The night before the promotion

Chapter 113: Reality is impermanent
Ge Xindong narrated the whole process of the incident. The specific situation was almost the same as Zhou Si's guess. However, as he listened carefully, Zhou Si's heart was inexplicably filled with chaotic thoughts.

"So, the 524 Draft was not a just act?"

Zhou Si was very disappointed and said, "It's just a tool for companies to attack each other."

Ge Xindong did not give a clear answer to this, but just smiled sadly.

Laughter explains a lot.

Zhou Si has always believed that everyone has a very simple view of good and evil in childhood. What is right is right, what is wrong is wrong, justice is always above, and evil will eventually return to dust.

But as he grew older, there came a moment when Zhou Si sadly realized that his views on good and evil were so naive.

As people often say, kids talk about right and wrong, adults only talk about pros and cons.

As a result, Zhou Si's worldview was seriously distorted. He could not convince himself to abandon justice and become a person who only talked about pros and cons. However, Zhou Si could not accept such a cruel and real world.

In the sanatorium, Zhou Si had talked with many doctors, and they often said that many people's mental illnesses were caused by this kind of contradiction and conflict.

They are powerless to change the world, nor can they convince themselves to accept such a world, so they can only destroy themselves.

This bizarre sense of contradiction tormented Zhou Si for a long time, until he met Ruan Linrui. At that time, they were not yet in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Ruan Linrui just mentioned it casually during a late-night chess game.

"This world is big, and there is a place for everyone."

Maybe...what Zhou Si needs to accept is not this chaotic and complicated world, but his complicated self.

But what is puzzling is that people always seem to be able to easily accept and love others, but find it difficult to let go of themselves and fall in love with themselves.

The scout incarnation stood like a sculpture, with no expression and no eyes, like a blank mask, hiding all of Zhou Si's emotions beneath the cold metal.

Ge Xindong continued to narrate, "This is roughly the process. We originally had no intention of attacking the stone fort. This plan was proposed by Huo Daochuan."

"But you agreed to it anyway."

Zhou Si's voice was cold, and no one could tell whether he was sad or happy.

"What can I do? Madam Cui, Huo Daochuan, and I are all just pawns of those big shots."

Ge Xindong thought of his leader who died in a plane crash, and he added, "Maybe those big shots are just pawns of others?"

“This is how the world works. The big fish eat the small fish. The more you look up, the less you can see the top.”

Zhou Si asked, "Is that all?"

Everything Ge Xindong said was just a "story" without any clues.

He also threw out many names, some of which sounded very familiar to Zhou Si. He should have seen them on Madam Cui's list, but these people also died mysteriously one after another within this month.

Even if Zhou Si went to investigate, all he would find were corpses in the morgue.

"What else? Ge Xindong, you don't think this matter is over!"

There was a hint of anger in Zhou Si's voice. This was the first time his cold voice had any emotion since the conversation.

Ge Xindong looked at the camera on Zhou Si's head, as if he regarded it as his eyes, and stared at Zhou Si for a long time.

He laughed grotesquely.

"What can I do? What can you do?"

Ge Xindong said desperately, "I don't know who you are, but I can vaguely guess who you represent."

Ge Xindong also became furious, "Yes, I will be punished, but those big shots hiding behind me will still be safe and sound."

"Even if you find out the so-called immortals and reveal the truth, they will still stand firm."

Zhou Si remained silent, listening quietly to Ge Xindong's words.

"A professional team of lawyers will defend them, and there will be a complex exchange of interests between these behemoths."

Ge Xindong has seen too many things like this, and he is used to it and it is ingrained in him.

“At first, they will be condemned by thousands of people, and the wrath of public opinion will fall on them overwhelmingly, but soon, under this series of chain reactions, everyone will gain huge benefits from this incident.

They will select many scapegoats and let them bear the punishment of the law..."

At this point, Ge Xindong laughed at himself, "Just like me."

