13: Chapter 3 Data Trials and Unexpected Discoveries

Cold blue fluorescent light emanated from the main control screen, illuminating Lin Feng's pale and focused face. On the screen, encrypted Data Streams churned and rolled like a torrential, multi-colored river, each segment representing an unknown source and potential danger.

Ling Yue stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the nearby equipment rack. Her mechanical prosthetic eye remained locked onto the screen and every subtle movement Lin Feng made without blinking, like a high-precision scanner, missing not a single trace of abnormal data fluctuation or physiological reaction. The room was filled only with the low hum of servers and the sound of Lin Feng's slightly rapid breathing.

>> Task: Data_Obfuscation & Anonymization.

>> Target: Mixed Encrypted Data Streams (Sources: Multiple, High-Risk).

>> Requirement: Erase all digital fingerprints, metadata, and potential tracing markers. Output: Utterly Clean.

Lin Feng took a deep breath, trying to ignore the lingering pain in his ribs and the slight, feverish heat caused by the nanobots working inside him. He focused all his attention on the screen, not through the keyboard, but through a deeper conscious connection, issuing commands to the "Source" System.

Initiate.

>> Executing. Initiating Deep-Level Pattern Recognition.

>> Isolating Encryption Signatures: [Crimson_Mercury_v2.1], [Iron_Veil_Commercial], [Unknown_Obsolete_Military_Grade]...

>> Stripping Metadata Layers: 1... 5... 12...

>> Generating Multi-Layer Noise Injection Patterns...

>> Rewriting Data Packets via Randomized Algorithmic Pathways...

Within his field of vision, blue characters flowed frantically at an unprecedented speed. They were no longer simple commands but formed a complex and precise virtual interface. The "Source" System acted like an invisible artisan, dismantling, polishing, and reshaping those dangerous raw Data Streams with astonishing efficiency.

Lin Feng could "see" those extremely subtle tracking markers hidden deep within the data—digital watermarks embedded in pixels, hidden timestamps recording access times, and even a few location beacons disguised as ordinary checksums—being precisely identified and thoroughly erased.

The entire process was smoother than he had imagined. The data cleaning requirements Ling Yue provided were extremely high; if he had to do it manually, even with the best software assistance, it would have been impossible to complete in less than several days and nights. But with the aid of the "Source" System, everything was being completed at an exponential speed.

He carefully controlled the efficiency, deliberately creating minor, "reasonable" delays and fluctuations in certain segments as if they were due to algorithmic choices, avoiding appearing too inhuman. Even so, the overall processing speed was definitely far beyond that of an ordinary expert.

Ling Yue's arms, previously crossed, had dropped at some point. She leaned forward slightly, the Data Stream in her mechanical prosthetic eye flickering at an astonishing frequency. The habitual indifference and impatience on her face were gradually replaced by a sense of pure, technical surprise and focus.

"Stop!" She spoke suddenly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible urgency.

Lin Feng immediately interrupted the operation, his heart tightening slightly. Had he been discovered? Was his disguise not good enough?

Ling Yue did not look at him; instead, she operated quickly on another console, extracting a small segment of the Data Stream Lin Feng had just processed and projecting it onto a larger analysis screen. Countless analysis tool windows popped up in layers, subjecting his processing results to a harsh, in-depth scan and reverse-engineering verification.

Time ticked by second by second. Ling Yue's expression grew increasingly serious, her brows furrowed.

>> Target Data Analysis: No detectable traces of origin, metadata, or tampering. Obfuscation Levels: Standard Military Requirements.

>> Ling Yue's Physiological Readings: Heightened Focus, Elevated Heart Rate, Signs of Technical Excitement/Astonishment.

The feedback from his ability let Lin Feng feel slightly at ease. The results seemed good, and Ling Yue's reaction was more like shock than suspicion.

Finally, Ling Yue stopped the operation. She turned around, looking at Lin Feng with an extremely complex gaze, as if examining a piece of precision equipment that could not be explained by common logic.

"You..." She paused, seemingly searching for the right words, "...how on earth did you do it? This level of cleaning depth and thoroughness... you aren't using any known patterns from standard algorithm libraries at all! You even reconstructed parts of the underlying protocols to adapt to the anonymization process; this requires an extremely deep understanding of the origin and vulnerabilities of such protocols!"

Her tone was no longer questioning but carried a sense of near-fanatical technical curiosity.

Lin Feng thought to himself that he was lucky; Ling Yue attributed his ability to some highly advanced and obscure technical method rather than supernatural power. Maintaining the fatigue and a perfectly calibrated look of confusion on his face, he repeated his previous explanation: "I... I'm not entirely sure either. When I concentrate, those... optimized paths just appear in my mind. Maybe it's some kind of... highly specialized talent?"

He emphasized "talent" and "uncertainty" once again, pushing everything toward metaphysics.

Ling Yue stared at him intensely for a few seconds, seemingly trying to find traces of lies in his eyes. Finally, she clicked her tongue, looked away, and muttered to herself: "...Could it really be mutated directional synaptic specialization? Or atypical Asperger's mixed with some unrecorded information processing pattern? ..."

