The night before the promotion

Chapter 30 Hidden Alley
Zhou Si fastened his raincoat and pushed open the car door. The damp and cold air blew in his face, like countless pairs of cold and pale hands brushing across his cheeks.

"call……"

Zhou Si let out a long breath, and the white mist collapsed in the cold wind.

The rain comes unexpectedly.

It was as if the sky had cracked open, and what poured down were not only water droplets, but more like countless fine silver threads, stitching the night sky of Anyan City more tightly. Neon lights flickered in the rain, and the light was refracted by the water droplets, turning into a blurry spectrum, covering the world before our eyes with a layer of illusory splendor.

Zhou Si walked forward a few steps on the muddy ground. He came to a high point and overlooked the clustered buildings below. They looked like wildly grown concrete structures, stacked layer by layer on the coastline of Anyan City.

Hidden alley.

Decades ago, this was the port of Anyan City, but since it was abandoned, it has become a paradise for second-hand dealers and smugglers. Like hermit crabs, they occupied the abandoned buildings and containers and transformed them into their own shops. Densely packed shanties grew and spread from the cracks, like barnacles, firmly rooted in the land.

"Hidden Alley? I haven't been here in a while."

Li Weiyu walked out from beside Zhou Si and looked down at the buildings below with him.

"I visit here often," Zhou Si whispered, "as long as you are willing to spend time and energy, you can always buy something interesting here."

Xiang Ji leaned closer, "For example, the parts for the armed avatar."

"It's rare, but it does exist," Zhou Si answered seriously, "This is the largest second-hand avatar shell trading place in Anyan City. It's also close to the coast and the largest smuggling trading center."

"As long as you have enough connections and funds, you can indeed get some things related to armed avatars from here, but most of them are defective products recycled from some battlefields."

Zhou Si said coldly, "No matter how powerful Shenwei Technology is, they know that some things should be sold and some things should not be sold."

Just as Golden Dreamland was able to take root and grow in Aniyan City, the existence of Hidden Alley to this day is also closely related to Shenwei Technology.

Zhou Si looked further away along the coastline and saw bright lights at the end of the rain curtain, with a giant silhouette standing tall at the end of the horizon.

Not far from the Hidden Alley is the Anyan Port, which is controlled by Shenwei Technology and handles countless containers every day. Legal goods are directly transported out through Shenwei Technology, while some illegal ones are sent to the Hidden Alley for digestion.

Zhou Si asked with concern, "How is the negotiation between the Supervisory Bureau and Shenwei Technology going?"

"The situation is still at a stalemate. Zuo Zhi, a senior executive of Shenwei Technology, hopes that the Supervisory Bureau can help investigate the cause of Chen Wen Ge's death. The Supervisory Bureau hopes to further restrict Shenwei Technology through this incident."

Li Weiyun explained what happened in the Supervisory Bureau after he left Zhou Si's house yesterday. "Both sides refused to give in and were still engaged in a verbal battle. Therefore, even if we are entrusted with an important task, we will not be able to go to Shenwei Building to investigate the crime scene for the time being."

"I don't think there's anything to investigate at the crime scene."

Xiang Ji put forward his own opinion, "I listened to their discussion yesterday. Since Shenwei Technology can't find any clues themselves, it will probably be useless for us to go there."

"So the direction of the investigation is back to the beginning?"

Li Weiyun took a few steps forward, looked at the noisy and chaotic alley, then turned back and said, "According to the clues given by Shanjun, the last record of the consciousness we are tracking is in this alley.

Judging from its nested protection method, there are not many places that can provide such a connection of consciousness, even in the hidden alleys."

Li Weiyun asked again, "Doctor Zhou, do you have any opinion?"

Zhou Si was silent for a while, searching his mind for information related to the hidden alley. Soon, a figure appeared in Zhou Si's mind.

"I know who to go to, let's go."

The three of them looked at each other and prepared to leave. At this time, the window of the parked car was rolled down and Song Qiliang stuck his head out.

"Then we'll do as planned," Song Qiliang said as he sat in the driver's seat. "We'll call each other every five minutes. If we lose contact twice in a row, which means we'll lose contact for ten minutes, I'll ask for reinforcements."

Zhou Si turned around and waved to show his approval.

A trip to the Hidden Alley is much more dangerous than the Golden Dreamland. No matter how bad the Golden Dreamland is, it is at least a formal business place, while the Hidden Alley is full of all kinds of people, and no one knows what kind of danger they will encounter.

For safety reasons, Song Qiliang was left in the car, ready to pick them up at any time. If necessary, he would become the last straw for the three people.

