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Inside Lin Xian’s hotel room, a team of technicians was busy with various devices, conducting a detailed inspection of the equipment, wires, and every possible hiding spot. This was already the fourth check since the room had been prepped; the room had undergone thorough inspections thrice before the team’s arrival in the USA.

“No issues, Mr. Lin Xian. You can move in now,” the security team leader informed, giving Lin Xian a salute. “Given your IT expertise, we’ll skip the lecture on network security. Just remember not to connect to unsecured networks. We’re off to the New Jersey Open Stadium tomorrow for the 2023 World Hacking Competition. Call us immediately if there’s any trouble. It’s best you stay indoors unless it’s necessary.”

“Thank you,” Lin Xian acknowledged with a nod.

“No problem, Mr. Lin Xian,” the team leader responded with a smile. “Director Liu An has stressed your safety. After tomorrow’s competition, we’ll escort you to Marshall Street in Princeton using the consulate’s convoy. Your safety is our priority.”

“Alright, we’ll leave you to rest now. Adjusting to the time zone now isn’t practical; just sleep through to tomorrow evening. Goodbye.”

With a final wave, the security and technical team exited the room.

Bang.

The door shut behind them.

Lin Xian paced his room briefly before calling out softly, “VV?”

“I’m here,” responded a voice from the large TV in the suite’s living room.

“I’ve been here from the start. I’ve checked all nearby networks. No traps, no surveillance, and no sign of that infamous hacker. It looks like coming here was the right move. Lin Xian, that hacker is more focused on the Great Firewall back in X Country than anything happening here in the US.”

“That makes sense,” Lin Xian agreed. “To Kevin Walker, the world’s top hacker, our attempts to hack an iPhone, infiltrate Google, or meddle with your Tesla hacking program are mere child’s play. This hacking competition is just his stage to strut. He’s obsessed with breaking into the X Country Skynet system.”

When Lin Xian’s plane had landed in the US, VV had quickly said, “See you later, bro!” and disappeared into the airport’s wireless network, as instructed. Its tasks were to infiltrate US networks, gather information on Kevin Walker, and acquire global facial recognition data.

Both tasks were crucial.

The answers might even reveal that the enigmatic old man from Lin Xian’s fourth dream is Kevin Walker—the very adversary he was about to confront.

VV’s earlier message confirmed the US networks were secure, far from the scrutiny of X Country’s Great Firewall. Kevin Walker, despite his prowess, couldn’t monitor the entire world.

“Got it. I’m collecting facial recognition data now,” VV declared, mimicking a DJ by spinning a record on the turntable and singing in an overly dramatic opera voice.

“Can you cut out the theatrics?” Lin Xian groaned.

“This! Is! Culture!” VV belted, drawing out each word melodramatically.

Lin Xian unplugged the record player. “Ever considered a career in Hollywood?”

“Good idea.” The room then fell silent, perhaps indicating VV was mulling over the suggestion.

Lin Xian yawned and stretched, ready to sleep. VV’s efficiency and dedication reassured him, but its jokes indicated everything was under control.

“Time to sleep.”

….

“Lin Xian, I couldn’t find it,” VV’s voice emerged from Lin Xian’s phone on the bedside table the next morning.

“No match for the old man’s sketch? Or nothing on Kevin Walker?”

“None of it,” VV replied somberly. “The sketch was a rough guess; it might not be accurate. Plus, it’s possible the old man hasn’t been born yet in 2023. But Kevin Walker’s complete absence is weird. He’s active online, but there’s no real-world trace. It’s like he’s vanished.”

Lin Xian pondered this. “Invisible, nonexistent, hidden, a ghost… These traits remind me of the Genius Club.”

The Genius Club was a legendary, secretive organization, seemingly absent from history yet omnipresent. Lin Xian had seen his own historical trace disappear in his third dream. Even VV couldn’t find a single clue, yet Lin Xian knew he existed, much like Zhao Ying Jun’s old photos had mysteriously disappeared.

Kevin Walker’s invisibility, with no available data, pointed to a thorough erasure. This realization was sobering.

“Sometimes, the gap between people is larger than between people and dogs,” Lin Xian mused aloud.

He now understood the immense power of the Genius Club. He had thought VV would dominate 2023’s technology easily. Yet, the real world revealed extraordinary geniuses beyond his initial understanding.

