Chapter Two: Game Start
The first thing the creature which was at once disorientingly ugly and cute (rare combination) said was: "I know who you are."
"No shit, you know where I live too." Xiao stared flatly at the thing perched on the couch before her, wondering what he meant really.
He seemed not to notice her searing gaze and merely continued dumping packets of sugar into its coffee cup, grazing her back with his pair of dead-owl eyes while at it. She remembered him clearly from before—the question was, really, how the hell could she forget? Not everyone found it fashionable to shuffle around sockless with the eye-circles of evil.
"But habitats are temporary, while identity is unchangeable. I find the latter more threatening in our situation." He crouched a bit lower to his knees, stopping to lift his eyes, while Xiaoxiao Liang pondered if it was possible that he was superhuman.
Ah, right, that must be his signal to change the conversation topic, Xiao decided. As she predicted, he moved to the point: "I received the e-mail you sent."
"Oh, the resume?" A smug smile immediately smeared over her face, "How is it? Does it make your penis throb or what?"
"I am sorry to inform you that I do not find getting fired from McDonalds within a month very impressive." He returned, speaking more to his coffee than to Xiao, "However, I find the reason to the event very notable. McDonalds is a prominent corporation with many possible loopholes for free cash within its networks."
"So you knew about my letter to-"
"You would have received much more by silently withdrawing cash from the on-line bank accounts, unnoticed, than sending letters demanding a raise to your manager-who I presume to not be able to tell between Linex and C-for a raise. Therefore, your motive was not the monetary rewards. It was fame, or even worse, simple amusement."
"I guess I have no humorous and yet perkily perverted tale to share, then." Xiao sat back, "So your point of coming here is...?"
"We do have a job offer to make." The old man spoke up for the first time and sent Xiao tumbling out of her seat in surprise. She hadn't even noticed him come in.
"Your techniques at tunneling in between technological bureaucracy are somewhat astounding and to call you a hacker should be somewhat of an insult, so we must refrain from addressing your position as such." He mumbled, smiling, "We run a computer-virus company. I observed that you have worked with one of our kinds before, on your resume, and listed the position obscurely as a computer technician."
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, unless you figured out that computer technician is actually a euphemism for under-the-table-dick-sucker." Xiao smiled innocuously, finding interest again in the pair before her. She knew they were lying, but it was rather entertaining thinking about they knew if she knew, or if they knew that she was trying to find if they knew that she knew.
But then that thought, which had been wandering around the back of her head since when she first saw owl-head's face, popped up again. A computer-virus company, sure, but with such a crappy fire-wall on one of its representative's computers? Were they a group of con-artists?
Then again, it might have just been a bait to recruit itchy-fingered, unemployed kids like her...
She was a bit confused as owl-eyes ranted on, "My name is Ryuuzaki. The man behind me is Watari. We are representatives of Gummy&Bear, a firm dedicated to revolutionizing the Trojan. I noticed your ability that day in the cafe, when you hacked onto my laptop."
"An idiot with Computer Programming 101 would have been able to do what I did. Plus you did need a comb, but I didn't want to be too rude about it."
"My laptop is used as bait for people like you, who we are terribly interested in recruiting."
Xiao decided that she might have been too suspicious after all.
"…If you do not believe me, you must have noticed that the hard drive was completely empty. If it wasn't bait, I would have put-as would have ninety-seven percent of our unsuspecting costumers-substantial information within the laptop."
Xiao's brain did a back flip and joined her heart in diving for her stomach.
DING.
Xiao suddenly realized what a mess she was in. Those two weren't a pair of bored freaks out to find friends, or representatives of a creepy, non-existent company, or a pair of tricky con-artists…
They were detectives. Creepy, but bad enough to be a threat worth bashing the esc-key for.
If she didn't remember that one trick she picked up from an unassuming and dead FBI agent's abandoned computer, she would have been trapped by these two.
The FBI laptop had an algorithm to hide files in such a way that it seemed empty. To access the files it took was a simple counter-algorithm to unlock the algorithm, which was masquerading as a subfile to run Internet Explorer.
That day she had noticed a facsimile copy of the dead FBI agent's program in his lap-top, but had not thought too much of it. It was exclusive, after all, to FBI and its associates... she had thought that she was just a bit dizzy from typing the mini-keypad her cell-phone mustered, and was seeing things.
But now, in hind-sight, it was obviously the "subfile"—in other words, this creep had the real FBI algorithm.
To confirm her thoughts, she remembered the rather annoying half-bitten apple that shone with particular brilliance that day on the cover of his laptop. She hated Macs. He was using a Mac. Macs use Safari, or Fire-fox, but seldom have a direct access for the original "internet explorer". Which was consistent, because there was no shortcut for internet explorer on his computer.
