A TIRED NURSE KIDS HER BROTHER WHO DID NOTHING BUT STAY ON THE COMPUTER ALL DAY BECAUSE HE THINKS IT IS A BURDEN IN LIFE BUT IT IS TOO LATE WHEN SHE FINDS OUT THAT HER BROTHER IS THE “DARK KNIGHT” OF THE CYBER WORLD WHO HACKED THE SYNDICATE

Rhea was tired, sleepy, and her body was almost giving out when she returned to their small apartment in Caloocan. She was a head nurse at a public hospital that was currently losing money and was laying off employees. They had been three months behind on their salaries. Their refrigerator was empty, and their Meralco bill was red—a disconnection notice was coming next.

When she opened the door, what greeted her was the sound of a mechanical keyboard and the light of three monitors. Her brother, Jigs, was sitting there, wearing a headset, wearing a suit, and didn’t even look back when she entered.

“Brother, is there food?” Rhea asked, even though she knew the answer.

“No. Just buy it downstairs,” Jigs replied without taking her eyes off the screen. Her fingers moved quickly. Click. Clack. Click.

Rhea exploded. She dropped her bag.
“Buy it?! Where can I get money, Brother? I haven’t had a salary for three months! What are you doing? Dota? Valorant? You’ve been at home all day, you can’t even cook or clean! You’re using so much electricity playing games!”

Jigs stopped typing. She slowly turned around, her eyes with black circles around her eyes.

“Rhea, I’m working. Don’t disturb me for now, it’s almost here.”

“Work? Playing games, work?” Rhea shouted, tears already flowing from frustration.

“Stop giving me illusions, Kuya! You’ve been a ‘freelancer’ for years but I haven’t seen a single peso! It’s always just me! I’m the only one who supports us! I’m so tired! If you’re not going to help, just get out!”

Silence.

Jigs stared at him for a long time. There was no anger on his face, but pure sadness and worry. Jigs stood up, turned off his computer, and grabbed his duffel bag that seemed to always be at the ready.

“Okay,” Jigs said calmly.

“I’ll leave if that makes you feel better. I’m sorry, Rhea. I’m sorry if I was a burden.”

Jigs left that night. Rhea was left crying in the dark, regretting what she said but knowing she had to be practical. She couldn’t bring a dead man back to life.

The next day, Rhea went to the hospital with a heavy heart. She was expecting the termination letter due to the hospital’s bankruptcy. But when she entered the lobby, the employees were in a commotion. Some were shouting for joy, some were hugging each other.

“Ma’am Rhea!” a nursing aide greeted her.

“There’s a miracle! The funds! The funds stolen by the healthcare system syndicate have been returned!”

“What?” Rhea asked in surprise.

She looked at the TV in the waiting area. Breaking News.

“A massive cyber-attack was carried out against the offshore accounts of corrupt officials who stole billions in funds from PhilHealth and public hospitals. The said funds were mysteriously transferred back to the treasuries of the affected hospitals early this morning. The one behind the hacking? An anonymous group led by the legendary white-hat hacker known as ‘J-GIGS’.”

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original story

The hacker’s logo flashed on the screen: A black jigsaw puzzle piece.

Rhea froze. She recognized that logo very well. It was the sticker stuck to her brother’s CPU. It was the tattoo on Jigs’ arm.

“J-Gigs… Jigs…” Rhea whispered.

Suddenly her cellphone rang. Notification from the bank.

*You received PHP 500,000.00 from Account ***888.

Following this was an email from Jigs.

“Rhea,
You must have received your salary. It’s an advance. I’m sorry if I can’t tell you what I’m doing. It’s dangerous. The people I bump into are after me. That’s why I don’t leave the house, that’s why I’m always on guard in the system, because I’m watching the digital trail of those who stole your hospital funds. I worked for them for two years. Last night, when you kicked me out, that was the final decryption. I got the key. I got the money back.

Your job is safe. Your patients are safe. Don’t look for me anymore. I have to hide because they already know my IP address. Always be careful. I love you very much.

Kuya Jigs”

Rhea knelt in the middle of the hospital lobby. The doctors and nurses around her were celebrating because they now have their salaries and can buy medicine for the patients. Little did they know that the person who saved them was the “swallow” he had driven out of their own home.

Her brother’s “playing” turned out to be a war with the crocodiles of society. The “waste of electricity” was the cost of recovering billions of pesos for the nation.

Rhea ran home, hoping to catch up with the

brother. But when he arrived at the apartment, Jigs’ room was clean. The computer was gone. The equipment was gone.

The only thing left was a sticky note on the monitor screen that he hadn’t brought:
“I’m proud of you, Nurse Rhea. Keep saving lives. I’ll take care of the leeches.”

Rhea sobbed, hugging the keyboard her brother had left behind. It was too late to apologize, but she would look back on it with gratitude and pride for the rest of her life that her brother, who she thought was worthless, was actually the silent hero who saved not only her, but the entire country’s health system.

Disclaimer: The stories here are just fiction and not news. What’s important is the lesson and emotions that can happen to anyone. Thank you, SAY!