The night before the promotion

Chapter 108 A mystery of mysteries

Zhou Si stood in the corner of the hospital corridor, silently looking at the emergency room in front of him. The doctors were fighting with death inside the room, the patients were lingering at the door of death, and their family members fell outside the door and cried bitterly. The cries and groans filled his ears.

The doctors hurried past Zhou Si without paying too much attention to themselves. There were always people like Zhou Si standing there in a daze in the hospital.

Some of them are struggling to digest the sadness, while others are overwhelmed by the huge sadness, with their minds going blank, leaving only dullness and numbness.

The doctors probably thought Zhou Si was such a person as well, and so did some of the patients' families. They were whispering and discussing how Zhou Si had been standing in the same position for several hours, motionless.

Some people say that Zhou Si is a weird person, others say that Zhou Si must have suffered a huge setback that caused him to become so dazed. Maybe one of Zhou Si’s relatives is suffering from a terminal illness, or maybe it’s Zhou Si himself.

Things like separation and death will always break down a strong man, strip him of his armor, and leave him naked in the cold night.

They thought Zhou Si couldn't hear their whispers, but Zhou Si could hear them, whether it was the low-pitched conversations, the ticking of instruments, or even the patient's weak breathing... none of it could escape Zhou Si's ears.

Yes, those sounds.

It was as if the devil was staging a painful performance, using the people's shrunken bodies as instruments, tugging at their vocal cords, their lungs like broken blowers, gasping exhaustedly, and emitting mournful cries to please the devil.

All of this was so clear, like the notes in a piece of music, accurately input into Zhou Si's mind, weaving a melody full of sorrow and grief.

What is even more despairing is that as long as hospitals exist and as long as birth, aging, sickness and death exist in this world, this sad melody will never end.

"You are getting weirder and weirder."

Ruan Linrui's arrival interrupted the music playing in Zhou Si's mind. She looked at Zhou Si in confusion, then looked at the noisy corridor. The air was filled with the smell of blood and disinfectant, and was filled with the scent of death.

A few hours ago, she received a message from Li Weiyu, and then from Zhou Si. He asked her out to meet him in a ghost place like a hospital.

Ruan Linrui couldn't understand. When Zhou Si sent her the message, they were both in the Shenwei Building, just on different floors. They could meet by just pressing the elevator. She didn't understand why Zhou Si wanted to meet in this place.

She asked, "Why did you ask me to come here?"

"Nothing, I just have something I want to tell you, and by the way, being here can help me lighten the mood."

Zhou Si looked at the crying family members in the corridor, and there was a barely perceptible smile in his voice, "Yes, to relieve my mood. Whenever I feel extremely painful or confused, I will come to this kind of place to have a look."

"This is probably a habit I developed in the sanatorium after the Immortal Falls accident."

Zhou Si started talking to himself, "At that time, I liked to stand by the window and watch those patients wearing straitjackets and twitching under electrotherapy."

"That sounds morbid."

Ruan Linrui was not panicked by Zhou Si's shocking remarks. She could more or less understand Zhou Si's thoughts. No matter how rational Zhou Si was, he was still a human being. As long as he was a human being, there must be dark and dirty corners in his heart.

It’s just that the angle of Zhou Si’s filthiness is a little strange and unheard of.

"And then?" Ruan Linrui followed Zhou Si's words and asked, "Will watching the suffering people like a pervert relieve your pain?"

"Almost. Like... like in Fight Club."

Zhou Si thought for a moment and gave an example, "We watched that movie together, right?"

Ruan Linrui nodded silently. When they lived together, they often sat on the sofa together and watched movies all night long. It was a good time.

"In the movie, the protagonist, who suffers from insomnia and other mental problems, miraculously can sleep normally after attending a support group, seeing people's suffering, and receiving everyone's unreserved care."

Zhou Si peeked at a crying family member and whispered, "I still don't understand why he could find inner peace in a place like this and fall asleep peacefully, but this plot really inspired me."

“Some people say that happiness comes from comparison. When you can only eat bitter and hard bread at night, when you see hungry homeless people, you will not feel pain, but happiness.

In other words, the fastest way to reconcile with pain is to cover it with another greater pain.