But things all went awry on the note that, despite all that, he owned a subfile to run a program that didn't exist, which the Mac maker would have never installed. That meant that the file wasn't really for Internet Explorer. He must have had added the file later. He must have put it there for a reason.
And that was when Xiao felt as if she was about to piss her pants in half fright, half amusement.
Some hair-fashionata would definitely not be able to get his hands on an FBI file in hell-unless he was much more than an obvious freak. He was associated with the FBI, so thoroughly that they would actually let him own a copy of their private property.
He was a detective. If not the FBI's, then better than the FBI's. Either way, he was out to get her—and undercover, because he was smart enough to realize that she would be smart enough to read his steps... only after they had already been taken.
It all made sense now, but much too slowly. She knew that he had noticed her silence long ago.
Everything began unwinding, rolling much too quickly in her brain. All the multiple imaginary voices she was so found of debating with came on in one loud, cacophonous mess.
Oh, snap. If he was telling you that there were no other files on his computer, he must have been probing for your reaction, you dumbass!
Damned right, probing to see if you'd have one, because if you did, then he would know that you know that there was FBI's shit on his bloody fucking Mackie-Mac.
Ne-uuuu, XIAO, we're going to prison! We're all going to prison! Ne-ee-uuuu! Let's go back to McDonalds and flip burgers, okay? Okay?
And he would realize that the only way she would freak out at that program was if she knew that it was something that most people, including herself, shouldn't know about...
Xiao, we're really getting screwed this time, aren't we? Ha-ha!
It was to her harm that her actual silence was probably exactly the reaction he had expected.
"Um..." She said slowly, clearing all the voices out of her head to stare at the real person before her. What the hell, if he was playing games with her, she was going to lob back with all her strength, "Actually, why do you have an FBI file on your computer? Furthermore, why are you lying about not having it?"
The owl-thing peered at her, and a subtle smile crept onto his face, "That was the real interview: only the fit can recognize that the subfile exists. You were right, idiots with introductory computing could have been able to hack into my computer. Half of the essential components of a superb fire-wall were gone, but the key was discovering an out-of-place subfile for a non-existent program in the haystack. We understand that you are unemployed, and have been for a few months. This apartment is leased under your friend's name, so you must be in need of money. If you join Bear&Gummy, we will give you an advance of five thousand dollars, upon signing the contract."
It was obvious that he had simply skipped over the FBI part as if she had never said it, but Xiao had other things to worry about.
She had noticed that he switched the words-Gummy&Bear first, then Bear&Gummy. He must be deliberately tricking her now, seeing if she noticed. If she did, it must have meant that she was more nervous and suspicious of her explanation than she showed.
Consequently, she pretended that she hadn't noticed it at all, "Right, got a copy? And what would be my title, exactly?"
"Chief of staff."
There was no way in hell she could avoid not noticing that one: "I beg your sweet, eternal pardon?"
"Well, you see, the company right now is-" He tried to make a face, but it failed so miserably that Xiao was ready to laugh, "Is just the two of us. With some volunteers. It must be due to the economic downfall; many employees are becoming laid off, so..."
"Here is a copy of our contract. If we get more employees after this, we will promote you to become a partner." The old man pushed forward a thick stack of paper, full of small font.
For a moment Xiao believed that she was just being paranoid. They might not have been detectives. They must have been superior programmers who actually managed to hack into the FBI and steal their golden trick.
But, to confirm, she asked without much interest, "What is our first project, out of interest?"
"We're going to design a file to hack into the Pentagon." The owl-creature smiled slowly at the stunned look on Xiao's face.
She had been caught. All they needed were handcuffs. Oh, god, they knew it all. Her nightly messages to the fat old farts who were dotting around the dungeon and freaking out that they were getting commented about their teeny brains and humongous waist-sizes.
She hadn't thought it would be this way, that the Pentagon would actually bother to deal with her in terms of people, not in terms of a glorious computer-programming, low and dirty duel in Java-language. Now she had to run, not from being discovered, but from being stuffed into a jail cell.
"Oh, the Pentagon?" She gasped with good-natured surprise, "Why on earth would you want to do that? Isn't that-err-dangerous? I mean, wouldn't we go to, like, jail for it?"
"An anonymous company offered the commission on condition that it is to be delivered, the virus and the antidote, by the end of the month. However, you may be relieved to find that you will not be handling the case on your own; I will help." Ryuuzaki looked almost happy, "And yes, we will go to prison, under article one-seven-seven of the EU bylaws, for a life-sentence if we are caught."
Xiao fell silent. He was just playing her now, trying to make her run or pull something suicidal. Instead, she breathed slowly, "I'm in need of money, that's true... so what will you help me with?"
