Now it was Zhong Ziyu's turn to be surprised: "What, you're all so familiar with each other, you didn't know?"
Chen Xu shrugged. He never considered the family background of his friends, whether they were rich or poor. For Chen Xu, if he approved of someone, he would treat a beggar on the street the same as the son of the world's richest man.
Zhong Ziyu thought for a moment and said, "I'm not too sure either. But to be honest, based on what I know, her family's business is quite large."
How does it compare to my house?
Zhong Ziyu thought about it carefully: "I think her family is richer, it's just a feeling. Because I know her family has businesses in many areas. But I don't know exactly what her family does." Then Zhong Ziyu patted Chen Xu on the shoulder and said: "Otherwise, do you think I would let such a beautiful woman go? I can't handle her!"
Chen Xu gave him a disdainful middle finger. This guy was so sleazy, always taking his Samoyed around picking up girls. A beautiful dog and a handsome guy—he was practically invincible when it came to picking up girls… except maybe the girls who were afraid of dogs. Rumor had it that he'd already won over several beauties from the arts school.
"Do you want to get some therapy?" After joking around for a while, Zhong Ziyu asked, "If you really killed someone, I still suggest you do it. Wang Xiao is someone most people can't even get a hold of." "No, thank you." Chen Xu had already figured things out; he no longer felt that heavy sense of guilt. Some people who kill often experience a heavy psychological burden due to fear or something similar, and Chen Xu was no exception. At first, he was quite frightened, and thinking about what had happened still gave him a lingering fear.
However, after entering the virtual reality and seeing Miva's thoughts, Chen Xu personally experienced the feeling of being on the verge of life and death, having to fight back, a situation where it was either you or me. His mind gradually began to mature... This was also related to his previous training in the virtual reality. Now, Chen Xu has gradually grown into a soldier.
As for the psychologist, he wasn't the type to reveal all his thoughts. Besides, he had too many secrets he couldn't keep to himself; it was best to maintain a distance from someone who could potentially hypnotize you at any moment.
“Since you insist, then forget it,” Zhong Ziyu said. “I’ll take Dr. Wang to the hotel now, after all, it’s not easy for him to come all this way. When I get back, I’ll talk to you about the upcoming hacker competition.”
Chapter 210 Hacker Competition
This hacking competition was organized by the Red Hacker Alliance. It was a nationwide competition with the main goal of promoting the progress and development of Chinese hackers. The prize money for the champion was not high, only 100,000 RMB, which was just a formality... In fact, anyone who could ultimately win the championship would not be short of that mere 100,000 RMB.
However, this competition has invited many experts, including Blue Baby, LION, Guan Pingchao and other outstanding Chinese hackers. Being able to receive their guidance is a rare opportunity for many Chinese hackers.
This competition is open to teams. A team can have one person, but no more than five. Being alone puts you at a significant disadvantage when facing many challenges. Therefore, Zhong Ziyu approached Chen Xu to see if they could recruit three more people to participate in the hacker competition together.
When Chen Xu talked about hackers, the first person he thought of was Zhan Jing, that gentle and quiet girl. Chen Xu had clashed with Zhan Jing using his old, beat-up computer. They clashed twice, once openly and once secretly, when Chen Xu attacked her in secret.
These two encounters were unforgettable for Chen Xu, and it's difficult to judge which was more exciting or intense. One was a defensive exchange, and the other an offensive one.
Flawless!
Chen Xu initiated their first encounter with Zhan Jing, just as he was about to learn hacking techniques from her. He figured he should test her abilities, right? So the two turned on their computers, and Zhan Jing gave Chen Xu her IP address, saying, "You attack."
So Chen Xu began to attack desperately!
He used many methods because Chen Xu's knowledge was extremely diverse, so his techniques were numerous. He was like Murong Fu of Gusu, knowledgeable in all martial arts. However, like Murong Fu of Shaoshi Mountain, he sometimes wielded a sword, sometimes a blade, and then used techniques like the Judge's Pen and staff techniques. His moves were beautiful, but he was completely helpless against Duan Yu's Six Meridian Divine Sword.
