Chapter 51: So It Was You After All

Damn it!

In the office, Zhou Dongyun’s expression changed abruptly as she stood up, searching frantically outside.

“What’s wrong, Teacher Zhou?” Si Nan asked nervously.

“The ransomware virus has vanished, as if it never existed. Even my computer was hacked, and the childish replica I made is gone too. Now I can’t study it any further.” Zhou Dongyun looked deeply disappointed.

Si Nan’s mouth hung half open. “Ah, your computer… actually got hacked?”

“Yes, isn’t it strange? It happened while I was physically disconnected from the network. It’s that demon, it must be him. The collapse of the New York power grid years ago was attacked in the same way—it was him!” Zhou Dongyun muttered.

Yu Chengmin, who had been spectating nearby and didn’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation, spat out a mouthful of tea. “Hacked after physically disconnecting from the network?”

“Well, it sounds fantastical, but there’s a theoretical basis. Unless you hide within an electromagnetic shield, someone could really do it. And I’m certain he’s not far away. I’m going to find him.” With that, Zhou Dongyun strode out.

Yu Chengmin didn’t bother with the details. She checked her own laptop; everything was back to normal, all the files intact. Whether anything had been leaked was not so important; she never kept anything too critical on her computer. What mattered was that the urgent project framework had returned, so perhaps she could deliver it tomorrow.

“It’s alright now, Si Nan. Thank you for your hard work,” Yu Chengmin smiled gently and lowered her head.

Si Nan started to say something, but Yu Chengmin looked up again. “If there’s nothing else, you can go. I need some quiet to make a plan.”

Si Nan felt a bit unhappy and dejected, sensing the coldness of being used and discarded, but didn’t say it aloud. He nodded gracefully and closed the door behind him. “I’ll let you work.”

After quickly copying her files, Yu Chengmin tossed her battered computer into the fish tank, and Zhou Dongyun’s computer followed, getting a bath as well.

The cost of compensation wasn’t an issue. It might offend Zhou Dongyun, but Yu Chengmin worried that some data might have transferred to Zhou’s device. After weighing the risks, she decided to wash Zhou Dongyun’s computer too. If Si Nan could handle the fallout, he would smooth things over; if not, it meant he was useless. To Yu Chengmin, the worst she would suffer was losing a few thousand yuan and arguing with Zhou Dongyun—a small matter. The sky wouldn’t fall.

As for how to deal with the “Sweeping Monk,” Yu Chengmin was still hesitating…

Little Ma splashed cold water on his face in the restroom, then sat on the toilet to calm himself.

What had just happened felt surreal to him, but for the Demon King’s body, it was almost routine and not worth much attention.

Now, Little Ma was only puzzled about the state of this body and his own mind—what exactly was their relationship? That seamless switching just now was perfect, seeming to follow a pattern, but when he wanted to grasp it, it eluded him.

Lost in these thoughts, beep—beep—

A text message arrived. The same strange situation: four phones, four numbers from different carriers, all receiving a message from the system number at the same time. As expected, it read: “It’s really you. You’ve returned.”

He read it, then deleted it.

Little Ma couldn’t help but feel uneasy, thinking about many things.

Who was this person? He seemed to have been watching “me” from the start, familiar with my actions, almost shadowing me? Was he a cross-domain ghost, or a top-tier hacker at the same level as the Demon King, or even beyond?

More importantly, his presence and attention felt like a threat. But why did the Demon King’s body never react to it, never get agitated?

What did he mean by, “It’s really you. You’ve returned”? It sounded as if… he knew this body wasn’t the Demon King before? That “you’ve returned” implied he’d been watching, and only after the “Sweeping Monk” incident did he confirm the Demon King’s return.

Analyzing it, could it be that Yu Chengmin’s computer was locked by this person?

The lack of subsequent outrageous actions suggested this ghostly hacker’s goal wasn’t to extort Yu Chengmin, but to test how this body would respond.

Thinking this through, Little Ma felt it made sense. The other party knew this body could crack it, as Zhou Dongyun’s remarks indicated the algorithm’s prototype was the Demon King’s childhood idea at MIT.

The other party was using the Demon King’s skills to test the Demon King, meaning he was very familiar with him and possessed his abilities.

Though this line of reasoning seemed clear, it solved nothing; there were no further clues. He could only wait and “cultivate” patiently, hoping to regain his complete self soon.

Steadying his emotions, Little Ma left the restroom, ready to get back to work.

Damn—

He nearly collided with someone outside, only to find Zhou Dongyun waiting at the door, watching him with an amused expression.

She habitually adjusted her glasses. “What’s the matter, feeling guilty like a thief? Why are you so scared—what are you thinking about?”

Little Ma bluffed, “Come on, I’m just a janitor. I remember you being so gentle just now—why the sudden aggression?”

Zhou Dongyun’s cheeks flushed, and after a moment’s hesitation, she softened her tone. “I think it’s you.”

“What is me?” Little Ma spread his hands.

“You’re the one who hacked Yu Chengmin’s computer, attacked with electromagnetic waves, erased all traces. And, you were behind the New York blackout years ago.”

Zhou Dongyun seemed a bit short-circuited, reaching out to pat him down, trying to take his phone for inspection.

“Hey, this is harassment! You’re not law enforcement—how dare you touch me? Security!” Little Ma cried out, startled.

Fortunately, Zhou Dongyun wasn’t as lawless as Officer Zhang. Hearing this, she felt awkward and withdrew her hand, frustrated but powerless.

“So you’ve gotten away again? Maybe I’ll come back later, as an academician, and ask the national security bureau to have a chat with you—but chances are, they won’t find a trace of you,” Zhou Dongyun squinted.

The Demon King was unfazed, but to the otaku Little Ma, it was a huge threat. If the security bureau really called him in, he’d be done for.

So Ma Weimin leaned close to Zhou Dongyun’s ear and whispered back, “Whenever the security bureau comes for me, the whole internet gets a ‘nuclear’ wipe. If things escalate, American and Russian strategic nuclear submarines might simultaneously receive launch codes and instructions—it’s possible.”

“You…”

Zhou Dongyun was genuinely frightened. For most people, such words were pure fantasy, but for this particular person, it was possible. The Demon King wasn’t normal; he just might go that far.

“Teacher Zhou, I’m joking with you. Surely you’re not taking it seriously?” Ma Weimin muttered indifferently, then ignored her and walked away.

But Zhou Dongyun did take it seriously, standing frozen, watching his figure slowly disappear down the corridor. Because she happened to understand power, she was truly scared…