61: Chapter 61 The Price of a Data Body

Since discovering the traces of Michael's lingering consciousness last night, he had barely closed his eyes. Elizabeth's countdown was still ticking away, and nearly ten hours of the 72-hour limit had already been exhausted. Meanwhile, system vulnerabilities in Los Santos continued to multiply—the shockwave from Victor detonating the core had not only torn apart half of the virtual space but had also ripped countless tiny fissures in the main system. These fissures were spreading like a virus; if left unchecked, New Eden would sooner or later disintegrate along with it, even without Elizabeth's consciousness satellite taking action.

"Brother Fan, take it easy. You've been holding on for almost eight hours." Franklin leaned against the metal shelf nearby, clutching a bottle of ice-cold cola. Condensation from the bottle dripped onto the floor, creating a small wet patch. The bloodshot veins in his eyes had not yet faded; Michael's dissipation was like a thorn stuck in his heart. But watching Lin Fan's back as he worked non-stop, all he could do was keep watch, terrified that something might go wrong.

Lin Fan didn't turn back. The data streams at his fingertips were still surging, and the dense code on the console screen was repairing itself at a speed visible to the naked eye. However, a thin layer of sweat had already broken out on his forehead, and the tactical gear on his back was soaked through, clinging to his spine and outlining his tense muscles. "It's fine. These vulnerabilities are basic. Once I finish this batch, the New Eden system will be stable for a while." His voice carried a hint of imperceptible hoarseness. Since his duel with Victor, his consciousness felt like a sharpened blade—dull and aching. Especially every time he mobilized his data-fication ability, that pain would spread through his nerves to his limbs, and the whispers of Elizabeth in his ears would become a few degrees clearer.

In the corner of the warehouse, AKai was squatting on the ground, making instant noodles. The rich aroma of braised beef wafted through the air, diluting the smell of metal and engine oil. AKai had been a low-level lackey in the Snake Fang Gang. After Victor's downfall, he had brought a dozen or so lackeys to join Lin Fan. The kid looked like a slacker but was exceptionally sensitive to machinery and data. Now, he had become the technical logistics support for New Eden. His skill at making instant noodles was masterful, serving as the only "touch of domesticity" in the warehouse.

"Brother Fan, I've made two bowls with ham and eggs. Eat them as soon as you finish this batch, or the noodles will get soggy!" AKai shouted at the top of his lungs, holding two steaming bowls of instant noodles. Just as he straightened up, he suddenly felt the floor beneath his feet shake, and the soup in the bowls nearly spilled. He cursed, "Damn it," and looked up to see Lin Fan in the center of the warehouse suddenly freeze. The data streams at his fingertips surged violently, like a tide breaking free from its restraints, instantly sweeping across most of the warehouse.

The incident happened in an instant.

Lin Fan had originally only intended to mobilize his basic data ability to repair the last vulnerability on the console. But the moment the data streams at his fingertips touched the screen, a sharp buzzing sound suddenly rang in his mind. Elizabeth's whispers exploded in his ears like a thunderclap: "Your abilities... they are all mine... You cannot escape..." The voice carried a powerful mental shock, causing his consciousness to falter instantly. The data streams within him completely spiraled out of control, gushing out from his body uncontrollably.

The pale blue data stream was like an invisible giant wave, sweeping through every corner of the warehouse. The neatly arranged metal parts suddenly floated up, spinning and dancing in mid-air. The hard drive cases piled on the shelves burst open one by one, the hard drives inside hovering while the code on their surfaces flashed frantically. Even the walls of the warehouse, starting from the corners, began to turn into pixel blocks bit by bit—red, blue, green—like the screen of an old game console being dismantled, pitted and uneven, revealing the equally pixelated steel bars behind them.

"Brother Fan! What's wrong with you?!" Franklin instantly dropped his cola and reached out to rush over, but was repelled by an invisible wave of data. His back slammed hard against the metal shelf, and the parts on the shelf clattered down, hitting him and causing him to wince in pain.

The two bowls of instant noodles in AKai's hands were swept directly into mid-air by the data stream. They spun in the air, and the noodles and soup in the bowls were instantly data-fied, turning into a blurry blob of 8-bit mosaic floating in the air, looking like a pile of colorful pixelated mud. Watching his instant noodles—which he had steeped for ten minutes and added double portions of ham to—disappear just like that, AKai stomped his feet in distress. He roared at Lin Fan in mid-air, "Brother Fan! What the hell are you doing! My instant noodles! I'd rather starve to death than eat this! This mosaic crap isn't even enough to get stuck in my teeth!"

