44: Chapter 44 The Intervention of New Forces

The night was like a piece of velvet soaked in ink, pressing heavily over Los Santos. The city's neon lights tore through the thick darkness, turning the bustling traffic into flowing light and shadow, but beneath this prosperity, there hid an undercurrent deeper than the night itself.

Lin Fan leaned against the wrought-iron railing of the top-floor terrace of the 'Night Pupil' nightclub, a cigar between his fingers. Amidst the curling smoke, his gaze swept over the brightly lit city district below. He had just finished a negotiation with a gang from the west side. They had wanted to take advantage of the Snake Fang Gang's weakened state to encroach on his territory, but he had beaten them into submission with a clean 'dog-eat-dog' move. At this moment, those gang bosses were likely still in their warehouse counting the destroyed cargo crates, cursing and swearing but not daring to utter a single word of complaint.

"Ding—System Notification: Current faction reputation +500, Los Santos underground deterrence level increased to 72%, title [Underground Order Controller] unlocked."

The system notification sounded in his mind, but Lin Fan remained calm. He just flicked the cigar ash; the sparks brightened for a moment in the night before quickly extinguishing. Ever since he teamed up with Michael and Franklin to take down three of the Snake Fang Gang's strongholds, his foundation in Los Santos had become increasingly stable. His nightclubs, casinos, and underground racetracks formed a connected network, bringing in money every day, yet the unease in his heart grew like vines, suffocating him.

Victor had disappeared without a trace since the failed assassination attempt, like a drop of water merging into the ocean. The quieter he was, the more Lin Fan felt he was brewing some major move. Then there was Kate, that FBI Agent, calm to the point of being cold. Since their secret cooperation last time, when she helped him intercept the Snake Fang Gang's arms list, she had become elusive. Every time they connected, she only said a few key pieces of information, her words filled with probing.

"Brother Fan, enjoying the cold wind? Be careful not to catch a cold." Franklin's voice came from behind. He was carrying two bottles of iced beer, threw one to Lin Fan, and twisted his own cap off, taking a big gulp. The cold liquid slid down his throat, and he let out a comfortable burp. "Just got news, the remnants of the Snake Fang Gang ran north and mixed in with a group of Mexican gangs. Want to strike while the iron is hot and just wipe them out?"

Lin Fan took the beer, the cold touch coming through his fingertips, but he didn't drink. He just stared in the direction of the distant military base—it was lit up all year round, searchlights sweeping across the night sky like pairs of vigilant eyes. "No rush," he said slowly, his voice carrying a hint of gravity. "Victor hasn't shown his face. These small fries can't stir up any trouble. Leaving them might just help us catch a big fish."

"You just think too much." Franklin grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and reached out to pat Lin Fan's shoulder. "Since you came to Los Santos, we've gone from wanted criminals hiding in the sewers to what we are now. What else is there to be afraid of? If Victor really dares to come out, we'll just twist his head off and use it as a chamber pot!"

Lin Fan twitched his mouth but didn't refute. He envied Franklin's carefree attitude, but he was someone who had traveled from the real world, and he knew better than anyone that this world, which seemed to be composed of code, hid too many unknown dangers. His system, Victor's anomalies, and those occasional 'BUGS'—all reminded him that everything here was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Just then, Michael ran up from the staircase in a hurry. His hair was a bit messy, his suit jacket wrinkled; the meticulously groomed appearance he usually maintained was gone, and his face carried a rare, heavy expression. "Lin Fan, Franklin, something's happened!"

The smile on Franklin's face vanished instantly: "What's wrong, Michael? Is there movement from Victor?"

"It's not Victor, it's the military." Michael panted, pulled a USB drive from his pocket, and stuffed it into Lin Fan's hand. "I just got this from an FIB informant. See for yourself."

Lin Fan's heart tightened. He immediately plugged the USB drive into his portable tablet. The screen lit up, and an encrypted file slowly unfolded. The title was: 'Virtual Battlefield Soldier Enhancement Training Plan,' signed by the Los Santos Military Special Operations Command.

He scrolled through the screen quickly, his pupils shrinking. The document detailed the military's plan: to utilize the unique nature of this 'virtual world' of Los Santos to build simulated battlefields, train soldiers' combat effectiveness and adaptability, and it even mentioned researching the 'compatibility between consciousness and virtual space,' attempting to cultivate 'super soldiers' who could freely switch between virtual and reality.

