The Enigma Beyond

As the third largest city, Guangzhou is the economic, science and technology, educational, and cultural hub of southern China. It is the home of the original Cyber Warfare College and the main Chinese supercomputer, Logarithmic Integration of Numerals Going Linearly and Indefinitely or LING-LI. LING-LI is administered by Professor Jinny Lin, who has witnessed many changes in the Chinese technology landscape. Technology resources both designed in China and redistributed from other technology leaders was once abused by those in charge for non-state, personal agendas, then later leveraged to launch early forms of cryptocurrency by China. Professor Jinny Lin was ready to retire but couldn’t until he delivered a suitable replacement with the same political convictions of those in charge. The problem was, Professor Jinny Lin didn’t and never had shared those same convictions.

Professor Lin, with his long graying hair, braided and tied, was sitting in a well-worn chair in the operations center for LING-LI. His long narrow fingers were curled around the cup as if he was warming his hands. Periodically he sipped his tea while absentmindedly listening to the pitch by the newest candidate he had agreed to interview. It was the usual rhetoric of how they worked their way up from a cyber combat station in the Red Army’s Cyber Warfare arm. Lin found the boasts of cyber incursions into the West’s public and private sector companies disappointing, bordering on offensive, as well as less than honorable.

Finally, the Professor asked, “What do you think this position is all about? You have droned on tediously for too many minutes about your hacking and destructive skills as a Chinese cyber combatant, but failed to mention any of your forward-thinking abilities you could offer our group. Our work is not about destabilizing public works facilities to impact water or electricity delivery. If that is the limit of your capabilities, then the interview is over.”

Blue spiked hair on the head of the young man swayed as he shook his head with indignation. His demeanor was further characterized by the tight jeans and t-shirt advertising the current music group de jour. He sourly accused, “Ah yes, the classic ivory-tower scholar who prefers to take the high moral ground, rather than genuinely working for his country. Our group, and certainly my efforts specifically, helped extract needed technology from the arrogant Western nations, which had been unfairly withheld from China by other world leaders. Much of the technology we have rightfully repatriated to China has found its way into your supercomputer lab, Professor. While you may not like the Red Army’s methods, you certainly haven’t refused any of the hard-won information.”

Professor Lin studied the arrogant young officer, without showing his disgust, then stated, “I guess we can add insulted to my disappointment in your candidacy. I was seeking someone with honor to join my team who could think up better ideas to leapfrog the existing technology. You must believe that we Chinese are incapable of creative design, with the only choice being to steal to keep on par. You should return to the cyber warfare group where they cherish theft over positive creative thinking.”

Anger was reflected by the grinding teeth of the inexperienced interviewee, who barely kept his temper in check rather than hurling back several derogatory insults to the antique sitting in the old ratty chair. He merely rose, bowed slightly and stomped away, barely catching the door as it closed behind him.

Professor Lin sighed and under his breath said, “I guess there will never be a suitable replacement for me and certainly not my Master Po. I wish I had her wise counsel in this matter.”