Chapter 55: Knowledge is Power |
"My god, these are classified documents!"
"No wonder the Bureau's people arrived so quickly. They would probably turn the whole city upside down just to get this back!"
"If we throw the suitcase back out, will they just leave?"
"In your dreams. They would only investigate who threw it. I say we should just burn it to save ourselves the trouble."
Faced with these two heavyweight records, the Mini-Humans argued endlessly.
Shi Rang stared blankly at the documents for a moment. He peeled away the outer packaging of the first containment record layer by layer, and the secrets hidden within gradually revealed themselves to him as the protective layers fell away.
"Shi Rang, are you really going to read the information inside? This might bring unnecessary danger," the Sheriff warned. "You will be completely dragged into this."
Shi Rang did not answer.
He tore off the final layer of protection and quickly flipped through the thin file on A-044, yawning as he read. He then did the same with the thick relocation plan. Immediately after, under the baffled gazes of the Mini-Humans, he tossed both documents back into the suitcase, crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at them.
Shi Rang switched between his consciousness and his real-world vision, comparing the Terminal Station interface with what was right in front of him.
'They are all available on the Terminal Station.'
As someone who could abuse his administrative privileges, Shi Rang found it hard to understand why Director Bjorn would risk his life for this intel. Even knowing these documents were of extraordinary significance, he simply could not take something he could access with a few casual taps seriously.
Furthermore, the content he could view was even more comprehensive than what was printed on the paper...
Take the record for A-044, for example.
The physical file consisted of a mere three pages. Densely packed handwriting detailed the apocalyptic risks expected of an A-class containment object—this gemstone, codenamed the Eye of God, would automatically seek out a host and transmute all biological and non-biological matter within the host's vicinity. This effect had forced the Bureau to purchase and evacuate dozens of square kilometers of land just to establish containment.
However, on the Terminal Station, Shi Rang found an input box at the very bottom of the page.
Perhaps it was well-hidden at the code level, but for him, it only took an extra few seconds to figure out.
After decrypting it, a pop-up window appeared before Shi Rang's eyes.
[Please verify user authorization.]
The prompt blocked his path like a security checkpoint. He hovered before it, staring at the faint outlines of the information hidden behind the pop-up.
It hinted at various outcomes depending on the level of authorization granted.
Obviously, the higher the clearance, the more content one could see, bringing them closer to the truth.
This situation was exactly like encountering a treasure chest in a video game. You knew it could be a mimic, but it could also contain legendary loot or absolute garbage. It sat quietly in the middle of the road, blocking your path with an interaction prompt floating right above it.
Maybe someone else could resist the urge to click it, but Shi Rang could not.
Curiosity truly was a terrifying thing...
[Warning: Anyone impersonating a Council Member will be summarily executed. If you have entered authorization credentials by mistake, you have 10 seconds to exit this page before a Mobile Task Force is dispatched to your location.]
[S13, identity confirmed.]
[Accessing Level 5 clearance record information.]
[Item Designation: CVA-A-044 - "Eye of God"]
[Containment Procedures: Area-44 has been established in the Second District based on the area of effect of the "Eye of God." No one is permitted to enter the containment zone without authorization from the Council. Any personnel found trespassing in Area-44 shall be arrested and detained indefinitely. If the intruder is confirmed to be a member of mystical societies such as the "Star Child Order," the "Black Assembly" (click to expand full list), or similar organizations, Field Agents shall terminate them using any means necessary.]
'S13?'
'Aren't there only twelve Council Members?'
There were far too many bizarre mysteries. Shi Rang mentally jotted this detail down for now and continued reading the subsequent description of the anomaly. The further he read, the heavier his heart became.
The "Eye of God" was a wishing machine, and specifically, the kind that did not require the user to pay a price.
However, the Bureau's experimental logs revealed that the cost would increase exponentially with each wish, and the toll would be exacted in highly unpredictable ways.
The price for wishing to "leave this place" resulted in hundreds of people worldwide contracting a terminal illness of unknown origin—and the wisher was recaptured shortly afterward regardless.
The price for wishing to "grant a person immense power" triggered dozens of indiscriminate attacks across the globe, resulting in nearly a thousand casualties. This did not even include the guards and researchers slaughtered by the wisher during their rampage. The perpetrators of these global attacks were the very same victims who had previously contracted the terminal illness. They had all been simultaneously transmuted into Threat Entities designated as "A-044-1", vanishing into thin air after committing their crimes.
The price for wishing to "eliminate a high-risk Anomalous Entity" caused hundreds of the "A-044-1" entities to spontaneously reappear. They orchestrated the brutal massacre of every single member and close relative of a minor ethnic group, culminating in a complete genocide.
As the number of wishes grew, the power of the "Eye of God" only amplified. If its host was not periodically replaced, it would bewitch others into approaching it to make a wish—and absolutely nothing could deter those under its control, save for a bullet.