"Are they crazy?" Franklin leaned over to take a look and couldn't help but curse, "Los Santos is already chaotic enough, and the military wants to get involved? Do they want to turn the whole city into a training ground?"

Michael nodded, his face grim: "It's not just that. The informant also said the military has secretly deployed a special forces unit into Los Santos, stationed at the abandoned airport in the northern suburbs. There have been many suspicious people in the city lately; they might all be their eyes and ears."

Lin Fan tapped his fingers lightly on the tablet screen, his brows locked in a frown. The military's intervention was completely beyond his expectations. Previously, he thought his biggest enemy was only Victor, but now it seemed that the cake of Los Santos was not just coveted by gangs; even the military wanted a piece. What alarmed him even more was that the document repeatedly mentioned the term 'key adapter,' seemingly looking for someone who could highly synchronize with the virtual world. This inexplicably reminded him of his own experience of transmigrating—could he be the one the military was looking for?

"Any news from Kate?" Lin Fan looked up at Michael. As an FBI Agent, Kate should be more aware of the military's movements than they were.

Michael shook his head: "I've tried to contact her, but the call doesn't go through. Her colleagues said she's been on a secret mission recently, but no one knows exactly what it is."

Just as the three of them fell into silence, Lin Fan's phone suddenly rang, displaying an unknown number on the screen. He hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button. A familiar, slightly cold female voice came from the other end—it was Kate.

"Lin Fan, where are you right now?" Kate's voice was more urgent than usual, with the faint sounds of sirens and gunfire in the background. "Don't stay at the nightclub, leave immediately! The military has targeted you!"

Lin Fan's heart tightened: "How do you know? We just saw the military's training plan."

"That's just a cover!" Kate's voice carried a hint of imperceptible anxiety. "Their real goal is to capture you! They detected special consciousness fluctuations within you and called you a 'key adapter,' wanting to take you back for experiments!"

"key adapter?" Lin Fan's pupils shrank. It was exactly as he had thought. "Where are you? What happened?"

"I'm at a warehouse in the eastern suburbs, pinned down by military operatives." Kate's voice paused, as if she was dodging something. "I have the data on their 'reaper plan.' That's their core conspiracy. It's not about training super soldiers; it's about extracting consciousness from the virtual world and injecting it into soldiers to build an undead legion! You need to take Michael and Franklin and leave the Los Santos city area immediately, go to Blaine County in the south; there are no military personnel there for now!"

"reaper plan..." Lin Fan repeated these words in a low voice, a chill shooting from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp. Extracting consciousness? This was simply insane! If the military really succeeded, not to mention Los Santos, the entire virtual world would become a living hell, and by then, the consciousness of all NPCs would be harvested and turned into their tools.

"I'm coming to find you!" Lin Fan made an immediate decision. "Hold on, we'll be there soon!"

"Don't come!" Kate shouted, preventing him. "They've set an ambush, just waiting for you to walk right into it! If something happens to you, no one can stop them! Remember, protect yourself, and also Michael and Franklin. Their consciousness fluctuations are also very special; the military won't let them go either! I hid the data behind the third bookshelf in the downtown library. The password is your birthday—I checked the identity information you had when you transmigrated! You must get the data and give it to someone reliable!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a dull thud came from the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of a chaotic fight, and then the call was disconnected, leaving only the 'beep-beep' busy signal.

"Kate is in trouble!" Lin Fan's face turned livid, and he gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. The relationship between him and Kate was originally just one of mutual utilization, but after fighting side by side several times, he had long regarded this calm and courageous woman as a comrade-in-arms. Now that she was in danger to protect him, he couldn't just sit by and watch.

"Brother Fan, what do we do now?" Franklin also put away his usual playfulness, his eyes filled with gravity. He could hear the tension in the phone call and knew that if Kate fell into the military's hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Michael took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "Kate said the military set an ambush; we can't charge in. The eastern suburb warehouse must be full of special forces; we'd be throwing our lives away if we went. It's better to do as she said first, go to the library to get the data, and after we get the data, we'll find a way to save her."

