Jiangnan City was hit by a sudden wave of computer viruses. In less than half an hour, nearly 10,000 computers were infected. The scale of the attack was so massive that it quickly caught the attention of the local media.
The virus spread at a terrifying speed—one of the fastest outbreaks ever recorded.
In just thirty minutes, more than twenty companies and nearly half of the internet cafes in Jiangnan City were affected. Countless personal computers were also compromised.
Inside one of the internet cafes, a video clip showing Lin Shu being escorted away by the police was discovered and quickly went viral. The public was stunned. The main figure behind this unprecedented virus attack was a teenage girl—barely eighteen years old.
As the virus continued to spread, albeit at a slightly slower pace, reports of infections kept coming in.
At the moment, no antivirus software could neutralize the virus. The Public Security Bureau issued a cybersecurity warning, stating that the virus propagated through network connections. If a server was infected, all connected systems in that network would be affected too.
Inside the interrogation room, Lin Shu sat trembling in her chair. Across from her were two young officers, Wu Chao and Ning Qiuyu, watching her quietly.
Their investigation had already revealed that the virus originated from Lin Shu. Based on initial reports, it had infected nearly 10,000 computers in just under thirty minutes.
This new strain of computer virus had unprecedented transmission capabilities—unlike anything they had encountered before. If left unchecked, the entire digital infrastructure of Jiangnan City could collapse.
Thankfully, the virus hadn't penetrated the public security systems, transportation network, or banking infrastructure. Only regular computers without advanced protection had been compromised, preventing the crisis from escalating further—for now.
"Why did you create this virus?" Wu Chao asked calmly.
Next to him, Ning Qiuyu quietly took notes for the record.
"I was working on antivirus software," Lin Shu whispered, her eyes red and puffy. "I didn't know it would turn out like this… I didn't mean to cause harm."
"Why develop antivirus software in the first place?" Wu Chao continued.
"I wanted to participate in the Marching Ant Company's programming competition. I needed the prize money... to pay for my little brother's surgery."
"Do you know how to neutralize the virus?" Wu Chao's tone remained emotionless.
They had already tested various antivirus programs on infected machines. Every time, the antivirus software was deleted without a trace, as if it had never existed.
Tens of thousands of computers had already been rendered useless. If this virus had targeted government or financial networks, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"I don't know what went wrong with the code," Lin Shu said, biting her lip, trying to hold back tears. "I need time to review the program and figure it out."
"Where's the virus program stored?"
"In my cloud drive," she replied.
"Account and password."
Lin Shu didn't resist. She answered every question, hoping that her cooperation would mitigate the damage. Her thoughts kept drifting to her grandfather, probably worrying sick about her.
—
At the police station's front desk, a frail elderly man stood trembling, his calloused hands still dirty from rushing over without washing up.
"Comrades, you must be mistaken," he pleaded. "Xiao Shu is a good girl. She wouldn't do anything bad."
"She's already admitted to writing the virus," the officer explained. "You're her grandfather? Were you aware she was developing this program?"
"I don't even know what a computer virus is," the old man said, his eyes reddening. "But I know my Xiao Shu would never do anything to hurt people. Please, she's still in school. She has to take the college entrance exam next June. If this ruins her future…" His voice cracked, tears welling in his eyes.
"Please, I beg you. Don't take her away."
"Please, Officer, don't take my sister. She's not a bad person." A small boy tugged at the officer's sleeve, his voice clear and innocent.
The boy's worn clothes and pure gaze made everyone in the room fall silent for a moment.
"It's okay, little one," a policewoman knelt beside him and said gently. "We're just investigating. If your sister didn't mean to cause harm, she'll be fine."
"What's your name, little guy?"
"My name is Lin Changsheng. Grandpa said the name means I'll grow up strong and healthy," the boy replied proudly.
The old man gently rested his hand on the boy's head and added, "They're both orphans. I adopted them. When Changsheng was just under two years old, I found him crying next to a trash can. He had a note on him with his birthday and a diagnosis—congenital heart disease. The treatment costs over 80,000 yuan. We've never had enough money for it.
"A few months ago, Xiao Shu told me she wanted to enter some programming competition and win a prize to pay for his surgery. I've watched that girl grow up. She would never hurt anyone… Please, let her go. She still has school."
"Grandpa, don't cry. The police lady said sister will be fine," Lin Changsheng said as he patted the old man's chest.
That heartwarming, tearjerking moment made the room go silent. Many eyes turned red.
—
The virus incident made national headlines the same day.
Though its spread had slowed, it was still active. And so far, none of the major cybersecurity companies had figured out how to neutralize it.
The program was written using the Marching Ant Company's newly released Chinese Character Programming Language. Since it was new, very few people had learned it—especially within the cybersecurity industry.
Wang Zhi, a bespectacled security engineer, was carefully analyzing the virus's code. They had isolated the executable and confirmed it matched the malicious behavior observed.
Among their team, Wang Zhi was one of the few who had started studying the Chinese Character Programming Language. But even he had only scratched the surface.
The language was completely new and required extensive time to master. Most professionals didn't have time to study it thoroughly, given their already demanding jobs.
Now the virus had put Jiangnan City in the spotlight nationwide. The fact that a high school girl had created a program that stumped even experienced professionals was both humiliating and shocking for the local cybersecurity team.
If the virus had come from a known hacker group, it would've been less of a blow to their pride.
"Any progress on a fix?" a stern-looking middle-aged man asked.
"Director, not yet," Wang Zhi shook his head. "The program is written in the Chinese Character Programming Language. Since it's so new, and the Marching Ant Company hasn't released much documentation, almost no one really understands it yet. I suggest we request their assistance."