54: Chapter 54 The Truth Underground

The cold scraping of metal echoed within the narrow ventilation ducts. Lin Fan was half-bent, his fingertips pressed against the icy alloy wall of the pipe. code energy thrummed beneath his touch like a lurking serpent. Kate followed closely behind him; although her tactical boots were wrapped in non-slip tape, she still made a faint scuffing sound at a corner. Lin Fan turned back instantly, his index finger pressed to his lips, his eyes conveying a warning tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Earlier, relying on the security permissions Lin Fan had cracked, the two had bypassed three infrared alarms and two squads of special forces on the third basement level of the FIB Building, crawling into this ventilation duct leading to the server core. The duct was filled with a faint scent of ozone and the smell of rusting metal. The exhaust fan overhead turned listlessly, stirring up accumulated dust that made Kate rub her eyes. She cursed under her breath, "This damn place is filthier than Trevor's drug den. Has FIB logistics just collectively given up?"

Lin Fan didn't respond, his focus entirely on the duct's exit ahead. His code energy was currently spreading out like radar; through the alloy walls, he could clearly perceive the massive data streams surging in the space beyond—not the electronic pulses of an ordinary server, but a high-frequency, almost violent energy fluctuation, like a sleeping giant breathing slowly deep underground.

"We're almost there," Lin Fan's voice was extremely low, and the code energy at his fingertips suddenly flared with a faint blue light. "The vent for the core server room is just ahead. I can feel it; what's down there isn't simple."

Hearing this, Kate immediately unslung the assault rifle from her back, checked the magazine, and clipped a tactical flashlight to her shoulder, adjusting the beam to its dimmest diffused mode. "Don't worry, even if there's a bunch of lunatics with rocket launchers down there, I can hold them off until you finish cracking the code. But honestly, is that energy of yours reliable? Don't activate the path only to blow up the entire FIB system; we'd be finished if that happens."

Lin Fan rolled his eyes, but he knew Kate's concern wasn't misplaced. Since transmigrating into this world of GTA 5, his code energy had been like a legendary blade without a safety—it was incredibly useful for cracking any electronic system or activating any encrypted path, but it occasionally triggered bizarre accidents due to energy fluctuations. For instance, last time at Los Santos International Airport, he had only wanted to crack a luggage locker, but ended up turning every flight information screen in the airport into Peppa Pig animations, nearly getting them surrounded by airport security as terrorists.

"Relax, I'm steady as a rock this time," Lin Fan patted his chest, the code energy in his palm condensing into a small blue orb of light. "I've calibrated the energy frequency to match the startup band of the quantum server below. Nothing will go wrong."

With that, he waved his hand toward the ventilation grate. The pale blue code energy instantly coiled around the latch, and with a faint 'sizzle,' the lock was melted through. Lin Fan pushed the grate open gently and peeked his head out, taking a sharp breath at what he saw.

The scene before him completely overturned his understanding of a 'server room.'

This was no ordinary underground server room; it was clearly a massive quantum computer core hidden a hundred meters beneath the FIB Building. The entire space was circular, spanning over a hundred meters in diameter. The dome above was crisscrossed with metal tracks, from which countless arm-thick fiber optic cables hung like waterfalls, connecting to a giant apparatus in the center. That device was entirely silver-white, shaped like an inverted giant honeycomb. Each cell of the honeycomb held a shimmering blue quantum chip, surrounded by layers of metal coils where electricity pulsed with a faint hum.

On the floor were countless paths etched with fluorescent patterns. Pale blue data streams flowed through these patterns like glowing rivers, connecting the entire quantum computer core to dozens of surrounding terminals. Aside from the blue light of the quantum chips and the fluorescence of the data streams, there were no other light sources, yet the entire core area was illuminated with startling clarity. The cold, technological atmosphere was overwhelming, inspiring a sense of awe.

"My God..." Kate also poked her head out. Seeing the scene, she was speechless for a long time, nearly dropping her assault rifle. "The FIB actually hid such a monster under Los Santos? The processing power of this quantum computer must be equal to half of all the servers in Los Santos combined, right?"

