The night before the promotion

Chapter 114 Conspiracy
9 month 5 day.

Inside the shielded room, Zhou Si stood in front of Dong Yuan with his clothes straight.

At this time, Zhou Si had already replaced the thought storage core back into his original body. The vivid bionic appearance simulated his face, expressing all his emotions accurately.

"After a day of consideration, what do you think of my proposal, Director Dong?"

Zhou Si sounded a little anxious, urging Dong Yuan to make a decision as soon as possible.

Since returning to the Supervisory Bureau last night, Zhou Si had a long talk with Dong Yuan all night long. Zhou Si did his best to analyze and deduce the current situation for Dong Yuan, and listed various evidences to prove the possibility of his concerns.

Dong Yuan showed great interest and approval in Zhou Si's speculation, but was hesitant about Zhou Si's request to take action as soon as possible.

"Director Dong, it's already this time, are you still hesitating?"

In response to Zhou Si's coercion, Dong Yuan just looked at him expressionlessly, then sighed leisurely and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Zhou. No matter how much I trust you, we still have to proceed step by step on this matter."

Dong Yuan rubbed his head with a headache and said bitterly, "To be honest, if you asked for something else, I could really agree to it."

"Whether it's raiding Shouheng Life as you said, checking their role in the terrorist attack, or compiling a list to identify all the participants and bring them to justice."

Dong Yuan looked extremely tired, and his already gray hair looked even more aged. "These things can be discussed, and we can take our time, but your request is really..."

"It's really hard, isn't it?"

Zhou Si's voice was filled with anger. "Are you worried about the impact of public opinion? Or the complicated conflicts of interest?"

"All."

Dong Yuan answered frankly, "But what really makes it difficult for me is that we can't just raid and arrest him without any solid evidence. If there is any problem, the impact will be too bad."

"Are you worried about the future you have worked so hard to get?"

When saying this, Zhou Si only felt ironic. More than ten hours ago, he had just used the word "future" to tempt Dong Yuan, and now he was trapped by this so-called future.

"Do not."

Surprisingly, Dong Yuan firmly gave a different answer.

"I've said it before, I'm almost at retirement age, and my future prospects will only slightly affect my pension."

Dong Yuan became serious. "What I'm really worried about is, if something goes wrong, how are we going to handle it?"

"I know, Dr. Zhou, your conjecture is indeed very convincing."

Dong Yuan recalled the various speculations Zhou Si had told him last night. Even when he thought about it now, he felt a chill spreading from the bottom of his heart.

"Only those who build the wall know the cracks in the wall. Only those who build the high wall and the large system can create a virus that breaks through the defense of the high wall and the large system."

Dong Yuan continued speaking along the lines of Zhou Si's speculation.

"Since Chen Wen-Ge is dead, the only person who knows the cracks in the wall is Zuo Zhi, the only builder still alive."

Zhou Si nodded silently. When Ge Xindong reminded Zhou Si, Zhou Si had already cast his suspicious eyes on Zuo Zhi.

The High Wall System was built by Chen Wen Ge and Zuo Zhi. Only these two people have the ability to break through the limitations of the High Wall System. In this way, the immortal's bizarre hacking ability seems to be explained.

With Zuo Zhi's ability level and technical support, what firewall in this world can guarantee that it can withstand the full-force attack of Shenwei Technology without any cracks?
"But I don't quite understand. Since Zuo Zhi is the mastermind behind everything, the legendary immortal, why would he take the initiative to expose all this?"

Dong Yuan pointed out the loopholes in Zhou Si's speculation, "Zuo Zhi took the initiative to contact the Supervisory Bureau to report the accidental death of Chen Wen Ge, and also assisted us in so many operations... This is very contradictory, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's so contradictory."

Zhou Si didn't intend to hide anything anymore, and told Dong Yuan all his and Li Weiyu's guesses.

"Team Leader Li and I have thought about why the assassination attempt by the Immortal was so arrogant and left no room for maneuver."

