As the group was laughing and joking, a low voice suddenly came from the side: "Look, that's Chen Xu, the guy who got an audience with the SMMH gods. Now he's acting all high and mighty, he won't even play a game with us, what a diva."
Chen Xu had very sharp ears, or rather, after training in that set of physical techniques, Chen Xu's various qualities were actually above average. Upon hearing this, Chen Xu couldn't help but stop eating, and then a voice came from behind: "He is now the number one expert in the world, so naturally he has to have a certain status."
"What 'number one expert in the world'? He was just lucky enough to be received by the SMMH god and participate in the closed beta, which means he got to play a few months earlier than us. We're all new to the game, so we definitely can't beat him. Hmph, if I were received by the SMMH god, I'd definitely be the number one expert in the world too!"
"Hey, but you're not so lucky! Look at them, that 'Jin Yong's Heroes' game is software provided by SMMH. They made their own web game, claiming it was their own, but such a big game was compressed to such a small size that others can't copy it at all. Wasn't it SMMH that helped them make it? And now it's this game again. Sigh, what can we do? They've managed to curry favor with that big shot. We're not so lucky!"
The last sentence was spoken loudly, and Qin Xiaoan and the others heard it. They all turned around and glared angrily. Qin Xiaoan immediately slammed his hand on the table, looked coldly at the two guys, and didn't say anything, just stared at them.
The two gossiping guys felt a little uneasy under their gaze. They picked up their plates, muttered a few words, and sat down in a far place. Wu Yuan noticed that Chen Xu's expression was a bit off, so he said, "Third brother, what's wrong? Don't think too much about it. Ordinary people don't even have the qualifications to be summoned by the SMMH god!"
Chen Xu chuckled. He wasn't upset about the matter itself, because he couldn't very well say that he was the real SMMH, could he? To summon himself? That would be too ridiculous.
But after listening to their words, Chen Xu was thinking about something else entirely.
It seems like I'm getting a little too close to SMMH right now?
Although they successfully fooled X last time, making them believe that SMMH's close relationship with their group was entirely due to Gao Xiaojie, this kind of thing is still a hidden danger.
Thinking about it carefully, I've been a bit too high-profile lately. He's been personally handling many things, especially this martial arts event. Being too high-profile isn't beneficial to me at all, neither in terms of fame nor fortune.
After hearing what this person said, Chen Xu realized that he had indeed gone a bit too far. Was this just a young man trying to show off? Or was it righteous indignation at being angered by the Koreans?
But no matter what, I do need to change. I need to find a way to divert people's attention. I can't let outsiders immediately think of me and the people around me, like Gao Xiaojie, when they talk about the real-world connections of SMMH.
So, what should we do?
Chapter 164 of the main text: SMMH reappears! Helping others is a joy!
Wishing wall.
I don't know when it started, but anonymous confessions or venting websites have become popular online.
These web pages, resembling bookmarks on a wall, allowed netizens to vent their frustrations or make wishes hoping their dreams would come true. These pages quickly became popular across the internet, prompting other websites to follow suit. One type was the "wishing wall," and the other was the "venting wall."
In contrast, grudge walls are often criticized because they are usually filled with one person's strong resentment, such as "I want XXX to die" or "I want to wipe out XXX's entire family".
Chen Xu is now on the wishing wall, where most of the things written on it are beautiful wishes, such as: "I hope my husband can not work overtime today, so I can cook him a bowl of soup myself."
"I hope my parents are healthy and that everything goes well for them."
"I hope that Xiaohong and I can stay together until we walk down the aisle."
"I hope he can change his mind..."
Such wishes were not only absurd and ridiculous, such as "I hope aliens will come and chat with me tonight," but Chen Xu also saw someone wishing to spend the night with Sister Furong... Ugh!
Chen Xu didn't go up to this wishing wall to make a wish, but rather to see if there was any wish he could help with.
Of course, Chen Xu wasn't the kind of person who would be overly kind. He was so bored that he decided to become an online Santa Claus, doing so to conceal his true identity.
SMMH's appearances on several occasions were all too closely linked to him.
Whether it was helping Gao Xiaojie or the martial arts expert helping him this time, SMMH was always around him. Although it hadn't been revealed that SMMH made the rabies-fighting drug, it was still a product of its time, and it would be terrible if someone with ulterior motives discovered it.