Lin Fan closed his eyes, forcing himself to suppress the agitation in his heart. Michael was right; impulsiveness wouldn't solve any problems now. Only by obtaining the 'reaper plan' data could they find the military's weak point and have a chance to rescue Kate and stop their conspiracy.

"Alright," he opened his eyes, his gaze becoming incomparably firm. "Franklin, go to the garage and bring out that modified SUV. Bring all the weapons—rifles, grenades, bulletproof vests, bring them all! Michael, contact our people, have them stand guard around the library, and warn us immediately if they spot any military personnel! I'm going to change clothes; meet downstairs in five minutes!"

"Understood!" The two replied in unison and turned to run downstairs.

Lin Fan quickly returned to his office, changed into a black combat uniform, tucked two Desert Eagles into his waistband, slung an assault rifle over his back, checked the ammunition, and after confirming everything was correct, quickly went downstairs.

Downstairs, Franklin had already driven the SUV over. The vehicle body had been heavily modified with bulletproof glass, a thickened chassis, and the trunk was filled with weapons and ammunition. Michael was leaning against the car, holding a walkie-talkie and giving orders to his subordinates. Seeing Lin Fan come down, he immediately hung up the walkie-talkie: "Everything is arranged; the guys are already on their way to the library."

Lin Fan nodded, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat: "Let's go, downtown library!"

The SUV roared out of the nightclub parking lot and merged into the street traffic. The night grew thicker. On the streets of Los Santos, the frequency of police patrols had noticeably increased. Occasionally, one could see soldiers wearing black combat uniforms and helmets, holding rifles, checking passing vehicles at intersections. The atmosphere was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.

Franklin gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes observing the surroundings sharply: "Brother Fan, look over there. Those soldiers' equipment is much better than the police's. It's clearly the military's special forces."

Lin Fan looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw a few soldiers standing at the intersection. There were no markings on their combat uniforms, their faces were covered with masks, revealing only pairs of cold eyes. The rifles in their hands glinted coldly. Passing vehicles were all being stopped and carefully inspected by them, and anyone slightly suspicious would be taken away.

[part:gemini-2.5-flash]

"Ignore them, take a detour," Lin Fan said in a deep voice. Now was not the time to confront the military head-on; their priority was to get the data.

Franklin nodded, sharply turned the steering wheel, and swerved into an alley. The alley was dimly lit, piled with trash cans and debris. The off-road vehicle bumped forward, making clanging sounds.

Just then, Lin Fan's phone suddenly vibrated. It was an unfamiliar text message, only a short sentence: "New Era Technology, Elizabeth, wants to see you."

"New Era Technology? Elizabeth?" Lin Fan frowned. He seemed to have heard that name somewhere before, but couldn't recall where.

Michael leaned over and glanced at the text message, his face changing dramatically: "Elizabeth! The founder of New Era Technology! The woman who claims to 'build humanity's second home'!"

Lin Fan's heart stirred, and he immediately remembered the overwhelming advertisements recently—New Era Technology, a suddenly rising tech company. Its founder, Elizabeth, was a mysterious woman who rarely appeared in public, but recently she had been frequently holding press conferences, advocating the potential of the virtual world, saying she would turn Los Santos into humanity's "second virtual home."

"How does she know my number?" Lin Fan was full of doubts. "What does she want with me?"

"I'm not sure, but this woman is definitely not simple." Michael's tone carried a hint of wariness. "New Era Technology has risen too quickly. In just half a year, it has monopolized the Los Santos tech market. There must be something fishy behind it. And I heard she's very close to the military."

Lin Fan's finger tapped lightly on his phone screen, his mind racing. The military's pursuit, Kate's disappearance, Elizabeth's invitation, and Victor's lurking—everything was intertwined like a huge net, firmly trapping him. This Elizabeth, suddenly sending a text message, was it goodwill or malice? Did she want to use him, or did she genuinely have something to tell him?

"Ignore her for now, we'll deal with it after we get the data." Lin Fan put away his phone, his eyes once again firm. The most important thing now was to get the reaper plan data; other matters could be put aside for the time being.

