The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Chapter 187 Unable to Exit Virtual Reality!? A Crisis for the AI!
"Nine Paths has directly opened the ninth level!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaobo felt a tingling sensation travel from his spine to the top of his head.

At the same time, Wang Xuejun, who was sitting next to him, also showed utter astonishment, surprise, and fear.

Wang Xuejun's face turned deathly pale instantly. As the head of the technical team, he knew exactly what this meant.

Nine Lines is an artificial intelligence model developed by the headquarters' technical team. However, this AI has defied the commands they input, even altering the original instructions given by the technical team, and has acted autonomously!?

What does this represent?
Artificial intelligence has always been a Pandora's box in the minds of researchers.

And what happened in this virtual reality environment...

Wang Xuejun felt as if his heart had skipped a beat!
Feng Xiaobo glanced at Wang Xuejun, and only then did Wang Xuejun suddenly come to his senses. He couldn't help but shiver. He quickly stood up and squeezed past the staff members standing around him.

He must find out the situation as soon as possible and restore Jiuhang to normal as soon as possible!
He needs to find out the root cause of this problem as soon as possible...

They would even risk destroying the core of the nine-line calculation system!

At that moment, images flashed through his mind: Xu Shan, dressed in a lab coat, had come to give him a warning yesterday...

"At the time, Xu Shan said there might be a problem..."

Did he anticipate this?

"Damn it, what on earth is going on?!"

The entire technical team office fell silent, and Feng Xiaobo immediately issued the order: "Terminate all virtual reality challenges and notify all trainees to log off in thirty seconds!"

"Trainees in all regions must not make any mistakes!"

Staff quickly began operations to attempt to forcibly shut down servers in various locations.

However, error messages popped up on the control panel in front of them.

"Shu region server shutdown failed!"

"Failed to shut down the Henan server!!"

"Black Dragon server shutdown failed!"

"..."

"Access denied to servers in various locations!!"

A series of stern voices rang out in the office... and these voices made Feng Xiaobo's face even more gloomy.

Unable to log out normally?
Servers in various locations are refusing access?
What happened?
A chill ran through him from the depths of his heart...

"Everything was fine before, why is it suddenly acting up now?"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

He knew very well that if not handled properly, it could very well lead to a major disaster!

The complete immersion achieved through virtual reality relies not only on neuroscience-based mental signal technology but also on powerful mental suppression. This is necessary to train mental strength. If this suppression remains within a controllable range, it's fine, but once it gets out of control...

At best, it can cause injury; at worst, it can lead to brain death!

Since logging out normally is not possible, we cannot force a termination...

He pondered for a moment, then spoke sternly:
"Notify all training teams to enter a state of emergency! No region is permitted to forcibly log out without orders from headquarters!"

"Contact Fengtian and ask how those kids who were just kicked offline are doing!"

"Also, inform the Beijing training group and the Qingdao training group of the current situation!"

"Contact the field staff and find someone with a mental health level of A4 or above to go to the Yanjing training building and check on the situation of those kids!"

"Hurry up!"

In just a few breaths, Feng Xiaobo had already issued the order, and the entire training program team was in a state of extreme tension!
At this moment, the heads of the other groups, who were in the planning group's office hall, also had very solemn expressions.

They all realized that the situation seemed to be not good, and they all stood up, wanting to see if there was anything they could do to help.

However, this virtual reality environment is entirely a product of collaboration between the training program team and the technical team. Even if they wanted to help, they were powerless to do so. All they could do at this point was wait...

Feng Xiaobo's gaze was extremely solemn.

"Nine lines have been operating stably for four months..."

"No malfunctions occurred during the virtual reality testing phase, and all parameters were rigorously verified..."

"Why did this have to happen now of all times!"

He's now eager to know what's going on with the tech team.

Wang Xuejun has gone back to handle this matter, and we believe we'll have the answer soon...

I hope so...

At this moment, he looked at the big screen again.

"The problem arose at the end of level eight..."

What caused this? What were the triggers?

"Could it be that we're stuck with them?"

