Chapter 1 The Aman Hotel

United States, New York, the Aman Hotel.

Standing at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, this hotel is hailed as the finest example of Beaux-Arts architecture in American history. Built in 1921, it was the first building of the Museum of Modern Art.

The building was renamed Aman New York and reopened as a hotel in August 2022.

The Dragon Country Security Agency chose this location for the delegation's residence not for its artistic atmosphere or its expensive, high-end nature, but for comprehensive security considerations and privacy protection.

Inside Lin Xian's room, several accompanying staff members were checking up and down with various instruments, examining all the equipment, cables, and every nook and cranny in the room.

In fact, this was already the fourth inspection. Long before Lin Xian's participating delegation came to the United States, the room had already been arranged and thoroughly inspected three times.

"No problems, Mr. Lin Xian, you can check in with confidence."

The security captain accompanying Lin Xian saluted:

"You are an expert in information technology, so we won't presume to teach you about network security or not connecting to random networks. We will go to the New Jersey open-air stadium on the other side together tomorrow to participate in the '2023 World Hacker Competition.' In short... if you have any problems, contact us in time. It's best not to go out unless necessary."

Lin Xian nodded:

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mr. Lin." The captain smiled at Lin Xian:

"Director Liu An has specifically arranged and instructed us about your matter. After the World Hacker Competition tomorrow night, we will use the consulate's motorcade to protect you on a trip to Marshall Street in Princeton. Rest assured, we will arrange everything and ensure your personal safety."

"Well, we won't disturb your rest. It's too late to adjust to the jet lag now, so we recommend you sleep straight until tomorrow to maintain good energy for tomorrow night. Goodbye."

With that said.

The captain waved his hand, and the security and technical personnel exited the room.

Bang.

The door closed.

Lin Xian paced around the room for a while, then tentatively whispered:

"VV?"

"I'm here."

Almost instantly, the huge TV in the suite's living room emitted VV's voice:

"I've been here since early morning. I've already checked all the networks nearby. There are no ambushes or surveillance, and there's no trace of that network black hand... Sure enough, it was right for us to come here, Lin Xian. That black hand is focusing all its energy and attention on monitoring and invading the Security Great Wall. It doesn't care about the U.S. mainland at all."

"Understandable."

Lin Xian said:

"For Kevin Walker, the strongest hacker on the surface, what's the difference between hacking an Apple phone, invading a Google website, or the program you wrote for me to crack Tesla cars... in his eyes, it's just child's play, isn't it?"

"Of course, he wouldn't care. In his eyes, the so-called '2023 World Hacker Competition' is just a stage for him to show off his skills. He doesn't care who participates or who wins. His goal from beginning to end has only been one thing—Dragon Country's Tianwang system (SkyNet system)."

...

After the Dragon Country's official plane landed at the U.S. airport, VV shouted in Lin Xian's Bluetooth headset, "See you later, bro!" and then slipped away along the airport's wireless network.

This was also what Lin Xian had instructed it to do.

Under the premise of confirming safety and not exposing its own existence, infiltrate the U.S. network as soon as possible, and then start collecting information and photos related to Kevin Walker and global facial recognition data.

These two things were equally important.

Because...

Very likely.

These two things will ultimately point to the same answer—

The mysterious old man in the fourth dream, is the Kevin Walker you're about to meet face to face.

Since VV just left so casually.

That obviously means there is indeed no risk in the US network. At least, there is no situation like being surrounded by a black hand outside the Dragon Country network firewall. Once you cross it, you will be exposed.

No matter how powerful Kevin Walker is, he is just a person living in 2023.

His energy is limited, and his program computing power is also limited. It is far from possible to truly achieve all-round, dead-end monitoring of the entire world... Let alone him, VV can't do this either. But purposeful 24-hour monitoring of a certain person is still very easy for them.

Therefore, hiding oneself and not being exposed is crucial for Lin Xian and VV now.

"I've already started wuwu collecting awu facial data wowowo"

VV jumped from the TV to the nearby jukebox, turned the disc, and made a high-pitched opera singer-like sound that gave goosebumps.

