43: Chapter 43 Dual-Line Tracking

Reality Line: The Secrets of New Era Technology

The sharp scent of disinfectant stung his nostrils. Lin Fan tightly gripped the tactical dagger hidden in his sleeve, the cold touch of the metal slightly calming his agitated nerves. The dim ventilation duct was thick with dust, and the rusted sheet metal beneath him let out a faint creak; the slightest lapse in attention could expose his position. Beside him, Kate crouched low, the green glow of her night-vision goggles reflected on her cold, elegant profile. Her fingertips lightly brushed the inner wall of the duct, leaving an almost invisible mark—a unique tracking code used by FBI Agents to prevent them from getting separated in complex building structures.

"Three hundred meters to go. The target is in the third-floor data core room," Kate's voice came through the micro-earpiece into Lin Fan's ear, whisper-thin and carrying her characteristic composure. "The security system at New Era Technology's Los Santos branch is military-grade. We've only cut the perimeter surveillance. The core area still has iris recognition and pressure-sensitive flooring. I'll handle the hacking; you cover me."

Lin Fan nodded and lightly pressed his earpiece. "Understood. Also, watch out for their patrols. The ones I saw on the first floor were all armed security—they didn't look like ordinary corporate guards; they looked more like mercenaries."

The two were currently lurking in the ventilation ducts of New Era Technology's Los Santos branch. Just three days ago, the real-world Lin Fan had woken up from a coma following the final battle in the virtual space, and the first thing he saw was Kate standing guard by his hospital bed. At the time, he thought he had completely returned to reality, until Kate produced a stack of investigation reports. Only then did he realize things were far more complicated than he had imagined—Victor's code disintegration hadn't completely vanished. Its core program fragments had been secretly intercepted by New Era Technology. This mysterious company had spent the last six months secretly capturing "consciousness outliers"—players who had been deeply immersed in the GTA5 Virtual World. The computer explosion when Lin Fan crossed over was no accident at all.

"They're using the consciousness of those in comas for experiments." Kate had slammed an encrypted file down in front of Lin Fan, the dense experimental data on the screen stinging his eyes. "These people are all players who played GTA5. Their coma times perfectly match the time you crossed over. New Era Technology has been using their consciousness to construct a new virtual space, as if they're replicating Los Santos."

Lin Fan felt his scalp go numb. He suddenly understood that the game world he had crossed into might not have been pure GTA5 at all, but a consciousness cage that New Era Technology had built long ago, with Victor merely being the 'administrator' they placed inside. The collapse of the Virtual World was most likely caused by New Era Technology attempting to reboot the system after Victor went out of control.

"The vent for the data core room is just around the left turn at the end of the duct." Kate's voice pulled Lin Fan back from his thoughts. She stopped and pulled a micro-hacker from her backpack, her fingers flying across it. "Get ready. Hacking the iris recognition takes thirty seconds. If a patrol passes by during that time, we'll have to fight our way through."

Lin Fan immediately tightened his grip on his dagger, his eyes alertly scanning the exit of the ventilation duct. The buzzing of the hacker sounded in his earpiece, and green lights flickered in the darkness; thirty seconds felt as long as a century. Just as the hacker emitted a soft chime, footsteps suddenly echoed from below—heavy military boots hitting the floor in a steady rhythm. Clearly, a patrol had arrived.

"Three of them, equipped with M4 rifles, ten meters away," Lin Fan quickly reported, leaning forward slightly, ready to drop down at any moment.

Kate remained exceptionally calm. She pressed a few more buttons on the hacker, and the lights downstairs suddenly cut out. Emergency lights flickered on instantly, casting a faint red glow. The patrol's footsteps paused, followed by several curses; they were clearly thrown off by the sudden power outage.

"Now," Kate hissed. She kicked open the vent's grate and jumped down first. Lin Fan followed closely behind, bending his knees upon landing to absorb the impact. His dagger was out in an instant, pressed against the throat of the nearest patrolman.

