NABC Chapter 18 Security Plan
Chapter 18 Security Plan
"After the meeting just ended, I received a message from President Zhou." Chen Mo paused, his tone calm and deliberate, "The group's senior management reviewed the data comparison of the two projects and decided to shorten the 'horse race' cycle."
Lin Shen felt a chill run down his spine.
"Project Light 1.0, originally scheduled to be officially completed on September 15th, is now being moved up to two weeks later, on September 1st," Chen Mo's voice was calm, but Lin Shen sensed the weight beneath that calm. "Both projects need to be reported to the group for final approval. Only one of Light and WeChat can be kept."
The air in the carriage seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Why the rush?" Lin Shen asked.
Chen Mo adjusted his glasses: "Because the outside world can't wait any longer. Mr. Zhang received information from reliable sources that Xiaomi is secretly developing a mobile communication software, internally codenamed 'MiTalk,' with the goal of releasing it before the end of the year to seize the mobile internet gateway."
He looked at Lin Shen, his eyes sharp: "Lei Jun is personally overseeing this project. You should know what that means—Xiaomi has a hardware entry point and a fan base. If they get started first..."
The rest was left unsaid, but Lin Shen understood: if Xiaomi seized the mobile IM market first, it would be much more costly for Tencent to enter later.
"So the group is in a hurry," Chen Mo continued. "Within a month, we must produce something convincing enough to prove that Light is the right path, and that it is faster and more accurate than micro-mail."
Lin Shen silently processed this information.
Within two weeks, Light needs to rapidly iterate from version 0.7 to 1.0, solving current problems, launching full group chat functionality, and ensuring that Light has its own unique features...
"And another thing," Chen Mo's voice deepened, "is that President Zhang said one last thing before he left."
Lin Shen looked up.
"He stood at the conference room door, glanced back at us, and said, 'Stop thinking about comparing yourself to WeChat. Your goal is to crush QQ.'" Chen Mo's gaze fell on Lin Shen's face, as if scrutinizing him, or perhaps waiting for his reaction.
Lin Shen was stunned.
Take down QQ?
This goal, which sounded almost arrogant, even "rebellious," in 2010, was spoken so calmly by Zhang Xiaolong and relayed so confidently by Chen Mo...
In an instant, countless fragments of memories from his past life surged forth: news headlines about WeChat surpassing QQ in user numbers, the shift in social focus from QQ Moments to QQ Space, the red envelope war that completely established the mobile payment landscape... those milestones that he had been unable to personally participate in as a user were, in fact, thrown out so bluntly on such a summer afternoon in his initial ambition.
It wasn't about surpassing a competitor from the same period, or winning an internal race; it was about drawing the finish line at the foot of the giant tower called "QQ," which had almost dominated China's internet social networking for a decade, from the very beginning.
Lin Shen felt something in his chest suddenly ignite.
It wasn't fear, nor doubt, but a kind of excitement that bordered on trembling.
It turned out to be the case.
It turns out that Zhang Xiaolong's chessboard was set up this big from the very beginning.
The "horse race" between WeChat and Light may not just be an internal struggle over development paths, but also a validation of two different approaches to the ultimate question of "how to challenge QQ". WeChat may focus more on feature completeness and continuity, while Light... was endowed from the beginning with the genes of "lightweight, fast, and innovative experience", which is precisely the key to disrupting the giants of the PC era in the mobile Internet era.
Do you admire Zhang Xiaolong?
Somewhat.
To be able to see the outline of the future battlefield so clearly at this point in time, and to point the gun at the strongest enemy without hesitation, such vision and courage are enough to earn anyone's respect.
But more than anything, it was a burning fighting spirit awakened from the depths of one's soul.
This time, Lin Shen was involved!
Moreover, he wants WeChat to pave the way for him, so that he can also move closer to the top of the Internet!
Lin Shen slowly raised his head, meeting Chen Mo's scrutinizing gaze. The initial surprise on his face had vanished, replaced by a calm yet unusually bright sharpness, and a faint, almost provocative smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Teacher Chen," his voice was steady, yet it seemed to carry the clang of metal clashing, "in two weeks, from 0.7 to 1.0, which can prove to the group that 'Light can take this path,' it's difficult, but not impossible."
He paused, revealing his ambition for the first time.
"Since the goal is to 'defeat QQ,' we can't just make a 'better micro-mail' or a 'mobile version that's more like QQ. Light 1.0 must make everyone see at a glance what the communication methods of the mobile era should be, and what new experiences QQ can't provide."
"I'm really looking forward to this battle."
Chen Mo looked at the flames burning in Lin Shen's eyes, flames that were fearless and even full of longing. He remained silent for a moment, and finally, a barely perceptible, sharp curve, typical of a technologist facing an extreme challenge, flashed across his usually serious face.
"Okay." He said only one word, then looked back at the scenery rushing past the car window.
The high-speed train arrived at Shenzhen North Station.
Before leaving the station, Chen Mo patted Lin Shen on the shoulder: "Have a good rest this weekend. Starting next Monday, there will be no more weekends."
