My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 44
Lin Jiqiu had brought him tea a few times, and each time she saw him sitting at his workbench, flipping through the documents on his screen. She asked him what he was looking for, and he said, “Clues to the source.” In the Stargazers’ database, the records for the “source” were indeed encrypted with multiple layers, making them much harder to crack than ordinary data. Cheng Ran, using the permissions granted by K, could only see the outer layer, not the core. But the information in the outer layer was enough for him to piece together a rough map.
On the evening of the third day, Lin Jiqiu brought upstairs a bowl of scallion oil noodles made by Ayou. The door was ajar, and Cheng Ran was sitting in a chair, his screen frozen in the middle of a document. She pushed the door open, placed the noodles on the table, and stood behind him, looking at the screen.
“What did you find?”
Cheng Ran rubbed his eyes. “‘The source’ is not an organization, it’s a person.”
Lin Jiqiu’s fingers tightened slightly on the back of the chair. “Alone?”
“Code name ‘Origin’. All branches—the Stargazers, the Mirror Society, the Rustbones—receive funding and technical instructions from him. He doesn’t manage these organizations directly, but through intermediaries. The Telescope is one of his intermediaries.”
“Report directly to him through the telescope?”
“Possibly. It’s not explicitly stated in the documents, but judging from the flow of funds, the telescope has an account separate from the stargazers’. The funds in that account do not go through the stargazers’ financial system; they come directly from an offshore account—the ‘source’s’ personal account.”
Lin Jiqiu was silent for a few seconds. “Does the telescope know who the ‘source’ is?”
“Maybe they know. Maybe they don’t.” Cheng Ran flipped through the documents. “The ‘source’ is very cautious. All communications are through encrypted channels, and the key is changed after each use. The Stargazer’s system doesn’t store his real identity, only a string of code.”
“Can you trace that code?”
“Yes. But you need access to the core database.” Cheng Ran picked up his bowl of noodles, took a bite, chewed twice, and swallowed. “K said that access to the core database isn’t in his hands, it’s in the telescope’s hands. Only the telescope can authorize access.”
Lin Jiqiu looked at him. “So we still need to find a telescope.”
“Maybe not.” Cheng Ran put down his chopsticks and pulled up another document. “I found another middleman at the ‘source’—not the telescope, but someone else. Code name: ‘Echo.’ This person is in charge of the Mirror Society’s financial allocation.”
“Mirror Meeting?”
“Yes. All of the Mirror Society’s funds go through ‘Echo’. ‘Echo’ is different from Telescope – Telescope handles fieldwork and cleanup; ‘Echo’ handles the money. He probably knows better who the ‘source’ is.”
Lin Jiqiu tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table. “Where’s the ‘Echo’?”
“I don’t know. His location isn’t in the documents. But his financial account has a fixed trading time—every Friday at 3 PM. If we could trace his IP address at that time—”
“It can then be located.”
Cheng Ran nodded, picked up the bowl of noodles, and ate a few more bites.
Lin Jiqiu leaned against the edge of the table, looking out the window. It was getting dark; the flower shop across the street had already closed, and the lights in the café were on. Through the glass window, she could see a few customers sitting inside. Everything was just like any other day.
“Chengran, what day of the week is it today?”
“Thursday.”
“Tomorrow at 3 PM.”
Cheng Ran looked at her. “You want to track down ‘Echo’?”
“You track it down. I’ll watch from the sidelines.”
Cheng Ran did not object.
At 2:30 p.m. the next day, Lin Jiqiu went upstairs. Cheng Ran was sitting at his workbench, several windows open on his screen—a network tracking program, a map, and the login page for the stargazer database. He checked the program to make sure there were no problems, then leaned back in his chair and waited.
Lin Jiqiu pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. Ahua jumped down from the windowsill, rubbed against Lin Jiqiu’s feet, then jumped onto her lap and curled up in a ball.
“How much longer?” Lin Jiqiu asked.
“Twenty-five minutes.”
Neither of them spoke. Time ticked by. The clock on the wall ticked. Ah Hua made gurgling sounds on Lin Jiqiu’s lap.
It was 2:58. Cheng Ran sat up straight, his fingers on the keyboard.