Lin Fan nodded, his eyes fixed on the giant quantum computer in the center as the code energy at his fingertips vibrated slightly. "This is their trump card. When I was cracking FIB's encrypted files before, I found records of a 'Quantum Server Core,' but I didn't expect it to be on this scale. It seems the so-called 'Project Elizabeth' is hidden within this quantum computer."

After speaking, he flipped out of the vent and jumped down, landing steadily on a data flow path on the floor. The fluorescent patterns beneath his feet brightened slightly under his weight, and code energy slowly spread along the lines as if finding its home. Kate followed closely, stumbling slightly upon landing. She immediately braced herself against a nearby metal terminal, looking around warily. "It's too quiet here. It's unnaturally quiet. Logically, a core area this important should be heavily guarded, yet there isn't a soul in sight."

"It's not that there are no guards; it's that they've been shielded out," Lin Fan's voice carried a hint of gravity as code energy expanded around him, forming a faint blue barrier. "The energy field of this quantum computer is too strong; it blocks all electronic signals. People outside can't get in, and people inside can't get out. Furthermore, I can feel that the system here is in a semi-dormant state, requiring external energy to be fully activated."

Just as he finished speaking, Lin Fan waved his hand toward the giant quantum computer in the center. The code energy in his palm surged, transforming into a beam of blue light that shot straight into the quantum computer's core. The moment the beam touched the quantum chips, the entire massive device emitted a violent hum. The honeycomb-like shell slowly opened, revealing a core crystal shimmering with dazzling blue light.

Countless data streams erupted from the core crystal, spreading rapidly along the fluorescent patterns on the floor. The blue light in the core area instantly brightened several times over, and the operating speed of the quantum chips accelerated sharply, their humming growing louder. Surrounding terminal screens lit up one after another, dense lines of code scrolling rapidly across them as if welcoming the arrival of a command.

"It's done!" Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face. "The path is activated, and the quantum server's core system is starting up. We'll soon find the truth behind Project Elizabeth."

However, just as he finished speaking, the lights in the entire core area suddenly flickered violently. The previously smooth data streams became turbulent, and from the fluorescent patterns on the floor, countless translucent entities resembling the ghosts from Pac-Man emerged. They were dark purple with two red light-slits for eyes, about the size of a washbasin, floating in mid-air and emitting 'sizzling' electronic noise as they glared hungrily at Lin Fan and Kate.

The sudden turn of events made Lin Fan and Kate instantly tense up. Kate immediately raised her assault rifle, aiming at the dark purple ghosts, her finger on the trigger and her eyes full of vigilance. "What are these things? FIB's new security robots?"

Lin Fan's expression darkened instantly. code energy condensed rapidly around him, forming a thicker blue barrier. "They aren't security robots; they're Data Guards. They are virtual defense programs automatically generated by this quantum computer's core system once it's activated, specifically designed to intercept illegal external code and biological intrusions."

The Data Guards seemed to sense Lin Fan's code energy. They emitted a sharp electronic screech and lunged at the two of them simultaneously. They were incredibly fast, like streaks of dark purple lightning, leaving afterimages in the air that made their trajectories impossible to track.

Lin Fan immediately raised his hand, placing a wall of blue code energy in front of him. The Data Guards slammed into the energy wall with 'thumping' sounds and were bounced back, only to immediately adjust their direction and pounce again. Kate also pulled the trigger, but the bullets passed right through the Data Guards' bodies without causing any harm, leaving only brief ripples that quickly restored to normal.

"It's no use! They're virtual programs; physical attacks are ineffective against them!" Lin Fan shouted. code energy condensed into several blue light-blades in his palm, which he flung at the Data Guards. The blades sliced into them with a 'sizzling' sound, instantly cutting one in half. It dissolved into a shower of purple data fragments and vanished into the air.

Seeing this, Kate immediately ceased fire and stowed her assault rifle. She drew two tactical knives from her waist, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes as she couldn't help but complain, "Even viruses are going retro these days? They actually look like the ghosts from Pac-Man. Is the FIB programmer some kind of nostalgia buff?"

