72: Chapter 72 When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted

Northrop Headquarters · Security Command Center

"The losses at the Southeast Warehouse require an explanation from the company."

James Howard's voice came through the video conferencing system, his cold, electronic tone echoing in the command center. This Northrop CEO rarely intervened directly in "Cleaning Operations," but the casualties of nine PMC members had clearly touched a sensitive nerve for the board of directors.

Montero stood before the giant screen, her spine straight: "The target is more difficult to deal with than anticipated. He has practical combat reflexes and may have received irregular training."

"An eighteen-year-old high school student—where would he get training?" On Howard's screen, he was flipping through documents. "Have his parents' social connections been checked? Any military background?"

"Su Mingzhe and Lin Wei are both researchers; there is no direct military connection." Montero pulled up the files. "But there is one detail—Alex's maternal grandfather served in a special engineering unit in the East and was an engineering instructor before retiring. If the old man taught his grandson some…"

"Some what? How to shoot accurately through smoke?" Howard cut her off, his voice suppressing anger. "I don't want guesses; I want solutions. There are 69 hours left on the countdown for Phase Two. If we let him pull off that 'War Concert' on Saturday, we will transform from 'victims' into 'villains.'"

In the conference room, Security Supervisor Carlson cleared his throat: "We have analyzed his behavioral patterns. Every time he encounters an attack, his reaction speed improves. This aligns with 'potential release triggered by post-traumatic stress'—people unlock certain instincts when on the edge of life and death."

"Instinct?" Howard sneered. "Instinct doesn't allow someone to accurately locate six gunmen in thick smoke and specifically hit non-lethal areas. This looks more like… someone with professional training deliberately masking their strength."

Montero's eyes sharpened: "Are you saying he has been hiding it all along?"

"Check all his public videos from the past three months." Howard instructed. "Especially those 'viral shorts.' A person capable of filming special effects at the level of 'City Dreams' could absolutely do it if they really wanted to hide their combat capabilities."

Technical staff quickly pulled up Alex's YouTube channel. dancing sculpture, City Dreams, Truth and Courage series… the video quality was improving at a visible rate.

"Look here." A technician froze on a segment of City Dreams. "The stability of this time-lapse requires professional-grade gimbals and post-production stabilization. Yet he only used handheld equipment. And this light and shadow composition—"

"It shows he is skilled in technology, but not necessarily skilled in combat," Montero said.

"People who are skilled in technology can learn many things quickly if given the right guidance." Howard closed the file. "But discussing this is meaningless now. I want results for Saturday night. That 'War Concert' cannot succeed."

Montero nodded: "We are proceeding on three fronts. First, on the legal level, we will hold a press conference at 4:00 PM to file a 50 million dollar lawsuit; second, on the commercial level, we will cut off all his equipment supply channels; third, on the site level, we will arrange interference teams and 'spontaneous protesters.'"

"Not enough," Howard said. "I received news that Taylor Swift's team is urgently adjusting their tour schedule. If she really stands on stage and sings with him, things will get complicated. That girl has too many young fans; the crowd she can mobilize is far beyond expectations."

"We could dig up dirt on her—"

"There's no time." Howard shook his head. "I want you to do one thing: infiltrate their communications."

The conference room went quiet.

"We intercepted that Alex has a mysterious technical support party, codenamed 'D' or 'Decoder'." Howard pulled up a signal analysis report. "Over the past three weeks, there have been seven encrypted communications between them. Our technicians have partially cracked the encryption protocol—not completely, but enough to spoof their identity and send misleading information."

Montero's eyes lit up: "You mean…"

"Use the name of 'Organization D' to set a trap for him." Howard said. "Isn't he going to the 'Delta Warehouse' to pick up equipment? Have 'Organization D' tell him there is an ambush there and suggest he use the 'backup plan'—a trap we have prepared."

"Will he believe it?"

"If he has successfully collaborated with Organization D many times before, he will be inclined to believe it." Howard smiled. "Especially when 'Organization D' can state technical details that only they would know."

The plan was quickly formulated:

1. Spoof Organization D's encrypted channel and send a warning to Alex: "Delta Warehouse is exposed; Northrop has set an ambush. Suggest enabling the backup plan: Warehouse No. 14 in the North City Industrial Zone, equipment has been transferred there, secure access available."

2. Set up a double trap at Warehouse No. 14—outwardly, it will appear to be complete audio-visual equipment, but in reality, all equipment will have embedded trackers and remote self-destruct mechanisms. Once used, it will either expose his location or malfunction at a critical moment.

