62: Chapter 62 Traitors and Allies

Tires crushed the gravel road of the old airport on the outskirts of Los Santos, emitting a harsh screeching sound. Lin Fan slammed on the brakes, parking the modified Zentorno in the shadow of the abandoned terminal. The dust kicked up by the tires mixed with the evening wind and sand, swirling into a hazy mist under the orange sunset. In the passenger seat, Franklin pulled off his windproof sunglasses, tapped his knuckles against the window, and swept his gaze over the empty tarmac, his tone filled with vigilance: "There isn't even a bird in this place. Night Owl choosing to meet here means he has bad intentions."

In the back seat, Michael leaned against the backrest, the cigarette between his fingertips burned down to the filter, yet he seemed completely unaware. His eyes were fixed on a huge crack on the mottled wall of the terminal, his brows knitted into a tight knot, and the air pressure around him was terrifyingly low. Ever since they broke out of the Snake Fang Gang's underground warehouse in the last chapter and received the meeting invitation from the leader of Deep Blue Watch, Night Owl, Michael had been in this absent-minded state, muttering fragmented words like "experiment subject no. 0", "code fragment", and "Elizabeth". Every word was like a needle pricking the most sensitive part of Lin Fan's heart.

Lin Fan pushed open the door, his feet making a crunching sound on the gravel. The system panel flashed before his eyes, and the prompt from the Los Santos Survival Guide was glaringly red: [Warning: High-intensity code energy fluctuation detected. Source: Inside the abandoned terminal. Energy signature highly matches Elizabeth. Danger Level: S-rank]. He raised his hand to press the modified pistol at his waist, turned his head, and gestured with his chin to Franklin and Michael: "Franklin, you stay by the car and be ready to start it at any time. If there's any situation, smash through the fence and drive out. Michael, come in with me. Remember, no matter what you see or hear, don't be impulsive."

Franklin nodded, his hand resting on the door handle, his body slightly lowered, ready to act at any moment. Michael extinguished the cigarette, crushed the butt into powder in his palm, and followed silently behind Lin Fan, his footsteps heavy as if he were carrying a thousand-pound burden. The two passed through the rusted barbed wire and walked into the gate of the abandoned terminal. A smell mixed with dust, engine oil, and decaying wood rushed towards them. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the damaged roof, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground. Tiny dust motes floated in the air, and it was quiet enough to hear their own heartbeats.

The terminal hall was empty, with only a dilapidated metal table in the center. A person sat by the table with their back to them, wearing a black hooded windbreaker. The hood was pulled very low, covering most of their face; only a cold, rigid jawline and slightly pursed lips were visible. The person's fingers tapped gently on the table, the rhythm steady, as if they were signaling some kind of code. Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around, revealing a face with deep features. His left eye had a normal black pupil, while his right eye was embedded with a mechanical prosthetic eye emitting a blue light, flickering with a cold glint in the dim light.

"Lin Fan, experiment subject no. 0, long time no see." The man's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a mechanical, icy texture. It was the leader of Deep Blue Watch, Night Owl. His gaze swept over Lin Fan and finally landed on Michael, his mouth curling into a meaningful smile. "And you, Michael De Santa, a participant in the experiment back then. I didn't expect you to still be alive, and to have ended up with experiment subject no. 0. How interesting."

Michael's body stiffened suddenly as if struck by a bolt of lightning. His pupils shrank sharply, his lips trembled, and he couldn't say a word for a long time, just staring fixedly at Night Owl. His eyes were filled with shock, fear, and a hint of unspeakable guilt. Lin Fan reached out to press Michael's shoulder, feeling his body trembling violently. The confusion in his heart grew heavier. What exactly did the "experiment subject" and "experiment participant" in Night Owl's words mean?

"Night Owl, stop playing these games. You asked us to come here, what exactly do you want?" Lin Fan's voice was cold, his gaze locked tightly on Night Owl, his fingers subconsciously tightening on the pistol's trigger, ready to act at any time. He could feel that the code energy fluctuation on Night Owl was extremely powerful, more terrifying than any enemy he had encountered before, even a level higher than Victor of the Snake Fang Gang. This man was definitely not simple.

Night Owl chuckled, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers. A blue light curtain suddenly lit up on the wall behind him. The light curtain began to play a blurry video. The scene in the video was a dim laboratory filled with various precision instruments. Complex code and data flashed on the screens of the instruments. As the camera zoomed in, one could see a young child lying on the experimental table, looking like he was only five or six years old. His small face was pale, his eyes closed, and he was covered with various tubes and electrodes. It was the young Lin Fan.