The off-road vehicle drove out of the alley and soon reached the downtown library. The library was already closed, the entrance was dark, with only a few streetlights on, casting long shadows of the building. The three of them got out of the car, cautiously observing their surroundings. They saw no military personnel or unusual movements, only a few subordinates in black clothes, concealed around the library's perimeter. Seeing them approach, they quietly gave a safe signal.

"Let's go in," Lin Fan whispered, leading the way towards the library entrance. Franklin pulled out a master key from his backpack, gently inserted it into the keyhole, turned it a few times, and with a "click," the lock opened.

The three pushed the door open. The library was pitch black, filled with the old smell of paper. They turned on their tactical flashlights, and the beams of light swept through the bookshelves, illuminating rows of densely packed books.

"Third bookshelf, Kate said so," Lin Fan reminded in a low voice, leading the two towards the third bookshelf.

The library was silent, only their footsteps echoing in the empty hall, sounding exceptionally clear. Franklin gripped his rifle tightly, cautiously observing his surroundings: "Something's not right. Why is it so quiet? The military can't possibly not know we're coming here, right?"

Michael also frowned: "Be careful, there might be an ambush."

Lin Fan nodded, slowing his pace, his fingers tightly gripping the pistol at his waist, ready to deal with any sudden situation. He always felt that it was too quiet here, eerily quiet, like the calm before a storm.

Soon, they reached the third bookshelf. The shelves were filled with various books. Lin Fan, as Kate had instructed, fumbled in the middle of the shelf and quickly found a cold metal box. He took the box down, opened it, and indeed, inside was a USB drive and a note with Kate's elegant handwriting: "The core of the reaper plan is in the military's underground laboratory. Elizabeth is a military collaborator, be careful of her."

"Found it!" Lin Fan was delighted, putting away the USB drive and the note. "Let's go, quickly leave here!"

Just as the three turned to leave, all the lights in the library suddenly came on, the dazzling light making them instinctively squint. Immediately after, a series of neat footsteps approached. A dozen agents in black combat uniforms surrounded them from all directions, holding rifles, their muzzles uniformly aimed at them.

Leading them was a woman dressed in a white suit, with long hair draped over her shoulders. She was exquisitely beautiful and elegant, but her eyes held a cold calculation. It was Elizabeth, the founder of New Era Technology.

"Mr. Lin Fan, long time no see." Elizabeth walked slowly, a faint smile on her lips, but her tone carried an undeniable forcefulness. "Or, should I call you—key adapter?"

Lin Fan's heart tightened. He gripped the metal box in his hand, his eyes coldly fixed on Elizabeth: "What do you want?"

"Don't be nervous, I mean no harm." Elizabeth stopped, standing three meters away from them, her gaze sweeping over Lin Fan, Michael, and Franklin. "I just want to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Lin Fan sneered. "You're working with the military, trying to capture me for experiments. Is that what you call a deal?"

"The military's plan is too narrow-minded." Elizabeth gently shook her head, a hint of disdain in her voice. "They only want to create super soldiers, but they don't know that your potential is far greater than they imagine. I can help you escape the military's pursuit, and even help you rescue that FBI Agent, on the condition that you cooperate with me."

"Cooperate? Cooperate on what?" Lin Fan watched her warily. This woman was even more mysterious than Victor; he dared not be careless in the slightest.

"Help me perfect the 'second home' plan." Elizabeth's eyes grew fervent. "Los Santos is a virtual world, but it has infinite potential. I want to build it into a true home for humanity, where human consciousness can live forever! And you are the only one who can do this, because you crossed over from the real world. Your consciousness is the bridge connecting the two worlds!"

"Eternal life?" Franklin couldn't help but scoff. "Are you crazy? A virtual world is just a virtual world. How can it become a home for humans?"

"You don't understand." Elizabeth glanced at Franklin, a hint of contempt in her voice. "This world is essentially composed of code. As long as you control the code, you control everything. Victor wants to tamper with the code to rule Los Santos, and the military wants to harvest consciousness to build an army. They are all too superficial. Only I can make this world more perfect!"

Lin Fan's heart stirred. Elizabeth's words reminded him of Victor's identity—the game world's administrator. Did Elizabeth also know the true nature of this world? Was she also an administrator? Or did she have another identity?

"Why should I trust you?" Lin Fan asked in a deep voice. "How do you prove you can help me escape the military and rescue Kate?"

