Chapter 4

Steel Coin clicked and clacked a few times, quickly disposing of the empty beer can Chen Xin left behind after drinking. He smacked his lips, looking unsatisfied.

Chen Xin, helpless, took ten coins out of his pocket and threw them on the table, yawned, and said, "Keep an eye on things for me. These ten yuan are for your midnight snack. Remember, no sneaking any!"

"Rest assured, with me around, no one will find us." Steel Coin's electronic eyes flickered, and his body made a grinding sound, a way for him to express excitement.

Then he swept his hand across the table, and the ten coins suddenly vanished. He pressed his other hand on the computer case, and his entire body melted like snow under the scorching sun, quickly merging with the computer.

The LCD screen gradually dimmed, and the sound of the computer's fan became inaudible.

Chen Xin waved his hand, already used to this scene, and walked straight to the bed, lying down stiffly.

What he didn't know was that the news bomb he had dropped had already attracted high-level attention from the state.

...

At 2:30 AM Beijing time, 3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Washington, White House.

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon Panetta, hurried into the President's office, approached Obama, and handed him a document, his expression grave. "Mr. President, I think we have a big problem."

If Chen Xin were present, he would have noticed that the document was the very post he had made on Super Base Camp about "Aurora."

Obama frowned slightly, took the document, and read it carefully. He knew very well that for someone of Panetta's stature to say "big problem" was already a clear indication of the severity of the situation.

Leon Panetta had served as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Chief of Staff to President Clinton during the Clinton era. As a senior figure within the Democratic Party, he was deeply trusted by Obama. In 2009, with Obama's strong support, Panetta, who lacked extensive intelligence experience, took control of the largest intelligence agency in the United States.

Panetta was very clear about what the leak of "Aurora" meant. Cold War, Iron Curtain, great power rivalry—Aurora could evoke many not-so-pleasant memories.

If it were just the Aurora aircraft itself that had been leaked, it wouldn't be a big deal. Most countries in the world knew of its existence, and at most, it would be a topic of conversation over tea and snacks.

The most critical part was the detailed list of flight missions in the post. The targets were not just China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, but even included allies like the UK, France, and Germany.

If the media were to sensationalize this, the questions from European countries alone would be enough to cause headaches for the United States.

More importantly, the relationship with China.

Just a week ago, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited China, during which China's first fourth-generation fighter, the J-20, made its maiden flight, causing a stir worldwide and giving Gates a taste of his own medicine.

Two days later, on January 18, the Chinese President Hu Jintao was scheduled to visit the United States for a three-day state visit.

Preparations for this visit had been extensive, and during the visit, the leaders of China and the United States would discuss issues such as the RMB exchange rate, the global economy, human rights, and the North Korean nuclear crisis.

The leak of the "Aurora" issue at this critical juncture was enough to draw serious attention from the Chinese side.

After a few minutes, Obama gently removed his glasses and set them aside, then looked up at Panetta and asked, "What is the likelihood of an internal leak?"

" Ninety percent."

"Are there any suspects?"

Panetta replied, "I have ordered the Operations Division to conduct a secret review of everyone who has had access to these documents, which will require the cooperation of NSA Director Alexander. Additionally, the counterintelligence team of Lockheed Martin has already begun a secret investigation of the Skunk Works."

"However, the server of the Super Base Camp military forum is located in Hong Kong, so we cannot obtain more information for the time being."

Obama nodded and said, "Notify the cabinet members. We will hold an emergency cabinet meeting in twenty minutes. Also, contact the Chinese side. I hope to speak with Mr. Hu after dinner."

...

At 2:00 AM Beijing time.

General Staff Department of the People's Liberation Army, Intelligence Department.

The meeting room was filled with smoke, and most of the attendees looked exhausted, but the atmosphere was intense.

The meeting recorder was furiously taking notes, recording every word spoken by the attendees.

"Everyone has read the report. Let's hear your thoughts," said a middle-aged man with the rank of a major general, wearing glasses and looking scholarly. No one would have guessed that this man, Peng Guochen, was the highest-ranking official in China's military intelligence.

