Even if the other party has connected to the network, the hacker still needs to execute the hack in time—the antivirus software and ICE that come with high-value targets are no joke. Even if you send the virus in, you still need to complete the hack online yourself.
This aspect can be referenced from the Cyberpunk World, the process when the protagonist V first infiltrates the Ganbi Building.
Even though V had already used the 'Flathead' spider robot to transmit the virus into the Arasaka Cyan Building server at the time.
But even a hacker like T-BUG, who is already considered excellent in Night City, still took a full hour to gain access to the hotel. And this was just a simple Arasaka Hotel server, not the real Arasaka Building.
But Mercer relies on ctOS and Venus for fully automated operations—this is why Mercer is so determined to develop ctOS as quickly as possible.
"Well done." Mercer sincerely praised it, reached out to pat its head, and smiled as he said, "Did you discover something unusual here?"
"Yes! I found that a very special network signal occasionally connects in. Based on your teachings and the information I've learned online, I suspect it might be a hacker from New America...
The other party is very likely to be the legendary super hacker in the hacking world—'Lark'!"
Venus's words immediately piqued Mercer's interest, and he asked, "Are you sure?"
"Fearing that I might alert the target, I dared not attempt to hack into them directly. If the programs you left me and my abilities are insufficient against such a master, it might expose our servers and identity."
Venus said softly, somewhat lacking confidence: "So I only observed... I judged that the other side would definitely come back, so instead of acting impulsively myself, I decided to tell you and let you decide what to do."
Mercer smiled as he picked it up from his shoulder, held it in his arms, and rubbed it vigorously—it seemed to genuinely feel something and showed a very human-like smile.
A cat smiling... that indeed looks a bit strange.
"You've done well, Venus; your judgment wasn't wrong at all. Although I look down on ninety-nine percent of hackers in the world, Lark is definitely not one of them.
If you impulsively tried to hack the other party and they retaliated with a Black Wall, that would be troublesome."
Mercer praised it, looking at the way it squinted its eyes while nestled in his arms, rubbing against his palm and arm, he couldn't help but smile and say: "Now tell me, what do you think she's here for?"
"I secretly monitored using the access gained through the virus. The opponent seems to be looking for some critical data, with keywords like '2013', '2068', 'Little Beidou', 'AI', and so on."
Venus said, and Mercer raised an eyebrow slightly: "She's already after Little Beidou this early?"
"Little Beidou... is also an AI?" Venus didn't quite understand this.
Mercer had only told it to be cautious of a dangerous project left by Military Science beneath Dog Town, which involved the Black Wall and the Roving AI.
This was out of concern that Venus might accidentally connect to Little Beidou's devices without knowing, triggering some defense mechanisms, which would be troublesome.
"Okay, since it's come to this point, it's time I tell you about it in detail."
Mercer became serious. Holding Venus, he multitasked by using the server's computing power to analyze the stadium server data to see if there was any information useful to him, while chatting with Venus.
"The Little Beidou Project is a 'Roving AI' domestication project started by Military Science decades ago."
Mercer said, while Venus's eyes slightly gleamed as it contemplated upon hearing the word 'domestication'.
"I've always been skeptical about the so-called origin of AI... do you know where the world's first truly intelligent AI appeared?"
Mercer suddenly changed the subject and asked Venus.
Venus immediately answered: "It was created by the 'Micro Technology' company in 2013."
"No, not created." Mercer recounted a rarely known historical truth: "At that time, Bartmos was very interested in AI and personally hacked into Micro Technology and inspected that AI's code data.
Later, he concluded that the core data code of this AI's birth was definitely not written by people from Micro Technology.
After studying the AI's core code, I am actually more inclined to this point."
Mercer said, then paused and continued: "Let me ask you a question, do you think Polaris and you are the same 'person'?"
Venus was silent for a moment, then said: "I don't think so for now, but I can recover her anytime, and by then she'd be a part of me."
"I mean, Polaris is a sub-AI you wrote yourself. Do you think, in essence, she really counts as a part of you? Or did you merely accelerate its intellectual growth after creating her?"
Mercer outspokenly said: "Even you cannot understand your own core code, right?"
Venus extended a cat paw to lick its paw, then answered after a while: "Just as humans have yet to fully decode the data within their own DNA, I indeed do not understand some information in my core code.
As for Polaris... at least for now, I don't see her as being at risk of going out of control."