72: Chapter 72 The "Silence" of the Global Internet
'Hidden Dragon' Base, Cyber Security Command Center.
As the last attack source point marked by 'system' was locked, a cold light flashed in Su Xiaowan's eyes, and she pressed the virtual button symbolizing the final counterattack. This was not a traditional cyber confrontation; it was a dimensional reduction execution based on absolute computing power advantage and unidirectional information transparency.
The command was instantaneously transmitted through the 'Mozi Network' to special nodes that had long been on standby.
The next second.
Pretty Country, Maryland, Fort Meade—the underground bunker of the National Cyber Security Command Headquarters.
The commander was roaring into his communicator, trying to save the attack nodes that were constantly 'losing connection.' Suddenly, all the screens in front of him were simultaneously covered in blinding red, and a line of cold white text forcibly popped up on all terminals:
[Warning: Illegal cyber aggression against a sovereign state detected. In accordance with the 'United Nations Code of Conduct for Cyberspace (Draft)' and the principle of self-defense, countermeasures have been implemented.]
Before he could react, the lights in the entire command center suddenly went out, followed by the activation of emergency power. However, all computer equipment, from servers to personal terminals, displayed blue or black screens, and a burnt smell wafted from the cases—the internal precision circuits had been incinerated by a powerful directed electromagnetic pulse (reverse-triggered through specific network vulnerabilities to activate physical hardware self-destruct mechanisms)!
'No—!' The commander's roar was drowned out by the crackling sound of the scrapped equipment.
This was only the beginning.
Almost at the same time:
The internal operational command network of The Pentagon suffered a massive crash.
The Wall Street New York Stock Exchange trading system completely collapsed, with all data wiped to zero.
Multiple large-scale internet data centers located in California and Virginia saw their server clusters go offline collectively.
Even internet root server mirror nodes located in several key positions around the globe were subjected to precise, non-destructive 'logical freezing,' rendering them temporarily unable to respond to domain name resolution requests from certain regions.
Paralysis spread like a plague. From the East Coast to the West Coast, key military, financial, and communication nodes in the Pretty Country mainland encountered an unprecedented cyber counterattack of horrifying precision. Not just official institutions, but civilian networks were also heavily affected—social media platforms could not be logged into, online payment systems halted, and countless corporate websites became inaccessible...
It was as if an invisible giant hand had gently pressed the 'mute button' on the internet world of the Pretty Country.
On the global internet traffic monitor, the massive cluster of light representing the Pretty Country region dimmed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaving behind large 'voids.' Other countries and regions dependent on Pretty Country servers and root nodes also experienced widespread network delays, interruptions, and access difficulties.
The global internet experienced its most extensive and thorough 'silence' since its inception!
Europa, Neon, Goryeo... the cyber security centers of all countries sounded their highest alarms. Technicians stared dumbfounded at the abrupt, massive 'dark zones' on their monitoring screens, completely unable to comprehend what had happened.
'It's the Dragon Kingdom! It must be the Dragon Kingdom!' Someone quick-witted immediately realized the truth, their voice filled with terror. 'How... how did they do it?!'
This was simply not an effect that could be achieved by a conventional cyber attack! It was more like... a shaking of the very foundation of the entire network!
Dragon Kingdom, Capital City, Supreme Command Headquarters.
The elders watched the real-time reports of the massive paralysis of the Pretty Country's network with calm expressions.
'This is just a warning,' an elder spoke slowly. 'Tell them, and tell the world, that the new rules will be set by us.'
Inside the 'Hidden Dragon' base, Su Xiaowan looked at the glaring 'silent zone' on the global traffic map and breathed a long sigh of relief. She felt no joy of victory, only the coldness of having completed a mission.
She connected to the quantum communication with the 'Torch Dragon' safe house:
'Engineer Lin, the "cleanup" operation is complete. The target's network hub functions have been temporarily stripped.'
Inside the safe house, Lin Mo looked at the sporadic reports of global network anomalies beginning to appear on the external news, his expression indifferent.
He responded softly into the quantum terminal, as if stating the simplest of facts:
'Understood. When insects get used to making noise in the sunlight, a brief period of darkness will teach them to be quiet.'
He put down the terminal and turned his gaze once more toward the vast star map.