North American riot police: Start by arresting P. Diddy!

Chapter 228: Establishing an Organization?

A new member joined the library, and she was quite a beautiful woman.

Clyde, who was far away in the south, couldn't come, and John, who was uninvolved, didn't care.

But Anna, who was also a woman, was clearly hostile towards this newcomer.

“You can call me 'Root,' it seems we’ll be living together from now on.” Root extended his hand to Anna, his smile much more genuine than when they were in the warehouse.

Anna didn't even glance at her.

As Harold's personal bodyguard, Rorschach's only task for her was to ensure Harold's safety.

This is why she is the only one who lives in the library with Harold, while Rorschach usually lives in a safe house outside.

Over the past period, Anna has been far less skilled than Rorschach, less intelligent than Clyde, and even less decisive in killing than the newly joined John, but at least she has been competent.

But this time, Harold was kidnapped on the street and disappeared for several hours.

When Luo Xia found out, he was so angry that he gave her a thorough dressing-down.

Now that the culprit who made her lose face is right in front of her, how could Anna possibly give her a kind look?

Seeing this, Gen shrugged and casually withdrew his hand, then curiously began to examine the abandoned library.

Her fingertips lightly brushed the dust off the bookshelf, her steps as light as a kitten's, her face filled with an innocent and carefree expression, a stark contrast to her feigned profundity when facing Harold earlier. She showed no sign of the nervousness she felt when she turned against him, just like a little girl full of curiosity about everything.

However, it's indeed rare to see little girls wearing tight clothes and high heels.

Anna kicked Brian, who was lying on the ground, with a dark expression, and gestured with her chin toward Root.

The fat dog seemed to understand, lazily wagging its tail and following behind Gen, acting as a watchdog.

Rolling her eyes, Anna strode toward Harold, who had been engrossed in typing away at his computer since he entered, without even looking up.

Where is Rorschach?

Anna didn't ask why she brought this former enemy back.

After all, she herself was originally an enemy "recruited" by Rorschach and Harold, and had long witnessed the two's strange ways of recruiting new members.

“He’s in a bad mood. He said he’s going to kill a few people to vent his anger,” Harold replied without looking up, his glasses reflecting the flickering blue light of his code.

Anna found it a little strange.

At this time of day, Harold would usually be on the balcony with a cup of green tea, reading a philosophy book, and would rarely start working so early in the morning.

"All right."

She leaned closer to the screen for a glance, and after finding it full of incomprehensible code, she gave up.

Walking behind Harold, she considerately massaged his stiff shoulders, as if to make amends for her previous negligence.

Normally, Harold would have felt extremely uncomfortable and politely declined.

But at this moment he was completely focused on repairing the machine's backdoor and had to hide it again before Cobra discovered it, so he had no time to pay attention to Anna.

Anna rubbed her head a few times, but still couldn't help asking, "Are we just going to let her wander around the base like this? Should we tie her up and starve her for a few days to teach her a lesson?"

"Are you serious?" Harold finally looked up. "Root, like you, betrayed her original organization and joined us. She has no reason to betray us again, right?"

“That’s not necessarily true!” Anna retorted excitedly. “Have you forgotten how Rorschach tested me when I joined?”

He was about to lift his shirt to show Harold the surgical scars, the marks left by steel nails and bullets.

She felt wronged whenever this was mentioned—neither Clyde nor John had passed the test, and Rorschach and Harold had even avenged them.

But when it was her turn, she not only broke her ribs, but also had to prove her loyalty amidst a hail of bullets while seriously wounded.

She originally thought that Rorschach was a chauvinistic sexist who looked down on women and had no trust in them.

But what's the deal with this "root"?

Both defected from the opposing camp, but they were put through no tests and were "plug and play" without any challenges.

Anna felt extremely uncomfortable at that moment; a feeling of jealousy surged within her, making her feel uneasy all over.

Harold understood her underlying meaning, but there was nothing he could do.

To be honest, he was even more wary of Root than he was of Anna or John.

Although they are all formidable figures capable of taking on ten opponents at once, they are at least computer illiterate and pose no threat to his life's work, the machine.

