Chapter 18: Su Chen's Next Move—A Shocking Case That Shook the Dragon Kingdom for Two Decades!

Chapter 18: Su Chen’s Next Move—The Shocking Case of the Dragon Nation in Two Decades!

It couldn’t be wrong—it had to be the person from that dossier.

Bai Su’s words confirmed Su Chen’s own suspicions.

Ten years ago, that hacker was only fifteen, while Duan Yu was already in his twenties.

At just fifteen, he had already claimed the world championship in the global cybersecurity competition. Over the following years, his skills must have grown immensely.

The gap between him and Duan Yu had likely only widened...

Creak—

Duan Yu pushed open the interrogation room door, just catching the tail end of Su Chen and Bai Su’s conversation about the World Cybersecurity Competition.

When he heard the mention of the American, his brow furrowed ever so slightly.

Then he spoke softly, “That person... such talent and skill, it’s truly a pity.”

“The world championship is held every four years. That American only competed once before being put on the wanted list.”

A police officer nearby patted Duan Yu on the back and chuckled, “Ever since then, Officer Duan has had no rivals in any cybersecurity contests. Two years ago, he even took first place at the world championship.”

The moment this news broke, it ignited heated discussions among livestream viewers.

“Damn, the experts really are all legends. I underestimated Officer Duan before. A world runner-up in hacking contests, that’s impressive!”

“Heck, number one lost his edge; now Officer Duan is the best!”

“How dare you underestimate Duan Yu just because Su Chen caught him off guard? I’m telling you, talents like him only unleash their full power within their own field. His true strength hasn’t even been revealed yet!”

“Besides, Su Chen... he’s a monster too. Nobody really thinks Officer Duan is weak, right?”

“I’m a cybersecurity student, twenty years old, and already losing hair fast—madly obsessed with senior Duan Yu. I even envy his hair volume!”

However, Duan Yu was not pleased by the praise. He just shook his head and sighed.

“What’s the point of competitions without that American?”

The emotion behind those words was unmistakable.

Since his defeat at the world championship ten years ago, Duan Yu had set that American as his goal.

For a whole decade, he had trained relentlessly, eager to discover who was truly superior. No, perhaps he was still behind, but was the gap narrowing or widening?

Unfortunately, after the American hacked the Pentagon and was hunted down and captured, Duan Yu never had the chance to face him again.

Consequently, his interest in competing with others faded.

Because, apart from that American, no one else in the world was worth his challenge.

“I heard Officer Duan joined this manhunt livestream hoping the show would assign a hacker expert as the culprit, so he could test his skills against them?” Su Chen asked.

Duan Yu nodded, then recalled his surveillance system being sabotaged and ground his teeth.

“Miscalculated. I thought I’d meet a decent computer expert, but the show brought in a chemistry lunatic instead.”

He hadn’t found a worthy opponent in the cybersecurity field for a long time.

At just over thirty years old, he already felt life lacked purpose.

Duan Yu’s words struck a nerve with netizens.

“Mom, did I just hear some divine-level humblebrag? Too humble!”

“So this is what ‘seeking defeat in solitude’ means—how lonely it is to be invincible.”

“How empty it is to be unbeatable.”

“Why is there singing now? Stop generating electricity here!”

“Looks like Su Chen cleverly used his strengths to exploit Duan Yu’s weaknesses.”

“Cunning tactic, but fair. If you really went head-to-head with Officer Duan in hacking, no one in the world could beat him.”

While netizens debated fiercely, inside the expert panel’s conference room...

After finishing his remarks, Duan Yu shook his head and left the office with two cyber police subordinates.

Previously, veteran expert Cui Liwan had calculated the culprit’s next likely moves.

This time, Duan Yu intended to strike first.

What Duan Yu didn’t see was the meaningful glance Su Chen, the clerk, cast as he turned to leave.

Looking for an opponent? That might not be so difficult.

Su Chen briefly sensed the star map in his mind.

He had already lit two stars and a moon. The method to illuminate the sun relief on the star map was more demanding.

It required at least 5,000 reputation points, plus an additional condition: ranking among the top ten on the Dragon Nation’s wanted list.