"Finding a way to hack into the Pentagon, of course. I also graduated from MIT, you see, just two years after you did." Ryuuzaki stated simply. She could see his heart giggling in glee, while her inside lurched upside down and moaned in desperation. MIT, yeah, right. What about School for Lying Detectives? Fuck the guy. Double, triple fuck the fucking fuck-tard.
Xiao had never been a "good" child by any standard. She had always taken it to be her natural-born destiny to torture the living shit out of adults, governments, and anything that desired to put a hold on her. The only reason she kept at it was because she was never caught-was always close to, because she had let them be close. But now it was a different story.
Xiaoxiao was twenty years old, and it was the first time she had been owned like a rightful pup.
But then, for a split second, it came to her.
For all this while, nothing had been said. Not even a hint had been given as to what they really were.
Maybe she was just being paranoid, like a post-menstrual bag of wrinkles with a bitterly untouched va-jay-jay.
In which case...
She gazed at the old man, and at the unsmiling face before her. Adrenaline sped down her body, leaving her to twitch in happiness. She still had time. They had no evidence, no grab on her of anything. Sure, they were detectives and they knew it was her-or suspected it was her-but they've got no hold on her. She was still free like the wind. She could beat them still, and that would be the best thing that would have ever, ever happened to her.
"Okay." She scribbled some illegible thing on the signature line and handed the file back without reading the small-font.
"Five-thousand in cash, as promised." Owl-face handed her a wade of bills and she accepted ungraciously, pocketing it in her hoodie, "Thanks."
He looked disappointed, for some reason. Perhaps that she didn't count it. But it was too late to take it back out and count.
"I'll walk you to the door." She mumbled, standing up quickly. The two were gone in less than a minute.
When the door was closed and she watched their car back out of the parking lot, she took out a silver-detector, some crappy old thing that Leila used to believe in, and went lurking around the apartment. Particularly around where Ryuuzaki crouched, and where the old geezer stood.
When the broken old thing went beeping like a crazy-maniac on steroids, the first thing that came to Xiao's mind was "Welcome to the twenty-first century. The new thing to put in hidden cameras is copper... how do they plan to catch me with century-old, first-James-Bond-edition cameras?"
The fact that this was solid evidence that she was a suspect-a very much suspected one at that-only came as an afterthought.
But then it made no sense. Detectives sensible enough to figure out, somehow, that she was the culprit behind the Pentagon-hackings must have had better technology. And even if they didn't, they would be smart enough to not leave the obvious behind.
Why did they use this type on purpose? Did they wish to be found?
After dislodging the camera, she took out the paper bills and flipped through them. Nothing spectacular. It was all real print, except...
She noticed the message on the rubber band that held it together and grinned like a maniac.
"Justice to Hacks. Game one-love. Team Gummy&Bear wins. Watch next move."
She sat down, toying slowly with the rubber-band before pulling a phone-book from underneath the kitchen sink. At first she flipped it open to the TOUR ASIAN AT LOW PRICES! pages, but changed her mind and began flipping towards the front of the tome.
L couldn't help but smile when he noticed the camera view shift once on his laptop screen and stop. Watari had put the camera beneath a table corner, and tables simply don't shift and stop in such a way.
He put it there specifically so that any movement from the lens must be on purpose. Therefore, she must have seen his camera, but knew that if she unplugged it, then she was admitting that-
Yet, suddenly, the screen went blank. She did unplug it. Was she bragging about knowing that he knew that she was Pentagon Hacker?
Such subtlety, L commented with little wit.
L's face dropped for a split second—finally realizing the purpose of her clumsily obvious maneuver—before he fed the tip of a thumb into his mouth, "Watari, are we on good terms with the London police?"
"Why, L?" The old man looked through the mirror and didn't wait for an answer when his phone rang.
L listened despondently. It didn't feel much different to him than listening to a battle ultimatum from a competitor who knew she was going to win and wasn't going to be merciful about it.
Except, of course, L knew that he was going to win it.
"Hello, Watari speaking... Yes Officer Harris... Yes, we will be there in a minute... Yes, we know she found the camera...Yes, we realize this could be violation of the law and her privacy and will uncover us, but it was an accident... Yes, we will be there right away… No, we did not intend for her to find the camera…Yes, alright, we will be there in a moment."
Watari declared as he threw the phone down, "She found the camera and submitted us-"
L knew already. "She is on offense."
Silence diffused throughout the car for a few seconds.
And then Watari jumped.
It was the first time in a while that he had heard a chuckle from L. It was slightly disorienting, but equally disturbing. It wasn't difficult to tell that L wanted to catch Xiaoxiao Liang just as much as he wanted to dangle her around and play with her.