So Chen Xu thought it over and over. He felt that SMMH's online activities needed to be more covert, no, it should be said that the scope needed to be expanded!
We can't let people associate SMMH with ourselves. Just like when we helped Gao Xiaojie last time, many people thought that SMMH only helped because they disapproved of the actions of the single-player game website.
This idea inspired Chen Xu, so he decided to portray SMMH as someone who helps others online. This way, he could help more people, firstly allowing him to enjoy the pleasure of helping others, and secondly, and most importantly, expanding the range of people he could connect with through SMMH. This way, he wouldn't stand out so much.
A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be blown away by the wind.
Chen Xu understood this principle when he was very young.
Chen Xu searched these wishing walls for suitable candidates to perform miracles for, imagining others being moved to tears and worshipping him after receiving his help. He even thought about how someone might sculpt a clay figure and burn incense in front of his computer morning and night, maybe even burn some paper money… Pshaw, what's the point of paper money? Anyway, Chen Xu was very excited, his whole body, including his little brother, was throbbing with excitement.
Although there were many wishes on the wishing wall, most were about relationship issues. Some were wives wishing their husbands well, some boyfriends wishing their girlfriends well, and some were wishes for their families. Of course, there were also wishes that a certain woman's boyfriend would get into a car accident tomorrow so that they could take advantage of the situation... Chen Xu didn't need to think about those kinds of things!
He flipped through the pages several times. Finally, Chen Xu found a wish that seemed promising: "I don't know if God exists. But if there really is a pair of eyes silently watching over this world, I hope you can help my software company overcome its difficulties. At the very least, don't let those villains' schemes succeed!"
When Chen Xu saw the message, his eyes were immediately drawn to the "software company"... Software-related? Then there's nothing SMMH can't handle!
But how do I contact them?
Wishing walls are a form of catharsis, or perhaps a form of prayer. The wishes on these walls are mostly addressed to God, and no personal information or contact details are left behind. Of course, there are exceptions, depending on the individual… but this message clearly didn't leave any contact information.
But this didn't stump Chen Xu.
During this time, Chen Xu studied hacking techniques with Zhong Ziyu and received guidance from him and Zhan Jing. Chen Xu's understanding of computers improved significantly, and many questions that he previously only vaguely understood became clear. As a result, Chen Xu's skills are improving day by day. Perhaps Chen Xu truly has a talent for computers, especially in learning Chinese. His learning is incredibly efficient, and his current skills are more than enough to qualify him as an engineer in a medium-sized software company.
Chen Xu began hacking into Tencent's servers.
In fact, Tencent's server firewall is not very powerful. According to Chen Xu, some advanced hackers do not use viruses or Trojans to steal QQ numbers. Instead, they directly and simply intrude into Tencent's servers and retrieve user data from them.
Of course, those who can do this are true hackers in terms of skill.
Chen Xu's current skill level is slightly below that of a true hacker, but he can easily infiltrate servers by exploiting vulnerabilities. This server vulnerability is one of the three major computer hardware vulnerabilities, allowing access to the server directly by using disguised packets to bypass firewalls. In this respect, over 90% of hardware has this vulnerability.
So Chen Xu cleverly slipped through the cracks. Once inside, if he wanted to steal QQ numbers, he would need to crack Tencent's encrypted files. That would be quite troublesome, but that wasn't what Chen Xu was doing.
He simply checked which IPs were connected to the server and posting; once he found the IP addresses, he could trace them back and access the poster's computer.
Chen Xu quickly located the IP address, which indicated that the person had posted the message in Shanghai. Following this lead, Chen Xu hacked into the location.
Hacking into the other party's computer took considerable effort; they seemed to be software engineers, because the firewall they used wasn't a mainstream one, but rather a general-purpose hacker firewall called "Shield."
Of course, this "shield" may not be better than currently popular firewalls, but its biggest advantage lies in the fact that its source code is completely open. This means that anyone can modify and compile it, allowing them to add many technologies they need. Therefore, this "shield" firewall is considered by ordinary hackers to be both the worst and the most powerful firewall.
It depends on who uses it and how it's adapted.
Chen Xu also had some understanding of this "shield" firewall, because Zhan Jing gave it to him to study, so this just happened to be a direct hit on Chen Xu's gun.
