Chapter 116: Artificial Souls - Part 43 |
After five minutes, He Kangshi received a reply from the black snake: “You can choose to join them.”
He Kangshi was taken aback.
“For now, they are trustworthy individuals,” the black snake added.
“Hey boss, am I not your person?” He Kangshi pondered several possibilities as he typed his response.
The black snake knew who the hacker contacting him was and the nature of the organization they wanted him to join, hence their confidence. Alternatively… could there be a specific purpose behind the black snake allowing him to join another group? Perhaps infiltrating to gather intelligence or maintaining contact with other players?
As expected, the black snake replied, “There is no conflict here. You only hold me personally accountable. We are partners, and you can form an alliance based on mutual benefit with them—just as we can with anyone else, fostering cooperation and reciprocity.”
The last sentence seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
A profound expression appeared on He Kangshi’s face as his fingers rapidly typed, “Understood, boss. Make as many friends as possible and minimize enemies.”
“Indeed, that’s correct.”
“They won’t contact you just once; wait until next time before accepting.”
The black snake displayed a deep understanding of the hacker, who had recently reached out to him.
“How large is this new faction?” He Kangshi cautiously asked.
The black snake replied, “Not bad; they have considerable potential, but their approach is rather naive. For now, we can only observe them closely.”
Such a specific evaluation… He Kangshi instantly realized that there was something extraordinary about the black snake.
When he received the second invitation, he felt uneasy, whereas the black snake remained remarkably relaxed, as if not taking the other party seriously at all.
“If they contact you again, make sure to inform me promptly,” the black snake said. “Please feel free to gauge your responses accordingly. Chances are, they won’t impose unreasonable demands on you; instead, they might even be willing to assist you.”
Feeling reassured, He Kangshi responded, “Got it.”
The dialogue box on his phone screen disappeared, but a small red dot appeared at the edge of the display. With just a tap on this dot, the conversation would reappear.
He Kangshi didn’t immediately go to sleep; instead, he left his computer desk and started rummaging through his belongings to pack clothes hastily. His move had been rushed, with minimal preparation for clothing, so the task was swift.
Carrying a small suitcase filled with clothes and his laptop, He Kangshi sat at the bedside, wiping away his sweat.
Once the black snake communicated about the transfer, he would promptly leave with his bags packed.
He Kangshi had calmly analyzed the situation: given the limited number of players, using public transportation was actually the safest option. This was because such areas were densely monitored by surveillance cameras, and places like stations typically have a police presence. The black snake also mentioned that most players’ abilities were not strong enough to contend against conventional firearms.
He turned up the notification volume to its maximum, then switched off the bedroom light and lay down to fall deeply asleep. Outside his rental unit, he had installed a surveillance camera, which would automatically alert him if any movement occurred within its view.
However, he remained unaware that Kui Xin had already taken control of the camera’s permissions. The surveillance camera served as silent eyes, helping her keep watch over everything around He Kangshi.
***
Kui Xin’s efficiency was astonishing; early the next morning, she arrived at He Kangshi’s city.
She sat at a breakfast stall below He Kangshi’s rental apartment, sipping hot and spicy soup while also purchasing two yuan worth of pan-fried buns.
The invigorating spiciness awakened Kui Xin’s senses. As she nibbled on the fried buns, she conversed with He Kangshi using Data Manipulation.
“Hey, boss, that hacker contacted me again!”
“What did they say this time?”
“That person also suggested I move to Jingchu, claiming they can provide protection…” He Kangshi looked puzzled. “Is Jingchu some kind of feng shui hotspot? Why are there so many high-level players? And each one seems like a top-tier figure…”
“Coincidence, perhaps,” Kui Xin replied. “You can accept their invitation now. Book your ticket and leave as soon as possible. I’ve checked the options for you—there’s a suitable high-speed train departing around 11 AM with available seats. If you feel rushed, you could depart in the afternoon instead.”
“The 11 o’clock train is fine; I’ve already packed my belongings,” He Kangshi excitedly responded and promptly switched to another webpage to book his ticket.
Kui Xin replied, “Yes, I’ll plan the route and send it to your phone. All the virus programs on your device have been completely removed.”
“So you cleared them this early?” He Kangshi asked.
“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say next, but don’t panic,” Kui Xin cautioned.
“Heh…” Unable to resist, He Kangshi burst out laughing.
“I want to see if we can attract any malevolent entities during your transfer journey.”
Kangshi’s smile gradually wore off.
“The chances of encountering danger are slim, but not nonexistent,” Kui Xin bluntly stated.
“I’m mentally prepared for it,” He Kangshi said, forcing himself to sound calm.
“As long as you’re prepared, just focus on heading towards your destination. You needn’t worry about anything else.”
This simple reassurance brought immense comfort to He Kangshi. If the top-tier player said there was no issue, then he trusted that everything would be alright.
He glanced at the time; it was around nine o’clock, leaving him with some spare moments.
Walking to the bathroom, he looked at his scruffy reflection and muttered to himself, “Nope, my appearance is too shabby.”
Because fear and anxiety dominated his thoughts, he hadn’t shaved for several weeks. Continuous insomnia had left dark circles under his eyes, and they were bloodshot, making him appear significantly older than before. He meticulously washed his face, applied shaving foam, trimmed his beard, changed into fresh clothes, and finally combed his hair.
“Not bad; this looks more like my usual self.” He Kangshi grinned at his refreshed image in the mirror, “Nice! Time to seek refuge from the big shot and embrace a new life!”
