Cyber ​​Ghost Record

Chapter 90, Section 89: The Trap
The cyborg slumped, a pale purple electric shock erupting from the side of his neck. He slid slowly against the wall, blue coolant seeping from his ears. The fragrant tree blossoms, crimson as blood, seemed even more alive in the air.

“That guy has taken control of this place.” Yang Guan examined the brain of the modified human. “These criminals have all become his accomplices.”

"What does he expect to achieve with this rabble?" Bai Miao said as he walked to the base station.

The base station, three meters tall, resembled an ivory tower. The gang used outdated technology; this antenna couldn't transmit all the data of a digital life form in a short time, but it allowed the digital life form's avatar to pass through quickly and without loss. Once the target's avatar escaped the Six Desires Realm through this system, it could escape to the other side of the Earth via satellite within half a second.

“They are victims too.” Yang Guan glanced at the modified humans on the ground.

“Victims?” Bai Miao shook his head and hacked into the baseband processing unit. “Don’t forget, this place is full of criminals.”

Bai Miao's words made Yang Guan uncomfortable. He suddenly realized that his views differed from Bai Miao's. This made him uneasy; as an investigator, developing empathy for criminals was undoubtedly a dangerous sign.

His brain searched for the source of this redundant thought, but found nothing in his memory bank. Strangely, he seemed to taste the spiciness of tequila in his mouth. He remembered—it was on the night he was stripped of his identity that he began to empathize with these fallen people.

"It's done." Bai Miao's voice brought Yang Guan back to his senses. "This base station has been taken control; all data passing through here will be redirected to the National Security Bureau." She glanced back at Yang Guan. "What are you thinking about?"

"No." Yang Guan shook his head, gathering his scattered thoughts.

"Wait, something's wrong."

Just then, Bai Miao's prosthetic eye suddenly emitted a blue light, projecting an image of Su Ge and Li talking onto the white painted surface of the wall.

……

This is a trap...

The warning from Weige echoed in Suger's mind, and he understood why Li was so fearless. The negotiation expert in the artificial scalp instructed him to change the subject and buy time, but Suger had already ignored these voices.

He didn't know Li's specific arrangements, but without a doubt, both the Security Bureau and he were in danger.

The image of the Heavenly Tree King disappeared, and Mount Sumeru took its place.

Looking at these illusions, Suger ignored the negotiation expert's words. He had to do something. He couldn't use his trump cards under the watchful eye of the Security Bureau, but he could remind them. At the very least, he couldn't let Li completely take the initiative.

"Mr. Li."

Suger shifted his gaze from the holographic well to Li, and cleared his throat.

"Actually, I'm a little confused. We've only just met, so why do you trust me so much?"

"What?" Li smiled slightly. "Are you saying that you are not worthy of being trusted?"

“Of course not. I just want to say that not everyone can keep other people’s secrets as tight-lipped as I am.” Soger shook his head. “I didn’t mean to speculate about your identity, but you just said that you recently regained your freedom, which would make anyone think of that prison break.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, "If the security bureau finds out about this..."

Li narrowed his eyes.

"You seem more concerned about my safety than I am?"

"If we are to cooperate, then your safety means my safety as well."

Su Ge looked at Li.

“I don’t have your abilities, Mr. Li. I’m just a shady businessman, and I don’t want to provoke the National Security Bureau.”

……

“Suger is behaving strangely,” Bai Miao said in a low voice. “He didn’t repeat ‘Wu Yang’s’ words…”

The "Wu Yang" she mentioned refers to the negotiation expert program carried by Su Ge. The name comes from a past negotiation expert whose data was used by the bureau to build the program model after his death.

As soon as Bai Miao finished speaking, a holographic image of team leader Lu Shixi appeared next to the base station. Another figure also appeared beside Lu Shixi; he was the investigator who installed the prosthetic brain on Su Ge.

"Wuyang is operating normally. It can be confirmed that the contact person's abnormal behavior was his own doing."

Lu Shixi looked at Yang Guan, "Why did he do that?"

Yang Guan was equally baffled by Su Ge's actions. He frowned and shook his head. "I don't know."

"He's your informant!" Lu Shixi's tone was firm and resolute. "If we could just buy five more minutes, the Feathered Envoy would reach the Heavenly Palace of Blazing Light! But now your informant has alerted Li, and he's become wary. If the operation fails..."

