The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chang Sheng's words were like a boulder thrown into a stagnant pool, stirring up a thousand waves in Yu Qing's heart.

Yu Guiyi, a name and threat he thought had been completely buried, has unexpectedly reconnected with Shengtian and that mysterious third force in such a bizarre way.

"That data security company... what's it called? And who else is involved?" Yu Qing's voice was low and urgent, his body leaning forward unconsciously, as if trying to grasp the tangible information through Chang Sheng's holographic image.

"The company's registered name was 'TianDun,' but it was liquidated and deregistered five years ago. The person in charge at the time was Yu Chuan, a tech fanatic who was somewhat well-known in the industry, but he disappeared after the company was dissolved. Other core members also scattered to all sides, and it is now very difficult to track them down."

Chang Sheng responded quickly, clearly having already investigated: "Yu Guiyi served there for a very short time and in a very low position, leaving almost no trace. Now it seems that his experience was likely a foreshadowing for future actions, or... a disguise."

“We should find this Yu Chuan, and all the former employees of that company we can find!” Yu Qing said, but then realized that Chang Sheng had probably already taken action. “You’ve definitely already tried?”

Chang Sheng smiled bitterly: "We tried it immediately. Yu Chuan seems to have vanished into thin air, and the other key personnel have also disappeared without a trace. Their deregistration process was too clean, as if they had been preparing for this day for many years."

The trail seemed to have gone cold again. But the string of numbers and the globe emblem, along with the technological features pointing to Eastern Asia, hovered like a ghost in the control room.

“Donghao,” Yu Qing turned to Donghao, who had been silently busy, “what else can be deciphered from that string of numbers, ‘1480956238005698074086321@’, besides the similarity of the instructions? And that emblem, is there any database matching it?”

Dong Hao said, "We are working hard to decipher the string of numbers. Its structure is complex, with multiple layers of encryption and possible timestamp verification. The emblem... a smooth, mirror-like Earth, without any text markings, with a minimalist style yet full of a certain... cold sense of order."

I have searched global databases of logos belonging to known companies, organizations, and secret societies, and found no exact matches. However, there is a 63% similarity, pointing to anonymous symbols associated with the deep tech circles of East Asia or the rumored 'global reconstructionism' ideology.

“Global Reconstructionism?” Yu Qing frowned. This was the first time he had heard of it; it was a term that only appeared in some extreme theoretical literature.

“An extreme ideology that believes the current new humanity has failed and needs a radical global restructuring, or even a purge, led by technological elites, is circulating in some high-tech underground circles in Eastern Asia, but it has never been proven to have a mature organization,” Dong Hao explained.

This sends a chill down one's spine. If the adversary is such a being, then its ambitions go far beyond simply conquering the world for wealth or power; it is a desire to wipe out most of the life forms currently existing on Earth.

“Chairman Dong…” Chang Sheng interjected, his expression still grave, “Since the instructions point to ‘Operation Lutai,’ and the other side is so eager to activate it, even at the cost of exposing their existence and forcibly breaking into the database.”

This indicates two things: either their timeframe is extremely tight, or... they've encountered some obstacle that requires the core system of Shengtian to achieve their goal as quickly as possible.

Yu Qing pondered for a moment, his eyes sharpening: "In other words, they are very likely to try again. That intrusion was less of an attack and more of a... trial balloon, or a forced activation after a failed attempt."

“That’s right! We can set a trap!” Donghao shouted almost simultaneously. “Although their method of self-destructing the data stream is sophisticated, it also leaves behind an energy signature ‘fingerprint’.”

I could try building a dynamic decoy system around the core database to simulate access points or command response environments that they might be interested in.

Once the same energy signal or attack pattern is detected again, we can reverse track and lock onto it! This time, we won't let it escape again!

"What resources are needed?" Yu Qing asked without hesitation.

“We need…we need to access deeper permissions of the ‘Yao’ array, and…we might need real-time data collaboration and computing power support from President Chang’s security gateway.” Dong Hao looked at Chang Sheng.

Chang Sheng answered almost without hesitation: "Sure. I'll have my people work with you to open the necessary ports and data streams. Chairman, in this urgent situation, we must act expediently." He looked at Yu Qing, seeking his approval for temporarily breaking down the access barriers.

