41: Chapter 41 The Aftermath of the Real World

The smell of disinfectant was like pervasive vines, tightly constricting his nasal cavity; when Lin Fan opened his eyes, the white in his vision still held a touch of illusory swaying.

The cold touch of the hospital bed railing came through; as his fingertips grazed it, the blue code fragment hidden in his palm grew slightly warm, with tiny light patterns circulating inside the crystal, looking exactly like the neon shadows of the Los Santos night—in his dream just now, he had been squatting on the rocks at Vespucci Beach with Michael and Franklin, sharing a pack of cheap cigarettes, listening to the waves hitting the beach, while Michael complained about Amanda's nagging and Franklin talked about saving money to buy his aunt a new house.

"Spacing out again?"

A gentle yet somewhat sharp voice sounded by the bed; Lin Fan turned his head and saw Kate wearing a well-tailored black suit, having shed the smoke-stained combat uniform from the virtual world, her demeanor leaning more towards that of a steady and capable agent, the FBI badge on her chest gleaming coldly under the fluorescent lights, holding a tablet in her hand, her fingertips sliding gently across the screen.

The hospital room was very quiet; Lin Fan's parents had gone home to boil soup, repeatedly urging him not to move around before they left, and at this moment, in the large hospital room, there were only him and Kate.

Lin Fan moved his arm, feeling a slight stinging pain from the IV injection site; he remembered the moment he pressed the evacuation device before falling into a coma, when the white light enveloped his body, Michael's reddened eyes, and Franklin's words, "You must come back," and his heart felt like it was being tugged by something, a sour sensation instantly spreading.

"I'm not spacing out." Lin Fan's voice was still a bit hoarse; he raised his hand to rub his temples, trying to dispel the lingering images in his mind, "It's just... I always feel like I've had a very long dream."

"It wasn't a dream." Kate handed the tablet to Lin Fan; the screen showed a complex brainwave map, with red lines undulating violently, forming a sharp contrast with the "normal human brainwaves" marked next to them, "This is your brainwave monitoring data from the three days you were in a coma. Your brainwave frequency is highly consistent with the underlying code frequency of the GTA5 game, and even in the hour before you woke up, there were brief code fluctuations—you haven't completely disconnected from that virtual world yet."

Lin Fan's gaze fell on the brainwave map; the trajectory of the red lines' undulations was exactly the same as the data flow trend when he manipulated Code Reconstruction for Los Santos.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the code fragment in his palm, the temperature of the fragment seemingly rising a few degrees; a clear image suddenly flashed through his mind: in front of the Los Santos City Hall, awakened NPCs were cleaning up the post-war ruins, the convenience store owner was restocking shelves, and the sound of a wrench tapping echoed again in the old mechanic's repair shop—that was not an illusion, it was a real image, as if projected directly into his consciousness through some invisible channel.

"Flashbacks?" Kate keenly captured the strangeness in his eyes and asked, "Do you often think of images from the virtual world? Can you even clearly see what is happening there?"

Lin Fan nodded, full of surprise in his heart: "How did you know?"

"Because you are not the only one." Kate took back the tablet, sat on the chair by the hospital bed, and her tone became more serious, "Globally, more than two hundred 'High Adaptors' have recently shown similar symptoms; most of them are people who have been immersed in immersive games or Brain-Computer Interface experiments for a long time. Some of them, like you, have experienced 'consciousness travel', while others remain in a coma to this day."

"High Adaptors?" Lin Fan frowned; he had never heard this term before.

"It refers to people whose brain neural compatibility with virtual world code exceeds 80%." Kate explained, "Victor was researching 'consciousness and code fusion technology' before his death. His true identity was not some game administrator, but the chief scientist of New Era Technology. The virtual world of Los Santos was just one of his experimental fields."

"New Era Technology?" Lin Fan's heart jolted; he seemed to have heard this name somewhere. After thinking carefully, he remembered that his parents had mentioned it just before they left; the news had reported on this company, saying it was the leader of the global Brain-Computer Interface project, and it had been suddenly and urgently suspended a few days ago.

"That's right, New Era Technology." Kate's eyes darkened, "Victor's experiment was essentially an attempt to digitize human consciousness to achieve 'consciousness immortality', and Los Santos was the virtual closed-loop space he used to verify the experiment. Your ability to travel into it was not because of the computer explosion accident, but because your brain neural compatibility is the highest among currently known humans, reaching 99%—you are Victor's most ideal test subject."

