scélérat

Chapitre 14

Vebri disappeared a few days before Yang Hongmin was killed. It is suspected that the eagle has fallen.

In the past two days, I've taken Kou Yun on a tour of almost all the tourist attractions in Beijing, including the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Earth, and the Forbidden City.

I've been to these places before, so I'm not really interested in visiting them anymore. Besides... Beijing is so big no matter where you go, it's really tiring to go around like this.

Kou Yun didn't seem particularly tired, but she had another profound feeling about it.

We were on our way back to the hotel from the Summer Palace. The car was stopped in the middle of the road, with cars in front, behind, to the left, and to the right.

"It seems like we've spent more time in the car than outside these past few days. Are we actually having fun in Beijing, or are we having fun in Beijing's taxis...?"

Although I've heard many complaints about Beijing's traffic, this is the version that impressed me the most.

That evening, I finally received Guo Dong's call. We talked back and forth for nearly an hour, with the impatient Kou Yun circling around me countless times.

After hanging up the phone, I organized what Guo Dong had said and relayed it to Kou Yun from the beginning.

The person Yang Hongmin called out to before his death was his friend, Dr. Vebri. This in itself indicates that while the "eagle" wasn't his killer, it was significantly connected to the case. This corroborates Guo Dong's investigation findings, and some missing details can also be deduced.

The mysterious probe launched on January 17th was commissioned by a company with a rather unusual name: Black Flag International Group Limited. It owns several small shipyards and trading companies, but has no business related to space. This group is relatively young, having been established for a full decade this year.

Black Flag Group is on Interpol's list and has long been suspected of involvement in money laundering, but after a period of investigation, no clues have been found, and it does not seem to have any connection with any gangs or drug lords.

Black Flag Group's sudden foray into space, including commissioning China to launch a lunar probe, was remarkably restrained, even secretive. There were no press conferences, no public announcements of business plans; everything proceeded quietly. Given China's consistently excellent secrecy regarding satellite launches, Interpol, which had relaxed its surveillance, only learned of Black Flag Group's ambitions for the moon when Guo Dong requested access to Black Flag Group's files.

While Black Flag Group does engage in manufacturing, building a lunar lander capable of igniting and soft-landing on the moon is clearly beyond the capabilities of its smaller shipyards. Therefore, Black Flag Group outsourced the manufacture of this probe. The contract was awarded to the Swiss company, Vansen International Mechanical Engineering.

In other words, everything from the probe cabin to the components inside was manufactured by Yunsen Machinery. Because the Black Flag Group's requirements were quite technically challenging, Eagle Vebri was put in charge of this project at Yunsen Machinery.

6. The Key to Annihilation (2)

The situation inside the probe has been investigated. If the deep-penetration module successfully soft-landes on the lunar surface, a lunar rover will emerge from it. This rover is solar-powered, can analyze the composition of lunar soil, and can take static and dynamic photographs, transmitting the images back to Earth. Furthermore, the rover's four robotic arms can be remotely controlled to tumble the lunar soil and even break up some loose rocks. In fact, all lunar and Mars rovers can be called robots. The robot manufactured by Yunsen has a designed lifespan of five years. However, the designed lifespan of all space machinery is very conservative; barring unforeseen circumstances, there are numerous examples of machines operating for more than double their designed lifespan.

Throughout the project, as the person in charge, Vebri needed to constantly communicate with the Black Flag Group. Typically, the design and manufacturing party needs to be very clear about the customer's intentions in order to create the most perfect product possible. However, it was precisely during this communication phase that Vebri and the Black Flag Group had a very unpleasant falling out.

According to several engineers who worked with Vebri at the time, in the few times they communicated with Black Flag, Vebri almost always returned to his studio at Yunsen looking displeased after each meeting. Vebri wasn't a good-tempered person; when he was unhappy, he would often express it verbally. After a few such incidents, his colleagues figured out why.

The reason for Vebri's displeasure was actually quite simple: the person from Black Flag who was in charge of communicating with him refused to tell him why they wanted to send something to the moon, and could only tell him the functions the lunar rover needed to perform.