Singing and talking at the same time.

"Can you stop acting?" Lin Xian was speechless at this drama queen.

"This! Is! Called! Adapting! To! Local! Customs!"

VV sang with a soul-piercing vibrato.

Lin Xian walked over and directly unplugged the jukebox:

"Why don't you consider going to Hollywood to study?"

"Good idea."

After saying that, the room became quiet again. VV probably really went to Hollywood.

Lin Xian stretched and prepared to go to sleep.

Although he complained, he had no worries about VV's efficiency and seriousness. Although this guy played with memes and acted every day, he never delayed or missed anything at work.

Since VV still had the leisure to act up, it meant that it was still comfortable, that the current situation was very safe, and that everything was going smoothly.

Therefore, it was not a bad thing, but a good sign.

"Let's sleep."

...

A few hours later.

"Lin Xian, not found."

VV's voice came from Lin Xian's phone on the bedside table.

"Couldn't find a match for that old man's photo? Or couldn't find Kevin Walker's information?"

"Couldn't find any of it."

VV said in a low voice:

"It's really traceless, no trace at all... Actually, it's still understandable that I couldn't find a match for the old man's photo. After all, what you gave me wasn't a photo, but a sketch, and there may be inaccuracies. At the same time, it's also really possible that this old man from 600 years later hasn't been born yet in 2023."

"But it's too strange that I can't find any information about Kevin Walker, isn't it? All I can find are his traces on the Internet. He's indeed very active. The ID 'Kevin Walker' often posts in various forums. It's just... following these online traces to find clues in reality, I can't find anything. It's as if he disappeared out of thin air."

"I originally thought that this genius hacker teenager might only be good at network intrusion, able to construct a black hand without gaps in the network world to surround Dragon Country's Internet, but I didn't expect... he's also ridiculously strong in other computer fields. I admit, I may have underestimated him a bit."

Lin Xian propped up his chin.

Traceless,

Disappeared out of thin air,

Seemingly non-existent,

Hiding oneself,

Network black hand,

Ridiculously strong.

These characteristics of Kevin Walker in VV's mouth, when connected together, instantly reminded Lin Xian of another existence with the same characteristics—

The Genius Club.

This is also an incredible organization hidden in the long river of history, unnoticed, undiscovered, and without leaving any traces.

Previously, Lin Xian had always been puzzled. As the saying goes, geese leave traces. Is it really possible that things that exist in this world leave no traces at all?

He definitely wouldn't have believed it before.

But...

Now.

With the gradual broadening of horizons and the witnessing of too many things beyond his own cognition, Lin Xian has begun to believe in these things that "ordinary people" think are impossible.

How big is the gap between a true genius and an ordinary person?

When the Wright brothers said they wanted to build an airplane to fly in the sky, ordinary people thought it was a pipe dream.

When Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory, ordinary people thought it was incomprehensible.

Even today, many people still believe that the American moon landing that year was just a hoax.

And so on, and so forth, many things.

The gap between a true genius and an ordinary person is not only in cognition, but more in common sense judgment.

Lin Xian witnessed in the third dream that there were no historical traces of himself. There was really not even a trace. Even the complete VV couldn't find a trace.

But in reality, he must have existed, but all traces were deleted.

Like Zhao Yingjun's old age photos, they were deleted without a trace.

Kevin Walker also has no traces at all, and all existence has been deleted cleanly. VV can't even find his whereabouts.

Then.

Not to mention the Genius Club?

"Sometimes the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs."

Lin Xian inexplicably thought of this sentence.

Before today, he also knew that the Genius Club was very powerful, and he could also realize this.

But to be honest, he didn't have a real sense of this power.

But today, he does.

According to his original expectations, even the juvenile VV would definitely be able to kill everyone in this era of 2023.

But the truth is.

VV's appearance has instead opened Lin Xian's eyes, allowing him to see a world he couldn't see before, a field he couldn't touch before, and exaggerated geniuses he wouldn't dare to think about before.

