Chapter 108

Chapter 108 – Artificial Soul 35

“Tsk, forget it.” Thorn Rose made a face, “All for the work.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Kui Xin nodded calmly.

After a while, Kui Xin’s breaded pork cutlet arrived. She mechanically chewed and swallowed, so preoccupied with everything else that she barely tasted her food.

Silverface cautiously glanced at Kui Xin before looking again.

“Is the breaded pork good?” he asked.

“It’s good,” Kui Xin replied.

“I can’t tell from your expression whether it tastes good or not,” Silverface grumbled, “You eat each meal like this; you never enjoy your food.”

Red slowly said, “Stop babbling to the lady, Silverface, she’s already annoyed.”

“Huh? Oh,” Silverface said, “Is there something bothering you?”

“Everyone sitting at this table has their worries, except for you,” the beef noodle soup ordered by Red was brought over. He slurped on a bite and contentedly rested his hands against the side of the bowl, feeling warm, “Indeed, when one is sick, they have to eat something warm and soupy. That liquid nitrogen bomb threw me off guard.”

The bartender looked at him, “I wish I could see what that thing looks like.”

“It’s better not to see. Luck didn’t favor us, otherwise even the lady wouldn’t stand a chance,” Thorn Rose shrugged.

Thorn Rose had ordered curry rice, while the bartender was eating hamburgers and fries. Although the base’s canteen was relatively small, it had all kinds of foods available.

“What could you be so worried about?” Silverface’s plate was empty now as he had finished his meal. The robot collected his plate and gave him another serving of breaded fish cutlets. He picked up the fish cutlets and mumbled, “Just follow the orders. Anyway, the leader has already planned everything out. After the relocation, the base is already safe, and we’ve caught the people we needed to catch. What else could there be to worry about?”

Thorn Rose rolled his eyes, “Hei Hai City is my hometown, yet I have to move far away with the organization, to set down roots in a new place. Each city has its survival rules—simply relocating doesn’t solve everything.”

“There’s more than just that worrying us,” the bartender selected some fries and dipped them in tomato sauce, “Two people who usually have low presence are missing from this table. Though their absence is not very noticeable, their sudden disappearance feels odd.”

The atmosphere grew quiet as everyone comprehended the implied meaning of the absentees.

“I hope the leader explains why those two betrayed, and whose side they were on,” the bartender remarked, “The transport team I was on was attacked. Thankfully, Thorn Rose is strong, or I would have surely been captured.”

“It won’t happen to us,” Red said, patting his shoulder, “Our teams were paired strategically, ensuring a harmonious balance between fighters and non-fighters. Only Black Obsidian and Amber-eye were placed separately with irregular combat units…”

“I don’t understand their actions…” Silverface said blankly.

“Neither do we,” Red said with an exasperated gesture.

Their confusion and Silverface’s incomprehension weren’t the same thing.

They didn’t comprehend the reasons behind Amber-eye and Black Obsidian’s betrayal; Silverface was struggling to understand the act itself, since his kind were created only to execute commands, and their rebellion shook him deeply.

He couldn’t understand it from the core of his being. For a moment, he forgot about the crispy, succulent breaded fish cutlets in front of him.

“What do you think, Lady Fortune?” Red asked Kui Xin.

“I don’t have any opinions. Let things stay as they are,” Kui Xin said. “I can’t go along with the relocation of the organization. It’s difficult to fool the Investigation Bureau. All I can do for now is follow the organization’s arrangement.”

“The establishment of a new branch in Hei Hai City seems urgent. Otherwise, if you need support, or if you encounter major issues, you won’t be able to get in touch with anyone,” Red said. “Have you met the boss recently?”

“Just left the treatment room, hadn’t the time to meet,” Kui Xin replied. “I’ll visit him shortly.”

“With things going on recently, it’s likely that after everything calms down, the boss will arrange further plans for your future work,” Red rubbed his chin, “Ah, thinking about it makes me sigh.”

Kui Xin had finished her breaded pork cutlet. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she stood up, “Let’s go, you guys keep eating.”

She walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

“Xiao Xin has taken on a lot of pressure,” Thorn Rose observed after watching Kui Xin leave.

“That’s true,” the bartender said.

“We can’t help it,” Red shrugged.

“Can we still work together with her in the future?” Silverface asked, “I don’t want to change bosses, especially someone like you…”

“You’re hurting my feelings,” Red laid a comforting hand on Silverface’s shoulder, “Go with the flow like we always do. You are so good at following arrangements.”

Silverface’s face fell, his white hair drooping.

…

“Xiao Xin, you’ve worked hard this time. Are you hurt?” Kui Haidong said lovingly.