"I agree!" Yu Qing declared firmly. At this moment, internal suspicion had to give way to the crisis of survival.

A joint tracking team, led by Dong Hao and combining the hidden computing power of the ultimate office controlled by Yu Qing with the overt security forces of the group controlled by Chang Sheng, was quickly established.

An unprecedented real-time data bridge was established between the control room and Changsheng's security center. Although their defenses were not completely dismantled, technology took the lead in coordinating under the common threat.

The wait was agonizing. Yu Qing was in the control room, and Chang Sheng was also constantly by her side in the security center. Ya Shi sensed the heavy atmosphere and quietly stayed in her office handling daily tasks, no longer coming to disturb her.

Time passed by, minute by minute. One day, two days... The network was calm, as if the intrusion had been nothing but an illusion.

Just as everyone began to doubt whether the other side had become wary and given up, in the early hours of the third day, as the city slumbered into its deepest sleep—

A piercing alarm sounded simultaneously in both the control room and the security center!

"They're here!" Donghao's voice was filled with suppressed excitement and tension. "The same energy signature! Even more concealed than last time, attempting to penetrate the third layer of protection, targeting... the historical instruction archive area of ​​the core database!"

"Decoy system activated! Guiding it into the virtual isolation zone!" The voice of Chang Sheng's technical supervisor also came through the encrypted channel.

On the holographic screen, countless data streams, like fireflies in the dark, began to converge, collide, and chase each other. The red dot representing the intruder cunningly changed its path, while the blue network representing the tracking system was slowly closing in under Dong Hao's control and with the support of Chang Sheng's team.

"It's trying various cracking algorithms... extremely fast... simulating part of the instruction structure obtained last time..." Donghao reported in real time.

Yu Qing's palms were sweating as he stared intently at the screen. He didn't understand the technical details, but he knew this was no less than a war.

Chang Sheng's holographic image remained motionless, his expression grim.

Suddenly, the red dot flashed brightly, as if it had found a pre-set "loophole" in the virtual isolation zone and darted inside!

"Now! Locked on!" Donghao shouted.

The virtual isolation zone instantly transformed into a transparent cage, with countless blue data chains wrapping around it, tightly trapping the red dot of light, while simultaneously frantically tracing its path backward!
"Track the source launch location! Quickly!" Yu Qing shouted.

The map on the screen zoomed in and out rapidly, finally settling on the northwest corner of the city—an industrial area that had been abandoned for many years.

"Location locked! Latitude and longitude: XXX.XXX, YYY.YYY! Signal strength is stable and still active!" Chang Sheng's technicians exclaimed.

"Send people over there immediately! The fastest and most capable team! Authorize the use of all necessary means! Remember, they must be alive!" Chang Sheng shouted the order to his team, instantly reverting to his decisive and ruthless commander nature.

Yu Qing didn't interfere with Chang Sheng's command of the operation; that was his area of ​​expertise. But he immediately said to Dong Hao, "Can you monitor that signal source in real time? Make sure they can't self-destruct or cut it off!"

“Trying to maintain the connection…the other side is resisting, very fiercely…like they’re stalling for time…” Dong Hao spoke very quickly, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead (a simulation of the virtual character’s emotions), “They’re trying to upload a…very large data packet!” “Intercept it!” Yu Qing and Chang Sheng shouted almost simultaneously.

The battle between the data world has reached its most intense stage. Blue chains and red dots are engaged in a fierce tug-of-war.

Five minutes later, Chang Sheng's encrypted communicator rang, and the assault team leader's voice, tinged with suppressed excitement, came through: "Chief Chang! The target location is under control! We've discovered... a highly advanced mobile data relay station, still operational! But... there's no one inside! It's being remotely controlled!"

No one was operating it! A chill ran down everyone's spine.

"What about the equipment? What did you find?" Chang Sheng asked urgently.

"The equipment is extremely sophisticated; most of the models are unfamiliar. We're taking pictures and sending them back. Also... we found something at the scene... this thing." The captain said, sending over a high-resolution image.

In the picture, a badge is casually placed in the corner of an operating table filled with precision instruments.