3. Simultaneously monitor the Delta Warehouse; if Alex still goes there, it means he saw through the spoof, and we will launch an assault.

4. Regardless of which warehouse he goes to, it will consume time, manpower, and vigilance, gaining us an advantage for the full suppression on Saturday.

"Remember," Howard said in closing, "our goal is not to kill him before Saturday—that would be too obvious. The goal is to ensure that when he stands on that stage on Saturday, he is physically and mentally exhausted, facing equipment failure, and isolated without help. Then, when his 'Truth Show' turns into a technical disaster, we will amplify the ridicule through the media."

The video conference ended.

Montero turned to the team: "Execute it. I want Alex Su to personally experience what 'systemic despair' is on Saturday night."

---

Farm Villa · Underground Safe House

"There is an ambush at the Delta Warehouse."

Rex put down the encryption device, his face grave: "Organization D just sent a warning saying that Northrop has already set up surveillance. They suggest we switch to the backup plan—Warehouse No. 14 in the North City Industrial Zone, the equipment has been transferred there."

Alex did not respond immediately. He stood before the whiteboard, his Spider-Sense delivering a vague sting—not clear danger, but a feeling of… being led.

"This is a bit too coincidental," Hank said. "We just decided to go to Delta, and Organization D sends a warning?"

"It might be real," Marcus interjected. "Front Row Audience said before that Northrop is infiltrating all channels."

Alex pulled up the system interface.

[Current Popularity: 4,620,000 points]

[Spider-Sense (Intermediate) Evolution Progress: 91%]

[List of Redeemed Abilities: … Information Tracing (Advanced), Information Chain Vision (Fragment) …]

"System, can you enhance Information Tracing to analyze the authenticity of this message?"

[System Response: Information Tracing (Advanced) can trace the information transmission path, but it requires comparison with historical communication patterns. Seven historical communication records with Organization D detected. Perform pattern matching analysis?]

"Analyze."

Data streams unfolded in his consciousness. Alex "saw" the encryption characteristics, phrasing habits, and response times of the seven communications… then compared them with the warning he had just received.

[Analysis Results:]

[1. Encryption protocol match: 97% (highly similar, but with subtle differences)]

[2. Phrasing pattern match: 82% (Key difference: historical communications never used the phrasing 'suggest enabling the backup plan')]

[3. Response time anomaly: This communication replied 3 minutes after the inquiry; the historical average response time is 11 minutes]

[Conclusion: Suspected spoof, 73% probability]

There was a 70% chance it was a trap.

But there was still a 30% chance it was real—what if Organization D really did move the equipment in an emergency?

"We need to verify," Alex said. "Rex, you go to the Delta Warehouse as planned, but only do remote reconnaissance. Use drones and long-range equipment; do not get within one kilometer. Hank, you take another team to Warehouse No. 14 in the North City, also observe remotely."

"What if there are ambushes at both?"

"Then it means both are traps, and the equipment is not in any warehouse at all." Alex's eyes turned cold. "But if that's the case, Northrop has exposed another piece of information—"

He pulled up the Nashville map: "They can accurately know that we need equipment, know the warehouse locations we might go to, and even spoof Organization D's communications. This means they are monitoring us, or… have infiltrated a link in Organization D."

Marcus gasped: "Then is the technical support for Saturday still reliable?"

"That is also what we need to verify." Alex pulled up the encryption device. "I need to send a verification message to Organization D that only they would understand."

He typed: "What is the third parameter of Project Prism?"

This was a technical detail of the "Scan Truth" AR project, which only he and the core technicians of Organization D knew.

Three minutes later, a reply came: "The third parameter is the motion blur threshold, set to 0.34, corresponding to the GPU performance of mainstream mobile phones in 2011."

Correct.

But Alex did not relax. He asked again: "When we first communicated, what was the codename of the first solution you provided?"

This time he waited seven minutes: "Sorry, communication interference. The first solution codename was 'Echo', a content distribution strategy optimized for the YouTube algorithm."

Incorrect.

The first solution codename was "Prism", not "Echo".

Alex turned off the device and looked at the team: "Communications have been infiltrated. There are at least two channels spoofing Organization D—one that knows technical details and one that doesn't. The real Organization D might still be there, but our communication link has been compromised."

"Then what about technical support?" Marcus said anxiously. "Without AR and anti-jamming live streaming, the concert on Saturday will just be street shouting!"