Vebri stubbornly believed that if he knew what Black Flag Group ultimately wanted to achieve, then with his experience and technology, he could design a better lunar rover, not just the few functions that Black Flag was currently demanding.

It's hard to say whether curiosity played a part in Vebri's decision to make such a request. He probably couldn't understand why Black Flag, a company completely unrelated to the space industry, would want to build a lunar rover and send it to the moon. However, Black Flag's unexpectedly firm stance, rejecting the reasonable demands of a highly respected scientist like himself without any room for negotiation, greatly angered Vebri. Yet, according to the contract, the probe and rover still had to be completed on time.

At a small handover ceremony after the project was completed, Vebri said to the Black Flag Group vice president who was present at the ceremony: "I will figure it out."

The vice president's expression immediately turned grim.

Vebri wasn't joking. He was well-connected with space agencies in major spacefaring nations like the US, Russia, China, and France. He had several friends like Yang Hongmin in each agency, so he received the news shortly after Black Flag Group commissioned China to launch the probe. His colleagues overheard Vebri making a loud international call in his office, and after confirming that Black Flag had passed the order to China, he excitedly slammed his fist on the table.

“This person sounds a bit annoying,” Kou Yun said, wrinkling his nose.

I smiled. From the information Guo Dong provided, Vebri was indeed a difficult person to get along with, with an eccentric temper and an excessively strong sense of pride. The Black Flag Group's refusal to tell him the reason was a loss of face for him, but they also had the right not to tell him, yet he insisted on causing trouble for them because of that reason. This bad temper ultimately backfired, and his disappearance, all things considered, is likely related to the Black Flag Group.

Vebri enjoyed going to a nearby bar after get off work. One time, after drinking a bit too much, a colleague overheard him say something strange: "Those sneaky guys, I won't compromise with them." The listener didn't think much of it at the time, but a few nights later, Vebri, drunk, stumbled out of his usual bar and didn't return to his apartment, disappearing without a trace. When the police began their investigation, Vebri's colleague told the Swiss police about this remark. The police also suspected a connection to the Black Flag Cartel, since Vebri had also described them as "sneaky." However, apart from this vague statement, there were no clues pointing to the Black Flag Cartel. Vebri vanished without a trace. In the words of the police, some people "did a very good job, very professionally."

Due to Vebrie's prestige and status, although the Swiss police are still intensifying their investigation, the case will most likely remain unsolved.

Kou Yun is very intelligent, especially when she's focused on something. After hearing what I said, she couldn't help but ask me, "Judging from your tone, you and Guo Dong both believe that the Black Flag Group was responsible for Vebri's disappearance, but you just can't find any evidence. But why would they do that? What is it about Vebri that he's not willing to compromise with? The lunar rover is already built, the whole project is over, so what is it that has linked him back to the Black Flag Group?"

I squinted at Kou Yun in surprise: "You can actually speak seriously now..."

Kou Yun stomped his foot angrily: "Answer quickly! Answer quickly!"

Sure enough, the seriousness could only last for twenty seconds.

Kou Yun's question was exactly what he wanted to ask. After completing the project commissioned by the Black Flag Group, Vebri still possessed something the Black Flag Group needed. Because of this, Vebri's fate was unknown, and Yang Hongmin died a violent death.

The investigator who flew to Switzerland learned from Vebri's colleagues about a rumor circulating privately within a limited circle. If true, this rumor could fill in the missing piece.

"It is said that Vebri had a very bad habit: he would often leave a backdoor in the things he made."

“Ah, the back door!” Kou Yun said, frowning.

Her eyebrows furrowed more and more tightly, as if she were nervously calculating something.

"Um..." she asked me again, "Is this back door the back door of the front door?"

I poked her forehead with my finger: "If you don't understand something in the future, just say so directly. Don't pretend."

Kou Yun covered his forehead, chuckled, and pretended to listen attentively.

I then explained the concept of a backdoor in computer programs to her.

