PTYS Chapter 72

“What did you just say?” Shen Qingqiu was incredulous. Was Xiao Muyu really going to hack the Skynet system?

Xiao Muyu’s actions confirmed Shen Qingqiu’s suspicions. She was fully focused, her expression serious. Her fingers moved deftly as she explained, “Though our world is encoded in a ludicrous manner, what happens inside the dungeons doesn’t make sense. So I want to test if it’s really as it seems. The code I ran just now was to see if this world’s network system truly exists. It turns out it does, which means what I know can still be useful.”

As she spoke, Xiao Muyu traced the access address of the Skynet Players’ Forum and found a hidden backend path. Indeed, she discovered something.

Time was tight, so Xiao Muyu stopped talking and focused on the screen. Her fingers flew over the keyboard. Her speed wasn’t exaggerated, but the strings of code seemed to flow from her fingertips effortlessly, leaving Shen Qingqiu in awe.

Xiao Muyu wasn’t trying to show off, but she did find something. She located Skynet system’s port 6537 and linked to its Redis server. Upon attempting to log in, she was prompted for a password. Xiao Muyu generated an SSH key and edited a public key file. After a bit of tinkering, she ran it and linked the client again.

To Shen Qingqiu, the process seemed incredibly swift and simple. In no time, she saw “Login successfully” appear on the screen. Xiao Muyu had gained root access to the main system.

Just as Xiao Muyu was about to proceed further, the screen began to shake, and a red exclamation mark started flashing. Within eight seconds, a box with a cross popped up, and her session was forcibly terminated.

The system had detected her. Xiao Muyu’s lips curled into a smile. After a brief pause, she began typing again. Originally uncertain of its location, Xiao Muyu quickly followed the system’s movements as it reacted, engaging in a cat-and-mouse game of attack and defense.

The opponent seemed tense, constantly encrypting and patching vulnerabilities while bolstering their defenses. Xiao Muyu, now radiating determination, had a cold smile on her face. Her moves were swift and fierce, like a confident hunter biding her time to strike when the prey was exhausted.

Shen Qingqiu had never seen Xiao Muyu like this before. Typically aloof and serene, Xiao Muyu now revealed a sharp edge, much like the cold, yet gentle moonlight on a winter night. But now, she was unsheathing her blade, her brilliance and sharpness on full display, making her irresistibly captivating.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know if anyone else had seen this side of Xiao Muyu, but at this moment, she was utterly mesmerized.

As Xiao Muyu pressed her advantage, the computer suddenly emitted a spark and a puff of smoke. The screen went completely black. Shen Qingqiu reacted immediately, pulling Xiao Muyu away from the smoking computer, her eyes filled with caution.

The internet café owner rushed over, shouting in alarm.

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu, who was silently staring at the computer with a furrowed brow. She hadn’t said a word.

“Boss, you need to check your computer circuits properly. It suddenly sparked, and we thought it was going to explode. It scared my friend. Luckily nothing happened, but if it did, it wouldn’t be just about a broken computer,” Shen Qingqiu said sternly, preempting the owner’s complaints. The owner, taken aback, quickly apologized and offered them a free session.

“No need for a free session. Just refund the unused time,” Shen Qingqiu said, sensing something was off and wanting to leave quickly. In the real world, someone hacking systems in an internet café would be caught immediately. Even though there were no police here, caution was still necessary.

“Warning, warning, someone is invading the main system! Warning, warning, someone is invading the main system!” In a large control room, a supercomputer’s screen was flashing a red box with a yellow exclamation mark.

“What are you all doing? Who allowed her to access a computer?” a man in the control room yelled angrily at the screen.

“But in the Skynet world, there’s always been…”

“Still dare to argue! A bunch of useless people, getting someone involved and almost letting them wipe out your base. What’s the point of keeping you around!”

The man’s face was flushed, his eyes filled with tension. He yanked open the top button of his shirt, took a few deep breaths, and looked very angry.

He nervously watched the computer screen in front of him. Only after the red frame disappeared and everything returned to normal did he finally exhale, though his expression remained grim. “Does what you’re doing really make sense?”

