Steal the enemy's base at the start and build a technological empire.

Chapter 369 Microsoft's Vulnerabilities

Ling Yun sat at his desk, a document spread out in front of him—Qilu Microelectronics' R&D progress report for the month. He flipped through a couple of pages, but didn't get into it, so he closed the document and set it aside. The July air was rather hot, and the leaves of the sycamore trees outside the window were wilted and motionless under the sun.

There was a knock on the door, and Zhao Hu pushed it open and came in. He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and khaki pants; he was a little darker and thinner than when he left. He walked in and sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

Ling Yun looked at him and asked, "You're back?"

Zhao Hu nodded and said, "It arrived last night."

Ling Yun stood up and poured him a glass of water. Zhao Hu took it, drank a big gulp, and sat there with his hands on his knees, his fingers interlaced.

Zhao Hu spoke, his voice low and his pace slow, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"I left in May, flying from Los Angeles to Moscow with one layover. After arriving, I stayed in a small hotel in the suburbs, using a fake passport. The place wasn't big, there weren't many people, and it was freezing cold in winter. I stayed there for two weeks, going out every day to explore and see what was around me. I didn't dare stay any longer, nor did I dare stay in one place for too long."

Lingyun asked him, "How did you find that person?"

Zhao Hu said, "I found him online. There was a forum specifically for discussing technology. I registered an account, posted a few threads, and asked some technical questions. Someone messaged me privately, saying they could help. We chatted a few times, and he seemed reliable. Later, we arranged to meet in a coffee shop in the city center. He was about thirty years old, thin, wore glasses, and spoke decent English. He said he used to work at a research institute, but it closed down, so he had to take on freelance work. We chatted for about an hour, without discussing anything specific, just getting to know each other. After we got back, we chatted a few more times to get to know him better. He was indeed technically capable, had done similar work before, and was short of money, so he wasn't picky about the jobs he took."

Lingyun asked him, "How did you give him the things?"

Zhao Hu said, "It was the same coffee shop, I went in the evening when it was less crowded. I put the things in a paper bag and placed it next to my seat. He came, sat down, chatted for a bit, and then took the paper bag with him when he left. The bag contained 100,000 yuan in cash, US dollars, and a piece of paper with the specific location of the vulnerability and how to exploit it written on it. He didn't leave his name or contact information; he just took the things and left."

Ling Yun nodded and asked, "Did he read what was on the paper?"

Zhao Hu said, "I saw it. The day after I got back, he left me a message online with just two words, 'Received.' The next day, he left another message, 'You can do it, take action in a month.' I replied, 'Bonus will be given according to the size of the impact,' and that was it."

Lingyun asked him, "When did you get back?"

Zhao Hu said, "After he made his move in early July, I stayed in Moscow for a few more days to see if he would make any further moves. On the third day, the news came out. Microsoft issued a security bulletin saying that a high-risk vulnerability had been discovered and that they were urgently fixing it. I read the bulletin, and the description of the vulnerability matched the information on the paper. So I booked a ticket back. I flew to Beijing first, and then took a train from Beijing back to Jinan. I didn't take a plane on the way, for fear of leaving a record. The train journey took a day and a night."

Ling Yun stood up, looked at Zhao Hu, and asked, "Do you know what happened with those attacks later?"

Zhao Hu said, "I know a little. After he took action, he probably felt that the impact of one person was too small, so he posted the vulnerability on that hacker forum. After Microsoft discovered it, before they could patch it, it was exploited by many hackers. At first, it was small-scale, but it grew bigger and bigger. Many companies' servers had problems, data was locked, services were stopped, and hackers started extorting money from companies. Microsoft was in a huge mess, releasing patches every day, but new problems would arise after they were patched. Later, it was found that the source of the attack was very dispersed, including Europe, the United States, and Asia. The one in Russia was just one of them."

Lingyun asked him, "Did that person contact you afterward?"

Zhao Hu said, "I got in touch with him. He left me a message online saying, 'When will you pay me if it's done?' I replied, 'The bonus is in your toilet tank.'"

Ling Yun looked at him and asked, "Hahahaha, are you threatening him?"

Zhao Hu shook his head and said, "It's not a threat. I'm not worried about being exposed. From beginning to end, I didn't use my real name or any real contact information. I wore a hat and a mask when we met. There were no fingerprints on the paper bag. He didn't know who I was or who was behind me. He only knew that someone was paying him to do the work."

Ling Yun nodded and said, "You've worked hard. Go back and rest for a few days. Don't worry about anything else for now. It's very safe in China. You don't need to come with me for the time being."

Zhao Hu stood up, picked up the backpack beside him, and slung it over his shoulder. He walked to the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, and paused. He turned back to look at Ling Yun and said, "Mr. Ling, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Ling Yun looked at him and said, "Ask."

Zhao Hu said, "Where did you get those vulnerabilities from? They're arguing about it on tech forums. Some say it was definitely created by a team, while others say it was definitely created by a hacker with a very wide range of technical skills."

After a few seconds, Ling Yun looked at Zhao Hu and said, "I saved up a lot of money during my years in the United States. I originally intended to use it as a bargaining chip with Microsoft, but I never got to use it. Now I'm just making use of it and taking revenge on myself."

Zhao Hu nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He pushed open the door and went out.

Ling Yun sat alone in his office. He picked up the research report again, flipped to the first page, and started reading. After reading two pages, he put it down again. He stood up, walked to the window, and closed the blinds. He sat back down in his chair, turned on his computer, and opened a news website.

The headline was still Microsoft, titled "Microsoft Server Data Loss Affects the World, IBM Seizes the Opportunity to Grab Market Share." He clicked on it. The article stated that Microsoft's server operating system had been exposed to multiple high-risk vulnerabilities, resulting in the loss of a large number of enterprise customer data and service interruptions. Competitors such as IBM and Sun took the opportunity to launch preferential plans and seize market share. Microsoft's server market share had already fallen from a peak of 38% to 17%. He scrolled down and saw a quote from an analyst: "This is the most serious security crisis in Microsoft's history, and it may take years to restore customer trust."

He closed that page and opened another. The headline of this news article was "Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer publicly apologizes, promises to increase security investment."

He sat for a while, then picked up his phone from the table, found An Shiyu's number, and sent a text message: "What do you want to eat tonight?"

A few minutes later, my phone vibrated. A message popped up on the screen: "Braised pork. My daughter says she wants to eat yours."

He replied with two words: "Okay."