Are You Safe Episode 18 Recap
> Are You Safe Recap
The success of the Shepherd system led to a rapid increase in clients for Kai Gua Le Cybersecurity Company. Qin Huai received a call, accepting an offer to provide prize redemption screening services to an association. However, the unexpected demand soon overwhelmed the small team. Tang Lin, juggling multiple roles including secretary, admin, treasurer, legal officer, driver, receptionist, and assistant, complained about being asked to be a marketing officer as well, lamenting that they were too understaffed to cope.
Auntie Ding agreed, highlighting the immense workload. Zhou You expressed his frustration to Qin Huai, explaining that the Shepherd system was initially designed for just one company. Now, it had to serve dozens, requiring it to process tens of millions of requests in milliseconds, a feat he deemed impossible. Qin Huai acknowledged the problem and proposed expanding the team with promotions and raises.
Zhou You was skeptical, pointing out the impracticality of rapidly expanding their staff, office space, and server capacity. He urged Qin Huai to consider declining some orders, suggesting they act within their capabilities and not be driven by greed. However, Qin Huai insisted that every order was a commitment they could not betray.
He then revealed a more critical reason for taking on more work: they were being targeted, referencing a past incident where someone tried to hit him with a car. Zhou You quickly realized that the online slander, the car attack, and the deal hunting were likely orchestrated by the same underground syndicate, possibly led by "the Advisor." Qin Huai confirmed this, believing that after the Shepherd system's impact, the Advisor wouldn't remain idle and would launch a fierce counterattack.
Mentioning Chen Mo had given up, Qin Huai decided he would handle the recruitment personally. Meanwhile, Ma Pingchuan discussed with Mo Yizhong the impact of Shepherd system, noting that more beverage factories installing it meant Mazi and his gang were losing money. Ma Pingchuan instructed Mo Yizhong to apply for a job at Kai Gua Le to infiltrate the company. During the recruitment drive, Zhou You interviewed various applicants, most of whom were unqualified or driven solely by salary.
Finally, Mo Yizhong introduced himself, showcasing his extensive experience in cybersecurity and a strong desire to combat cybercrime, stating that salary was not his main concern. Impressed by Mo Yizhong's skills and integrity, Zhou You hired him on the spot. Separately, Chen Mo, who had been analyzing the Shepherd system, discovered several vulnerabilities, including a medium-risk bug, four low-risk bugs, and a suspected bug. He decided to visit Kai Gua Le to inform Qin Huai.
Upon arrival, he found the office bustling with new employees celebrating. Auntie Ding, mistaking Chen Mo for a cleaner from a housekeeping agency due to his attire, enthusiastically recounted the company's humble beginnings and its recent surge in success, praising Qin Huai's resourcefulness. After helping with some cleaning, Chen Mo tried to find Qin Huai, but he was out. Tang Lin, busy with other tasks, offered him a piece of paper to leave a note.
Chen Mo wrote down the vulnerabilities, emphasizing its importance, and entrusted the note to Tang Lin, telling her it was from a friend for Qin Huai. Tang Lin, in turn, gave the note to Mo Yizhong to pass to Zhou You for the boss. Instead, Mo Yizhong handed it directly to Zhou You.
Zhou You read the note, which warned that the Shepherd system's peak value was high and could crash under concentrated attacks like DDoS, ICMP floods, or slow POST reflection amplification. He grew angry, believing that as the system's developer, only he truly understood it. He dismissed the warning as an attempt by rivals to sow discord and morale, tearing the note into pieces and throwing it away.
Mo Yizhong, having successfully infiltrated Kai Gua Le, messaged Ma Pingchuan about his status. Ma Pingchuan instructed him to find an opportunity to upload a coded folder to the company server, reminding him to tag it. Mo Yizhong expressed doubts that simple codes would be sufficient to "teach Qin Huai a lesson," mentioning Mazi's growing impatience. Ma Pingchuan simply replied "Wait."
Later, during a live stream promotional event for Fizzy Frenzy Beverage Factory, where they were giving away 1,000 phones, the Kai Gua Le team watched intently, with some employees even participating in the giveaway. On Ma Pingchuan's command, his operatives, including Mazi's deal robbers and a network of broilers and servers, launched a coordinated attack simultaneously with the giveaway countdown. As the countdown ended, the live stream froze for many viewers, including the Kai Gua Le employees.
Mazi declared they had successfully claimed the 1,000 phones. Back at Kai Gua Le, Qin Huai and Zhou You quickly realized the system had crashed. The live stream's chat was flooded with complaints, accusing Fizzy Frenzy of a sham campaign. They discovered that all the winners were new registrants, a highly suspicious and statistically impossible outcome for a random draw.
Qin Huai and Zhou You began working to resolve the issue, with Qin Huai focusing on identifying the attackers and Zhou You on analyzing the winners. They faced immense pressure, not only from Fizzy Frenzy's accountability but also from negative public opinion. Qin Huai stressed their responsibility to fix the problem quickly to minimize the beverage company's losses. Auntie Ding offered reassurance, promising they would work together.
Meanwhile, Ma Pingchuan revelled in his success, confirming that the negative comments online were from genuine netizens, not paid trolls, and confidently predicted a massive compensation claim that would cripple Qin Huai. Back home, Chen Mo’s mother asked if he had been in touch with Qin Huai. She had heard from Mu Tong that Qin Huai was in trouble and had sought Chen Mo's help, which he declined.
Chen Mo explained that they had simply drifted apart over the years, now pursuing different paths. His mother, however, emphasized the deep bond of their friendship, which she believed should never change.
Chen Mo confessed his dilemma: he had promised his mother to stay home and provide a stable life, but helping Qin Huai would inevitably pull him back into the dangerous world of cybersecurity battles against dark forces, risking his peaceful life being shattered by those who previously sought to destroy them. His mother understood his fears for her safety but insisted that Qin Huai was family, and they could not stand idly by if he was in trouble. She told Chen Mo to make his own decision, reminding him of their fond memories with Qin Huai, and suggested he invite Qin Huai over for dinner sometime.
