great-warnovel Chapter 139 Air Cage
Chapter 139 Air Cage
November 15, 1988, 4:30 p.m.
Port area, Shin-bashi.
The air on the second basement floor of this unassuming old office building was thick with a suffocating mix of smells. The ozone odor emanating from overheated circuit boards mingled with the sour smell of fermenting cheap takeout pizzas, and the sweat of dozens of men working through the night in the enclosed space.
This is the temporary heart of the "Saionji Information System (SIS)".
In comparison, the bustling streets of Tokyo outside felt like a refreshing park.
Dozens of Sun Microsystems workstations and disassembled IBM mainframes were piled haphazardly together, thick black coaxial cables winding across the dusty floor like a tangled mess of snakes. Cooling fans emitted a low, piercing hum, and green indicator lights flashed wildly in the dim light, illuminating excited yet pale faces.
"No! No! Tell Sandy the buffer size is too small!"
Shimomura Tsutomu was squatting on a swivel chair with a broken armrest, his feet resting on an expensive server chassis, yelling into the receiver. His signature gray hoodie was stained with ketchup, and his hair was a mess like a bird's nest.
"If it's that kind of garbage firmware, it won't even be able to run TCP/IP, let alone a game like Snake! Rewrite it!"
He abruptly hung up the phone and turned around, waving his arms at the "monster army" behind him.
"Hey! You there! Has the radio frequency been unlocked yet?"
In the corner, a man with a buzz cut was hunched over a pile of oscilloscopes, giving an "OK" sign without turning his head. He was a notorious radio fanatic in Akihabara, attempting to test wireless data transmission using an illegal frequency band.
Nearby, a stuttering math genius was talking to himself in front of the screen, his fingers leaving afterimages on the keyboard. A red-haired youth was violently dismantling an NEC terminal, sparks flying everywhere.
This is Silicon Valley's enclave in Tokyo. Chaotic, disorderly, and rife with anarchist fervor.
Any one of these people, placed alone in the outside world, could be considered a disaster. But under the forceful arrangement of the even greater disaster, Shimomura Tsutomu, they produced a strange chemical reaction, turning into a peculiar program that "can run for some reason," and runs very fast... only slightly unsightly.
"Whoosh—"
The automatic sensor door slides open to both sides.
The noisy server room didn't stop at all when the door opened. These madmen, immersed in the world of code, probably wouldn't take their eyes off the screen even if an earthquake struck.
Until several dark figures blocked the light at the entrance.
The first to step out were four burly men in black suits and wearing headsets. They quickly spread out, occupying the four corners of the server room, their eyes coldly scanning the group of hackers.
Immediately afterwards, a pair of gleaming lambskin shoes stepped onto the dusty, anti-static floor.
Saionji Satsuki walked in.
She was wearing the dark blue uniform of St. Hua College, with a camel-colored cashmere coat over it.
Half a step behind her was Saionji Masato. He was wearing a well-tailored three-piece suit, and the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose reflected the cold light of the server. He was taking out a clean white handkerchief and covering his mouth and nose with a frown.
"It's so noisy."
Satsuki stopped walking, her voice not loud, but it clearly reached Shimomura Tsutomu's ears.
Shimomura Tsutomu finally sensed that something was wrong.
No, I have a bad feeling about this.
Given his personality, the few people who could make his hair stand on end were...
He turned around, squinted, and looked through the dim light at the girl standing in the doorway.
Staring at the computer screen for a long time made his vision a little blurry, but he still immediately recognized the owner of the figure.
"Boss?"
Shimomura Tsutomu slid off the chair, casually wiped the grease off his hands, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Why did you come to such a dirty place in person? If you're here to urge the progress, tell that old man that we're recompiling the kernel and can't rush it."
The other hackers nearby also stopped what they were doing and curiously looked at the group of uninvited guests. They didn't know Masato, but they knew Satsuki—the big boss who paid them, bought them expensive equipment, and could even get embargoed chips from the United States.
"I'm not here to rush you. Your recent efficiency has been good, keep it up."
Satsuki glanced around at the garbage dump-like environment, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"I'm here to introduce you to someone."
