Zeng Liang snorted coldly, "There’s an old saying: ’Money makes the mare go.’"
It must have been bought with cash.
Xu Jian thought for a mont and said, "The darknet has an international version, and on its international rankings, even Snow doesn’t make the list. Unfortunately, we can’t access the global network; otherwise, if we invited the world’s number one, we’d be sure to win."
Zeng Liang smacked him on the head, "You spendthrift! How much money would that cost? Even if we had the money, we wouldn’t throw it around like that. It’s just a school competition; no need for sothing so complicated. A Rain would be more than enough."
Speaking of this, Zeng Liang grew increasingly curious about the mysterious world of hackers. "So there’s a world number one? What’s their na? Tell ."
When Xu Jian ntioned the number one, his usually wooden expression beca noticeably excited. "The uncrowned king of the hacker world – Phoenix – and undoubtedly the number one ranked on the darknet leaderboard. You know Tianlu Bank, right?"
Zeng Liang nodded, "Of course I know it."
Xu Jian’s eyes sparkled, "Tianlu Bank’s servers endure tens of billions of hacker attacks every day. If even the slightest vulnerability were exposed, it could cause unquantifiable losses to Tianlu Bank. Falling into a trust crisis would be catastrophic for them. Because of this, Tianlu Bank invests an enormous amount of resources and effort into its security systems. However, a few years ago, a famous international hacker organization publicly declared their intent to breach Tianlu Bank. You should know, their track record includes successfully hacking the supposed ’world’s most secure system’ in the Octagonal Building."
Zeng Liang sucked in a sharp breath, catching a glimpse of that thrilling battle through a few short sentences.
He couldn’t wait and asked, "Tianlu Bank is still standing strong now, even thriving. That organization didn’t succeed, did they?"
"Of course not. Because Phoenix was there, sitting in command. Not only did he successfully destroy their criminal stronghold, but he also led the developnt of the most sophisticated security system. Ever since then, any hacker trying to infiltrate Tianlu Bank is just dreaming."
Zeng Liang exclaid, "This Phoenix is incredible! How old is he? Is he a man or a woman?"
Xu Jian shook his head, "He’s very mysterious. No one has ever seen his true face. But so big-shot profilers have speculated about him—said he’s a scruffy, middle-aged man in his thirties, with a beard, loves instant noodles and Coke, basically just another fat slob."
Zeng Liang coughed, "Regardless, soone like that is at the pinnacle of their field. Phoenix..."
Suddenly, Zeng Liang said, "Why’s he called ’Phoenix’ anyway? The phoenix is a unique mythical beast in our Hua Country’s culture. Could Phoenix be Chinese?"
"So have analyzed that before. But as for the truth, only Phoenix himself would know."
Zeng Liang mused, "If we could invite Phoenix, Mr. Jiang would win for sure, hahaha."
Even he thought it was wishful thinking and started laughing as he spoke.
A re high school pretty boy election—how could that warrant the involvent of soone as renowned as Phoenix? That would be too much overkill.
He put a hand on Xu Jian’s shoulder as they walked forward. "You know so much about hackers. Are you planning to study this field in college?"
Xu Jian grinned sheepishly, "I’m too dumb for it. My brother says you need talent to rise in the computer field; otherwise, you’ll just be a bottom-tier programr. He wants to study finance."
"And what about you? What do you think?"
"Qing University’s computer program is ranked number one nationally. Unfortunately, with my current grades, I don’t stand much of a chance."
"Don’t be discouraged; there’s still over two years left. Take it slow."
A smile appeared on Xu Jian’s face, "That’s why I’ve been trying to participate in more computer competitions. Scoring well in them will help with future applications, whether it’s for early admission or the national college entrance exams. There’s a CTF competition next month, and I’ve already signed up."
"CTF? A cybersecurity competition? You’ve got guts! When the ti cos, I’ll cheer you on."
Xu Jian chuckled, "Thanks, Brother Liang."
When Zeng Liang returned ho, he was glued to his phone—even when he went to the bathroom or ate. Mrs. Zeng couldn’t stand it anymore and tried to snatch his phone, prompting Zeng Liang to jump away instantly.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
"You’re practically growing into your phone! Can’t you give your eyes a break? You’re only sixteen or seventeen, yet already sporting a prescription of five to six hundred degrees. If you don’t put the phone down, you’ll go blind sooner or later."
"You don’t understand. I’m waiting for a big-shot to co online. I’ve got sothing really important to do."
"Zeng Liang, if you dare play gas, you’d better watch out!" Mrs. Zeng started searching for a feather duster, while the maid quickly hid it with great tact.
Can’t have the lady hurting her hands, after all.
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