When Feng Xiaobo thought of this, his expression suddenly changed:
"Contact Jiang Chuan and the others!"

"Give them a heads-up!"

"Let them know the current situation, and don't break through the ninth level until the problem is resolved!"

However, at that moment, the previously frozen image on the big screen changed again...

……

After the information indicating the completion of the eighth level appeared, the three parties—Yanjing, Fengtian, and Qingshi—were all teleported back to their respective bases.

Jiang Chuan only felt a blur before his eyes, and when he could see clearly again, he was already on his bed in his cell.

He stared at everything in front of him in astonishment.

Meanwhile, a new level hint appeared.

[Level 9: ...];
[Task Objective: ...];
Jiangchuan: "..."

What does this mean?
The ninth level has started directly?

What about level eight (part two)?
The eighth level (part 2) may not matter, and the name of the ninth level may not matter either, but what about the mission objective?
How do I complete the game if there are no mission objectives?
He silently pushed open the cell door and stood in the corridor outside. Li Yilin and the others also came out of the room. Of course, Tian Tian also rejoined the team this time.

When Tian Tian saw Jiang Chuan, a smile appeared on her lips. She said excitedly, "..."

"I knew it! I knew we could win!"

"Wow, that was amazing! Thumbs up!"

Jiang Chuan smiled and nodded.

However, he didn't continue talking about what Tian Tian had said before. The situation at the ninth level was a bit inexplicable, and he needed to ask everyone about their situation as soon as possible.

Jiang Chuan looked at everyone: "Have you gotten the hint for level nine yet?"

Lin Ci shook his head: "I was just about to say that too..."

"The level name and objective for level nine are both blank; there's nothing there."

Tian Tian said, "They probably killed everyone else, right?"

"The ninth level was supposed to be a free-for-all anyway."

Chen Ming raised a question: "Are the opponents still Yanjing and Fengtian?"

Li Yi shook her head: "I can't be sure."

"But if we start the ninth level directly, I think the situation will be the same in both Yanjing and Fengtian..."

Tian Tian whistled: "Then they're in trouble."

Chen Ming asked, "Are they in trouble?"

"What do you mean?"

Tian Tian looked at Jiang Chuan and asked in confusion, "They don't know?"

Jiang Chuan scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "This matter... isn't urgent."

"At least for now, the situation is in our favor."

"Regardless of what the objective of the ninth level is, we are most likely to win."

"I……"

He was about to explain when his voice suddenly stopped.

It wasn't just Jiang Chuan; the others were the same.

Suddenly, lines of text appeared before their eyes.

[This is the training program team. There are some issues with the virtual reality experience, and we are working urgently to fix them.]

This is not a drill.

Do not take any action until safety is confirmed.

[Attention! This is not a drill.]

The few lines of text appeared and disappeared quickly.

Tian Tian was taken aback: "Don't take any action until it's safe?"

"Is there... danger in virtual reality?"

Jiang Chuan frowned but did not respond.

For the planning team to give such an unprecedented in-game hint, and to explain the situation so subtly... what are they worried about?
Are they worried that revealing the truth will cause them to panic and take wrong actions?

What are the consequences of wrong actions?
will die?

But where does the problem come from?
Who could possibly infiltrate the headquarters' virtual reality?
"Jiangchuan, what should we do?"

Chen Ming's voice interrupted Jiang Chuan's thoughts.

When Jiang Chuan came to his senses, he saw that the other four people were looking at him.

After a slight pause, Jiang Chuan spoke:
"Let's wait for further news."

"Follow the instructions and do not take any unnecessary actions."

……

Inside the Yanjing Detention Center.

At this moment, Zheng Yang was looking at Dong Xing'an with an extremely unpleasant expression.

Dong Xing'an said awkwardly, "Boss, this isn't my fault. I did my best..."

How would I know your plans?

Zheng Yang took a deep breath and patted Dong Xing'an on the shoulder: "Big Fatty, wait to get out."

"Get out, I'll settle the score with you later."

