Qin Lijie’s nightmare started from the first year of graduate school. The university he attended for his undergraduate degree was not very good. He tried his best to get into Xiarong University of Technology. He was surrounded by people who were more powerful and smarter than him. He thought he could catch up by working hard, or at least not fall behind, but reality gave him a head-on blow. He began to doubt whether he should have taken the postgraduate entrance examination at all. The new environment, new interpersonal relationships, and unobtainable data made him miserable.

No one could help him. He could only turn to the Internet for help, searching for keywords such as “buy papers” and “buy data”. But either scammers contacted him, or nothing could be found.

This semester, just when he thought he was doomed to delay graduation, he suddenly received a mysterious email. There was a channel in the email. Clicking on it led to a network he had never encountered before. The sender told him that he found him through his search records. If he needed help, he could post a request for help on this dark web called “Floating Light”. As long as the remuneration was reasonable, someone would solve the problem for him.

He knew what the dark web was. It was a world without laws. As long as you had money, you could buy anything on it, including other people’s lives. When he was an undergraduate, he asked his computer science classmates how to enter the dark web. The classmates said mysteriously that there must be a guide. He never thought that one day he would really see the dark web!

Excitement overwhelmed fear. He was confident that he was a person who was very good at distinguishing between true and false, so he ignored all those who wanted to cheat him of his money before. But this time was different. Just accessing the dark web made him forget to doubt.

His home was in a small place, quite wealthy, and his parents were not stingy with him. He calculated his money, which was enough to buy experimental data and cope with the recent difficulties first. But he did not post a request for help immediately, but searched for what the “Floating Light” dark web was.

However, on the ordinary network, no information related to “Floating Light” could be found at all.

Thinking that if he didn’t try, he could only wait for death, and if he tried, he might still live, Qin Lijie posted the first request for help. A week later, the data he needed appeared on his computer.

He carefully checked and verified it, and found that it completely matched the experiment.

Success!

He fell into ecstasy. Buying a few more papers and a few more data, he wouldn’t have to worry about graduation!

People are greedy. When surviving a crisis by cheating, Qin Lijie hoped to go further, even further! Why can others enter Professor Wu’s team? Did he pay less? Money can get him papers, why can’t it get him a researcher position?

So he posted requests for help again and again, pushed forward by money again and again. Before Ling Lie appeared, he even dreamed of becoming a scientific research expert.

“Sorry, sorry! I know I was wrong! Don’t expel me!” Qin Lijie cried, “I will cooperate with everything. I will return all the papers and data. Can you let me continue studying?”

How the college handled Qin Lijie was not something Ling Lie could ask about. Hearing halfway, he noticed a person, Professor Wu. Wu Qing was one of the professors absent today, saying he was ill. Wu Qing probably had problems himself, because there were problems with Qin Lijie’s data and papers that others couldn’t find, but Wu Qing as a mentor shouldn’t have failed to find them. Did he know Qin Lijie’s problems, so he deliberately roped in Qin Lijie? In case of necessity, Qin Lijie could serve as his shield?

Ling Lie asked Director Liu for Wu Qing’s information. This was a professor who returned from Country A. He had only been working at Xiarong University of Technology for three years. He had an account on social media with a million fans. He looked refined and could be considered a star professor at Xiarong University of Technology.

Ling Lie flicked the print paper twice. This person is worth investigating.

Given that Qin Lijie admitted to using “Floating Light” for academic fraud, the Serious Case Squad officially entered the investigation process. Documents such as search warrants and investigation assistance requests were ready. Wu Qing and the college must cooperate.

Qin Lijie’s computer and mobile phone had been taken away, and Wu Qing was also invited to the municipal bureau.

Wu Qing was wrapped up tightly, seemingly very unaccustomed to the damp and cold weather in Xiarong City in winter. Unlike when he talked eloquently on live broadcast, he seemed very cramped facing the criminal police.

“This is the assessment we asked several professors from Xiarong University of Technology to do. Take a look.” Ji Chenjiao pushed a folder in front of Wu Qing, “There are at least ten unreasonable points in the data Qin Lijie gave you. As a mentor, didn’t you find them?”

Wu Qing pushed his glasses and said in not very fluent Mandarin: “I didn’t expect him to take the crooked path. I originally believed in the quality of every college student. It was my negligence.”

Ji Chenjiao said: “You recruited him into your team just because you saw his beautiful experimental results?”

Wu Qing said: “Officer Ji, maybe you don’t understand the research methods in our industry very well. Experiment is the most important. If a person does experiments well, what reason do I have to doubt him?”

Ji Chenjiao said: “Qin Lijie was not only not outstanding in the first year of graduate school, but also at the bottom of the major. Don’t you think it’s strange that a student like him suddenly handed over eye-catching results?”

“This is prejudice, Officer Ji. Why can’t an ordinary student suddenly become dazzling? Do you want to deny accumulating strength and persistent efforts?”

Ji Chenjiao laughed, “Professor Wu, don’t use the set of tricks you use on netizens to deal with me. Was Qin Lijie accumulating strength? He was committing academic fraud, and you condoned his fraud.”