The patrolman was about to cry out when Lin Fan covered his mouth. With a swift slice of the dagger, the man collapsed silently. Kate was even faster; a precise elbow strike hit the second patrolman's neck, sending him limp to the floor without a sound. As the third patrolman raised his gun, Kate threw a tactical knife that struck his wrist. The rifle clattered to the floor, and he was immediately subdued with a chokehold.

The entire process took less than ten seconds, clean and efficient. Kate picked up a rifle from the floor and tossed one to Lin Fan, saying solemnly, "Hurry, the emergency lights only last two minutes."

The two hurried to the door of the data core room. Kate connected the hacker to the access panel, codes scrolling rapidly across the screen. Lin Fan leaned against the doorframe, keeping a sharp eye on the hallway, but his mind couldn't help wandering back to Michael and Franklin in the Virtual World. He wondered how those two were doing—did they survive the collapse of the Virtual World?

Just as the thought surfaced, the access panel gave a soft 'beep,' and the door slid open. The core room was brightly lit, with dozens of servers arranged in neat rows, their indicator lights blinking blue and green with a low hum. In the center of the console, a massive holographic projection was running, displaying a scene of a shattered city—it was the data ruins of the Virtual World's Los Santos!

"Found it." Kate walked quickly to the console, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard as numerous windows popped up, all containing records of the consciousness experiments. "Look, they're connecting the consciousness of comatose players to this virtual space, trying to use Victor's core program to repair the collapsed world and transform it into a controllable consciousness prison."

Lin Fan leaned in to look, and his heart sank. The screen displayed a list of hundreds of comatose individuals, each with their consciousness state clearly marked. In the projection of the virtual space, he could faintly see several familiar figures—they were NPCs he had encountered on the streets of Los Santos!

"They're not just using the players' consciousness; they're also capturing the consciousness of Virtual World NPCs." Lin Fan's voice was tight. "Victor was the administrator, but what about these NPCs? They have self-awareness too. New Era Technology is plundering consciousness!"

Kate nodded, her expression grim. "What's worse is that their experiment is in its final stages. Once successful, this new Virtual World will stabilize completely. Then, all the trapped consciousnesses will be unable to leave, left entirely at their mercy."

Just then, Lin Fan's eyes fell on a black device in the corner of the console. The device was strangely shaped, resembling a consciousness linker, its surface etched with complex patterns and emitting a faint blue light. He instinctively reached out to touch it, but Kate quickly intervened. "Don't touch it! That's a consciousness synchronizer. Once you make contact, your consciousness will be forcibly linked to the virtual space, and you might..."

Before she could finish, Lin Fan's fingertips brushed the surface of the device. A powerful surge of electricity instantly coursed through his body. His vision went black, and then, countless fragmented images flooded his mind—shattered skyscrapers, flickering glitched code, figures running wildly... That was Michael! He was leading a group of people through the ruins, pursued by hideous monsters, shouting Lin Fan's name!

"Michael!" Lin Fan cried out, trying to grab the figure, but the image suddenly shattered, and the core room reappeared before his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kate quickly supported him, her brow furrowed. "Did you see something?"

Lin Fan panted heavily, his forehead drenched in cold sweat. That brief connection had left his mind reeling. "It's Michael! He's still alive, in the ruins of the Virtual World. They're being hunted by monsters!"

Kate's expression shifted as she quickly typed on the keyboard to bring up a real-time view of the virtual space. Sure enough, the screen showed a group of survivors fleeing through the ruins, led by Michael and Franklin. Behind them was a pack of eerie monsters, their bodies covered in data streams, snarling as they lunged at the survivors.

"Those are Data Beasts, monsters formed after the program went out of control. They're extremely aggressive," Kate explained. "It seems the Core Code of the Virtual World is still evolving autonomously, and these are the malformed products of that evolution."

Lin Fan clenched his fists, his heart a mess of anxiety. He wanted to return to the Virtual World immediately but didn't know how; staying in the real world meant watching helplessly as Michael and the others fell into danger. Just as his agitation peaked, the door to the core room was pushed open, and a group of fully armed mercenaries burst in, led by a woman in a black suit.