She turned to the side, making way for the person behind her.
"Saionji Masato. My cousin, and a former IBM executive."
Satsuki's voice was clear and cold, echoing throughout the entire computer room.
"From today onwards, he is the CEO of this company."
Shimomura Tsutomu paused for a moment, looking Masato up and down. The fastidiousness characteristic of elite bureaucrats instinctively made him uncomfortable.
"CEO?" Shimomura Tsutomu chewed his gum, looking disdainful. "What would we need that thing for? I just need to write code. These guys in suits are just in the way."
"All you need to do is write code, that's right."
Satsuki looked at Shimomura Tsutomu, her eyes sharpening.
"But who will guarantee that someone will pay your electricity bill? Who will deal with those annoying bureaucrats in the postal service? Who will turn your code into a marketable product?"
She pointed at Zhengren.
"He's in charge of everything except the code—including how to keep you bunch of lunatics from starving at your keyboards."
Masato put down the handkerchief and took a step forward.
Masato remained silent in the face of Shimomura Natsuna's provocative gaze.
He simply lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze passing over Shimomura Tsutomu's greasy shoulders and landing on the black cable tangled on the floor like intestines.
He lifted his leather shoes and gently stepped over the pile of cables.
"This violates Article 3 of the Fire Protection Law regarding 'accumulation of debris in evacuation routes,' and also fails to meet the ISO dustproof standards required for precision electronic equipment."
Zhengren raised his wrist and glanced at his watch.
"As CEO, I cannot allow the company's core assets to be placed in a high-risk location where a short circuit could occur at any time."
He turned his head to the side, not looking behind him, but simply stretched out his hand, holding a pre-prepared access card between two fingers, and handed it to the person behind him.
The administrative assistant, who had been following in the shadows, immediately took it with both hands.
"Activate the relocation plan."
"The underground data center at the Newbridge headquarters (formerly the Epes Building) has been transformed into a cleanroom environment. It features dual power supplies and an industrial-grade temperature control system."
Then, he looked at Shimomura Tsutomu again, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and the lenses reflected a cold light.
"I want to see this team sitting in the Newbridge office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
"The administrative department will handle the relocation tasks. You just need to bring your brains and hard drives."
Just as Shimomura Tsutomu was about to retort, Satsuki walked over.
She stood in front of Shimomura Tsutomu, slightly wrinkling her delicate nose. The smell, a mixture of pizza, sweat, and engine oil, was even stronger.
"Shimomura."
"Yes." Shimomura Tsutomu subconsciously straightened up a bit.
"You're the CTO of the Saionji family, representing the company's image." Satsuki looked him up and down, her gaze lingering for a second on his flip-flops with his toes sticking out. "I won't allow my tech genius to smell like a stray cat."
"Oh well, when you're doing tech work, sweating is inevitable..."
That's an excuse.
Satsuki coldly interrupted him.
She raised her hand and clapped it twice gently.
"Slap, slap."
Two young women walked in through the door.
They wore meticulously tailored, deep black, fitted long dresses with pristine white ruffled aprons tied at the waist, their hair neatly styled in a bun. Although the attire clearly reflected the characteristics of waitresses, it exuded a cold, professional aura, appearing both capable and solemn.
The one on the left looks to be in her early twenties, with a gentle appearance and a soft, traditional Japanese woman's demeanor. The one on the right is slightly taller, with a cold gaze, and is holding a folder.
"This is Sayuri, and this is Eri."
Satsuki explained.
"From today onwards, they will be your personal housekeepers."
"A...butler?" Shimomura Tsutomu was dumbfounded, even forgetting to chew his gum. "What would I need this thing for? I can take care of myself! Besides...and this is a server room, women coming in here will..."
"Cisco's Ryan team will be arriving next week."
Satsuki's voice hardened.
"I don't want them to think that Japan's top hackers live in a garbage dump. This is for the company's image, and also for your health."
Satsuki ignored his protest, instead turning slightly to look in the direction of the Shinbashi headquarters that Masato had just mentioned.
"Next to the core server room of the new headquarters, I have had a dedicated living area built to the standards of a luxury apartment."
