The Darkness Beneath the Lamp: I've Been Hiding for Three Years

At two in the morning, I found a line of code in the company system that should not have been there.

From that day on, I kept it hidden for three years.

By day, I was an ordinary programmer who squeezed onto the subway, ate in the company cafeteria, and got nagged by my mom to get married. At night, I followed the directions on a note folded into quarters and called a number I didn't dare save in my phone.

Then the assessment team moved into our office, and the woman sitting next door started asking me: Do you live far away? Have you ever mentored an intern?

I thought I'd hidden it well.

The moment the call connected, the voice on the other end said just one thing: We've been waiting three months for you to call.