'Is the organization backing Director Bjorn one of the mystical societies on that kill list?'
'Why do they want this intel?'
'Could they be coveting this wishing machine?'
Shi Rang did not believe Director Bjorn was a good person.
He had read the post-incident investigation report on Facility 031. Bjorn had deliberately released numerous anomalies to slaughter the security forces. He had even gone so far as to attempt to force the evolution of the Seed of Doom, all just so he could secretly escape.
An organization willing to harbor such a man could not possibly belong to any faction aligned with good.
The other document, the transport plan, was also available on the Terminal Station. It differed little from the physical copy Bjorn had obtained, merely detailing a relocation plan for the Twelfth District scheduled for the latter half of this year. Undoubtedly, the containment objects slated for relocation were also targets of this mysterious organization.
At this point, Shi Rang completely lost interest in the documents.
'I thought there was some ultra-classified secret, but it turns out this is all there is,' he mused.
He took some time to thoroughly shred all the documents with scissors. Still feeling uneasy about leaving the scraps around, he grabbed a stainless steel basin, unscrewed the smoke detector in the kitchen, lit a flame from the stove, and burned the remnants to ashes.
The protective packaging of the files billowed thick black smoke when exposed to the fire, staining the bathroom ceiling. Shi Rang and the Mini-Humans had no choice but to retreat outside the bathroom.
While waiting for the exhaust fan to clear out the toxic fumes, an idea struck Shi Rang.
The enemy was hidden in the shadows while he was exposed in the light. When this mysterious faction cleaned up the scene, they had undoubtedly collected quite a bit of his biological evidence. It was only a matter of time before they tracked him down; he could not escape. If they came knocking on his door, these two documents that he could access at any time would serve as his bargaining chips.
'Gentlemen, you wouldn't want the Bureau to find out about your upcoming targets, would you?'
If their disposition turned out to be far more vicious—say, if they planned to take his life—Shi Rang would probably have to surrender to the Bureau or seek help from the Pan-Continent Alliance.
The former option would expose his hidden method of contacting the Bureau, so he leaned a bit more toward the latter.
The people from the Alliance had left a rather good impression on him. The machine-gun-wielding Investigator Scarlett and her partner were a bit eccentric, but they had saved his life and prevented him from being buried alive in the factory; they were good people. Granting him investigative authority gave him the leverage to clash with his chief editor, and the official he met at the supermarket had treated him kindly as well.
If push came to shove, he would simply go to the Alliance and ask them to take him in.
This mysterious organization most likely was not afraid of the police, but surely they feared the Alliance, right?
Even the Bureau had to show the Alliance a certain degree of respect!
Concluding his train of thought, Shi Rang steadied his resolve, only to notice that the Mini-Humans were all looking up at him.
Hundreds of faces, big and small, were waiting expectantly, looking up with high hopes as they waited for him to hand down a ruling on their collective fate.
"Do not worry, I know what to do. Now we just wait and see when those mysterious people make their move."
If the enemy pushed him into a corner, he would append external "settings" to the Mini-Humans and write in some "omniscient and omnipotent" traits for himself. This ability of his was his ultimate trump card.
But he sincerely hoped it would not come to that.
For the rest of the day, Shi Rang busied himself with disposing of the remaining evidence in his home, while the acrid smell of smoke in the bathroom lingered stubbornly. After tying up three garbage bags to be thrown out in batches the next day, and sending a text message to his colleague asking for the price of a camera, he finally regained a sense of control over his life.
He still had many things to take care of, but his body could no longer handle the exhaustion. He took a quick shower and immediately crashed into bed, while the Mini-Humans claimed a blanket spread out on the floor.
The three hundred-plus tenants and their landlord quickly drifted into a deep slumber.
In his dreams, Shi Rang returned once again to that specific day two years ago.
He turned off the induction cooker, placed the lid securely over the soup pot to keep it warm, and cast an expectant glance at the bright sky outside.
Ying Shang would already be off work by now. When she got back, she would be greeted by a table full of delicious food.
Unable to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he thought about calling Ying Shang to check on her, but he was afraid his tone might ruin the surprise. So, with his hands clasped behind his back, he paced around the apartment over and over, wiping down the coffee table and the countertops, idly tinkering with various little trinkets.
The minute hand on the clock ticked forward fifteen times.
Shi Rang felt a slight twinge of unease.
'The art studio isn't far from home. If she took the bus, she should already be downstairs by now, right?'
At this moment, the dream splintered. The lucid portion of Shi Rang's consciousness observed two distinct memories.
In one memory, he sat at the dining table and continued to wait. In the other, far hazier memory... he picked up his mobile phone, right as an incoming call rang through.
It was a call from Ying Shang.