# Chapter Fifteen:
*"Sometimes, the most terrifying monsters are those hidden behind the most ordinary faces."*
***
The laptop screen transformed into a silent battlefield, a turbulent sea of encrypted data and hidden communications. Lin Feng delved into the depths of North Star Trading Company's network, not as a random hacker, but as a meticulous surgeon dissecting a diseased body, searching for malignant tumors, for exploitable weaknesses.
Hours passed as he navigated the cold data streams, dismantling layers of protection one after another, following the trails of phantom money slithering like venomous snakes through offshore accounts and front companies. North Star was like a digital fortress, designed to appear impregnable and respectable from the outside, but Lin Feng saw the hairline cracks in its walls, the gaps left by greed and negligence.
Every suspicious financial file, every encrypted email between executives, every unexplained access log... were small pieces in a dark mosaic he patiently and precisely assembled. It wasn't just a corrupt company; it was the hub of a vast criminal network, extending far beyond mere financial fraud into something much darker.
A cold, barely visible smile played on his lips as he discovered a security flaw in the company's internal messaging system. *"They built this fortress of lies, thinking it impenetrable,"* he whispered to himself, his voice carrying a confident, narcissistic tone. *"Fools. Every wall has a crack, and I know how to find it and widen it into an abyss that will swallow them all."*
He saw the duality with stark clarity. The company's gleaming facade, its international reputation, its towering building in the heart of the business district... all a mask hiding a repulsive truth. He recalled again the words of Dostoevsky that often echoed in his mind: *"To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's."* He had chosen his path, a dark and perilous one, but it was his own. He wasn't striving to be a hero or a saint; he sought truth, revenge, and survival in a world that showed no mercy to the weak.
He realized the knowledge he was gaining, this growing awareness of the depths of human corruption, came at a price. He no longer saw the world the same way. Every smiling face could hide a monster, every outstretched hand could hold a dagger. Was this the great sorrow Dostoevsky spoke of, the sorrow that accompanies great minds and deep hearts? Perhaps, but it wasn't a paralyzing sorrow; it was fuel driving him forward, pushing him to execute his plans with greater precision and colder detachment.
He decided digital surveillance alone wasn't enough. He needed to see the target with his own eyes, feel the rhythm of the place, study its surroundings up close. He changed into ordinary clothes, donned a cap and sunglasses to obscure his features, and headed towards the business district.
Standing across the street, he observed the towering North Star building. A gleaming glass facade reflected the grey city sky, a lavish entrance, elegantly suited security guards moving with quiet efficiency. Everything suggested legitimacy, power, and order. But Lin Feng saw beyond the mask. He saw shadows moving behind the glass, felt the coldness emanating from this edifice built on suffering and lies.
He watched the comings and goings, the security patrol patterns, the camera placements. It wasn't just a building; it was a fortress, designed to protect the filthy secrets within. He felt a slight tension, not fear, but the thrill of a hunter closing in on his prey. The city around him transformed into a concrete jungle, and he was the predator moving through its shadows, patiently studying his target.
After an hour of careful observation, he returned to his safe house, carrying a clearer picture of the target. He opened the secure communication channel again.
"Fu, any updates?"
"Yes, sir. I managed to confirm some suspicious activities related to the company's shipping department. Unregistered nighttime movements, use of aliases on shipping documents. Also, I've identified an employee in the IT department who seems to be in significant financial trouble and might be susceptible... to influence," Zhao Fu added hesitantly.
"Excellent," Lin Feng said. "Monitor this employee closely, gather everything you can on him. But don't approach him yet."
"Sir," Zhao Fu hesitated again. "The deeper I dig, the more dangerous this seems. This isn't just ordinary organized crime. There are hints... of much worse things. We must be extremely careful."
Lin Feng let out a soft, cold laugh. *"Danger is just the price of admission to a game worth playing, Fu. And I always win."* He cut the connection before Zhao Fu could respond.
He returned to analyzing the data, this time focusing on the suspicious activities in the shipping department. The picture became clearer. It wasn't just ordinary goods being smuggled. There were coded symbols, references to "live cargo," timelines that corresponded with reports of missing persons from poor areas in other cities. There was no conclusive proof yet, just thin threads, but they painted a horrifying picture of human trafficking or worse, hidden under the guise of international trade.
A cold shiver ran down his spine, not from fear, but from revulsion and cold anger. These monsters weren't content with financial corruption; they traded in human lives. He looked at the potential victims' identifiers, just numbers and codes in encrypted logs, but he saw them as individuals, people robbed of their lives and futures. This realization didn't make him more merciful, but more determined to destroy this network from its roots.
He began formulating his next plan. It was no longer just about gathering information; it was time to act. The financially troubled IT employee... would be the starting point. He didn't need to breach the system by force if he could get someone on the inside to open the door for him.
He started crafting an elaborate phishing email, disguised as a tempting financial offer from a third party, specifically designed to exploit the employee's desperation. It wasn't just a technical hack; it was social engineering, cold and calculated psychological manipulation. He saw the employee as a pawn, a puppet whose strings he would pull to achieve his goals.
He stood up again, walked to the window, gazing at the glittering city lights below. Each light represented a life, a story, dreams and fears. But to him now, the city was just a giant chessboard, and he was the player who saw all the potential moves, preparing to deliver the checkmate.
*"Let the puppets dance,"* he whispered into the darkness, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint. *"Their strings are now in my hands."*
The calm before the storm was about to end.