Chapter 11: The First Job

After the watching the press conference and the Zhang family drama, Li Xinyue took a deep breath, the cold mask slipping over her face again. She opened her laptop and, with practiced speed, logged into the dark web using her alias: Zero 9.

In her past life, she had been a skilled hacker, and was second on it.

This time, she'd use those same skills to build a new life for herself . After setting up her profile, she scrolled through job listings, analyzing each mission carefully.

Even though it was her first time logging in again, her hands were steady. The screen loaded with different job offers.

Most were high-paying tasks like hacking, finding secret information, and accessing protected files.

She quickly chose one job: breaking into a company's secure server to retrieve hidden data.

The mission required her to bypass multiple security layers without being detected, find the right data, and send it back to her anonymous employer. It was exactly the kind of challenge she knew well.

With confidence, she accepted the job and sent her first message as Zero 9.

Zero 9: "I'll take the job.

The reply came fast, with extra files attached.

No one asked who she was; only results mattered in this world. She focused, her hands moving swiftly as she began the job. She broke through the first few security layers, dodged alerts, and continued deeper into the system.

Each step felt familiar, like slipping into an old routine. Finally, she reached a tricky section – a decoy file meant to catch less-skilled hackers. But she knew how to handle it and retrieved the real data without trouble.

Once the download was complete, she sent another message. Soon after, her account was credited with her first payment.

Li Xinyue scanned through other missions, carefully selecting ones that would pay well without drawing attention. Each job came with a hefty price tag, and she negotiated like a pro, using her experience to get the maximum amount.

One job paid 15 million for hacking a competitor's database, another paid 20 million for retrieving confidential files from a government contractor, and a third offered 10 million for bypassing a financial institution's security.

She took on these tasks, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked through each mission with skill and precision. Within hours, she completed them all, making a total of 45 million.

She sent payment requests with an untraceable overseas account, carefully set up to ensure nothing could be linked back to her real identity.

Each payment arrived smoothly, and her account balance continued to grow.

Satisfied, she logged out. This was just the start. With more missions, she could earn money, gain control, and live her life on her terms.

With this money, she'd no longer be at the mercy of the Zhang family – or anyone else.

With a confident smile, she shut her laptop.