A man in a white lab coat stood by the experimental table, with his back to the camera, holding a syringe containing a blue-glowing liquid—the code fragment. The man slowly inserted the syringe into the child's arm and injected the liquid. The child's body twitched violently, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes, but he couldn't make a sound. Just then, a familiar voice came from the video, low and hurried, with a hint of hesitation and struggle: "Stop, Elizabeth! This child is too young, he can't take it. Doing this will destroy him!"

This voice was Michael's!

Lin Fan's brain felt like it had been blown up by a bomb, going blank. He turned his head sharply to look at Michael, his eyes filled with disbelief. Was the person in the video trying to stop the experiment really Michael? And was he himself the "experiment subject no. 0" that Night Owl spoke of? Had his younger self actually been involved in such a terrible experiment?

Michael's face instantly turned pale as paper, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt to the ground. He held onto a nearby metal pillar, his body trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were filled with despair and self-reproach, and he murmured: "It was me, it was me... I shouldn't have participated in this experiment back then, I shouldn't have watched them attack you. Lin Fan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Night Owl watched the two's reactions, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening. He raised his hand to control the light curtain, and the video continued to play. The woman called Elizabeth turned around, revealing a beautiful but cold face. It was Elizabeth, who had been an enemy to Lin Fan many times before. She looked coldly at Michael outside the camera, her tone carrying a hint of mockery: "Michael, do you think you can stop me? This is an experiment to change the world. experiment subject no. 0 is the most perfect carrier. His body contains the most powerful code potential. As long as the code fragment is successfully injected, he can become a bridge connecting the virtual and reality, and we can control the entire Los Santos, even the entire world!"

"You're crazy!" Michael's voice was filled with a roar. "You're playing with a child's life. The energy of the code fragment is too powerful. His body simply cannot withstand it. Doing this will only make him completely collapse and turn into a monster without consciousness!"

"A monster?" Elizabeth chuckled. "As long as the goal can be achieved, so what if he's a monster? Michael, you are too soft-hearted to accomplish great things." After she finished speaking, she raised her hand and pressed a button on the instrument. The instrument next to the experimental table instantly emitted a harsh alarm sound, the code on the screen flashed crazily, and young Lin Fan's body twitched violently, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. He was clearly unable to hold on.

Just then, the laboratory door was suddenly smashed open. Several people in black uniforms rushed in, engaging in a fierce gunfight with the guards in the laboratory. The scene was chaotic. Michael seized the opportunity to rush over, pulled out the tubes and electrodes from young Lin Fan's body, and carried him out of the laboratory desperately. The video screen shook violently before abruptly stopping, and the light curtain disappeared.

The terminal fell into a deathly silence, with only the breathing of the three echoing in the air. Lin Fan stood where he was, the images from the video replaying in his mind: his younger self struggling in pain on the experimental table, Michael's anxiety while trying to stop the experiment, Elizabeth's cold-bloodedness, and all those flashing codes and blue-glowing liquids. Everything was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into his heart.

He finally understood why he had traveled into the world of GTA5, why he possessed the system, and why Elizabeth had been chasing him relentlessly. It turned out that from the very beginning, he was the product of this experiment, a pawn in Elizabeth's hands. His transmigration was not an accident at all, but a predestined arrangement.

"Now, do you understand?" Night Owl's voice broke the silence. He looked at Lin Fan, his eyes devoid of any pity, only a cold scrutiny. "You thought you accidentally traveled here? You thought your system appeared out of thin air? You're wrong, everything was destined. Your body was injected with Elizabeth's code fragment. These code fragments slept in your body for more than a decade until you came into contact with the GTA5 game and triggered the resonance of the code, which allowed you to travel to this virtual world. And your system is just an energy carrier formed by the code fragment in your body."

"Who exactly are you? What is the real purpose of Deep Blue Watch?" Lin Fan's voice was slightly hoarse. He forcibly suppressed the shock and anger in his heart, his gaze locked tightly on Night Owl. He knew that now was not the time to be impulsive. Only by figuring everything out could he find a chance to fight back.

