49: Chapter 3 Salon Undercurrents

The "Zero Point" club on the middle levels of the "Glazed Tower" was less a social venue and more a temple of technology. Minimalist decor, cold metal, and translucent materials constructed a space brimming with futuristic vibes. The air was thick with the faint scent of white tea and the unique odor emitted by electronic equipment. Well-dressed elites gathered in small groups, conversing in low tones filled with cutting-edge terms like algorithms, quantum computing, and biological interfaces. The lighting here was meticulously designed to ensure a degree of privacy while allowing everyone's expressions to be subtly visible under a soft glow, facilitating silent observation and assessment.

Lin Feng—or rather, "Lin Shuo"—stepped into this realm that was utterly incompatible with his past world, guided remotely by Nightingale. He wore a well-fitted custom suit and a watch modified by Ling Yue that could shield against conventional scans. His face bore a slightly detached composure formed through rigorous training. >> Social Engineering Analysis Plugin running. Environmental acoustic filtering activated, extracting key information... His abilities operated silently, helping him filter out the noisy background and capture fragmented information such as "Neural Weaving," "'Prophet' computing power bottleneck," and "Universal internal audit."

His mission was clear: catch Luo Hao's attention and secure an invitation to the dinner party. According to intelligence provided by Grey, although Luo Hao appeared cynical on the surface, he possessed an extraordinary interest in truly subversive technology and particularly loathed stale perspectives and sycophancy.

Lin Feng was in no hurry to find his target. Instead, like a true observer, he strolled slowly, occasionally stopping before booths showcasing the latest holographic interactive technology, his gaze calm and scrutinizing. He deliberately kept his distance from several people who tried to strike up a conversation, crafting a persona that was "mysterious" and "fastidious."

An opportunity soon arose. In the small lecture area at the center of the club, a head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory from Universal Group was introducing a new technology called "Deep Contextual Awareness," aimed at enhancing the "Prophet" AI's predictive capabilities for complex social events. The speaker's tone was full of confidence, and many in the audience nodded frequently.

When the speaker mentioned that "by analyzing over a hundred thousand social variables, our model can increase the accuracy of urban crime rate predictions to 97%," Lin Feng knew the time had come.

During the Q&A session, he raised his hand. Everyone's gaze instantly focused on this unfamiliar young face.

"A brilliant study," Lin Feng began, his voice steady with a perfectly measured hint of doubt. "However, I have a question. Your model relies on historical data and social variables, but what about true 'surprises'—for instance, the sudden application of a subversive technology that has never appeared before, or an individual decision based on entirely new logic? How does your model handle these 'Black Swan' events? Or rather, does a prediction that relies too heavily on historical patterns instead become a cognitive cage, causing us to miss a true paradigm shift?"

This question was like a stone cast into a still lake. The speaker's smile stiffened for a moment, and a slight commotion rippled through the audience. Lin Feng's question pointed directly at the inherent flaws of current AI prediction models and subtly touched upon potential blind spots in the "Prophet" system.

>> Target: Luo Hao, location locked (front-left sofa area). Physiological monitoring: Heart rate slightly accelerated, pupils slightly dilated. Interest index: Significantly increased.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Feng noticed that Luo Hao, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, had sat up straight at some point. He was gently rubbing his wine glass, his gaze fixed with great interest in the direction of the questioner.

The speaker tried to brush it off with some technical jargon, but Lin Feng didn't press the issue. He gave a polite nod and sat down. He had achieved his goal—demonstrating a unique perspective to catch the key figure's attention.

Sure enough, shortly after the salon's open networking session began, Luo Hao wandered over to Lin Feng's side with a wine glass in hand, appearing casual.

"A very sharp question, Mr. Lin of 'Bian Capital'?" Luo Hao had his signature, slightly playful smirk on his lips, but his eyes scrutinized Lin Feng like searchlights.

"Mr. Luo flatters me; it was just some immature reflections." Lin Feng turned around and responded calmly. >> Analyzing target's micro-expressions: Curiosity dominant, alertness medium. Strategy: Maintain sincerity and depth, avoid excessive pandering.

"Immature?" Luo Hao chuckled softly. "I find it much more interesting than many 'mature' arguments. Subversive technology... paradigm shifts... it seems Mr. Lin's views on the future are quite radical."

"Not radical, but pragmatic," Lin Feng replied calmly. "The core of investment is insight into future value. Instead of just staring at the internal competition within existing tracks, it's better to look for opportunities that can redefine the track." He skillfully steered the conversation toward investment, consistent with his current identity.

