51: Chapter 51 Uniforms and Vulnerabilities

In a deserted alley on the outskirts of the Central Railway Station, the twilight stretched their shadows long. Lin Fan held two sets of military uniforms sent by AKai, pinching the waistband and tugging. His mouth twitched violently—the pants were ridiculously short. For his six-foot frame, the hems barely reached his ankles, exposing a gap of skin and dusty sneakers, making him look like a teenager who had stolen an elder's clothes.

"That brat AKai, couldn't he find two sets that actually fit?" Lin Fan hopped in place while pulling at the pant legs. The waistband kept sliding down, forcing him to hold it up with one hand to avoid exposing his waistline. "If we try to sneak in like this, they won't even need to check us. They'll arrest us as spies just based on these pants."

Elizabeth stood to the side, holding an officer's cap. Once she put it on, the brim covered half her face, obstructing her vision. She raised a hand to push the hat up, but it tilted to the side, revealing stray hairs on her forehead. Her usual capable and cold aura shattered instantly. She looked down at her uniform jacket; the shoulders were wide enough to fit two of her. When she raised her arms, the sleeves swayed like she was wearing a sack.

"Stop complaining. We're lucky to get military uniforms at all." Elizabeth's voice was muffled inside the hat, carrying a hint of helpless raspiness. She reached out to help Lin Fan tug at his ridiculously short pant legs. "If it really doesn't work, just roll the cuffs up twice and say exposed ankles are the trend this year."

"The trend? Big sister, this is a military outpost, not Fashion Week!" Lin Fan rolled his eyes but obediently rolled the cuffs twice. The result was even more ridiculous; the fabric bunched up around his ankles like two donuts. "Look, I look even more like a circus clown now."

As the two were fussing, AKai's muffled voice, accompanied by the sound of him sucking on a lollipop, came through the earpieces: "Brother Fan, Sister Kate, just make do. I stripped these two sets off patrol guards—one was five-foot-three, the other was six-foot-three. You guys are the only ones who could even squeeze into them. Besides, the more ridiculous you look, the less likely you are to be suspected. Who would imagine the leaders of a resistance organization would sneak in wearing such ill-fitting uniforms!"

"So you did this on purpose?" Lin Fan ground his teeth at the earpiece. "When I get back, I'm definitely confiscating all your snacks!"

"No, no, no, Brother Fan! I was wrong!" AKai immediately folded, his tone turning flattering. "I'm remotely adjusting the surveillance for you now. The guards at the East Entrance of the station are the most lax—all green recruits. Enter from there, and I'll help you mask the camera feeds. It's guaranteed to be foolproof! Oh, by the way, there's a sausage stand next to the East Entrance. Those sausages smell amazing. If you have time—"

"Shut up! Focus on the job!" Elizabeth interrupted coldly, pushing her tilted hat up again so she could finally see the road ahead. "Let's go, don't dawdle. The auction starts in an hour."

Lin Fan nodded and, holding his waistband with one hand, followed Elizabeth toward the station's East Entrance. The two limped along—one with short pants, the other with a baggy jacket. Combined with the serious expressions they were forcing, they looked awkward no matter how you sliced it. Even the stray cats they passed stopped to stare at them for a long time, as if observing two strange creatures.

"Remember, we are logistics officers here for an inspection. Speak little, observe much. If questioned, say we're checking security on Colonel Zhang's orders," Elizabeth whispered a reminder. She deliberately slowed her pace; combined with the oversized uniform, she walked like a penguin learning to waddle.

"Don't worry, acting is what I'm best at. Back in Los Santos, I've posed as a beggar to scan money, a rich guy to flirt, and a cop to sneak into a precinct to steal files. There's nothing I can't play," Lin Fan boasted, patting his chest. Just as he finished, he tripped—his waistband was so loose his pants almost fell down. He hurriedly yanked them up, his face flushing red.

Elizabeth turned her face away, her shoulders trembling as she suppressed her laughter.

The East Entrance was exactly as AKai described. The guards were all recruits in their early twenties, holding rifles but with vacant gazes, occasionally whispering to one another. Seeing Lin Fan and Elizabeth approach, a round-faced recruit immediately stood at attention and saluted. His eyes landed on their ill-fitting uniforms; he froze for a moment, unable to stop himself from taking a second look.