Hacking techniques are diverse, and hackers often specialize in different areas. Some are particularly skilled in virus technology, but there are many types of viruses, as well as different computer languages, including C, ASP scripts, MSSQL, and so on. Others are experts in Trojans and data packet spoofing. Still others are very familiar with various operating systems, and some have an in-depth understanding of CPU architecture…
Chen Xu's study of the Chinese language. He knows a lot about these aspects... Does that mean that in the future, when the Chinese language becomes widespread, everyone will be able to become a super-advanced hacker?
Of course not!
This is just a language from a particular era.
The pace of computer development is so rapid and astonishing; the sophistication of future computers will be incomparable to that of today. Imagine how insignificant today's computer technology will be in the future! When the spiral-chain structure has become the mainstream architecture for computer software compilation, who will waste so much time on the current basic structures?
So although Chen Xu's Chinese language skills are still only rudimentary, his basic knowledge is much more solid than that of the average person.
More importantly, Xiaomin was there to guide me.
When it comes to computers, Xiaomin is an absolute authority. She can immediately correct any mistakes Chen Xu makes. If there's anything she doesn't understand, she can ask her here and get it solved instantly… Her learning speed is incredibly fast!
For example, many people encounter mistakes while learning, and if these mistakes aren't corrected immediately, they'll persist until they become ingrained in their minds. This is especially true in computer science, where a single typo can prevent a program from running. Having someone like Xiaomin to guide you, asking questions whenever you encounter difficulties, and receiving immediate answers makes learning incredibly fast. At least in terms of theoretical knowledge, Chen Xu has a super teacher available 24/7 to answer questions perfectly.
But Chen Xu has only been learning for a short time, so although he is making rapid progress, he can't master everything at once.
So when Chen Xu used countless methods to attack Zhan Jing, he found that the girl simply parried his every move. His numerous punches seemed to hit cotton... meaning that no matter what method he used, it had absolutely no effect on Zhan Jing; there was simply no chance of a direct confrontation.
That feeling made Chen Xu want to vomit blood!
Just like those expert hackers encountering SMMH... the other side doesn't even engage in combat. They simply stand there, letting the opponent be strong as they please, like a gentle breeze brushing against a mountain...
That encounter left Chen Xu feeling incredibly frustrated!
Because Zhan Jing didn't retaliate at all, standing there like a roly-poly toy letting Chen Xu hit her, but Chen Xu couldn't damage her at all. This feeling was incredibly frustrating and pointless. So, later, Chen Xu secretly went and attacked Zhan Jing's computer again.
Because Chen Xu knew Zhan Jing was letting him win and wasn't using her full strength, he secretly went to attack. But that attack... and he was finished...
Chen Xu used hundreds of zombie computers to launch a fierce, overwhelming attack on Zhan Jing, breaching her firewall before she could react. However, Chen Xu was quickly met with an even greater force. That force shut down Chen Xu's zombie computers and then attacked its own main body.
At this moment, Chen Xu witnessed the terrifying level of Zhan Jing's hacking skills!
Previously, Zhan Jing had been letting him win, only allowing him to defend without launching an attack. But when she finally started to attack, Chen Xu realized that he didn't understand this seemingly quiet girl at all.
Her attack was swift and overwhelming. It instantly made one feel as if they were in a vast ocean, every port subjected to a powerful data stream attack. It's truly hard to imagine that such an attack could be launched by a girl. She was like the chief disciple of a prestigious sect, her every move belonging to the orthodox school of martial arts, grand and sweeping. It was impossible to resist; one could only retreat.