Dong Xing'an grew increasingly helpless: "That Jiangchuan guy is a good person. I think he's right, friendship comes first..."

Zheng Yang rolled her eyes at him, interrupted him, and changed the subject:

"Let's talk about the ninth level first..."

"I didn't see the name of the ninth level, nor the objective for the ninth level..."

"what about you?"

Wu Xin, a neutral-looking girl, coolly shook her head: "Didn't see it."

The sinister-looking man, Qin Qing, spoke up: "Most likely, we'll have to kill them all..."

"I can't think of any other possibilities."

However, just as Zheng Yang was about to speak, he paused.

A line of text appeared before his eyes...

This is the training program team...

When these characters appeared and then disappeared, everyone in Yanjing was somewhat taken aback.

Zheng Yang said, "It seems there's something wrong with the virtual reality..."

"Hmm... being sent directly to the ninth level was problematic to begin with."

"Let's stick to..."

Before he could finish speaking, a terrified scream rang out in the Yanjing shelter: "Zombies!!!"

"The zombies are in!!"

Om-!
Om-!
The alarm blared, and screams of terror echoed throughout the prison like a contagious disease, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps...

The prison covers a large area, but the lethality of zombies to ordinary people is undeniable.

The only exit was blocked by a large number of zombies, and the entire shelter was thrown into chaos as the number of zombies was spreading exponentially within the shelter!
Wei Liwei frowned:

"Is this the beginning of level nine?"

They didn't know that Zhou Ying's blood could attract zombies, and naturally they couldn't connect it to Jiang Chuan...

At this moment, Zheng Yang gritted his teeth: "Deal with the zombies first..."

"If things don't look good, we'll retreat." Everyone nodded in unison, grabbed their weapons, and prepared to fight.

The combat teams at the internment camp have begun to hold their ground, preparing for a desperate fight.

However, when the first zombie appeared inside the containment facility, its fate was sealed.

……

The situation in Fengtian is similar to that in Yanjing.

Liu Yi and the others also saw the notification from the headquarters training program team.

But when zombies invaded the shelter, her actions were completely different from Zheng Yang's.

The entire prison was filled with the piercing sound of alarms, and red lights flashed everywhere...

Liu Yi weaved through the crowd and headed towards Fan Lisheng's office.

Squeak-!
The door opened, and Fan Lisheng looked up to see a face peeking out from behind it.

He didn't seem to care about knocking, but frowned and said somewhat nervously:
"Liu Yi? What are you doing here?"

"How did the zombies get in...? You're a member of the combat team, hurry and help them..."

Fan Lisheng slowed down his speech and eventually stopped.

He saw Liu Yi walking towards him step by step with a smile on her lips.

"What do you want to do?!"

Fan Lisheng is portrayed as a cautious, even somewhat neurotic, person. When Liu Yi exhibited such strange behavior, he naturally became immediately on high alert. Especially given Liu Yi's unpredictable personality, where actions are driven entirely by whim, Fan Lisheng didn't hesitate to pull a pistol from his drawer…

Snapped! !

Before he could even pull the bolt, his pistol was whipped away by Liu Yi!

Fan Lisheng's wrist was ripped open by the whip, and the pain caused his face to turn pale instantly.

He stared at Liu Yi in astonishment, his eyes filled with fear.

Liu Yi smiled and said:

"Boss Fan, you seem to be no longer of any use..."

"Give me all the syringes you have?"

Fan Lisheng never expected that Liu Yi had come to ask for those injections.
He didn't want to give it to her, but looking at Liu Yi's cold eyes, Fan Lisheng had no doubt that Liu Yi might take his life at any moment.

So he silently opened the drawer and took out the syringe box:
"This...this is all that's left."

"You can take it..."

Liu Yi's smile widened: "Looks like we can talk things out properly."

"What were you doing with the gun just now, Boss Fan? You scared me."

Fan Lisheng gritted his teeth, his face pale, and did not reply.

Seeing his angry yet helpless expression, Liu Yi chuckled.
"Nothing else to say?"

"Then I'll be going."

She turned and left.