The muscles on Wu Qing’s cheeks twitched, and he looked away from Ji Chenjiao, “I said, I didn’t know.”

Ji Chenjiao said: “It doesn’t matter, we will continue to investigate. According to this joint appraisal by professors, we have reason to suspect that you facilitated Qin Lijie’s academic fraud, so your computer and communication equipment will also be handed over to us.”

Wu Qing was anxious, “You have no right to do this! You are hindering academic freedom!”

Ji Chenjiao said: “Put away your rhetoric. This is not Country A, and my investigation is legal and compliant from beginning to end. Professor Wu, please don’t hinder the normal investigation of the police.”

Wu Qing sat in the chair, mouth half open, sweat falling from his forehead.

Ling Lie was eating takeout in the technical investigation office area. Double-cooked pork and oil-braised eggplant mixed into the rice, so delicious that he could eat a bucket.

“How is it?” Ling Lie asked while eating.

“Intercepted evidence of Qin Lijie using ‘Floating Light’ for transactions.” Shen Qi worked with shining eyes, “Good guy, he has six deals!”

Ling Lie asked: “Can you find the seller’s information?”

Shen Qi said: “They are all users on ‘Floating Light’. With the protection of ‘Floating Light’, I can’t lock their locations.”

Ling Lie said: “Domestic or foreign won’t work?”

Shen Qi shook his head, “The mechanism of the dark web is like this, unless we find them like we found Qin Lijie.”

Ling Lie smiled: “You are talking nonsense.”

Shen Qi stuck out his tongue and whispered: “That’s the fact.”

After Wu Qing’s computer was delivered, Shen Qi became busy again. Wu Qing was unprepared for the police taking away his computer, and many traces on it were not cleaned up, so Shen Qi confirmed without much effort that he, like Qin Lijie, was also a user of the “Floating Light” dark web.

Shen Qi: “Awesome, this pair of master and apprentice are simply crouching dragon and phoenix chick (geniuses)!”

With evidence in front, Wu Qing could no longer quibble.

He confessed that he immigrated to Country A with his parents when he was ten years old and received education there. He learned that the dark web could be used to take academic shortcuts when he just became a university lecturer. At that time, several of his classmates were using the dark web, and he scoffed at it.

Three years ago, he was invited by a domestic university and finally became a part of Xiarong University of Technology. He liked communicating with students and netizens, opened a social account, and was soon sought after because of his humor and knowledge.

Originally, he thought he could balance academics and social networking, but later gradually found that he couldn’t do it at all. In order to maintain popularity and glamour online, he had to sacrifice research time. Over time, his research stagnated.

He also thought about giving up self-media, but after giving up for half a month, he couldn’t stand it—he had enjoyed the taste of being praised. That was so wonderful, a sense of accomplishment he had never enjoyed as a teacher in Country A for many years.

Soon, the dean politely warned him that the college invited him hoping he could achieve something academically.

He was ashamed and unwilling, and suddenly thought of the dark web!

Yes, why didn’t he use the dark web!

He found a former colleague in Country A and asked about the dark web in a roundabout way. They no longer had conflicts of interest now, and the other party frankly told him that the best one to use now was “Floating Light”.

Through the invitation link from the former colleague, he was able to enter the “Floating Light” dark web. From then on, he no longer had to worry about academic stagnation. Here you can even buy life, what else can’t be bought?

He carefully maintained his secret. Although he also worried about being exposed, the academic atmosphere of Xiarong University of Technology was upright. The old professors were too upright in his eyes. They wouldn’t even think that colleagues would use the dark web to fake things.

Until this year, he discovered a student named Qin Lijie. This student was an underachiever. Although he worked hard, he had absolutely no talent. Getting into Xiarong University of Technology was partly luck and partly diligence. Qin Lijie’s experiments were suddenly done beautifully, and papers were published one after another. Other teachers didn’t think there was any problem, but he saw through it at a glance. Qin Lijie was his kind!

He couldn’t sit still.

Qin Lijie was not very smart and still young. He might not be able to control the degree of fraud. If there was no restraint, he might be exposed soon. And once exposed, not only Qin Lijie himself, but the entire college would undergo a strict investigation.

He couldn’t let such a thing happen!

If Qin Lijie entered other professors’ teams, any professor with eyes could see the unreasonableness in Qin Lijie’s data.

But as long as Qin Lijie came to his team, he could protect Qin Lijie.

Protecting Qin Lijie was protecting himself.

“I didn’t expect to be exposed because of Qin Lijie.” Wu Qing smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I said he wasn’t smart. It seems I wasn’t much smarter.”

Ji Chenjiao asked: “You said you contacted ‘Floating Light’ because your former colleague sent you an invitation link? Is the invitation link easy to get?”

Wu Qing was stunned, “Should be… not difficult? I also have two invitation links on hand. It seems you can get them if you complete many transactions on it and have high credibility.”

The Serious Case Squad did not publicly disclose the results of this investigation, but Xiarong University of Technology regarded this as a great shame and began to conduct self-examination among teachers and students. It found that four students and one teacher in other colleges also used the dark web for fraud.