Lin Fan was stunned; it turned out that none of this was accidental. The computer suddenly exploding while he was playing games late at night, traveling into the GTA5 world, starting with a five-star wanted level, meeting Michael and Franklin, fighting Victor's digital legion... were all these experiences actually a carefully planned experiment? He felt like a marionette, controlled by invisible hands, walking step by step into someone else's trap.

"Then why was I able to defeat Victor?" Lin Fan quickly calmed down and raised a question, "If he was the experiment leader, why was he defeated by me?"

"Because he lost control." Kate's tone held a touch of complexity, "As Victor's experiment progressed to the later stages, his consciousness had become deeply bound with the code of Los Santos, and he even developed a desire for self-expansion. He wanted to get rid of New Era Technology's control, monopolize the experimental results, rule all virtual worlds with code, and even infiltrate the real world. And you were an unplanned variable; your appearance disrupted all his deployments and gave us the opportunity to stop him."

Lin Fan fell silent; he remembered what Victor had said in the virtual space: "I am the god of this world, and you are all my pawns." It turned out that Victor at that time had long been blinded by power and had forgotten his original intention.

Just then, the surveillance camera at the door of the hospital room suddenly made a "buzz" sound, the screen instantly went black, and the red indicator light also went out. Kate subconsciously looked up at the surveillance, then at Lin Fan, with a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "Did you do that?"

Lin Fan was also stunned; he had just been a bit irritable because he heard the word "test subject", and subconsciously tightened his grip on the code fragment, without intentionally doing anything. He looked at his own hand, his fingertips seeming to still have a faint residual sensation of electricity; a thought flashed through his mind, he focused his attention, looked at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table, and silently chanted in his heart: "Stop."

The next second, the hands of the digital alarm clock stopped abruptly, and the numbers on the screen also froze at "14:37"; a few seconds later, the hands started moving normally again, as if the pause just now was just an illusion.

"It really was you." A flash of surprise passed through Kate's eyes, then she returned to calm, "Your consciousness was modified by code in the virtual world, and now you can weakly influence electronic devices in the real world. This is the initial manifestation of 'consciousness digitization'—Victor's experiment succeeded on you."

Lin Fan looked at his own hand, feeling a mix of emotions. This ability sounded very cool, but once he thought about it being the result of Victor's experiment, he felt uncomfortable all over. He didn't want to be any kind of test subject, didn't want to possess this modified ability; he just wanted to be an ordinary person, or... return to Los Santos and be with Michael and the others.

"Although Victor is dead, his experimental data has not disappeared." Kate's words interrupted Lin Fan's thoughts; she opened the tablet and brought up a file, "We discovered through our investigation that Victor's core experimental data was transmitted to the New Era Technology headquarters the moment before his consciousness dissipated. This company is a technology enterprise on the surface, but it has military backing behind it. They have been secretly promoting the 'Conscious Soldier' project, wanting to cultivate super soldiers who can manipulate electronic devices and even enter virtual worlds to fight. Your appearance is the perfect sample for them."

"Will they come looking for me?" Lin Fan frowned, a trace of vigilance rising in his heart.

"They definitely will." Kate nodded, her tone grave, "New Era Technology's influence is huge and spans the globe; since they know of your existence, they will never let you go. I came here this time, besides telling you all this, with another purpose—I hope you can join us, cooperate with the FBI, and stop New Era Technology's conspiracy."

"Cooperate?" Lin Fan hesitated; he didn't have any good feelings towards official organizations like the FBI. In the virtual world, he had been chased everywhere by the police and had long since lost trust in such law enforcers.

"I know you don't trust us." Kate said, as if she had seen through his thoughts, "But you have no choice. New Era Technology will not let you go; only by cooperating with us can you protect yourself and your family, and besides... we have information about Los Santos, as well as clues about those who are in a coma."

"Information about Los Santos?" Lin Fan's eyes lit up instantly; this was what he cared about most, "How is Los Santos? Are Michael and Franklin okay?"