"The computer system inside the lunar rover is responsible for all its actions and can transmit images taken by the rover back to the Black Flag Group's base on Earth, where it can be remotely controlled. Vebri was in charge of this project, and if he wanted to, he could indeed have planted a backdoor program without the knowledge of other engineers. In fact, the investigation team has confirmed with another friend of Vebri that he had done something similar. If this were to be revealed, it would be a huge scandal and would have a significant impact on Vebri, but now that the man is dead, that friend is finally willing to speak out."

"Then the eagle must have set up a backdoor, otherwise why would he say 'I'll definitely figure it out'?"

I nodded and said, "Guo Dong and the others think so too. Besides this method, Vebri has no other way to figure out the purpose of this lunar rover. If he activates the backdoor and receives the lunar rover's signal, he can find out what the lunar rover is doing. If the backdoor he built is powerful enough, he can not only see the images transmitted back by the lunar rover, but also compete with the original controlling party, Black Flag Group, for control of the lunar rover. Vebri's concern about which company Black Flag chose to launch indirectly confirms our guess, because receiving the lunar rover's signal and even controlling the lunar rover requires specialized equipment. Generally speaking, only the space centers of various countries have this equipment. In other words, if he wants to activate the backdoor, he must go through China, through the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center."

"So the Black Flag Group must have found out about this eagle's wicked tastes and wanted him to hand over the password to activate the backdoor, but he refused."

"It's more likely that Vebri will deny it outright, saying that he didn't set up a backdoor. However, the fact that the Black Flag Group went so far as to kill two people for this shows that the Black Flag Group has a very dark and deep background, and also indicates that the secrets behind this lunar rover are extraordinary."

6. The Key to Annihilation (3)

"Killed two people? Are you sure Vebri is dead? And are you sure Yang Hongmin was killed by Black Flag?" Kou Yun asked.

"Since they've already made their move, Vebri is most likely doomed. To keep a secret, the dead are the safest. As for Yang Hongmin, that's a reasonable guess. Yang Hongmin called out Vebri's nickname before he died, indicating his death was related to Vebri. And Yang Hongmin was the person Vebri knew best within the entire Chinese space agency. If he wanted to use the Jiuquan base to discover the truth, he would definitely need Yang Hongmin's help. Although we don't know exactly what he said to Yang Hongmin, it must have been a lot of alarmist talk. Otherwise, just his slight suspicion wouldn't have convinced Yang to use a backdoor program to connect to the lunar rover, after all..." Even Yang Hongmin needed a suitable reason to convince the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to agree to this. And if this were to leak out, it would severely damage China's reputation for space transportation. Yang Hongmin likely had some doubts about Vebri's reasons, which is why his tone was hesitant during his phone call with the chief commander of the lunar launch at Jiuquan, and he didn't immediately explain his reasons, waiting until he returned to Jiuquan after his journey. He certainly intended to ponder it carefully during his time on the ship, or perhaps call Vebri again to clarify. Of course, by then, he could no longer find Vebri.

"But you only speculated that Vebri contacted Yang Hongmin about this matter, but how did the Black Flag Group get in touch with Yang Hongmin?"

I looked at Kou Yun, shook my head, and said, "If the killing of Vebri was to keep it a secret, then before Vebri died, the Black Flag Group must have asked who else knew about it. I think Vebri must have told Yang Hongmin the backdoor password. Once he confesses, Yang Hongmin will naturally not escape his clutches either."

"How could he bring out his friends?" Kou Yun said indignantly.

"There are too many methods of torture to extract confessions. It's easy to die, but it's almost impossible to keep the secret."

"Aren't heroes supposed to be unafraid of torture? I'm sure I can do it too," Kou Yun said confidently.

I had no idea where she got her confidence from. I sighed and said, "It's not just about torture. You'd better not know the tricks involved. If it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to handle it either. Ugh, ugh, ugh, isn't that just cursing myself?"

Kou Yun also hurriedly joined in with a string of random spitting.

