Chapter 564: Not Yet the Worst of Times

Eight security guards, with clear divisions of labor: three at the elevator entrance, one visible and two hidden, and another three in the monitoring room. These two posts rotate shifts every eight hours. Zhu Heng takes another person to provide close protection for Lin Sicheng, the kind that never leaves his sight for twenty-four hours.

No mobile post was left, and there was no need to: the elevator entrance, the hallway, and every room have alarms. As long as an alarm sounds, the special security team can be downstairs in less than two minutes.

After arranging the personnel, Lin Sicheng had Zhu Heng go downstairs to pick people up. About half an hour later, two young men arrived, claiming to be employees from a network company, here to install network cables and check the network while they were at it.

At first, no one paid any attention, but when they started tinkering with Lin Sicheng's dedicated computer, several people discovered something wrong: why were there no Chinese characters on this computer? The boot prompts were in English, the screensaver was in English, and the desktop Software was still in English.

An extra router was installed next to the machine, and besides that, a dedicated U-disk for mobile internet was prepared.

During the demonstration, the systems on these two pieces of hardware were also in English. This included the network and webpages accessed after connecting. After fussing about for two hours, one of the young men gave Lin Sicheng a small booklet, his demeanor very relaxed: "Teacher Lin, it's done!" Lin Sicheng, however, was exceptionally solemn: "There won't be any tails left, will there?"

"Don't worry, Teacher Lin, we will keep an eye on it ourselves." The young man smiled, "More than ten proxies are connected in series, and three Virtual Machines have been added, along with Intermediate Transfer and Isolation. No matter where they trace it to, they won't be able to trace it here."

Lin Sicheng remained uneasy: "What I'm worried about is the Intermediate Transfer!"

The young man was completely unconcerned: "That's even less to worry about: we borrowed an External IP, and we'll disconnect as soon as we're done!"

Lin Sicheng was not very proficient, but at least he knew what this "borrowed," "External," and "disconnect" meant:

Hijack a foreign IP, and blow it up after use.

Even if they hired a security department and could follow the tail, they would only be able to trace it to a foreign country.

Lin Sicheng said thank you and had Zhu Heng send the men downstairs.

As soon as they left, he called Li Zhen, asking her to withdraw fifty thousand yuan and have Fang Jin drive it over.

One listen and it was clear: it was for those two young men from just now.

Wang Qi Zhi realized belatedly: those two were definitely not employees of any network company.

Who installs a network cable for fifty thousand?

The key was this all-English webpage: he seemed to have seen it on Lin Sicheng's computer back in Shanghai?

Curiosity was curiosity, but Wang Qi Zhi knew his place and didn't ask further.

Tan Zheng understood a bit more and knew what that extra router and that U-disk were for: bypassing the firewall, Encryption, Physical Isolation, and preventing IP Address tracking.

But Lin Sicheng had made it very clear that only four people could enter this office: Lin Sicheng, Wang Qi Zhi, Zhao Xiuneng, and Zhu Heng.

She was not included, so she could only guess, but she didn't know exactly how those two hackers had done it.

With the network settled, Lin Sicheng drafted a Lawyer's Letter. Just like before, he drafted the outline, and Tan Zheng was responsible for the specific wording, content, and clauses. There was no need to hide this from anyone; Lin Sicheng sat in the main office to write it, and everyone could see.

But it was all in English, and not many could understand it.

To: Keyence (Bruker/Saishi Company/Aimeier/Rigaku/Agilent) Technology.

Date:...

Reason: Regarding the legal matters of purchasing your company's equipment, which contains malicious Remote Control Programs, pre-installed Backdoors, and serious Security Vulnerabilities in the system modules...

Content:...

Demands:...

Notification of legal consequences...

Flowing and extensive, just for an outline, Lin Sicheng wrote two pages of paper.

Tan Zheng was fine, but the two Assistants were dizzy from looking at it: not to mention it was all in English, there were many technical terms inside that they had never even seen before.

After writing it, he checked it once more and handed it to Tan Zheng: "Lawyer Tan, draft it according to this. I will send you the email address later." Tan Zheng took it in her hand, and at just one glance, her eyes widened.

The beginning was fine, but the key was the demands:

One, a full refund.

Two, payment of statutory damages.

Three, taking technical measures to provide a remedial plan.

Four, issuing a written guarantee.

After reading it again, Tan Zheng didn't know if she should advise Lin Sicheng.

In her view, except for the first point which had some basis, the rest was all nonsense.

You want every company to pay you an extra thirty million USD; may I ask where the statutory provision is?

The system Backdoor programs for those Refurbished Machines were indeed provided by the original manufacturer, but this was an after-sales authorization granted by the manufacturer to Saishi Company, and there was an Isolation Agreement, so you couldn't blame them for it.