While controlling the code energy blades to continuously slay the pouncing Data Guards, Lin Fan couldn't help but chuckle. Inwardly, he had to admit Kate's complaint hit the mark. The appearance of these Data Guards was identical to the ghosts in the classic game Pac-Man, except their color had changed from bright hues to dark purple, and their eyes were red instead of white, making them look more sinister and less cute.

"Stop complaining and help me hold them off!" Lin Fan shouted. His code energy was depleting faster and faster. These Data Guards seemed endless; as soon as one batch was slain, another would emerge from the data streams. "I need to concentrate my energy to crack their core program. Keep them off me, don't let them get close!"

"Copy that!" Kate replied. Gripping her tactical knives, she blurred into motion, charging toward a group of Data Guards. Her movements were extremely agile as she wove through their encirclement, her knives carrying fierce winds as they slashed at the Data Guards. Although physical attacks couldn't permanently kill them, they could temporarily disrupt their forms, buying time for Lin Fan.

Kate's combat skills had been forged in the special forces; every move was clean, efficient, and lethal. Her body was like a nimble leopard, flipping and leaping through the air. The cold glint of her tactical knives flashed in the blue light; with every strike, she shattered a Data Guard's form, turning them into a cloud of purple data that briefly lost its ability to attack.

Lin Fan took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, leaning against a metal terminal and closing his eyes to focus all his code energy in his mind. His consciousness followed the data streams, rapidly invading the Data Guards' core program. Dense lines of code appeared before him like a massive labyrinth.

The core program of these Data Guards wasn't complex, but it had been reinforced by the quantum computer's energy field, which was why they were so troublesome. Lin Fan's code energy zipped through the code labyrinth, searching for vulnerabilities. His fingers tapped rapidly in the void as if playing an invisible piano, and lines of decryption code flowed from his fingertips, merging into the Data Guards' core program.

"Zzzt— Zzzt—"

The Data Guards seemed to sense their core program being invaded. They emitted even sharper electronic noises, and their attacks became more frenzied. Countless Data Guards lunged at Lin Fan, trying to interrupt his decryption process.

Seeing this, Kate immediately stood in front of Lin Fan, her tactical knives dancing into a seamless barrier that continuously broke apart the pouncing Data Guards. Fine beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, and her arms were beginning to ache from the prolonged slashing, but her gaze remained firm, without the slightest hint of retreat.

"Lin Fan, hurry up! I can't hold on much longer!" Kate shouted. Just as she finished, a Data Guard suddenly circled around behind her, its red light-blade slashing toward her back.

Kate reacted instantly, twisting her body to dodge, but the light-blade still grazed her arm. Her tactical suit was sliced open, and a burning pain radiated from her skin.

"Kate!" Lin Fan opened his eyes. Seeing this, his gaze turned cold. His code energy surged violently, and a massive blue light-blade condensed in his palm, which he swung fiercely at the ambushing Data Guard.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, that Data Guard was instantly pulverized, dissolving into a cloud of purple data that vanished. Lin Fan's code energy followed the data stream, instantly invading the core programs of all the Data Guards. Accompanied by a piercing 'sizzle,' the forms of every Data Guard began to dissipate rapidly. Like popped bubbles, they turned into purple data streams one by one, merging into the fluorescent patterns on the floor and disappearing without a trace.

The entire core area instantly returned to its previous silence, with only the humming of the quantum computer and the flowing of the data streams echoing in the space.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the metal terminal, rubbing her aching arm. She looked at Lin Fan with a hint of relief on her face. "You finally got it done. One second later and I would've been torn to shreds by those retro ghosts."

Lin Fan walked over to Kate, glanced at the wound on her arm, took a band-aid out of his pocket, and handed it to her. "Sorry for letting you get hurt. The core program of those Data Guards was harder to crack than I imagined; it took a bit of time."

"It's fine, just a scratch," Kate took the band-aid, applied it carelessly to the wound, and waved her hand. "Compared to being chased by a pack of wild boars at Trevor's farm, this is nothing. Hurry up and see what kind of bullshit Project Elizabeth is hidden in this quantum computer."

