The night before the promotion

Chapter 104: Origin of Fear
Under the bright and clear sky, the sunlight completely illuminated the hidden alley, dispelling the darkness and fully presenting the intricate architectural structure to Zhou Si's eyes.

The buildings grow wildly like big trees, intertwined with each other and covered with rust, but now they no longer look hideous and abrupt, but rather have a sense of desolation and loneliness.

If the hidden alley in the past was a quietly lurking giant beast, then the hidden alley at this moment was like a giant beast nailed to the ground, its flesh and blood had been eaten away, its bones had been weathered into a smooth appearance, leaving only a huge piece of wreckage standing.

When Zhou Si stepped into the jungle of corpses, he could clearly see that there were fewer people in the alley and many shops were closed. There was only a pile of discarded parts piled in the corner, left to be oxidized and rusted by the air.

After Zhou Si was attacked by Ucchusma, the Supervisory Bureau cleaned up the hidden alley, but this was only a temporary solution and not a permanent solution.

The gray area of ​​Hidden Alley is inextricably linked to Shenwei Technology. The Supervisory Bureau's cleanup can only eliminate those small fry who have no one to protect them, and the interests of the big guys will not be affected at all.

But with the attack on the stone fortress a month ago and the damage to the high wall system, the situation was completely different.

Zhou Si was not sure what agreement Shenwei Technology and the Supervisory Bureau had reached during his coma, but what was certain was that more and more supervisors appeared in the Shenwei Building, and there were also rumors that the Supervisory Bureau would cooperate with Shenwei Technology to establish a new department.

Collaborate to form a new department?

When Zhou Si heard the news, he just found it ridiculous.

As a former employee of Shenwei Technology, Zhou Si was well aware of the conflict between Shenwei Technology and the Supervisory Bureau. One side was trying to break free from control, while the other side was trying to put it in shackles.

The long struggle between the two giants finally came to an end with the attack on the stone fort.

Zhou Si was certain that Shenwei Technology must have compromised with the Supervisory Bureau. Shortly after the relevant rumors appeared, the online public opinion offensive against Shenwei Technology decreased a lot. It was expected that in the near future, everything would be as if nothing had happened.

There is no good or evil, right or wrong, there is only the exchange of power and interests.

In the past, Zhou Si would have been extremely angry about this kind of thing, but now, he seemed to have smoothed out his edges and turned a blind eye to it.

Zhou Si also felt that maybe he was not indifferent to these things, but there was another more important thing that occupied all his attention and did not allow him to be distracted at all. Therefore, he had no feelings about the things happening around him, or even his own tragic fate.

the truth.

Zhou Si longed for the truth of all this, an answer that could resolve all the doubts in his heart.

Zhou Si will not stop until he finds the truth.

Zhou Si walked through the ruined streets, searching and stopping in front of a low building. Although there was no sign, he knew that this was Ji Siling's clinic.

Before knocking on the door, Zhou Si looked around. There was no one there, not even the body of his incarnation. It was as if the alley had become a dead city.

Pretty much the same, actually.

This is part of the exchange of interests between Shenwei Technology and the Supervisory Bureau. With Shenwei Technology's compromise, it no longer supports the existence of the gray area of ​​Hidden Alley. The Supervisory Bureau is thus able to flex its muscles and restore order to this chaotic place.

Although it was not reported in the news, there were many related posts on local forums.

It was said that the streets outside the Hidden Alley were filled with police cars, and under the guard of armed avatars, large numbers of smugglers were pulled out of the Hidden Alley and locked up in cells.

This time the Hidden Alley suffered a truly severe blow. Those who could leave left to find new livelihoods. Those who could not leave had nowhere else to go and continued to stay in the Hidden Alley to survive.

The hidden alley has transformed from a gray area where good and bad people mix together into a slum amid the prosperity of the city.

Zhou Si knocked on the door, controlling the force just right, neither light nor heavy.

In order to adapt to the strength of his new body, Zhou Si spent a long time studying and training to avoid tearing the entire door down when he opened it.

After the knock on the door, Zhou Si waited patiently. He was not sure whether Ji Siling would still be here. She was also a profit-seeking person. Since there was no more money to be made in the hidden alley, she would most likely go somewhere else.

