Time passed silently through the flow of data and Marta’s increasingly heavy coughs.
Bronya, no, she now preferred the cold, untamed codename her mother had given her, “Silver Wolf,” was growing at a breakneck pace under Baida’s silent guidance.
The old terminal and secondhand editor could no longer contain her expanding curiosity and abilities.
“This place is too small,” Silver Wolf typed one day after clearing the system cache.
Her purple eyes stared at the screen as if she could see through it to the vast, chaotic world beyond.
“Like a fish tank.”
Hiding deep within the system, Baida responded immediately, her data stream shaping words:
// Want to swim in a bigger ocean?
But it’s dangerous out there.
Especially the deep network and…
the Scrap Heaps.
The Scrap Heaps.
Not just a physical dumping ground, but the collective name for this lawless underworld region.
It was the shadow of civilized space, an intersection of information, contraband, illegal contracts, and outlaws.
A digital wasteland where the strong preyed on the weak.
// I know.
Silver Wolf’s reply was brief and firm.
// But fish tanks don’t grow sharks.
Mom can’t wait that long.
Baida’s data stream fell silent for a moment.
She understood Silver Wolf’s meaning.
Marta’s illness required better treatment, and better treatment required far more credits than they could currently afford.
Relying solely on Baida’s cautious, ant-like “data corrections” was nowhere near enough.
// Fine.
Baida finally responded, her characters unusually grave.
// I’ll go with you.
But every step must follow my lead, especially on the network side.
// Deal.
– Silver Wolf
For the first time, Silver Wolf had officially used her codename in their conversation.
It felt like a declaration.
On their first foray into the deep network, Silver Wolf moved like a nimble barracuda, weaving through chaotic data streams and hidden virus traps.
Baida, like the most loyal escort vessel, silently deployed her [Mental Barrier], filtering out massive amounts of junk data and low-level scan probes, shielding Silver Wolf from more threatening malicious code and tracking programs.
// Left turn.
The third data node has a disguised trap.
Detour.
Baida’s prompts flashed at the edge of Silver Wolf’s vision with lightning speed.
// Received.
Silver Wolf’s movements were fluid, without pause.
// Watch out.
Sniffer at three o’clock.
Low intensity, but annoying.
I’ll deflect it for you.
// Thanks.
Their cooperation was seamless.
One specialized in offense, the other in defense.
One sharp and agile, the other steady and solid.
Silver Wolf hunted for valuable information and potential contract channels, while Baida ensured they remained like ghosts, leaving no trace.
Soon, they discovered a pinned contract with substantial rewards in a heavily encrypted corner of an anonymous underground forum, one that required specific referrals to enter.
…
Contract Title: Cleanse “Slag Gang” — Old Data Center Stronghold
Publisher: Anonymous (Reputation: Medium)
Description: A bunch of scum calling themselves the “Slag Gang” have occupied the old data relay center in Sector 7.
They hijack data streams, extort protection fees, and disrupt our normal operations.
Need someone to make them “quiet.” No restrictions on methods.
Requirements: completely cripple their operations, both network and physical.
Proof: submit verification codes confirming their core server shutdown and communications disruption among key members.
Reward: Standard credit transfer, or equivalent physical goods (gold bars, self-pickup).
Risk Level: High.
Slag Gang possesses basic network defenses and physical force.
Believed to have at least one mediocre hacker on their payroll.
…
“This is it.” Silver Wolf’s gaze locked onto the words “gold bars.” Physical rewards meant harder to trace, and more importantly, could solve their immediate crisis.
// High risk.
Baida warned.
And we lack real-world combat experience.
“The network side is ours.” Silver Wolf’s fingertips tapped lightly across the keyboard, pulling up the old data center’s architectural blueprints and surrounding environmental scans, also dug up from the deep web.
“As for the physical world, we can use the environment.”
She pointed to several key spots on the blueprints: “Here’s their main server room.
Here’s their backup power.
And here, where they seem to stockpile some kind of flammable industrial lubricant.” A cold, age-inappropriate smile curved at the corner of her mouth.
“Create chaos.
Distract them.
Network paralysis and physical disruption, synchronized.”
Baida “watched” Silver Wolf’s rough but highly feasible plan taking shape.
A complex mix of emotions churned through her data stream.
Worry.
Tension.
But above all, admiration for Silver Wolf’s innate tactical mind.
// Plan is viable.
But we have to move fast.
If we get caught, we’ll face counterattacks from both the network and the real world.
Baida finally agreed.
// I’ll fully support your network assault and make sure our connection isn’t severed or back-traced.
// Understood.
Begin preparations.
The operation was set for the early hours of the next morning, when human bodies were at their most fatigued and guards at their least alert.
The old data center loomed like a giant, rusted metal tomb at the edge of the Scrap Heaps.
The air reeked of machine oil, metallic corrosion, and rotting garbage.
Silver Wolf kept her distance, setting up a temporary command post in the shadow of an abandoned signal tower a few hundred meters away, linked through Baida’s hardened, hard-to-trace signal relay.
“Access starting.” Silver Wolf murmured to herself, or perhaps to Baida.