It was exactly three o’clock. A string of data popped up on the screen—IP address, port number, connection duration. Cheng Ran’s fingers flew across the keyboard, copying the data into the tracking program. A red dot appeared on the map, in a coastal city in the south.
“Located.” Cheng Ran zoomed in on the map. “An office building in the east of the city. This IP address appears precisely at 3 PM every Friday for the past three months. There is no activity at other times.”
“Is it him?”
“It’s highly likely. The IP address isn’t fixed, but it always appears in the vicinity of that building. It could be due to using a mobile device, or it could be due to renting the network from that building.”
Lin Jiqiu looked at the red dot on the map. “Can you tell me exactly which floor it is?”
“More precise positioning is needed. If ‘Echo’ were using a mobile phone, triangulation could be used for positioning. But he’s using a computer, and it’s an encrypted channel, so he can only determine the approximate range.”
“Then I’ll go and make the trip.”
Cheng Ran looked at her. “Alone?”
“One person is enough. Just go and take a look, without alerting them.”
Cheng Ran was silent for a few seconds. “I’ll go with you.”
“You stay at the office. Continue checking the database. We’ll be more efficient if we split up.”
Cheng Ran tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table. “Bring your communicator.”
“I’ve always carried it with me.”
Lin Jiqiu stood up, and Ahua jumped off her lap, meowing in dissatisfaction. She ruffled Ahua’s hair and went downstairs.
Ah You was busy in the kitchen, while Ah Zuo was behind the counter. Seeing Lin Jiqiu come down, Ah You poked his head out. “Boss, what would you like to eat tonight?”
“I don’t know. I probably won’t come back to eat.”
Ah You wiped his hand on his apron. “Going out again?”
“Going south. Will be back tomorrow.”
Ah You opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just nodded. “Be careful.”
“Um.”
Lin Jiqiu went upstairs and packed a small backpack. It contained a change of clothes, a folding knife, a charger, and a communicator. She took the “Yin” device off its wristband and held it in her hand, feeling its gentle vibration at a moderate frequency. She fastened the wristband, put the ball back on, and went downstairs.
Ah Zuo has already started the car.
“Ah Zuo, you don’t need to go. I’ll drive myself.”
A-Zuo got out of the driver’s seat and handed her the keys. “Drive carefully. Keep in touch.”
Lin Jiqiu took the keys and got into the car. She started the engine and drove off the street. The florist, who was watering the flowers, waved as she drove by. Lin Jiqiu honked the horn and turned onto the main road.
After driving for about an hour, it was completely dark. There weren’t many cars on the highway, and the headlights illuminated a short stretch of road ahead. She turned on her communicator and pressed a button on the side. “Chengran. Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you.” The voice was clear, without any background noise. “Have we arrived?”
Not yet. One-third of it is open.
“Take breaks. Don’t drive when you’re tired.”
“Know.”
She released the button. The communicator’s small light flashed, its blue glow standing out in the darkness.
When she reached the service area, she stopped for a fifteen-minute break. She bought a bottle of water and a bag of bread, ate them standing by her car, and looked at the sparsely populated parking lot. A black sedan was parked not far away, and she glanced at it again—it wasn’t the one with the license plate ending in 672, but an ordinary family car with local plates. After finishing her bread and drinking half a bottle of water, she put the rest back in her backpack, got back in her car, and continued driving.
It was already 11 p.m. when she arrived in that southern coastal city. Instead of going directly to the office building, she found a hotel nearby. The room was small, the bed was hard, and the pillows smelled of laundry detergent. She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, the ball on her wrist vibrating gently.
“Cheng Ran”.
“exist.”
“We’ve arrived. We’ll go check out the office building tomorrow morning.”
Okay. Get some rest.
“The same to you.”
The communicator went silent.
The next morning, Lin Jiqiu got up very early. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains. She washed up, changed her clothes, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and checked out. When she drove to the office building, it was not yet eight o’clock, and the parking lot downstairs was mostly empty. She parked her car and got out.