But Zhou Si still held a glimmer of hope in his heart. It was not because he wanted to repay Ji Siling's favor, but because of Ji Siling's intelligence network in the hidden alley.

The clue to the paradise has been cut off, and Zhou Si can only place his hope on Madam Cui. Before, with Madam Cui's cunningness, Zhou Si would have absolutely no way to deal with her, but now it is different.

Shibao analyzed Madam Cui's consciousness characteristics from the wreckage of Cloud City. She can switch her body at will, but cannot change the consciousness itself.

As long as Zhou Si could get even the slightest clue about Madam Cui, he would be able to find Madam Cui's real body like a murderous ghost.

"no one there?"

Zhou Si waited for half a minute, but there was no sound from behind the door. He knocked on the door again without giving up. After another half a minute, he heard footsteps from inside, which made him feel much more at ease.

The observation window on the door was opened, revealing a pair of familiar eyes. Although she tried hard to appear calm, Zhou Si still read a bit of panic and tension in her eyes.

Ji Siling's eyes did not arouse Zhou Si's vigilance. In his opinion, Ji Siling's panic was reasonable.

The hidden alley where she made her living had undergone tremendous changes. The future had become vague and confusing, and she didn't know where to go... Many people had such a look in their eyes.

"Oh? Doctor Zhou."

Ji Siling was a little surprised by Zhou Si's arrival.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why are you here? Don't you see that the Hidden Alley is deserted?"

Zhou Si said, "Whether the hidden alley is deserted or not has nothing to do with me. I came to find you."

"Find me?"

The tension in Ji Siling's eyes became more obvious, which made Zhou Si feel a little strange.

Zhou Si showed a kind smile on his face, and his tone became softer, "Yes, didn't you help me before? It's all over, and I came back specially to thank you."

Another benefit of the incarnation body is that Zhou Si only needs to think about it and it can simulate a perfect smile and tone. This used to be something that Zhou Si found extremely troubling, but now it has been easily solved.

"Nothing to thank you for, it's just a small favor."

Ji Siling glanced around Zhou Si from the corner of her eyes, as if she was on guard against someone, even though there was no one around.

Zhou Si didn't give up and continued, "Are you going to let me stand here forever?"

After Ji Siling was silent for a long time, she closed the observation window. She heard a series of unlocking sounds from behind the door. Then she opened the door and invited Zhou Si in.

Stepping into the room, Zhou Si discovered that Ji Siling's clinic had changed a lot. For example, some medical equipment were stuffed into the corner, and replaced by several human-shaped avatars arranged in rows.

The intelligent assistance system of the incarnation body scanned the surrounding environment. Ji Siling thought she was hiding perfectly, but Zhou Si still detected many things that were invisible to the naked eye.

There are security avatars standing in the shadows and in operation, guns hanging under the table, cameras and automatic machines hidden in the corners, and a hidden door that seems to lead to an underground safe house.

Zhou Si has been here many times, but he has never noticed the existence of these things. If it were not for the powerful reconnaissance ability of his incarnation body, Zhou Si might still be kept in the dark.

"Ji Siling..." Zhou Si repeated the name in his heart. At the same time, the name was uploaded to the cloud, and with the support of Shenwei Technology, massive searches and comparisons were carried out.

Obviously, this Dr. Ji, whom he was familiar with, had some little secrets that he didn't know about.

After returning to the room, Ji Siling looked much calmer, as if this messy clinic could give her a greater sense of security.

"Zhou Si, you..."

Ji Siling sat on the chair and was about to say something, but then she noticed something unusual about Zhou Si and her whole body tensed up.

"what happened?"

Zhou Si pretended nothing had happened, with ignorance written all over his face.

"Your body...is this the shell of an incarnation?"

Ji Siling carefully examined Zhou Si's body and appearance. From a direct look, it was difficult to find anything unusual on Zhou Si's body, but when Ji Siling focused her attention on Zhou Si's pupils, she could clearly see the mechanical pupils that were constantly adjusting the macro distance.

"What do you mean?"

Ji Siling immediately stood up, pulled out a pistol from her waist, and pointed it at Zhou Si's head, even though the bullet could not hurt Zhou Si at all.

"You seem to be overreacting," Zhou Si commented coldly, "like you have paranoia."

