Samsara Online

Beijing, China.

In the center of China, there was a structure that was approximately one hundred and fifty floors high that seemed to pierce the clouds to defy the heavens. The building was so high that it could be seen from several kilometers in the distance and so luxurious that almost all the people who did not live in the area stopped for a moment to appreciate the beautiful construction.

Furthermore, considering that the tallest building in the world was a little over one hundred and sixty floors high, this building could also be considered a tourist center for many people. However, only the really privileged ones could enter, so most of them used to take pictures in the place to share with their friends when returning to their city or country of origin.

In truth, the building was not a restricted area or anything like it. In reality, the building was open to the public... However, there was an unwritten rule that everyone knew well and it was that, to enter this building, one had to fulfill a requirement and obey a single rule;

1) Possess a fortune that exceeds 100 million Chinese yuan.

2) Only the first 149 floors were available. The last floor was completely closed so no one knew what was there or what the last floor was used for.

The number of people in China with a fortune above 100 million yuan was not few ... But they were not too many either. At the moment of entering the place, the receptionist asked for an amount of 100 million yuan to be deposited in a special card that only worked in that place.

The name of the building was Sky Tower. All kinds of recreation rooms, restaurants, rooms, bars, etc... The building was like a small world of its own.

At 6:40 pm, at the entrance of the Sky Tower, a dark blue sedan car stopped slowly and from inside it descended a man of about 50 years old followed by a woman of about 47 years old.

The car keys were quietly handed over to the coachman and the middle-aged couple entered the building.

"Pojun, are you sure our daughter will be all right on her return to Beijing?" As they entered the elevator, the middle-aged woman asked the middle-aged man.

This beautiful lady was Gu Qianxue’s mother, Fang Yanran and the middle-aged man next to her was Gu Qianxue’s father, the highest authority in China; Gu Pojun!

Gu Pojun had a bitter smile on his face. He was about to answer his wife when he noticed the cell phone in his pocket buzzing softly.

*Buzz... Buzz...*

As he pulled out his cell phone and looked at the caller ID, Gu Pojun narrowed his eyes. As he gestured to his wife to be quiet, he responded, "What is it?"

"Sir. Gu, Southeast Airlines flight number F-98199 just sent an SOS signal." The voice that greeted Gu Pojun was that of a young and respectful man.

"What is the reason?" Gu Pojun frowned slightly. If something happens on a plane in mid-flight, the deaths would be too great and in case there were foreign people on the flight, it could become an international dispute.

"According to the code sent by the captain on board, a group of armed people took the flight captive. Even the co-pilot seemed to be involved. After the first message received, we have not been able to establish contact with flight F-98199."

"What about the radars?"

"That... It turns out that the radars are out of control... We are being attacked by unknown hackers."

*Sigh...*

"My daughter is on that flight, isn’t she?"

"This... Young Miss Gu... Indeed, she was seen in the airport of Shanghai boarding that flight..."

The voice responded hesitantly.

"I see..." Gu Pojun nodded. After a moment of silence, he asked: "By any chance, was Qianxue alone or in the company of someone?"

"Yes. The young miss was indeed accompanied at the time of boarding the plane. We identified the other person as Xie Yao, a student at Shanghai University, 18 years old, currently living with her adopted brother..." Clearly, before informing Gu Pojun, a follow-up and a report as detailed as possible had already been made.

Upon hearing that Gu Qianxue was accompanied by Xie Yao, Gu Pojun’s lips curled into a small mocking smile and he asked:

"Wasn’t there a young man by her side?"

"This... No sir, the cameras did not catch any young man..." Hesitantly, the other side responded.

"Heh... Hahaha!"Gu Pojun laughed, confusing his wife and the young man on the phone. Although he did not know how, since Xie Yao was next to Gu Qianxue, it was impossible that Xie Feng was not there too!

Gu Pojun had laughed for two reasons.