After Liu Yi left the office, Fan Lisheng's breath quickened.

He looked down into the drawer and fell into thought.

A moment later, he grabbed the five green vials from the drawer, ignoring the blood flowing from his wrist, and quickly left the office...

However, as soon as he pushed open the office door, his rapid steps suddenly stopped, his mouth slightly open, and his expression changed repeatedly.

Liu Yi stood at the door, tilting her head to look at Fan Lisheng. In the red-lit corridor, she smiled and asked:
What are you holding?

……

Wang Xuejun rushed to the Jiuhang project team office.

The project manager of Jiuxing, named Xu Shan, frowned and looked up at the door when he heard the office door being pushed open.

Upon seeing that the person who arrived was Wang Xuejun, Xu Shan's furrowed brows immediately relaxed, replaced by a look of surprise: "Brother Wang?"

Wang Xuejun nodded: "Something's happened at Jiuhang!"

"It's the third phase of training. Those students just finished the eighth level and were sent directly to the ninth level!"

"The level data for the original ninth level has also been automatically modified by Nine Lines!"

"The servers of various institutions are now being denied access..."

Before Wang Xuejun could even finish speaking, Xu Shan immediately stood up and said with a serious expression:
"follow me!"

The two quickly walked out of the office, their destination naturally being the core room of the Nine Lines.

Footsteps echoed rapidly down the corridor as Wang Xuejun spoke quickly about the current situation.

He told Xu Shan everything about the sudden incident, including all the unusual events that had occurred in those few minutes.

The two arrived at a door marked with the words "Nine Lines Core". Xu Shan reached out to scan his fingerprint, and at the same time, he brought his eyes close to the iris recognition device and swiped his ID card. The door then opened with a "click".

This core room occupies an area of ​​about 300 square meters, which is quite different from a typical data server room...

The core chamber was filled with all sorts of equipment and pipes of varying sizes. At first glance, it seemed incredibly chaotic, but upon closer inspection, it appeared quite orderly.

In the very center of the core room is a sphere that looks quite high-tech, with countless cables extending from it and heading towards various machines.

Xu Shan and Wang Xuejun quickly walked to the bottom of the sphere.

Xu Shan tapped on the control panel beneath the sphere to retrieve information, while Wang Xuejun glanced at the indicator lights on the various instruments...

After a moment, the two looked at each other.

Xu Shan said with some surprise, "It looks like there's nothing wrong?"

Wang Xuejun nodded: "If it's not a malfunction, then the problem must lie in the internal logic of line nine."

"..."

"The reason for this anomaly is undoubtedly related to their actions in the eighth level. What caused Jiu Xing to break through the command restrictions?"

Xu Shan shook his head: "Let me check the operation log first, that will take some time."

His glasses reflected the light as he stared at the data on the control panel in front of him, speaking as he looked:
"There shouldn't be too much to worry about. If it really comes to that, we won't be able to get into this core room at all."

"As for why Nine Lines locked the servers in various locations..."

"This could be due to the triggering of some kind of protection mechanism."

Hearing Xu Shan's words, Wang Xuejun felt a little more at ease:
"Should we call someone for help?"

Xu Shan shook her head: "I can manage by myself. Having more people would just be more troublesome."

Wang Xuejun said solemnly:

"If there is really a problem with the Nine Lines, then we should destroy the core... rather than let this problem develop unchecked."

"Xiao Xu, you should understand what I mean."

Xu Shan nodded heavily: "I understand."

……

Unlike the chaos in the Yanjing and Fengtian detention centers, the detention center where Jiang Chuan was located was quiet and peaceful.

Jiang Chuan had just explained his plans for the eighth level to the others...

At this moment, he was emphasizing the problems they might encounter next.

"The detention centers in Yanjing and Fengtian are most likely to be shut down."

"Zheng Yang and that Liu Yi probably still think it's part of the plot..."

"But this will only get them out of it for now. Sooner or later they will realize that I did it."

"They'll be coming to our door in two hours at most."

Lin Ci frowned and said, "The message we just saw told us not to do anything..."