"People will spit on us and hate us, but soon, the news will overshadow this incident, even if the impact of this incident is global."

Ge Xindong spread his hands helplessly, "But there is no other way. This is 2042, an age of information overload. Do you know how many social apps a person uses and how much news he or she reads in a day?"

"If this incident can stay in people's minds for a week, it's already big news."

Ge Xindong was talking about the data. "Fenglong calculated that it would take at most six months for people to go from being enthusiastic to forgetting."

"Yes... After six months, not many people remembered the attack on Stone Castle, not even the people who died in the incident, what happened, and even my trial."

Ge Xindong seemed to have lost all his strength and sat exhaustedly on the folding bed. He leaned against the wall and looked at the dark ceiling.

"This is what would have happened if I hadn't died... Never mind. Even if I died, nothing would have changed. The scapegoat's name would just have become another unlucky person."

Ge Xindong closed his eyes, and he finally released the emotions that had been suppressed for a long time. This was not an excuse for his crime, but a helpless catharsis.

In the darkness, Ge Xindong laughed inexplicably, his voice hoarse.

"You know what's worse?"

Zhou Si cooperated and asked, "What is it?"

Ge Xindong opened his eyes, sat up straight, and a strange smile appeared on his face.

"The worst part is that we don't even know who those big shots are. Even if we hate them, we don't have a specific name."

Ge Xindong's words were like a sharp dagger, piercing into the gap in the armor from a tricky angle and sinking into Zhou Si's flesh and blood.

Until this moment, Zhou Si had a sense of sudden enlightenment. In his pursuit, he often mentioned the so-called "big shot", but no one could tell who the big shot was.

Even if Zhou Si racked his brains, the only company names he could come up with were Shenwei Technology and Shouheng Life.

A company is not a specific person, but a huge group, like a thick iron curtain that covers the sky and the sun.

The strong feeling of oppression seemed to be strangling his throat through the network of consciousness and the iron body.

In the illusory feeling of suffocation, Zhou Si barely understood Ge Xindong's sadness.

This is just a hysterical protest of a small person.

"As for the Immortal... I thought he was dead, but Huo Daochuan suddenly appeared in front of us and said that he had obtained the oracle from the Immortal, which is this thing."

Ge Xindong took out the thought storage core, "This contains the virus that conquered the high wall system. We call it a catalyst."

Zhou Si whispered, "The catalyst virus comes from the immortal."

"That's right," Ge Xindong continued, "Our original plan was just to cause some accidents during the parade, but with the emergence of the catalyst virus, the bigwigs at the top wanted a bigger impact... and then, as you can see, all this happened."

"Not only does the Immortal want to kill me, I guess those big shots at the top of the company also want me dead," Ge Xindong said sadly, "No wonder the rescue hasn't arrived yet."

"If you must ask for a clue, this is all I have. You can take it."

Zhou Si nodded and carefully took the thought storage core. This small creation contained enough power to penetrate a high wall.

Like a sharp needle filled with poison.

"Oh, by the way, I personally have some ideas," Ge Xindong emphasized, "but they are just my personal ideas."

"what?"

Ge Xindong stared at the ground beneath his feet. In the dim light, he could not see anything. Pure darkness was brewing under his feet, like a slowly overflowing mud, dragging people into a bottomless quagmire.

He slowly raised his head and spoke softly.

"Only a God King can destroy his own palace, and only the builder of the wall knows the invisible cracks in the wall."

Ge Xindong didn't continue speaking...he had said enough.

Zhou Si still said nothing, but a huge wave of turmoil had already risen in his heart.

In fact, since he woke up in his avatar body and learned the causes and consequences of the attack on the stone fortress, a terrible guess had already emerged in Zhou Si's mind.

However, this speculation was full of loopholes and contradictions, and Zhou Si just kept it in a corner of his heart.

Until Ge Xindong's words once again verified the possibility of this conjecture.