As for the fourth point, the written guarantee, Tan Zheng even wanted to laugh: how was this any different from Lin Sicheng's last demand that Saishi publish an apology in the newspaper? Let alone that the sender was just a small private organization, even if this Lawyer's Letter had been sent by the Ministry of Commerce, do you think these companies would give a damn? Knowing she couldn't persuade him, but out of professional duty, Tan Zheng felt she still had to remind him: "Lin Sicheng, once this email is sent, it will probably be in the trash folder in less than three minutes!"

"It's fine, you send it first!" Lin Sicheng was unconcerned, "Notify me before you send it!"

Tan Zheng sighed: "Alright!"

The task was assigned, and it certainly had to be completed as soon as possible. Tan Zheng did indeed fulfill her duties: she drafted it herself and asked a Western law expert within the law firm to check it once.

Then, she printed a copy and handed it to Lin Sicheng.

Lin Sicheng looked it over carefully, picked up a pen, and wrote on the back of the Lawyer's Letter.

It was still in English, but Tan Zheng discovered she only recognized half of it: only the company names at the front.

As for the rest, she didn't recognize a single one.

Looking closer: it seemed to be... code?

There wasn't much, just two lines after each company, and he finished writing quickly.

Then, he pushed it back to Tan Zheng: "Lawyer Tan, add a note with one line after the letter for each company, and type these two lines of code in. Be careful not to mix them up. Notify me after you've typed it up, and I'll check it..."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng's voice lowered: "Type it yourself, don't let the Assistants see! This last line is the email address; when you send it, remember to use an encrypted email..."

Can't let the Assistants see?

And have to send it encrypted?

Tan Zheng realized belatedly: were these two lines of code Lin Sicheng's "leverage"?

She asked without thinking: "What is this?"

"The first part is a portion of the Bottom-layer Password for each company's corresponding instrument system, and the second part is a piece of data intercepted from the Core Module." After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng lowered his voice: "To put it simply: the former is the key, and the latter is the Lock..."

Tan Zheng was stunned.

Even if she didn't understand much, she at least knew what a Bottom-layer Password was: it was the master key to the instrument's system, and furthermore, the highest authorization credential, bar none. With this, whether it was firmware, software, or even the Database, one could view whatever one wanted and steal whatever one wanted.

She knew even better what a Core Module was: Perception System, Processing Algorithm, Signal Program, Decision Command, Control Execution...

It could be said that half the value of a scientific research instrument was embodied in its Core Module.

To give an example: for the same type of electron microscope, why was the performance of domestic ones average, selling for only a few thousand or ten thousand? While imported ones had performance that could be a large margin higher, selling for tens of thousands or over a hundred thousand?

A small half lay in the components, a large half lay in the Core Module...

To give another example: regardless of whether it was the bottom-layer key or the Core Module, if either one leaked, the company would never be able to sell another product of the same type again.

What's more: as long as an institution had bought the same type of product, regardless of size, and regardless of whether it was domestic or abroad, without exception, all would sue the developer and the manufacturer.

The demands would by no means be limited to compensation for the machine itself, but would involve intellectual property, scientific research results...

Thinking of this, Tan Zheng's face turned pale in a "flash."

She finally understood: when clearly nothing had happened, why did Lin Sicheng make such a fuss, hiring bodyguards and renting half a floor next to the Public Security Bureau?

And why did he even hire professional hackers, using physical Isolation and routing through foreign countries, being as careful as one could possibly be?

Furthermore, she was clearly his lawyer, and even had endorsements from acquaintances with official backgrounds; why did Lin Sicheng guard against her as if she were a thief? It wasn't that Lin Sicheng didn't trust her, but that he didn't trust anyone.

Because when the time came, the losses for these foreign investors would be far more than just ten billion or a hundred billion.

Tan Zheng suspected that if Lin Sicheng leaked the bottom-layer key and the Core Module, at least half of these six companies would go bankrupt on the spot... If she had to speak with her hand on her heart: before entering this building, if Lin Sicheng had revealed even half a word about what he was planning to do, Tan Zheng would have turned around and left for sure.

Because it would really cost lives...

In an instant, Tan Zheng's eyelids couldn't stop twitching: "Where... where did it come from?"

"Liu Anhua gave it to me!"

"Impossible!" Tan Zheng raised her head, "He only has after-sales authorization, where would he get the Bottom-layer Password?"

"Lawyer Tan, you don't know much about instruments, let me put it simply: to simulate the latest generation operating system on the hardware of a Refurbished Machine, one must use the latest acquisition programs, control and algorithm software, signal processing, and possess a standard Calibration Parameter Database... these are the system's Core Module. And to load a Core Module into an old machine, one must have the bottom-layer key, otherwise it cannot be compatible. Only by solving these two points can the data appear qualified when performing performance verification on a refurbished instrument."

"To give an example: although the body is old, the brain is new, so it calculates very quickly. This is also the prerequisite for them to sell refurbished machines as brand-new ones without fearing that the client will discover it..."

