Cyber ​​Ghost Record

Chapter 77, Section 76: The Meeting of the Spirits

[Meeting]

Qian Yun's words evoked some images in Su Ge's mind: the information that Hua Pi had collected about Jiang Ning, the most suspicious part of all the fragments of his life in this era.

"A gathering?" He remained nonchalant. "I only do business; I don't get involved in anything else."

Qian Yun understood that "others" referred to religion and politics, both of which implied additional risks.

“The Spiritual Society is just a mutual aid society. We simply pursue nature and help people become better versions of themselves.” He looked at Suger’s face and neck, which had no implants. “Some people accuse us of being anti-intellectual and refusing to progress, but Mr. Suger, you can certainly understand our philosophy.”

Suger raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. His hesitation sent a signal—he was somewhat interested in what they were saying. Qian Yun pressed his advantage, "There's a gathering in two days, you see…"

Su Ge turned his head and met Qian Yun's gaze, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. After a while, he said, "My involvement does not represent the Lugu Group."

"The gathering is completely anonymous, and no information will be leaked." Qian Yun's tone was resolute. "You only need to know the location and how to get in, and you can attend on your own without even meeting me."

“That sounds good,” Suger smiled.

He knew that Qian Yun's guarantee was weak. If what Qian Yun said was true, then where did Jiang Ning's clues come from?

But that doesn't matter; he'll be attending the rally in two days.

A strange unease crept into his heart. He might find nothing, or perhaps he would actually find clues to Jiang Ning's disappearance, or perhaps he would follow in Jiang Ning's footsteps...

After a brief discussion, Qian Yun escorted Su Ge out of the illegal drug factory.

As he stepped out of the dentist's office through the glass door, Suger straightened his collar and took a deep breath; the smell of disinfectant and herbs almost seeped into his lungs.

“I’ve already booked a ride-hailing service, no need for a drop-off,” Su Ge said, turning around. “See you in two days, Mr. Qian.”

"Wait a minute." Qian Yun suddenly walked up to Su Ge and frowned.

Suger followed his gaze to the glass doors of the dental clinic. The city's lower levels were dimly lit, with chaotic streets between capsule apartments and restaurants. Dozens of people were stuck at a street corner not far away, standing under the diffused pink light, as if enveloped by the bright lights of a butcher shop.

Su Ge glanced at Qian Yun inquiringly.

"I'll handle it."

Qian Yun tossed out a sentence and hurriedly left the dentist's office. Su Ge saw him approach the group of people. Soon, some people came up to greet him, and a fierce argument broke out. Su Ge watched this scene; many people looked over from a distance, and even through the glass door, he could feel the rejection and resistance in their eyes.

A freight train passed over the overhead bridge, and the glass doors of the dental clinic trembled slightly.

A gunshot ended the argument. The smoke dissipated in the pinkish-blue light, merging into the mist. Qian Yun holstered his gun, and his men quickly entered and took control of the situation. Only then did he return to the dental clinic, walk through the glass door, and breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm telling you a joke."

"they are?"

“The people here are always causing trouble,” Qian Yun said vaguely. “They complain that the medicine is too expensive, or that some medicines are out of stock. They’re all troublemakers.”

Socrates didn't press further, simply nodding and walking out of the dentist's office. The crowd had already been dispersed by the pharmaceutical company employees. He walked between the capsule apartments and the restaurant, past an elderly man whose artificial muscles in his arm resembled seaweed attached to plastic bones. He held up a sign that read: "We just want to live."

He frowned, then noticed a short woman holding a sign next to a green trash can: "You sell medicine, we sell our lives."

On the other side, a boy is graffitiing on the wall—a pair of white gloves picking fruit from a tree, the fruit bearing entrails.

Su Ge glanced at Qian Yun, whose expression seemed somewhat strange. Su Ge smiled nonchalantly and waved goodbye to Qian Yun. He left the illegal settlement under the overpass, and through the barbed wire fence covered with chrysanthemums, a hovercar was parked outside an old basketball court. He stepped into the hovercar, and Shen Ke appeared in the seat beside him.

“The people here are very resistant to me,” Su Ge said in a low voice. Clearly, they weren’t protesting against Qian Yun.

“Of course.” Shen Ke glanced out the window. “They don’t have citizenship, so they can only get their hands on psychotropic drugs and anti-immune medications through smuggling. If a large company moves in and regulates the market, they’ll have no way to survive.” The overpass slowly descended, and the train gradually shrank into a thin white line. She turned to look at Su Ge, who remained silent.

"What, are you feeling guilty?"

“No.” Su Ge shook his head. “I’m not really an investor.”

“You scared them a little,” she said.

The hovercar returned to the Cloud Pavilion Hotel.

Su Ge compiled an investigation report and sent it to Yang Guan, informing him of the current progress. He then took off his clothes and switched the wall screen to full-length mirror mode.

Various hooded robes switched on his body as he pulled up the images collected by the Painted Skin team—

In the dimly lit basement, the misty light pressed down on the floor. Men and women hid their faces under their hoods, their robes covering almost every inch of their skin yet outlining almost the entire contours of their bodies. They shared food, their skin touching.

……

Two days later, at 7:20 p.m., Suger walked out of the Heart End Street Skyrail station.

The flooded streets reflected the buildings, creating a scene resembling two separate worlds.

He entered the Sand Ship Commercial Center, where pedestrians' shadows flickered between the intersecting skybridges, and transparent umbrellas swam like jellyfish in the neon lights. Beyond three apartment buildings lay a parking lot, with a few hovercrafts parked on their frames. Drones swept overhead, scattering raindrops into puffs of white mist. He walked up the ramp at the end of the parking lot, where Japanese-style horizontal lanterns hung beneath European-style wrought-iron lampposts on red brick walls, their orange glow shimmering in the rain and mist.

A bar appeared at the end of the slope, its lights as cold and desolate as its name—Insulated. Suger put on a holographic mask, his white mask casting blurry shadows on the glass window.

He walked into the bar, rainwater running down his heels.

The bar was deserted, with only two customers sitting at either end of the long bar counter. On the dance floor, dancers in black dresses twirled around the poles, looking like puppets from a music box.

Suger walked over to the bartender. The bartender was fiddling with a hockey puck, and a large number of disposable chips were haphazardly placed in the open drawer beside him. Without looking up, he asked, "What would you like?"

“I have a reservation,” Suger said.

"Ok?"

"Room 2238."

"Over there," the bartender gestured with his chin to the left, "someone will lead the way."

Sog walked past the bar counter and past the bar's restroom. Someone leaning against the wall saw him approach, nodded, and walked towards a side aisle. Sog followed. After walking about thirty meters, the guide suddenly turned into the wall.

Suger paused for a moment, then reached out and touched it; it was just a holographic projection.

He passed through the wall.

A passageway appeared before them, dimly lit at its depths, where people hid their bodies under black robes.

Yu Guangzhong's gaze was drawn to the dim fluorescent light. He turned his head and saw a graffiti:
My body is in so much pain that my soul is about to flee.

(End of this chapter)