Lin Fan nodded, walked to the quantum computer core in the center of the area, and injected his code energy into the core crystal. The blue light of the crystal instantly brightened, and a holographic projection was cast from it, hovering in mid-air.

In the projection, the figure of a woman appeared. She wore a white lab coat, her blonde hair was tied back, and she wore gold-rimmed glasses. Her eyes held a fanaticism that bordered on obsession. This was Elizabeth Tracy—the Chief Scientist of the FIB and the leader of Project Elizabeth.

Her figure turned slowly within the holographic projection. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the projection to land on Lin Fan and Kate, and the corners of her mouth curled into a cold smile.

“Welcome to the Quantum Server Core, Lin Fan, and this brave lady.” Elizabeth's voice came through the holographic projection, carrying an electronically synthesized rasp yet remaining clear. “I knew you would come. From the moment you first cracked the FIB's encrypted files, from the first time you activated the code energy, I knew you would eventually find this place, and the truth behind Project Elizabeth.”

Lin Fan's eyes were fixed on Elizabeth in the holographic projection, his fingers clenched tight. “Elizabeth, what exactly is your Project Elizabeth? Why did you take Michael? Why did you cause so much chaos in Los Santos?”

“Taking Michael? That was merely a small setup for Project Elizabeth.” Elizabeth gave a light laugh, the fanaticism in her eyes growing. “As for the chaos in Los Santos, that was nothing more than a necessary means to cover up the truth and ensure the smooth implementation of Project Elizabeth. Lin Fan, do you think I spent decades building this giant quantum computer, consumed countless FIB resources, and pushed Project Elizabeth forward just to satisfy the FIB's ambition? No, I did it to save all of humanity.”

“Save all of humanity?” Kate couldn't help but scoff. “Turning Los Santos upside down and capturing countless innocent people—this is what you call saving them? Elizabeth, you've gone mad.”

“Mad? You are simply short-sighted, unable to see the truth of the future.” Elizabeth's expression darkened, and her voice turned cold. “Look at Los Santos now, look at the world today. War, crime, pollution, disease—human desires are endless, constantly destroying this world and leading to self-destruction. Does such a humanity, such a world, still have a reason to exist?”

She paused, and the image in the holographic projection suddenly shifted to scenes of Los Santos—street shootouts, gang wars, factory exhaust, and polluted rivers. A series of shocking images flashed rapidly across the projection.

“Do you see? This is the world you live in, a world full of sin and destruction.” Elizabeth's voice held a hint of mockery. “The human body is too fragile, and human desires are too terrifying. Only by abandoning the flesh, by discarding this flawed shell and uploading consciousness to a virtual world, can true eternity and peace be achieved.”

“This is the core of Project Elizabeth.” Elizabeth raised her hand, pointing to a virtual world shimmering with white light in the holographic projection, her eyes filled with extreme fanaticism. “I have fashioned the core of this quantum computer into a virtual world called ‘New Eden.’ There, there is no war, no crime, no pain, and no death. All human consciousness can find eternal peace there. What I must do is upload the consciousness of all humanity to ‘New Eden,’ allowing mankind to find true salvation in a virtual world.”

Lin Fan and Kate exchanged a look, both seeing shock and disbelief in each other's eyes. They never imagined that the truth of Project Elizabeth would be such a mad plan—to upload the consciousness of all humanity to a virtual world and completely abandon physical reality.

“You're completely delusional!” Lin Fan roared, the code energy in his palm vibrating slightly. “Once consciousness is detached from the body, it can't be called human at all! You're not saving humanity; you're destroying it! Elizabeth, do you realize that once all human consciousness is uploaded to a virtual world, humans in the physical world will go extinct? How is this different from genocide?”

“The difference? Of course there's a difference.” Elizabeth smiled nonchalantly. “Genocide is making humanity disappear completely, while I am allowing humanity to exist eternally in another way. Lin Fan, you don't understand; you are just shackled by reality. You think the body is the essence of a human? No, consciousness is. As long as consciousness remains, humanity remains. As for the body in the real world, it's nothing more than a useless shell.”