“Seems ancient times had such bounty boards too, or else this artifact wouldn’t demand it,” Su Chen thought.

He then sensed the sun relief’s ability and discovered it differed from the stars’ rewards.

Instead of granting criminal skills, it bestowed the legendary “Iron-faced Judge’s” case-solving ability.

The first sun relief was engraved with the Iron-faced Judge’s Divine Judgment Technique.

According to the star map, this judge could swiftly resolve cases—even cold cases decades or centuries old—within half an incense stick’s time, sorting through mountains of true and false clues to reconstruct the entire crime.

“No wonder this guy caught so many bizarre criminals...” Su Chen was half skeptical about the star map’s record.

But the reward was real.

Calculating his current reputation, he had about 3,000 points, meaning nearly 30 million people nationwide were watching the manhunt livestream in real time.

He was still 2,000 points short of lighting the first sun relief.

The other condition—breaking into the Dragon Nation’s top ten wanted list—was even harder.

Usually, those on the list were ruthless criminals, responsible for major murders or causing great social harm.

Su Chen had only been nominated for blowing up a district’s power distribution center.

Unless he pulled off the most insane, unprecedented case ever.

And that case had already been planned during the expert meeting. The sabotage of the surveillance power was part of his preparation.

He aimed to reenact the “Dragon Nation’s Most Shocking Case in Two Decades”: the Jinning University Dismemberment Case.

If he could simulate that case, it would generate unimaginable buzz in the livestream.

And he would surely surge to the top of the Dragon Nation’s wanted list.

“To simulate this case, the first step is to kidnap a girl,” Su Chen pondered the ultimate question.

Who to kidnap?

Or did it matter? Was anyone the same?

No. Since he planned a shocking case, he might as well go all out. Though the original Jinning University dismemberment case was already earth-shattering...

Su Chen didn’t mind adding something even more sensational.

“Speaking of boosting livestream popularity, I’m about to kidnap a girl. That will definitely spike the ratings.”

“But now I have to think about how to make the buzz grow faster and bigger.”

For example... the identity of the girl he kidnapped should be extraordinary.

At that thought, Su Chen’s eyes lit up, a sudden epiphany dawning.

He sifted through memories, faces flashing through his mind.

When he filtered by “nineteen years old” and “studying at Jinning University,” the options narrowed significantly.

Gradually, the image of a girl took shape.

Her surname was Guo, first name Yutong.

She was a beautiful short-haired girl, tall, with regular features and fair skin.

Currently a sophomore in the Architecture Department at Jinning University.

But these weren’t the most important details.

What mattered was that she was the biological daughter of the Director of the Jinning Municipal Public Security Bureau!

“Then tonight, I shall be the one to ‘bring her home,’” Su Chen resolved.

Night fell.

Su Chen gazed out the Public Security Bureau’s window. In the distance, the Jinning University campus glowed warmly, rows of lit teaching buildings.

His expression was deep and contemplative.

He then returned to his workstation in the bureau’s clerical department, a small desk in the file archives section.

He booted up his computer, installed programming software, loaded various open-source modules...

Though this was his first time doing such work, his top-tier hacking skills made him adept, as natural as eating or drinking.

Though he had decided on his next criminal plan, it all hinged on one premise: he needed to get hold of that girl named Guo Yutong.

Whether by trickery or force.

The problem was, she was a high-achieving student at Jinning University—not stupid. Trickery wouldn’t be easy.

He’d have to add some finesse!

After a smooth series of maneuvers, Su Chen easily opened the programming interface.

He tweaked the display, shrinking the normally wide window into a narrow input bar at the bottom of the screen.

It blended perfectly with the background—one wouldn’t notice unless an expert was looking closely.

Su Chen didn’t have a computer in his rented room, so he planned to hack into the Public Security Bureau director’s phone right there.

Then, using the director’s number, he would send a message to the precious daughter, tricking her out.

But Su Chen couldn’t blatantly type hacking codes in the police station, so he was extremely cautious.

To divert suspicion, he even opened the popular game “Legend” on the screen, disguising his true actions as gameplay.

After all, the drop rate in Legend was really high—coding while playing was no big deal.