His angry shouting echoed in the warehouse but received no response. Lin Fan was completely wrapped in the pale blue data stream, like a glowing cocoon. His body began to tremble slightly, and faint blue patterns could be seen moving beneath his skin like tiny snakes, spreading from his neck and wrists across his entire body. He wanted to control the data flow within him, but his consciousness felt like cotton soaked in water, too heavy to lift. In his ears, there were only Elizabeth's whispers and the consciousness satellite design diagram constantly flashing in his mind—the diagram was etched into his consciousness, gradually overlapping with the patterns beneath his skin.

"Damn! This ability going haywire is too ridiculous!" AKai hid behind the overturned shelf, watching the flying parts and pixelated walls in mid-air, patting his chest with lingering fear. "What has Brother Fan been entangled by? Wasn't he fine just a moment ago while fixing the system?"

Franklin steadied himself against the shelf and stood up, his eyes locked on Lin Fan, who was enveloped by the data stream. He gripped the gun at his waist but dared not fire—he was afraid that if the bullet hit Lin Fan, it would not only be useless but would also provoke the out-of-control data stream. "It's Elizabeth! She's invading Brother Fan's consciousness!" Franklin's voice was as heavy as iron. He recalled how Lin Fan had almost had his consciousness dragged away by Elizabeth last night, and his anxiety grew heavier. "She had been burying seeds in Brother Fan's consciousness all along. Brother Fan has been working non-stop to fix the system, and his physical strength and consciousness are at their limit. She's taking advantage of this to cause trouble!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the warehouse door was suddenly pushed open. Kate walked in quickly, holding the data jammer she had just tuned, her face showing a hint of anxiety. She had just detected abnormal energy fluctuations in New Eden from the command room and immediately rushed to the warehouse, but she hadn't expected to be too late. "I detected an abnormal consciousness intrusion signal. It's Elizabeth's frequency!" Kate said as she quickly activated the data jammer. Pale blue interference waves spread out, attempting to suppress the data streams around Lin Fan, but the data streams seemed to have a mind of their own, avoiding the interference waves and instead surging even more violently.

Half of the warehouse walls had already turned into pixel blocks. Cold wind poured in through the pixelated fissures, bringing with it the chill from outside and fragments of data. The blue patterns on Lin Fan's body became increasingly clear, protruding from beneath his skin, winding and intersecting like a dense net, covering his neck and arms. The pattern of these lines was exactly the same as the Elizabeth consciousness satellite design diagram on Kate's tablet—the core pattern of the satellite was just like these winding, intersecting blue lines, like a massive consciousness formation eye.

This was the first time Kate had clearly seen the patterns beneath Lin Fan's skin. Her heart sank abruptly, and a terrifying guess emerged in her mind: Elizabeth hadn't just buried a seed in Lin Fan's consciousness; she had also carved the core pattern of her consciousness satellite into Lin Fan's data stream. Every time Lin Fan's abilities evolved, every time he mobilized his data-fication ability, he was "charging" Elizabeth's consciousness satellite, and these patterns were the best proof.

"Franklin, help me contain the surrounding data streams!" Kate quickly took out a sedative from her backpack—this was one she had prepared specifically for Lin Fan, made from special materials from the virtual world, capable of temporarily suppressing consciousness confusion. Lin Fan had used it before when he had slight consciousness blurring, and it had worked well. She unscrewed the syringe and quickly bypassed the flying parts, approaching Lin Fan. "I'm going to inject him with the sedative. Only by letting his consciousness clear up first can we control the data stream!"

Franklin nodded immediately, picked up a fire axe from the floor, and swung it hard at the metal parts flying in mid-air. The axe blade struck the data stream, emitting a sizzling sound. The parts that were struck instantly dissipated into data fragments. As he hacked away, he shouted, "Kate! Hurry! This data stream is getting more and more violent. If we drag this out any longer, the warehouse will be torn apart!"

With the help of Franklin's containment, Kate finally rushed to Lin Fan's side. Lin Fan's eyes were tightly closed, his brows furrowed, and his face was full of pain. The data stream around him was still gushing. Kate reached out, just about to jab the sedative into his arm, when Lin Fan suddenly raised his hand violently and swung it unconsciously, a powerful data stream smashing directly into Kate's wrist.

A sharp pain shot through Kate's wrist, and the sedative in her hand flew out, getting caught in the data stream in mid-air and instantly dissipating into data fragments. She was also thrown back, her back slamming against the console screen. The screen shattered instantly, and countless glass shards and data fragments splattered all over her.

"Kate!" Franklin shouted, wanting to rush over to help her, but he was entangled by even more data streams and couldn't move.