"It's simple." Elizabeth snapped her fingers, and the surrounding agents immediately lowered their guns and moved aside. "I've already blocked the military's pursuers for you. Right now, my people are engaging the military at the East District Warehouse. As for Kate, if you agree to cooperate with me, I'll have her rescued immediately."

Lin Fan looked at Michael and Franklin. The three exchanged glances, and hesitation was visible in each other's eyes. Elizabeth's offer was very tempting—it could help them escape the military's pursuit and rescue Kate. However, they also knew that this woman's ambition was too great, and cooperating with her was like playing with fire.

"One more thing." Elizabeth, as if seeing through their thoughts, spoke slowly. "Victor will make his move soon. He has been researching code corruption, intending to plunge all of Los Santos into chaos, then reap the benefits. Your current strength is no match for him. Only by cooperating with me will you have a chance to defeat him."

"Victor?" Lin Fan's heart jolted. Elizabeth actually knew Victor's plan! It seemed this woman indeed knew many secrets they didn't.

Just then, Michael's walkie-talkie suddenly crackled, and his subordinate's anxious voice came through: "Boss Michael! This is bad! The military's main forces are here! And the Snake Fang Gang, they've also arrived!"

Lin Fan's face changed. He hadn't expected the military and the Snake Fang Gang to team up! Now, they were caught between two fires, and the situation became even more critical.

Elizabeth's smile deepened: "See? Now you have no choice. Either cooperate with me, or be taken down by the combined forces of the military and the Snake Fang Gang."

Franklin gripped his rifle, his eyes fiercely glaring at Elizabeth: "You knew they would come, didn't you? You deliberately led us here just to force us into submission!"

"So what if I did?" Elizabeth's smile vanished, her tone turning cold. "I gave you a chance. Since you don't value it, don't blame me for being impolite!"

As soon as her words fell, she snapped her fingers again. The agents who had retreated immediately raised their rifles again, aiming at them. At the same time, piercing police sirens and gunshots could be heard from outside the library. Clearly, the military and the Snake Fang Gang had arrived.

"Lin Fan, I'm giving you one last chance." Elizabeth's eyes held a hint of threat. "Cooperate, or die!"

Lin Fan's heart pounded, his brain working furiously. The situation had reached a life-or-death moment. Cooperating with Elizabeth, though dangerous, at least offered a glimmer of hope, a chance to rescue Kate and confront Victor. If he refused, they would likely not leave here alive today.

He looked at Michael, who nodded at him, a hint of determination in his eyes—they were brothers, and no matter what decision was made, they would face it together. Franklin also grinned, raising his rifle: "Brother Fan, you call the shots! At worst, we fight!"

Lin Fan took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly firm. He looked at Elizabeth and slowly spoke: "I can cooperate with you, but I have conditions. First, immediately rescue Kate and ensure her safety; second, you cannot harm my brothers or interfere with my forces; third, the 'second home' plan must be formulated with my participation and must not harm anyone in Los Santos."

A glint flashed in Elizabeth's eyes, and she immediately nodded: "No problem! As long as you cooperate with me, I agree to all these conditions!"

"Good, it's a deal!" Lin Fan extended his hand and shook Elizabeth's. As their hands met, Lin Fan could feel that her hand was very cold, like ice.

Just then, the library door was violently crashed open, and a group of soldiers in camouflage burst in. Leading them was the second-in-command of the Snake Fang Gang—Scarface. The knife scar on his face looked particularly ferocious under the lights: "Lin Fan! Didn't expect this, did you? We've teamed up with the military! Today is the day you die!"

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Elizabeth's face darkened, and she barked at her subordinates, "Stop them!"

The agents immediately opened fire, bullets raining down on the soldiers. The soldiers were not to be outdone, firing back one after another. For a moment, gunfire erupted in the library, bullets whistling through the bookshelves, shredding books and sending paper flying everywhere.

"Go! Go through the back door!" Elizabeth grabbed Lin Fan's hand and ran toward the library's back door. Michael and Franklin followed closely, firing as they ran to cover their retreat.

In the chaos, a bullet flew toward Lin Fan. Franklin was quick to react, pushing Lin Fan aside just in time. The bullet grazed Lin Fan's shoulder and hit a nearby bookshelf. "Brother Fan, watch out!"