"Los Santos is still there." Kate said affirmatively, "Your act of injecting the Core Code stabilized the foundation of the virtual world, and now the order there is being rebuilt; Michael and Franklin, as core NPCs, have stable consciousnesses. But we have monitored that the code of Los Santos has shown abnormal fluctuations recently, and it seems that a new force has intervened."

"A new force?" Lin Fan's heart tightened, "What kind of force?"

"It's not clear yet." Kate shook her head, "But what is certain is that the purpose of that force is not simple; it seems to be looking for another part of the legacy left by Victor. Furthermore, regarding those 'comatose patients who behave abnormally after waking up' reported in the news recently, we suspect that they are 'High Adaptors' assimilated by this new force; some kind of command has been implanted into their consciousness, and they are doing things for that force."

Lin Fan remembered the news his parents had mentioned earlier, and a sense of unease rose in his heart. Could those awakened comatose people have also been to some virtual world? What would they do after being assimilated? Does the new force in Los Santos have any connection with New Era Technology? Countless questions swirled in his mind, making him feel dizzy.

"That new force calls itself 'The Prophets'." Kate added, "We have intercepted their encrypted information, which repeatedly mentions 'consciousness awakening' and 'New World Order'; it sounds somewhat similar to Victor's philosophy, but even more extreme. They seem to want to connect all virtual worlds with the real world, allowing consciousness entities to travel freely and break the boundaries between the two worlds."

[part:deepseek-chat]

“Breaking boundaries?” Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat. He recalled the scene of Los Santos collapsing. If the boundary between reality and the virtual world was truly broken, the consequences would be unimaginable. “That would cause the world to collapse! Victor is the best example!”

“Exactly.” Kate nodded. “So we must stop them, and we must stop New Era Technology. Lin Fan, I know you're worried about your friends in the virtual world. As long as you cooperate with us, we can help you find a way back to Los Santos, even help you stabilize the channel between the two worlds, allowing you to travel freely.”

The temptation was too great. Lin Fan could hardly refuse. Returning to Los Santos was his only obsession since waking up. He looked at Kate, his gaze gradually firming. “Alright, I'll cooperate with you. But I have conditions. First, protect my parents. Don't let them get involved in any of this. Second, you must tell me everything you know about Los Santos and the Prophet. Third, once there's an opportunity, you must help me return to Los Santos.”

“No problem.” Kate agreed immediately. “We'll arrange special protection for your family. Regarding information about Los Santos and the Prophet, I'll tell you gradually. As for the method to return to Los Santos, we're researching it. Your code fragment is the key.”

Lin Fan tightened his grip on the code fragment in his palm. The fragment seemed to sense his emotions and began to grow warm again. He knew that from the moment he agreed to cooperate, he could never return to his previous peaceful life. The conspiracies of the real world, the crisis in the virtual world, the threat of the new faction, and the pursuit by New Era Technology would all revolve around him.

As the two were talking, the door to the hospital room opened. Lin Fan's parents walked in carrying a thermal container. His mother entered with concern, asking, “Fanfan, how are you feeling? Are you hungry? I made you some chicken soup.”

His father noticed Kate and nodded politely. “Officer, we're troubling you again.”

“Not at all, it's my duty.” Kate stood up, a proper smile on her face. “Mr. Lin, Mrs. Lin, Lin Fan's condition has stabilized, but he still needs to stay in the hospital for observation for a few more days. During this time, security personnel will be arranged in the hospital. You don't need to worry about safety.”

Lin Fan's parents exchanged a glance, expressions of gratitude on their faces. “Thank you so much, Officer.”

Kate smiled, didn't say much more, turned to Lin Fan and said, “I'll go back and handle some matters. I'll come see you again tomorrow. If anything comes up, contact me anytime.” She left a contact method and turned to leave the room.

After Kate left, Lin Fan's mother ladled him a bowl of chicken soup and carefully fed him. Drinking the warm soup, looking at his parents' concerned eyes, Lin Fan's heart was filled with guilt. He knew what he was about to do was fraught with danger and could very well implicate his parents. But he had no other choice. He not only had to protect his own family, but also his friends in Los Santos, and stop those conspiracies from happening.

“Dad, Mom, I'm sorry.” Lin Fan suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat low. “For making you worry.”

His mother was taken aback for a moment, then patted his head, smiling. “Silly child, why are you apologizing to your parents? As long as you're okay. Don't stay up late playing games anymore. Your health is your capital, understand?”