With the support of many factors, no matter how impossible this conjecture is, it will be the only and correct answer.

Ge Xindong asked, "What should we do next? Wait for you to arrest me?" "Yes, but I need to notify them first," Zhou Si continued, "In order to avoid being monitored, this incarnation of mine has been disconnected from the network and only maintains a mental connection."

Ge Xindong was stunned for a moment, and then he shouted uncontrollably, "How did you get here?"

"Well, what's wrong?"

Zhou Si didn't understand why Ge Xindong's emotions, which had finally calmed down, went out of control again.

I just heard him cursing.

"Damn it, how could you be so stupid!"

Ge Xindong burst into tears again and roared, "Do you think you can avoid being monitored like this? This is an era full of cameras! They are everywhere!"

He stopped talking, grabbed the lost pistol, and ran out of the safe house in an emotional state.

"He must have discovered me! I have to get out of here! Now!"

Ge Xindong ran out madly, and Zhou Si followed closely behind him. He quickened his pace, caught up with Ge Xindong, and pressed him to the ground.

Zhou Si tried to comfort him, "Calm down, going crazy won't solve anything."

Ge Xindong just cried, his face covered with tears and snot. It was hard to imagine what this grown man had gone through to make himself so miserable.

"Nothing can be solved, everything is already determined..."

He continued to cry until a buzzing sound of wind came from all directions.

Zhou Si raised his head. Curtains blocked the windows and the room was dark. But as the noise of wind approached, a dangerous red light flickered behind the curtains, as if a group of ghosts were wandering outside the house, looking at the fresh flesh and blood inside.

“He…he’s here.”

Ge Xindong looked at the dazzling red light in despair. At this moment, as if the fear exceeded the threshold and completely penetrated his emotions, he became calm instead, or perhaps... absolutely numb.

"It's not your fault, my friend."

Ge Xindong looked at Zhou Si and tried hard to smile, "I am destined to die, but the Immortal has only had the time to deal with me until this moment."

"No, you won't die."

Zhou Si said firmly, raised his gun and aimed at the flashing red lights.

"Go back to the safe house!"

Zhou Si tried to take him away, but it was too late.

The wind noise suddenly became stronger. The high-speed rotating blades shattered the glass and shredded the curtains. Pieces of crystal debris and strips of cloth floated in the air.

The biting cold wind rushed in, and the warning red light was as close as the bloodshot eyeballs of an evil spirit.

Several drones crashed through the window and flew towards Ge Xindong at high speed. Zhou Si opened fire decisively and accurately destroyed two of them, but more wind noises were heard, as if a large swarm of bees were sweeping towards the two of them.

"Hide!"

Zhou Si yelled, grabbed Ge Xindong by the collar and threw him into the safe house. At the same time, a rapid ticking sound was heard.

The flashing red light on the drone that was shot down by Zhou Si went out, and then a blazing flame rose from the belly of the fuselage, turning into a billowing fireball that expanded rapidly.

Like blooming fireworks, fireballs rose up one after another, and the heat wave and impact instantly burned all the fabrics in the room.

Zhou Si wanted to close the door to protect Ge Xindong, but a drone broke through the sea of ​​fire and hit Zhou Si heavily.

"Do not……"

Zhou Si's vision was completely filled with the sea of ​​fire. He wanted to control his own avatar body, but after a series of explosions and impacts, he was like a fallen leaf in a torrent, unable to control himself.

The image in his eyes showed red and blue scars as if something had malfunctioned. The arm holding the gun was deformed and twisted in the explosion. Ge Xindong's screams came from outside the sea of ​​fire, and soon returned to calm.

Zhou Si looked at the warm and blazing fire. Like an old nightmare, the strong fear coming from his psychological instinct made Zhou Si's consciousness tremble violently and almost cracked.

But Zhou Si did not fall down. He forced himself to stay conscious and faced the raging fire that had killed him once.

The burst of flames engulfed the entire mansion.