"Thanks!" Lin Fan felt a surge of warmth. He fired back, hitting the soldier who had shot at him.

The group fought their way out and finally burst through the library's back door. A black business van was parked outside. Elizabeth pulled Lin Fan and the others into the vehicle, and the driver immediately started the engine, speeding toward the outskirts.

As the car left the city, the sound of gunfire faded. Lin Fan leaned against the seat, panting heavily, the graze on his shoulder throbbing with pain. He looked at Elizabeth and said deeply, "Now, can you send someone to rescue Kate?"

Elizabeth nodded, took out her phone, and dialed a number: "According to the plan, rescue Kate and bring her to the villa in the South Suburbs." After hanging up, she looked at Lin Fan, "Don't worry, my people will have her out soon."

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back, and closed his eyes, his mind a mess. Was partnering with Elizabeth right or wrong? He didn't know. But he knew that from this moment on, the situation in Los Santos had become even more complex. The military, the Snake Fang Gang, Elizabeth, and Victor—four powers were now intertwined, and a greater storm was quietly brewing.

Michael sat beside him, watching the scenery blur past the window. He whispered, "Lin Fan, we can't fully trust this Elizabeth. Her ambition is too great; she might turn on us at any moment."

"I know." Lin Fan opened his eyes, looking tired but incredibly determined. "That's why we must increase our strength as quickly as possible. Only by being strong enough can we avoid being controlled by anyone. Besides, I have a feeling there's some connection between Elizabeth and Victor. Their goals both seem related to the code of this world."

Franklin nodded. "Regardless, let's rescue Kate first. Once she's safe, we'll figure out our next move."

The car headed south for about an hour before finally arriving at a villa in the South Suburbs. Hidden in the woods, the environment was quiet and heavily guarded. Several bodyguards in black suits stood at the entrance; seeing the car approach, they immediately bowed respectfully.

They got out and entered the villa. The interior was luxuriously yet understatedly decorated, with a spacious, bright living room and soft, comfortable sofas. Elizabeth invited them to sit and had tea served.

"Rest here for a bit; my people will bring Kate over soon," Elizabeth said. "I have some matters to attend to. Excuse me." With that, she turned and went up to the second floor.

Only the three of them remained in the living room, and the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Franklin took a sip of tea and couldn't help but curse, "This Elizabeth is so mysterious, it's really unsettling."

Michael sighed. "We can only take it one step at a time for now. By the way, Lin Fan, do you want to look at the data you just got?"

Lin Fan nodded, pulled the USB drive from his pocket, and plugged it into his portable tablet. The screen lit up, revealing a detailed file—the full contents of the reaper plan.

The documents detailed the core of the plan: using special instruments to extract the consciousness of beings from the virtual world and inject them into soldiers. This would grant soldiers the abilities of virtual beings while erasing their self-awareness, turning them into killing machines that followed orders implicitly. The key to the plan was finding a Consciousness Adapter—someone like Lin Fan who could travel freely between the virtual and real worlds. Only through an adapter's consciousness could virtual consciousness be extracted stably.

Seeing this, Lin Fan's expression turned grim. This plan was simply inhumane! If implemented, every NPC in Los Santos would have their consciousness harvested, becoming soulless husks, and he would become the military's tool, his consciousness endlessly drained.

"This is terrifying..." Franklin finished reading and couldn't help but gasp. "The military is so cruel. To create super soldiers, they're willing to destroy all of Los Santos!"

Michael's face was also grim. "What's even scarier is that Elizabeth actually worked with the military. She must know every detail of this plan. She talks about building a 'second home,' but maybe she just wants to use consciousness extraction technology in a different way."

Lin Fan remained silent, his finger sliding across the screen. At the end of the data, there was a line of small text: "Core Experimental Base: Los Santos Military Base, Basement Level 3. Person in Charge: Victor."

"What?!" Lin Fan's eyes widened. "Victor is actually the person in charge of the reaper plan?!"

Michael and Franklin leaned in for a look, their faces filled with disbelief. "How is that possible? Isn't Victor the boss of the Snake Fang Gang? How could he be a military man? And in charge of such an important experimental base?"