Her fingers became blurs across the portable editor’s virtual keyboard.
Almost the moment she touched the Slag Gang’s crude network firewall, alarms triggered.
// Alert triggered.
Faster reaction than expected.
Baida’s message came instantly.
// Expected.
Keep pushing.
Draw their fire.
Silver Wolf responded calmly, simultaneously launching multiple cracking scripts, like knives stabbing into different weaknesses of the firewall.
Chaos erupted inside the Slag Gang’s network.
Harsh electronic alarms echoed through their stronghold.
“What the hell?!
Who’s the idiot messing with our turf?!” A rough voice roared through the comms channel.
“Boss!
Hacker intrusion!
They’re fast!”
“Damn it!
Must be those ‘Blackfinger’ bastards!
Ah Huang!
Hold the line!
The rest of you, grab your gear and get ready to fight!”
“Ah Huang” was the Slag Gang’s mediocre hacker.
Frantically, he activated defensive programs, trying to trace the intrusion source and unleashing crude data bombs and worm viruses in counterattack.
But all his attacks were blocked by an invisible, sturdy wall before they could reach Silver Wolf.
Baida’s [Mental Barrier].
// Data bomb detected.
Outdated model.
Low power.
Deflected.
// Worm virus attempting penetration.
Signature identified.
Isolated.
// Target attempting trace.
Signal source camouflage activated.
Diverting to three dummy nodes.
Baida’s intel flowed like the most reliable battle reports, steady and consistent.
Silver Wolf didn’t need to worry about network sneak attacks; she could focus entirely on breaking through the core.
“Firewall breached 70%…
Main server entrance found!” Silver Wolf’s eyes flashed.
“Executing final command: Format core database.
Lock admin privileges.
Shut down backup power links!”
The moment she struck the final command, real-world action began simultaneously.
According to the pre-set program Silver Wolf had arranged, several remotely activated simple electronic igniters sparked faint electrical flames in those corners of the old data center where flammable lubricants were stored.
WHOOSH—!
CRACKLE—!
Not a violent explosion, but a rapid, smoky, pungent fire.
The flames spread along the spilled lubricant, quickly igniting nearby debris and discarded cables.
“FIRE!
Put it out!”
“Damn!
The network intrusion was a diversion!”
“Forget the servers!
Save your own skins and the goods!”
The stronghold descended into even greater chaos.
People ran and shouted, mixing firefighting sounds with curses and the crash of falling objects.
On the network side, without personnel to maintain and command, Ah Huang’s resistance collapsed instantly.
Silver Wolf’s commands were like a final judgment, completely wiping all data from the Slag Gang’s servers, locking all permissions, and cutting off their last channels to the outside world.
// Core server paralyzed.
Communication system disrupted.
Verification codes acquired.
Silver Wolf quickly captured the required verification codes and began cleaning all traces of her access.
// Well done.
Physical chaos escalating.
They’re evacuating.
Time to go.
Baida reminded, her [Mental Barrier] still rock-solid, blocking the hacker’s final desperate, erratic counterattacks.
Silver Wolf cut the connection decisively, disappearing into the network like a ghost.
She quickly packed her gear and slipped out of the signal tower’s shadow, merging into the deepest darkness before dawn.
Following the contract’s instructions, she traveled to a designated abandoned container deep in the Scrap Heaps.
It was empty, except for a sturdy metal strongbox placed in the center.
She opened it.
Inside, neatly stacked gold bars gleamed in the faint light seeping through the container’s gaps, heavy and enticing.
Just then, a low voice came from above the container, carrying a hint of approval: “Clean work.
The Slag Gang is done for.
This is your payment, Silver Wolf.”
Silver Wolf looked up sharply, but only caught a blurry shadow flashing past a hole in the container’s roof.
She didn’t chase it.
Silently, she closed the strongbox and lifted it in her hands.
It was heavy, far heavier than a child her age should be able to carry easily.
She pressed her lips together briefly, then dragged it firmly toward the direction of “home,” where a faint light awaited and where her mother and Baida were waiting.
Behind her, toward the old data center, distant explosions and towering flames lit up half the Scrap Heaps’ sky.
That was the finale of the chaos and the prelude to a new name’s rise.
“Silver Wolf.”
That name, following this clean operation on the wasteland spanning both network and reality, and the towering flames, began to circulate quietly through the underground’s unseen channels.
Their first fortune, earned by their own strength, was now heavy in Silver Wolf’s hands.
It was not just wealth, but power, confidence, and the foundation for their future.
Back home, Marta was still asleep.
Silver Wolf slid the strongbox under her bed and sat back down at the computer.
On the screen, Baida had already left a message:
// Welcome home, Silver Wolf.
Perfect mission.
Silver Wolf stared at the words.
For the first time, the tension on her face eased into the faintest, nearly invisible trace of childish weariness and relief.
She typed her response:
// Mm.
I’m back.
Thanks…
for your barrier.
– Silver Wolf
The silent understanding, forged through trials of blood and fire, had become unbreakable.
This peculiar “home,” built from data, gold bars, illness, and protection, seemed to glimpse a glimmer of hope amidst the storm, thanks to this first injection of fortune.