Zhou Si said calmly, "We speculate that the immortal has perfected the technique of metamorphosis and completed the upgrade of consciousness. Everything he did was just to delay time to prevent us from finding him before the day of breaking out of the cocoon arrives."

Hearing this, Dong Yuan's expression froze for a moment. Like a frozen photograph, his expression was completely frozen in shock, which lasted for several seconds.

"Think about it, Director Dong."

Zhou Si was restless, "Have we really seen 'Zuo Zhi' since the incident happened?"

Whether it was the initial negotiations or the subsequent meetings, whether it was Zhou Si or Dong Yuan.

From beginning to end, they never saw the real, living Zuo Zhi. What stood before them was just a transformed body, a hollow and pale puppet.

"You think Zuo Zhi has already digitized himself? But this is still full of contradictions..."

Dong Yuan tried to comprehend such a huge amount of information. Every piece of intelligence Zhou Si threw out was full of weight, but they also contradicted each other, shattering the story framework that had been built with great difficulty into ruins.

Perhaps because he was getting old, Dong Yuan's thinking speed had obviously slowed down a lot. He couldn't figure out a clear thread no matter how hard he racked his brains, and instead gave himself a headache.

"Don't hesitate, Director Dong, we don't have much time left."

Zhou Si didn't want to say so much, but at the moment, the only one who could help him was the Supervisory Bureau. Zhou Si had to share all the information with this group of ambitious people.

“Suppose!”

Zhou Si emphasized, "Assuming that Zuo Zhi has completed the upgrade of consciousness, then when did he upgrade his consciousness? We don't know. We don't have a clear time point."

There was a hint of fear in Dong Yuan's eyes, which was clearly visible.

"That is to say..."

"Zuo Zhi may break away from the constraints of the cocoon system at any time, completely integrate into the vast network world, and become the god of data."

Zhou Si tried hard to control his emotions and expressed himself in a more rational and calm voice.

"I really hope that my assumption is wrong, but if my assumption is correct, then when Zuo Zhi integrates into the online world, everything will be too late."

After making this terrible guess, Zhou Si felt as if a bomb had emerged in his heart. It began to count down, and the ticking sound lingered in Zhou Si's ears, never stopping.

What made Zhou Si even more anxious and worried was that the countdown did not display any numbers, and no one knew when it would explode, maybe in the next second, maybe in the next minute.

"I understand your concerns, but I also hope you can understand my vision."

Zhou Si proposed a compromise solution.

"I will raid Zuo Zhi's real body. Since he has joined the immortality plan, his body must be stored in a container. As long as I find him and confront him in person, everything will be clear, right?"

The sparks of thousands of thoughts collided with each other in Zhou Si's mind, sparking brilliant light, like a grand fireworks display.

"Such a large-scale operation would hardly fail to attract the attention of the Immortals."

As if it were a psychological suggestion, Dong Yuan used the name Shangxian instead of Zuo Zhi, as if deep down he was still unwilling to believe all this, or rather, unable to accept it.

"So what if he noticed?"

Zhou Si gave Dong Yuan an evil smile, and the bionic system vividly portrayed this expression.

But this is ultimately an incarnation body, and such a realistic and nearly perfect expression made Dong Yuan feel a sense of uncanny valley, and a deep chill spread in his heart.

There felt like a rolling chill in my throat and ice chips in my mouth.

"Our thoughts are limited, Director Dong, by 'common sense', 'logic' and 'shell'."

Zhou Si had a feeling of sudden enlightenment. It was a great feeling, like taking stimulants, and his brain continuously secreted dopamine.

Dong Yuan hesitated for a moment, then realized, "Yes... If the Immortal really becomes the God of Data, then our resistance is meaningless, but if not, we will strangle him in the cradle."

"Yes, Director Dong, so don't hesitate any more."

Zhou Si encouraged, "Even if the immortal knows about our actions, what does it matter? This will be an open conspiracy. We don't have to think about what will happen next. All we need now is to act."