Alex walked to the whiteboard and began to re-plan.

First: The equipment issue.

If the warehouses are all traps, they need to look for equipment elsewhere. Taylor's tour backup equipment is the last resort, but if it is used, Northrop will immediately know Taylor is deeply involved and might target her.

Second: Technical support.

Organization D's communications have been compromised, but their technical plan might still be viable—as long as they can obtain the original technical parameters and deploy it themselves.

Third: Content production.

This is the only aspect that remains unaffected. He still has time to refine the speech, AR content, and interactive flow.

"System," he asked in his consciousness, "I need to integrate my existing creative capabilities to provide optimal content production support for Saturday's event. Are my current capabilities sufficient?"

[Capability Analysis:]

[Existing Creative Capabilities: Video Editing Mastery, Content Trend Prediction, Efficient Content Creation, Emotional Resonance Field (Elementary), Augmented Reality Content Generation (Elementary)]

[Missing Key Capability: Multi-threaded Content Parallel Processing (The ability to manage speech, AR, music, and interaction simultaneously)]

[Recommended Redemption: Mental Multi-core Processing (Elementary) - 300,000 points, capable of handling three complex creative tasks simultaneously]

[After redemption, this can be fused into a new capability: [Omnimedia Director Vision (Elementary)]]

300,000 points, acceptable.

"Redeem."

[Redemption Successful! Consumed 300,000 Popularity points.]

[Remaining Popularity: 4,320,000 points]

[Capability Fusing...]

[Acquired New Capability: [Omnimedia Director Vision (Elementary)]]

[Effect: Can simultaneously plan the emotional curve of the speech content, rhythm matching for AR visuals, emotional buildup of the music, and climax points for audience interaction, while adjusting the synergy of all four in real-time. Creative efficiency increased by 500%.]

The "console" in his mind had upgraded. Now, he could not only see the optimal expression for a single thread, but also how multiple threads intertwined into a complete emotional network.

"I have an idea for the equipment problem." Alex turned around. "We won't rent large equipment; we'll 'borrow' it."

"Borrow from whom?"

"From everyone." Alex pulled up the map of Nashville. "Around Centennial Park, there are three universities, twelve high schools, twenty-seven churches, and countless community centers. Every place has sound equipment—maybe not professional, but good enough."

He quickly wrote the plan on the whiteboard:

"Distributed Sound Network" Plan

1. Create an open-source initiative: "Voice for Truth—Lend Me Your Speaker."

2. Any individual or organization with portable speakers, amplifiers, or even car audio systems can bring them to designated spots around the park on Saturday afternoon.

3. We will provide a unified audio signal transmitter to make all devices play in sync.

4. Participants' names will appear in the concert's thank-you list and be mentioned in the subsequent documentary.

"That's too scattered; the sound quality will be chaotic." Rex frowned.

"That 'chaos' is exactly what we want." Alex said. "This isn't a professional concert; it's a civic gathering. When hundreds of speakers of different sound qualities play the same speech simultaneously, that raw, authentic, grassroots texture is more powerful than any professional sound system."

Marcus's eyes lit up: "And Northrop can't block it—they can stop commercial rental companies, but they can't stop thousands of citizens from bringing their own equipment."

"Exactly." Alex continued. "The projection problem is the same. We won't rent large projectors; we'll mobilize the citizens—whoever has a home projector, whoever has a high-lumen flashlight and transparencies, whoever has a tablet that can screen-cast... bring them all. We will provide white screens on the park's outer walls, and all devices will project simultaneously, creating a collage-like visual effect."

Hank pondered: "This requires strong organization and coordination."

"That's why we start today." Alex assigned tasks. "Marcus, create the initiative page and publish it through Taylor's fan groups, my YouTube channel, and all social media. Rex, design the equipment registration and spot allocation system. Hank, be responsible for on-site equipment reception and security."

"What about the AR technology? If Organization D isn't reliable..."

Alex pulled up the system interface. With the support of [Omnimedia Director Vision], the difficulty of AR content generation had decreased. He didn't need Organization D's full suite of solutions, just the core parameters.

"I can design the basic AR effects myself." He said. "They don't need to be complex, just a few key scenes: when Taylor sings 'Still Breathing,' ripples of breath appear on all phone screens; when I present the evidence, phone cameras point at the documents, and key passages will automatically highlight; when the whole crowd takes the oath, phone screens will display the oath text in sync."

"Is it technically feasible?"