The woman looked to be in her thirties, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a cold, elegant aura. Her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's as she stared intently at Lin Fan, a meaningful smile curling her lips. "Mr. Lin Fan, we finally meet."

"Who are you?" Lin Fan immediately shielded Kate behind him, raising his rifle at the woman and asking warily.

"Elizabeth Kraus, CEO of New Era Technology." The woman walked in slowly, the mercenaries automatically flanking her without making a move. "Don't be nervous. I'm not here to capture you. On the contrary, I'm here to make a deal."

"A deal?" Lin Fan sneered. "You've experimented on countless people's consciousness, and you have the nerve to talk to me about a deal?"

Elizabeth ignored his attitude. She walked to the console, looked at the projection of the Virtual World, and spoke slowly. "You thought you crossed into GTA5? No, that was the consciousness space we built called 'ark.' Victor was the administrator I placed inside to test the stability of the consciousness space. But I didn't expect you, an accidental intruder, to disrupt all our plans."

Lin Fan's heart jolted; it was exactly as he had suspected.

"After Victor lost control, the ark collapsed. I could only use the consciousness of comatose people to repair it." Elizabeth turned around, her eyes burning as she looked at Lin Fan. "But only you can completely stabilize the ark's Core Code. Because your consciousness is the only one capable of being simultaneously compatible with both reality and the virtual. If you help me stabilize the ark, I can release all the trapped consciousnesses, including your friends in the Virtual World."

"Don't even think about lying to me." Lin Fan's gaze was icy. "If you were truly sincere, you wouldn't have sent mercenaries to catch us."

Elizabeth smiled and clapped her hands. Two bodyguards entered the room, escorting a man. When Lin Fan saw him, his pupils shrank—it was the conscious player he had met earlier in the ruins of the Virtual World!

"You should recognize him, right?" Elizabeth said. "He's a consciousness entity who escaped from the ark. We had quite a bit of trouble catching him. He told me that Michael and Franklin are heading toward the ark's core area. There's a nest of Data Beasts there; they won't last long."

Lin Fan's heart sank. Michael and the others were heading toward the core area? Wasn't that a suicide mission?

"I'll give you three days to consider." Elizabeth handed Lin Fan a communicator. "Contact me when you've made up your mind. Remember, only I can help you save your friends, and only you can stop the ark from collapsing completely."

With that, she turned and left, the mercenaries following her. Only Lin Fan, Kate, and the captured player remained in the core room.

Kate immediately stepped forward to untie the player while Lin Fan gripped the communicator, his mind in a state of inner turmoil. He knew Elizabeth was up to no good, but Michael and the others were in a truly dire situation; he couldn't just ignore them.

"Don't believe her lies," Kate said solemnly. "New Era Technology's goal is definitely not simple. What they want is likely your consciousness ability. Once you help them stabilize the ark, you'll just become their tool."

Lin Fan nodded. He was well aware of the risks, but the thought of Michael and Franklin struggling for survival in the Virtual World made it impossible for him to sit idly by. He looked at the player and asked, "Do you know where the core area of the Virtual World is? What exactly is there?"

The player, still shaken, took a few sips of the water Kate handed him before speaking slowly. "The core area is the source of the ark's code. Victor's core fragments are there. But it's home to the most powerful Data Beasts, and... and people from the outside are trying to take over. I don't know who they are; I only heard the NPCs say that people from the outside are coming."

"People from the outside?" Lin Fan and Kate exchanged a look, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

Just then, the communicator in Lin Fan's hand lit up. A line of text popped up on the screen—it was from Elizabeth. It was a single set of coordinates marking the location of the Virtual World's core area, followed by a sentence: "If you want to save them, go to these coordinates."

Lin Fan gripped the communicator, his gaze turning resolute. "Regardless of her schemes, I have to go to the core area. Kate, you stay in the real world and investigate New Era Technology's headquarters. I'll go to the Virtual World to save Michael and the others. If we act on both tracks, we'll surely be able to expose their conspiracy."