"Good day, Sir!" The round-faced recruit's voice was loud. His gaze lingered on Lin Fan's rolled-up ankles for two seconds before quickly shifting to Elizabeth's tilted hat. A secret smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Lin Fan immediately put on a stern face, mimicking a military officer. He scowled and barked, "What's the panic? We are here on Colonel Zhang's orders to inspect the security of the East Entrance. Look sharp!" He deliberately lowered his voice to sound authoritative, but the hand clutching his waistband betrayed his embarrassment. As soon as he finished speaking, the waist slipped again, and he subtly pulled it back up.

"Yes, Sir!" the recruits responded in unison, but the amusement in their eyes only grew. Another tall recruit couldn't help but ask, "Sir, those pants... aren't they a bit short? Should I go find a pair that fits you?"

Lin Fan's heart tightened, but he didn't panic. Instead, he glared at the tall recruit, his tone becoming even harsher. "Impudence! These are specially approved combat trousers for ease of movement, do you understand? Stop asking about things that don't concern you!" As he spoke, he deliberately took a large stride forward. However, the step was too big, and the cuff snapped open. The rolled-up 'donuts' unraveled, exposing his ankles.

The recruits' shoulders shook as they fought back laughter, but no one dared speak again. Elizabeth stepped in to smooth things over, pushing her hat up to reveal sharp eyes. "Don't waste time. Take us to inspect the surveillance equipment. If anything goes wrong, can you handle the consequences?"

Her aura was too powerful; the recruits immediately wiped the smiles from their faces and bowed subserviently, leading the two toward the security room by the entrance. Passing the sausage stand, Lin Fan caught the aroma, and his stomach gave an uncooperative growl. He stole a glance at the stand and swallowed. AKai's teasing immediately came through the earpiece: "Brother Fan, craving sausages? I told you they smell amazing. Why not buy a couple? Just say you're getting a snack for the boys!"

"Shut up! One more word and your snacks are gone!" Lin Fan threatened quietly into the mic, though his feet couldn't help but shuffle toward the stand.

"Sir, would you like some sausages? I'll go buy them for you!" The round-faced recruit was sharp-eyed and spoke up enthusiastically.

"No need, no need!" Lin Fan waved him off, forcing a calm demeanor. "We are on duty, no time for such things." But his stomach growled again, quite loudly this time. The recruits couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

Elizabeth held her forehead, feeling her temples throb. For the first time, she felt that a mission was genuinely embarrassing. She hurriedly tugged Lin Fan's arm, urging, "Let's go. We have other places to be after the inspection."

As Lin Fan was dragged away, he didn't forget to look back at the sausage stand, silently vowing to eat ten of them once the mission was over.

Inside the security room, only an old technician was on duty. Seeing the two enter, he pushed up his reading glasses and scrutinized their uniforms suspiciously. "Who are you two officers? I haven't seen you before."

"On Colonel Zhang's orders to inspect the surveillance. Security has been upgraded at the station; there can be no mistakes." Elizabeth produced the forged ID they had prepared and handed it over, her sharp gaze fixed on the technician. "What? Are you questioning our identity?"

The old technician took the ID, squinting at it for a long time before looking back at them. He hesitated. "Didn't Colonel Zhang say this morning that Major Li would be doing the inspection? Why was it changed to you?"

Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat. This was bad—AKai hadn't mentioned this! His mind raced, and he immediately stepped forward, clapping the technician on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "Old brother, you don't get it, do you? Major Li had a last-minute assignment, so we were swapped in. We just follow orders from above; don't ask so many questions." As he spoke, he secretly used code energy to interfere with the technician's vision. The old man's sight blurred, making the text on the ID illegible.

"Oh... oh right. Follow orders, follow orders." The technician shook his head, handed the ID back to Elizabeth, and stood up to give them his seat. "The monitors are all here. Look as you please. I'll go get you some water."

"Don't bother, we can manage." Elizabeth immediately walked to the screens, quickly scanning the feeds for the auction entrance and the location of the quantum server. Lin Fan leaned into his mic and whispered to AKai, "Are you competent or not? You didn't even find out Major Li was supposed to be inspecting. We almost blew it!"