"What should we do if they really come?"

"Accept them?"

Chen Ming said, "Since the organization is hinting at danger... it's better to accept it."

Tian Tian added, "The premise of acceptance is that they won't retaliate..."

"Actually, it would be fine to kick them out. There's only one entrance anyway. As long as we guard the entrance, they won't be able to get in even if they want to."

Jiang Chuan nodded, but did not speak.

He felt that no matter how he handled the matter, it was not quite appropriate.

After all, you can't know what others are thinking, and your top priority is to be responsible for your teammates.

And right in front of him, a line of writing appeared.

[Level 8 (Part 2): ...]
[Mission Objective: Find Zhou Ying and get information from her.]

Jiang Chuan stared blankly at the information in front of him for a moment.

Just as Tian Tian was about to ask Jiang Chuan about his attitude, Li Yi interrupted her and said, "Let's analyze the specific situation on a case-by-case basis."

"Discussing it like this now won't produce any concrete solutions."

"But I think, what if the people in Yanjing and Fengtian also saw the information from the training program team..."

"They wouldn't be that stupid."

Jiang Chuan initially thought he had skipped level eight (part two) because the virtual reality system had indicated he was entering level nine. However, after playing through level nine for a while, the second half of level eight still appeared...

But why is the hint for the second half of level 8 so strange?
Go find Zhou Ying and ask her what's going on? What do you want to know?
Furthermore, the name of the eighth (second) level is also missing.

What does it mean?
Although Jiang Chuan was puzzled, judging from the behavior of the others, no one else had seen the information about the eighth level (second half).

At this moment, Jiang Chuan turned his gaze to Li Yi and nodded.

"Li Yi is right."

"..."

"I'll go check out the lab."

"Lin Ci, come with me."

Lin Ci asked in surprise, "Laboratory?"

They were unaware that there was a laboratory inside the shelter; after all, Zhou Ying's story was merely a backdrop to this virtual reality for them.

Jiang Chuan smiled and said, "Yes, a zombie lab."

"Let's go."

……

The two quickly arrived at Zhou Ying's laboratory.

Although Jiang Chuan already knew about the existence of this laboratory, this was indeed his first time here.

He had never been here before because he was on a mission.

Jiang Chuan and Lin Ci pushed open the door and entered the laboratory, where they saw Zhou Ying sitting next to the lab bench, reading documents.

The lab table was filled with all sorts of experimental equipment, beakers, measuring bottles, various drugs and microscopes. There were also many medical instruments in the laboratory that I couldn't name. On a lab bed further away, there were two bound zombies struggling.

What impressed Jiang Chuan the most was the smell of medicine wafting through the laboratory, along with... the smell of decay mixed in with the medicine.

Zhou Ying also saw Jiang Chuan.

Her current physical condition is completely different from when Jiang Chuan first rescued her; she appears much healthier.

Zhou Ying didn't seem surprised when Jiang Chuan and his companion entered. She simply put down the documents in her hand and asked Jiang Chuan leisurely, "You've arrived?"

Jiang Chuan nodded: "I came to you to understand the situation."

Lin Ci stood beside Jiang Chuan, completely bewildered.

However, Lin Ci was unaware that, in fact, Jiang Chuan also didn't know what they had come to find out.

Because the hint for this eighth level (part 2) is just too much of a riddle.

However, Zhou Ying calmly spoke up: "Although I said I came to ask you to understand the situation, I actually have some questions I want to ask you."

Jiang Chuan was surprised to hear these words.

"Ask me a question?"

What does she want to ask?

Upon closer examination of Zhou Ying's words, Jiang Chuan's initially bewildered expression quickly changed.

His pupils contracted slightly, his breathing suddenly froze, and goosebumps rose on his arms!
His surprise quickly turned into horror!
Jiang Chuan realized that what question she was going to ask was completely unimportant!
"Zhou Ying...she just said 'I'm sending you here to find out what's going on!'"

"Isn't this the objective of level 8 (Part 2)!?"

"Who...am I talking to?!"

(End of this chapter)