AKai, hiding behind the shelf, watched the scene before him, scratching his head in anxiety. Suddenly, he saw a spare energy core in the corner and his eyes lit up. He pulled the wrench from his waist and smashed it hard against the interface of the energy core. With a "bang," the energy core exploded instantly, and a powerful energy wave spread out, colliding with the data stream around Lin Fan and emitting a harsh, sizzling sound.

Although this energy wave was weak, it temporarily disrupted the rhythm of the data stream. Kate seized this opportunity, climbed up from the floor, and quickly took out the second sedative from her backpack—this was the last one. She took a deep breath and rushed toward Lin Fan again. This time, she didn't just reach out directly; instead, she gripped the sedative in her hand, mobilized her only bit of data perception ability (a basic technique learned from Lin Fan), pressed her body into the gaps between the data streams, raised her hand abruptly, and jammed the sedative hard into Lin Fan's neck.

The moment the needle pierced his skin, Lin Fan's body shuddered violently, and the data stream around him stalled for an instant. The effect of the sedative took hold quickly; the pale white liquid flowed through his blood vessels throughout his body like a cool spring, dousing the restless data stream within him. The buzzing in his mind gradually faded, and Elizabeth's whispers became blurred. Lin Fan's consciousness finally broke free from the chaos, and he slowly opened his eyes.

In those eyes, the surging blue data stream gradually faded, restoring clarity, though his eyes were filled with exhaustion, like someone who had pulled several all-nighters. He looked at the flying parts and pixelated walls around him, then looked at the clearly visible blue patterns on his wrists, as well as the pale-faced Kate nearby, Franklin entangled by the data stream, and AKai hiding behind the shelf with a look of lingering fear. His throat moved, and his voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "I'm sorry... I lost control."

As his words fell, the data stream around him completely retracted, receding back into his body like a tide. The flying parts clattered onto the floor, and the pixelated walls slowly restored to their original state, though a few shallow blue lines remained, like scars carved into them. The warehouse fell silent instantly, leaving only the heavy breathing of the few people and the sound of AKai wailing as he looked at the remains of his mosaic instant noodles on the floor.

"My instant noodles... my double ham..." AKai squatted on the floor, poking at the lump of pixelated mud, wanting to cry without tears. "This was ham I'd saved up for three days, and it's just gone like that... Brother Fan, you have to compensate me with ten packs of instant noodles—five packs of braised beef, five packs of old altar pickled cabbage!"

His wailing broke the heavy atmosphere in the warehouse. Franklin breathed a sigh of relief, leaned against the shelf, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and scolded, "You kid only knows how to eat. You almost lost your life just now, and you're still thinking about instant noodles!"

"If I lose my life, I can fight for it again, but if my instant noodles are gone, then life has no meaning!" AKai retorted, stiffening his neck, though he still snuck a glance at Lin Fan.

Seeing Lin Fan's pale complexion, he didn't dare say anything more, only muttering, "Fine, fine, I'll keep a tab on it this time and you can pay me back later."

Kate walked over to Lin Fan, raised her hand, and gently brushed the stray hair from his forehead.

Her fingertips touched the blue markings on his neck, which were still glowing faintly, carrying a trace of weak consciousness fluctuations—those were Elizabeth's fluctuations.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes filled with worry, and a trace of imperceptible fear.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in a softened voice, "Just now, your consciousness was forcibly invaded by Elizabeth, and your data stream went completely out of control. If it had been any later, your core consciousness might have been torn apart, just like Michael's."

Lin Fan shook his head and raised his hand to press on the needle puncture on his neck, which was still throbbing with pain.

The sedative made his head feel groggy, but it also made him completely clear-headed.

He looked at the blue markings on his wrist and traced them lightly with his fingertips; the markings seemed to react, contracting slightly.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired, and also... the whispering in my ears seems clearer."

He paused and looked up at Kate, "When I lost control just now, I saw the design blueprint of the Consciousness Satellite, and it was exactly the same as the markings under my skin."

Kate's face sank instantly. She took out her tablet, pulled up the design blueprint of Elizabeth's Consciousness Satellite, and handed it to Lin Fan.

On the screen, the core markings of the Consciousness Satellite snaked and intertwined, identical to the markings on Lin Fan's wrist.

"I noticed it just now too," Kate said, her voice heavy with concern, "Elizabeth has carved her Consciousness Satellite's core markings into your data stream."

"From the moment your data-based ability evolved, it was bound to her Consciousness Satellite. Every time you use your ability, you are charging her satellite, and your loss of control is her attempting to seize your data stream and make you a 'carrier' for her satellite."