"My bad, my bad!" AKai's voice was apologetic. "Military internal info updates too fast. I'm checking Major Li's whereabouts now. He's currently inspecting the West Entrance—don't run into him! By the way, the auction is in the ballroom on the top floor. The quantum server is on Basement Level 3, heavily guarded by elite units."

"Got it. Stop talking and mask the feeds for the top floor and B3. Give us a ten-minute window," Lin Fan said. Simultaneously, he brushed his hand over the surveillance console. Faint blue code energy surged in, and the images on the screen stabilized. He could clearly see many people arriving in the ballroom, dressed in various outfits—military personnel, New Era Technology executives, and some unidentified mysterious figures.

"Done!" AKai's voice was excited. "The cameras are masked. Proceed with confidence! Oh, Brother Fan, the owner of that sausage stand is my distant cousin. I've talked to him; when you come out, he'll have ten sausages waiting for you at half price!"

Lin Fan's eyes lit up. He was about to speak when he heard footsteps at the security room door. The round-faced recruit's voice rang out: "Sir, Major Li is here!"

Their expressions changed instantly. Elizabeth shut off the monitors while Lin Fan quickly retracted the code energy. He pulled Elizabeth toward the storage room at the back of the security room. The storage room was piled with junk and thick with dust. They squeezed into a corner, not daring to breathe.

Major Li's voice echoed in the security room, carrying an air of authority. "Where are the logistics officers? Colonel Zhang said they were coming to coordinate with me."

"They... they were just here. I don't know where they went," the old technician's voice sounded flustered.

"Useless! You can't even keep track of people!" Major Li barked. "There are many suspicious individuals hiding in the station. If anything goes wrong, you'll all be punished! Go find them!"

Footsteps drew closer. Lin Fan and Elizabeth held their breath. Elizabeth's hat slipped again, covering her eyes. As she reached up to push it, she accidentally knocked over a nearby tin box. The 'clatter' was exceptionally piercing in the silent storage room.

"Who's in there?" Major Li's voice became instantly alert. The footsteps headed toward the storage room.

Lin Fan panicked, then had a sudden brainwave. He signaled to Elizabeth, took a deep breath, and shouted in the tone of a circus clown, "Surprise!" He slammed the storage room door open, clutching two tin boxes. He spun in place, juggling the boxes with incredible speed. "Major Li, we're here to perform acrobatics for you!"

Major Li froze, staring at the tin boxes flying through Lin Fan's hands, then at his ill-fitting short pants. He looked utterly bewildered. The nearby recruits were also stunned; they hadn't expected this 'Short-Pants Officer' to know acrobatics.

Elizabeth was also stunned. She hadn't expected Lin Fan to pull such a stunt. It took her a few seconds to react before she immediately played along. "Major Li, we were ordered by Colonel Zhang to liven up the atmosphere. Security pressure has been high lately; the brothers have been working hard."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Lin Fan seized the moment to toss the tin box into the air, catching it and performing a flourish. He muttered, "Watch closely! This is called the Universe Shift!" His movements were fluid and practiced—back when he was hustling in Los Santos, he had learned plenty of circus tricks from street performers to scam people out of money.

The recruits watched, dumbfounded, and began to applaud, the tension instantly dissipating. Major Li frowned, his expression still stern, but seeing Lin Fan's circus act, he couldn't help but exhale in relief. He assumed it was something Colonel Zhang had deliberately arranged and snorted, "Nonsense! What time do you think it is to be doing this? Get to your mission immediately!"

"Yes! Mission guaranteed!" Lin Fan immediately put away the tin box, saluted Major Li, and took the opportunity to pull Sister Kate outside. Passing by the recruits, the round-faced recruit whispered, "Sir, your circus act is really good, even better than the ones in the circus!"

"That's only natural!" Lin Fan proudly tilted his chin up, almost forgetting he was still holding up his pants. His waistband slipped down again, and he hurriedly pulled it up, causing the recruits to burst into laughter again.

The two walked quickly out of the monitoring room and only breathed a sigh of relief once they turned the corner in the corridor. Sister Kate looked at Lin Fan and shook her head helplessly: "You were crazy just now, actually doing a circus act?"

"What else could I do? We couldn't get caught, right?" Lin Fan shrugged, looking proud, "See? We got away with it, didn't we? Besides, I didn't practice these tricks for nothing; they can save lives when it matters."

