Noon. News of Dong Xuebing becoming the team leader of the investigation team spreads. Everyone in the bureau could not believe it. This case is a fire pit, and everyone should be running away from it. Why did Chief Dong, someone who had nothing to do with this, takes on the role of the team leader? Is he stupid? But after they saw Dong Xuebing’s furious look, they understood what was going on. Chief Dong did not volunteer for this and should be Executive Deputy Chief Hu Yiguo used some underhand methods to push the blame to him. Damn. The deadline to solve this case is less than 1 day and Chief Dong had to bear the responsibility.
Back at his office, Dong Xuebing threw the document on his desk. Being good will let other people bully! How am I going to solve the case in less than a day?!
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door and entered. “Chief Dong.”
It was a man in his 30s, and Dong Xuebing had seen him in the meeting. His name is Qin Yong, a Deputy Bureau Chief transferred from the Provincial Public Security. Other than Dong Xuebing, he was the youngest Deputy Bureau Chief.
Dong Xuebing calmed himself down. “Chief Qin. Have a seat. You are looking for me?”
Qin Yong passed a cigarette to Dong Xuebing. “I am here for a chat. Is Chief Hu the one who arranged for you to be on the investigation team?”
Dong Xuebing lit the cigarette and laughed.: “Other than Chief Hu, who else can make me the leader of the investigation team? He is really impartial to let me take on such a big responsibility. He has too much trust in me!”
Qin Yong could sense the anger in Dong Xuebing’s voice. He patted Dong Xuebing’s shoulder. “Our Chief Hu is someone who rushes forward to claim credits. But when there is trouble, he will be the one hiding at the back. When I was newly transferred here, I was also framed by him.” Qin Yong was on very bad terms with Hu Yiguo, and the whole bureau knows about this. When he saw the newly posted Chief Dong getting framed by Hu Yiguo, he dropped by to offer some consolation.
Dong Xuebing controlled his anger and said. “How can he do this? This is his department, and how can he push everything to me? Even the Chief agreed!”
Qin Yong frowned. “Something is not right. Chief Liang will never agree to let anyone push the blame to someone else.”
Dong Xuebing waved his hand. “Chief Liang seems happy to see me become the team leader. Who did I offend?”
Qin Yong pitied Dong Xuebing. This was too sickening. “Chief Dong, this case cannot be solved easily. All the leaders in the County Government are angry. You better think of an excuse first.”
Everyone thinks that Dong Xuebing will be in deep trouble, and no one says he will be able to solve this case.
After Qin Yong left, Dong Xuebing continued smoking the cigarette. He snubbed the cigarette and came to a decision. Since there is no way about it, there is no use fuming over it. This might be a crisis, but it might also be an opportunity. Damn! I don’t believe I cannot crack this case! Dong Xuebing was determined to get this credit!
Constant Temperature and Humidity Room.
Dong Xuebing did not even change his shoes and entered the room. “How’s the situation now?”
This is the office of the Special Investigation Team. Other than the 3 internet police, who had just graduated from university, there are two more officers from the City’s Bureau.
The deputy team leader, Wang Fu, replied. “Chief Dong, we still have not discovered anything. This hacker is too skillful and had cleaned up his tracks. We are unable to trace his real IP. What we can do now is to wait for him to hack into our system.”
Dong Xuebing asked. “If he comes in again, how confident are you all of tracking him?”
Wang Fu thought for a while. “If he hacks into the County Government’s website, I have 80% confidence in getting his location.
Dong Xuebing was surprised. So confident? What’s the problem then? Let’s just wait for the hacker to appear now.
Wang Fu could tell what Dong Xuebing was thinking. “I am so confident is because all 5 of us are waiting on the County Government’s website. Although we are not able to prevent him from hacking, if he hacks into our server again, all 5 of us should be able to track him down. This hacker is very cunning. He had just hacked into the website and will not hack into the county’s website so soon. This is the same hacker that hacked into the Cultural Ministry’s website, and the Publicity Department website. We are not sure where is his next target.”