Franklin and AKai leaned in, looking at the blueprint on the screen and then at the markings on Lin Fan's wrist, their faces turning grim.

"Doesn't that mean Brother Fan can't use his abilities anymore?" Franklin frowned, "But in over sixty hours, Elizabeth's satellite will launch. If we don't use abilities, how can we fight her?"

"I have to use them, even if I can't," Lin Fan clenched his fist, the blue markings on his wrist glowing faintly, "She wants me to be her carrier, but I'm going to do the opposite and use these markings to find her control center."

"Since the markings are bound to the satellite's core, I should be able to sense the satellite's location through them."

"But that's too dangerous," Kate immediately retorted, "That was just one loss of control; next time, it might not be as simple as destroying a warehouse."

"Your consciousness will be completely controlled by her. By then, not only won't we be able to save you, we'll have to face a you who is controlled by Elizabeth and possesses powerful data-based abilities. That would mean we've completely lost."

The group fell silent, and the air in the warehouse grew heavy again.

AKai scratched his head, wanting to say something to break the silence, when the communicator in his pocket suddenly rang.

Amidst the crackling static came a strange male voice, processed by a voice changer, age unidentifiable, but carrying a cold, steady tone: "AKai, I am from Deep Blue Watch. We know about Lin Fan's situation and Elizabeth's plan."

"We can help him control his data-based ability and prevent it from going berserk, on the condition that you cooperate with us to destroy Elizabeth's Consciousness Satellite together."

AKai froze instantly, nearly dropping the communicator in his hand.

He looked up abruptly at Lin Fan, his face full of shock: "Deep Blue Watch? Isn't that the mysterious organization rumored to be hidden in the data crevices of Los Santos? Why would they be looking for me?"

Deep Blue Watch was a legend in Los Santos.

It was said that this organization had existed since the birth of Los Santos, hiding in the data crevices of the virtual world.

They didn't participate in any gang conflicts, nor did they obey any system rules; they only guarded the original data of Los Santos.

Some said they were righteous Guardians, while others said they were cold-blooded data hunters.

No one had ever seen their true faces, nor did anyone know their true strength; it was only known that their intelligence network spanned the entirety of Los Santos, and even Victor feared them to some extent.

Lin Fan's brows were tightly furrowed, and he looked at the communicator in AKai's hand with eyes full of vigilance.

At a time like this, for a mysterious organization to suddenly appear, claiming they could help him control his ability and wanting to cooperate with him, it was all too coincidental.

There was no such thing as a free lunch; the conditions of Deep Blue Watch would definitely not be as simple as "destroying the satellite together."

"Who are you? How do you know about my situation?" Lin Fan took the communicator and said in a deep voice. His voice transmitted through the communicator, carrying a trace of cold pressure.

The male voice in the communicator paused, then let out a soft chuckle, the laughter carrying a sense of being all-knowing: "Lin Fan, from the moment you transmigrated into Los Santos, we noticed you."

"You are the first person to transmigrate from the real world, possess an independent consciousness, and still be able to control data-based abilities."

"Elizabeth wants to turn you into her carrier, and we don't want to let Los Santos become her puppet paradise."

"Our condition is simple: cooperate to destroy the Consciousness Satellite, and afterwards, we will help you completely remove the seed Elizabeth left in your consciousness, allowing you to fully master your data-based ability and no longer be invaded by her."

"Why should I trust you?" Lin Fan's eyes were filled with suspicion, "You've been hiding in the data crevices for so many years, never showing yourselves. Now that you've suddenly appeared, you must have your own agenda."

"You can choose not to trust us," the male voice in the communicator remained calm, "but you have no other choice."

"In over sixty hours, Elizabeth's satellite will launch. You will either be controlled by her or your consciousness will collapse, and your friends, your New Eden, will all become nourishment for her consciousness."

"Cooperate with us, and you still have a glimmer of hope, and you can still protect everything you want to protect."

His words struck Lin Fan's heart like a hammer.

That's right, he had no other choice.

Elizabeth's power far exceeded his imagination. With just him, Franklin, Kate, AKai, and a group of unarmed NPCs, it was impossible to find the control center and destroy the Consciousness Satellite within three days.

And Deep Blue Watch was his only hope for now.

However, he didn't know what kind of conspiracy was hidden behind this hope.

Seeing Lin Fan silent, the male voice in the communicator continued: "Tomorrow at 3:00 AM, at the abandoned hangar of the old Los Santos airport, we will send someone to meet you. Bring your friends."

"Remember, only three people can come; one more, and the cooperation is off. Also, don't try to track us; your technology is like a child's toy in front of us."

As the voice fell, the sound of crackling static came from the communicator, and then it hung up completely.