AKai's laughter came through the earpiece: "Brother Fan, you're awesome! You actually got away with it by doing circus tricks. I recorded it, I'll send it to the brothers later, it's guaranteed to make everyone laugh!"

"You dare record it? See if I don't smash your computer when I get back!" Lin Fan threatened into the earpiece, though the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

The two walked along the corridor, heading toward the top-floor banquet hall as guided by AKai. Along the way, they encountered many military soldiers and people from New Era Technology. Lin Fan and Sister Kate deliberately lowered their hat brims, and Lin Fan kept holding up his waistband the whole time, trying his best to look serious. But every time someone looked at them twice, Lin Fan would subconsciously do a little move—either spinning around or raising his hand to make a circus gesture, scaring the other person into looking away, thinking they had encountered a weirdo.

"Stop doing those little tricks. If you keep going like this, we'll expose ourselves before anyone even checks us." Sister Kate whispered a reminder. She noticed that ever since Lin Fan finished his circus act, his confidence had exploded, and his little tricks were becoming more frequent.

"Got it, got it." Lin Fan restrained himself quite a bit, but his waistband was still disobedient, slipping down every so often. He could only pull it up every few steps, looking just like a marionette.

When they reached the elevator, they were about to enter when they heard an argument behind them. Turning around, they saw two officers arguing. One was wearing a colonel's uniform, with a fleshy face—it was Colonel Zhang; the other was wearing a major's uniform, with a resolute face—it must be Major Li. The two were arguing until their faces were red, and the surrounding soldiers didn't dare to step forward to stop them.

"Colonel Zhang, you've gone too far! New Era Technology started the consciousness harvesting without authorization and has already killed thousands of people. And you still want to cooperate with them?" Major Li's voice was filled with anger as he pointed at Colonel Zhang's nose and scolded, "This is aiding and abetting!"

"Major Li, what do you know?" Colonel Zhang snorted, his tone disdainful, "Consciousness harvesting is the necessary path to achieve digital evolution. Lady Elizabeth said that as long as evolution is completed, humanity can cast off the shackles of the flesh and become a higher form of life! We are cooperating with New Era Technology now for the sake of humanity's future!"

"Future? Is a future bought with the lives of countless people really a future?" Major Li was shaking with anger, "You've been brainwashed by Elizabeth! She doesn't want to help humanity evolve at all; she wants to turn everyone into her puppets! I have already reported to my superiors, and someone will come to investigate you soon!"

"Investigate me? Do you think you'll live to see your superiors?" Colonel Zhang's eyes turned vicious, "My people are everywhere in the Central Railway Station. You won't be leaving here today!"

The two argued more and more fiercely, and it looked like they were about to fight. The surrounding soldiers looked at each other, none daring to step forward. Lin Fan and Sister Kate hid at the elevator entrance, holding their breath, listening carefully to their argument, their hearts churning with shock.

"I didn't expect such deep internal conflict in the military. Colonel Zhang is Elizabeth's person, and Major Li is a conservative." Sister Kate whispered, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, "This is an opportunity for us; perhaps we can win over Major Li."

"Win him over? Let's see how things play out first. Whether Major Li can survive today is still uncertain." Lin Fan replied in a low voice, his gaze falling on Colonel Zhang. He could feel a faint black code energy on him—it was the same source as Elizabeth's energy. It seemed Colonel Zhang had already had part of his consciousness controlled by Elizabeth.

AKai's voice came through the earpiece: "Brother Fan, Sister Kate, this Colonel Zhang really has problems. I found out he's colluding with New Era Technology in private, embezzling a large amount of military funds to buy Brain-Computer Interface equipment. And he's also helped Elizabeth capture quite a few people with digital anomalies to use for consciousness harvesting experiments."

"That bastard!" Lin Fan gritted his teeth. He had seen too many people like this in Los Santos who would stop at nothing for power. He hadn't expected there to be so many scumbags in the real world too.

Just then, Colonel Zhang suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed it at Major Li: "Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Major Li's expression changed, and he also pulled out a gun, aiming it at Colonel Zhang: "You dare to shoot? With so many people watching here, if you kill me, don't even think about getting away!"

