heassassin’svoiceremainedcalm

“he’sgoneiwasluckyhaievenfoundhimgivenhecircumsancesaanyrae,hewasinhongkongdoingadealwihsomerussianoselpuerchip”

“compuerchip?”hemajorgeneral’sfaceurnedfromredoapalewhieinheblinkofaneyeasheblooddrainedfromhisfacehiswholeworldseemedobecolpsingaroundhimprofessoryao’sacionsingoingonewyorkhadseinmoionaveriabledominoeffechawashreaeningobringdownoneofhep’smosremarkablecareerseveryhinghahehaddreamedoffwasnowinhebanceeveryhingforhefirsimeinhiscareer,majorgeneralwangsaredosuspechahewouldnobeableobringhecurrenspaeofevensundereffeciveconrol

“yes,ihaveahongkongandshanghaibanksafeydeposisliphahesudenlefhemanhewasransacingwihwasoneolegkrachev,accordingohispassporrecenlydeceasediamafraidcoleraldamage,”heassassinsaidwihouemoion

“olegkrachev,”hemajorgeneralrepeaedohimselfhenamesoundedfamiliarandheueranceofiwasmerelyaqueryohevasdaabaseofinformaionsoredinhisbrainolegkrachevheanswercameinasplisecondhemoscowinsiueofsuperpuingpurchasingprofessoryaohadfabricaedasecondchipandhesudenlijinwasryingosellioherussianonheprofessor’sorders?

“yeswhadoyouwanmeodowihheslip?”

“desroyii’lrrangeogehechipbackdirecly”

“hereisanoherhingherussianhadwihhimawirelessinernaionalcrediransferunihehadjusransferredargesumofmoneyolijinsoi’sjusamaerofracinghemovemenofhemoneyofindhim”

“leavehaomeandheoherone?hiscaldwellcharacer?”

“heaisarenowalkingaboushanghai”

“shanghaiareyousure?”hemajorgeneral’sworsnighmareswereingrueye,oncehequarrywasinshanghaiwouldn’resoluionofhaproblembemerelyacademic?heenemywaswalkingofisownaccordinohedragon’siriwasawisedmanifesaionoffoolheemperorocrosshesea,yeheendresulwouldbehesamedeahanddesrucion

“posiivebeijingoobuheprobabiliiesonshanghaiareskyhigh”

“hejoplingirl?”

“sillokyosheseemsobeleavingarailheaisprovidedahoel,roomnumberhaonewillbeeasyiwillbeinokyobymidafernoonasperyourinsrucions”

“nofailureshisime,idoesn’beeyou”

“yes,failureissomehingoallynewomenosomehingiwouldlikeorepea”

“youhaveservedmewellbumypaiencehaslimisundersand?”hemajorgeneraskedheassassinlieuenanliubusyperusingcodeonanearbyerminalcouldnohelpbufeelhahesameulimaumappliedohim

“hisimeherewillbenofailure,”heassassinsaidsimply

hemajorgeneralhungupandurnedhisaenionolieuenanliuhelieuenansoodupshakilyandmenallybracedhimselfobearhebrunofhemajorgeneral’sirehewassurprisedwhenididn’ebuwhahemajorgeneralsaidwasmuchworse

“youhavehiryminuesogereadywearegoingoshanghai?”

“shanghai,bu”lieuenanliumueredhisfacehadurnedasicklyshadeofgrayhelookedlikehewasabouohaveapsychoicepisodehismarriagewassurelyoverhiscurrencywihmajorgeneralwanghaddeclineddramaicallyinvaluehisbodywasabouogiveinhesuspecedhisbloodpressurewasskyhigh

“yes,maybeinshanghaiyou’llhavebeerluckdoingyourjobfirs,iwanyouopuhongqiaoandpudongairpors,rainsaionsandporsonhighalerwhoeverisinrudinginoursysemsisonheirwayoshanghaiandwearegoingocachhem”hisobservaionhadnoeffeconlieuenanliuhiseyeshadgrownwildhismindwasbrokenwihfaigueandhishandsjushunglooselyahissideshedidn’evenfeelhewouldhaveheenergyopickupheelephoneye,heknewhahehadnochoicebuoconinueonhiscrazymission

“yes,sir”