Dong Xuebing asked. “What if each of you guards a website each?”
“We will be too diversified, and we are unable to face him individually. He is too skillful.” Two weeks ago, Wang Fu had used this strategy to wait for the hacker. But the hacker is too cunning. The hacker did not appear again or attack another website. When they realized the hacker had appeared, it was too late to track him. No one dares to claim they will be able to catch the hacker using this strategy unless the hacker purposely wants to get caught.”
Dong Xuebing does not know a lot about hackers and cybercrimes. After listening to Wang Fu’s explanation, he said. “Tell me if I am wrong. If we can know which website or server the hacker is going to attack and you all made the preparations, you all will be able to trace him?”
Wang Fu nodded. “We should have more than a 70% chance of catching him.”
“How long do you need for the preparations?”
“The ones who need to prepare are Xiao Wang and I. Xiao Han will be in charge of dealing with the hacker, and he needs to prepare the software and the administrator’s passwords. Everything will take about 5 minutes.”
Suddenly, Dong Xuebing cheered up. Damn! It’s so easy? Why didn’t you all tell me earlier?!
Wang Fu was shocked. He suddenly noticed Chief Dong become relaxed. “Chief Dong, 5 minutes might not sound very long, but if the hacker attacked one of the department’s website and he will be gone by the time we are prepared.” 5 minutes is a huge difference. The hacker is hiding in the shadows, and they are in the open.
Dong Xuebing waved his hand. “Alright. Go back to work. Let me know immediately when the hacker appears!”
“But Chief Dong...” Wang Fu was afraid Chief Dong did not understand and wanted to explain further. But when he saw Dong Xuebing walked to a PC at the back of the room, he did not say anything. He just looked at his colleagues and smiled. He thought to himself. If it is so simple, they would have caught the hacker multiple times over the past month! The County Government and the various department websites will not be hacked so many times. It is almost impossible to predict which site the hacker will attack.
Dong Xuebing was playing minesweeper on the PC at the back. If he knew it was so easy, he would have volunteered to be the team leader a long time ago. This is not pushing the blame to him. Hu Yiguo was giving him credit! Huh? But what if the hacker decided not to hack into the websites today? But from the arrogant attitude of the hacker, his target should be Yan Tai County Government. He should continue to attack the sites today.
Dong Xuebing could only wait. Since the others could not see what he is doing, he spent the whole afternoon playing minesweeper and solitaire.
1 hour passed...
3 hours passed...
5 hours passed...
It was time to report off. But there are only slightly more than 10 hours before the deadline given by the County Government. Dong Xuebing and his team have to stay up all night. Dong Xuebing asked someone to help them buy dinner and all of them ate their dinner in front of the monitors. At night, they take turns to rest.
As time passes, Dong Xuebing was no longer calm. Why is the hacker not appearing? It is almost dawn!
At around 4 to 5 am, Dong Xuebing could not take it and fell asleep on a table.
After a while, someone shouted. “He is here! Our County’s Public Security Website! Xiao Wang! Xiao Han! Wake up!”
Dong Xuebing also woke up and saw the Cybersecurity officers running towards their PC.
Wang Fu was typing furiously while giving orders. “Xiao Han, engage him and stop him from running away. Xiao Wang, follow him and don’t let him notice you.”
The next moment, an internet police officer banged the table. “He got away! He is too fast!”
The other officer sighed. “I could not catch up with him.”
“Damn!” Wang Fu cursed.
Dong Xuebing looked at them and clenched his fist. “BACK 6 minutes!”
......
......
The scenes flashed in front of Dong Xuebing!
It was the fat Hu Yiguo standing in front of him. “Xiao Dong, you are still too young.”
Dong Xuebing was stunned and realized that he was dreaming. 6 minutes ago, he was still sleeping. He quickly opened his eyes, and Wang Fu was staring at his monitor. Xiao Wang and Xiao Han are sleeping at their tables and the two officers from the City Bureau are resting in their chairs.