It was their existence that let many students know that services on the dark web could be bought with money, and rumors spread wildly on campus.

“Does this count as a way for ‘Floating Light’ to expand its influence?” Ling Lie leaned against the window of the Serious Case Squad office, “They have already entered colleges and universities. A very small number of teachers and students use ‘Floating Light’ to fake things, and many students believe that the dark web can help them fake things. This is just a beginning. If we don’t hold down the clue, over time, ‘finding the dark web when in trouble’ will become the consensus of this group of young people.”

Ji Chenjiao sat on the chair diagonally opposite Ling Lie, “Young people, plus elites. Do you remember Zhuo Suyi from Rongmei?”

Ling Lie nodded, “Returned from Country A, psychologist, working for Bai Lingxue.”

“Zhuo Suyi was likely just an ordinary user of ‘Floating Light’ at first, but as he sank deeper and deeper, he automatically became a person of ‘Floating Light’. No, maybe just a peripheral tool.” Ji Chenjiao said: “A very useful tool, because his profession allows him to influence many people. In this sense, Wu Qing is also the same kind.”

Ling Lie said: “So Wu Qing could enter ‘Floating Light’ relatively easily. Invitation link from a trusted user… Hiss, so that’s how ‘Floating Light’ does it in Country A. Then if invitation links flood our side, ‘Floating Light’ can be like a plague with no end in sight.”

The first to be infected are young people, elites, and rich people. These people have something in common. They are enough to influence the future. When they become captives of “Floating Light”, this land will be eroded by sin.

Ji Chenjiao crossed his arms, his face slightly cold, “‘Floating Light’ didn’t just start doing this recently. Think about those entrepreneurs who died because of ‘Snow Child’. They were the second batch, and the first batch were foreigners, but similar to Xu Jiajia, Zhuo Suyi, and Wu Qing, not native foreigners. Now the hunting range of ‘Floating Light’ is further expanding.”

Ling Lie said: “We seem to have no way to deal with them now.”

Ji Chenjiao raised his eyes, “Hmm?”

“Think about it, we can only control ‘Floating Light’ users like Wu Qing and Qin Lijie. If the people trading with them are in the country, we may also catch them in the future. But ‘Floating Light’ itself cannot be eradicated. To put it bluntly, these users are just extended tentacles. When there is profit to be made, and when the concept of the dark web is deeply rooted in people’s hearts, there will definitely be waves of people taking risks.”

Ling Lie narrowed his eyes and looked at Ji Chenjiao, “Ah Xue’s goal will be achieved.”

Before Ji Chenjiao could think deeply about the “goal” Ling Lie mentioned, he received a call from Xie Qing. Xie Qing asked him to bring Ling Lie along.

Coming to the office of the Criminal Investigation Detachment Leader, Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie found that Xie Qing was having a video conference with Shen Xun.

Shen Xun greeted with a smile, “Captain Ji, Ling… Teacher.”

Ling Lie: “Leader, stop calling me that.”

After a brief greeting, getting to the point, Shen Xun looked serious, “Just now Captain Xie told me that ‘Floating Light’ has appeared in colleges and universities in Xiarong City. The new clues we have here are also similar.”

Ling Lie frowned, “Colleges and universities in other cities also have ‘Floating Light’ users?”

Shen Xun nodded, “Yes, but not just colleges and universities. Their claws have also extended to academic institutions and psychological institutions in society. Plus we knew earlier that they contacted wealthy people. In the near future, the influence of ‘Floating Light’ will surge.”

Ling Lie asked: “Also relying on invitation links?”

Shen Xun said: “Invitation links are just a small part of it. We also found that ‘Floating Light’ has begun to use regular applications to implant information. For example, the chat APP you are using may contain ‘Floating Light’s trap.”

Ling Lie gasped, “This is simply impossible to guard against.”

“Because they have no scruples. Users are not their people. being controlled or caught has nothing to do with them. Similarly, even if these regular APPs are investigated and closed, it doesn’t matter. They can create new traps.” Shen Xun said: “What they rely on is that the core figures are abroad, and some countries and regions actually support their development, providing them with backers in secret.”

Ling Lie: “Just like Country L. ‘Floating Light’ sucks blood in Country L. Gangs like ‘Jasmine Tea’ and ‘Floating Light’ use each other and shelter each other.”

“Correct.” Shen Xun added: “But Country L is nothing. What’s more serious is that many financial magnates and institutions in Country E support ‘Floating Light’. You know, the nest of ‘Sinking Gold’ is Country E. ‘Sinking Gold’ could develop into a monster, indispensable to Country E’s involvement.”

Ling Lie lowered his head, his eyebrows and eyes covered by shadows.

Shen Xun continued: “Influenced by these objective factors, it is impossible to eradicate ‘Floating Light’. Since it has already come in, various places must be prepared to control it.” Shen Xun sighed, “This may become a long-term job.”

Ling Lie raised his head, leaning against Xie Qing’s desk, looking neither standing nor sitting properly, “Then we can only kill ‘Black Peacock’, the ‘Insect Mother’, before Bai Lingxue walks openly on this land as wished.”