Settling Down

If this VR headset was merely a hardware device used to connect to the Oasis server, it would not have Oasis' client code.

However, Chen Chen remembered from the movie that the protagonist once used voice control to reconnect the VR headset to the server when the connection was interrupted. This meant that the headset was not just a hardware device for the game but a fully functional smart machine. 

It was just like modern cell phones.

Cell phones could be used to play games but their functionality was by no means limited to gameplay.

Now, Chen Chen connected the VR headset to his laptop through the USB port.

This must be due to the real world being caught up in war all year round, which caused the stagnation of technological development. Therefore, the protocol specifications of the VR headset's USB had not changed and both devices could be linked.

After Chen Chen had connected them, he immediately started up the program, only to find that the VR headset had no other software except for the client of the Oasis game.

Chen Chen furrowed his brow but was not discouraged. He used "Show in Finder" to display the contents of the client's file.

After opening the client's folder, Chen Chen was greeted with a sea of resource files and startup icons as well as files with no visible extension.

Those must be the Mach-O files generated after the code was compiled.

These files were hundreds of gigabytes in size.

Of course, considering the complexity of Oasis in the movie, this was pretty much what he had expected. This was already rather simplified.

In the past three months, Chen Chen had learned a great deal about computer technology. Now, all his knowledge was coming in handy.

First, Chen Chen searched for several of the most powerful unpacking software and tried unpacking these files. However, none of the software succeeded.

The encryption technology of Oasis was very powerful.

After a while, the work efficiency of Chen Chen's laptop was critically slowed down because the files were too large.

At the moment, there were only two days left before the three-month period was over.

Therefore, Chen Chen chose to put away his laptop, pack his suitcase, and left the factory after a last chat with the manager.

After he left, Chen Chen did not laze around but rushed around before finally locating a remote warehouse near the coastal area in the outskirts.

"This was originally built by a small fishing company. Later, the government found that this company was fishing offshore and issued a fine of several million, which bankrupted the company." 

Currently, Chen Chen and the agent, who had contacted the warehouse, arrived by car.

After getting down, the agent handed Chen Chen a cigarette, which Chen Chen waved away.

Seeing that Chen Chen did not smoke, the agent lit one himself and pointed to the warehouse. "After bankruptcy, the boss still wanted to use this warehouse as collateral but who would've the time and money to maintain this run-down place? So, the warehouse has been abandoned since then."

Chen Chen walked to the locked roller shutter door of the warehouse and knelt, feeling the ground. The layer of dust was thick – no one had been here for a long time.

"I'll open the door." The agent came over and took out a bunch of keys, trying them one by one. At last, he managed to lift the door to the height of half a person.

Both of them bent over and entered the warehouse. The space inside was around two hundred square meters, which was considered a small warehouse. Even so, it had been well cleaned. Other than the dust on the floor and a pile of logs in one corner, there was no other visible junk.

However, as it had been used to dry saltwater fish over the years, a barely noticeable fishy odor still pervaded the warehouse.

Chen Chen looked up and observed that the warehouse's roof was constructed with common steel tiles. It was around six or seven meters above the ground. Sunlight filtered in through gaps on the side, scattering bright spots over the gloom of the warehouse.

"This needs to be repainted."

As he stared at the mildew that had spread over the wall, Chen Chen could not help frowning.

"That couldn't be any simpler. I'll hire three or four workers and get it done in two days."

The agent said offhandedly, "If you wish to rent this place, I'll send them over once I get back."

Chen Chen did not reply but took the key from the agent to open the backdoor. Then, he circled the entire warehouse.

"The location is rather remote but the price is low."

The agent felt awkward and tried to fill the silence. "I heard that there was a murder in the woods behind. Some years ago, a young woman from a nearby village ran out after a quarrel with her husband. Her family looked for her through the night but found nothing. 

"After they reported her disappearance to the police the next day, the police finally found her body in those woods. Subsequently, people started saying that this place was haunted, hahahaha!"

"…"

Chen Chen glanced at the agent with an unreadable expression and the agent's smile froze. "Ugh, I'm such a blabbermouth. Why don't we look at another warehouse – there are a few more vacant ones for rent…"

"Nope. This is fine."

Chen Chen walked to the somewhat rusted shutter door and patted it lightly. "Just hire a few workers to clean up this place. I'll rent it for a year for now."

"Okay, good!" The agent nodded enthusiastically and started making calls to arrange things.

Chen Chen chose this warehouse because the location was sufficiently remote. The nearest village and shops were a few kilometers away and one would only have to travel four or five kilometers to reach the coast.

In movies, kidnappers would usually bring their hostages to a place in the middle of nowhere like this.

To ordinary people, this area was a deserted, godforsaken breeding ground for evil.

However, for someone like Chen Chen, this was a prime location that was also accessible. If he exited the back of the warehouse and fled into the woods, not even a few hundred police officers could capture him.

In critical moments, Chen Chen could even choose to escape through the ocean.

Of course, Chen Chen was merely planning ahead. If the USB drive was discovered by the Federation, Chen Chen would be captured eventually even if he fled to the ends of the earth.

While the agent took care of the warehouse's repainting, Chen Chen used the computer skills he learned online to install four desktop computers that cost more than five figures.

After the warehouse was repainted, Chen Chen moved all his stuff over. In two to three days, Chen Chen's first office was officially ready.

In this environment that was isolated from the rest of the world, Chen Chen officially took the first step to crack Oasis.

Chen Chen decided to use dynamic debugging tools to unpack the file manually.

With the effects of NZT-48, Chen Chen's concentration was laser-focused. At this level of efficiency, he could complete more than a week's workload in one day.

Boosted by this efficiency, Chen Chen tenaciously spent half a month and finally found the program's actual OEP1.

Following that, Chen Chen used decompilation software to gradually uncover the process of running the program in assembly mode.

It was a shame that the source code of Oasis could not be changed with the technology of the Earth Federation where Chen Chen was located.

Even so, this was enough. What Chen Chen needed was an idea. As long as he had a general direction, he was confident he could draw upon this new technology and reconstruct a similar program.