This firewall has a large but well-hidden vulnerability, one that most people can't see. However, Chen Xu obtained it from Zhan Jing… supposedly discovered by Zhan Jing's mentor, Blue Baby, though it's unclear whether the publisher intentionally left it there. Chen Xu used this vulnerability to gain access and began browsing the computer's files.
This computer is probably for office use; it contains a lot of office-related documents.
Chen Xu quickly glanced through the files and found that several frequently used documents on the computer were related to a CNC machine tool model. The high level of specialization in this model indicated that the company was quite capable. Many software companies in China primarily make money through this type of specialized software; they rarely profit from smaller, consumer-grade software.
A CNC machine tool model like this would be worth at least several million. It seems this company is quite large. Some small companies, like the small game company run by senior Liang Xiaohui, might not get an order like this for several years.
Chen Xu really wanted to get straight to the point and say that he was SMMH, but then he thought about how embarrassing it would be if he couldn't handle the situation.
So he browsed through the information on the computer and found that one of his frequently used login addresses was a personal blog on Sina. So he clicked on that blog to take a look.
The blog is named "Yi Shui Han," probably inspired by the famous line from the poem "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold." The blog contains many diary entries, indicating the person has a habit of keeping a diary. Chen Xu clicked on the most recent entry, which was dated last night, roughly the same time as his message on the wishing wall.
Chen Xu clicked on the article, glanced at it, and couldn't help but say "Oh, I see." The article stated: "After the celebration banquet ended today, we returned to find that all the files on the disk had been corrupted. All the work that everyone in our company had worked so hard on for half a year had been maliciously deleted! And there's only one week left until the delivery date, and the best backup we have is only less than half complete."
I know who did this, but I have no evidence. They did it very discreetly; all the hard drive data and surveillance footage were deleted. They came prepared. I also know which company sent them, but I can't reveal their names because without evidence, it would be defamation.
I never imagined such vicious competition would escalate to this extent. If we can't deliver the products within a week, the German company Isaac can sue us and demand exorbitant penalties, enough to bankrupt our fledgling company. Even worse, Germans value their reputation highly; the compensation is a minor issue compared to the complete loss of our credibility. No other company will place orders with us anymore, and my life will be utterly ruined.
I must take this matter to the law. I can't watch my three years of hard work go to waste like this. I will make those people pay the price... But seeing those employees still working overtime and working tirelessly to complete that impossible task, I feel ashamed. I want to tell them: Take a break. We are powerless to change anything.
But I couldn't bring myself to say it, because I couldn't bear to see them disappointed again...
After reading this article, Chen Xu flipped through some other diaries and roughly formed a picture in his mind.
The person who posted this, "Yi Shuihan," is the founder of a mid-sized software company in Shanghai with a very nice-sounding name: "Violet."
Violet Software Company was founded three years ago. Although only three years have passed, it has developed rapidly and boasts a group of outstanding talents. Violet specializes in CNC technology, a field where success is highly profitable. Thanks to their strong technical skills and established connections, they have built partnerships with several domestic manufacturers, and their projects have received considerable praise.
In just three years, Violet has grown from a small company into a medium-sized enterprise with annual profits reaching tens of millions, establishing a strong reputation and positive word-of-mouth among its customers. This collaboration with the German company Isaac is of particular importance to Violet, as a successful deal would signify its entry into the overseas market, attracting even more customers and orders. The company's bright future fills almost every employee with confidence and anticipation.
But just as the CNC machine tool model was officially completed, the Violet employees, who had worked hard for half a year, went to celebrate. However, upon returning, they discovered that all the data on the company computers had been destroyed!
It wasn't just the company's computers; everyone else's personal computers were also damaged by a powerful and destructive virus. Even with advanced technology, it's impossible to recover all the data.
Moreover, the perpetrator was very familiar with the habits of company employees. Personal computers, servers, and any place where data could be stored were destroyed, and no clues were left behind.
This is a malicious act of sabotage by commercial espionage with a very clear intent! The goal is simple: to prevent Violet from delivering the finished product on time, thus putting them at risk of ruin. Not only will they have to pay an exorbitant compensation, but more importantly, their reputation built up over the years will be completely destroyed.