First, when he and Xie Feng talked a week ago, Xie Feng had clearly told him that he was not leaving Shanghai and that at most he would do him the favor of saving his daughter if anything went wrong during the flight; but since Xie Yao was next to Gu Qianxue, that meant that Xie Feng had changed his mind.

The second reason Gu Pojun laughed was for personal reasons. In truth, since he sent Gu Qianxue to live with Xie Feng, he had his own selfish reasons. What Gu Pojun wanted was that, if possible, Xie Feng would become sufficiently attached to Gu Qianxue that he would be willing to protect her of his own free will. Apparently, his little plan worked.

As to whether Gu Pojun expected his daughter to become Xie Feng’s woman or not... He probably never gave it much thought.

"Forget it then. You don’t need to worry about that flight. Instead, try to identify where we are being cyber attacked from."

Gu Pojun said casually, confusing the young man on the phone.

"This... Sir Gu?"

"There is no one who cares about my daughter more than I do, her father. Just do as I say." Gu Pojun’s smile slowly disappeared and he said in a cruel voice, "Tian Ming, this time I want to not accept a ’sorry’ as an answer... I want the location of those hackers!"

How could it be a coincidence that their radars lose an object so big like an airplane in the air? How could it be that just when his daughter was in danger, a group of hackers decided to attack the virtual security of China? Naturally there was a connection between the two events!

The worst thing was that if China’s virtual security was broken, it was no different than the destruction of the country! Traffic lights out of control, thousands and millions of traffic accidents per minute, bank accounts missing, national secrets revealed, etc. It was something no country could afford!

"Yes! Definitely!"

The young man responded in a serious voice.

Gu Pojun nodded and casually hung up the call.

"What happened?" Fang Yanran asked with anxiety.

Hearing a flight and her daughter, she expected the worst. Because something like this would not be the first time it happened.

"Don’t worry, Yanran..." Gu Pojun took his wife’s hand and as he left the elevator and entered the 150th floor of the Sky Tower, he assured her: "Our daughter is having a lot of fun, trust me."

Seeing that her husband did not seem at all worried and instead seemed relieved and happy, the stone that was pressing on Gu Qianxue’s mother’s heart finally lifted.

***

In the cockpit of flight F-98199

Generally, only two people have the authorization to enter the cockpit of a commercial flight, namely; the pilot and the co-pilot.

*Bang!*

An old man with white hair casually threw the captain of the plane to the floor. A blood patch could be seen on the captain’s head and his eyes were closed. Fortunately, the captain was still breathing so you could assume that he had only fainted from a bump on his head.

The old man sat down on the pilot’s seat and with a simple maneuver, shifted the plane’s course to the right. After making sure he was in the right direction, the old man nodded.

"Damn, these masks those Chinese gave us are really a pain in the ass!" The old man talked in a strange language and put one hand around his neck. Then, with a little effort, the face of the ’old man’ was slowly removed and a fierce bearded face appeared!

"Still, it is good. Thanks to these things and the information we receive, our task will be simpler." The bearded man nodded with satisfaction. From his appearance, it was obvious that he was not Asian.

*Knock*... *Knock*

The steel door that insulated the plane’s cabin was knocked lightly in a strange pattern.

After confirming the signal, the bearded man pressed a button on the panel and continued to operate the plane.

The door opened and a woman in her thirties entered. The woman was dressed as a stewardess and looked very beautiful. If Xie Feng were here he would be surprised to see that this beautiful stewardess was actually the girl next to Ye Lian receiving the passengers!

After entering the cabin, the woman dressed as a stewardess closed the door behind her and asked: "Scarface, how long to get to our destination?

"Don’t worry about that, in 1 hour maximum we’ll be there." The bearded man whom the woman called ’Scarface’ responded. "Instead, what about Gu Pojun’s daughter?

The stewardess smiled cruelly and her face was deformed as she said mercilessly: "That girl was enjoying many luxuries in the first class, heh... Number 7 went to capture her, don’t worry."

Scarface nodded silently and continued to fly the plane.