"It's alright, it's alright, brother will definitely be fine," she said ingratiatingly.

"What I just said was actually a speculation. Without actual evidence, it's impossible to launch a formal investigation into the Black Flag Group through Interpol. Unfortunately, the code has been lost along with Vebri and Yang Hongmin. Now we can only hope that Vebri didn't just memorize the code. The investigators in Switzerland are conducting a thorough search of his studio and residence to see if they can find the code."

"So what do we do next?"

I shrugged and said, "We don't have anything to do for the time being."

"Ah..." Kou Yun cried out, as if her beloved teddy bear had been taken away.

“I’m going back to Shanghai. Staying here costs money every day, and I still have 10,000 yuan in debt to pay off.”

"Oh... Going to Shanghai? I heard Shanghai is so much fun, with lots of delicious food, lots of pretty clothes, and the beautiful lights on the Bund." As she spoke, Kou Yun chuckled like a silly little idiot.

Hearing her mention "nice clothes" sent chills down my spine. If there's anything more terrifying than shopping with a woman, it's shopping with a woman whose pace is unpredictable, whose figure shifts left and right and disappears in the blink of an eye, and who never seems to tire.

Kou Yun gripped my left hand with her right hand, and her left hand gripped her right hand tightly.

"Were you nervous about your first time flying?" I asked her with a smile. Actually, Kou Yun was able to fly thanks to Guo Dong's incredibly quick ID card processing.

"Go away, shh." The little girl felt embarrassed when I said that to her.

"Actually, I'm not nervous at all," Kou Yun whispered in my ear. "See that wrench next to me?"

Fortunately, our seats were right next to the emergency exit, which was the most spacious row of seats in economy class, even more spacious than first class. The only drawback was that the seatbacks couldn't be lowered to keep the emergency exit open. Kou Yun was referring to the lever that opens the emergency exit.

"What's wrong?" I immediately became alert.

"Didn't that flight attendant specifically come to tell us not to touch that wrench?"

"Yeah, what's wrong now?"

"I wasn't planning on moving it, but after she said that, I really want to move it." As she spoke, Kou Yun twisted her body, as if to show how uncomfortable it was not to move the door.

"But I also know that if I touch it, it will probably be very bad, so I have to keep my hands to myself." Kou Yun said, gripping my hands tightly, making me wince, but I didn't dare to say anything.

The more I thought about it, the more worried I became that she wouldn't be able to control herself and would actually open the door, so I forcefully pried her little hands off me.

"Huh?" Kou Yun looked at me strangely.

I loosened my seatbelt, stood up, and said, "Switch seats with me. That's the safest way."

"No, no!" Kou Yun twisted his body violently. "I want to see outside."

The plane was about to take off when the flight attendant saw someone suddenly stand up and quickly walked towards me.

All eyes immediately turned to me, and feeling extremely frustrated, I had no choice but to sit down obediently.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" the flight attendant asked me gently.

"Oh, no, no," I replied awkwardly.

After the flight attendant left, I glared at Kou Yun and said in a low voice, "Then you absolutely, positively must not touch that wrench, understand?"

The little claws swiped fiercely again.

"Okay," she replied with a smile.

The plane began to move forward, then suddenly accelerated, pressing people tightly against the back of their seats.

I could tell how Kou Yun was feeling from the pain in her arm. Somewhat disappointed, I realized she was far from being terrified. Soon, the grip on my arm loosened considerably, and her attention was completely drawn to the increasingly smaller ground.

"Wow, the clouds outside are so beautiful!" Kou Yun wanted to pull me to look at them together.

"You know that's incredibly lame?"

6. The Key to Annihilation (4)

These words hit the nail on the head. She immediately pretended to sit up straight and looked around. When she found that there were indeed several eyes watching her, she quickly coughed lightly a few times.

I know that those men were looking at her simply because they were attracted to her beauty.

Kou Yun was soon drawn to the sea of clouds outside the window again; she probably just mistook the discomfort of the ups and downs during the ascent for a roller coaster ride. I, on the other hand, leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes to rest.