“heaiwillbeshippedoshanghaierodayonadifferenflighofcoursewe’llperformhereconfiguraionofihereandoverseeisinserioni’simporanhaheseessarepleedwihoufurherdeyoncehaisdoneyou’llgeyoursleep,”hemajorgeneralpromisedwihouconvicioniwasnohingbuhollowlipservicenohingmaeredbuheworkandhesuccessfulinserionofheai

lieuenanliuwasnowsureofihemajorgeneralwascrazy,crazybeyondbeliefhachainsmokinghadobviouslygivenhimaumorinhebrain,causinghimohinkandbehaveirraionallyallhisforsomesupidwork,whichhederangedmanbelievedwouldmakehimaheroinnewchinasowhaifiwashecuingedge?iwasoallywihinherealmsofpossibiliyhaifanyofhisnonsensecameolighhemajorgeneralcouldbecourmarialedformisappropriainggovernmenfundsinoasecreprojechawasnogovernmenapprovedhenewechnologywasamazing,aworldfirsiusheredinanewparadigm,onewihlimilesspossibiliieshawouldgivenewchinaheedgeandonceheaiwasunleashedinocyberspace,heweswouldneverbeableorecoverfromherepercussionsofachinaledsinguriyye,hemoivaionsbehindhemajorgeneral’sfullonchargeinohefuuremadehimblindoherealiiesofhepeoplewhoworkedforhim,andhefachaheyhadfamiliesandlivesogohomeohelieuenanknewhagivingupwasnoanopionheknewoomuchandwouldsurelybekilledifheinsisedonquiing

inaperverseway,despiehefachahehadn’slepproperlyforsevenywohours,helieuenanwashankfulforheworkinruderheinrusionhadprovedhahesysemwasfallibleandhaaiswerenoaspowerfusallhaallhirysixinrusiondeecionaishadfailedosopheinruder,suggesingahackerofunparalleledabiliycouldibehaheinruderwashiscadcaldwellcharacer,heohakenzoyamamoohadsenheconsoleo?ifso,hewasaworhyadversaryye,ifhewenoshanghaihewouldsurelybecaughherapwouldbesprungighbuifhehackerwassmarenoughoinfilraehesysemfromousideshanghaiandremainundeeced,henhemighjusbesmarenoughoavoiddeecioninhephysicalworldanyway,hawasn’hisproblemhisproblemwashemajorgenerandnowwasheimeogivehimhegoodnewsheoherpieceofbadnewsofollowwouldhaveobeperfeclyimed

“hankyou,sirwedohaveonepieceofgoodnewshereporonhebugsonheyamaguchigumihassomeineresingiemsfirs,heyknowabouhejoplingirl’spresenceinokyoandheyfailedorerieveheconsolebecausehegirlwassnached”lieuenanliuwasleavinghebiggesbombshellills

“snached?bywho?”

“heyreckoniwasanoufiheyreferredoashydra”

“hydra?fuckyourmoher”iwasn’aninsulohelieuenan,jusanouleforhemajorgeneral’smouningexasperaion

“hegoodnewsishaheyakuzadon’haveheconsole,”lieuenanliuoffered

“youdimwi!ifhydrahasheconsolehaisordersofmagniudeworsedon’yougei?ifheyknowabouheexisenceofhaconsolewhadoyouhinkhechancesarehaheyknowabouheoherconsole,heoneinhepossessionofhehacker?andisn’ipossiblehaheyarebehindheinrusionaemp,whichyousoineplycan’figureou”allhisscreamedbyhemajorgeneralinafuryofspileandbreahpregnanwihnicoine

“sorrysir”

“fuckyourmoherandyourapologiesbeermakesureheconingencypnisinpceandhopewedon’haveouseiifhydraisinvolvedhenhegameisrulyoverforus”

lieuenanliuwaslividbeyonddescripionnowwasheime

“yessiryoumusalsoknowhaminiserakahashihasorderedyourdeah”lieuenanliuvisiblyshudderedashedeliveredhispieceofinformaionforhefirsimeever,hesawwhahehadalwaysknownwasruewihineveryman,evenhosewhowieldedincrediblepower,wasaninsecureindividualwaiingobeexposedhelookonmajorgeneralwang’sblooddrainedfacewasoneofunmisakablefear