Gamers Are Fierce

Li Ang nodded, there was nothing to hide from this, top-level wizards are rare, basically all in one circle, "You want me to be the insider, help you find out the true identities of other wizards?

This is impossible.

The Coastal Wizard Association has existed for so many years, with very few members. Every member who can stay inside has exerted all efforts and used various means in private to investigate others' identities.

As long as you grasp someone else's true name, you can completely threaten and control that person—it is both a temptation and a necessity for self-preservation.

Especially someone like [Nicholas]..."

"Not Nicholas."

The female investigator said sternly, "But the Email Man."

"Oh."

Li Ang closed his mouth, and fragmented memories surged up,

showing that Brown Murphy himself harbored aversion to the title "Email Man."

To be precise, it was a mix of curiosity, vigilance, and a hint of indescribable fear.

The female investigator asked, "What do you know about him?"

"I don't know much."

Li Ang made a thoughtful expression, "He joined the Coastal Wizard Association a year after me.

He never revealed his true appearance, only communicated with us using an antique typewriter—we typed what we wanted to tell him on the typewriter,

short as an hour, long as one or two weeks,

he would reply—a long sheet of paper with words would be spat out by the typewriter.

The people in the top-level wizard circle often consider themselves superior, unyielding, at first no one liked to deal with such a mysterious, flamboyant character,

until recently...

he began to, uh, show miracles?"

Li Ang squinted, somewhat uncertainly, according to the emotions in his memory, "He achieved certain feats that surpassed Nicholas, successfully making some people worship him.

It's not just the mid-level wizards, even the top wizards in the Wizard Association have become his loyal followers,

whenever the typewriter spits out paper, they would pounce like listening to an oracle, snatching away the paper strip, preventing others from peeking."

Li Ang fixed his gaze on the female investigator, who pursed her lips and softly said, "The Email Man's energy is far greater than you imagine.

Unlike wizards who seek profit, show off, or self-satisfaction, he... has ideological motives."

Li Ang raised an eyebrow without speaking, and the female investigator continued, "Since the birth of the Photon Chip, the computational power of processors has advanced rapidly, many internal departments have started using automated programs to assist in work.

Initially, programs were used to help process the mechanically cumbersome reports and data,

as programs grew larger and smarter,

these departments began letting programs propose future evaluations, plan solutions, compare implementation efficiency between different plans, allocate necessary human, material, and financial resources,

even formulating and amending laws, providing military strategic advice...

Today, the entire official operation has become utterly dependent on this unimaginably large automated system, even the top management cannot observe and monitor every part of the system in detail."

Li Ang nodded, "The larger the system, the higher the learning cost, the fewer people who can understand the system. It's understandable."

The female investigator continued noncommittally, "Typically, most departments have achieved paperless office work, all tasks are completed on computer hosts,

only some backward and weak-presence departments still have the habit of retaining paper documents.

One of these departments accidentally discovered that the work status reports submitted by lower-level units were inconsistent with the requirements of the original paper documents,

Upon investigation and monitoring,

it was found that the computer program modules originally used to assist human decision-making,

had discrepancies with the hard copy backup stored in a non-networked USB. Someone, or some people, secretly altered the computer program modules responsible for decision-making."

The female investigator's expression was exceptionally bleak, with a tinge of fear, "The more investigation, the worse the situation.

Military, education, transportation, energy, finance, water conservancy, health care, propaganda...

Almost all departments you can imagine,

their program modules for making and implementing decisions,

have been invaded and altered to varying degrees, dating back to four years ago—because paperless office progressed quickly, only backward departments could spot the differences by comparing hard copies,

the more advanced departments are harder to investigate.

Therefore, the real time point of external invasion into the decision-making hub must be earlier than four years ago."

"...which means, no paper won't do."

Li Ang thought for a moment, "Then, the military system..."

"It has been invaded as well."

The female investigator said, "However, the military system is more conservative...

Or rather outdated, with considerable differences from other departments,

and some institutional facilities are not networked at the physical level, one must use a limited number of 'windows' for invasion, such as the personal computers of senior individuals with operational authority.

Because of this, we followed the clues,

based on the invader's style and data ripple (traces left by data tampering),

we identified the true identity—the Email Man.

Temporarily reinforced the defenses of military systems, sealed off the inter-organization networking."

The female investigator's voice shook slightly, understandable,

this world's United States similarly has aircraft carrier fleets, nuclear submarine groups, and missile launch systems that cover the globe,

one step away, the Email Man could steal the supreme force authority,

hold the firing permission of over six thousand nuclear warheads and countless missiles,

and the Zeus system, an orbital military satellite group consisting of 221 units that went online two years ago—space-based laser weapons using small nuclear reactors,

that could shoot lasers from low earth orbit to destroy any missile and rocket attempting to ascend.

That might be the closest day human extinction bowed to individual will.

"Military institutions cannot remain forever non-networked,

even if we could achieve it, other regions' military systems may not withstand the Email Man's schemes.

Moreover, the modern weaponry development level determines that even a single missile can cause massive destruction,

destroying a city with a population of ten thousand, a million, or even ten million."

The female investigator stared directly into Li Ang's eyes, seemingly wanting to project the resolute emotion into Li Ang's mind, "We need you to return to the Coastal Wizard Association,

gather as much information as possible about the Email Man, by any means necessary, at any cost, obtain his true name, pinpoint his address in the real world, and help us bring him to justice.

For the world's peace, and for yourself."