Faced with a barrage of data stream attacks, Chen Xu was forced to frantically patch vulnerabilities and filter the data streams. Suddenly, a dialog box popped up on the screen with just one sentence: "So it was you? How naughty." Then the surging data streams immediately disappeared, and Gao Xiaojie called to mock her. It seemed Zhan Jing had already found her real IP address and confirmed that she was the one who had suddenly attacked her.
They were completely powerless to fight back.
This was the conclusion Chen Xu reached after his two encounters with Zhan Jing. It was hard to imagine that such a girl possessed such advanced computer skills. Based on Chen Xu's experience in dealing with others, her level should even be above Guan Pingchao's, and perhaps on par with Blue Baby.
Zhong Ziyu looked at Chen Xu, who remained silent. She patted him on the shoulder and said, "What are you thinking about? You look so lewd, thinking about girls?"
Chen Xu sighed and said, "Zhan Jing can be considered one. Her skills are very high."
"No way?" Zhong Ziyu, who also knew Zhan Jing, asked in surprise, "She's a hacker? Very skilled? How skilled?!"
"It's several stories high. Pinching me is like playing around!"
Zhong Ziyu was genuinely surprised. His skills were roughly equal to Chen Xu's, perhaps only slightly better. He'd heard that Zhan Jing could easily manipulate Chen Xu, so manipulating him would be a piece of cake. The problem was, he hadn't known Zhan Jing for very long and knew absolutely nothing about her!
"Don't judge a book by its cover, you know nothing. This is a real hacker." Chen Xu counted on his fingers: "Zhan Jing and you make three of us, where are we going to find the other two? Do you have any candidates?"
“There is one.” Zhong Ziyu chuckled, his laugh lewd: “My online mentor, he’s really awesome. I’ll bring him on board.”
Who is it?
"The Red Hacker Alliance, huh, you'd be terrified if I told you! They're real experts, and they're young and fat!"
Zhong Ziyu was actually hoping Chen Xu would drop his glasses... even though Chen Xu didn't wear glasses at all. But his reputation for being prematurely overweight was indeed quite well-known in the Red Hacker Alliance... actually because his skill level was mediocre at best, much better than the average newbie, but at the bottom of the top tier. However, because he was very active, everyone in the Red Hacker Alliance who had been there for a while knew him.
Chen Xu wasn't excited at all. He just found it funny.
Because Yingnian Zaofei also had a connection with him, which stemmed from what happened after the match against Snake. Back then, Yingnian Zaofei was crying and begging to become his apprentice. If only I had taken him as my disciple! Zhong Ziyu would be my grand-disciple now, hahaha! How awesome would that be!
Seeing that Chen Xu didn't react but just smiled, Zhong Ziyu couldn't help but say, "Damn, you're not serious? You don't recognize my boss?"
“Yes, yes,” Chen Xu said, barely suppressing a laugh. “The number one joker in the Red Hacker Alliance, he insisted on calling Guan Pingchao ‘Guan Gaochao.’ Who wouldn’t recognize him?”
Zhong Ziyu also chuckled lewdly: "My boss's temper, heh. By the way, you're in luck, kid. My boss is here to apply for a job at Hexie University. Well, I should say invited. He's coming to be a teacher in your computer science department."
"No way?" Chen Xu was stunned. A young man who's already obese and wants to be a teacher? Can someone like him even be a teacher?!
"What are you doing? Don't you believe me?" Zhong Ziyu looked at him and said, "My boss is a computer science PhD graduate, you know. He always says that he should have known better than to take this stupid PhD exam. It wasted too much of his time. He's just here to get a professional title. Anyway, he's not short of money."
Chen Xu nodded and thought about it. Anyone who could be listed in the Red Hacker Alliance couldn't be short of money. They could easily make a fortune by taking on some jobs.
But... is someone who is prematurely obese suitable to be a teacher?
Chapter 211 The Entrance of the Art School
With nothing else to do, Chen Xu was too lazy to stay in the ward, so he slipped out with Zhong Ziyu.