……

The mansion was burning fiercely, engulfing the furniture, clothes, Ge Xindong's body, the wreckage of the drone and other things in the scorching flames.

Zhou Si’s scout incarnation was burned black, and the metal armor that should have been smooth was covered with a layer of burnt substance. He stood blankly on the side of the road, like a malfunctioning street lamp.

The inspectors cordoned off the scene, and then the fire brigade arrived and used high-pressure water guns to repeatedly clear the flames, but the raging fire seemed to be inextinguishable and kept burning.

The huge fireworks attracted the attention of the surrounding citizens. They took out their mobile phones to take pictures. The frequent flashes made Zhou Si feel annoyed.

After a while, Li Weiyun arrived at the scene. He looked at the burning mansion and then at Zhou Si who was standing there.

"what happened?"

Li Weiyu had just delivered the information left by Ji Siling to the Supervisory Bureau, and he rushed back without stopping. However, in this short period of time, fires broke out and there was a sense of destructive decay.

"What else could it be?"

Zhou Si replied calmly, "I found the witness, and then the witness was silenced, just like before."

"But we have made sufficient preparations this time," Li Weiyun asked, "How did the Immortal find out?"

"Maybe this mistake has nothing to do with us."

Zhou Si expressed his guess, "Ge Xindong has been on the immortal's assassination list for a long time, but it just happened to be his turn today, and it just happened that we came to find him, just like we did with Ji Siling."

Li Weiyun shook his head and didn't believe it.

"Do you really think that this kind of abnormal accidental event can be explained by simple coincidence?"

"I can't explain it. It can only fool fools at best."

Zhou Si said with a smile, but what the scout incarnation expressed was more like a sneer.

This laughter made Zhou Si feel a little uncomfortable. He was considering whether to adjust the language system and cancel the category of "smile".

Laughter should be accompanied by a smile, otherwise the laughter of a cold machine will only make people feel scared.

The two were silent for a long time until Zhou Si spoke again.

"I think it's more of a provocation than a coincidence."

"provocative?"

"Yes, the Immortal is challenging me."

Zhou Si slowly said, "Do you remember the scenario we discussed before? The immortal may have already upgraded his consciousness. All his actions are to delay our efforts to find him until the day he breaks out of his cocoon."

"Well, then what?"

After a period of relaxation, Li Weiyu was able to accept this frightening possibility with a little calmness.

"Then the question is, since he has become an immortal, why did he keep chasing me before?"

Zhou Si recalled the cause and effect of the entire incident, trying to restore it into a sufficiently complete story.

"In order to become an immortal, the immortal created the Land of Bliss and managed it himself, while Chen Wen Ge was responsible for providing technical support.

Then, in order to improve the defects of the eclosion technology, the immortal used the Land of Bliss to capture a large number of qualified people and provide them with test data. "

Pei Dong’s face flashed through Zhou Si’s mind, and his heart was calm, without the slightest ripple.

"But for some unknown reason, Chen Wen Ge died unexpectedly, and the immortals temporarily disappeared, so the mountain king thought they had escaped control and wanted to find the next buyer to use the Land of Bliss to gain greater benefits."

"And now," Li Weiyun continued Zhou Si's words, "the immortal has returned to the arena, and has used Huo Daochuan, Madam Cui and others to launch a terrorist attack, severely damaging the high wall system."

Li Weiyun reacted and doubted, "The problem is, the immortal is not a fool, he must have his own meaning for doing this, so what is the meaning?"

Zhou Si did not respond, but started talking about another topic.

"Take me out of here, Team Leader Li. I want to see Director Dong."

Zhou Si looked at the burning fireworks, and his voice sounded a little anxious.

"If everything goes well, we will be able to capture the Immortal soon."

Li Weiyu also followed Zhou Si's gaze and looked at the blazing sea of ​​fire. The flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the night sky with a dark red.

(End of this chapter)