She seemed to have conjured up a scientific (albeit far-fetched) explanation on her own.

"Forget it." She shook her head, seemingly giving up on digging deeper for now, but the way she looked at Lin Feng had completely changed. It was the look one gives to a "high-value rare experimental specimen." "The results exceeded expectations. This batch of data is fine."

She operated the console a few times, and Lin Feng immediately received a notification that a small amount of credits had been transferred to his anonymous account. The amount was not large, but it symbolized the completion of the transaction.

"Alright, your probationary period is considered passed." Ling Yue's tone returned to her usual coldness, but with less sarcasm, "Now, there's a real job. Help me process a batch of real-time intercepted Data Streams, filtering out all information related to 'Warehouse District 3rd-Party Logistics Anomalous Scheduling,' especially content involving 'Obsidian Containers.' I need to know who is moving, what is being moved, and where the destination is."

She granted Lin Feng access to a new data interface. This task was clearly closer to her core work than the previous data cleaning, signifying preliminary trust.

Lin Feng nodded and focused his mind again. Processing real-time Data Streams required higher standards, needing dynamic identification and filtering of keywords, which was also a new test for the "Source" System.

>> Task Updated: Real-time Comms Interception & Filtering.

>> Keywords: Warehouse District, 3rd-Party Logistics, Anomalous Scheduling, Obsidian Container.

>> Initiating Dynamic Semantic Analysis & Pattern Tracking...

The Data Stream surged again, but this time it was changing in real-time. Lin Feng immersed himself in it, capturing those fragmented communication snippets and piecing the information together.

Time passed slowly. Ling Yue monitored the overall situation from the side, occasionally providing more precise keyword corrections.

Suddenly, a piece of fragmented information—extremely brief, with a weak signal and a unique encryption level—was captured and decrypted from the vast sea of data by the "Source" System. It was not about warehouse scheduling but was mixed into an ordinary public channel weather report, like a disguised transmission.

The content of the message was simple:

**[...Confirm... 'Package' has deviated from expected route... Executor: 'Shadow'... May be seeking local technical support... or attempting to contact 'project legacy' related... Increase vigilance...]**

This message flashed by and was quickly submerged by other data.

But Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat! "Shadow"? He had just heard this code name from that "The Engineer" not long ago! Was it the code name of that "The Engineer" who was interested in his algorithms? Or was it a coincidence?

>> Warning: Data Fragment Contains High-Risk Keywords: "project legacy". Associated Threat Level: Extreme.

>> Ling Yue's Focus: Currently on Main Logistics Data Stream. Has Not Noticed This Fragment.

His ability issued a warning and indicated that Ling Yue had not noticed this fragment.

Lin Feng instantly fell into a dilemma. This information clearly involved extremely high risk and might even be related to "The Engineer." Should he tell Ling Yue? Telling her might bring more trouble and even expose the existence of "The Engineer." Not telling her... if this information was important and he was later discovered to have withheld it, the fragile trust that had just been established would instantly collapse.

Just as he hesitated—

WOOOO—!!!

A low but highly piercing alarm sound suddenly erupted from beneath Ling Yue's workstation! Red warning lights began to rotate and flash!

"Damn it!" Ling Yue's expression changed drastically. She instantly switched to the main control interface, her fingers moving so fast on the virtual keyboard they created afterimages, "How was the deep-level defense protocol triggered?! This isn't perimeter reconnaissance! It's a precision positioning breach!"

>> Alert: High-Energy Breaching Charge Detonated at Sector 7G Access Point!

>> Intruder: Single Entity. Bio-Signature Matches: "Razor".

>> Bypass Methods: Advanced Thermal Lance + Targeted Sonic Destabilizer. ETA to This Location: < 3 Minutes!

"Razor"! Not only had he broken through the maze of The Nest, but he had actually used violent means to forcibly breach the deep-level defenses Ling Yue had set up! He would arrive here in three minutes at most!

"Take this!" Ling Yue suddenly shoved a palm-sized device, similar to a tablet but thicker, into Lin Feng's hand while quickly pulling out several core storage units, "All the data being processed and the route maps are in here! Follow me to the emergency exit!"

She rushed to the wall and pressed hard on an inconspicuous corner. An entire wall of equipment silently slid aside, revealing a steep metal staircase behind it leading up into the unknown darkness.

"What about him?" Lin Feng took the device, pointing at the "Razor" signal on the screen.

Ling Yue had already rushed to the stairwell entrance. Upon hearing this, she turned back, a look of extremely cold determination flashing across her face.

"He likes breaking into other people's homes?" Her mechanical prosthetic hand's fingers splayed open, and a complex energy interface in her palm lit up with a blinding blue light, aimed at the space behind her filled with precision equipment.

"Then I'll leave him a 'souvenir'."

"All non-essential facility energy, divert to emergency lighting capacitors... Overload release!"