It's evening now, almost June, and the weather is starting to get hot. Many girls on campus have started wearing short skirts. Under the setting sun, before night falls, a fragrant breeze wafts by as you walk along the road, which is quite pleasant and pleasing to the eye.
Chen Xu has been confined inside a bulletproof vest for a month now.
Although the bulletproof vest was made of a relatively cool material, it was still very uncomfortable to wear it. Now it's much better; he doesn't need to wear the bulletproof vest anymore. Chen Xu just wore an oversized T-shirt and shorts, along with slippers, and followed Zhong Ziyu to the campus of Hexie University.
Evening is usually when the most beautiful girls on campus gather, because the weather is nice then and they're out for dinner. So you see quite a few girls dressed lightly along the way... Although Hopson University doesn't produce many beauties, most of the girls are pretty good-looking. They might not meet the absolute standard of beauty, but if they dress up, they're not bad.
So Chen Xu and Zhong Ziyu strolled along the way, enjoying the scenery. After being on edge for so long, it was a rare treat to relax.
After watching for a while, Chen Xu said curiously, "Is black stockings in fashion this year? Why have I seen so many black stockings along the way? Look, look, there's a beautiful woman over there wearing black stockings!"
Black stockings are those long, black stockings; this color is especially popular among girls this year. They look very sexy. However, clothes really do look good on the person wearing them. Stockings look especially good on girls with long, beautiful legs, but on girls with thick, thick legs, they can be quite frightening. Along the way, Chen Xu and his group saw quite a few girls with good figures, very pleasing to the eye, but there were many more with less than ideal figures, making them want to vomit.
Honestly, it's one thing to say that some girls aren't suited to wearing black stockings—after all, they have thick legs, so it's not that repulsive. After all, beautiful women are still a minority in this world. If you see a girl who isn't pretty and call her a "dinosaur," that's not just showing off your taste; it's downright disgusting. But the problem is that Chen Xu and Zhong Ziyu accidentally saw someone… Zhang Xiaohua, a girl who's always at the forefront of fashion, was also wearing a short skirt and black stockings… She walked past, and people vomited the whole way.
Just kidding, Chen Xu is quite a celebrity at Hexie University now. Lots of people know him. So, along the way, many people greeted Chen Xu: "Oh? Are you alright now?"
"Hehe. It's alright, it's alright. Thank you, police officers."
"Old Chen, are you alright now?"
"Old Chen, when are you going to come and give our team some pointers?"
Chen Xu smiled and responded to each one. Along the way, several girls greeted him with smiles. Zhong Ziyu, watching from the side, was quite jealous. "You're always saying, 'You're not as handsome as me,' she thought. 'How come you're so popular? It doesn't make sense!'"
For many girls at Hexie University, Chen Xu was practically a prince charming. While he wasn't exactly handsome, his reputation was excellent in every other way. The only problem was that one or more of the three most beautiful girls in the school would always be around Chen Xu. Those three girls put a lot of pressure on the other girls.
Of course, the men also had a lot of opinions about Chen Xu. More than one person had come to Chen Xu and asked, "What is your relationship with Guan Yi, Zhan Jing, and Gao Xiaojie? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend? If not, then we'll go for it if you don't want to. You can't waste resources like this, dragging three people into it!"
To this question, Chen Xu replied: "So who have you taken a fancy to? Go after whoever you like, it's none of my business."
To be honest, Chen Xu felt a pang of bitterness when he said that, a bitterness that seeped into his bones. But he also knew that it was impossible for these guys to win over those three girls; they had received countless love letters and love confessions. This had forced Guan Yi and the others to buy those privacy-protecting phones, so that calls and texts couldn't get through unless the other person's information was in their phonebook.
The Hexie University campus is quite large. Now that Miwad and his gang have been apprehended, the school has started allowing people to enter, and the security guards are no longer stopping them. Therefore, some vehicles from outside the school can be seen slowly driving around inside the campus. Chen Xu and his group strolled around the area below the cafeteria and saw several decent cars.
