43: Rewriting memories?

Chen Mo's voice was like a blade tempered with ice, slicing through the dead silence of the command center.

There was no shouting, no fury.

Only a deadly calm, the kind that follows a raging fire.

Zhao Dahai looked at him, and in his bloodshot, tiger-like eyes, there appeared for the first time a feeling he himself hadn't realized... awe.

He spun around abruptly and roared at the petrified subordinates behind him, using an authoritative, unquestionable tone.

"What the hell are you all standing around for!"

"Technical Department! Clear out Interrogation Room No. 7! Change all the wiring to independent physical lines!"

"Intelligence Department! Get every piece of information on Gao Fan, starting from when he was in diapers, and deliver it all to Interrogation Room No. 7! Not a single hair can be missing!"

"And! Those old fogeys at the Forensic Center! Tell them to drop everything they are working on! I only want one report! The one about that damn chip!"

The entire command center, this war machine that was on the verge of collapse, was forcibly injected with a shot of adrenaline by Chen Mo's single sentence, and began operating frantically again!

... Half an hour later.

Municipal Bureau, Interrogation Room No. 7.

This place had been converted into a temporary, maximum-security operations room.

Cold metal walls, one-way bulletproof glass, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Chen Mo sat on the cold metal chair, facing a massive table.

On the table, two items were placed.

A preliminary analysis report on the bio-chip, just faxed over from the Forensic Center.

And a rice-sized chip, sealed in a transparent biological sample bag, still flickering with a faint, eerie blue light.

"Team Leader Chen."

Li Ke adjusted his glasses, his voice trembling slightly from excitement and fear.

"The preliminary analysis is complete. The structure of this chip... exceeds all our current technological understanding."

"It's not merely a data storage device; it's more like a... biological computer CPU."

"It can directly exchange data with the brain's neurons, and can even... rewrite memories."

Zhao Dahai's expression instantly turned incredibly grim.

Rewrite memories?

Then, over the past fifteen years, how much of Gao Fan's memory was real, and how much was implanted by this devil?

"'The Emperor' said this is a key."

Su Qingxue stood behind Chen Mo, her voice cold as ice, "He wants you to use this key to open a door."

"He doesn't want me to open the door."

Chen Mo shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on the tiny chip.

"He wants me to become that door."

After speaking, he waved his hand.

"All of you, get out."

"Chen Mo!" Zhao Dahai and Su Qingxue spoke simultaneously.

"Out."

Chen Mo's voice was flat but carried an unyielding authority.

Zhao Dahai's lips moved, but in the end, he could only grit his teeth and lead everyone out of the interrogation room.

The heavy metal door slowly closed.

Inside the room, only Chen Mo and the chip from hell remained.

He slowly reached out and opened the sealed sample bag.

Using his fingertips, he gently picked up the cold, faintly glowing chip.

He could feel it.

A weak yet utterly malicious energy was emanating from the chip, attempting to invade his body.

"Come on."

Chen Mo closed his eyes and whispered hoarsely.

"Let me see what kind of... great gift you have prepared for me."

[Ding!]

[High Concentration of Sinister Intent Detected!]

[Consume 200,000 Sin Value points for ultra-deep 'Memory Tracing' on the target?]

[Warning! Target energy level is too high, potentially causing permanent mental damage to the Host!]

"Yes!"

Chen Mo roared internally!

Buzz—!!!

A sharp pain, a hundred times more intense than any before, exploded in his mind!

He felt as if his soul was being forcibly ripped from his body by an invisible, massive hand!

From his nose.

Two lines of warm liquid uncontrollably gushed out!

The world before his eyes was instantly swallowed by a blinding white light!

He "saw" it.

It was not a memory.

It was a... program.

A judgment program personally written by "The Emperor," filled with arrogance and malice!

He saw a study room resembling a medieval palace.

The man, handsome like a demon, was holding a glass of red wine.

He looked at the computer screen in front of him with an almost maniacal gaze, filled with the joy of a creator.

On the screen.

Countless lines of code scrolled down like a meteor shower.

Finally.

They converged into the interface of an APP.

The name of the APP was [Human Court].

"My dear 'Judge'."

"The Emperor" spoke to the screen, as if conversing with an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Haven't you always wanted to judge sin?"

"Now, I hand that power over to you."

He lightly tapped the Enter key.

A window popped up on the APP interface.

[Defendant No. 1: Wang Fugui.]

[Charge: Abuse of power for personal gain, bending the law for bribes.]

[Method of Judgment: Public Referendum.]

[Referendum Options: A. Acquittal and Release / B. Assets Confiscated / C. Death.]

"Do you see?"

"The Emperor's" laughter was filled with devilish pleasure.

"You will become the sole judge of this court."

"Every citizen of Jiang City will become your jury."

"And I will continuously deliver 'defendants' who need to be judged."

"The first one is just an appetizer."

He lightly swirled the red wine in his glass, and insane light flickered in his demonic eyes.

"Next, there will be the Captain of your Criminal Investigation Detachment, the Director of your Municipal Bureau, and even... the woman you care about the most."

"And you, my Judge, must make a choice every single time."

"You will personally decide their life, or their death."

"How about it? Isn't this game much more exciting than the ones you played before?"

"Now, it's your turn to play... God."

The illusion shattered instantly!

"Pfft—!"

Chen Mo violently spat out a mouthful of blood, his body like a broken puppet, crashing heavily off the chair!

"Chen Mo!"

The interrogation room door was kicked open!

Su Qingxue and Zhao Dahai rushed in like two crazed beasts!

They saw that the young man, who was always terrifyingly calm, was now curled up on the cold floor, his entire body convulsing violently!

Blood was oozing from all seven orifices!

"Quick! Call a doctor, now!" Zhao Dahai let out an inhuman roar!

Su Qingxue dashed forward and tightly embraced Chen Mo!

Hot tears streamed from her eyes, which were usually as cold as frost, for the very first time!

"Chen Mo! Chen Mo, wake up!"

Just then!

Buzz—! Buzz—! Buzz—!

Throughout the Municipal Bureau.

Everyone's mobile phones.

Regardless of brand or model, a new APP was forcibly installed on them all at that exact moment!

[Human Court]!

A black APP icon with a blood-red border aggressively appeared on every screen!

Below the icon.

Was a line of constantly flashing blood-red countdown text!

[Time remaining until the first trial begins: 24:00:00]

Zhao Dahai's body suddenly froze.

He slowly raised his head.

Looking at the bizarre icon on the phone screen, looking at the merciless countdown.

He felt a chill cold enough to freeze the soul, rushing madly from the soles of his feet up his spine to the crown of his head!

"Lunatic..."

He muttered to himself.

An expression named "despair" appeared on his weathered face.

"He is a... true madman..."

In her arms.

Chen Mo slowly opened his eyes.

In his eyes, dimmed by blood loss, there was no pain, no fear.

Only a deadly calm.

He looked at the APP and the countdown on Zhao Dahai's phone screen.

His lips moved.

He spoke softly, in a voice only Su Qingxue could hear:

"He doesn't... want me to play God."

"He just wants to watch me... become the next him."