"It's equipped with individual shower rooms and sleeping pods. And they..."
She pointed to the two women beside her.
"I will be moving in with the team. They will provide calculated nutritional meals and enforce mandatory rest periods."
"Sayuri will take care of your three meals a day, as well as your laundry and cleaning. Eri will take care of your schedule. All you need to do is open your mouth to eat and raise your hand to get dressed. Don't waste even a second; use it all to write code."
Shimomura Tsutomu looked at the two women and instinctively wanted to refuse. He was used to being free and didn't like being stared at.
"I don't want to..."
"Mr. Shimomura".
The maid named Sayuri stepped forward, her voice as gentle as water.
"The current environment is truly awful. But before you move in, could I please tidy up for you? Or at least... have a hot coffee?"
She was holding a tray with a freshly brewed hand-drip coffee on it, the aroma of which instantly masked the unpleasant smell in the server room.
"This is your favorite Blue Mountain beer, the temperature is kept at 85 degrees Celsius. Also, I notice your shoulders are stiff, would you like me to help you relax them?"
Shimomura Tsutomu was stunned.
He really felt like his neck was about to break, and the coffee tasted... damn tempting.
The aloof and beautiful maid named Eri walked directly to his desk.
She didn't say anything, but deftly sorted and organized the mountain of documents on the table, even carefully tucking the draft password he had casually written on a napkin into the confidential folder.
"Sir, this is important data and should not be exposed in public areas."
Eri's voice was cold, but extremely efficient.
Shimomura looked at the two beautiful, obedient, and incredibly professional "assistants" beside him, and then at the cup of hot coffee that had been forcibly shoved into his hand.
Someone will cook for you? Someone will clean up your messes? And you won't have to listen to the boss nagging?
He stole a glance at Zhengren, the new CEO who was directing his bodyguards to clean up the trash with his back to him, seemingly not intending to boss him around.
"As long as... you don't unplug my internet cable?" Shimomura Tsutomu asked tentatively.
"The internet cable is yours, but their lives are theirs," Masato added without turning his head.
Shimomura Tsutomu took a sip of coffee.
Really fragrant.
"make a deal."
He blushed slightly, muttered something, and sat back down in his chair.
"Don't block the light, I need to get to work."
The sound of keyboard typing resumed. This time, the anxiety seemed to lessen.
……
Second floor, glass corridor.
Through the one-way glass, you can overlook the entire operation of the server room.
Satsuki stood in front of the glass, holding a Rubik's Cube, turning it idly.
Masato stood behind her, watching the scene downstairs.
Sayuri was feeding Shimomura a slice of apple, while Shimomura chewed it, staring at the screen with a silly grin, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he typed code.
"Young Miss".
Masato pushed up his glasses, his voice low and deep.
"Is this what you mean by 'maintenance'?"
"This is 'domestic breeding'."
Satsuki looked at the Rubik's Cube in her hand, her fingers moving rapidly, and the red blocks quickly returned to their positions.
"Uncle Masato, such geniuses are uncontrollable variables. If we want him to stay with the Saionji family forever, money alone is not enough."
"He needs to get used to this life of being waited on hand and foot. Once he can't live without this 'royal' treatment, he'll never be able to go back to that cold garage."
"No matter how talented he is, he is still a human being, and a man with a normal sexual orientation."
"This is what they mean by 'It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.'"
She turned her head and looked at Zhengren.
"That girl named Eri reports her communication records to me every day. Sayuri is in charge of winning her over through her stomach."
"If necessary..."
Satsuki's gaze fell on the somewhat shy genius downstairs.
"Even if it's just chains of emotion, we'll lock him here."
A righteous person felt a chill run down their spine.
Looking at the fifteen-year-old girl in front of him, he once again felt a shock that transcended her age...
By precisely manipulating human nature, efficiency can be maximized.
"I have learned a great deal."
Zhengren lowered his head and wrote a line in his work log.
Asset maintenance has been initiated. Status: Stable.
downstairs.
The humming of the computer room continued, and the setting sun shone through the gaps in the blinds, casting its light on Shimomura Tsutomu's back like a railing.
He is free, but he can't go anywhere anymore.