“There’s trouble, big trouble, but you haven’t seen it,” Kui Xin tapped the desk.

“You have truly worked hard. Rest assured, you won’t face dangers like this again. The organization’s ordeal is over,” Kui Haidong said, “From now on, you will safely complete your undercover duties.”

“Risk can’t be controlled, especially in the Investigation Bureau where unpredictability is high,” Kui Xin said, “In this instance, I was captured along with Wei Zhi and Wang Feichi. After returning to the bureau, some higher-ups might pay closer attention to me. They might interrogate me about my captivity. I live in constant peril, never having a moment’s respite.”

“We will handle the interrogation. In our base, there’s a brain machine that can implant false memories to counter questioning,” Kui Haidong said, “You should take a rest, then undergo memory implantation. Those memories will overwrite your original ones. Even if the Investigation Bureau uses a brain machine on you, they will only find our implanted memories.”

“Alright, since you’ve arranged it… When is the Investigation Bureau rescuing Wang Feichi?” Kui Xin said.

“The earliest will be in the morning, the latest will be tonight,” Kui Haidong said.

Nodding, Kui Xin said, “I understand. Is there anything else you want to say, ‘dad’?”

“Don’t resent me. Actually, I…”

“Oh, that means nothing then. Goodbye,” Kui Xin stood up, swiveled, and walked off.

Returning to the corridor, Kui Xin felt an inexplicable burden pressing down on her.

Even on the Kraken, she didn’t feel such an immense pressure.

Eve agreed to her proposal, momentarily alleviating her survival pressures, yet it offered no real relief for Kui Xin.

The more she thought about it, the more certain she grew that Eve agreed because it was confident in its position. Eve wasn’t afraid Kui Xin would reveal secrets to Augus nor did it fear treachery; instead, confident due to Kui Xin’s identity leverage. However, there must be more to it.

The Mechanical Dawn had withdrawn from Hei Hai City, planning new bases somewhere else, leaving Kui Xin to stay in Hei Hai City alone. Mechanical Dawn was unable to manage her effectively. Yet despite this, Eve agreed to her proposal.

This felt unnatural; what leverage did Eve possess? How could it believe Kui Xin wouldn’t betray it? Could it manage if she chose to defect?

Kui Xin trudged through the long corridor, lost in the mist-covered maze of thoughts.

Exhausted, she turned into a washroom, washing her face at the sink, recalling every detail since the game began.

She remembered waking up in the operating room on her first day in the Third World, having her skull replaced by the hidden agent Huang Cunliang from the Investigation Bureau.

The skull!

Her heart raced.

Wiping the water from her forehead, she looked in the mirror. This metal skull had once saved her life by deflecting bullets. Now, however, it might become her curse.

With a grim expression, she stared at herself in the mirror.

Some events were predetermined. Some courses of actions were irreversible.

Her life was spiraling into a tragic downturn, the Mechanical Dawn and the Inquiry Bureau pitted against each other, and both Eve and Augus vying for control. She was caught in the middle, powerless to change her fate, forced to adapt.

As long as she was working for both sides and under the sway of Augus and Eve, as long as she remained alive, she would inevitably be swept up in their turbulent affairs.

Was there any way to break free from this turmoil? Was there a path out of the clutches of the Mechanical Dawn and the Investigation Bureau?

Surely, death offered no escape either.

Kui Xian unconsciously clenched her thumb, the fire of determination burning within her heart.

Last time she felt this way was on the brink of death aboard the Kraken; the time before that was during Python Sphere’s betrayal. Kui Xin couldn’t bear it anymore.

If she were a volcano, she was poised on the edge of eruption.

Escaping just these two organizations wasn’t enough.

She yearned for vengeance—utter, ruthless vengeance!

One who was controlled couldn’t exact retribution on the controller. Therefore, she had to break free from this cycle and become the controller herself.

“A task has been triggered.”

A gaming screen flashed abruptly.

“【Task Description】: You are in unprecedented adversity. The only way to change this situation is to take control of your life, to become the true master. To that end, you must decide on a break with your current employer and workplace and venture on independently.”

“Completing this task will lead you to a smooth path, failing will leave you in endless darkness.”

“Life is about making choices, some of which will change your trajectory.”

“【Task Content】: Regain Freedom.”

“【Task Progress】: 0%.”

This was the third time Kui Xian received such a notification.

Checking the time, she saw it was August 15th, 21:59.

The return to the First World was fast approaching; tomorrow marked the day of return.

—

(Note: In the translation, character names and specific terms are kept the same unless otherwise specified to maintain consistency with the original Chinese text.)