The office building wasn’t tall, about twenty stories, its glass curtain wall gleaming in the sunlight. There was a reception desk in the lobby on the first floor; a card was required to access the elevator. She didn’t go in, but instead walked around the area first. Behind the office building was a small alleyway with a few trash cans and electric scooters. There was a fire escape on the side; the door was closed but unlocked. She pushed the door open and went inside; it led to a dimly lit stairwell. She climbed the stairs for several floors; the fire doors on each floor were closed and required a card to enter.
She went back down to the first floor, exited through the fire escape, bought a coffee at the convenience store across from the office building, and sat by the window watching the building. Many people were coming and going: office workers in suits, cleaners in work clothes, and deliverymen. She observed for about an hour but didn’t see anyone suspicious.
“Cheng Ran”.
“exist.”
“You need a card to enter the office building. I’m not sure which floor ‘Echo’ is on.”
“Is there any way to get in?”
“Maybe. We can sneak in when there are more people around noon.”
“careful.”
Lin Jiqiu finished her coffee and waited another hour. At 11:30, lunchtime, more people started coming and going. She walked to the office building entrance and followed a group of people in suits, entering naturally. The receptionist glanced at her but didn’t stop her.
There were three elevators in the lobby. She waited a while, then followed a few people into one of them. Inside, some people pressed the eighth floor, some the twelfth, and some the fifteenth. She didn’t press any buttons, but stood in a corner observing the layout of the floor buttons. When she got off the elevator, she followed a middle-aged woman out—to the eighth floor.
The eighth floor was a corridor lined with glass-partitioned offices on both sides. She could see people working inside through the glass. She walked around the corridor but didn’t find anything unusual. She returned to the elevator and went up to the twelfth floor. The twelfth floor had the same layout, only the companies were different. The fifteenth floor was the same. She wasn’t sure which floor “Echo” was on, but since his IP address appeared near this building every Friday afternoon at 3 PM, he must work here—or at least come here once a week.
She went back to the first floor and left the office building.
“Cheng Ran, we couldn’t find his exact location. But we’re certain he’s in this building. Maybe on a higher floor.”
“Can you find the tenant information for that building?”
“Maybe. Let me check.”
Lin Jiqiu took out her phone and searched the tenant list of that office building. The results showed that there were dozens of companies in the building, mostly in the technology and trade sectors. She looked through them and didn’t find a single name related to Jinghui or Guanxingzhe. She then searched for the legal representatives of each company, but didn’t find any suspicious names.
“Chengran, there are no obvious connections in the tenant list. It’s possible that ‘Echo’ is using a personal identity—renting a workstation or temporarily borrowing someone else’s network.”
“Then we can only wait on Friday afternoon. When he comes online, we’ll use the device to locate the specific floor.”
Lin Jiqiu glanced at his watch. “It’s Friday.”
“Hmm. Three more hours.”
She found a fast food restaurant across from the office building, ordered lunch, and sat by the window staring at the building. Time passed slowly. She finished her lunch, drank a cup of coffee, and waited another hour. At 2:30, she turned on her communicator.
“Cheng Ran. Is he online?”
Not yet. It’s three o’clock sharp.
Lin Jiqiu came out of the fast food restaurant and walked to the flower bed opposite the office building, pretending to wait for someone. She held her phone in her hand, the screen displaying the location app sent by Cheng Ran—she didn’t need to operate it, Cheng Ran would update it in real time.
It’s exactly three o’clock.
My phone vibrated. A red dot appeared on the map, somewhere between the 15th and 18th floors of an office building. It wasn’t the exact floor, but the area had been significantly narrowed down.
“Floors 15 to 18,” Lin Jiqiu said in a low voice.
“Received. I’ve marked it.”
Lin Jiqiu put away her phone and headed towards the office building. Lunchtime was over, and fewer people were coming and going. She waited a while, then slipped inside with a delivery guy. The elevator went straight to the fifteenth floor.
The corridor on the fifteenth floor was quiet, with all the office doors on both sides closed. She walked around the corridor once but didn’t see anyone. The sixteenth floor was the same. On the seventeenth floor, halfway down, a door opened, and a woman came out, holding a folder. Lin Jiqiu stepped aside, glancing at the scene inside the door—it was a small open-plan office area with a few desks, but only one workstation was occupied.
The person was sitting in front of the computer with their back to the door, so their face was obscured.
