661: Chapter 656 You want to lure the snake out of its hole?

Half a year ago, the largest casino in Hong Kong City, the 'Royal Casino,' which boasted the world's most top-tier security system, was beaten by someone who guessed the outcome of eighteen consecutive electronic dice rolls using an unbreakable method, walking away with three hundred million US dollars.

The casino still hasn't found any trace of cheating to this day.

Three completely unrelated incidents.

They occurred at different times and in different locations.

The only commonality was that they were all classified as 'accidents.'

"It wasn't an accident."

A light flashed in Shen Yan's eyes.

"This was done by the same person."

Chen Guangke froze.

"You mean this person is Su Mei?"

"That's right."

Shen Yan stood up.

"Although she erased all her identity information, she hasn't stopped operating."

"A top-tier trader, a top-tier hacker, a top-tier actuary."

"The three identities point to the same capability."

"Ultra-high-dimensional data modeling and prediction."

"She treats the entire world as her laboratory."

Chen Guangke felt his scalp tingle.

"Then how do we find her? The clues for all three incidents have run dry."

"No, the clues haven't run dry."

A curve appeared at the corner of Shen Yan's mouth.

"She left a signature."

"In every operation, she used a unique algorithm. This algorithm is like her handwriting—impossible to imitate."

Shen Yan immediately reported this discovery to the 'Soul Hunt' team.

The entire team instantly felt energized.

They were no longer fishing in the ocean but had a clear target to track.

Over the next seven days.

All the computing power of the 'Soul Hunt' team was focused on analyzing the underlying data of those three incidents.

They stripped out that ghostly algorithmic model from the massive transaction records of the financial market.

They captured the same information fingerprint from the data streams before and after the satellite lost contact.

They even managed to obtain the core code of the electronic dice machine through their contacts at the casino.

The three data models placed together.

They matched perfectly.

"Found it!"

A young white man wearing glasses jumped up from his chair excitedly.

"The last appearance of this algorithm was three days ago!"

"It infiltrated the central control system of the Hong Kong City transportation hub and modified the switching time of one traffic light, just to allow an armored car to avoid a non-existent traffic jam."

Everyone crowded over, staring at the data stream on the screen.

"Track its physical path!" Shen Yan ordered.

"No way, Boss!" The technical supervisor's face was grim. "The opponent's anti-tracking capability is too strong; all paths lead to zombie networks across the globe. If we force a track, we will be discovered immediately."

"She set up a data maze."

"The moment we enter, she will disappear through another exit."

Just then, Shen Yan's phone vibrated softly once again.

He glanced at it.

【Random Mission Triggered】

【Mission Name: Ghost Maze】

【Mission Description: The top hunter often appears in the form of prey. The data maze 'City of No Light' set up by Su Mei is her strongest defense, but also her most vulnerable soft spot.】

【Mission Requirement: Inject an indelible coordinate beacon into the 'City of No Light' without being detected.】

【Mission Reward: Intelligence on the 'Hermes' Superluminal Network Protocol (Beginner Version) * 1】

Shen Yan's gaze fell on the words 'indelible coordinate beacon.'

He understood.

He couldn't attack directly; he could only use strategy.

He walked over to the technical supervisor.

"Stop tracking."

"What?" Everyone was stunned.

"We aren't catching her."

Shen Yan's voice was calm.

"We are sending her a 'gift.'"

"Prepare a data packet. Put all the public information about our Spark Laboratory, Professor Fang Zhizhuo's return video, and the concept model for the 'Tidal Eye' project inside."

"Use the highest level of encryption."

"Then, 'accidentally' leak it out."

The technical supervisor immediately understood Shen Yan's intention.

"Boss, are you trying to lure the snake out of its hole?"

"No."

Shen Yan shook his head.

"I want to tell her."

"Home is ready. We are waiting for her to come back.'"

This plan was almost insane.

If it failed, they would not only completely lose the clue to Su Mei but also expose the top secrets of Spark Laboratory to unknown risks.

But what Shen Yan was betting on was the shared ideal from fifteen years ago.

It was the ember that was equally frozen but had never been extinguished.

The data packet was soon prepared.

It was disguised as a regular business email and sent to a long-abandoned server.

Then, the 'Soul Hunt' team began to wait quietly.

Like a hunter holding its breath in the darkness.

One hour.

Two hours.

A day passed.

The data packet lay there quietly, untouched.

The atmosphere in the team began to become anxious.

Chen Guangke also started to lose patience.

"Yan Zi, what if she never noticed it?"

Shen Yan didn't speak, just stared at the screen.

It was only at three in the morning the next day.

That data packet was suddenly activated.

A faint data stream, like a cautious venomous snake, silently touched it once and then instantly retreated.

"She took the bait!" The technical supervisor roared.

"Don't move!" Shen Yan immediately stopped him. "Let her look."

That data stream circled the outer perimeter of the maze for a long time. After confirming there were no traps, it approached a second time and dragged the entire data packet into the depths of the 'City of No Light.'

"Now!"

Shen Yan gave the order.

The coordinate beacon, already prepared, was attached to the underlying protocol of the data packet, quietly drifting into that data maze like a dandelion seed.

At almost the same time.

The notification sound on Shen Yan's phone rang.

【Coordinate Beacon Injection Successful】

【Analyzing 'City of No Light' Physical Node...】

【Analysis Successful】

A clear address appeared on Shen Yan's phone screen.

【Yun Province, Teng City, Hexun Ancient Town, Qingfeng Study】

Chen Guangke leaned over to take a look and was completely dumbfounded.

"A... a study?"

He had imagined any place Su Mei might be hiding: a military base, an underground bunker, a data center...

He never thought it would be such a quiet, peaceful place filled with scholarly atmosphere.

The great one hides in the city.

The next day, Shen Yan boarded a plane to Yun Province alone.

Hexun Ancient Town was misty with drizzle.

The bluestone slab road was shining slickly, washed by the rain.

Shen Yan, holding a black umbrella, followed the address and found the 'Qingfeng Study.'

The study was not large and very quiet; the air was filled with the mixed aroma of old books and tea.

A woman wearing a simple linen dress was sitting by the window.