Since the lockdown had just been lifted, there weren't many people around; it's usually much more lively. However, compared to the fancy cars parked across the street near the arts school, there were far fewer.
At this moment, Zhong Ziyu whispered, "Since all the beautiful fairies are out in force, why don't we go to the entrance of the art school? I'll show you the girls there."
Chen Xu didn't have any objections. Guan Yizhan, Jing, and Gao Xiaojie were all nowhere to be found. Chen Xu didn't want to call them at this point. After all, the afternoon had been a bit awkward, and it was better for everyone to keep their distance.
So Chen Xu and his friend went to the opposite side of Hexie University, to the entrance of the art school, to look at the girls.
This place has such a unique advantage... on one side is a huge university, and on the other side is an arts school teeming with beautiful girls. So there are lots of food stalls near the entrance, as well as many small hotels and the like... um, and some hair salons with flashing red lights.
This area is bustling, and most importantly, there are tons of cars parked at the entrance. And they're all pretty good cars! Chen Xu's eyes swept across the parking lot, and he even spotted an Audi A8—wow! 1.8 million! And a Mercedes SLK hardtop convertible. 800,000!
This amount of money wasn't much to Chen Xu, but seeing this car now gave him a strong urge to buy it. Although he didn't have a driver's license yet, he had already learned to drive in the virtual world. Besides, learning to drive wasn't difficult; manual transmissions were fine, but automatics were practically toy cars. However, Chen Xu thought that as a student, driving a car would be too conspicuous.
There was a pretty good liangpi (cold skin noodles) stall near the art school. Chen Xu and Zhong Ziyu ordered some barbecue and liangpi and sat down to eat while watching the pretty girls. Seeing that there were also zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) for sale on the street, Chen Xu remembered that the Dragon Boat Festival was coming soon and quickly called out, "Give me two zongzi!"
"Damn it! You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Zhong Ziyu was very annoyed because his nickname was Zongzi (rice dumpling).
Chen Xu chuckled and said while eating, "Come on, if you call this kind of zongzi, that's fine. Remember 'Ghost Blows Out the Light'? The white-haired zombie in it was called the White-Haired Zongzi."
"Ugh..." Zhong Ziyu couldn't help but vomit up all the meat she had just eaten: "Please, I'm eating, don't talk about such disgusting things, okay?"
The two ate and laughed, and to be honest, there were quite a few pretty girls at the art school. I wouldn't say these girls were stunningly beautiful, but they were definitely above average. And as the saying goes, there are no ugly women, only lazy women. These girls at the art school were much faster at getting ready for school than girls at regular universities. Makeup and clothes were minor things; they also went for skincare, acupuncture for targeted weight loss, slimming their waists and legs, maintaining a good figure. If you mentioned all that, nine out of ten men would be dizzy with envy.
Zhong Ziyu, a lecherous old man, said to Chen Xu while eating, "You can't generalize about all the girls at the art school. But some of them are definitely the kind who don't learn good manners. Don't you see all these nice cars here? Some are here to pick up girls, and some are just here to pick up girls... girls being kept by rich men."
Zhong Ziyu said, “I’ve been here before. Hmm, you can come and have some fun when you’re free. It’s a different kind of charm compared to the girls at nightclubs. Don’t frown, let me tell you, with your looks, picking up a pretty girl is a piece of cake. All you need is a car, it doesn’t have to be too good, a car worth 400,000 or 500,000 is pretty good. Just park here, have a smoke… Let me tell you, that Audi A8 isn’t necessarily more eye-catching than that Mercedes SLK convertible. You see, the A8 is too serious. The SLK is more suitable for young people. You park your car there, and soon some beautiful girls will come up to you and ask if you can give them a ride. If you think the girl is nice, you can let her in; if not, just say you’re waiting for someone.”