I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 280 Online Competition

As the investigation deepened, Zhang Wanqing and the other two discovered that the Shadow Alliance's actions were far more complicated than they had imagined. They were not just seeking revenge against Xinghui Games, their target was the entire gaming industry.

"They want to control the entire gaming market," Fu Siyuan said. "Through hacking, they can steal the game source code, then tamper with it and sell it."

"This is terrible," Zhang Wanqing said. "We must stop them."

As the investigation deepened, Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei gradually realized that Wang Zuan might just be a pawn in this conspiracy. They began to re-examine Wang Zuan's motives and actions, trying to find the truth behind it.

"Wang Zuan certainly looked angry, but his actions seemed a bit impulsive," Zhang Wanqing said. "Would he really have planned such a complex attack?"

"Perhaps he was just being used," Fu Siyuan said. "The Shadow Alliance is good at manipulating people's hearts. They may have taken advantage of Wang Zuan's anger and desire for revenge."

"We need to go look for Wang Zuan again," Li Wei said. "Maybe he can tell us more."

The three of them went to Wang Zuan's residence again, but found that he was no longer there. After searching for a while, they finally found him in a remote cafe. Wang Zuan looked a little haggard, but there was still a hint of determination in his eyes.

"I knew you would come looking for me," Wang Zuan said. "I knew you wouldn't let me go easily."

"We just want to know the truth." Zhang Wanqing said, "Are you really connected to the Shadow Alliance?"

Wang Zuan was silent for a moment, and finally sighed: "Yes, I have connections with them. But I am not the kind of person you think."

"What do you mean?" Fu Siyuan asked.

"I was just a person who was bullied, an employee abandoned by the company," Wang Zuan said. "I designed a game, but my boss stole my work and fired me. I was very angry and I didn't know what to do."

"So you found the Shadow Alliance?" Li Wei asked.

"Yes," Wang Zuan nodded. "I met them online, and they said they could help me get revenge on the company. They paid me some money and asked me to provide inside information about the company. I thought they just wanted to help me vent my anger, but I didn't expect them to do such a thing."

"Have you ever thought that you might be used by them?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"I thought about it," Wang Zuan said, "but at the time, I was at my wit's end. I'd been abandoned by the company, my games had been stolen, and my life was in complete darkness. I thought if I could just make those who bullied me pay, I'd be satisfied."

"Have you thought about the consequences?" Fu Siyuan asked.

"I thought about it." Wang Zuan lowered his head. "But I have no way out. I thought I could control the situation, but I was wrong. They used me. I was just their pawn."

"Do you have their contact information?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"Yes, but I can't give it to you." Wang Zuan hesitated, "They will kill me."

"We won't let you be in danger," Zhang Wanqing said. "As long as you cooperate with us, we will protect you."

Wang Zuan was silent for a moment, but eventually he gave out a website address and an encrypted account password: "This is their contact information, but I warn you, they are very dangerous."

Thanks to the efforts of Zhang Wanqing and the other two, Wang Zuan finally realized that he had been used by the Shadow Alliance. Faced with the truth, he fell into deep self-blame and pain. However, Zhang Wanqing and the other two did not give up on him. They hoped that Wang Zuan could become the key figure in destroying the Shadow Alliance.

"Wang Zuan, you still have a chance," Zhang Wanqing said. "You can help us fight the Shadow Alliance and make them pay."

Wang Zuan raised his head, a look of confusion in his eyes: "I...can I really help?"

"Of course." Fu Siyuan said, "You know their internal situation very well. Your help is crucial to us."

"I can try." Wang Zuan hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, "But I can't guarantee success."

"We will do our best to protect you," Li Wei said. "As long as you are willing to cooperate, we will definitely find the Shadow Alliance's weakness."

Wang Zuan was silent for a moment, and finally made up his mind: "Okay, I will try my best."

Together, Wang Zuan and Lao Chen tracked the Shadow Alliance online. Using the information Wang Zuan provided, they gradually penetrated the Shadow Alliance's internal network. Lao Chen's technical skills were exceptional, and he navigated the online world like a seasoned warrior, taking every step with caution.

"Their defenses are incredibly strong," Lao Chen said. "We must find their server locations before we can completely destroy them."

"I know one of their secret servers," Wang Zuan said. "They once mentioned a server in Eastern Europe that might be their core."

"Eastern Europe?" Old Chen frowned. "The network environment there is very complex, and their defense system is also very powerful."

"But we have to try," Zhang Wanqing said. "This is our only chance."

After some effort, Lao Chen and Wang Zuan finally found the core server of the Shadow Alliance. They discovered that this server not only stored a large amount of hacking codes, but also recorded all the action plans of the Shadow Alliance.

"This is their core." Lao Chen said excitedly.

"We must destroy it quickly," Wang Zuan said, "otherwise they will discover our actions."

During the intense operation, Lao Chen and Wang Zuan successfully implanted a special virus that could completely destroy all data on the server. As the virus was activated, the server began to behave abnormally and eventually collapsed completely.

"We succeeded!" Lao Chen said, "Their core server has been destroyed."

"Great!" Zhang Wanqing said, "Now we have to contact Interpol and let them know the location of the Shadow Alliance's base."

Meanwhile, Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei tracked the Shadow Alliance in real life. Using clues provided by Wang Zuan, they located a secret Shadow Alliance base. Located in a remote mountainous area, it was heavily guarded, surrounded by high walls and surveillance equipment. They contacted Interpol via satellite phone and shared the base's location.

Interpol acted swiftly, dispatching a large force to the base. Disguised as members of the Shadow Alliance, Interpol infiltrated the base. Inside, they discovered a massive data center housing numerous servers and equipment. Surrounded by Interpol, the Shadow Alliance members surrendered one after another. The servers within the base were completely destroyed, and the Shadow Alliance's plot was completely thwarted.

With the fall of the Shadow Alliance, Wang Zuan finally found freedom. His courage and determination ultimately helped him emerge from the shadows and rediscover his true self. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, Li Wei, Lao Chen, Wang Zuan, and all the police officers worked together to protect the security of the gaming industry.