All along, Zhou Si has been fighting with the immortal in the shadows. After a long time, Zhou Si's mind has also been trapped in the shadows.

Why bother?
Even if the Immortal knew about the large-scale operation of the Supervisory Bureau, what would it matter? Even if all my plans were exposed before his eyes, what would it matter?

This was an open conspiracy and an open duel.

Dong Yuan stared into Zhou Si's eyes. This time he was silent for a very long time. Only when Zhou Si was about to lose his patience did he slowly speak.

"Doctor Zhou, you convinced me."

Zhou Si didn't say anything more in response, just smiled and turned away.

Just like a performance came to an end and the story turned to the last page, Zhou Si knew very clearly that no matter how complicated and confusing the mystery was.

The truth is within reach, and it is bound to surface. After thinking about all this, Zhou Si's heart suddenly fell into a great calm, followed by an indescribable panic.

Zhou Si's expression became cold and numb, like a plastic model in a shopping mall.

Suddenly, he seemed to have lost his backbone. He looked around for help, but could not find any salvation.

Like a stray dog, he left the Supervisory Bureau in a miserable state and walked into the dark night.

"What happens next? Doctor Zhou?"

A ghostly voice lingered in Zhou Si's ears.

"After all this is over, where do you go from here?"

……

After leaving the Supervisory Bureau, Zhou Si walked aimlessly on the street, blending into the bustling crowd. No one noticed the abnormality of Zhou Si's incarnation body, and no one would linger on him.

A few minutes ago, Zhou Si had just gone through a storm of thoughts, and from a pile of broken clues, he barely pieced together a path to the truth.

Moreover, Zhou Si also successfully persuaded Dong Yuan to order the Supervisory Bureau to launch a large-scale raid. If nothing unexpected happens, this incident will have a very significant impact, just like the attack on Shibao.

Ascension to Immortality, God of Data, Operation Blockade...

The heavy shackles tied to Zhou Si will be untied with this final action, and he will be freed from all the burdens.

To be honest, Zhou Si was not sure whether his guess was correct, but it was like a stubborn idea, a thought that forced himself to move forward.

Just like Huo Daochuan's madness at the last moment, in this storm of conspiracy, Zhou Si didn't know what was right, and he did what he thought was "right".

only……

Zhou Si stopped and stood in the center of the square.

It was late at night and there were fewer people in the square, only a few young people chatting and laughing.

Towering buildings stand around the square, and huge holographic images are like mirages, playing advertisements and slogans day and night. Just like in the golden dreamland, gorgeous dreams are woven between the cities.

Zhou Si raised his head and stared for a long time. In the deeper night, a group of drones slowly passed by. They were flashing lights, like a large field of fireflies.

In the past, Zhou Si liked to squint his eyes and look at the brilliant neon lights of the city. The light would be blurred into a large diffuse halo in the narrow gap between his pupils, like a continuous rainbow.

Zhou Si thought this was very...romantic.

Yes, romantic.

In this rapidly changing modern society, romance seems to have become a forgotten word.

People pursue profitable numbers and love fashion and trends. The models on magazine covers are rotated every week, like obsolete commodities. After a glance, no one will ever see them again.

Zhou Si often felt an indescribable sense of absurdity about such a world. It was obvious that all kinds of information had already filled the Internet, and the city was filled with dense crowds of people.

But Zhou Si always felt that the world was empty, as if people were floating in the sky and could not step on the ground.

This subtle feeling troubled Zhou Si for a long time. Later, he met Ruan Linrui, and they became spiritual anchors.

Love briefly pulled Zhou Si down from the air and put him on solid ground, until the fairy's death accident caused Zhou Si to float up again and he could not find his place to return.

It was an unbearable and unrememberable time.

It could be considered a blessing in disguise. In order to control the Lishi disease, Zhou Si stayed away from the incarnation body. At the same time, he also tried to make himself stronger.

The only constant thing in the world is change itself.

