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“Last night, the CSF database was hacked and resources confirmed that all the data they had has been erased.” A TV reporter spoke on the TV while the CSF was in turmoil.

“Damn it. How did they get the news? What inside resources is she talking about?” A middle-aged man asked another middle-aged man who seemed to be standing with cold sweat flowing down his back.

“We are sure that the leak wasn’t from us, Major. Whoever did this must be from the outside.” Tae Song, a lieutenant in the CSF said.

“Must be?” The major, however, didn’t like that news, “So you’re saying you’re not sure where this came from? Where did that virus come from?! Where did this leak come from?!! Where did all this mess come from?!!!”

Tae Song closed his eyes, feeling a little threatened because the Major was unconsciously leaking his Qi which was too much for a Qi manifestation realm cultivator like Tae Song.

“We… We know where the virus came from. We just don’t have any proof to tie it to them.” Tae Song replied.

“Then get me proof!!!” The major yelled in return.

“Sh*t! Do we really not have anything?” Tae Song asked Rin and a man in glasses sitting next to her.

The man replied, no fear in his voice, “You have to understand, Lieutenant, this virus has been creeping into the system for three days. Unnoticed. And then it was also removed from everything. There’s no trace of it.”

“What do you mean?” Rin asked.

“Usually such a job is done in a hurry. It’s a get in and get out type of situation that doesn’t give you enough time to erase your traces. But this time, the hacker had a long time on his hands. They were granted access once the encryption was initiated which allowed them to mask their codes. After that, everything was done over a period of three days. All the algorithms were planted and all traces were erased.” The man in glasses explained.

“So what you’re saying is that they had plenty of time.” Tae Song understood the essence of the explanation.

“But why would they target the criminal database?” The man with glasses couldn’t understand. The criminal database was still available on the internet.

“Because they weren’t looking for anyone. They erased data that could help us recognize criminals. Fingerprints, blood work, and more. Anything that could help us recognize them is now gone.” Rin explained.

“And the archives they took have the data of our officers as well. Some of them wouldn’t want their lives to be exposed.” Tae Song explained.

Cultivation was a dangerous world. Someone who captured cultivators and put them behind bars wasn’t just some street cop. Their enemies were on a level that could wipe their families in a day, even before the news reached their ears.

So the background information of the CSF officials was concealed in case their loved ones were ever targeted as a form of revenge.

Now that data was out there and could be used against them. If that wasn’t enough, now they didn’t have records of major criminals. If they were to commit crimes anywhere, there would be no fingerprints in the system to identify them.

“Are you sure it was them?” Still, Tae Song had to be sure. One mistake and they would be going at odds with one of the strongest sects in the empire. Granted they were powerful as well, but even the emperor wouldn’t want a war between these two without probable cause.

Probable cause they didn’t have. They needed proof that it was indeed Wei Jun Ruan who stole their data. If they couldn’t, then they couldn’t pursue this matter no matter who they were.

“There is… one way,” Rin spoke, her hesitation apparent in her voice. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a good thing and if went wrong, it could horribly bite them in the back.

But…

“What more trouble can we get in.” Tae Song said before he heard Rin’s plan.

“If they leaked news, why don’t we leak one of our own?” Rin asked.

“Do it.” Tae Song had no choice but to approve it. They were in bigger trouble than one would think.

~~

“Are you saying you have confirmed this?” A reporter asked at the press conference held by the CSF.

“Yes. We have traced the location back to the Ruan Enterprises. Unfortunately, they have claimed they know nothing about it which is causing us some issues. But rest assured, we will soon deal with that issue as well.” Rin replied.

“What do you mean by that?” Another reporter asked.

“We have found out who the biker who has terrorized the city is,” Rin replied.

“You have?” The reporter asked.

“Yes. We have definite proof that the one to cause various incidents of attack and terrorism all over the city is none other than Wei Jun Ruan.” Rin replied calmly but her words brought anything but calm.

A storm. That was what those words caused.

Listening to those words, the sect master of the Thunder Cloud Tempest sect calmly told his attendant, “Set a meeting with the emperor.”

“Are you sure it would be all right?” The attendant asked. She couldn’t understand why the sect master would get involved with that issue. Cutting Wei Jun Ruan loose was much more safer and anyone, even his own grandfather would do that.

“The emperor wouldn’t let go of this chance to suppress us if he was in our spot. Why wouldn’t I do the same now that I stand to make the empire owe me one?” The sect master asked before he added, this time with a hint of authority that granted no debate, “Set up a meeting with the emperor.”

“Yes, sect master.” The attendant left after respectfully replying.

~~

When he listened to the fact that the CSF was after his family, Sun Ruan’s first instinct was to cut Wei Jun loose. Of course, Wei Jun was important and valuable but he wasn’t even close to being so important that he would risk his entire family.

“Let the authorities know that we’re willing to give up Wei Jun Ruan and cooperate with the investigation.” At Sun Ruan’s announcement, certainly no one was shocked.

They expected that. Hey expected Sun Ruan to be cold enough to forsake his own family.

“No!” Pei Ruan, Wei Jun’s mother, slammed her hands on top of the table and yelled loudly, “I will not do that to my son.”

“Don’t be foolish. This is for the sake of the family.” Sun Ruan calmly said.

“And what about the actual family? Are we all pawns that can be discarded to you?!” Pei Ruan asked while her husband tried to calm her down. It wasn’t wise to question Sun Ruan and yelling at him on top of that was even worse.

“Are you going against me?” Sun Ruan asked, his Qi unleashed on Pei Ruan who didn’t flinch under that pressure. Sure, Sun Ruan was a Qi master but she herself was also at the peak of the Qi manifestation realm now.

She wasn’t overly talented but she was enough to be known in the world. She was strong enough to resist that much pressure.

“I agree with Mother,” Before Pei Ruan could yell back, Lin Ruan spoke. Sun Ruan’s eyes squinted. It wasn’t long ago when they were all doing as he asked.

His daughter was one thing because her son was concerned, but he never expected Lin Ruan to take Wei Jun’s side.

That made him wonder what had that boy done to her.

“There will be no debate over this.” Sun Ruan said and stood up. But before Lin Ruan and Pei Ruan could once again raise their voices, Lao Chen hurriedly approached Sun Ruan and handed him a phone, “The sect master is on the line.”

Sun Ruan didn’t ask why. He hurriedly put the phone to his ear and said, “Good evening, esteem—“

However, before he could complete his greeting, the Sect Master interrupted him and said his piece. After he was done, he cut the call.

Sun Ruan, on the other hand, was left puzzled.

“What has that boy been doing?” Now it really made him wonder why Wei Jun was being so valued by the sect master that he was willing to take it out with the emperor himself.

“Forget about our earlier conversation.” Sun Ruan said before he left, leaving everyone puzzled.

~~

While all of that was happening, the person in question, the person who had caused so much of a mess, was currently locked in a battle of stares with a certain blue-eyed girl.

It made sense why she was angry. Her entire organization had been harmed and the hit they took was enormous. Not to mention the damage they would take once all that information became public.

However, contrary to what one might think, that wasn’t what she was angry about.

“What has she been doing in your room for so many days when I haven’t even spent a night in there?” Yan Rong asked.

Despite his unwavering eyes, Wei Jun involuntarily gulped and swallowed the reply, ‘You have been in my room. More than once, by breaking in.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep