Chapter 112: Requesting Help

"It didn't work," one of the hackers announced, leaning back in his chair, the glow from the multiple monitors casting shadows on his face. This statement echoed through the room, meeting a mix of sighs and tense silence from the team. They had been working relentlessly, launching sophisticated cyber attacks in an attempt to penetrate SolaraTech's defenses.

Yet, each attempt was met with failure, their efforts thwarted by the unexpectedly robust security measures SolaraTech had in place.

"How can it be? This is our first time being defeated by a company that's not even known for its cybersecurity prowess," another hacker chimed in, his voice a blend of disbelief and frustration. The room, cluttered with empty coffee cups and fast-food wrappers, bore witness to the long hours they had spent trying to crack SolaraTech's digital fortress.

The team's leader, a figure known only by his online alias 'Shadow', paced back and forth, analyzing the situation.

"It's clear they've upgraded their security protocols significantly. Our usual tactics aren't going to cut it. We need to rethink our approach if we want to break through their defenses."

A younger member of the team, nicknamed 'Byte', who had been silently monitoring the data streams, spoke up. "I noticed something unusual in their traffic patterns. It seems they've implemented a new kind of anomaly detection system. Every time we tried to breach their network, it adapted, blocking us out more efficiently."

Shadow stopped pacing, turning to Byte with a newfound interest. "Adaptive defenses? That's advanced. But it also means there's a learning curve. We can use that to our advantage. If we can flood it with enough false positives, we might be able to desensitize the system and sneak in during the confusion."

The room buzzed with energy as the team began to rally around this new strategy. "Let's prepare a series of decoy attacks," Shadow commanded. "Use every botnet at our disposal and hit them from all directions. Meanwhile, Byte, I want you and your unit to prepare for the real attack. Once their system is overwhelmed, that's when we strike."

Nods and murmurs of agreement filled the room as the team sprang into action, their previous demoralization replaced by a surge of determination. The hackers understood the risks involved, but the challenge only fueled their resolve.

Meanwhile, as they implemented their new approach, Shadow received a call from Wei.

"Is it over yet?"

"We identified the country origin of the hackers but we can't name an organization who would do this directly without concrete evidence," Michael explained.

"We can't just name CinkoSolar just because they are a photovoltaic company like us," Juliet added, understanding the delicate nature of such accusations. "We need irrefutable proof before we can take any sort of public or legal action. Perhaps we can contact Ms. von Reimann. Perhaps she might be of help in our case."

Michael paused, considering Juliet's suggestion. "Bridget does have a wide network and considerable influence in the industry, not to mention her contacts in China. It might not be a bad idea to reach out to her for insight or assistance. Good thinking, Juliet."

Juliet nodded, pleased to contribute. "I'll draft an email to Ms. von Reimann, explaining our situation and requesting her advice or support. Should I emphasize any particular points?"

"No...I will be the one contacting her. Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Schmidt. You can take your leave now. You've done more than enough for today," Michael said with a hint of appreciation in his tone.

Juliet hesitated for a moment, unsure if there was anything else she could do to assist, but then nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Reyes. If there's anything more I can help with, please don't hesitate to let me know." With that, she gathered her belongings and exited the office, leaving Michael to his thoughts.

Once alone, Michael turned his attention to contacting Bridget, the phone in his hand. He dialed the number he had for her. The phone rang a few times before being answered.

"Michael?"

"Bridget...I am going to need your help."

"Help? About what?"

"Well...there is this group of hackers that is trying to intrude into our network, possibly wanting to get sensitive data from our server. Perhaps, if you have contacts in China, you can help us identify or even stop them?"

"Anything for you," Bridget responded.