Chapter 346

Chapter 346: The Lingering Information Network: The Truth

“An intermediary?” Lin Mo seemed a bit confused. He knew about representatives called "agents" in war-torn areas, but he hadn’t heard of "intermediaries."

“That’s right. This isn’t a formal task; we simply want to express our goodwill and offer you some help in hopes of gaining your friendship.”

“Friendship? Just like that?”

Flattery without reason is suspicious, Lin Mo was no fool.

“Yes, just that. If you could help us with some minor, unimportant tasks at the right time, of course, as long as it doesn’t violate your principles.” Hansen Netskov had carefully prepared for this conversation and took a paper box handed over by Okinets Ivan. “This contains items from ‘Caviar.’ Every comrade who fought alongside him will receive one, not just you; others will get theirs through different channels.”

“What is it?” Lin Mo took the thin small leather box.

The watch indicated there was nothing particularly dangerous. To deal with non-metallic explosives, the watch was equipped with an electronic scent sensor, sensitive enough to detect things at levels beyond 500 times that of a dog’s nose. The Gold Coin had put in a lot of effort to protect both itself and Lin Mo, just in case.

“Open it and see. Don’t worry, it’s safe.”

Hansen Netskov smiled slightly.

“How is ‘Caviar’? I heard he went to Syria for a gig last time.” Lin Mo opened the box and found several small boxes inside, along with a pile of documents that seemed to be in Russian.

What are these? Lin Mo blinked. Wasn’t this supposed to be from Caviar? He remembered this Old Russian loved to give out his own Caviar, claiming it was for sharing good things.

“‘Caviar’ is dead!”

“Dead?” Lin Mo’s hand paused as he opened one of the small boxes, which contained a Military Medal.

Giving away his own Military Medal seemed a bit wrong. Hansen’s words hinted at something ominous.

“Yes, in Syria, he helped the government forces encircle the rebel troops, and was shot down by several shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles from the Syrian Freedom Army’s child soldiers, without even a chance to parachute.”

“I see…” Lin Mo looked at what he held; it seemed to be a relic of the Old Russian ‘Caviar.’ His feelings were mixed. A man who always laughed and acted like a big child was now gone. He remembered how this guy had mentioned going to Syria for work, even expressing hopes that Lin Mo could help him make some extra money.

“Yes, according to his will, shares from a Caviar production factory will be split and gifted along with his Military Medal to those who fought beside him. Basically, anyone he recognized will receive such a gift. By the way, his Caucasus Caviar factory is located in Saratov. Once you sign the agreement, you can own 5% of the factory’s shares. The factory operates well, has no debts, and is managed by professional managers, so there’s no need to worry about management issues.”

Hansen Netskov dutifully played the role of a professional “courier,” detailing the contents of the box.

This “Caviar!”

So, the little gifts he frequently distributed were products from his own factory. No wonder he was so generous! Even in death, he didn’t forget to share his things. It seemed his love for Caviar was truly ingrained. Why enjoy it alone when others could join in? This guy was hopeless.

Inside the box was a set of legal documents and notarized papers, involving a series of legal relationships. However, Lin Mo couldn’t sign them on the spot since the documents required his personal identification name and number to be effective.

He hoped these weren’t fake; nobody would joke about such things.

But Lin Mo wasn’t foolish; he wouldn’t naively sign anything without caution. That would mean selling himself while paying others.

“Alright! I’ll take it! Thank you, Mr. Hansen!” Lin Mo lost interest in rifling through the box. He planned to hand it over to his superiors to deal with. A stake in a Caviar factory was nothing significant in his eyes. However, the Old Russian’s way of doing things baffled him profoundly, leaving him speechless. Even with God, he wouldn’t forget to check on people.

“Then I’m relieved! I was a high school classmate of ‘Caviar.’ After graduation, he joined the air force, while I was selected for the intelligence department.” Hansen relaxed a bit after completing his task, not minding to reveal some of his personal information, as his job was semi-public and easy to investigate. Moreover, it helped establish a connection with Lin Mo through ‘Caviar.’

“Let’s talk about business.” Lin Mo understood their approach was not merely about delivering the Old Russian ‘Caviar’ inheritance.

“No, it’s not really business. I’ve completed my main task, but I have some news I think you might be interested in, and it’s related to you.” Hansen Netskov smiled mysteriously.

“What is it?”