He himself is also happy to stay in the car. I don’t know if this is a stereotype, but operators like Song Qiliang seem to have some potential to be homebodies.

After saying goodbye, Zhou Si walked towards the stairs not far away. It extended all the way to the buildings below. The metal was rusty and made a dangerous creaking sound when stepped on.

Li Weiyu and Xiang Ji exchanged glances. Li Weiyu took out an electromagnetic pistol from his pocket and adjusted the rear sight to non-lethal mode. Xiang Ji also pulled out an electromagnetic rifle from under his raincoat and changed the mode.

In order to prevent the accidents in the Golden Dream from happening again, they prepared sufficient firepower this time.

Under the rain, the three of them were all wearing white raincoats, like ghosts stalking in the night, or like doctors on an emergency visit, walking together into the dark and noisy alley.

“Recycle your avatar’s body and restart your dream of future technology! Give your old avatar a new lease of life and explore endless possibilities!”

“Make your own new gadgets, and use old technology to create the future! Turn your unused technology into treasure and work together to create unprecedented sci-fi wonders!”

"Avatar transformation starts with recycling! We are good at exploring the potential of old bodies and tailor-made unique sci-fi avatars for you, leading the new trend!"

As soon as you step into the hidden alley, bursts of advertising slogans ring in your ears endlessly, as if there is a group of chattering merchants circling around and shouting at you.

Although Yinxiang Alley is secretly a center of smuggling transactions, its inherent commercial attributes cannot be erased. Not all people who come here are from all walks of life. On the contrary, many ordinary people with specific needs also come here.

On both sides of the street, there are all kinds of signs, neon lights are flashing, and holographic images are ever-changing, like a noisy and blurry dream, which is even more confusing under the baptism of heavy rain.

Figures wearing various raincoats shuttled back and forth in the narrow alleys. Many people pulled the hoods of their raincoats down to cover their faces, leaving only their mouths blurred by the rain. Occasionally, they whispered, exchanging unknown information or conducting secret transactions.

The sounds of footsteps and rain intertwined to create a chaotic and strange symphony.

Zhou Si stopped at a fork in the road. In the distance, towering cranes were still working in the heavy rain. Goods were constantly flowing here, ranging from boxes of unmarked electronic equipment to banned biological agents and even technical blueprints that were strictly prohibited by law.

There is an oppressive and tense atmosphere in the air. Everyone is highly alert to their surroundings. In this place, trust is more scarce than any commodity.

Li Weiyun asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

"Go find a middleman."

Zhou Si was very familiar with this haunted place called Yinxiang. He practiced medicine here in his early days and was doing very well.

“They are information dealers in Hidden Alley. As long as the price is right, you can get any information you want from them.

More importantly, the middleman I know happens to run a telepathic network access point. If the telepathic consciousness that is in contact with Luo Yong is accessed from the hidden alley, it can only be at his place."

"So where is he?" Li Weiyun glanced at the familiar scene around him, "I've been around here several times."

"That's a good question."

Zhou Si nodded and looked around vigilantly.

You can notice that some pedestrians have many black lines painted on their faces, which looks like some kind of elaborate war makeup.

In fact, this is a kind of interference strip. The lines are arranged in different ways, which can affect the camera's face recognition to a certain extent, or delay the recognition speed. In the gray area, this is a very common camouflage method. Zhou Si turned into the dark alley, looking around as he walked, until he found a familiar sign among the dazzling array of signs.

Green source recycling.

This second-hand recycling shop was located in the narrowest and darkest place, which was obviously not suitable for attracting customers. There were a lot of debris piled up at the entrance, mostly discarded incarnation shells. Each one had been ripped open and the most valuable parts had been taken out, leaving only some metal debris as store decoration.

The rain washed away the wreckage, and a strange smell mixed with engine oil filled the damp and cold air.

"This is it."

Zhou Si reminded the others and then walked into the room.

The space inside was much larger, just like a supermarket, with several rows of shelves arranged in sequence, filled with all kinds of spare parts. The ceiling above was much higher, like a morgue, filled with various types of human-shaped avatars, with price tags hanging on their ankles.

The store was empty, just like its secluded location. Apart from Zhou Si and the others, there were no other customers. A drowsy middle-aged man sat at the counter. Behind him was a humanoid avatar sleeping on a charging station, with the words "Green Source Recycling" painted on its chest.

Xiang Ji stood at the door without saying a word. He always looked ready for battle, his eyes wandering vigilantly between indoors and outdoors, his finger under his raincoat already on the trigger.

Li Weiyu stood in the position with the best view in the room. From here, he could not only see outside the door, but also see deep into the room. Once a conflict occurred, they could immediately control every corner of the room.