The two began to talk about development trends in several cutting-edge technology fields. Relying on the massive amount of data provided by Grey and the rapid information processing capabilities of the "Source" code, Lin Feng answered fluently with novel viewpoints and rigorous logic. He deliberately avoided mentioning anything directly related to "Prophet" or "Sky Curtain," instead focusing on underlying breakthroughs in computing power, data ethics, and human-computer interfaces.

Luo Hao's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He clearly hadn't encountered a peer in a long time who could keep up with his mental pace while providing a different perspective. He even took the initiative to talk about some non-core technical dilemmas within Universal Group, seemingly testing Lin Feng's views.

>> Warning: Target detected at three o'clock, continuous observation. Identification: Suspected plainclothes "Mirror Guard." Motive analysis: Routine surveillance? Or has suspicion already been aroused?

Lin Feng felt a chill in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. He continued to converse with Luo Hao, even deliberately angling his body so his expression was clearer in the other's line of sight, projecting "openness."

Just then, a discordant voice cut in.

"Young Master Luo, what young talent are you discovering now?" A young man wearing a flashy pink suit and speaking in a frivolous tone walked over, followed by two lackeys. He was a scion of another Consortium family, notorious for being a playboy and a gossip.

He looked Lin Feng up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny and a hint of jealousy. "A very unfamiliar face. 'Bian Capital'? Never heard of it. Not some nouveau riche from some small country place, I hope?" He tried to elevate himself by belittling Lin Feng, a common tactic in front of Luo Hao.

Luo Hao frowned, clearly not fond of this person, but he didn't immediately speak up to stop him, seemingly wanting to see how Lin Feng would handle such low-level provocation.

Lin Feng sneered inwardly. >> Analyzing target: Vain, low security, simple-minded. Strategy: Ignore his attack, elevate the dimension of the topic, and perform a dimensionality reduction strike.

He didn't even look at the man in the pink suit, but continued speaking to Luo Hao, his tone as flat as if he were brushing away a speck of dust. "Mr. Luo, we were just talking about cognitive boundaries. In truth, whether in technology or investment, the greatest obstacle is often not the unknown, but the arrogance and prejudice brought by the known. Refusing to understand new things is, in itself, the greatest risk."

He treated the man in the pink suit entirely as air, yet his words were like a silent slap in the face. The man's face instantly flushed red; he wanted to retort but didn't know where to start, because Lin Feng's words weren't an argument with him at all, but were delivered from a height he couldn't possibly reach.

Luo Hao was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh—this time with genuine delight. He patted Lin Feng on the shoulder. "Well said! Arrogance and prejudice are indeed the greatest enemies." He turned to the man in the pink suit and waved him away lazily. "Young Master Li, go play somewhere else. Mr. Lin and I have serious business to discuss."

Young Master Li left dejectedly. After this little interlude, Luo Hao's interest in Lin Feng was significantly stronger. He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Mr. Lin, there's a small-scale dinner party at the top of the tower tomorrow night. The people coming are those who truly have ideas about the 'future.' Interested in coming to take a look? Perhaps you'll find the opportunity to 'redefine the track' that you mentioned."

Target achieved! Lin Feng felt a sense of relief, but his face maintained a proper level of pleasant surprise and composure. "It would be an honor. Thank you very much for the invitation, Mr. Luo."

"It's a date, then." Luo Hao smiled and handed over an electronic business card made of a special material. "The details will be sent to your terminal. I look forward to your performance." He added meaningfully, "The 'scenery' there is much more exciting than here."

After leaving the club and getting into the disguised vehicle arranged by Grey, Lin Feng finally truly relaxed, feeling a wave of mental exhaustion. This invisible confrontation was more draining than a battle of blades.

"Initial mission successful," he reported to the base. "Invitation to the dinner secured. However, I've attracted the attention of the 'Mirror Guard,' and Luo Hao's words seemed to have a deeper meaning."

Grey's voice came through the communicator. "Well done. Attracting attention was inevitable; the key lies in how you handle it. Luo Hao's mention of 'scenery' might imply that there will be unexpected figures or topics at the dinner. Come back for a detailed debrief; we need to be fully prepared for tomorrow night."

The vehicle slid silently into the traffic, merging into the brilliant and dangerous night of "Mirror City." Lin Feng closed his eyes, recalling every detail of the salon, every person's expression and words. He knew the warm-up was over. The true battle of wits would begin tomorrow night at the top of the Glazed Tower. Whether the "Lin Shuo" he played could continue his dance on that higher-stakes stage would determine the success of the entire operation, and perhaps even everyone's survival.

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