His father also nodded. “Yes, Fanfan, no matter what happens, Mom and Dad are here for you.”

Lin Fan looked at his parents, his eyes slightly reddening. He nodded firmly. “Mm, I know.”

After finishing the soup, Lin Fan lay in bed. His parents sat by his side, chatting about trivial matters at home. The atmosphere was warm and peaceful. But Lin Fan couldn't calm his mind. Kate's words and those images of Los Santos kept echoing in his head. He raised his hand, took out the code fragment from his palm, and examined it closely. The code inside the fragment was still flowing. He concentrated, trying to establish a closer connection with the fragment.

Gradually, his consciousness began to blur. Before his eyes, scenes of Los Santos seemed to appear: Under the sunset at Rockford Hills, Michael was flying a kite with his daughter Tracy; On Vespucci Beach, Franklin and Lester were fishing; The awakened NPCs were busy rebuilding their homes, and the streets had regained their former bustle—Los Santos was truly fine. They were all doing well.

But then, the scene suddenly distorted. The sky turned gloomy. A black mist spread from the distance. Wherever the mist passed, the figures of the NPCs began to blur, and cracks appeared on the streets. Lin Fan's heart jolted. He wanted to get closer to see clearly, but the scene suddenly vanished. The temperature of the code fragment instantly dropped.

“What's wrong? Fanfan?” His mother noticed his unusual state and quickly asked.

“It's nothing, Mom. I'm just a bit tired.” Lin Fan shook his head, hid the code fragment away again, but his heart was filled with unease. That black mist just now was probably the traces left by the new faction “Prophet” that Kate mentioned. They had already begun to infiltrate Los Santos. Would Michael and Franklin be in danger?

He had to return to Los Santos as soon as possible. He had to stop the Prophet's conspiracy quickly, and also investigate New Era Technology's background swiftly.

Over the next few days, Lin Fan rested and recuperated peacefully in the hospital. His body recovered quickly. The flashbacks from the virtual world became more frequent, and his ability to control electronic devices became more proficient. From initially only being able to turn off surveillance or pause alarms, he progressed to being able to operate phones to make calls, even hack into the hospital's computer system to view information.

Kate came to the hospital every day, bringing him various updates. She told Lin Fan that New Era Technology had already begun to act. They were searching nationwide for high-compatibility individuals, and several awakened coma patients had already been taken by them. The Prophet's forces were also growing stronger. They posted messages on the dark web, recruiting those dissatisfied with the real world, promising them “qualification to enter the new world.” Moreover, the FBI's hacker team had deciphered part of Victor's experimental data and discovered he had left a secret laboratory in the real world, which might hold the key technology to return to Los Santos.

“Where is the secret laboratory?” Lin Fan asked urgently.

“At the real-world anchor point of Los Santos—that is, underground the game company's headquarters building.” Kate said. “But it's currently controlled by New Era Technology personnel. It's difficult for us to get close. Also, we discovered that the Prophet's people are also looking for that laboratory. They seem to want to obtain the ‘consciousness traversal device' Victor left behind.”

“Consciousness traversal device?” Lin Fan's eyes lit up. “With this device, can one freely travel between reality and the virtual world?”

“Correct.” Kate nodded. “But that device isn't perfected yet. Victor only made a prototype before his death. It needs your code fragment to activate it. That's also why both New Era Technology and the Prophet want to obtain you.”

Lin Fan understood now. He wasn't just a high-compatibility individual; he was also the key to activating the consciousness traversal device. New Era Technology wanted to use him and the device to cultivate super soldiers. The Prophet wanted to use him and the device to break the world's boundaries. And he needed to use this device to return to Los Santos.

“We must obtain the consciousness traversal device first.” Lin Fan said firmly. “I can go with you to the game company headquarters building.”

“No, your body hasn't fully recovered yet, and it's too dangerous there.” Kate refused immediately. “New Era Technology has heavily fortified the place with advanced electronic defense systems. If we act rashly, we'll only suffer losses.”

“I can't wait any longer.” Lin Fan's tone was resolute. “The Prophet has already begun to infiltrate Los Santos. If we wait any longer, Michael and the others will be in danger! Besides, I can control electronic devices. Once inside, I can help you breach the defense systems.”