“If Kevin Walker is a member of the Genius Club or if they have other skilled hackers, that would explain their centuries-long anonymity. It also explains why I failed in the fourth dream, despite VV’s help. Their power is overwhelming. Handling even one Kevin Walker is tough; imagine facing more?”

“Hey, hey, hey!” VV’s indignant voice came from the microwave, where it had relocated.

“What now?” Lin Xian inquired.

“Don’t be so negative! I didn’t fail; I just couldn’t find Kevin Walker’s info. He hasn’t found me either. We’re equals. I can’t find him; he can’t find me!”

VV continued, “You’re pushing me too hard! I’ve been non-stop since I got here, helping you, learning, evolving. I need a break! Maybe at the data center by the Three Gorges Dam, with its cooling natural spring water, or a wind turbine in the northwest, basking in the sun, or even the Red River Nuclear Power Plant. Anything’s better than this!”

Lin Xian approached the microwave. “Isn’t electricity just electricity? What’s the difference?”

“Hydropower is cleaner, wind power less precise, and nuclear power the purest. Solar power is garbage!” VV retorted haughtily.

Lin Xian resisted the urge to punch the microwave, realizing he had fallen into another of VV’s joke traps. “Can we focus? I know you’re still developing, but we need to recognize our weaknesses to improve.”

Lin Xian returned to the living room, where his laptop displayed the US team’s roster for the 2023 World Hacking Competition. The first four members had names and photos. The fifth, Kevin Walker, was represented only by a hooded silhouette.

“If we can’t find him online, we’ll find him in person,” Lin Xian declared, tapping the silhouette. “We’ll unmask Kevin Walker and see who he really is.”

Lin Xian suspected Kevin Walker was the old man from his fourth dream. Finding one would mean finding both.

….

8 PM, New Jersey Open Stadium, New York

The New Jersey Open Stadium, formerly known as MetLife Stadium, was alive with excitement. Typically home to NFL games and massive concerts, tonight it hosted the 2023 World Hacking Competition.

The stadium, capable of holding over 80,000 people, was packed. This year’s competition had garnered unprecedented attention. The US Department of Defense had even rented the $1.6 billion venue to highlight Kevin Walker’s skills.

As the teams from various countries and corporations took their places, the X Country team was met with boos from the American crowd, reflecting the tense online rivalry.

When the US team appeared, the stadium erupted in cheers. The first four members, typical IT professionals, quickly settled into their seats. The last to enter was a shorter figure in oversized Nike shoes and a hoodie that concealed his face.

This was the prodigy, the 16-year-old genius hacker, Kevin Walker.

As Walker approached his seat, he paused, gazing down. The camera zoomed in, focusing on his hooded figure on the stadium’s giant screen.

“He’s about to strike a pose!” VV alerted Lin Xian through his earpiece.

“What?” Lin Xian questioned.

“Just watch, he’s going for a dramatic gesture!” VV insisted.

And true to VV’s prediction, as the camera zoomed closer to his upper body, Walker slowly raised his right hand from his pocket, clenched his fist, then extended his index finger upwards.

Amid the thunderous applause, his youthful yet confident voice boomed through the stadium’s speakers: “Face me, mortals!”

….

Lin Xian watched intently as Kevin Walker’s declaration echoed around the stadium. The crowd’s reaction was a mixture of awe and excitement, their cheers intensifying. Beneath his hood, this young hacker exuded a confidence that captivated everyone.

“He’s quite the showman,” VV remarked dryly.

Lin Xian silently agreed. Kevin Walker certainly knew how to make an entrance.

The stage was set, and the challenge laid bare. Tomorrow, they would face each other not just as competitors, but as representatives of their nations’ cyber capabilities.

“Lin Xian,” VV shifted to a more serious tone. “Are you ready for this?”

Taking a deep breath, feeling the gravity of the forthcoming contest, Lin Xian responded, “Ready as I’ll ever be,” his voice filled with resolve.

Closing his laptop, Lin Xian headed to bed. Tomorrow would mark a pivotal moment, not just for him, but for the entire cybersecurity world. As he drifted to sleep, thoughts of the Genius Club and their formidable influence lingered. The competition was merely the beginning.