Her gaze landed on Lin Fan, her eyes holding a hint of amusement. “And Lin Fan, why do you think I've been watching you? Why did I have the FIB constantly track you down? Because you are the key to the success of Project Elizabeth. Your code energy, hidden within your body, is the key to opening ‘New Eden.’”

“The key to opening New Eden?” Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition welling up. “What do you mean?”

“It means that inside your body, there are code fragments I lost when I first researched code energy,” Elizabeth said slowly, as if revealing a world-shattering secret. “Years ago, when I first studied code energy, it exploded due to a loss of control, and some core code fragments were scattered across different times and spaces. And you, Lin Fan, are the carrier of one of those code fragments. The reason your code energy can crack any electronic system and activate any encrypted pathway is because the code fragment you carry is the original code of the quantum computer's core program—the only key to opening ‘New Eden.’”

“Once I obtain the code fragment from you, I can fully activate ‘New Eden,’ open the gates of the virtual world, and upload all human consciousness into it.” A flash of greed crossed Elizabeth's eyes. “Lin Fan, you are lucky. You will become the hero who saved humanity, the creator god of ‘New Eden.’ If you are willing to hand over the code fragment, I can make you the ruler of ‘New Eden,’ with supreme power.”

These words were like a thunderclap exploding in Lin Fan's mind. He finally understood why he possessed code energy after transmigrating into this GTA5 world; why the FIB had been relentlessly pursuing him; and why Elizabeth was so focused on him. It turned out that behind everything, it was because the code fragment he carried was the key to unlocking Project Elizabeth.

This was a long-buried foreshadowing, quietly planted since the first time he activated his code energy, only now fully revealed by Elizabeth.

“In your dreams!” Lin Fan gritted his teeth, his eyes full of rage. “I would rather die than let your mad plan succeed! You want to upload all human consciousness to a virtual world and cause human extinction? I will never allow it!”

“It seems you've chosen to do things the hard way.” Elizabeth's face instantly darkened, a flash of killing intent in her eyes. “In that case, I don't mind personally extracting the code fragment from your body. After all, as long as I get the code fragment, it doesn't matter whether the carrier is present or not.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Elizabeth's figure in the holographic projection began to dissipate rapidly, becoming blurred as if the signal were failing.

“Lin Fan, do you think you can stop me?” Elizabeth's voice became intermittent but still held a hint of mockery. “‘New Eden’s’ startup sequence has already begun its countdown. Within three days, the consciousness of everyone in Los Santos will be the first to be uploaded to the virtual world. And you, along with your friends, will become sacrifices for Project Elizabeth. Enjoy these last three days, for they will be your final moments in the real world.”

With the last word, the holographic projection disappeared completely. The core crystal of the quantum computer returned to its previous blue light, but that light seemed a bit dimmer than before, as if signaling the approach of a great crisis.

The entire core area fell into a dead silence once again. Lin Fan and Kate stood there for a long time without speaking. Elizabeth's words were like a giant boulder weighing on their hearts, making it hard to breathe.

After a long while, Kate spoke first, her voice heavy with gravity. “That woman is truly insane. Three days—we only have three days. We must find a way to stop her, or else all of Los Santos, and even the whole world, will be destroyed at her hands.”

Lin Fan nodded, his eyes filled with determination. “Don't worry, I will never let her plan succeed. But for now, we have something even more important to do—find Michael. Elizabeth said catching Michael was just a small setup for Project Elizabeth; I have a feeling it's not that simple.”

With that, Lin Fan's code energy spread out again, following the data streams on the floor to quickly search every corner of the core area. His heart was still preoccupied with Michael's safety. Ever since Michael was taken by the FIB, he had been uneasy, sensing that Michael carried some unknown secret.

The code energy darted through the core area, passing metal terminals and data pathways, finally stopping in a corner of the core area.

There was a transparent detention cell made of special bulletproof glass, surrounded by layers of metal coils. Electricity coursed through the coils, emitting a faint hum. The door to the detention cell was locked, engraved with the exclusive FIB logo, looking indestructible.

“Found him!” Lin Fan's eyes lit up, and he immediately rushed toward that corner, with Kate following close behind.

