The Creators: From Night City

The cellular structure has outstanding performance in preventing network hacking, protecting data security, isolating and removing viruses, and maintaining and repairing equipment.

Although it is not the most secure, it is indeed the most cost-effective and easy to implement.

However, this did not affect Lucy's plan. Her goal from the beginning was not to hack into the office building's security network from here. She just wanted to get the factory's architectural layout and power distribution map.

These can be roughly calculated through previous data records in the security host, or some less sophisticated forces simply have relevant blueprint backups in the host.

"found it."

Lucy unplugged the cable, helped the unconscious security guard onto a chair, and pretended he was sleeping.

The simple disguise was enough to fool anyone passing by the door, and this sleep was enough for the two of them to finish their work. Lucy also checked the schedule to ensure that no one would come to disturb his sweet dreams today.

After doing all this, Lucy led David to the power supply room not far away.

Under David's puzzled gaze, the young hacker easily found the interface of the smart transformer, uploaded a puppet he had accidentally copied from cyberspace into it, and pulled David back the same way and climbed out of the factory.

David watched Lucy busying around on a rooftop communications base station. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Lucy, aren't we supposed to break into the computer room and retrieve data from the server? Why are we digging back out when we've already gone in?"

Lucy plugged the prosthetic connection cable into the communication base station, while her right hand was busy on the operating panel.

"The data in the server is the lifeblood of a company. This is true for any company. The security of the computer room is often the strongest point in the entire company."

"If we want to sneak in without alerting anyone, given our current situation, with no intelligence, no support, and no equipment, our hope is slim."

Lucy unplugged the cable and motioned for David to plug in his own.

David did as he was told.

"So what are we doing now?"

Lucy began to move her fingers rapidly on the operation panel of the communication base station again.

"I just hacked into the network router through the security room's network and found the server model used by East Construction Company."

Lucy smiled, feeling confident. "As expected, it's using equipment from Jianshili Technology, a mid-range Enterprise Master V server."

"Their products are indeed very cost-effective and suitable for small and medium-sized companies. However, a hacker previously disclosed on the Deep Dive forum that this model of server has a vulnerability in the surge protection system, and the company has never recalled this model of product."

David instantly caught up with the other party's train of thought.

"The puppet from the smart transformer?"

"That's right. That golem will control the intelligent transformer, creating voltage fluctuations and releasing a specific power surge. This power surge will spread to all equipment in the entire power system."

David's eyes lit up.

Lucy completed the final work and signaled David to pull out the prosthetic connection cable.

"The power surge was very weak and did not affect any equipment, except for the 'Enterprise Master' Model V server."

"It would cause it to crash, not seriously, but just enough to activate the repair process."

As mentioned earlier, social engineering plays a large role in the field of hacking. Lucy taught David, who failed to graduate from Arasaka, a good lesson through words and deeds.

Social universities are also universities.

"So we're here to monitor their communications with the maintenance personnel from Jianshili Technology Company, then ambush them halfway and sneak into the computer room disguised as company dogs?"

David has been with Jiang Bing for so long that he has picked up some of his banditry.

"No need to go through so much trouble." Lucy's lavender artificial eye rolled up slightly.

"Attacking the company's dogs can easily lead to complications. I've checked. All communications in this area are routed through this communication base station. I've set up an interception network. From now on, all calls to Jianshili Technology Company will be intercepted."

The two of them kept calling themselves company dogs, completely forgetting that they had now become members of the glorious army of company dogs.

Looking at David who suddenly realized what he had heard, Lucy added another sentence.

"Then it's on to you."

What follows is a boring waiting time.

Fortunately, both of them were not lacking in patience, and the communication base station was located on the rooftop of a four-story building, so there were basically no people coming here on weekdays.

On the empty rooftop, apart from the worn-out mattress and scattered packaging bags left by the homeless man who had lived here before, there were only David and Lucy.

There are many people in the base, and both of them have their own work on weekdays, so it is rare to have such quiet time alone.

Sitting on the edge of the rooftop, facing the sun, the two people's silhouettes were cast by the sunlight, and the distance between them became closer and closer, gradually overlapping.

………………

With the help of social engineering, the two were finally invited into the machine room in a sedan chair.

The technician in charge of managing the computer room is basically a half-baked one. His professional skills are limited to basic maintenance. On weekdays, he also has to work part-time as a guard, security guard, and cleaner. He wears multiple hats and works hard without complaint.

It is impossible for such a small company to employ a full-time hacker.

First, there is no need, and second, there is no funding.

The bosses have plenty of money, but it is their own. There is no spare money in the company's account, and the company does not keep idle people.

In fact, he was the one who made the repair calls secretly and privately, and did not go through the company's channels at all. He also secretly invited the two people in and specifically told them not to wear work clothes. He had no other choice but to do so because he was afraid of being held accountable.

This was exactly what the two of them wanted.

If the cost of restarting the server was not too high, the person in charge of the computer room, who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, would have prepared to restart it long ago.

In order to keep this relatively easy and well-paid job, he tried his best to suppress this unexpected disaster.

To do this, they are willing to trample on the company's system.

Although he had done this many times before.

Chapter 93 Terrible Speculations

Under his nose, Lucy easily found the information she wanted, and also copied a copy and sent it to David.

Lucy ran around in a serious manner, checking the hardware circuits, and only after doing all the work did she finally uninstall the puppet from the smart transformer.

The medicine cures the disease!

Even so, the computer room manager, who was afraid of being held accountable, secretly gave each of the two a bribe of 1,000 euros, hoping that they would erase the maintenance attendance record.

