Zhao Mengqi seemed like a different person at this moment; her previous humble, pleading, tear-streaked demeanor had vanished, replaced by an almost fanatical focus.
A strange light gleamed in her still-swollen eyes, as if she had found the only way to prove her worth.
"Master, rest assured, as long as he dares to contact me through that encrypted channel, I will definitely drag him out!"
As she spoke, her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out a dazzling stream of code.
On the screen, various windows and data streams refreshed like a rapidly flowing waterfall; an ordinary person would likely feel dizzy just looking at it.
Lu Xuan stood behind her, arms crossed, watching with interest.
This woman's accomplishments in the field of computer science were indeed impressive.
That confidence and professionalism, in stark contrast to her earlier subservient demeanor, even exuded a kind of morbid charm.
"Keyboard Goddess?" Lu Xuan's lips curled into a playful arc, his voice soft but clearly reaching Zhao Mengqi's ears, "I hope you, this 'Goddess,' don't disappoint me."
Zhao Mengqi's body trembled slightly, but her actions became even faster.
She knew this was her only chance, and her last redemption.
"The other side is very cunning, using several layers of jump servers, and the source IP seems to be overseas."
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhao Mengqi's forehead as she stared intently at the constantly changing data on the screen, "However, since he dared to contact me, he will definitely leave clues!"
Time passed minute by minute, and the office was left with only the crisp tapping of the keyboard and Zhao Mengqi's slightly hurried breathing.
Suddenly, Zhao Mengqi's eyes lit up, and she slammed the Enter key!
"Got it!" Her voice carried a hint of uncontrollable excitement and a desire for praise, "Master, I've intercepted his real IP from his last visit to my reserved backdoor through a hidden proxy! Although he encrypted it layer by layer, I still reverse-tracked him!"
On the screen, a progress bar loaded quickly and finally froze.
"Found it! Master, look!" Zhao Mengqi excitedly pointed at the final address parsed on the screen, her voice trembling slightly.
Lu Xuan leaned over to look, and when he saw that familiar place name, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his expression instantly became incredibly grim.
Ningqiu Province, Jinchuan City.
That was his hometown!
A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head; Lu Xuan felt as if all the blood in his body was about to freeze.
Since his rebirth, all his enemies and all the schemes had been concentrated in Yan Capital; he had never thought that the mastermind behind this would be thousands of miles away, and in his hometown at that!
Jinchuan City... his relatives were there.
"Zhao Mengqi," Lu Xuan's voice was so cold it seemed to freeze the air, "Can you find a more detailed address? Specifically, which street, which community?"
Zhao Mengqi shivered, startled by the sudden burst of chilling killing intent from him, and quickly shook her head, her voice tinged with fear: "I'm sorry, Master... The opponent's anti-tracking technology is very sophisticated; they must be a top hacker. My ability to track to Jinchuan City is already the limit."
"Every time he contacted me, it was through multiple layers of anonymous overseas servers. The ability to pinpoint Jinchuan this time was because he accidentally exposed a slight trace when he was eager to contact me, and I caught it."
She paused, then cautiously added: "But I can be sure that this ultimate mastermind, or at least one of his important strongholds, must be in Jinchuan City!"
Lu Xuan's face was so grim it looked like it could drip water.
Jinchuan City... who could it be?
In his previous life, his family was ruined, and his parents died young.
Their family was poor, without power or influence, so what was there that was worth someone scheming so meticulously for?
Could the root of the tragedy in his previous life be in Jinchuan?
A series of questions left his mind in turmoil.
It seems he must find time to return to Jinchuan as soon as possible; some things must be investigated personally until the truth comes out!
"Hmph," Lu Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, his eyes once again sharp and cold. He glanced at Zhao Mengqi, "Consider yourself somewhat useful. Remember, this is your last chance. If you dare to play tricks with me again, or conceal anything at all..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the warning in his eyes made Zhao Mengqi feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
"I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!" Zhao Mengqi instantly fell from her "Keyboard Goddess" state back to that of a humble servant. She abruptly turned, and with another "thud," knelt before Lu Xuan, her forehead pressed against the cold floor, her voice laced with tears and bone-deep fear, "Master, I was wrong! I will never have any small thoughts again! I swear, from now on, I, Zhao Mengqi, will be your most loyal dog! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west; if you tell me to bite someone, I will never hesitate!"
Lu Xuan looked at her in this state, and the pleasure of controlling everything once again surged within him.
He liked this feeling of completely trampling a once high and mighty prey underfoot.
"Alright, get up," Lu Xuan said indifferently, "Remember what you said today. Also, outside, don't call me 'Master' all the time. If someone hears it, you might not be embarrassed, but I find it troublesome."
"Yes... yes! Lu Xuan!" Zhao Mengqi felt as if she had been granted a great pardon and quickly scrambled up from the ground, a fawning smile still on her face, though the smile looked particularly eerie against her swollen cheeks and the traces of blood at the corners of her mouth.
"Clean this place up, don't leave any traces."
Lu Xuan surveyed the messy office and then glanced at the clock on the wall, "Lunch break is almost over. Play your role as the gentle and refined Director Zhao of the Network Information Center well, don't let anyone see through it."
"Yes! Lu Xuan, rest assured!" Zhao Mengqi nodded and bowed, her posture extremely humble.
Lu Xuan said no more and turned to walk out.
The reason he spared Zhao Mengqi's life was certainly not because he had suddenly become kind-hearted.
Firstly, this woman still had value. A top hacker could be of great use in many situations.
Secondly, his wings were not yet fully grown, and in the deep waters of Yan Capital, having a pawn he could command at will was better than fighting alone.
Zhao Mengqi had operated at Yan University for many years, and her identity as the Director of the Network Information Center could also provide him with many conveniences.
As for her past dirty deeds, Lu Xuan didn't care at all.
As long as she was obedient and could be used by him, then she was a good knife.
If she wasn't obedient... Lu Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile; he wouldn't mind breaking this knife himself and sending her to where she belonged.
Jinchuan City...
He couldn't understand who wanted to harm his family!