The warehouse fell into silence once again.

AKai looked at Lin Fan and asked cautiously: "Brother Fan, are you really going? This Deep Blue Watch looks unreliable. What if they are Elizabeth's people and have set a trap waiting for us? Wouldn't we be walking into the lion's den?"

Franklin also frowned: "AKai makes sense. It's too dangerous. We don't know their background; we can't go easily."

Kate leaned against the console, her fingers tapping lightly on the screen. Information related to Deep Blue Watch flashed across the screen rapidly, but it was all fragmented legends, without any actual content.

"Their intelligence network is very powerful; they know Elizabeth's plan like the back of their hand, and they even know about Lin Fan's situation," Kate's voice carried a hint of analysis.

"If they were Elizabeth's people, there would be no need to go through such a big roundabout; they could just act directly. I feel that they might really have their own agenda, and this agenda conflicts with Elizabeth's plan."

Lin Fan looked at the blue markings on his wrist. The markings were still glowing faintly, and he could vaguely hear Elizabeth's whispering in his ears, along with a faint, unfamiliar fluctuation of data streams—that was the fluctuation of Deep Blue Watch, very faint, but very clear.

He knew Kate was right; he had no other choice.

Even if it was a trap, he had to go.

For Michael, for everyone in New Eden, for his family and friends in the real world, and for himself, he had to seize this only hope.

"We're going." Lin Fan raised his head, the hesitation in his eyes gone, leaving only determination, "Tomorrow at 3:00 AM, at the old airport's abandoned hangar, you, Franklin, and I—the three of us will go."

"AKai, you stay in New Eden and guard this place. If anything happens to us, immediately activate the emergency system and evacuate everyone to the data crevices; that's a place Elizabeth cannot touch for now."

AKai was stunned for a moment, then straightened his back and nodded: "Don't worry, Brother Fan! I will definitely guard New Eden well. If something happens to you, even if I have to risk my life, I will save you! Also, remember to come back and pay me back for my instant noodles!"

Lin Fan looked at his serious expression, couldn't help but smile, and nodded: "Alright, I'll pay you back ten packs when I return, with double the ham."

Franklin patted Lin Fan on the shoulder without saying a word, but the determination in his eyes said it all—regardless of whether it was a trap or hope ahead, he would follow Lin Fan, just like he had followed Michael before, never leaving his side.

Kate walked to Lin Fan's side, raised her hand, and gently held his wrist. Her fingertips touched the blue markings under his skin, and a trace of warmth radiated from her fingertips, smoothing out the anxiety in Lin Fan's heart.

"I will make full preparations," Kate's eyes were full of determination, "We'll bring all the jammers and weapons; even if it's a trap, we can fight our way out."

The night grew deeper. Outside the energy shield of New Eden, the wind in Los Santos grew stronger, swirling with data fragments and hitting the energy shield, making a rustling sound.

The incandescent lights in the warehouse were still on, shining on the faces of the three, on the blue markings on Lin Fan's wrist, and on the scars on the warehouse walls.

Tomorrow at 3:00 AM, at the old airport's abandoned hangar.

The appearance of Deep Blue Watch—is it hope, or is it a trap?

Elizabeth's Consciousness Satellite was still counting down.

And the blue markings under Lin Fan's skin, in a moment when no one was paying attention, flickered slightly. An extremely weak data stream drifted out from the markings, following the cracks in the warehouse, drifting towards the night sky of Los Santos, towards that faintly flickering Consciousness Satellite.

That was Elizabeth's eyes and ears, and also the "key" that Deep Blue Watch wanted to utilize.

Deep within Lin Fan's consciousness, a familiar, grumbling voice was faintly sounding, carrying a trace of weak power, wrapping around his core consciousness, resisting Elizabeth's repeated invasions—that was Michael's lingering thought.

This lingering thought, which had been desperately preserved from the backlash of Victor's code, had not dissipated in the data turbulence but was hidden deep within Lin Fan's consciousness.

Like a silent Guardian, when Lin Fan's consciousness was chaotic and his abilities went berserk, it quietly propped up a barrier for him, helping him hold onto his final line of defense for his consciousness.

However, Lin Fan did not know at this moment that this lingering thought was not only a Guardian but also his biggest trump card against Elizabeth, and even more so, his biggest bargaining chip in his cooperation with Deep Blue Watch.

In the abandoned hangar of the old airport, a pair of eyes were staring at the direction of New Eden, staring at the blue markings on Lin Fan's wrist, and also staring at that lingering thought deep within his consciousness.

A new game of chess was about to begin.

And the price of a data-based body was still continuing.