It was just past noon when Lin Yi arrived at Jiangche
But today, he wasn't just an intern.
He was something more.
Something the compan
He stepped into the side office where Chen Wei, his internship mentor, waited alone with a thermos of coffee and a stack of documents.
"Close the
Lin Yi obeyed.
There was tension in the air—not the kind you could see, but the kind you could feel. Thick, heavy, and filled with implication.
Chen Wei gesture
"I'm going to be blunt, Lin Yi," he began. "You're not just some bright intern anymore. I know what you've been doing ou
Lin Yi said nothing, si
Chen Wei continued, "You didn't think the QuickBox performance spike would go unnoticed, did you? Our internal analytics picked up irregular algorithm patterns, external API behavior, even hidden data routing. It doesn't match any of our known systems."
"Co
Chen Wei's mouth twitch
He leaned forward.
"I don't care about policies. I care about results. I care about idea
He slid a folder across the table.
Inside were photos. Grainy s
"Someone is trying to trace GhostNet. They d
Lin Yi's heart r
[System Warning: Threat Exposure Risk Increased – 31%]
"W
Chen Wei studied him.
"I want to help you."
That… surprised him.
"How do I know you're not trying to leverage me for Jiangcheng Tech?"
Chen Wei shook his head. "Lin Yi, I'm not your enemy. But this company… it's not what it seems. There are people in upper management who play a different kind of game. The moment you become a threat to their structure, they won't send you a contract… they'll send you a leash. Or a knife."
Lin Yi frowned. "Are you saying I should stop?"
"No," Chen Wei said, voice low. "I'm saying—move smarter. You're a shadow player. Stay in the dark a little longer. Grow your system, your influence—but keep GhostNet underground. For now."
He tapped the table once.
"And if you ever need a backdoor or a shield on the inside, come to me. Quietly."
[System Notification: Ally Status – Chen Wei: 48% Trust | Role: Strategic Insider]
[New Passive: Whisper Network – Gain insider intelligence on corporate movements involving GhostNet]
Lin Yi stood, closed the folder, and tucked it into his bag.
"No one knows yet," Chen Wei added. "But if you slip, even once, they'll bury you in red tape or worse."
Lin Yi gave a small nod. "Thanks for the warning."
As he walked out, his mind raced.
He didn't know who all the enemies were yet.
But now he had a clear truth:
Even power built in silence was still power.
And power always made enemies.
Back at the dorm that evening, Lin Yi logged into GhostNet's core dashboard.
Activity was rising.
A small fashion e-commerce business had just integrated the AI module and reported a 40% boost in conversion rates. A food delivery service adjusted inventory in real time using GhostNet's trend prediction model.
The empire was expanding.
But so was the risk.
[System Notice: New Feature Unlocked – Ghost Protocol]
Function: Create false leads, misdirect surveillance, mask infrastructure identity
Usage Limit: 3 times per 24 hours
Status: Enabled
Perfect timing.
He activated the Ghost Protocol once, rerouting server data through a dummy server in Iceland.
Immediately, three corporate tracking systems logged a "dead lead."
He smirked.
Now he had teeth.
Later that night, Liu Fan sent him a message:
[Liu Fan]: "Bro, something's off. One of the businesses using GhostNet said a man in a suit visited them. Asking about who installed their new software. Didn't leave a name."
Lin Yi didn't reply right away.
But deep down, he knew:
The hunt had begun.
And this time, it wasn't just about outsmarting the system.
It was about staying alive in the game long enough to win.