The Director of the Intelligence Analysis Bureau, Shi Nansheng, a major, said, "Our experts have compared the content of the post with the information we have on 'Aurora.' The credibility of the post is over 95%. However, in the detailed list of flight missions, 'Aurora' has conducted 28 reconnaissance missions on our country, while we have only confirmed 17. The remaining 11 missions, five of which occurred between 1991 and 1995, two in 1998 and 2000, and the last four between 2007 and 2010, were not detected by us."

"According to our records, 'Aurora' was only detected twice between 2007 and 2010. We thought that with the deployment of our new anti-stealth meter-wave radar and the next-generation air defense system, the U.S. had deliberately reduced the frequency of 'Aurora' missions. Now it seems we were overconfident. If the content of the post is reliable, it means that American stealth technology has been further upgraded, and our current anti-stealth radar is not reliable. This is a point we need to take seriously."

Peng Guochen said, "Comrade Nansheng's opinion is good. I suggest you quickly organize the experts of the Intelligence Analysis Bureau to produce a more detailed and professional analysis report, which I will submit to the higher-ups."

Then, Peng Guochen turned to the Director of the Office of the Intelligence Department, Colonel Bai Jianguo, and said, "Comrade Jianguo, you are responsible for coordinating with the Technical Investigation Department to assist Comrade Nansheng in this task."

Bai Jianguo and Shi Nansheng both nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the door to the meeting room opened again, and the Director of the Confidentiality Bureau, Huang Haibo, hurried in, looking somewhat strange.

"Minister, this is a fax just sent by the Ministry of Public Security's Internet Monitoring Bureau. The post has been reprinted over 10,000 times, with over 100,000 views and more than 5,000 replies, half of which are from foreign IP addresses."

As he spoke, he distributed the documents to the heads of the various departments present.

Peng Guochen frowned and asked, "Hasn't the Internet Monitoring Bureau blocked it?"

Huang Haibo smiled bitterly and said, "That's the problem. The Internet Monitoring Bureau has already contacted the major forums and Baidu, but the forum administrators have all replied that they cannot delete or block the post. Other operations on the forum are normal. Baidu has also responded that the Baidu Tieba server is functioning normally, but all operations related to the post are ineffective. The management of Super Base Camp has also stated that they are powerless, as there is no information about the ID 'Wisdom Cube' on their server. More incredibly, when the management tried to disconnect the server from the internet or power, the forum still functioned normally. We have already sent technical personnel to Hong Kong to inspect the Super Base Camp server, and the results will be available after dawn."

The people in the room exchanged glances, looking as if they had seen a ghost.

...

At the same time, intelligence agencies in London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Moscow, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Jerusalem, and almost every country in the world were in a frenzy.

The media was even more frenzied.

Just a few hours later.

The New York Times published a photo of "Aurora" on its homepage, with the headline "The Ghost of the World, Made in America?"

The article not only reviewed the years of legends about "Aurora" and its reconnaissance activities in various countries but also highlighted that the initial intelligence came from the Super Base Camp military forum in China, suggesting a possible connection to the Chinese military.

Reuters published an analysis article stating that "Aurora's" reconnaissance activities in European allies could exacerbate distrust of the United States among European countries.

The Times pointed out that the exposure of the "Aurora" project opened an extraordinary window, making the public acutely aware of the threats posed by America's military technological superiority.

The British opposition Labour Party reacted swiftly, commenting on the "Aurora" news, calling the U.S. actions "disheartening." The shadow home secretary demanded that the government investigate the threat "Aurora" poses to the UK and demand a comprehensive explanation from the U.S.

On the other side of the Pacific, intelligence agencies in Australia and New Zealand, which share security information with the U.S., also faced questions from domestic media.

The Sydney Morning Herald argued that the U.S. flaunting its military capabilities had already caused widespread anger worldwide, and Australia should maintain a sufficient distance from the U.S.

The Russian newspaper Pravda stated that the U.S. using its high-tech advantage to invade other countries' airspace without restraint was a naked act of war and a significant provocation to world peace.

China's Global Times quickly reorganized its layout, placing the story on the front page, and claimed that the U.S. owed the world a reasonable explanation.

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