Lin Jiqiu didn’t stop, and continued walking until she reached the end of the corridor. She turned and glanced at the door, which was already closed.
“Chengran, there’s someone on the seventeenth floor. I’m not sure if it’s ‘Echo’.”
“Can you get a picture of their faces?”
No. He has his back to the door.
“Retreat first. Don’t alert them.”
Lin Jiqiu returned the way she came and took the elevator downstairs. Once outside the office building, she walked to the flowerbed across the street and took a deep breath.
“Cheng Ran”.
“exist.”
“If that person really is ‘Echo,’ he comes every Friday at 3 p.m. I’ll come again next week.”
“good.”
Lin Jiqiu got into the car and started the engine. Instead of going straight back to the office, she went to a nearby car accessory store and bought a small dashcam. It could be hidden in a backpack or attached to clothing.
“What are you buying that for?” Cheng Ran’s voice came through the communicator.
“Take a picture of his face next week.”
“careful.”
“Know.”
The car drove out of the city and onto the highway. Lin Jiqiu looked out the window; the sea shimmered golden in the sunlight. She thought of her father—if he had investigated the “source” in the same way back then, what would he have found? What would he have seen? She didn’t know. But she would continue to investigate.
It was almost dark when they got back to the office. Ah-you was wiping the sign at the entrance when she saw her get out of the car, and the rag in her hand fell to the ground.
“Boss! You’re back!”
“Um.”
Ah You looked her up and down. “You’ve lost weight. Is the food in the South not good?”
“good.”
“A-Zuo said you only ate one meal.”
Lin Jiqiu glanced at A Zuo. A Zuo was organizing files behind the counter, not even looking up. She changed her shoes and sat down on the sofa. A Hua jumped down from the windowsill, rubbed against her leg, then jumped onto the sofa and curled up next to her.
Where is Cheng Ran?
“Upstairs. Waiting for you to come back.”
Lin Jiqiu went upstairs. The studio door was open, and Cheng Ran was sitting at his workbench. On the screen was a satellite map of the office building, with floors 15 to 18 circled.
“You’re back?” He turned his head.
“You’re back.” Lin Jiqiu pulled up a chair and sat down. “Let’s go again next week. We’ll take a picture of your face to confirm your identity.”
Cheng Ran looked at her. “If he really is ‘Echo,’ what do you plan to do?”
“Go with him. See who he goes to see.”
“It could be dangerous.”
“Know.”
Cheng Ran was silent for a few seconds. “I’ll go with you.”
“You stay at the office. Continue checking the database. We’ll split up.”
Cheng Ran tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table. “Bring your communicator.”
“I’ve always carried it with me.”
Lin Jiqiu stood up, walked to the door, and stopped. “Cheng Ran.”
“Um.”
“That ‘source’—do you think he knows me?”
Cheng Ran’s fingers paused on the keyboard. “Perhaps you know. You were the only successful test subject in that project.”
Will he come looking for me?
“Maybe. But not now. He’s still lurking in the shadows.”
Lin Jiqiu nodded. “Then let’s wait for him to arrive.”
She walked out of the studio and gently closed the door. Ah You’s voice came from downstairs. “Boss! Dinner’s ready! Sweet and sour pork ribs!”
“They’re here.”
She went downstairs. Ah You had already put the dishes on the table: sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and tomato egg drop soup. Ah Zuo came out from behind the counter, Ah Hua jumped off the sofa and squatted by the table, and Ah Ju was already squatting down.
Lin Jiqiu sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of pork rib. Delicious.
“Boss, how’s it going in the south?” Ah You asked.
“We’ve found the target. We’ll confirm it next week.”
Ah You nodded and didn’t ask any further questions.
The four of them sat around the table eating. Ah You ate quickly, Ah Zuo ate slowly, Ah Hua squatted beside them waiting to be fed, and Ah Ju stole a piece of pork rib from Ah You’s bowl. Everything seemed normal. But Lin Jiqiu knew that beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.
“Source,” “Echo,” “Telescope”—the people behind these code names are gradually emerging.
She finished her meal and put down her chopsticks.
“Ah You, the ribs are delicious today.”
Ah You smiled. “I’ll do it again tomorrow.”
“good.”
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