It seemed he was about to share some intelligence, and Lin Mo had no intention of walking away.

Hansen Netskov cautiously glanced around. Okinets and the others moved into three positions surrounding Lin Mo and Hansen, turning their backs to shield their discussion, while simultaneously pulling out a white cylindrical device and pressing a button on top.

A slight, unusual wave seemed to fill the air from three directions simultaneously.

“An acoustic wave generator with a low-power electromagnetic interference device, mainly used to prevent long-distance eavesdropping. It should be a specialized shield.” The watch immediately recognized this abnormal state. Although the database didn’t have a record for such a specialized spy device, the gold giant dragon’s sensitivity to electronics quickly identified it and added it to the database.

Each component had a database chip that kept updated synchronization with the Gold Coin’s main data. Although the Gold Coin currently had only one component, this instinct combined with the technological civilization of this world made it increasingly powerful and full of potential for infinite development.

Seeing Lin Mo’s silence, Hansen Netskov slowly continued, “If I’m not mistaken, you recently engaged in a skirmish with an unmanned combat aircraft over the South China Sea, right?”

Lin Mo’s pupils contracted slightly, a change that Hansen Netskov’s sharp eyes quickly caught, revealing a hint of excitement.

“How so?” Lin Mo neither confirmed nor denied it. The distinction didn’t matter much. A seasoned intelligence analyst didn’t need concrete evidence to draw very close conclusions to the truth.

“You should understand that it’s not just America that has the ‘Echelon’ global electronic surveillance system; we in Russia also have it, and China has it too.” Hansen Netskov explained deliberately.

Lin Mo nodded. Which country lacked a backup? That would be the oddity. Common folks didn’t usually come into contact with such things. Many civilians in his homeland still believed they were always bullied by foreigners, unaware of the many hidden precautions the military had set up.

The “Echelon” global electronic surveillance system is an interception network set up by the NSA involving dozens of large ground receiving stations in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, utilizing 120 satellites to intercept satellite communication information.

The entire system has two data centers located in the US and the UK, intercepting vast amounts of information transmitted via communication tools such as phones, cell phones, fax machines, and computers. When specific “key terms of interest” appear during a conversation, these electronic “big ears” automatically record the call and pass the important parts to intelligence personnel for deeper analysis.

It is said that the “Echelon” computers filter through a vast amount of international mobile communication data daily.

The core locations of the “Echelon” system are at the Sugar Grove base in West Virginia and the Yakima base in Washington, where ground stations are set up.

These two secret ground stations, fully controlled by the NSA, each have specific roles.

The Sugar Grove ground station is responsible for intercepting signals from international communication satellites, making it possible to intercept phone communications from 134 countries through international communication satellites worldwide. This station hosts the most secretive electronic intelligence gathering units of the US Air Force and Navy—the US Air Force’s 544th Intelligence Squadron and the Naval Security Group.

In addition to “Echelon,” there are also specialized electronic reconnaissance satellites in the sky for monitoring phones.

For instance, the NSA’s stationary electronic reconnaissance satellite “Orion” hovers above the western Pacific, continuously intercepting communications signals from Asian countries to provide political, military, and other information, with data considered more valuable than reconnaissance images.

The latest generation of electronic reconnaissance satellites combines communication intelligence with electronic signal reconnaissance, intercepting radio and mobile phone communications, monitoring electromagnetic signals, and relaying them back to ground listening stations. Distributed listening stations worldwide then transmit electromagnetic signals to massive computers in the US for analysis.

In the Afghan War, the US used such electronic reconnaissance satellites to gather information on the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Out of fear of being monitored, it’s reported that Osama bin Laden avoided using phones.

In the late 1970s, Hong Kong, under British colonial rule and adjacent to the mainland, became an “ideal base” for the US and UK’s “Echelon” system to monitor mainland China.

A listening station set up in Little Sai Wan, Eastern Hong Kong, became a hub for intercepting international communications across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Older residents nearby have described that the listening station in Little Sai Wan was heavily guarded, manned by non-Chinese British soldiers and military police, and equipped with steel doors several centimeters thick. To prevent the PLA from storming Hong Kong, the British installed a locking system that allowed them to lock themselves inside in case of enemy encirclement, buying time to destroy decoders and other secrets to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.

Since Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, the UK and the US closed the receiving station in 1994, and all personnel left Hong Kong in November 1994.