The two parted ways at the station.
Lin Shen returned to his rented room alone; it was already late at night.
He thought a lot on the way, about the cruel race against time, against his opponents, and against himself.
He knew that a job and a system for slacking off alone were not enough to give him the confidence to face all uncertainties.
He needs a "safety rope," a safety net that will support him regardless of whether his career succeeds or fails.
Now, he wanted to do something practical. He turned on his computer and logged into Mt.Gox, a trading platform he had quietly researched and registered for in recent weeks.
This is the most direct channel he currently has access to convert real funds into some kind of "future certificate".
Bitcoin.
For the past three weeks, besides fully immersing himself in the Light project, he has been calmly planning this with the money he brought from home. This is not speculation, nor is it the core of his plan to be reborn and become wealthy. In his view, this is a "strategic reserve" prepared for extreme situations, a seed planted in the future timeline, intended to secure a crucial choice for himself or someone he cares about when necessary.
Currently, he has 5.9 yuan in cash available for him.
He decided to allocate 2 yuan of it to implement this "protection plan".
After undergoing a pre-arranged identity verification and cross-border transfer process, he exchanged 2 yuan for nearly 2940 US dollars.
Instead of chasing any fluctuations, he strictly followed his plan, calmly building his position in batches over the next few trading sessions. He first bought 12,000 units at $0.078; when the price fell back to $0.075, he increased his purchase by 15,000 units; subsequently, he bought another 8,219 units at $0.073 and 3,843 units at $0.071.
Ultimately, the four transactions resulted in the purchase of a total of 39,062 bitcoins, with an average cost of approximately $0.0746 and a total expenditure of $2934. Combined with the dozens purchased during the earlier testing phase, his total bitcoin holdings have firmly surpassed the 39,000 mark.
The moment the transaction was completed, Lin Shen didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately initiated the withdrawal process, transferring the coins to his five offline wallets.
He then sealed the handwritten private key and mnemonic phrase separately and hid them in an absolutely secure place known only to himself.
Then, he completely cleared all browsing history, cache, and temporary files related to the trading platform and wallet generation on his computer, leaving only a clean blockchain browser bookmark on his hard drive—that would be the only window through which he would occasionally "check" whether the guarantee fund still existed for the next few years.
After doing all this, he turned off the computer, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
-----------------
Monday morning at 8:00 AM, 16th floor, Building C, Kexing Science Park.
The Light project team's office area was filled with an atmosphere unlike any other. The air conditioning was on full blast, but it couldn't dispel the tense feeling in the air. The once glaring "99" on the whiteboard had been erased and replaced with a new number—"15".
Zhou Botao stood in front of the whiteboard, his hands resting on the table, his gaze sweeping over the twenty-odd people sitting around him. Everyone had a computer in front of them, but no one looked down.
"I saw it all," Zhou Botao said, his voice not loud, but each word clear. "Fifteen days. Today is the first day."
He picked up a marker and drew a timeline on the whiteboard.
"Within 0-4 days, the core functions of the group chat in version 0.8 must be developed and the Light0.8 iteration completed."
"Version 0.9 will be completed in 5-9 days."
"Version 10 will be launched in 1.0-13 days, followed by two days of testing."
"Day 15, preparing for the final report."
Someone took a soft breath.
"I know this sounds like a fantasy," Zhou Botao continued, his tone calm to the point of being cold. "But this is the time set by President Zhang, and it's also the final time for the group's race. In fifteen days, either Light will survive, or all of us, including me, will pack up and go to other projects, or leave Tencent."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"So, starting today, there are no weekends, no fixed off-get off work hours. In emergencies, working through the night is the norm." Zhou Botao's gaze swept across everyone's faces. "If anyone's health can't keep up, or if there are special circumstances at home, let us know now, and we can transfer to another project team. I won't hold grudges, and I won't stop them."
The office was silent. The only sound was the continuous hum of the air conditioner vents.
A few seconds later, someone raised their hand—it was a girl from the testing group, her face a little pale: "Teacher Zhou, I... I really have some family matters to attend to, maybe..."
"Okay." Zhou Botao nodded. "Find Li Ting to handle the formalities after the meeting."
Two more people raised their hands.
Zhou Botao agreed to each one, his face expressionless.
Lin Shen sat quietly by the window, watching this scene.
He knew Zhou Botao was screening people—selecting those truly willing to fight to the death. Startup teams, especially in life-or-death situations, need someone with the guts to go all out.
"Anything else?" Zhou Botao waited for ten seconds. "Okay, for the rest, I'll take it as you accepting these conditions."
He turned around and wrote a few large characters on the whiteboard:
"Fifteen days, three versions, success or failure!"
Zhou Botao looked at Chen Mo: "Chen Mo, is there anything you want to emphasize regarding the technical aspects?"
Chen Mo stood up and walked to the whiteboard: "Since the timeline is fixed, here are a few technical red lines: First, all code must pass automated testing; second, progress must be synchronized by 10 PM every night; third, any blocking issues must be reported immediately, and don't try to handle them yourself for more than two hours. We can't afford to lose time."