But this root
Harold shook his head helplessly.

After all, she betrayed Cobra for the sake of the "machine," and given the terrorist organization's modus operandi, he wouldn't do something like betraying them after using them.

But soon, he no longer had to worry about it.

"Wang Wang-"

Brian wagged his tail and ran happily to the door to greet Rorschach, who was returning home dusty and tired.

Rorschach rubbed the dog's head and nodded to Harold, "All done?"

"Almost there, just a few more minutes."

Harold adjusted his glasses. "Once this firewall is deployed, Cobra will no longer be able to find any trace of the backdoor."

“Hurry up, buddy.” Rorschach glanced at his watch. “The World Bank is open; now’s the busiest time, the perfect time to move.”

"Understood, almost done." Harold immediately rushed back to the screen and began typing code with complete concentration.

Anna keenly caught the key phrase and leaned closer to ask, "Bank? What are you going to the bank for?"

Rorschach waved his hand casually: "Don't worry about it. But when we get back, you should have an extra ten million US dollars in retirement funds in your account."

"Ten million?!" Anna's eyes widened in surprise.

Rorschach took off his blood-stained leather jacket and threw it at her: "Remember to take this to the Continental Hotel today and have a tailor repair it. Damn it, I'll make those Cobra bastards pay for their blood debt sooner or later!"

Anna smelled the strong scent of blood on him, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Why don't I go with you? If even I can get ten million, then there must be hundreds of millions. With more people, we'll feel more at ease when we withdraw the money."

“No need, you have other tasks.” Luo Xia pressed her head down, turned his gaze to Gen who was peeking out from beside the bookshelf, and whispered a few words of instruction.

Upon hearing this, Anna's initial disappointment at not being able to go vanished instantly, and a wicked smile crept onto her lips.

----------

World Bank.

As the abbreviation for the World Bank Group and the common name for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, its status is by no means that of a vassal institution of any particular country.

On the contrary, it was founded by the United Nations, an international organization.

Initially, the World Bank's mission was to assist European countries and Japan with post-war reconstruction, while supporting economic development in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

However, in the following half-century, due to the influence of America's hegemony, the World Bank gradually became a financial instrument of the US federal government, losing its credibility and independence in the international community. It was 10:00 AM, peak banking hours.

Citizens in suits and ties crowded the bank lobby, some waiting anxiously and others rushing to conduct business.

Harold turned to look at the convoy of police cars speeding past outside the window, seemingly guessing that it was caused by the riots that Rorschach had instigated not long ago.

Unlike before, Harold didn't lecture Rorschach incessantly this time.

He quietly took his number and found a seat.

"Still agonizing over what happened this morning?" Luo Xia casually sat down next to him, crossing his legs.

No one could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary man was the culprit behind the massacre that took place in multiple locations in New York this morning.

Harold didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Rorschach, from your perspective, is it a good thing or a bad thing to let the [backdoor] replace the [machine's] subjective consciousness?"

Rorschach's expression gradually turned serious. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I won't lie to you, old friend. But if you ask me, you should have taken this step a long time ago. You're just too indecisive, always trying to find a happy ending where everyone is happy."

He put his arm around Harold's shoulder affectionately and said seriously, "This isn't a movie or a novel, so where are all these happy endings coming from?"

Harold sighed with a wry smile: "I'm just worried that this 'backdoor' I created will eventually do something outrageous, or even turn to crime."

Rorschach smiled and patted Harold on the back.

"I'm the opposite of you, I'm not worried at all."

"Why?" Harold asked, puzzled.

"Because she is the one you created!"

Rorschach said firmly, "I know you better than anyone. The AI ​​you created with self-awareness learns from you, her father. Therefore, her core logic will inevitably inherit your moral principles. Speaking of which..."

He looked Harold up and down and teased him, "I'm more worried that your 'daughter' is too soft-hearted. She might end up with so many resources, but she'll just be like her father, a nice guy who always wants the whole family to have a happy ending."

Harold smiled upon hearing this, and his previously heavy and depressed mood eased considerably.