For example, if you are distressed about your recent breakup, but then you get into a car accident and lose a leg, then compared to the broken leg, the loss of your lover is insignificant.

Zhou Si motioned Ruan Linrui to come closer to him and follow his gaze to look at those grieving people.

"Well, I have to admit that from a secular perspective, my behavior is not moral. It can be said to be full of darkness and viciousness, and it is despised by others. But I will be honest with you and tell you that I can indeed get some relief from it."

An inexplicable smile appeared on Zhou Si's face, and he continued, "When I think about the pain these people have endured and the fate of suffering illness for the rest of their lives, at certain moments, I feel that my life is actually not bad, and I don't feel upset anymore."

Ruan Linrui commented coldly, "You are drawing your own happiness from the pain of others."

"more or less."

She wanted to say something, but the words brewed in her mind for a long time and turned into a question full of doubt.

"So, you asked me out just to get me to listen to your morbid relief?"

Ruan Linrui didn't intend to scold Zhou Si. After all, Zhou Si was also a poor man. If there was no substantial breakthrough in biomedical technology, he would spend the rest of his life in a life support cabin unless something unexpected happened.

Compared with those who died immediately, Ruan Linrui couldn't tell whether this continuation of life was a pity or a torture for Zhou Si.

And...is this a relief or torture for me?
If peeping into the pain of others can make Zhou Si temporarily forget his own pain, then Ruan Linrui feels that this is also an understandable means of alleviating the pain. At least Zhou Si has not hurt anyone, right?
"No, I asked you out because I have something serious to discuss."

Zhou Si started to move his pace. "Let's talk while we walk. It's inappropriate to talk here."

Ruan Linrui was amused by Zhou Si, "Is it inappropriate for you to think about it now?"

The two left the hospital and walked along the street. Even though the attack on the Stone Fort had such far-reaching consequences, and even though people were afraid that the incarnation would get out of control again, in today's era, the connection between human society and the incarnation was still too close.

Just like bones and flesh growing together, violent removal will only bring great pain.

Therefore, the number of incarnations on the streets and alleys has increased again. They each perform their duties and maintain the operation of the city. A large swarm of drones passes through the night, bringing up a fleeting galaxy.

Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Zhou Si habitually put his hands in his pockets, but his mechanized hands did not need rest, and there was no such thing as "relaxation".

This is also the difference between steel and flesh and blood. Zhou Si seemed to have his hands frozen, making a ridiculous gesture as he walked.

This subtle change is what Zhou Si has been trying to adapt to recently. He has tried it, but with little success.

As a result, many unnecessary troubles follow.

"My body, this support, not only maintains a mental connection with my original body, but also keeps connected to the cloud at all times." Zhou Si said, getting straight to the point.

Ruan Linrui nodded gently and responded, "Yeah."

"That is to say, in a place I can't see, there are many programs running in the background inside this body, uploading my data to the cloud in real time."

Zhou Si continued, "Whether it's the power consumption of the components, or my coordinates, starting the program...if necessary, maybe they can use a 3D model to simulate my movements in real time."

"I used to be an employee of Shenwei Technology. I know very well how detailed the data you can collect on an incarnation's body is."

Zhou Si spoke in a relaxed tone, looking at the street lights flashing. He tried to squint his eyes to make the light diffuse and blend together in his eyes, but under the powerful visual system, things were so clear, there was no blur anymore.

He was a little disappointed.

"Why are you mentioning this suddenly?" Ruan Linrui asked puzzledly.

"Nothing, I just feel bad about being spied on."

Although he was speaking negatively, Zhou Si's voice was filled with laughter. "Whether it is the images I see, the sounds I hear, or even the words I say, they will all be collected, packaged, and uploaded."

"Perhaps in a secret room at Shenwei Technology, my detailed data is scrolling on a large screen, and a group of researchers are sitting below, commenting on my behavior."

Zhou Si paused and sighed, "I know it's 2042. With the high penetration of technology and the Internet, people no longer have any so-called privacy. But I still feel uncomfortable when it happens to me so bluntly."

He and Ruan Linrui walked onto the overpass and stopped in the middle.

Zhou Si looked at the traffic below. The lights gathered into one, like the glowing blood vessels of the living being "city".