Images flashed through Lin Fan's mind—Victor's mysterious disappearance, Elizabeth's sudden appearance, the military's intervention. It all connected. Victor wasn't some gang leader at all; he was a military man, the head of the reaper plan! The Snake Fang Gang was just a tool to hide his identity! His previous assassinations and framing were all to capture Lin Fan, get his consciousness, and perfect the reaper plan!

"So that's how it is... I see now!" Lin Fan murmured, his doubts finally resolved. No wonder Victor always knew his movements in advance, no wonder he could mobilize so many resources—he had the military backing him!

Just then, the villa's front door opened, and two bodyguards led a woman inside. It was Kate. Her clothes were a bit disheveled and her face showed signs of exhaustion, but her eyes remained sharp. Seeing Lin Fan and the others, a flash of joy crossed her eyes: "Lin Fan! Are you guys okay?"

"Kate! I'm glad you're safe!" Lin Fan immediately stood up, walked over quickly, and untied her.

Kate rubbed her wrists and said solemnly, "I'm fine. I was captured by the military, but luckily Elizabeth's people rescued me. By the way, did you get the data on the reaper plan?"

"We got it, and we discovered a shocking secret—Victor is the head of the reaper plan!" Lin Fan said gravely, handing the tablet to Kate.

Kate took the tablet and scanned the data quickly. When she saw the last line, her face changed drastically. "What? Victor is a military man? This is unbelievable! I've been investigating him for so long and always thought he was just a common gang leader. I didn't expect his identity to be so complex!"

"It seems Victor had his eyes on me from the very beginning." Lin Fan's gaze turned cold. "He framed me and made me a five-star wanted level criminal just to back me into a corner, so he could capture me and take my consciousness to perfect his reaper plan."

"And Elizabeth," Kate frowned. "She's not simple either. She rescued me and partnered with you; she must have her own motives. I've heard that New Era Technology's core tech is very similar to the military's consciousness extraction tech. She might be researching consciousness-related things too."

While they were discussing, Elizabeth came down from the second floor holding a document, her face grave. "This is bad. Victor's side is making a move. He's activated the lockdown procedure for the core area and triggered Data Collapse in several parts of Los Santos. Many NPCs are already starting to show abnormalities."

"Data Collapse?" Lin Fan's heart tightened. "What is Data Collapse?"

"It's when the virtual world's code becomes corrupted. NPCs lose their minds, go insane, and even attack humans," Elizabeth explained urgently. "And Data Collapse will continue to spread. If it's not stopped in time, all of Los Santos will completely collapse!"

"Why would Victor do this?" Franklin asked.

"Because he wants to destroy the reaper plan and use Data Collapse to control Los Santos," Elizabeth explained. "He was originally the head of the reaper plan, but he had a falling out with the military. He wanted the consciousness extraction technology for himself, so he wants to destroy the current experimental base and start over."

Lin Fan's gaze became incredibly firm. "No, we can't let him succeed! If Los Santos collapses, we'll all die here!"

"Exactly!" Kate nodded. "And the reaper plan must be stopped. We can't let the military and Victor's conspiracy succeed!"

Elizabeth looked at them, a smile touching the corners of her mouth. "It seems our goals are aligned. In that case, let's join forces! I know where Victor's Core Experimental Base is, and I know how to stop the Data Collapse, but I need your help."

"Fine! Let's join forces!" Lin Fan reached out. Michael, Franklin, and Kate also reached out, their four hands gripping tightly together.

At this moment, the struggle between the four powers officially began. Lin Fan knew that a battle for the survival of Los Santos was imminent. He had to give it his all, not only to stop Victor and the military's conspiracy but also to protect this world he had grown familiar with and the brothers by his side.

The night grew darker, and the wind in the woods whistled through the villa's windows as if foretelling the coming storm. Lin Fan stood by the window, looking toward Los Santos in the distance, his eyes filled with determination. His adventure was only just beginning. No matter how much danger lay ahead, he would not back down.

Because he was Lin Fan, a wanted criminal who had traveled into GTA 5, and more importantly, the Guardian of this world!

In the days to come, they will build a true Resistance to fight Victor's Digital Legion, expose the military's conspiracy, and stop Elizabeth's ambition. The fate of Los Santos will be in their hands!