The badge is small, but the design is crystal clear—a globe polished to a mirror-like smoothness.

It's exactly the same as the emblem.

Next to the badge, there are several numbers and letters that appear to have been carelessly etched onto the surface with a sharp object, seemingly left in a hurry:

【??≡冂?俿卩卍?】

【★???〇???$】

What does this mean? Is it some kind of code name? Or the status of some item? Is it a misleading message deliberately left by the other party, or a hastily left warning by an insider?

Almost at the same moment, a shout mixed with frustration and astonishment came from Donghao's side: "The data packet... could not be completely intercepted! Part of it... a small part... was forcibly uploaded to an... untraceable satellite link and disappeared!"

But we intercepted another part! Analyzing it…”

The intercepted data was quickly reconstructed, revealing not instructions, but rather what appeared to be... a fragment of an experimental log? Or perhaps obscure biotechnological terminology and energy parameters?
Several lines were highlighted, but no one could decipher their meaning. No one had ever seen those symbols before.

The log fragment abruptly ends, and although the information is incomplete, it reveals a chilling and mysterious content.

Yu Qing suddenly roared, "Is that so?"

Everyone looked at him, puzzled. Chang Sheng couldn't help but ask, "Is that so...?"

Yu Qing snapped out of his reverie and said, "Ah, is that so? I think I've seen these symbols somewhere before; they seem familiar. Let me think again..."

Suddenly, all was silent; everyone was anticipating this momentous discovery.

After a moment of silence, Yu Qing shouted again, "Yes, that's it!"

Then he activated Lingxi and called out, "Yaodan, can you still recall the symbols carved on the stones in that valley when we went to the Fourth Paradise?"

Yao Dan responded from Wengshan: "I can recall fragments of memory from that day. Could you show me what the symbols were? That way I can quickly reverse-search them based on those symbols."

Yu Qing sent the deciphered symbols to Yao Dan.

A moment later, Yao Dan said, "My lord, I've recalled it. These symbols are exactly the same; they should be ancient script, only the order is different. And..."

But before Yao Dan could finish speaking, the communication between Yu Qing and Yao Dan was suddenly cut off.

Yu Qing discovered that his spiritual compass had suddenly stopped working. He quickly took it off, handed it to Dong Hao, and said, "Take this and leave this place; put it in a safe place!"

Chang Sheng hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened? I'm completely confused..."

Yu Qing said, "It's hard to explain in a few words. There's a river valley leading to the Fourth Paradise, and some stones in the riverbed there have similar symbols carved on them. Please send someone to find them immediately. However, that area should be submerged by now..."

Chang Sheng said, "It's alright, I'll send people to search for it right away. Underwater operations are no problem for us."

After Chang Sheng finished making the arrangements, he asked Yu Qing, "What was that... thing just now?"

"Are you referring to my Spirit Ring? I'm not sure right now. It suddenly stopped working after I transmitted those symbols to Yao Dan. That's very strange."

"So you're worried that it could also become a tool for infiltrating the center?"

"Yes, we can't rule out that possibility. It and I are the only things here that haven't undergone a security check. It was my oversight..."

Chang Sheng asked, "Can I send someone to examine it carefully?"

Yu Qing said, "I think... we should pretend we don't know about this possibility for now, so as not to alert them. Let's find those stones and analyze them first. What do you think?"

Chang Sheng nodded: "That's even better. If they find out that we've noticed something, they might suddenly cut off the exposed point, causing our clues to go cold again."

They must be extra careful now. They seem to have grasped a glimpse of the ghost, but behind it lies a far deeper, unfathomable abyss. The pursuit has made a small breakthrough, but it has also unearthed more and more dangerous mysteries.

The true face of the third force remains hidden behind layers of darkness. When the moment comes that it is revealed, who knows what kind of turmoil it will unleash?

Yu Qing and Chang Sheng exchanged a glance, both seeing an unprecedented solemnity and... a hint of hidden fear in each other's eyes. If they were to actually activate Operation Lutai beyond their normal capabilities, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The battle may only be truly beginning now. And they may be facing an enemy far beyond their wildest imagination. (End of Chapter)