Zhou Botao nodded: "Okay, let's begin the 0.8 version planning meeting now. Attendees, please stay; everyone else, the meeting is adjourned, and you'll get to work immediately."
The planning process will proceed rapidly under the direction of product manager Li Ting.
Zhou Botao sat at the head of the long table, with Chen Mo and Li Ting on his left and right, respectively, and the rest of the people sat in order.
"Time is short, let's get straight to the point," Zhou Botao began. "The core of version 0.8 is group chat. Li Ting, you first tell us about the product requirements and expectations."
Li Ting pulled up the projector and showed a prototype of the group chat: "Based on user research and competitor analysis, the basic functional framework of the group chat has been determined: group creation, member management, message sending and receiving, and history. But if we only do these, there is no essential difference between us and WeChat."
She paused for a moment: "I need a differentiating feature to make beta testers feel that Light's group chat is more user-friendly."
Zhou Botao looked at Chen Mo: "Chen Mo, what are the technical thoughts?"
Chen Mo did not answer directly. His gaze swept over the technical backbone present and finally stopped on Lin Shen: "Lin Shen, you mentioned some thoughts on group chat to me yesterday. Tell me about them."
Lin Shen gathered his thoughts and said, "I've looked at the prototype; the basic functions are complete." His tone was calm. "But I'm wondering, what's the fundamental difference between group chat and one-on-one chat?"
He stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and drew two simple diagrams: "One-on-one chat is one-to-one communication, and information is delivered accurately and directly. Group chat is one-to-many, but information is easily lost in the crowd—this is the core pain point of group chat."
"Therefore," Lin Shen turned to face the group, "the key design focus of group chats should be solving the problem of 'how information can efficiently reach the people who need it.' The current design simply extends the mechanism of one-on-one chat and doesn't address the unique pain points of group chats."
Li Ting pressed further: "What specific pain point are you referring to?"
"I've got two ideas," Lin Shen wrote down the keywords on the whiteboard. "First, how do we ensure that important information is seen by everyone? For example, when the group admin announces meeting times or releases important documents. Second, what if a message is sent to the wrong person? Sending the wrong message in a one-on-one chat might just be embarrassing; sending the wrong message in a group chat—especially a large one—could be a social disaster."
He looked at Zhou Botao and Chen Mo: "So I suggest adding two features to the basic group chat function, and the second feature can be directly applied to one-on-one chat."
Zhou Botao: "To be specific."
"First, the @everyone function," Lin Shen explained in detail. "Group owners and administrators can send a special message that is forcibly pushed to all members, and there will be a special reminder in the client, so that important information will not be buried in casual chat."
"Second, message recall," he continued. "Senders can recall sent messages within a short period of time. This is not only an error correction mechanism but also a form of social protection—avoiding irreversible consequences caused by accidental or impulsive statements."
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.
Zhou Botao looked at Chen Mo: "Chen Mo, how about we assess the feasibility from a technical perspective?"
Chen Mo frowned in thought: "@Everyone requires special server-side handling, and message recall needs to ensure end-to-end synchronization... The technical complexity is quite high. Lin Shen, since you've brought it up, could you explain the technical solution in detail?"
"Technically feasible." Lin Shen returned to his seat and quickly organized his thoughts. "@Everyone can be designed as a special message type, which the server will recognize and force push. Message recall is essentially a 'delete command,' requiring collaboration between the client and server to ensure that all devices can delete it synchronously within the time window."
Wang Hao, the team leader of the backend team, raised a key question: "How do we solve the time synchronization problem? What if A retracts the message, but B's phone wasn't connected to the internet at the time and only received the message later?"
"We can add a 'recall flag' and the original message ID to the message protocol." Lin Shen had clearly already considered this issue. "If the client receives the recall command and the message still exists locally, it can be deleted; if the original message hasn't been received yet, the recall command can be ignored. This ensures eventual consistency."
Chen Mo tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a habit he had when deep in thought.
Zhou Botao turned to Li Ting: "What about the product's value? Do users need these two features?"
Li Ting quickly flipped through the research report in her hand: "The pain points of group chats are indeed information overload and sending wrong messages. In our previous small-scale survey, some users mentioned similar needs. More importantly," she looked up, "WeChat doesn't have a similar design, which is our opportunity for differentiation."
Zhou Botao paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, before finally making a decision: "Okay, add it as a differentiating feature. But time is tight, who will be in charge?"
Lin Shen raised his hand again: "If everyone trusts me, I can be responsible for the design and core code implementation of these two functions. I am quite familiar with message protocols and state synchronization."
Zhou Botao looked at Lin Shen for two seconds, then nodded: "Okay, you'll be in charge." He turned to Chen Mo, "Chen Mo, as the technical lead, you keep an eye on things. Lin Shen, you report the progress directly to Chen Mo."
Next, Zhou Botao clarified the division of labor: "Wang Hao is responsible for the backend message routing transformation, Zhang Wei is responsible for the client group chat UI and basic framework, and everyone else shall perform their respective duties. Meeting adjourned."