Kate looked at Lin Fan's determined eyes and knew he had made up his mind. She was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Alright, but we must formulate a meticulous plan. We can't act recklessly. Tomorrow, I'll arrange personnel. We'll act the night after tomorrow. You rest well and conserve your energy.”

Lin Fan nodded, his heart filled with anticipation and nervousness. He knew this would be his first step back to Los Santos, and also a crucial battle against New Era Technology and the Prophet.

That night, Lin Fan lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He took out the code fragment from his palm. The fragment emitted a faint blue light in the darkness. Looking at it, he whispered, “Michael, Franklin, wait for me. I'll be back soon.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the code fragment suddenly emitted a dazzling light. A blue holographic projection appeared before Lin Fan. The projection was actually Franklin!

“Brother Fan? Is that you?” Franklin's voice was somewhat choppy, and the image was blurry, clearly due to unstable signal. “Are you okay? We miss you so much! Something's been happening in Los Santos recently. There's a group of strange guys, covered in black mist, destroying things everywhere, and capturing awakened NPCs. We've fought them several times, but haven't gained the upper hand!”

“Franklin!” Lin Fan excitedly grabbed at the projection, but only caught empty air. “I'm fine! I'll be back soon! You must be careful. Those people are from the ‘Prophet.' They're dangerous! Protect yourselves, protect Michael. Wait for me to return!”

“Really? You're really coming back?” A look of excitement appeared on Franklin's face. “That's great! Brother Fan, we'll wait for you! You must be careful!”

The projection began to grow increasingly blurry. Franklin's voice also gradually faded. “Brother Fan, the signal is about to cut out... Remember, Victor's laboratory... has a secret...”

With the last word spoken, the projection completely vanished. The light from the code fragment also returned to its faint state. Lin Fan clenched the fragment tightly, his heart filled with excitement and worry. Franklin mentioned Victor's laboratory. It seemed there was not only a prototype in the real world, but also secrets in the virtual world, and it was related to the Prophet's conspiracy.

He was even more certain that he had to obtain the consciousness traversal device as soon as possible and return to Los Santos.

Early the next morning, Kate arrived at the hospital with equipment. She brought Lin Fan a specially made combat suit, a compact handgun, and a hacker wristband. “This wristband can help stabilize your consciousness fluctuations and enhance your ability to control electronic devices. Once we're inside, it'll all depend on you.”

Lin Fan took the equipment, nodded, mentally prepared.

In the morning, Lin Fan completed the discharge procedures. Under the escort of FBI Agents, he arrived at the FBI's secret base. Inside the base, over a dozen agents were busy—some studying maps, some adjusting equipment, others checking weapons. Kate briefed Lin Fan on the action plan: At 10 PM, during the security shift change at the game company headquarters building, Lin Fan would breach the electronic defense systems. The agents would infiltrate the underground laboratory through ventilation ducts. Once they obtained the consciousness traversal device, they would immediately withdraw.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

"Remember, our only target is the Consciousness Shuttle Device. Don't get bogged down in combat. If you encounter New Era Technology personnel, avoid them if possible. If you can't, finish it quickly," Kate instructed.

"I understand." Lin Fan nodded, his gaze falling on the map on the wall. The map marked the structure of the game company's headquarters building. The underground laboratory was on the third basement level, surrounded by surveillance and defense systems; it would indeed be difficult to approach.

Time ticked away, and it was soon nine o'clock in the evening. Lin Fan changed into his combat suit, put on his Hacker Bracelet, and got into an off-road vehicle with the agents, heading toward the game company's headquarters.

As night deepened, the city's neon lights flickered, and vehicles on the streets were sparse. The off-road vehicle stopped one kilometer away from the headquarters. Everyone got out and proceeded on foot. Lin Fan walked in the middle of the group, his palms sweating slightly with a mix of tension and anticipation. He knew that after tonight, he would be able to return to Los Santos and see Michael and Franklin again.

Soon, they arrived beneath the game company's headquarters. The building was tall and brightly lit, with two security guards patrolling the entrance. Kate made a gesture, and two agents quietly circled behind the guards, taking them down with anesthetic needles. Lin Fan immediately took out his Hacker Bracelet, pressed it against the building's access control, concentrated his attention, and controlled the bracelet to crack the system.