Donning a baseball cap, mask, and non-prescription glasses, he grabbed his small suitcase and energetically dashed downstairs like a crowing rooster, calling out to the breakfast vendor, “Auntie! Pack me one cup of bean curd pudding and two pickled cabbage buns, plus extra sugar for the bean curd pudding!”
The friendly breakfast vendor responded warmly, “Sure thing!”
***
He Kangshi possessed some rudimentary counter-surveillance awareness. Throughout his journey, he attentively observed his surroundings, frequently glancing back and looking around. He even pretended to use his phone’s front camera as a mirror, capturing images behind him to check for any potential tail.
Unfortunately, such amateurish counter-surveillance tactics were easily evaded by Kui Xin without breaking a sweat. She effortlessly followed him onto the subway, disembarking at the same station, and then boarded the same train but in a different carriage.
The journey proceeded smoothly without encountering any difficulties or suspicious individuals.
However, this was just the beginning.
He Kangshi’s destination was Tonglin City, Kui Xin’s stronghold. But he wouldn’t travel directly there; instead, he would transfer through another city and stay overnight before taking a three-hour train ride to Tonglin City.
This overnight stop was crucial.
Feeling very anxious, He Kangshi’s eyes darted restlessly beneath his plain glasses, occasionally sneaking peeks at his phone from his pocket to check if Kui Xin had sent him any messages.
Following the pre-planned route, he entered the high-speed railway station and successfully boarded the train.
Kui Xin, seated in the adjacent coach, observed him discreetly heading to the restroom via surveillance cameras and texted, “I’ve boarded the high-speed train.”
“I know,” Kui Xin replied instantly. “You can take a break for a while; it’s safe here.”
Instantly reassured, He Kangshi left the restroom and comfortably settled into his seat, seizing the opportunity for a brief nap.
Upon reaching the final destination, He Kangshi followed Kui Xin’s instructions, exiting the railway station and taking a taxi to a secluded urban village. He dropped off his luggage at a small guesthouse in the village.
He sent another message to Kui Xin: “I’ve reached the inn.”
“I know,” Kui Xin replied. “Go wash up and get some sleep; there’s no major issue here. Keep your phone volume at maximum; I’ll notify you if anything happens.”
“Alright, boss!” He Kangshi responded. “By the way, it seems like there are exceptionally few people in this urban village. There aren’t many residents, and many houses have collapsed. Is this area slated for demolition?”
“Yes.”
A place with a sparse population is convenient for concealing evidence of destruction, as well as for luring targets. He Kangshi wasn’t foolish; he understood these implications well.
He suspected that the Black Snake boss had dispatched someone to escort him; otherwise, why would they be so unconcerned about his safety? Realizing the crux of the situation, He Kangshi lay on the bed, feigning composure.
After all, he was just a newbie, and not causing trouble remained his greatest contribution. In such matters, the boss undoubtedly knew better than him.
His imagination ran wild, pondering whether assassins might attempt to kill him in the dead of night or if intense battles could erupt outside his room, leading him to wake up amidst a floor littered with corpses. Amidst these frenzied thoughts, He Kangshi eventually fell deeply asleep.
The next day, he woke up unscathed. During the previous night, he hadn’t heard any sounds of combat, and when stepping out with his luggage, he saw no bodies strewn across the ground.
“Great, it was just a false alarm.” He Kangshi didn’t forget to send a message reporting his progress: “I’m heading to the train station now.”
“Go ahead.”
Tch, managing underlings is truly troublesome.
Kui Xin sat on the rooftop of the motel with her legs crossed, watching as He Kangshi, carrying his suitcase, jogged towards the roadside in the urban village to hail a taxi.
The previous night had been quiet, with no incidents occurring. Kui Xin remained composed, neither disappointed nor lowering her guard. Enemies aren’t obedient dogs that appear on command.
She leaped down from the three-story building and landed steadily on the ground using Shadow Shuttling. Following suit, she hailed a taxi after He Kangshi, closely trailing him to the train station.
Both He Kangshi and Kui Xin initially assumed this journey would smoothly reach its destination.
However, there was an issue with their green-painted, old-fashioned train—it came to a halt on the tracks.
Kui Xin found a conductor to inquire about the situation. The conductor explained, “Gravel has been scattered on the railway, possibly by kids from nearby villages. We need to clear the debris before we can proceed further.”
Scattered gravel?
Kui Xin’s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, sensing that this situation was not as straightforward as it seemed.
She glanced back at the coach behind her, where He Kangshi sat. Throughout the journey, he hadn’t removed his mask or baseball cap.
After half an hour, the train resumed its movement. Unlike high-speed trains, the old-fashioned locomotive wasn’t quiet; it emitted clanking sounds as it operated.
With a serious expression, Kui Xin carefully listened amidst the noise. Suddenly, she detected a faint sound of something scraping against the train roof, so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn’t have noticed it.
Swiftly standing up from her seat, she strode towards the coach’s restroom.
Calmly, she sent a message to He Kangshi: “There’s been a slight complication.”
He Kangshi replied with surprise: “?!”
“Be vigilant and adapt accordingly. If necessary, switch coaches. Stay hidden.”
Nervously, He Kangshi responded, “Understood.”
Kui Xin retrieved a mask from her pocket and placed it over her face. Looking up at the restroom’s ceiling, she gathered strength in her legs and initiated Shadow Shuttling, passing through the ceiling effortlessly. She emerged atop the moving train.
The fierce wind lifted her hair and billowed her clothing.
Her gaze firmly locked onto the black-clad figure standing atop another train car, her expression darkening.
“I hate people who add to my workload,” she muttered to herself.