The computer was silent, with no response.

—

After leaving the internet cafe with Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu took her to a quiet place and finally stopped.

Xiao Muyu had been lost in her thoughts until she sensed something was off and turned to look at Shen Qingqiu, who was staring at her with a complex, indescribable expression.

“Mu Yu, you just… No, how did you…” Shen Qingqiu, though not an expert in CS, wasn’t entirely clueless. What Xiao Muyu had done in the internet cafe was astounding. Even the Skynet system wouldn’t have expected someone to be so bold, attacking the system’s vulnerabilities from within.

“You really amaze me.” Unable to find the right words, Shen Qingqiu spread her hands in amazement.

Xiao Muyu shook her head. “It’s nothing. I didn’t actually cause any substantial danger. It was warning me. If I meddle further, it won’t be me attacking its vulnerabilities, but it will consider me a bug to be eliminated.”

She glanced around at the world beside her, smiled faintly, and then leaned close to Shen Qingqiu’s ear, covering her mouth with her hand and whispered softly, “But its overreaction has already given me the answer.”

If the Skynet world were truly another world, her initial probing shouldn’t have made it so agitated. In a complete world, a system is just a tiny part of it, not its lifeblood. Even if it were breached, it would be a small portion in a vast network environment, unable to change much.

Moreover, punishing her would be too easy. So, her seemingly big move just now was actually inconsequential. To truly break through, it would require a silent, rapid strike, hitting before it could react.

It was too sensitive.

Shen Qingqiu was slightly stunned, looked around, and nodded in sudden realization.

“But the system you entered shouldn’t be the core area, right?” Shen Qingqiu asked suddenly.

Xiao Muyu was slightly surprised. “What makes you say that?”

“Considering millions of people have come to this world, there should be many experts in this field. I believe you’re not the first to attempt this.” Shen Qingqiu smiled at her.

Xiao Muyu stared at her for a long time and finally laughed lightly. “Yes, I’m not the first. But…” She pulled out her phone to check the time and said casually, “But there are very few who can break in so quickly and confront it a few times.”

Her unhurried words, though casually spoken, revealed a confidence and a hint of arrogance that no one could ignore.

Instead of being off-putting, it made her even more dazzling. Shen Qingqiu looked at her back, unable to control her admiration, almost to the point of obsession.

The internet cafe matter was settled, and the urgent task was to find a new place to stay. A hotel costing 600 gold coins per day wasn’t expensive compared to food and clothing, but over time it was a terrifying expense.

After looking around, Xiao Muyu found that the Skynet world wasn’t much different from the real world. All kinds of professions existed, and all kinds of facilities were complete.

Including a profession that was almost being eliminated in the real world—rental agents.

In other words, Skynet was more like a 21st-century real world.

So, when they followed the rental agent riding a small electric scooter to see the fourth apartment, Shen Qingqiu had already become cold and uncommunicative.

She was still warm to Xiao Muyu, but to the agent wearing a work badge, she showed no kindness at all.

The agent, who looked under thirty, parked his scooter in front of a somewhat old residential building and glanced at Shen Qingqiu.

He was quite afraid of this woman. Despite her beautiful appearance and seemingly communicative demeanor, she was cold, with eyes like knives that made him feel immense pressure.

“We’re here. It’s on the sixth floor, an elevator building, two bedrooms and a living room. I’ve checked the listing; the environment is particularly good. The landlord is asking for just 8888 per month. With this kind of environment and area, it’s worth at least 12000. I even advised the landlord to raise the price, but he refused. You’ll definitely be satisfied.” He said as he opened the door and entered the elevator.

Once they reached the apartment, he took out the keys, opened the door, and turned to guarantee, “I told you, you’ll definitely be satisfied. Look…”

As the door opened, the room was dimly lit, nothing like the bright and clean photos.

In the faint light from the balcony, Xiao Muyu saw the bathroom and bedroom walls were in terrible condition, with peeling paint due to poor waterproofing. The wooden floor was uneven, some parts broken, others warped.

Now, even Xiao Muyu frowned, not stepping inside.

With Shen Qingqiu’s pickiness, she wouldn’t even want to enter, let alone live here.