“He has no reason to remind Li.” Yang Guan hesitated for a moment. “Could it be that he’s trying to remind us?”

He paused, then said with even greater certainty, "He must have discovered something amiss and is trying to convey a message to us in this way." Lu Shixi frowned. "What message?"

“He said he didn’t want to provoke the Security Bureau.” Bai Miao repeated Su Ge’s words, quickly grasping the key points. She pondered for a moment and guessed, “He wants us to stop our operation?”

"Cease the operation?" Lu Shixi paused. "He wants to desert his post?"

"He may have his own judgment."

Yang Guan inexplicably felt an urge to trust Su Ge.

“We can’t monitor the entire scene. Socrates may have obtained more information, and he thinks the timing is wrong, or…”

Yang Guan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

This operation seems to have gone too smoothly; with just a few words of probing, Li has already exposed his identity.

He suddenly felt he understood the message Socrates was trying to convey—this might be a trap.

But this is absurd. It's true that the Security Bureau has fallen into traps set by demons and monsters before, but the problem is that there is no evidence to suggest the possibility of such traps. Even if he brings it up, this issue will not be taken into consideration.

“He wasn’t an independent investigator; his role was merely that of a contact and a decoy,” Lu Shixi said coldly. “It seems I overestimated the reliability of biological brains.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her hologram disappeared. The situation had changed; there was no longer necessarily time to wait for the Feathered Envoy to arrive. She had to make new plans.

……

“Very cautious.” Li smiled. “I’m a cautious person because cautious people usually value their lives.” He paused deliberately. “Is it strange? I’m passionate about studying death, but I happen to like people who value their lives.”

Suger did not respond.

“Because if a person doesn’t even cherish life, then he won’t care about death either.” Li looked at Su Ge meaningfully. “Unfortunately, people nowadays care less and less about death.”

"why?"

"Why? They contributed their thought data to the gods, believing that they would eventually become a complete part of the spirit realm, and death was just a necessary step in this process."

He stood up and walked to the image of Mount Sumeru.

“People used to revere death because they knew nothing about the world after death. But now they know where they go after death, so they no longer revere death itself, but rather the gods who created the world of the dead.”

Li picked up his teacup and took a sip. Of course, he didn't need to drink tea, but he was a numerical being who studied death. The more he understood life, the more he understood death, and sometimes he would do unnecessary things, as if he were still living in the world with a mortal body.

"But they don't understand that the essence of these so-called worlds of the dead is neither mysterious nor sacred."

“Then what is their essence?” Soger asked.

“I used to worship those rulers of the world of the dead, just like them. Of course, my worship wasn’t self-degradation; I wanted to become like them.” Li glanced at Su Ge. “Later, I learned about the growth story of a god of the underworld on the dark web.” He curled his lips into a smile, opened his palm, as if popping a non-existent bubble in the air.

“You seem very calm.” He looked Sog up and down. “Don’t you think my words have shaken your faith?”

“My beliefs are flexible,” Suger said. “I believe more in myself.”

Li laughed, his laughter sounding like praise, yet also carrying a hint of contempt.

"How did the god of the underworld you mentioned become a god?" Sog pressed.

“I found an abandoned cemetery on the dark web. About two centuries ago, a Japanese man created it. Initially, it collected information about the deceased and built models so that their relatives and friends could still communicate with them during the Obon festival.” Li put down his teacup. “It’s still operating today. Of course, it has undergone countless iterations. Now, it is the Night Eater Plain, the divine realm ruled by Tsukuyomi.”

"What about the other divine realms?" Sog asked. "Is it the same for them?"

“The Six Paths of Reincarnation, Hell, Heim, the Valley of Fire, Midland…” Li recited a series of names, “Different paths, same destination.” He looked at Sug, “This is top secret information. Do you know why I’m telling you this?”

"why?"

“Because you know how to appreciate and respect,” Li said. “I need someone like you. You can be my assistant, and of course, you can also be my friend.”

"You trust me?" Su Ge felt that Li's gaze was as if he were examining an object.

“I trust you.” Li paused, then shook his index finger. “But not the current you, but the you after you die.”

(End of this chapter)