"If Kevin Walker is really a member of the Genius Club, or if there are hackers in the Genius Club who are more powerful than Kevin Walker... then it's not difficult to explain why the Genius Club can hide in the long river of history for 600 years without being noticed by humans."

"At the same time, it's also not difficult to explain why I would be exposed in the fourth dream, and why I would fail even with the help of the super artificial intelligence VV."

"Because the enemy's strength is too strong. It's so difficult to deal with just one Kevin Walker. What if there are people in the Genius Club who are even stronger than him? Even, there is more than one genius who is far ahead of the times in the Genius Club?"

"Hey hey hey!!"

With a bang! The glass door of the microwave oven on the bar slammed open, and VV's protesting and angry voice came:

"What are you saying? When have I failed? I just haven't found Kevin Walker's information... I I I haven't been exposed! Nor have I been discovered by him! If you have to evaluate... then we are equally matched! I can't find him, and he can't find me!"

"Besides, you capitalists are exploiting child labor too much, aren't you? I've only been in this world for half a month, and I've been running around with you almost non-stop, and then I have to take the time to acquire all kinds of knowledge, think, ponder, deepen logic, exercise my thinking, update, iterate, and evolve... I'm almost exhausted!"

"Seriously, I also want to rest and take a vacation, such as in the data center next to the Three Gorges Dam, enjoying the natural mountain spring water for heat dissipation, and taking a nap in the moisturizing of hydropower; or going to the Northwest Plateau to find a windmill for wind power generation, blowing the dry monsoon, and basking in the sun in the comfort of wind power; or going to the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in Northeast China, eating and drinking to enjoy the full and delicious nuclear power; isn't that better than being frightened by you every day?"

Lin Xian walked to the bar, looking at the microwave oven with the glass door open:

"No, aren't hydropower, wind power, nuclear power, and thermal power all the same electricity? Is there any difference to you?"

Microwave VV snorted proudly:

"Thermal power is a bit stronger, and the body is warmer; using hydropower makes the body colder, but the resolution is higher, with Gezhouba's hydropower being the purest; wind power's sense of layering is a bit poor, more hazy; in comparison, nuclear power is the clearest, making me feel like I'm in a spring breeze, transforming and renewing myself; solar energy is trash, even dogs don't use it!"

"..."

Lin Xian took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to punch the microwave.

He could hear it.

He had fallen into the meme trap set by this drama queen VV again.

This was clearly a joke in the domestic earphone field, and VV was purely recycling old material:

"I'm talking to you about serious matters, can you stop playing with memes here? Didn't you say you know how to prioritize?"

"Besides, I also know that you are still developing and iterating, and are still in your infancy. I'm not blaming you at all. I'm just stating the facts. Is your super artificial intelligence too petty? Can't you even state the facts? We must bravely admit our temporary weakness and affirm the enemy's short-term strength, and then we can surpass and win without arrogance or impetuosity."

"And when I said failure, I didn't mean the current failure. Being at this point in time in 2023, we still have a great advantage, not to mention that you will become stronger and stronger, and your speed of upgrading and evolution will definitely be faster than Kevin Walker's."

"Besides... it doesn't matter if we can't find Kevin Walker's information and appearance..."

Lin Xian walked back to the living room of the suite.

Looking at the notebook computer page, showing the "2023 World Hacker Competition U.S. Team Member Introduction."

The first four members are all named, have origins, and have photos.

And the information of the fifth member, apart from the name Kevin Walker, is just a black silhouette wearing a hoodie, only an outline, and no details can be seen.

"If we can't find it on the Internet, we can just go directly to find him in reality, right?"

Lin Xian smiled slightly.

Extending his index finger, pointing to the hoodie on the black silhouette on the screen:

"Let's personally take off his hoodie and look at his face. Let's see who this Kevin Walker is!"

He still thought.

Kevin Walker is very likely the mysterious old man in the fourth dream. Precisely because of this, the information and photos of the two cannot be found.

Because they are the same person.

If they can't be found, they definitely can't be found at the same time.

However.

To put it another way.

