The central hospital-
The sunlight was reflecting in the white hallways smelling of medicine and disinfectant constantly. The hallways were busting with patients, doctors and newly recruited residents.
A small group of three of newly assigned residential doctors came out of the OT after changing their clothes.
"finally break..hu!" A girl exclaimed in the group still keeping her voice low as not to get scolded by the seniors.
"Don't get too excited." Bai smiled at her cheerfulness, despite being in a constant hospital's dreary environment. Even though glasses the dark circles under his eyes were clear.
"I am too hungry to get excited." The other guy yawned while mumbling.
Three of them settled for a table in the canteen. Though their sleep and eating schedules were messed up at least they had better food.
"So, how is the new country going Bai." The guy asked Bai while taking big bits of his bread. Bai was about to answer it was fine but got interrupted.
"Geez, what kind of question is this, be more creative?" The girl slapped the guy on the shoulder before turning to Bai with a bright smile."Do you have a girlfriend?"
Bai's eyes didn't help him in concealing his surprise and embarrassment. He scratched his neck before deciding how to dodge the question honestly.
"Actually..."
His phone vibrated in his coats pocket. He excused himself for a moment to checked the phone, only to get up with a furrow between his brows.
"Obi kicked me out of the house, where should I go?"
He felt conflicted about where he should trust Chase's text or not. His brother could always kick Chase out of the house, he has had first-hand experience in that aspect.
Bai wasn't going to answer Chase's text, the young adult could solve his problem on his own. But rather he might just visit them.
Bai went back with upturned lips making the girl tease him over it.
______
Kira's apartment
The sky has already started to turn in different shades of orange but the typing sound in the room didn't stop. George was standing in front of the showcase observing small anime figurings. He was waiting for Kira to bombard him with information after she finishes.
Though the typing sound began to die down Kira showed no sign of speaking out.
"Oh, fu*k!" One of the figurings was too close from slipping out of his hand due to Kira's loud swearing.
"Jeez, what happened?" George was still holding the one figuring in his two hands as if it was the most precious thing.
Well, it was. Nobody would want to have a headshot over a broken doll. But the biggest loophole of the scenario was, Kira could only use guns in war games.
At present, Kira pulled her legs closer to her stomach and sat on the chair while massaging her temples.
"You got phished." Kira moved the cursor to show Grekov different emails from his e-mail account, a knockoff version of an original website.
Seeing the content on the screen George mouth formed a grim line. He could now sum up how the hacker hacked his phone?
He invited the hacker by clicking on a single link.
The thought never crossed the young officer's mind that one day his phone was going to get used for a case's investigation study.
"Can you find anything from the e-mail like IP address?" George wanted to get as much as information from Kira. He didn't want to suffer from a blow without getting anything out of it.
Kira gave George a look of ridicule as he was asking for too much from her. Before diving deeper into the web and showing him a website with too many shining blue links.
|E-mail for only 0.001 cryptocurrency
Paypal account worth 5000$ for 0.0004 cryptocurrency
Whitewashing money in cryptocurrency for x%|
"Finding the real IP in the sea of fake IP's is probably impossible." Kira moved her hand from the mouse and turned her chair facing her awe faced ex. "It's the dark web, someday they will even sell real humans if the price is paid."
Kira took paused before smiling mockingly."Oh, they do it there and no one controls them." She rotated her shoulders and hand as they were sore between a serious conversation making George mad. Despite him slapping the hands away, she didn't budge. (not really)
"Doesn't Z have power over it?" George raised a huge concern. The reports he read clearly stated Z currently holds power over the hacker community?
"Yeah, he does. But over the hacker forum only and mostly the region in country A's side, many hacker groups in other regions hates him. The dark web is more than just hacker forum." Kira got up and found a general given by Charles from a drawer while continuing speaking ."And I don't think Z himself aspire to be something more out of hacker forum which will need him to have behind door support from government organisations. But he is busy destroying those governments. Does he think if he destroys the government today.... there is going to be an honest government tomorrow?" Kira with flow lost focus that rather than stating facts, she was now stating her opinion on Z.
George didn't mind listening to it. He was planning to absorb all the information about Z he could get. Even rumours. To him every rumour hold importance, they don't form in thin air. Unless someone deliberately tried to use them.
_________
Central library, M University-
The central library of City M was famous for its architectural, historical meaning. It was located in the heart of the largest university in the country. The building had its style of sculptures. Despite that, it was still largely packed with University students.
Chase kept on rummaging through a stack of the old newspaper beside him while sitting between large bookshelves. There were many cuttings of his mom winning awards for her acting, movies. He just couldn't get enough of it.
Anyone could tell not only Chase but even Sonia's birth country took pride in her accomplishments in her field. He even found some papers about the Alexandrov family. But after few news articles, he didn't found any word about them.
Chase checked the stack of papers once again, few newspapers were missing. Making a gap of six months. It was expected to have few papers missing in a public library. But the newspaper containing his mother's death was also missing making the situation sentimental for him.
Chase decided to turn to the internet after he returns. Until then he was going to believe it was a coincidence.
Chase put the old papers back in their place. He was about to leave the library but his luck wanted to play games with him.
"Wait."
Chase ignored the female voice thinking he doesn't know anyone and continued taking a step further out of the section.
"Wait a minute." The girl tapped his shoulder. Being suddenly getting touch wasn't a good experience for Chase. He turned around thinking of cursing out in his head.
(I know what you are thinking how the hell did Chase get into the university library without getting a pass, it a plot hole, etc. Don't worry, I am also thinking the same while staying up all night.)