Perhaps, as Rorschach said, this AI daughter will become exactly what he envisioned.

"However, what happened this morning gave me some new ideas."

Rorschach leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the marble ceiling, and said slowly, “We still don’t have enough manpower. When facing organizations like Cobra or the High Table, we’re always passively waiting for them to make the first move before we can react hastily. If it were just targeting me, it wouldn’t matter, but this time you were almost kidnapped too.”

Harold's expression turned serious, but his thoughts were actually the exact opposite of Rorschach's.

He didn't think there were too few people; on the contrary, he felt there were too many.

Back when it was just him and Rorschach, they could move freely throughout New York City. Under the cover of the "back door," they faced almost no risk of exposure unless they encountered law enforcement directly.

But since Clyde, Anna, and John joined, although the scale of the operation has increased and there is still a "backdoor" to eliminate all electronic messages, some clues are always left behind, giving those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage.

However, considering that everyone had gotten along well during this time, Harold didn't say much.

"You wouldn't be thinking of..." Harold suddenly had a bad feeling.

“That’s right!” Luo Xia nodded emphatically, his voice suddenly rising: “We should form an organization!”

"Watfuck?!" Harold was so shocked he almost jumped out of his seat.

He pointed at Rorschach with a trembling hand: "You...you're kidding me, aren't you?"

He originally thought Luo Xia just wanted to recruit a few more helpers, but he didn't expect this guy to have such a big ambition!

Forming an organization?!
How many people would we need to recruit!

"No, I'm serious!"

Rorschach's eyes lit up. "Think about it carefully, buddy. With our abilities, hiding in the shadows all day doing petty stunts, and being threatened by a bunch of rats in the gutter, that's just too damn degrading!"

He first pointed at Harold, then at himself: "You, Harold Finch, the world's number one hacker! The father of super AI! A billionaire! I, Rorschach Butcher, the most wanted criminal in history, a super criminal feared by the United States. With the organization we've created together, taking down High Table and Cobra is a piece of cake!"

“But I don’t have such grand ambitions,” Harold muttered softly. “I just want to use AI to save more ordinary people and do some good deeds.”

Rorschach nodded understandingly, then skillfully added, "So, Harold, it's really your good fortune to know me."

"Really?" Harold asked with a doubtful look. "How come I've never felt this way before?"

He recalled it carefully, and it seemed that ever since he picked up Rorschach in Washington, he hadn't had a single peaceful day.

They even went on overseas operations in Europe twice!

One instance was in an attempt to seize weapons of mass destruction.

One instance was the annihilation of a mafia family that had been in power for a century.

This doesn't seem to have anything to do with good fortune at all.
"You'll understand later how lucky you are to have a friend like me who can push you forward."

Luo Xia put his arm around his shoulder and gave him a sly smile. "Just wait and see, my good brother. Your good days are yet to come."

"."

Harold remained silent.

It wasn't that he didn't believe he and Rorschach were capable of forming an organization.

After all, one of them has unlimited funds, and the other is known as a super criminal.

A large sum of money can be used to recruit soldiers and purchase equipment, while a great reputation can intimidate enemies and attract followers.

But as a tech geek with social anxiety, the mere thought of meeting new members made him extremely uncomfortable.

He prefers to sit quietly in front of the computer and read a book.
"Fine. I can't persuade you anyway."

Harold shook his head helplessly, then casually asked, "By the way, what's the organization's name?"

"Uh, I haven't decided yet. I'll discuss it with Anna and the others when I get back." Rorschach rubbed his chin.

Now that the plan was set, he couldn't help but start thinking about which old friends he should contact to join the project.

After all, there are too few people like this to form an organization.

“Bang bang bang bang—!”

Suddenly, a burst of gunfire interrupted his thoughts.

Several masked thugs burst through the door, firing submachine guns at the ceiling and shouting at the panicked crowd around them:
"Get down! Anyone who doesn't want to die, get down right there!"

Rorschach and Harold looked at each other, their expressions extremely strange.

Isn't this too unlucky?

How can you encounter a robbery just by going to the bank?

(End of this chapter)