He sighed in a low voice, "Nothing is closed anymore except the thoughts I keep in my head."

"There's nothing we can do about it..."

Ruan Linrui roughly understood what Zhou Si said and joked, "Those rules and regulations are all written into the user agreement... I signed it for you."

"Hahaha."

Zhou Si laughed.

After a while, the laughter stopped, and Zhou Si looked at Ruan Linrui meaningfully.

People often say that eyes are windows to the soul. You can read a lot of information from other people's eyes that cannot be expressed in words.

Zhou Si was unsure whether his electronic artificial eyes could convey clear information to Ruan Linrui as before. At the same time, Zhou Si was also curious about what Ruan Linrui would see in his eyes? Was it a bunch of sophisticated electronic components, an illusory consciousness woven by code, or another real soul that accompanied the consciousness?
Also, this high-performance steel body, which is thousands of times more powerful than a flesh and blood body, no matter how sophisticated it is, can it really completely replace the flesh and blood body and perfectly imitate and express those complex and profound emotions?
Is this an optimization or a degradation?
Ruan Linrui was unaware of the intense changes in Zhou Si's thoughts in his mind. She just stared at him quietly.

Perhaps it was the long-standing tacit understanding between the two that took effect. Ruan Linrui vaguely guessed Zhou Si's thoughts... It couldn't be called a guess, but combined with Zhou Si's previous words, it was already a clear hint.

Zhou Si wants to get rid of the surveillance of Shenwei Technology.

"I don't understand why you want to do this," Ruan Linrui took a deep breath, "but if it can help you, I can do this for you."

"Even if it could cost you your high-paying job, or even get you sued and put in jail?"

Zhou Si asked back, "You and I both know how powerful Shenwei Technology is."

"But it's still chained by the Supervisory Bureau, isn't it?" Ruan Linrui smiled easily, "Don't worry about me."

It's easier said than done, but Ruan Linrui's heart was still in suspense. She was clearly on a quiet overpass and Zhou Si was there to provide security, but she still felt uneasy.

Is it because of what you are going to do next?
"It's just... I can't do this alone."

Ruan Linrui continued, "Even if Shenwei Technology is chained, it is still Shenwei Technology. Maybe they noticed something was wrong when I started and sent a security team over directly."

"They even said they would force me to shut down remotely," Zhou Si said helplessly, "There's nothing I can do. My body is still with them."

Ruan Linrui hinted, "I need a strong assistant, at least someone who can withstand the pressure from Shenwei Technology..."

"I have already contacted Team Leader Li."

Zhou Si recalled the past and sighed, "To be honest, I'm beginning to think that the Supervisory Bureau is not a good thing, but right now, the Supervisory Bureau is the only one we can trust."

"That's good. The Supervisory Bureau should have what I need, as well as the environment for implementation."

Ruan Linrui turned around and was about to walk down the overpass. Her car was still parked in the hospital parking lot not far away.

"Let's get going now."

"Ah."

Zhou Si said this and took two steps forward. Then, a subtle smile appeared on his face.

Ruan Linrui turned around and waited for him, "What's wrong?"

"It's just that if someone is monitoring me through some background program, and he also heard our conversation just now and noticed our actions, I'm curious about what he would do."

Zhou Si looked around. After Ji Siling's death, what he was worried about was not Shenwei Technology, but the mysterious immortal.

Ever since the Yunzhong City incident, Zhou Si has suspected Chen Wen Ge of the immortal's true identity.

With the death of Chen Wen Ge, the immortal also stopped contacting the Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. This can be seen from the transaction between Shan Jun and Ji Si Ling, also known as Madam Cui, at that time.

But the problem is, just when Zhou Si was wondering who killed Chen Wen Ge, Ji Siling was in her safe house, telling him in horror about the existence of the immortal.

The immortal and Chen Wen Ge are not the same person.

The immortal is not dead.

In this way, many contradictions in the attack on the stone fort seem to have been reasonably explained.

The mysterious hacker who helped Huo Daochuan to overcome the Stone Fortress network defense was obviously the legendary immortal. After using Huo Daochuan, he began to kill people to silence them. He easily trapped Ji Siling in a hidden alley and even detonated a thermobaric bomb to destroy the body.