A string of complex code appeared on the bracelet's screen. Lin Fan's consciousness connected with the bracelet, and the code fragment at his fingertips grew slightly warm, helping him rapidly analyze the code. Soon, the access system was cracked, the doors slowly opened, and the group quickly entered the building, heading for the elevators.

"Third basement level, the underground lab," Kate whispered.

Lin Fan pressed the elevator button, and the elevator slowly descended. It was quiet inside, with only the sound of everyone's breathing; the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Lin Fan gripped his handgun tightly, prepared for battle.

The elevator reached the third basement level. Just as the doors opened, the sound of footsteps approached. Several people in black combat suits walked over, the New Era Technology logo printed on their chests and assault rifles in their hands.

"It's New Era Technology!" an agent shouted in a low voice.

"Move!" Kate ordered. The agents immediately drew their guns and fired at the New Era Technology personnel. Gunfire erupted, shattering the silence of the underground floor. The New Era Technology team returned fire instantly, bullets flying wildly around the elevator entrance.

Lin Fan didn't fire his gun. He quickly took out his Hacker Bracelet and manipulated the surrounding electronic equipment. The surveillance cameras on the ceiling were instantly shut down, and the lights began to flicker. The New Era Technology personnel's vision was obscured, throwing them into immediate disarray.

"Quick, charge in!" Kate took the opportunity to shout, leading the agents toward the underground laboratory.

Lin Fan followed behind, constantly manipulating electronic devices and cracking defense systems along the way. Soon, they arrived at the laboratory entrance. The door was a heavy alloy gate with a complex combination lock.

"Cracking the lock will take time!" Lin Fan shouted, rapidly operating his bracelet.

Just then, a dense burst of gunfire came from behind. More New Era Technology reinforcements had arrived, wielding heavy weapons with fierce firepower. The agents were gradually unable to hold them back, and several had already been hit and fallen to the ground.

"Hurry up!" Kate shouted while firing back.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth and focused all his attention. The glow of the code fragment grew brighter, helping him rapidly analyze the password. Finally, the lock was cracked, and the alloy door slowly opened.

"Get inside!" Kate shouted, being the first to rush into the lab.

Lin Fan followed her in. The laboratory was vast, filled with various advanced equipment. On a central platform sat a silver-white device—the Consciousness Shuttle Device. Several computers around the device displayed code data from Los Santos on their screens.

"Found it!" an agent shouted excitedly, reaching for the Consciousness Shuttle Device.

At that moment, the laboratory doors suddenly slammed shut, and the lights went out completely, leaving only the silver-white glow of the Consciousness Shuttle Device. A cold voice echoed through the lab: "Welcome to Victor's secret laboratory, Mr. Lin Fan. We finally meet."

Lin Fan was startled. The voice was unfamiliar, yet it carried a familiar malice—like someone from The Prophet!

"Who's there? Come out!" Kate shouted alertly, raising her gun and looking around.

The lights suddenly flared on. From a corner of the lab, a group of people emerged wearing black robes and masks, their bodies emitting a black mist. They were The Prophet's people! The leader took off his mask, revealing a young face with eyes flashing with fanatical light. Looking at Lin Fan, he said, "Mr. Lin Fan, I am Cain, the messenger of The Prophet. We have been waiting for you."

"What do you want?" Lin Fan gripped the code fragment, looking at Cain warily.

"It's simple." Cain smiled. "Hand over the code fragment and join us to break the boundary between reality and virtuality, establishing a new world order. If you agree, we can help you stay in Los Santos forever, even making you the king of both worlds."

"In your dreams!" Lin Fan snorted coldly. "Your conspiracy will not succeed!"

"Then don't blame us for being impolite." Cain's gaze turned cold. With a wave of his hand, The Prophet's members behind him immediately charged. Their bodies could pass through electronic equipment, and bullets had no effect on them at all.

"They are consciousness entities! Ordinary weapons can't hurt them!" Kate's expression changed as she shouted.

Lin Fan's heart stirred. Consciousness entities? Could he use code to deal with them? He immediately focused his attention, channeling the power of the code fragment. Blue data streams flowed from his fingertips, shooting toward The Prophet's members. When the data streams hit them, their bodies instantly became distorted, and they let out pained roars.

"It works!" Kate's eyes lit up, and she immediately shouted, "Everyone, cover Lin Fan!"