"Wake up, my friend."

Zhou Si walked to the counter and knocked on the table with his left hand, making a dong dong sound. Zhou Si adapted to this new prosthesis very quickly.

The man opened his sleepy eyes and yawned hard, "What do you want?"

"We want to see Madam Thuy."

"Madam Cui?" The man looked confused. "What Madam Cui?"

Zhou Si looked at him expressionlessly, and an invisible sense of oppression slowly enveloped the man.

The man stared at Zhou Si briefly, then succumbed to the pressure. His eyes were wandering and his hand involuntarily reached under the counter.

"My friend, you have come to the wrong place."

The man said jokingly, "If you want to find something exciting, you should go next door. There are many new sexy avatar bodies there. I think you can find the Emerald Lady you want."

Zhou Si completely ignored the man's words, "You equate Madam Cui with a sex doll, aren't you afraid that she will know?"

A trace of panic flashed across the man's face, and he emphasized, "I repeat, there is no Madam Cui here."

Zhou Si took a deep breath, and suddenly, a smile appeared on his face.

He turned around and said to Li Weiyun, "Team Leader Li, I really hate socializing."

Li Weiyun nodded, "I can see that."

"How do you deal with this kind of thing when you encounter it in your daily work?"

"Show your work ID. If you still don't cooperate, we'll apply for documents to arrest and interrogate you," Li Weiyun explained. "Everything is legal and compliant, and there is no torture."

"How gentle. I guess it's very slow in efficiency."

Li Weiyun spread his hands helplessly. This is the inevitable result of procedural justice and also the necessary cornerstone for building an orderly society.

"If you ask me, this matter depends on the situation," Zhou Si returned his gaze to the man, "In my opinion, the vast majority of people in this world are illiterate and primitive. It's useless to reason with them. They only understand violence."

Zhou Si forced an awkward smile on his face.

"Are you right, friend?"

The man's eyes were red. Without any hesitation, he decisively pulled out a pistol from under the counter and pointed the gun at Zhou Si.

The hum of the electromagnetic coil accelerating echoed.

Before the man pulled the trigger, Xiang Ji decisively raised the electromagnetic rifle and accurately hit the man's wrist. In non-lethal mode, the metal projectile was accelerated and easily shattered the man's bones, leaving a bruise on his skin.

Without waiting for the man to scream, Zhou Si reached out and grabbed his head, slamming it heavily on the counter. His nose came into close contact with the hard object and blood spurted out.

Zhou Si flipped over the counter with one hand, but his target was no longer the man, but the incarnation body that was standing up from the charging station behind him.

"I just want to find someone. Do I have to make it so troublesome?"

Zhou Si pulled out a short axe from under his raincoat, his muscle fiber bundles charged and activated, and he swung a deadly pale sword.

With a sharp sound, the short axe chopped into the humanoid incarnation's head. Zhou Si pulled out the short axe with force and then swung it again.

one time! Twice!

Each sound represents a fatal blow, and each blow leaves a shocking scar on the humanoid body.

Before the consciousness had completely taken over the humanoid incarnation, it was shattered by the continuous heavy blows from all around, like a felled tree, which was completely split in half from top to bottom with its last scream.

Zhou Si took a few deep breaths, his chest heaving. He was not normally that violent, but with Pei Dong's disappearance and Chen Wen Ge's death, a fire had built up in Zhou Si's heart, smoldering silently.

Grabbing the man's head again, Zhou Si punched him hard, venting his anger while knocking the man unconscious.

"What should we do next?"

Li Weiyun looked outside the door vigilantly, ready to deal with potential enemies.

"Wait."

Zhou Si said as he sat behind the counter and pointed above his head, where there was a camera facing him.

About a minute later, there was a movement on the ceiling. A hanging humanoid avatar was suddenly awakened. After swaying a few times, it landed steadily on the ground.

"Take it easy, guys."

Zhou Si raised his hand to stop Xiang Ji's action. This inspector transferred from Qingyuan City was simply a sharpshooter. If he was a step slower, the bullet would have penetrated the humanoid avatar's head.

After looking around, the humanoid avatar walked slowly to the counter, pulled out an emerald green robe, and put it on himself carefully.

When consciousness can freely switch incarnation bodies and the unity of consciousness and carrier is no longer fixed, people need certain special characteristics to determine their uniqueness, just like Zhou Si's white coat that he wears regardless of the occasion.

Zhou Si greeted the humanoid avatar, "Madam Cui, good evening."

Mrs. Cui's voice was cold, with a mysterious neutrality.

"Long time no see, Doctor Zhou."

(End of this chapter)