"If I kill you, I'll just say you were a mole for the resistance organization. Who wouldn't believe it?" Colonel Zhang sneered and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out. Lin Fan subconsciously shielded Sister Kate with his body while channeling his code energy to form an invisible barrier in front of Major Li. The bullet hit the barrier, instantly deflected, and struck the wall nearby.

Everyone was stunned, and Colonel Zhang was also confused. He had clearly aimed at Major Li; how could he have missed? Major Li realized what happened and immediately fired back. The bullet hit Colonel Zhang's shoulder. Colonel Zhang screamed and staggered back a few steps.

"Catch him!" Major Li shouted. The surrounding soldiers reacted immediately and pulled out their guns, aiming at Colonel Zhang.

Colonel Zhang's face turned pale, knowing that the situation was lost. He glared viciously at Major Li, then suddenly pressed a button on his wrist, shouting: "If I can't have it, no one can! The quantum server is about to start, and everyone is going to die!"

After saying this, he turned and ran toward the elevator, trying to escape. Lin Fan's eyes sharpened, and he immediately chased after him: "Don't even think about running!" While running, he channeled his code energy, condensed pale blue light points in his palm, and shot them toward Colonel Zhang's back.

The light points hit Colonel Zhang's back, his body stiffened, and his steps halted. Lin Fan seized the opportunity to rush up and kick him in the knee. Colonel Zhang fell to his knees with a "thud." Lin Fan twisted his arm behind his back and pressed him down hard. His short pants slipped down again, but he couldn't care about pulling them up and asked sharply: "What exactly is the quantum server? What does Elizabeth want to use it for?"

Colonel Zhang winced in pain but wore a hideous grin: "You'll never know! After the quantum server starts, it will release a powerful consciousness wave that can instantly harvest the consciousness of everyone in the Central Railway Station and offer it to Lady Elizabeth! You're all going to die! Hahaha!"

"Madman!" Lin Fan roared, increasing the force in his hands. Colonel Zhang screamed repeatedly.

Major Li walked over quickly, looking at Colonel Zhang with icy eyes: "Take him down and guard him strictly! Also, immediately send people to the third basement level to stop the quantum server from starting!"

The soldiers immediately stepped forward and took Colonel Zhang away. Major Li turned to look at Lin Fan and Sister Kate, his eyes full of confusion: "You saved me just now? Who exactly are you?"

Sister Kate took off her hat, revealing her pretty face, her eyes sharp: "We are from the resistance organization, specifically here to stop the conspiracy of Elizabeth and New Era Technology. Major Li, since you oppose consciousness harvesting, why not cooperate with us to stop the quantum server from starting and save everyone."

Major Li was stunned for a moment, looking at their ill-fitting uniforms, and then looking at Lin Fan's short pants that were still sliding down. He suddenly understood something, and a smile hooked at the corner of his mouth: "So you are the officer who was doing circus tricks earlier and the 'sack' officer. Fine, I will cooperate with you! The third basement level is heavily guarded, all by Colonel Zhang's cronies. I will take you there, and on the way, I'll explain the situation of the quantum server in detail."

Lin Fan and Sister Kate looked at each other, seeing surprise in each other's eyes—they didn't expect it to be so easy to win over Major Li. It seemed that the internal conflict in the military was indeed their breakthrough point.

"Great! Major Li, take us to the third basement level quickly!" Lin Fan said, casually pulling up his waistband which was about to fall off, causing Major Li to chuckle again.

The three walked quickly toward the elevator, and AKai's voice rang in the earpiece: "Brother Fan, you guys are awesome! You won over Major Li without any effort. This will be easy now! By the way, the sausage stall owner is urging you, saying the sausages are getting cold!"

"Shut up! Handle the real business first, we'll talk about the sausages later!" Lin Fan rolled his eyes at the earpiece, though he was thinking about those ten half-price sausages.

The elevator descended slowly, and Major Li began to introduce the situation of the quantum server to the two: "The quantum server was developed by New Era Technology. It can store and release powerful consciousness waves. Elizabeth wants to use it to harvest human consciousness to complete her own program and achieve digital immortality. Colonel Zhang hid the server on the third basement level and also set up multiple passwords and defense systems. To stop it from starting, we must get Colonel Zhang's key and also crack the core program."

"Is the key on Colonel Zhang?" Sister Kate asked.