This tactic was undeniably ruthless. However, the business world is like a battlefield. The Violet Land people were still careless.
Chen Xu looked up information about this Violet Company online and found that it was basically as described in the blog. Some of the reviews were quite good.
If Chen Xu is going to help, he will naturally help good people, or at least people he considers decent. He had heard the story of the farmer and the snake long ago, and this Violet Company seemed like someone worth helping.
But the question is, do I have the skills to help?
To Chen Xu, this CNC machine tool model was a nightmare, because the source code alone was enough to make his eyes bleed. Chen Xu could only understand half of the source code, and if he were to help, he didn't know when he would be able to finish writing it.
"If you have any problems, ask Xiaomin." This is Chen Xu's consistent principle. After showing Xiaomin the initial data of this CNC machine tool model, Xiaomin said, "There are similar CNC models in the data, but we don't know what the other party's special requirements are. You know, the previous 'Martial Arts Master' model can also be considered a kind of CNC model."
Numerical control models are essentially a form of virtual manufacturing, capable of simulating the data required for engineering manufacturing through computers... In this respect, "Martial Artist" is indeed an advanced numerical control model, containing an astonishingly high level of technology.
Upon hearing Xiaomin's words, Chen Xu immediately understood. In that case, he had nothing to worry about. He only needed the other party to provide the key data, which he could then use.
So Chen Xu thought about it and created a notebook on the other person's desktop. He had just opened it and hadn't even had a chance to type when Xiao Min suddenly notified him that someone was attacking.
"Heh, your reaction time is pretty fast, isn't it?"
Chen Xu thought to himself with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that exploiting vulnerabilities to infiltrate completely bypasses firewalls. In other words, the firewall would not give any warning at this point, and the other party operating the computer would not be able to see that someone had infiltrated it.
However, once Chen Xu creates and opens a document on the desktop, the other party will see an operation on the computer that is not theirs. An ordinary person might be stunned for a moment, wondering why a text document was suddenly opened. But an expert would immediately realize... I've been hacked!
The opponent's attack was nothing to Chen Xu, because there was no shield stronger than Xiao Min in the world. Snake and the X organization couldn't do anything to Chen Xu, and he was forced to show his strength. "Let him be strong, the breeze caresses the mountain; let him be fierce, the bright moon shines on the river." Let alone a medium-sized software company.
Because once you see that they haven't even patched that critical vulnerability in the "Shield" firewall, you should know that they're not very good at system attack and defense.
Computers encompass a great deal of things; it's not that those with strong programming skills are necessarily strong in attack and defense.
Chen Xu let them attack for five minutes, then went to make himself a cup of coffee. When he returned, he typed with a smile: "Are you done? Can I say a few words? I mean no harm; I'm here to help you. Oh, I don't have a name, but people online usually call me SMMH."
Chapter 165 Yi Shui Han
Yi Shuihan is the CEO of Violet Company. Three years ago, when he was just a junior at Tsinghua University, he founded the company on his own. Three years later, he achieved remarkable results that impressed many of his classmates and professors. Last year, he was awarded one of Shanghai's Top Ten Outstanding Youths. However, if no miracle occurs, these achievements will vanish like soap bubbles in a week.
When all the hard work of the company over the past two years was destroyed, Yi Shuihan thought about dying, but he felt that he could not die so pathetically.
At the very least, he still has the skills and he's still young. He believes he'll definitely have a chance to make a comeback. If there's no room for him to develop in China, then he'll go abroad. Anyway, one day he'll come back for revenge!
But when it comes to revenge... how easy is that?
Yi Shuihan knew who his opponent was. The culprit behind all this was someone he couldn't afford to offend now, and perhaps never would… He was the son of a high-ranking official in Shanghai, a notorious princeling named Zhang Bo. Just a few months ago, at a Shanghai exhibition, Zhang Bo had his eye on his company and proposed a “joint venture.” But his so-called joint venture was nothing more than a disguised acquisition, and a very cheap one at that! He only wanted to buy 51% of his company's shares for a paltry few million, turning himself, the founder and CEO, into an employee.
How is that possible?
Purple Lily's annual profit last year exceeded ten million. Although the company's market value cannot compare with those large companies, it is at least forty million. Moreover, its growth potential is enormous. His attempt to acquire the company for a mere few million is tantamount to getting something for nothing.