The agents immediately fired at The Prophet's members; although they couldn't hurt them, they could temporarily stall their progress. Lin Fan took the opportunity to manipulate more data streams, enveloping The Prophet's members and gradually dissolving their consciousness forms.

Cain's expression grew darker as he watched. He hadn't expected Lin Fan to be able to use code against consciousness entities. Gritting his teeth, he reached for the Consciousness Shuttle Device: "If I can't have you, then I'll destroy the Consciousness Shuttle Device!"

"Don't touch it!" Lin Fan shouted, directing a data stream at Cain.

Cain dodged to the side and rushed to the device, raising his hand to smash it. Just then, the laboratory door was blown open, and a group of people in military uniforms rushed in. They were New Era Technology reinforcements, carrying specialized weapons capable of attacking consciousness entities.

"New Era Technology is here too!" Kate shouted. The scene instantly became chaotic as the three factions fell into a free-for-all.

Lin Fan took the chance to rush to the Consciousness Shuttle Device and pressed the code fragment in his palm against it. The code fragment instantly merged into the device, which emitted a dazzling light. The screen displayed: 'Activation successful, consciousness channel about to open.'

"Great!" Lin Fan shouted excitedly. He looked at Kate. "Quick, help me hold them off! I need to open the channel!"

Kate nodded and immediately led the agents to hold back both New Era Technology and The Prophet's people. Lin Fan focused his mind, controlling the device to open the channel between reality and Los Santos.

The device's light grew brighter, and a blue pillar of light shot from the top, piercing through the ceiling and reaching toward the sky. Lin Fan could feel the aura of Los Santos getting closer; he could almost hear the shouts of Michael and Franklin.

"The channel is open!" Lin Fan shouted excitedly, preparing to step into the pillar of light.

At that moment, Cain suddenly broke through the defensive line and charged at Lin Fan, wielding a black dagger emitting black mist: "What I can't have, no one shall!"

The dagger lunged toward Lin Fan's chest. Lin Fan had no time to dodge. Just as he was about to be struck, Kate suddenly rushed over and blocked him, the dagger piercing into her back.

"Kate!" Lin Fan shouted, catching the falling Kate.

Kate's face was pale, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She looked at Lin Fan and said weakly, "Go... don't worry about me... return to Los Santos... stop them..."

"I'm taking you with me!" Lin Fan tried to lift her, but she pushed him away.

"There's no time..." Kate smiled and pulled a USB drive from her pocket, pressing it into Lin Fan's hand. "Inside... are all the secrets of New Era Technology and The Prophet... you must... stop them..."

With that, Kate's head slumped, and her breath left her entirely.

Lin Fan looked at Kate's body, his heart filled with grief and rage. He gripped the USB drive, his gaze turning incredibly cold as he looked at Cain: "You're dead!"

He channeled all his code power, and the blue data stream transformed into a giant dragon, charging at Cain. Cain had no time to dodge; enveloped by the data stream, his consciousness form was instantly dissolved without even a scream.

The New Era Technology personnel and the remaining members of The Prophet were terrified by this sight and fled in all directions.

Lin Fan didn't pursue them. He looked at Kate's body and bowed deeply. "Rest assured, I will stop their conspiracy. I won't let your sacrifice be in vain."

He turned toward the pillar of light from the Consciousness Shuttle Device. The pillar was still active, but the channel was about to close. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the light.

Dazzling white light enveloped his body, and his consciousness began to blur. Familiar electronic static and the sound of ocean waves filled his ears—he knew he was returning to Los Santos.

The aftershocks in the real world continued; the conspiracies of New Era Technology and The Prophet were not yet fully crushed. Kate's sacrifice made Lin Fan's resolve even firmer. Meanwhile, the crisis in Los Santos awaited his resolution.

When the white light dissipated, Lin Fan appeared on Vespucci Beach in Los Santos. The familiar sea breeze brushed his face, neon lights flickered in the distance, and the streets were bustling with traffic. Everything was the same as when he left, yet somehow different.

He gripped the USB drive and the code fragment, his eyes determined. Los Santos, I'm back. This time, I will not only protect you but also completely crush those conspiracies and restore peace to both worlds.

A new battle was about to begin in Los Santos. And the conspiracies of the real world would gradually come to light following his return.