Kate looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright. I'll find a way to hack the consciousness synchronizer so you can enter the Virtual World safely. Remember, be careful in everything. I'll be here to back you up."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The two quickly organized the materials in the Core Room and, taking the player with them, evacuated the New Era Technology branch. In the night, Lin Fan looked up at the sky and thought to himself: "Michael, Franklin, wait for me; I'm coming to save you!"

Virtual Thread: The Bloody Journey to the Core Area

The scorching sun hung pale in the gray sky, baking the data ruins until they were burning hot. Michael leaned on a rusty steel pipe, stumbling forward. His soles had long since been shredded by gravel, blood seeping through his worn-out canvas shoes, and every step was agonizingly painful. The group of survivors behind him was also exhausted. Everyone's face was covered in dust and sweat, their eyes filled with fatigue, yet they still showed a trace of unwillingness—ever since they obtained Lin Fan's coordinates, they had been fleeing for two days and two nights straight, not only having to dodge evolved out-of-control NPCs but also constantly guarding against sudden Data Beasts.

"Let's take a break, Michael, I really can't walk anymore." A young player leaned against the nearby ruins, gasping for breath. His arm was wrapped in bandages from being scratched by a data beast yesterday, and the area around the wound had already started to turn black—it was clearly infected.

Michael stopped and looked around. This was an abandoned industrial zone; the remaining factory frames were entwined with dense data streams. In the distance, the roars of Data Beasts could be faintly heard, and they dared not stay long. He gritted his teeth and said, "Keep going a little longer. There's an abandoned warehouse ahead; we'll rest when we get there. If we stop now, we'll only become prey for the monsters."

Franklin hoisted an injured NPC up beside him and said in a deep voice, "Michael is right, everyone, try a little harder. Lin Fan's coordinates show that the Core Area is only fifty kilometers ahead. As long as we get there, we'll be able to find Lin Fan."

At the mention of Lin Fan, a glimmer of hope reignited in everyone's eyes. Over the past two days, they had experienced too many brushes with death—yesterday, while passing through a data swamp, a dozen Data Beasts suddenly sprang out. Those monsters were made of black data streams, with the bodies of wolves and the heads of snakes. Their speed was astonishing, and they could tear a person to shreds in one bite. If not for Michael and Franklin fighting for their lives and using explosives to blast a path to survival, they likely would have been wiped out long ago.

"I wonder how that kid, Lin Fan, is doing now." Franklin whispered to Michael as they walked, "That mysterious signal said he could restart the world, but we haven't even seen a shadow of him. Nothing bad happened to him, right?"

Michael sighed, his eyes full of worry: "He shouldn't be; that kid is tough as nails. But I always feel like something's wrong. This journey has been too smooth. Aside from those Data Beasts, we haven't encountered many out-of-control NPCs. It's like someone is deliberately guiding us toward the Core Area."

Franklin frowned: "Now that you mention it, I find it strange too. The group of out-of-control NPCs we encountered yesterday could have caught up with us, but they suddenly turned around and left, as if they were afraid of something."

As the two were talking, a terrified scream suddenly came from the front. The two players at the very front of the group suddenly fell into a hidden trap. The bottom of the trap was covered in sharp metal fragments, and the two were instantly slashed, their blood staining the bottom of the pit red. Even more terrifying, the ground around the trap suddenly cracked open, and several Data Beasts lunged out, roaring as they pounced on the crowd.

"Watch out!" Michael shouted, immediately raising his rifle to fire. The bullets hit the Data Beasts, sparking, but they could only barely slow them down. These Data Beasts were even more powerful than the ones they encountered yesterday; their skin was as hard as steel, and ordinary bullets couldn't penetrate them at all.

"Quick, retreat to the warehouse!" Franklin hoisted the injured NPC and sprinted toward the abandoned warehouse ahead. The survivors reacted one after another, firing their guns while retreating. Michael covered the rear, throwing a grenade. The grenade exploded in the midst of the Data Beasts, sending black data streams flying, and several beasts were blasted back, buying time for the group to retreat.