"And all along, they have been doing exactly this, and have never had an accident... because every time, they choose clients who don't understand much, or who are complete laymen."

"Because they don't understand, they aren't afraid of the client finding out; after the delivery is complete, at a suitable time, they can just remotely delete the module software. Even if they don't delete it, it doesn't matter: because there are three Password Locks protecting it, unless one possesses the highest authorization of a Senior Engineer from the original factory, no one can crack the Bottom-layer Password..."

"And it just so happens that at the most critical moment of performance verification, the Police come..."

Tan Zheng understood: without the participation of a Senior Engineer from the original manufacturer, and without the Core Module supporting the virtual system's operation, Liu Anhua could not sell Refurbished Machines. Therefore, he must have the key in his hands, and the machines must contain the developer's latest Core Module software.

It just so happened that when the Police arrived, all the refurbished instruments were verifying performance under the support of the Third Generation Machine's module. It was equivalent to the safe door being wide open, with the key even hanging in the lock.

The problem was, the people who came were Police, not thieves; would they take the initiative to tell you?

"Because the Police don't understand either! To be accurate: although the Police copied all the data, at most they would check the previous access records to prove that these machines were not brand new and had been used for a long time, many times..."

"They don't know that this data contains keys, and even more so, the Core Module..."

Lin Sicheng paused: "Including now, those instruments are still placed at the Center, with just a seal stuck on the door. Until now, the Backdoor of all the instruments is still wide open..."

Tan Zheng was stunned: the Police actually really didn't understand?

If they understood, even if they had to tear the building down, they would have moved these instruments away.

At the very least, they would have shut down the system...

For a moment, she didn't know what to say?

Should she say Lin Sicheng was bold, not afraid of a hacker getting in and copying all the data?

But he already dared to openly send a Lawyer's Letter, so would he fear this?

Or should she ask him: even the Police don't understand, what makes you understand?

If Lin Sicheng didn't understand, he wouldn't have let the Police make arrests at the critical moment of verification, when the key could not be exited...

Suddenly, Tan Zheng's hands began to tremble as well.

It wasn't that her mental fortitude was poor, but that lives would really be lost.

Count them up, how many giants stand behind technology companies with market values of hundreds of billions of dollars?

But a small person waves his hand, and it could cause them to go bankrupt... just imagine it?

The key is, there are six such companies...

She also finally understood why Liu Anhua confessed so much, and so quickly?

The day he finishes his prison sentence and is deported back to the United States will be the day of his death.

It's even possible that before he finishes his sentence, he will die in prison...

For a moment, Tan Zheng regretted it so much her guts turned green: still the king of the foreign investment dispute field, king of what?

Let your greed get the better of you, now look: you're already on the pirate ship, and you can't get off even if you want to...

"Lin Sicheng, things are very likely to spiral out of control!" She bit her lip, "Why not reveal it to Li Zhengwu first?"

At least there would be some room for mediation...

"I originally planned it that way too, for example when I went to Shanghai..." Lin Sicheng sighed, "But I discovered that they likely wouldn't choose to solve the problem, but would first choose to solve the person who raised the problem..."

Tan Zheng was stunned, thinking of Director Chen from the International Arbitration Center and Division Chief Li from the Ministry of Commerce.

As well as Gaina from the Mixed Economic Committee and Su Bingnan from the Consulate Commercial Office...

If, and I only mean if: these people realized the seriousness of the matter, would they let Lin Sicheng stay in Shanghai?

The possibility is very high...

No, it is extremely high... because these people are so biased, it is almost blatant favoritism.

Standing from their perspective, what Lin Sicheng has done is no longer as light as disrupting trade relations. Labeling him with destroying relations wouldn't be wrong at all...

The deeper she thought, the paler Tan Zheng's face became: it's over!

Her own career is very likely to be ruined in Lin Sicheng's hands.

But that is the lightest part...

Lin Sicheng, on the contrary, was very relaxed: "Lawyer Tan, you don't need to worry too much: the energy of Sai Shi is so great, they will certainly be able to find a solution that satisfies all three parties."

"Three parties?"

"Yes, three parties: Saishi, us, and the relevant departments!"

Tan Zheng understood: the relevant departments would still intervene, or at the very least, they would not let this matter explode.

"But what about you, and what about those six companies?"

"There are no six companies, for now there is only one!" Lin Sicheng pointed at the email address at the very bottom, "Saishi Technology!"

"As for me, there is even less to worry about!" Lin Sicheng smiled, "To Saishi, I am the victim, unless he plays dirty..."

Tan Zheng stared at the email address on the paper and let out a sharp sigh of relief: no wonder, there were six Lawyer's Letters, yet Lin Sicheng only wrote one email address?

From beginning to end, he had only prepared to send it to Saishi.

Thank goodness... thank goodness... it hadn't reached the worst-case scenario yet...