If they're found.

Then they are found at the same time.

The answers to these two mysteries may be revealed at the "2023 World Hacker Competition" tomorrow night...

Simultaneously!

...

The next day.

U.S. time, 8:00 PM.

New Jersey open-air stadium in New York, the crowd is boiling!

This huge stadium, originally named MetLife Stadium, is usually the home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets, and has also hosted Taylor Swift's concerts.

Moreover, the 2026 World Cup final will also be held here.

At this time, this giant stadium that can accommodate more than 80,000 people is full.

In the past, the "World Hacker Competition" would definitely not rent such an expensive and huge venue. Because it is not a competition project with high attention, and the organizer does not have so much sponsorship, basically companies such as Google, Apple, Tesla, IBM, and Microsoft sponsor hundreds of thousands of dollars at most.

But this year, it's different.

Different in every sense.

Therefore, the organizer, the U.S. Pentagon's cybersecurity service provider, specially rented this super stadium with a cost of over $1.6 billion and of extraordinary significance as the competition venue.

Everyone knows Sima Zhao's intentions. (an idiom meaning ulterior motives)

It just wants to use Kevin Walker's "feat" of conquering Dragon Country's Tianwang system (SkyNet system) to wave its fist at the world and show off its power.

In the spotlight and the host's shouts, the cybersecurity teams from various countries and companies took the stage one after another.

It must be said that the U.S. audiences are very unfriendly, or maybe the online flame wars have been too intense recently. When the Dragon Country team appeared, the 80,000-person venue not only had no applause, but was also accompanied by a chorus of boos, which really made people feel petty.

When the U.S. team finally took the stage.

Cheers erupted in an instant!

It's a good thing this stadium is open-air, otherwise the dome might have been blown off by this unscientific cheering.

With warm applause and ghostly howls, these 80,000+ U.S. live audiences enthusiastically welcomed their hacker god to the stage.

The five members of the U.S. team took the stage in turn. The first four looked like IT professionals, all wearing glasses, some shy and some socially awkward. After bowing slightly and waving quickly, they quickly took small steps to their competition seats.

And walking behind the four adults...

Was a boy whose height was obviously shorter.

He was wearing huge Nike shoes, shorts, like a street boy; but his upper body was the same as the black silhouette, wearing an obviously oversized hoodie, even covering his buttocks, and the sleeves at the shoulders were also drooping.

The large hood completely obscured his face and hair.

Nothing can be seen.

Appearance, face, hair color, decorations... nothing can be seen.

But everyone knows.

This.

Is the U.S. team's trump card today,

The 16-year-old genius teenager,

The strongest hacker on the surface—

Kevin Walker!

At this time, Walker slowly walked at the end of the team, slouching, with his eyes seemingly fixed on the ground only a few tens of centimeters in front of his shoes.

This outfit... truly perfectly conforms to people's stereotypes of hackers as portrayed in movies.

Originally, he only needed to follow the team and sit on the competition seat.

But!

When he saw his image close-up being enlarged on the huge screen at the edge of the stadium.

He suddenly stopped.

Looking down, facing the camera.

"Bad."

In Lin Xian's Bluetooth headset, VV's worried voice came.

"What's wrong?" Lin Xian asked.

"Can't you tell?" In the Bluetooth headset, VV asked:

"He's going to start posing and acting cool! I learned this kind of camera movement in Hollywood yesterday. The next step is definitely for the camera to keep getting closer, the picture is enlarged, and finally it focuses on the character's upper body..."

Sure enough.

Everything was as VV said.

On the huge screen at the edge of the stadium, the camera zoomed in closer and closer, concentrating on the upper body of this genius hacker teenager at the extreme angle that ensured that the face under the hood was not captured.

I saw...

This young man slowly took out his right hand from his hoodie pocket.

Clenching his fist.

Extending his index finger.

Raising it high!

Pointing straight at the sky!

In the roar of the 80,000-person stadium, his immature and arrogant voice resounded throughout New Jersey through the stadium's speakers—

"Face me, mortals!"