The agent was instantly dumbfounded, repeatedly comparing the apartment with the photos on his phone in disbelief. After a long pause, he said blankly, “No wonder it’s priced this way. This apartment is only worth this price.”

He looked at Xiao Muyu awkwardly, scratching his head, then glanced timidly at Shen Qingqiu, “I have two more apartments, really good ones. I’ve checked them personally, and they definitely won’t…”

“You’re a player, aren’t you?” Xiao Muyu sighed, holding her forehead in frustration.

“Ah, yes. This is a part-time job, but I’m professional, I’ve been trained. This time I was careless, I’ll find another one for you…”

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Qingqiu reached out and grabbed him, lifting him effortlessly. The nearly six-foot-tall young man was pinned against the wall with one hand, unable to move, his face turning pale with fear.

Shen Qingqiu looked at him with a smirk. “Working a side job to make money, huh? Understandable. But don’t waste my time here. I don’t want to follow that broken scooter of yours for a fifth time.”

“I… I can carry you. It… it can carry people.”

Shen Qingqiu: …

“Am I discussing carrying people with you?” Shen Qingqiu’s fingers moved to his throat, applying just enough pressure to make him anxious. “I think I’ve made our requirements quite clear. I’ll give you one more chance. If I’m not satisfied again, I’ll dismantle both you and your scooter. Since we’re all players here, you should know I mean what I say.”

She released him nonchalantly and smoothed out her sleeve. “Hurry up.”

Zhuo Minghang was inwardly lamenting his misfortune. This rumored profession was really tough. He had indeed tried some tricks earlier, but this time he genuinely believed it was a good place, only to have it backfire.

And these two women, who looked delicate and beautiful, were not to be messed with.

He had taken a chance before, but once Shen Qingqiu made a move, he knew he had encountered a formidable opponent.

“I do have a place, in the Huangquan District, Sunset Mansion. The lighting and ventilation are great, and it’s nicely decorated. But people say the feng shui is bad, and those who live there often encounter strange happenings. It’s a bit unclean.

Several waves of players have already stayed there, so the price is very low—only 6888 a month. Would you dare to try it?”

Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow with interest. “Unclean? Could there be ghosts? I’ve seen more ghosts than I can count. Do you think I’d be scared?”

“Sunset Mansion?” Xiao Muyu repeated softly. What a coincidence, Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian lived there.

Shen Qingqiu remembered it too. “Lead the way.”

Zhuo Minghang was pleased. As he prepared to ride off on his scooter, he cautiously said, “It’s quite far from here, so you might want to…”

“Get off,” Shen Qingqiu said calmly as she walked up to him.

“Huh?” Zhuo Minghang was confused but got off the scooter.

He then saw Shen Qingqiu, with one swift motion, sit on the scooter and gesture to Xiao Muyu. “Come on, get on.”

“Can you ride it?” She looked doubtful.

“Do you think I’d harm you?” Shen Qingqiu was confident.

As soon as Xiao Muyu got on and sat down, Shen Qingqiu twisted the handle, and the scooter shot forward.

Xiao Muyu was startled and quickly hugged Shen Qingqiu’s waist. Before she could tighten her grip, Shen Qingqiu, also startled, hit the brakes.

The soft body behind her pressed close with the inertia, Xiao Muyu’s arms encircling her tightly. Shen Qingqiu’s heart raced suddenly, and she cleared her throat. “I’ll… go slower.”

Xiao Muyu said nothing, merely loosening her grip and sitting back, her hand lightly resting on Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. With the warmth gone, Shen Qingqiu’s heartbeat steadied but she felt a bit empty.

Two women, both beautiful and elegant, sitting on a small electric scooter with their long legs cramped, looked quite out of place.

Zhuo Minghang watched the scooter speed off in silence and sighed. This was a rough start. Making money these days was really tough.

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Author’s Note: The content in this chapter is based on some materials I found. Professional experts, please don’t laugh at me; it’s really tough.

Thanks to the experts for the guidance. Much appreciated. It’s impossible for Xiao to succeed; otherwise, the system would be completely broken, haha.