On the other side of the building, a dozen cybersecurity personnel lay within the tech pods, their brains already logged into the network system, attempting a desperate duel with the cybersecurity system of Nestor Corporation.
The team leader of the cybersecurity staff, He Quan, was only 23 years old, a level 3 Neural Network Engineer on loan from Kyushu High Pavilion, currently on contract status.
Every time an urgent task arose in the middle of the night, he would think back to the afternoon when the "Heavenly" AI had replaced his job.
It was last summer when the news broke, causing a small disturbance in the department. While He Quan and the other network engineers were still discussing what to do, Xu Yang, the senior at the workstation downstairs, took the opportunity to slip away that day.
At that time, He Quan was a level 3 engineer, slightly behind the level 2 engineer Xu Yang. He would occasionally assist him and knew him to be a diligent person, the benchmark of the company and a technical pioneer.
The fate of Xu Yang became a classified file within Kyushu High Pavilion, with strict prohibitions against discussing the matter. He Quan knew all too well that the company believed Xu Yang was not dead, hence they feared the news of his being alive would shake the faith of those serving the company.
He Quan had an extremely good impression of Xu Yang.
A reliable and meticulous elder, patient and courteous with others, often understated, seemingly unapproachable, yet whenever He Quan came to him with technical problems, Xu Yang would answer with no reservations, sharing his expertise freely. Such a reassuring senior vanished from the company in the blink of an eye, seizing that one opportunity.
He Quan truly envied him. A very charming guy, he hoped Xu Yang was now living the good life, freely on some small island in the Great Ocean, accompanied by warm winds and sandy beaches, a dream that He Quan had once heard Xu Yang talk about.
He Quan was also semi-dismissed from the company, forced to take on contract work around the world, and was now working in cybersecurity at New Xisheng Group, currently leading a technical team to attack the cybersecurity services of Nestor Corporation.
Too difficult, He Quan discovered that Nestor Corporation had already implemented the renowned "Sea of Helis" system, heaven knows how they got the license, when even New Xisheng Group hadn’t started installation yet. They had already begun laying out their defenses, so he had to lead his team to change their infiltration strategy, using the prepared tech pods to access the Sea of Helis.
As its name suggested, with the blessing of the Sea of Helis, the vast network system changed its very form of existence, and He Quan had to be extremely cautious to find a mere glimmer of an opportunity for sabotage.
...and then he went silent, for he saw a terrifying entity in the network signals.
"Hey," He Quan messaged the other nine cybersecurity staff, whose consciousnesses had already been uploaded into Nestor Corporation’s Sea of Helis, putting them in a very dangerous position that required mutual lookout to prevent a watery grave, "you all still remember how New Xisheng usually treats us, right?"
"Mhm..." The cybersecurity staff understood all too well, and He Quan didn’t need to say anymore.
They tacitly began fishing in the Sea of Helis, refusing to advance beyond the defensive lines.
Whenever any department came to inquire, they would respond with technical difficulties. He Quan noticed that other areas of the Sea of Helis were also under attack by cybersecurity forces, but none had made substantial progress. Other cybersecurity teams must have made the same decision as them.
"Too dangerous," the cybersecurity staff complained briefly, exchanging technical intelligence with each other.
The risk was inevitable; in the Helis Sea System, a failed attack or defense meant the consciousness would vanish into the depths of the data network, with no hope for return.
They were all doing a job for pay; why should they risk their lives? Now they dared not advance.
Having seen such a thing, they did not want to risk breaking in. Nestor Corporation had found a terrifying partner, and that was also the source of all their fears.
As their will entered the Sea of Helis and they "looked" ahead, they saw a horrifying Seven-pointed Star, a Crossed Cross in disarray, intertwined with roaring evil spirits to form a holographic image that spanned the whole domain.
This "Sea of Helis," guarded personally by the Cyber Specter!