"Current phone performance is limited, but it's enough for these basic overlays." Alex started typing on the keyboard. "The key is that the content design must be concise, powerful, and easy to spread."

Just then, Rex's reconnaissance team sent back a message.

"There is indeed an ambush at the Delta warehouse." Rex looked at the tablet. "Thermal imaging shows at least eight people lurking inside the warehouse and surrounding buildings. But there's no heat signature for large equipment—the warehouse is empty."

"What about Warehouse 14?"

"There's an ambush there too, a six-man team. But there are equipment heat signatures—twelve objects the size of speakers, four objects the size of projectors."

Alex sneered: "So they've prepared bait. If we go to Warehouse 14, we'll get equipment full of trackers; if we go to Delta, we'll encounter an ambush; if we go to neither, they'll assume we have no equipment."

"What do we do now?"

"We'll play them at their own game." Alex said. "Hank, take your people to the perimeter of Warehouse 14 and create some traces of a 'failed infiltration attempt'—leave footprints, tire tracks, discarded reconnaissance equipment. Let Northrop think we fell for it, but then alertly withdrew at the last moment."

"And then?"

"Then they'll think we really have no equipment on Saturday night." Alex smiled. "And by then, when hundreds of citizens' speakers play simultaneously, and their own phone screens turn into AR displays, their expressions will be priceless."

Countdown: 68 hours.

At the Northrop command center, Montero received the reconnaissance report.

"The target team appeared at the perimeter of Warehouse 14 but did not enter. They seemed alert, leaving behind reconnaissance traces before withdrawing."

"So they didn't get the equipment." Montero breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Notify the on-site team to maintain surveillance but do not pursue. Let them think they've had a narrow escape."

"What about the equipment for Saturday..."

"They have no equipment." Montero said confidently. "We are also monitoring Taylor's tour equipment storage; once it's used, we will immediately expose her relationship with Alex, dragging her into the whirlwind of public opinion as well. As for citizens bringing their own equipment?" She chuckled. "What decent thing can a rabble put together? By then, the sound will be chaotic and the visuals broken, which will just give the media a chance to mock it as an 'amateur farce'."

What she didn't know was that in the farmhouse villa, Alex was designing a system of "order within chaos."

He opened [Omnimedia Director Vision] and began to plan:

7:30 PM - Warm-up phase. Different speakers play different ambient sounds: some play city hustle and bustle, some play recordings from the NT-7 material laboratory, and some play interview clips of victims' families. Forming a stereo field.

8:00 PM - Taylor takes the stage. All speakers play music in unison, but retain slight differences in sound quality, creating a "choir-like" sense of layering.

8:45 PM - Evidence presentation. All phone ARs are synchronized, but with slight delays allowed, creating a "ripple diffusion" effect.

9:15 PM - Collective oath. All speakers mute for three seconds, then the sound of the oath rings out successively from different directions, like an Echo, like a relay.

This is not a professional performance.

This is a civic action that uses technical flaws themselves as artistic expression.

And Northrop is still evaluating the threat using the mindset of "professional equipment," "perfect sound quality," and "high-definition projection."

Countdown: 67 hours and 22 minutes.

Alex typed the final paragraph of the speech on his laptop:

"They think that without expensive equipment, there is no voice. They think that without perfect images, there is no truth. They think that only professionalism can counter professionalism."

"But everyone standing here today, the phones in your hands, the speakers you brought, the lights you hold up—this is professionalism. Because the essence of professionalism is not expensive equipment, but a steadfast heart."

"Tonight, let us use our imperfect voices to sing the perfect truth."

He saved the document and looked at the darkening sky outside the window.

The distance to the stage—or rather, to the battlefield—was getting closer.

On the other side of the city, Taylor was in the rehearsal room modifying the arrangement of "Still Breathing." In front of the piano, she softly hummed the newly added bridge:

"They closed the park gates, thinking they could lock in the sound... but the song will climb over the walls and take root in every street..."

An assistant pushed the door open: "Taylor, Universal Music just called and politely suggested that you 'reconsider your plans for Saturday'."

Taylor didn't stop playing: "Tell them my schedule was set long ago. Saturday at 8 PM, outside Centennial Park, I will start singing on time."

"They said... it might affect the release of your next album."

The piano music stopped for a moment.

Then it rang out even more firmly.

"Then change to another company." Taylor said. "Music should not be used to threaten the truth."

The countdown continued to tick.

67 hours and 01 minute.

The war had already begun, and the first shot would be fired amidst imperfect speakers, rough projections, and the chorus of thousands.