"It should be, but Colonel Zhang definitely won't hand it over easily." Major Li said, "And there are quite a few Digital Ghosts guarding the third basement level, all sent by Elizabeth. They are very hard to deal with."

"Digital Ghosts?" Lin Fan's eyes sharpened, remembering the Snake Fang Gang members he encountered earlier, "This little thing can't stump me. In Los Santos, I've killed at least eighty or a hundred Digital Ghosts."

The elevator stopped at the third basement level. As soon as the door opened, there was a heavy metallic smell. The corridor was brightly lit, with a surveillance camera every few meters. Two soldiers in black combat uniforms stood at the door—they were Colonel Zhang's cronies. Seeing the three approach, they immediately raised their guns and shouted sharply: "Stop! Who are you? Without Colonel Zhang's orders, you are not allowed to enter!"

"Colonel Zhang has been captured, and now this place is under my command!" Major Li took out his military ID and said sharply, "Move aside immediately, or you will be treated as mutineers!"

The two soldiers looked at each other, hesitation in their eyes, clearly not believing it. Lin Fan seized the opportunity to channel his code energy, condensed pale blue light points in his palm, and waved them at the two soldiers' guns. The guns instantly jammed and could not fire.

"What are you still standing there for? If you don't move aside, don't blame us for being impolite!" Lin Fan scolded sharply, deliberately taking big strides forward. His pant leg burst open again, revealing half of his ankle, but at this moment, his aura was powerful, and no one dared to mock his short pants anymore.

The two soldiers were scared pale, knowing they had encountered a tough opponent, and hurriedly cleared the way. The three walked quickly into the corridor. Along the way, they encountered many of Colonel Zhang's cronies, all of whom were intimidated by Major Li's military ID. Lin Fan, from time to time, used code energy to interfere with their weapons, arriving at the entrance of the control room where the quantum server was located without any obstruction.

There were four elite soldiers guarding the entrance to the control room, holding automatic rifles with vigilant eyes. Seeing the three of them approaching, they immediately opened fire.

Lin Fan was well prepared; he channeled his code energy to form a blue barrier. The bullets hit the barrier and instantly ricocheted back, striking the wall beside them.

"Charge in!" Lin Fan shouted, rushing forward first. The code energy in his palm condensed into fine needles, shooting toward the knees of the four soldiers. The soldiers let out screams and fell to their knees.

Kate and Major Li followed closely behind, quickly charging into the control room.

Inside the control room, a giant black server stood in the center. Red code flashed on the screen, displaying the countdown for the quantum server's startup—thirty minutes remaining!

Five New Era Technology engineers stood nearby, typing rapidly on their keyboards. Seeing the three enter, they immediately pressed the alarm button, and a piercing siren echoed throughout the third basement level.

"Don't even think about starting the server!" Lin Fan shouted, rushing forward and striking out with his palm at the engineers. The blue code energy instantly surrounded them, causing the engineers to stiffen and become unable to move.

Major Li immediately rushed to the server and looked at the countdown on the screen with a grave expression: "There are three layers of password locks. They require Colonel Zhang's key to unlock. I'll try to crack them, but it will take time."

"We have thirty minutes, that's enough!" Kate said, turning to guard the entrance to prevent the soldiers outside from coming in.

Lin Fan walked to the server and looked at the red code on the screen. He condensed pale blue energy at his fingertips and gently touched the screen, causing the code to instantly become active.

He could feel that the quantum server contained powerful consciousness energy, which was homologous to Elizabeth's energy. Furthermore, there were many human consciousness fragments remaining inside, all of whom were victims who had been harvested.

"There are many consciousness fragments in this server, all from innocent people." Lin Fan's eyes were cold. "That lunatic Elizabeth is actually using the consciousness of so many people to strengthen her own power."

"Don't get distracted, help me crack the password!" Major Li said, his fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard. The password locks on the screen unfolded layer by layer, appearing incredibly complex.

Lin Fan nodded and channeled his code energy, merging it into the password lock program. His code energy resonated with the server's program; the red code on the screen gradually turned blue, and the cracking speed of the password locks accelerated.

AKai's voice came through the earpiece: "Brother Fan, come on! I'll help you interfere with the server's defense program; let's try to crack it within twenty minutes! By the way, the roasted sausages are almost cold. The boss said if you don't come get them soon, he's going to sell them to someone else!"

