บท 22: Hacking In
"This is incredible! You just walked right in like it was nothing!"
Skye couldn't contain her excitement, whispering her amazement.
Anthony and John remained silent, but the shock they felt was no less than Skye's.
Skye could at least somewhat understand what Leo was doing.
But to the two bodyguards, it seemed like Leo had just spent a few hours loitering around the substation gate, then circled a communications tower, and somehow, they were inside!
"Most cyber-hacking activities are merely to gather enough information to execute this step. Because most truly classified information and things that can affect the physical world are not connected to the internet. Hacking irrelevant personal computers is only for the lowest-level hackers. All significant organizations understand the importance of physically isolating sensitive systems from internet intrusion."
Of course, when it comes to sentencing, more years might be awarded, and with high-level skills, a life sentence isn't out of the question.
The control systems inside the substation are, of course, not connected to the internet, but once inside this local area network (LAN), finding an interface means taking over everything.
Connecting to the LAN computer, retrieving substation data, and cross-referencing it with the information processed by the Kiroshi optical implant.
It's safe to say that half of Hell's Kitchen's power grid was now mapped inside Leo's brain.
Leo thought for a moment and then installed a backdoor and a Trojan in the substation.
This backdoor would allow Leo to remotely connect to the substation, and the Trojan would spread the backdoor to other substations whenever the staff used hard drives or other devices to exchange data.
Hacking is like breaching a dam—once a hole is made, the water flows continuously, spreading to other areas.
"All done." Leo clapped his hands together. "Let's go."
"And then?"
"Then we'll go back and adjust the power lines around the apartment. The transmission lines at the endpoint must match the software drivers we've installed. Otherwise, it's pointless."
"You're going to mess with the power lines?" Skye's mind flashed to the rumors on BBS, "They say the power lines in Hell's Kitchen are like maggots wriggling in a cesspit! The municipal power grid sent many electricians, but their advice was that it's beyond saving! They suggested tearing everything down and rebuilding!"
"Heh, their skills aren't up to par. Watch me."
The four of them swaggered out of the substation, and the security guard could only stare blankly at them.
A few minutes later, the senior engineer returned, and the security guard immediately reported, "Sir, the electricians have already been here."
The engineer frowned, "What are you talking about? What electricians?"
The guard felt a chill of unease, but he still had the text messages as evidence. He quickly pulled out his phone to show the engineer the messages he had received, only to find that there was nothing there!
Not only that, but the security cameras didn't capture anyone entering either!
The guard broke into a cold sweat.
"Did I imagine the whole Burgerking thing?"
In his past life, Leo wasn't just a seasoned nuclear physicist—he also dabbled in electrical work, always striving to be a multi-talented individual.
"You might ask, how do you tell if there's electricity? If you're a newbie, I'd recommend using a voltage tester. Make sure it's working before you use it, and check that the voltage rating of the tester matches the device you're testing. Also, wear insulated gloves during the measurement, don't do it alone, and maintain a safe distance from live wires…"
Leo scanned the power lines extending from the utility poles and quickly identified the wires he needed to check.
Skye listened intently, "Electricians have a really dangerous job. But what about experienced ones?"
"A seasoned electrician can tell if there's electricity just by touching it—oh, and use the back of your hand. That way, if you get shocked, you won't instinctively grab the wire. (Don't try this at home.)"
"What?"
Leo reached out, and his hand snapped back with a quick flick, so fast that Skye hadn't even processed what "an experienced electrician can tell by touching" meant.
Alright, fine, if that's how you want to play it…
Skye made a big X in her notes where she had recorded earlier, writing, "Touch the wire with the back of your hand."
"Everything's normal. Alright, today's work is done."
Just now, Leo confirmed that the apartment's surveillance system was also functioning properly.
The cameras installed by Mr. Rigaud included three, covering the apartment's side stairs, the building's main entrance, and the stairwell.
These cameras were reconfigured with facial recognition technology from Cyberpunk 2077, capable of identifying and locking onto strangers within two seconds, ensuring the footage focuses on illegal activities.
The power lines supplying the apartment had been re-routed to a recently maintained circuit from two months ago. In theory, only Leo knew how to cut the apartment's power. And if the substation or law enforcement agencies tried to investigate, the Trojan planted in the substation's system would activate, altering user information to leave no trace.
Leo clapped his hands and announced the end of the workday. Silent John finally had a question, "Leo, what's the point of all this?"
Leo pointed to the cameras outside the door and on the street, "The point is, the cameras won't shut off when we need them. Now the NYPD can't claim we don't have evidence. We've taken the first step toward becoming a high-end community with a state-of-the-art surveillance system."
"But…" John hesitated and then shook his head.
Hell's Kitchen doesn't believe in tears—or the law.
Leo patted his arm—it was the highest he could reach, though he intended to pat his shoulder.
His mindset differed from that of Hell's Kitchen natives.
The state is a product of class struggle. One could say that 99% of the population recognizes and follows the law, no matter what they think, because, in reality, on the surface, they have to.
Otherwise, they would face pressure from all sides, becoming criminals trapped with no way out.
For criminals, the lower classes hope for justice to be served, the middle-class law enforcement tends to follow orders, and the upper-level administrators take the opportunity to eliminate these vested interests.
People need to learn to protect their lives, with fists, yes, but also with the law. Otherwise, they'll be left without recourse, pushing the supposedly neutral law enforcement to the other side.
Besides, Leo couldn't afford personal bodyguards, so he had to rely on the NYPD.
"Don't worry, this is just the beginning. I know you can't stay home forever, but those punks are specialized in sabotage. We'll deal with them all at once, but we must be justified so the NYPD can't brush it under the rug."
"Let's hope it works."
"Whether it works depends on you. Safety is earned. Have you ever been in a fight? No offense, but I have to ask, it seems like many of your people enjoy gang life?"
John smiled, unoffended, "Fought? Sure—I just want to be a role model for my son. I'm an orphan. My mother ran off with another man when I was four, and my good-for-nothing father was an abusive drunk. He drank himself to death when I was six. My son Chris was an accident, and his mother ran off with another man too."
Leo felt a deep respect.
John seemed to have come to terms with it, "It's like a cycle or something. I might not be abusive, but I did run the streets, fought too. Of course, it was only for a while—I was quick, never got caught. During that time, I met Chris's mother, and then we had Chris. When she left, I started drinking, getting angry—until I realized I was becoming just like my father. So I cut ties with my old friends, found a job at a construction site. But then the site shut down, and the boss ran off, owing me two months' pay."
Leo's respect deepened: if that was the case, then Fisk's criminal gang definitely tried to recruit him.
United Construction was a front for a gang, giving them plenty of opportunities to coerce construction workers into dirty work.
But John didn't take the bait.
"Sometimes I wonder why it's so hard to be a good person—but maybe this is my way of atoning for the first part of my life."
He paused, then solemnly said to Leo, "So if you're asking whether I'm willing to protect my son and our living space, you already know the answer. I just don't want my son to think his father is a criminal."
"That's good because if things get worse, we'll need the toughness you had in the first part of your life. I promise you'll be called a hero for your bravery, not a thug."
Just as Leo finished speaking, he frowned—
Bang!
A stone hit the glass window on the door, followed by the sound of a baseball bat slamming into the door!
In just a few seconds, the door was smashed open, and a hand reached in through the hole to unlock it!
"Move fast, grab and go!"
The voices were clear. Leo quickly sent a message to all the apartment's residents, then shouted to John and Anthony:
"Grab your weapons!"
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