Having barely made it into the warehouse, the group immediately closed the heavy iron door and braced it with debris. Violent banging and roaring came from outside, making the iron door hum, but fortunately, the warehouse door was sturdy enough to temporarily block the Data Beasts' attack.

The group collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, their faces full of lingering fear. The young player with the injured arm was pale; his wound had started to fester, and he was breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain.

"There's a medical kit here!" a female player suddenly shouted, rummaging through her backpack to find a first-aid kit containing antibiotics and bandages. She hurried over to treat the young player's wound, but the quantity of antibiotics was too small, nowhere near enough for everyone.

Michael walked to the warehouse window, carefully lifting a corner of the curtain to look outside. He saw a dozen Data Beasts surrounding the warehouse entrance, constantly slamming against the iron door, while a few others wandered around the warehouse, as if waiting for an opportunity. Even more alarming to him was that in the distant ruins, there were faint figures moving about; judging by their silhouettes, they looked like out-of-control NPCs, and there were quite a few of them.

"This is bad, we're surrounded," Michael said in a deep voice. "There are not only Data Beasts outside but also out-of-control NPCs. They seem to be coming for us."

Franklin walked to his side and looked at the figures in the distance, his expression grave: "Those NPCs look very organized. They don't seem like ordinary out-of-control ones; it's more like... they're being controlled by someone."

Just then, an elderly NPC suddenly spoke up. He was the only native NPC in the group and had always been reticent, but at this moment, his face was pale, and his eyes were filled with terror: "It's the people from the outside; they are coming, they are going to take over this place."

"People from the outside? What people from the outside?" Michael asked hurriedly.

The elderly NPC shook his head, his lips trembling: "I don't know who they are, only that they have been eyeing the Core Area. I heard other NPCs in the ruins saying before that the people from the outside are looking for the Core Code, wanting to control this world. They will use Data Beasts and out-of-control NPCs to eliminate all survivors who approach the Core Area."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed drastically. So the dangers they had encountered all along were being manipulated by someone behind the scenes!

"It seems the Core Area hides a big secret," Franklin frowned. "Lin Fan's coordinates are in the Core Area. Maybe those people are also looking for Lin Fan. We must get there as soon as possible and find Lin Fan before they do."

Michael nodded, his eyes determined: "That's right. Even if there's a mountain of blades and a sea of flames ahead, we have to go. Now, everyone, take the time to rest and regain your strength. We'll set off in half an hour and break out under the cover of darkness."

The group had no objections and leaned against the walls to rest. Michael walked over to the elderly NPC and asked, "Do you know exactly what's in the Core Area? Why do the people from the outside want to fight over it?"

The elderly NPC thought for a moment and spoke slowly: "The Core Area is the heart of this world. Inside, there is the world's Core Code, as well as fragments of Lord Victor. Whoever controls the Core Code can control this world. Also, I've heard that there is a door in the Core Area that leads to the outside world."

"Leads to the outside world?" Michael's heart stirred, "Does it lead to the real world?"

The elderly NPC shook his head: "I don't know. I've only heard that such a door exists; no one knows exactly where it leads. But many people want to find that door and leave this broken world."

Michael fell silent. He didn't know if what the elderly NPC said was true or false, but he knew that as long as he found Lin Fan, everything would become clear. He looked out the window; the sky was gradually darkening. The roars of the Data Beasts still echoed in his ears, and the number of out-of-control NPCs in the distance was increasing—a fierce battle was inevitable.

Half an hour later, everyone got up on time. Michael and Franklin checked their weapons and ammunition and prepared for battle. "Everyone, stick close to us, don't separate. Once we break out, run madly in the direction of the Core Area, and don't look back," Michael said in a deep voice.

Franklin nodded and suddenly pulled open the warehouse's iron door. The few Data Beasts outside immediately roared and lunged over. Michael and Franklin fired at the same time, their bullets accurately striking the Data Beasts' heads—that was their weak point. The few Data Beasts fell to the ground in response, dissipating into black data streams.