The two ran to the detention cell. Lin Fan raised his hand and used code energy to crack the lock, and the door slowly opened. However, when they saw the scene inside the cell, Lin Fan and Kate's expressions instantly darkened.

The detention cell was empty; there was no sign of anyone. There was only a cold metal bed, and on it lay a faded baseball cap. It was Michael's favorite—the brim was printed with the Los Santos Dodgers logo, and there was a slight scratch on one side of the brim, left by a bullet during the last bank robbery with Trevor.

Besides this baseball cap, there was nothing else, except for a line of crooked words carved into the head of the metal bed, seemingly done with fingernails. The handwriting was a bit messy, but still clearly legible:

“Go find Franklin.”

Those five short characters were like a cold bolt of lightning striking Lin Fan's heart.

Michael wasn't in the detention cell.

Elizabeth hadn't just captured Michael; she had transferred his consciousness out of his body. As for where it had been moved, no one knew. All that remained was this baseball cap and this meaningful line of words.

Go find Franklin.

Michael's meaning was clear: his consciousness—or rather, the way to find his consciousness and stop Elizabeth's plan—required finding Franklin.

But where was Franklin now? And how was he connected to Michael's consciousness and Project Elizabeth?

Lin Fan picked up the baseball cap and held it in his hand. A faint scent of tobacco still lingered on it—the smell of Michael's favorite cigars. The familiar scent brought a pang of sadness to Lin Fan's heart.

Although he hadn't known Michael, Trevor, and Franklin for very long, they had gone through countless trials together—robbing banks, fighting gangs, evading the FIB, and running wild on the streets of Los Santos. The four of them were no longer just friends; they were brothers who would die for each other.

Now, Michael had been taken, his consciousness transferred, his fate unknown. And everything behind this pointed to that madwoman Elizabeth and her terrifying Project Elizabeth.

Kate walked to Lin Fan's side and patted his shoulder, her eyes holding a hint of comfort. “Lin Fan, don't worry. Since Michael left a clue, it means he's still alive and his consciousness is still there. As long as we find Franklin, we'll definitely find Michael and stop Elizabeth's plan.”

Lin Fan looked up at Kate, the sadness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by an extreme determination. He placed the baseball cap on his head, pulling the brim low to hide the emotions in his eyes, revealing only his tightly pressed lips.

“You're right.” Lin Fan's voice was low but carried an indisputable strength. “Go find Franklin. No matter where Franklin is or how many dangers lie ahead, I will find him, find Michael, and stop Elizabeth's mad plan.”

“Elizabeth wants to upload all human consciousness to a virtual world and cause human extinction? Then I'll do exactly the opposite.”

“She has three days? Then I'll use those three days to shatter her dream, destroy her New Eden, rescue Michael, and protect Los Santos—the world I depend on for survival.”

“This time, I won't back down or run away anymore.”

“Because I am Lin Fan, the wanted criminal who transmigrated into GTA5, and more importantly, the Guardian of Los Santos.”

As Lin Fan finished speaking, the code energy around him suddenly surged, turning into a dazzling blue light that illuminated the entire Quantum Server Core. That light carried a firm conviction, fearless courage, and a determination to stand against madness.

Looking at Lin Fan's back, a gratified smile appeared on Kate's face. She gripped the tactical knife at her waist, her eyes also full of determination.

She knew that an unprecedented battle was about to begin.

And their next stop was to find Franklin.

As for where Franklin was at this moment and what secrets he carried, no one knew.

But Lin Fan knew that as long as they found Franklin, all the answers would be revealed.

And the line “Go find Franklin” became a new foreshadowing, signaling that the winds of Los Santos were about to change once more. A high-IQ duel centered around consciousness, virtual worlds, and code fragments was about to unfold grandly on the streets of Los Santos.

The blue light of the Quantum Server Core continued to flicker, and the data stream continued to flow, as if playing a prelude to the upcoming battle.

Under the reflection of the blue light, the figures of Lin Fan and Kate gradually disappeared at the exit of the core area, heading toward the streets of Los Santos.

Their steps were firm and powerful, walking step by step toward unknown dangers, and step by step toward the hope of protecting Los Santos.