"What time do you think it is, and you're still thinking about roasted sausages!" Lin Fan roared into the earpiece, but his finger movements did not slow down. Code energy poured into the server continuously, and the first layer of the password lock was successfully cracked!

"Great! Two more layers to go!" Major Li said excitedly, his fingers typing on the keyboard even faster.

Just then, the door of the control room was blown open, and over a dozen soldiers in black combat suits rushed in. Leading them was a Digital Ghost, none other than the Snake Fang Gang leader whom Lin Fan had previously defeated!

His body was composed of black code, his eyes glowing with green light, and he wore a sinister grin: "Lin Fan, I didn't expect you to come here! Lady Elizabeth anticipated this long ago and sent me to take care of you!"

"It's you, the loser again!" Lin Fan sneered, condensing powerful blue energy in his palm. "I didn't completely destroy you last time, but this time I'll make you vanish into thin air!"

He lunged forward and engaged the Snake Fang Gang leader in close combat. Blue code energy and black code energy collided, emitting a blinding light. The equipment in the control room hummed from the vibrations, and the countdown on the screen accelerated again—twenty-five minutes remaining!

"Kate, hold them off!" Lin Fan shouted, while grappling with the Snake Fang Gang leader and using code energy to interfere with the soldiers rushing in.

Kate nodded, drew the pistol from her waist, and fired with precision. Soldiers fell one after another, but a continuous stream of soldiers kept rushing in.

Major Li focused on cracking the password, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. The second layer of the password lock was successfully cracked! Only the final layer remained, but this layer's password was the most complex and required Colonel Zhang's key to unlock.

"Without the key, I can't crack it!" Major Li said with a grave expression. "We must get Colonel Zhang's key!"

"I'll go get it!" Kate said, turning to leave, but she was tripped and fell to the ground after her ankle was ensnared by black code lashed out by the Snake Fang Gang leader.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" The Snake Fang Gang leader sneered, raising his hand to shoot a beam of black code at Kate.

"Watch out!" Lin Fan shouted, rushing over to push Kate aside. The beam struck his shoulder. Lin Fan groaned in pain as his clothes at the shoulder were scorched, revealing pale blue code patterns underneath—his body was digitizing, and the wound was healing at a visible rate.

"So you really are a Digital Esper!" The Snake Fang Gang leader's eyes were filled with greed. "As long as I offer your consciousness to Lady Elizabeth, she will surely reward me!"

He lunged forward, trying to grab Lin Fan. Lin Fan's eyes hardened, and the code energy within him erupted completely. He condensed a giant blue light sphere in his palm and smashed it fiercely at the Snake Fang Gang leader: "Get lost!"

The blue light sphere struck the Snake Fang Gang leader's chest. He let out a shrill scream, his body instantly exploding and turning into countless black code fragments. The surrounding soldiers were terrified and dared not advance any further.

Lin Fan panted, his shoulder wound already healed. He looked at Major Li: "How long until you can crack it? I'm going to get the key!"

"Ten minutes at most! Go and come back quickly!" Major Li said.

Lin Fan nodded, turned, and ran out. As he ran, he spoke into his earpiece: "AKai, locate where Colonel Zhang is being held. I'm going to get the key!"

"Received! Colonel Zhang is being held in the interrogation room on the first basement level. There aren't many guards. I'll help you jam the surveillance!" AKai's voice rang out. "Brother Fan, you'd better hurry, the roasted sausages are really going to get cold!"

Lin Fan sprinted all the way. As expected, there were few guards on the first basement level, whom he easily dispatched with code energy before rushing into the interrogation room. Colonel Zhang was handcuffed to a chair. Seeing Lin Fan enter, he sneered: "Don't think you'll get the key. Even if you do, you can't stop Lady Elizabeth's plan! She has already evolved into a Digital Deity; no one can defeat her!"

"Too much talk!" Lin Fan stepped forward and gripped Colonel Zhang's wrist, pouring code energy into it. Colonel Zhang screamed in pain, and the key on his wrist automatically popped open, falling into Lin Fan's hands.

"Thanks!" Lin Fan sneered, turned, and ran. Colonel Zhang cursed wildly behind him, but was powerless to do anything.