“Wake up!” Dong Xuebing stood up and shouted.
Wang Fu was stunned. “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Wang, Xiao Han, and the rest woke up and wondered what happened.
Dong Xuebing pretended to press a few keys on his keyboard and gave out orders. “Go to our Public Security Website now! The hacker will be attacking anytime soon!”
Wang Fu was stunned. “How do you know?”
Dong Xuebing looked at him: “Follow my orders!”
“Yes!” Wang Fu and the rest dare not question Dong Xuebing anymore. They immediately returned to their PCs and start their preparations to track the hacker.
Dong Xuebing knows no one believes him. “There is only one chance. If the hacker got away because anyone among you did not make preparations, I would hold him responsible!”
Wang Fu and the rest dare not to stop. They wondered if Chief Dong was dreaming. How does he know the hacker is coming? But Dong Xuebing is the team leader, and they must follow his orders. They quickly made their preparations for the trap for the hacker. They set up loopholes, trojans, firewalls, etc.
After the preparations were completed, the team felt slightly relaxed.
1 second...
5 seconds...
8 seconds...
There were no changes in their monitors. Wang Fu thought to himself. How can anyone predict where the hacker will attack?
Dong Xuebing shouted. “Stay alert! He is here!”
Xiao Han does not believe and looked at Dong Xuebing. Suddenly, an alarm sounded. It was the warning alarm set by Wang Fu!
Everyone was shocked. The hacker is here?! Damn! The hacker is really here!
They had no time to wonder how Chief Dong knows where the hacker will attack. Wang Fu and the rest straightened their backs and started typing furiously. “Xiao Han, he still has not discovered us. Don’t engage him yet. Wait a while. Xiao Wang, get over here and don’t let him see you.” Wang Fu turned to the two officers from the City Bureau. “Hurry and trace his source. Ignore all the fake IP!”
Xiao Wang suddenly shouted: “The Administrator’s account is stolen!”
Wang Fu gritted: “Ignore it.”
“Some information is being changed!”
“Don’t care able all those. Don’t let him discover us!”
“Shit!” Xiao Wang exclaimed. “He might have discovered us and is now cleaning his tracks. We got no more time!”
Wang Fu shouts: “Don’t let him get away! Xiao Han! It’s your turn!”
The City Bureau Officer said: “Our side is going to be completed! Help me hold him back for a little while more!”
There was nothing Dong Xuebing could do. He looked at the officers trying their best to track the hacker nervously. There is only one chance. If he misses this chance to arrest the hacker, who knows how long he will have to wait!
5 seconds...
10 seconds...
20 seconds...
The Internet Police from the City Bureau suddenly banged his desk. “I got it! I got his address!”
Dong Xuebing’s heart skipped a beat. “Can you confirm it is his real address?”
“I am sure! He is in your Yan Tai County!”
Dong Xuebing banged on his keyboard with joy. “Good job!”
Wang Fu had been focused on catching the hacker and did not think too much. But now, the hacker they had been searching for a month has been located so easily. Wang Fu and the rest were shocked.
Dong Xuebing said happily: “After we arrested that guy, I will get the credits you all deserve!”
Wang Fu and the rest turned and looked at Dong Xuebing. All of them knew that it was not their credit. It was Chief Dong who had caught the hacker. No one knows how Chief Dong got to see the hacker will be attacking the County’s Public Security Website. Could Chief Dong is also a hacker?!
Dong Xuebing laughed. “What is his exact address? We will go and catch him before he escapes!”
The officer from the City Bureau replied. “He is at Chun Shui Road, Estate 1, Block 2, unit 303.”
When the officer said the address, everyone from the County Bureau Public Security, including Dong Xuebing, was stunned!
Everyone in Yan Tai County knew the county government’s main building is located at Chun Shui Road, and the County’s Party Committee members’ family quarters are also there! Everyone staying in Block 2 is the leaders in the County Government!
The hacker is...... a Party Committee Member in the county or one of their immediate family members?