Ice Apocalypse (Season 2)

Chapter 235: Cyber Intruder

On the first day Flower came to the house, chaos ensued. The entire shelter was just too vast, filled with curiosity in every corner, eager to explore. Zhang Yi's tolerance towards it was remarkable; he allowed it to leave footprints everywhere, even breaking delicate antique vases without a care. With cats, the most crucial aspect of interaction was establishing trust from the beginning. Once this process failed, it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky to make amends. After wreaking havoc in the room for half a day, Flower finally seemed to tire of playing, lazily stretching out by the fireplace and lying on the floor. Zhang Yi breathed a long sigh of relief; he knew that Flower's behavior indicated its complete satisfaction with the new environment. Carefully, he approached, intending to pat its head from behind.
"Meow—"Flower glanced back at him, causing Zhang Yi to freeze in his tracks. They stared at each other for several seconds before Flower rested its head back on the floor. Zhang Yi relaxed, thinking to himself, "Dealing with women was never this troublesome!" Nevertheless, he contentedly placed his hand on Flower's head."Purr—purr—"Flower emitted a contented purr, acknowledging Zhang Yi, the keeper of its litter box. "Phew, success!" Zhang Yi's heart finally eased. A smile of genuine satisfaction spread across his face. Successfully adopting a cat brought him indescribable joy. Flower's addition to the household brought a new kind of happiness to the shelter. The girls competed eagerly every day to feed it and vie for a chance to pet it. Yet, inexplicably, it preferred to stay by Zhang Yi's side, often sleeping at the head of his bed at night. Even Yang Xinxin, who had previously fed it, was surpassed by Zhang Yi in Flower's heart. Generally, cats seemed to prefer being around boys!Meanwhile, the two new companions, Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran, were not idle during this time. Yang Xinxin was responsible for the shelter's network security. With her presence and the supercomputer within the shelter, hardly anyone dared to attempt breaching its defenses worldwide. However, as a top-tier hacker, Yang Xinxin was not content with merely defending. Utilizing her formidable hacking skills, she began tracing the source of incoming network intrusions. In just a few minutes, she pinpointed the origin of the information.Upon receiving the message, Zhang Yi hurried to the control console. "Xinxin, you called me urgently. Have you made a new discovery?" he inquired. Yang Xinxin's lips curled into a peculiar smile. "I've found the person attempting to breach the shelter's network!" She displayed her laptop on her knees, showing a map of Tianhai City. Zhang Yi noticed a pentagram marking one location and another spot marked with a blinking red dot. Upon closer inspection, he realized the pentagram marked the location of Yunque Manor, while the blinking red dot undoubtedly indicated the intruder's whereabouts."This place is... at the junction of the southwestern West Mountain District and the northwestern Lujiang District. It's only about thirty kilometers from here.""So close?" Zhang Yi's gaze grew serious. He hadn't expected such a powerful organization to be hidden so nearby. Yang Xinxin, however, casually remarked, "The other party's technical means are extremely crude; it's likely the work of some mediocre engineer." "Moreover, the equipment isn't advanced either; I easily infiltrated it.""The data in the computer has been encrypted, so it will take some time to crack.""But based on the information obtained so far, there is indeed a massive organization in the West Mountain District."Yang Xinxin lifted her head, her light blue eyes calmly meeting his. "Perhaps we will encounter them soon."Zhang Yi crossed his arms, saying casually, "What's meant to happen will happen! I, Zhang Yi, neither provoke nor fear trouble. Whoever wants to disrupt my peace, I'll take their life!" Today's Zhang Yi was already vastly different from before. With an impregnable fortress and a large group of elites under his command, including three mutants, he believed he could handle even formidable armed organizations."Xinxin, continue tracking their signal and decrypting the data. I want more intelligence about that organization."Zhang Yi patted Yang Xinxin's shoulder, urging her to continue her work. Then he left the control console, heading to find Lu Keran. With his assistance, Lu Keran's mechanical workshop had been established. As a genius recruited by Tianqing Academy, Lu Keran was highly skilled in the field of mechanics. Although she couldn't handle overly sophisticated instruments alone, weapons and ammunition weren't highly technical items. By today's standards in 2050, industrialization had made tremendous advancements. For some individuals, with just a 3D printer, they could produce firearms themselves. The manufacturing of bullets and explosives was even less difficult. Now, as per Zhang Yi's instructions, Lu Keran began mass-producing bullets for him, primarily for sniper rifles and handguns. These were the types of ammunition he lacked the most and used most frequently in combat.Entering the workshop, Zhang Yi knocked on the door. "Keran, it's me." The door opened, and immediately, there was a clinking sound inside. Zhang Yi walked in, feeling the alarming heat in the room even though he was sweating despite wearing only a single layer of clothing. At the workbench, Lu Keran wore shorts, a green halter top, and a black leather skirt around her waist. She was drenched in sweat, with her back and chest completely soaked, strands of hair sticking together. Seeing Zhang Yi, she smiled brightly and greeted, "Big Brother, why did you come over?" Zhang Yi chuckled, "Just came to see how your work is progressing!" Lu Keran, at eighteen years old and with her natural personality, seemed more like a big kid. Whenever Zhang Yi was with her, he couldn't help treating her like a little sister. Lu Keran giggled, revealing her fourteen white teeth. Then, as if presenting a treasure, she fetched something from the nearby shelf. "Big Brother, look at this amazing thing!" Zhang Yi took it and found it was a suppressor for a sniper rifle. His eyes lit up, "Great find!" This was incredibly important to him. Zhang Yi's ability for precise shooting could double the power of firearms. With a sniper rifle, he could eliminate enemies within a range of 3000 meters! The only problem was that the sound of firearms might attract enemies. With this suppressor, that problem could be effectively solved. He could eliminate targets covertly without worrying about revealing his position.