"Charge!" Michael shouted and was the first to rush out. The group followed closely behind, sprinting toward the Core Area. The out-of-control NPCs around the warehouse immediately swarmed in, and the sounds of gunfire, roars, and screams instantly rang through the night sky.

Michael ran while firing, and when he ran out of bullets, he used the steel pipe to smash. His arm was slashed by an out-of-control NPC's blade, and blood flowed freely, but he didn't even notice. Franklin protected the injured players and NPCs, agilely dodging attacks and occasionally throwing a grenade to blast a path to survival.

The survivors also gave it their all. Even those who were unarmed picked up stones from the ground to throw at the enemies. They knew in their hearts that this was their only chance; once caught, they would never have another chance to find Lin Fan.

They didn't know how long they had run, but the pursuers behind them were finally shaken off. The group collapsed behind some ruins, gasping for air. Their bodies were covered in wounds, and the number of people in the group had decreased from the initial dozen or so to eight.

"Thank goodness... we shook them off," a player said weakly, slumped on the ground.

Michael leaned against the wall, wiped the blood off his face, and looked into the distance. In the night, he could faintly see an area flickering with blue light; that must be the Core Area. He stood up and said, "We're almost there, that's the Core Area ahead. Everyone, keep pushing!"

Just then, a blinding blue light suddenly lit up the sky, followed by the ground beginning to shake violently. A huge roar came from the direction of the Core Area in the distance, as if something had exploded.

"What's going on?" Franklin's expression changed drastically.

Everyone looked up, only to see a huge energy vortex appear above the Core Area. In the vortex, blue-and-white data streams flickered, and countless fragments were sucked into the vortex and then spewed out. Even more terrifying was that on the ground around the vortex, countless Data Beasts were gathering, forming a black torrent surging in their direction.

"Oh no, it's a data beast tide!" Michael's face turned pale, "We must leave here immediately, otherwise we'll be overwhelmed!"

The group dared not delay and immediately got up, sprinting toward the Core Area. The data beast tide was in hot pursuit behind them, the roars getting closer and closer, and the black data streams were almost catching up to their footsteps.

Just at this critical moment, Lin Fan's voice suddenly rang in Michael's mind, although blurry, it was unusually clear: "Michael, Franklin, run to the canyon on the left. There is a barrier there that can block the Data Beasts!"

Michael was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed: "It's Lin Fan! Lin Fan is contacting us! Quick, run to the canyon on the left!"

The group immediately changed direction and sprinted toward the canyon on the left. Sure enough, there was a faint light barrier at the entrance of the canyon. The Data Beasts rushed to the barrier and were bounced back, roaring but unable to break through.

The group rushed into the canyon and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Michael leaned against the rock wall of the canyon, gasping for air, his heart filled with excitement—Lin Fan was still alive, and he could still contact them!

"That kid, Lin Fan, finally has news." Franklin's face showed a look of wild joy, "It seems we are getting closer and closer to him!"

The canyon was very quiet, without the roars of Data Beasts, only faint blue light seeping from the rock walls. The elderly NPC walked to the rock wall, stroked the data streams on it, and said with emotion: "This is the outer barrier of the Core Area. As long as we pass through here, we can enter the Core Area. But the danger inside is a hundred times greater than outside."

Michael nodded, his eyes determined: "No matter how dangerous it is, we have to go in. Lin Fan is waiting for us inside, and we cannot let him down."

The group rested for a while and began to walk toward the depths of the canyon. The blue light on the rock walls became brighter and brighter, and the road ahead became clearer and clearer. They didn't know that in the Core Area, there were not only the most powerful Data Beasts but also consciousness controllers from New Era Technology, as well as Lin Fan waiting for them.

At this moment, at the end of the canyon, a blue figure was standing there, looking in the direction they were coming from, with a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. It was none other than Lin Fan. Through the consciousness synchronizer, he had finally entered the Virtual World and arrived at the outskirts of the Core Area.

"Michael, Franklin, I'm here," Lin Fan said softly, his eyes filled with determination.

The dual-line tracking is finally about to converge in the Core Area. The conspiracy of reality and virtuality is about to unveil its mysterious veil.