The vows of love between him and Ruan Linrui were still broken. Even though the two did not separate, everything was still uncertain before they were buried under the same tombstone decades later, right?
Zhou Si cannot pin his focus on any one person or any one thing. Only himself can bring him back to solid ground.

So, Zhou Si looked for the romance that was washed away by the torrent of this era.

Just like now, squinting my eyes and looking at the neon lights of the city.

“I can’t see it anymore…”

Zhou Si muttered to himself.

He tried several times, but the familiar rainbow still did not appear.

From a professional point of view, when a person squints, the pupil of the eye will become smaller, and the eyelids will exert a certain amount of pressure on the eyeball, causing the refractive state of the cornea to change.

This change can cause light to scatter after entering the eye instead of focusing on the retina to form a clear image as normal. Therefore, when you squint at the light, the light will be smudged instead of appearing as a clear point.

To put it more simply, it is astigmatism.

Unfortunately, the ultra-high precision visual system does not have the so-called astigmatism. No matter how much Zhou Si squinted his eyes, he could not see the rainbow that ran through the city.

Zhou Si felt a little lost, as if a corner of his heart was broken. This corner continued to collapse, like an expanding black hole, completely swallowing him up.

"What are you doing here?"

Suddenly, someone broke into Zhou Si's world and asked curiously.

"Why are you here?"

Zhou Si looked in the direction of the sound. Perhaps because he was too immersed in his own world, Zhou Si did not notice the notification in his field of vision. The system just detected Ruan Linrui's arrival.

"I heard from them that you just left the Supervisory Bureau with a worried look on your face," Ruan Linrui said worriedly, "so I followed you to see if you were okay."

"What can happen to me?"

Zhou Si joked, "Are you going to suddenly rush to the street to commit suicide? Ordinary vehicles can't hit me."

He didn't say the rest of the sentence, "Besides, I'm not here."

Ruan Linrui gave a fake smile, and then, she thought about her words. She knew Zhou Si's stubborn temper very well, and it was not easy to pry any words out of his mouth.

Just like a weird autistic child who never reveals his inner thoughts to others.

"you……"

Just as Ruan Linrui was trying to overcome Zhou Si's psychological defenses, Zhou Si spoke.

"I'm confused."

"what?"

Ruan Linrui looked at him in surprise, and then Zhou Si continued speaking, completely ignoring Ruan Linrui's shocked expression.

"Ms. Ruan, I am now more confused than ever before."

Without any warning, Zhou Si simply explained his troubles to Ruan Linrui.

Ruan Linrui was stunned at first, suspecting that Zhou Si's temperament had changed drastically, as he could actually make such a silent person take the initiative to confide his troubles to her.

Then, Ruan Linrui felt sad.

What could make a tough guy like Zhou Si let down his guard? So what was he going through at this moment?

"I am very close to the Immortal, so close that I feel like I can reach out and grab him."

Zhou Si raised his hand and grasped a piece of dissipating wind.

"That's great! All the grudges will soon be completely resolved."

Zhou Si took a deep breath and struggled to use the words he knew to describe the complex emotions in his heart.

"But the closer I get to this moment, the more I feel... a huge panic."

He looked at Ruan Linrui with a calm expression without the slightest ripple, but Ruan Linrui knew that beneath this exquisite mask, Zhou Si's mind had already twisted into a mess.

"All my energy right now is poured into chasing after the Immortal. As long as the Immortal is still alive and at large, I will be full of motivation to pounce on one mystery after another."

Zhou Si looked blankly at the busy street.

"But what happens after this? When we find out the truth and put this to rest?"

While speaking, Zhou Si was also imagining that scene in his mind, but just like a snail touching salt, the moment of contact, Zhou Si felt intense pain, forcing his thoughts to withdraw from it.

"When this is all over, we will all go back to our lives... but my life has changed beyond all recognition."

As he spoke, Zhou Si stopped talking, his face expressionless, looking down at everyone.

(End of this chapter)