Lin Fan, holding the key, sprinted back to the control room. Seeing the key, Major Li was overjoyed: "Great! Give it to me quickly!"

Lin Fan handed the key to Major Li, who immediately inserted it into the server's interface. The final layer of the password lock was successfully cracked! The countdown on the screen stopped, the red code gradually turned green, and the quantum server's startup program was completely terminated!

"We did it! We successfully stopped the server from starting!" Major Li shouted excitedly. Everyone in the control room breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces.

Kate walked over to Lin Fan, looking at the wound on his shoulder with worry in her eyes: "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a small wound." Lin Fan smiled, raising his hand to touch his shoulder. The code patterns had disappeared, and the wound had completely healed. "Now that the quantum server has been stopped and Elizabeth's plan has been thwarted, we are safe for the time being."

AKai's cheers came through the earpiece: "Awesome! You guys are amazing, Brother Fan! The roasted sausage stall owner said he saved the sausages for you. Come out and eat quickly, if you don't eat them now, they'll really be cold!"

Lin Fan's stomach growled uncooperatively again. He smiled and said to Kate and Major Li: "Let's go, I'll treat you to roasted sausages. AKai said they're half price, and he saved ten for us!"

Major Li was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Sure, I'm just hungry. Let me taste just how delicious these sausages at the railway station are."

The three walked out of the control room. The soldiers on the third basement level were cheering, and seeing them approach, they saluted one after another. Lin Fan pulled up his still-ill-fitting short pants, feeling exceptionally relaxed—not only did he stop the quantum server from starting and win over Major Li, but he also got to eat the long-awaited roasted sausages. It was a total victory.

Walking to the roasted sausage stall at the east entrance, the round-faced recruit was helping roast the sausages. Seeing Lin Fan and the others approach, he greeted them enthusiastically: "Officers, you're finally here! The boss specifically saved ten roasted sausages for you; they're freshly roasted and still hot!"

Lin Fan took the roasted sausage and took a bite. The aroma of the meat overflowed, filling his mouth with juices, and he couldn't help but praise: "So delicious! It lives up to AKai's recommendation; it really is as good as they say!"

Kate and Major Li also each took one and tasted it, both nodding in praise. The surrounding soldiers watched them eating with such relish that they also started taking out money to buy roasted sausages, and a long queue instantly formed in front of the stall.

As the sun set, the golden afterglow cast upon the Central Railway Station, coating the building full of conspiracies in a warm light. Lin Fan chewed on his roasted sausage, looking at Kate and Major Li beside him, and thought of Franklin and Michael in the virtual world. He secretly vowed in his heart: I must open the cross-world portal as soon as possible, rescue them, and then completely defeat Elizabeth to let both the real and virtual worlds return to peace.

Just then, a pale blue light suddenly emanated from Lin Fan's palm, resonating with the blue code fragment in his pocket. A line of code flashed on the fragment, which was Franklin's consciousness fluctuation: "Brother Fan, we discovered Elizabeth's lair in New Los Santos. She is building an even larger quantum server and wants to harvest the consciousness of all of New Los Santos!"

Lin Fan's expression changed. Just as he was about to reply, the light of the code fragment dimmed. He gripped the fragment tightly, his eyes becoming grave—Elizabeth had indeed not given up; she was brewing an even greater conspiracy in New Los Santos.

"What's wrong?" Kate noticed his abnormality and asked quickly.

"Elizabeth has built an even larger quantum server in New Los Santos and wants to harvest the consciousness there." Lin Fan said in a deep voice, "We must open the cross-world portal as soon as possible to stop her, otherwise Franklin and the others will be in danger."

Major Li nodded, his eyes firm: "I will mobilize the military's power to help you build the portal. Whether it's the real world or the virtual world, we must fight against Elizabeth together!"

Lin Fan looked at Major Li, then looked at Kate beside him, his heart filled with strength. He knew the road ahead would be even harder to travel; Elizabeth's power was growing stronger, and there was also the mysterious dark web sender "Zero" lurking, but he was no longer fighting alone—with Kate's help, Major Li's support, the brothers in the resistance organization, and his partners waiting in the virtual world, he would definitely be able to defeat Elizabeth and protect both worlds.

Lin Fan took a big bite of the roasted sausage, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, looking toward the distant skyline. The war of the second volume had begun, and he was ready.