The power of this immortal is far greater than Zhou Si expected. Moreover, as Zhou Si continued to doubt, he already had a rough idea of ​​the immortal's true identity.

Being able to establish a connection with Chen Wen-Ge, having such insights in the field of incarnation, and being able to easily break through the network defenses of the Stone Fortress...

Shenwei Technology.

All the doubts once again returned to the starting point. Zhou Si’s enemy was among the top executives of Shenwei Technology, an invisible and intangible big shot.

Before, Zhou Si might have been full of confidence, but when he woke up from this steel body, things went astray.

It was not until this moment that Zhou Si finally figured out where the uneasiness buried deep in his heart came from.

Regarding the current situation, the immortal is most likely in the Shenwei Building, and he has the power to reach Zhou Si's remains. He doesn't need to do anything complicated. He just needs to turn off the power, or terminate the life support system, or even aim the gun at Zhou Si's head and gently pull the trigger.

The immortal could then kill Zhou Si, and Zhou Si would have no chance of resisting.

Fortunately, the immortal would not reveal his identity and whereabouts so rashly, otherwise, he would not have hidden for so long. But the more he does so, the more it proves his caution.

Continuing with this possibility, Zhou Si believed that the immortal was most likely staring at the screen, using some hidden background program to watch his every move.

Everything you say and do will fall into the eyes of the other party, and you will be in an absolutely passive position.

"We're at a disadvantage..."

Zhou Si complained in his heart. Just as he had just said to Ruan Linrui, apart from his own thoughts, Zhou Si had no privacy from the Immortal.

But Zhou Si did not give up. He was still trying to resist. Assuming that the immortal realized something was wrong, he would not sit still and wait for death. Once the other party took action, Zhou Si would be able to use this to find clues about him.

Use yourself as bait.

"Actually...it's enough, Zhou Si."

Ruan Linrui's eyes were filled with loneliness and heartache. It was unclear whether she was sad for herself or for Zhou Si.

"You've done enough for this case."

Ruan Linrui is not a fool. Although she does not know the whole picture of the incident, she also understands the danger of what Zhou Si will do next.

"Are you trying to say that I can just stay away from the storm and leave it to others?" Zhou Si refused. "That's different, Ms. Ruan."

"Are you trying to dissuade me with the so-called sunk costs? It is true that I put myself in that state for this damn case... But if you ask me, this has nothing to do with sunk costs."

Zhou Si strode forward with firm steps. If the immortal was looking at him at this moment, Zhou Si hoped that he could hear these words.

“This is an obsession that cannot be dispelled.”

Zhou Si smiled at Ruan Linrui, "Don't you want to know the truth?"

Ruan Linrui nodded silently, clenched the car keys, and followed Zhou Si to the parking lot.

Although Zhou Si's new body had many inconveniences, it was not a big problem for him to squeeze himself into the car.

After sobering up from his frenzy of pursuing the truth, Zhou Si said, "As for you, Ms. Ruan, after helping me with this, you should leave Anyan City."

"Stay away until this storm is over."

"What's wrong?" Ruan Linrui said, "I still have my annual leave to take."

"Our enemy is a madman...detonating thermobaric bombs, bulldozing hidden alleys, launching terrorist attacks, and breaking down high walls."

Zhou Si spoke calmly. Now that he had transformed into a physical body, he could control his tone at will and would never reveal his true thoughts too much.

“This is a man who will do anything to achieve his goals.”

Zhou Si felt upset.

Looking out the window out of habit, Zhou Si said with some regret, "I shouldn't have told you this... Maybe I should go find someone else."

"Why? Are you afraid of involving me?"

After hearing about the immortal's crazy actions, Ruan Linrui unexpectedly did not feel afraid. Instead, she felt a little happy because of Zhou Si's concern.

It was as if she could sense from Zhou Si's concern that he still had some love for her.

"Don't worry, Zhou Si, it's okay."

A brilliant fire flashed before Ruan Linrui's eyes, and in front of the fire there was a figure that was like a high wall, blocking the heat wave for her.

"I……"

"I've always wanted to do something for you."

Ruan Linrui started the car, and the scenery outside the window slowly moved.

(End of this chapter)