The two parties, each with their own ulterior motives, hit it off immediately and understood each other tacitly.

Lucy David got the information she wanted and some extra money. The person in charge of the computer room solved the problem and kept his job. Everyone has a bright future.

Even so, the other party still has to thank them.

The information Lucy obtained was very detailed, and the two of them found information about Kadar Garcia without much effort.

"The attendance record shows that he was fired three months ago for being absent from work for a long time."

David rummaged through the documents Lucy packed, looking for clues.

"It's only a few days since the boss discovered Hailey, so the timing basically matches up."

"David, look at this."

Lucy's eyes lit up and she sent David some information.

This is a shift schedule from four months ago.

“Such a heavy workload?!”

David was very surprised. According to the workload on the schedule, the front-line workers including Kadar Garcia had to work 16 hours a day without sleep to meet the requirements.

Lucy also sent David a financial statement from the same period as the shift schedule and the business risk assessment at that time.

David put the two together, analyzed them simply with his smart mind that had been admitted to Arasaka Academy, and quickly came to a conclusion.

"The financial statements showed that the company was in a poor financial position at that stage, especially in the engineering department. There weren't many projects requiring manpower, and East Construction wanted to lay off redundant front-line workers and adjust and restructure its business."

No matter how chaotic Night City is, as a modern metropolis, it has a mature legal system. Companies that fire employees are required to pay corresponding compensation according to relevant laws.

"These bloodsuckers, in order to save on redundancy compensation, deliberately increased the workload to an unbearable level, forcing them to resign voluntarily."

"These beasts."

David was a rookie and still full of passion. He had thought these capitalists were inhumane, but he didn't expect them to be so inhumane.

Lucy, who had traveled around the world, was already accustomed to this magical scene. She sent David another schedule, this time from three and a half months ago.

"Who is this?" David saw Kadar Garcia's name at a glance on the schedule with many fewer names.

Lucy seemed to be moved by the scene, and there was a hint of barely perceptible sadness in her expression.

“He held up.”

Faced with the company's unreasonable difficulties, Kadar Garcia did not choose to resign, but gritted his teeth and persevered. After all, he still had a younger sister to support.

"It's not just him. Many other workers have persevered in order to avoid losing their jobs."

"Then why did he disappear later?"

David frowned.

The answer must be hidden in the complex information.

As a professional hacker, Lucy's prosthetic body's data processing capabilities are far superior to David's. After a while, she found clues in the vast amount of information.

As usual, pass it to David immediately.

This is an internal company announcement.

To all frontline staff of Engineering Department 1:

In order to commend the recent rapid improvement in per capita efficiency, care for the health of employees, and enable everyone to work without worries, the board of directors has decided that the company will purchase immunosuppressants from biotechnology companies and distribute them to all front-line engineering employees at cost price, so as to ensure everyone's physical and mental health and ensure that the project proceeds smoothly on time.

Note: The relevant fees will be deducted directly from the salary of the corresponding month.

Engineering Department Manager

Tom Selvig

Workers engaged in heavy physical labor need to install corresponding engineering prostheses. In addition, the pressure on the body and prostheses caused by long-term heavy physical labor requires all workers to inject immunosuppressants on time, otherwise the risk of developing cyberpsychosis will increase.

This can also be regarded as an occupational disease in the cyber age.

The company purchases and distributes them uniformly to employees at cost price, which seems to be a policy that benefits the workers.

"Something is wrong." Since Lucy sent this announcement to him, David naturally knew that there must be a problem.

"Time." Lucy's eyes were full of suspicion, "and this announcement is really too abrupt."

Lucy gave David a health information form of the entire company's grassroots employees.

"Before this, there had been no cases of workers suddenly falling ill. Why would the board of directors suddenly issue such an order for no apparent reason?"

"Furthermore, not long after this announcement was made, Kadar Garcia was fired for absenteeism, along with several other similar workers."

Lucy sent David another attendance sheet, which was from a week after Kadar Garcia disappeared. The number of employees had decreased a lot, just reaching the approximate number that the company expected after layoffs.

Looking at the information, David came to a terrible guess.

"Lucy, do you think after these workers deduct the money for these inhibitors, the remaining salary will be enough for them to buy more inhibitors?"

Lucy already had some guesses in her mind and quickly pulled up the financial expenditure statement.

"Others don't know, but Kadar Garcia is basically unlikely."

"Do you suspect there's something wrong with the inhibitor?"

David looked at Lucy. "Words aren't enough, but someone must know something."

"Tom Selvig, Kadar Garcia's supervisor, is the one who issued the announcement. I believe he can provide us with some accurate information."

It wasn't hard to find him, as Lucy had almost all of his identity information and shift schedule.

If she wanted to check, it wouldn't take much effort. Lucy could find out exactly where he ordered sex dolls and how much money he spent.

However, there was no need for this for the time being. The hacker girl simply checked the recent schedule and confirmed that he was on duty at a construction site east of Coronado Farm. Then the two of them left and headed straight for their destination.

The business of East Construction Company is not complicated. Apart from selling its own products, it subcontracts orders that have been missed by some large companies, or takes on some small projects that are not very profitable.

Tom Selvig's construction site is the latter.

The client bought a warehouse that had been abandoned for a long time and placed an order with their company to renovate and repair the damaged walls, clean up the garbage inside, and finally reinforce the main structure of the building to prevent it from collapsing suddenly one day.

This kind of warehouse close to the Badlands is basically filled with smuggled stolen goods, and this warehouse will most likely be used for this purpose.

Chapter 94: Badass Oxen and Horses