Phishing is a basic hacking technique used by hackers to hacker devices. And they use the owner of the device to permit them by sending emails or weird links. So beware of frauds.
(secondly, the side stories of hacker z are published under the name "White Lotus" please don't forget to check this out)
Chase stared at the girl with blond hair. His hand shielding his shoulder which the girl touched abruptly.
"Uh..hello." Chase had an idea what was coming next but he wasn't 100% sure.
"I am a big fan of your songs." Chase released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Being relieved he smiled a bit, before thanking her for liking his songs in low voice. Between two years of his career, Chase had gained quite a bit of experience in fan service.
While conversing he made sure to look at other people constantly reminding the girl, they were in the library. And he was in a hurry.
"It was nice meeting you. Sorry but I am in a hurry." Chase back out of the situation swiftly as if he was allergic to human interaction.
Leaving behind a grinning Sarah who was on the seventh cloud despite not getting a selfie or an autograph.
_________
Charles' house,
The night sky was already dark, it was no moon, today. The wind was cold making the papers on the table move with it.
Charles looked at the ticking clock, it was past curfew hours. He was anticipating someone. He searches through the scattered papers on the coffee table for his phone to make a call.
*Bell*
Charles went to the front door and opened it without checking through the door viewer first. He had an idea who might it be.
"How long were you going to make me stand outside? It's so cold today." The girl tried to set strands of hair down which were standing due to the wind.
"Mom, called me 5 times!" Charles looked at the girl, he knew she could hear him but she wasn't listening.
"What? Brother, did you tell her I wasn't at your place?"
Charles sighed at her priorities which were unbelievable for him. Despite that, he let her in and decided to lecture her inside.
"So, which project, birthday, club activity are you working on? Don't you dare to lie Miss future journalist?" Charles taunted Sarah who was removing her jacket. Hearing no answer from her for just 2 seconds he was annoyed. It was as if he didn't want to hear her part of the story in the first place. "Either you stop wandering outside after it's too late or I am not allowing you at the place after this, I will be also informing mom about how many times you have been coming home late."
"NO!" Sarah looked at the cruel brother with her frightened expression, he can't be telling mom about it. Was he that mad for not getting privacy due to her?
"Brother, you can't be telling mom. How about this I will try to get back before curfew? The university is too far away from home, your place is convenient."
"To fool around." Charles cut her sentence, he was not mad at her for coming late but for giving mom the chance to call him 5 times. A second-year college student with a journalism course should at least know how to lie properly. Journalism was all about conspiracy theories these days. Still, he couldn't be teaching her that.
Charles calmed down a little bit after the papers he was working on came into his sight.
"Just remember to come home on time." He reminded her last time and once again sat down in front of his laptop and messy table thinking, 'he wasn't going to bring any work home, next time.'
Sarah felt relieved her brother wasn't in the mood to lecture her anymore. But the messy coffee table was making her brain hurt. She couldn't stop her clean frick self from trying to arrange those papers in order.
Charles didn't mind her ordering the papers he also pointed her how to arrange them. The deadline was important for him right this moment than who was helping him.
While going through and arranging the papers she found a document with the heading.
|M Times monthly performance|
Sarah was a Journalism student so she already knew about the M Times a local newspaper that was in a dire state. But the report deeply shocked her.
"Brother, what with the M times?" She wasn't a business student who could tell about the financial state of the declining local newspapers from chart or excel sheets.
"Nothing, they can't keep up the market value, anymore. Might need to close down but the real estate value of their office, the land is still high. So technically nothing." Charles looked at the grim expression on his sister who was still holding to the M Times' report.
"What is happening in college these days?" This wasn't going to stop her from thinking about it right now but at least it was going to distract her.
"Some students in our class tried to get an interview with the mayor today but had to wait downstairs his office for hours. He didn't even give an interview too." Sarah felt helpless while complaining to her brother about all this. Until she remembered something that happened today.
She couldn't find words to tell the incident, even Charles felt the energy from her but only worked in making him uncomfortable.
"Don't act like a sales employee trying to make me trying to make me buy your socks."
Sarah closed her eyes not trying to get provoked by the remark as she needs to share this information.
"Do you know this singer I am a fan of Chase Xavier is in the city? And do you know who he is currently collaborating with? JJ"
"No." Charles refused to hear anything further. Every time Sarah talked about a singer, actor he felt like she was recruiting people for some shady cult. He was sure in no time she was going to force him to listen to the guy.
A few moments later...
Charles was listening to Chase's song in front of Sarah who was eagerly waiting for his feedback with her brown eyes shining.
Charles removed the earpiece, smiling nervously. Though he listened to the song and even liked the singer's voice and skills in writing his songs. It wasn't for him.
It was clear the Chase guy was producing music for high school or college students. He might have thought the songs were edgy in his college years, but right now they just seemed emotionless to him.
"What do you think?" Sarah asked, full of confidence in her music choice.
"Um...fine. He needs to upgrade his writing skills, his audience will evolve soon. If he wants to still keep the audience he needs to experiment or they will leave. The songs are not my taste."
Sarah rolled her eyes and went to her room, her brother was being too mean. "Do the work yourself."
Leaving Charles with some documents which still needed to be arranged. Charles understood now there was nothing as free labour.
(Author: I know I am just using some pretty common or short names but-
Chase: I hate names with more than seven letters and that should be enough reason.
Author: That's enough reason, I guess. Does your dad have an eight-digit name Chase?...okay, I am not asking.)
So while writing about Sarah I understood something. As an introvert, I have a hard time writing an extroverted character. So if you find any problems or issues with my writing please feel free to comment about it.
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