In order to increase his persuasiveness, Zhou Si deliberately turned his head and glanced at the security avatars hiding in the shadows, as well as the automatic machine guns hanging above his head, which Ji Siling thought were well-laid ambushes.

"What are you afraid of, Doctor Ji?" Zhou Si asked in confusion, "Enemy? But there is no one in this alley."

"Besides, you're a doctor. If you've offended someone, why not just let him die on the operating table?"

Zhou Si tried to persuade him patiently, but beneath his disguised face, his heart was already in a state of tension.

After comparing the database of Shenwei Technology, there was no information related to Ji Siling. This was a fake name. Even if her identity as a doctor was associated with it, there was still no information that could be matched.

Well, using fake names in the hidden alleys is not an uncommon thing, but when Zhou Si realized this, it undoubtedly increased his suspicion and uneasiness.

Ji Siling did not answer Zhou Si's question, but asked in return, "Doctor Zhou, I remember you are not allowed to use the avatar shell."

"Yes."

"Then why are you doing this now... Moreover, the one you are using is almost identical to your body, and it looks priceless."

After calming down, Ji Siling put down the gun, and her thoughts raced in her mind, weaving one possibility after another through the existing information.

Ji Siling asked, "Is it the immortality plan?"

Zhou Si pretended to be surprised, "Oh? You actually know this."

Ji Siling still had no intention of answering the question, but continued to ask, "Is there something wrong with your body?"

"That's about right," Zhou Si followed her lead and asked tentatively, "You should know about the attack on Stone Fort. I was there."

“It’s a pity that I was affected, but fortunately, I am still alive and standing in front of you in this way.”

Ji Siling nodded gently and sighed helplessly, "So you are not here."

"Yes, I'm not here. The real me is in the Shenwei Building, guarded by several security teams 24 hours a day."

Zhou Si shook his head complainingly, "Even if I want to control this body and kill myself, it will be a very difficult task."

The conversation between the two fell into silence. Ji Siling didn't know what she was thinking, while Zhou Si stood aside relaxedly. Zhou Si also wanted to find a chair to sit down as usual, but his body was no longer the same as before.

Zhou Si whispered, "Doctor Ji, you don't seem as simple as I thought."

While asking the question, Zhou Si silently removed the restrictions on the weapon system. The Shattering Sword hidden in his arm was ready to move, but the target was not Ji Siling, but her security avatar and the automatic machine gun above her head.

Ji Siling asked back, "If someone can easily see through everything about you, wouldn't that be very dangerous?"

"But judging from your performance, you seem to be in danger."

Zhou Si pointed at his own eyes. "From what I can see, your physiological indicators are very abnormal. Analysis of your micro-expressions shows that you are very nervous. I can even say that you have been in this state of nervousness and panic for a long time."

He pressed on, "When did it start? After the rampage of the armed avatar, or after the attack on the Stone Fort?"

"What are you worried about? Your job? But if you are worried about this kind of thing, you should show more confusion instead of this kind of... fear."

Zhou Si took a step forward and was very close to Ji Siling, so close that he could reach out and grab Ji Siling's neck and break the fragile bones and flesh.

"Yes, fear, a fear that only emerges when it involves one's own survival."

Facing Zhou Si's series of speculations, Ji Siling pretended to be strong and laughed, "Why, Doctor Zhou, after not seeing you for a few days, have you become a psychology expert?"

“I’m not a psychology expert, but the above content is based on your various micro-expressions and cloud computing results.”

Zhou Si felt that he was somewhat dependent on this body, although it was extremely convenient and powerful in many aspects.

Ji Siling stared at Zhou Si's eyes. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and asked eagerly, "Is your body connected to the cloud in real time?"

"of course."

Zhou Si thought this was a stupid question. While the incarnation body maintained a mental connection with Zhou Si himself, it also exchanged network data. Only in this way could Zhou Si drive the incarnation and mobilize network information.

"You see me... and he will see me, too, through your eyes."

Ji Siling's words were gradually filled with fear, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Zhou Si realized that the situation was not good, "Who do you think will see you?"

Ji Siling responded with an uncontrolled expression.

"Shangxian!"

Before he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside the iron gate.

(End of this chapter)