Night Owl raised his hand and took off his hood, revealing a faint scar on his forehead. The scar emitted a faint blue light, very similar to the code imprint on Lin Fan's wrist. "Who I am is not important. What is important is that the purpose of Deep Blue Watch is to stop Elizabeth, to stop her crazy plan." Night Owl paused, then continued, "Elizabeth's goal is not just to control Los Santos. She wants to use the code fragment in your body to break the barrier between virtual and reality, and transport the code energy of Los Santos to the real world, thereby controlling both worlds. Once she succeeds, the whole world will fall into chaos, and countless people will lose their lives."

"Since your goal is to stop Elizabeth, why have you been targeting me? Why did you send people to track me and ambush me?" Lin Fan questioned, recalling the previous conflicts with members of Deep Blue Watch, his tone filled with confusion.

"Targeting you?" Night Owl chuckled. "Lin Fan, you are too naive. The code fragment in your body is Elizabeth's core power. As long as you are still alive, Elizabeth will not give up. She will do whatever it takes to catch you and complete her experiment. We targeted you just to force you to awaken, to force you to master the code energy in your body. Only you can truly confront Elizabeth, because you are the only one who can compete with her code energy."

Just then, Michael suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with determination. He looked at Night Owl and said in a deep voice: "I am responsible for the experiment back then. I failed to protect Lin Fan. Now, I will make up for my mistakes. I will join you to stop Elizabeth, no matter what the cost."

Lin Fan looked at Michael, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart—shock, confusion, and a trace of warmth.

He knew that although Michael had participated in the experiments back then, he had opposed Elizabeth's methods from the beginning, even risking his life to save him when he was young; he kept this debt of gratitude in his heart.

However, just as the three were talking, a harsh roaring sound suddenly came from outside the terminal.

Several drones broke through the fence and flew towards the terminal, their bodies mounted with missiles, gleaming with a cold light in the sunset.

Immediately after, the terminal door was violently kicked open, and more than a dozen people in black combat uniforms rushed in, holding automatic rifles, their muzzles aimed at Lin Fan and Michael.

The leader was none other than a member of the Deep Blue Watch, AKai.

There was no expression on AKai's face, his eyes fixed coldly on Lin Fan, the rifle in his hand aimed tightly at his chest: "Lin Fan, I'm sorry, I have no choice."

Lin Fan's pupils contracted sharply; he never expected that the person who betrayed him would be AKai.

The young man who had always followed him, admired his hacking skills, and called him "Brother Fan," had actually turned against him at this moment, raising a butcher's knife toward him.

"AKai, what are you doing?" Night Owl's face instantly sank, his mechanical prosthetic eye flashing with a cold blue light, and he demanded sternly, "Who told you to do this?"

AKai ignored Night Owl, just staring fixedly at Lin Fan, a bitter smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Brother Fan, I know you were good to me, teaching me hacking skills and taking me to fight alongside you, but I have no choice."

Night Owl's hacking skills are the level I have dreamed of reaching my whole life.

He promised me that as long as I help him capture you, he will teach me all his techniques and make me the most powerful hacker in Los Santos.

I don't want to live in someone else's shadow for the rest of my life; I want to prove myself, I want to become stronger."

"You are confused!" Night Owl roared, "Do you think he will really teach you his techniques? He is just using you—using you to capture Lin Fan. Once his goal is achieved, you will become his abandoned pawn, and you will die without a burial place!"

"I don't care!" AKai's emotions became agitated, his finger tightening on the trigger, "I have no way back now. Today, either you come with me, or you die here!"

As he spoke, AKai waved his hand, and the dozen or so men in black behind him immediately pulled their triggers, bullets raining down like raindrops toward Lin Fan and Michael.

Night Owl reacted extremely quickly, raising his hand to press a button on his waist.

A blue energy shield instantly expanded, blocking the three of them. The bullets hit the shield, making clanging sounds as they were deflected away.

"Lin Fan, take Michael and go, I'll hold them off!" Night Owl's voice was urgent.

While controlling the energy shield to block the attack, he drew a laser dagger from his waist and rushed toward the men in black.

The laser dagger sliced through the air with a sizzling sound, instantly piercing the throat of one of the men in black.

Lin Fan did not hesitate. He grabbed Michael's wrist and turned to run toward the back door of the terminal.

Behind them, the sounds of gunfire and shouts rose one after another; Night Owl's roars and AKai's yells intertwined, forming a chaotic noise.

The two rushed through a narrow corridor, pushed open the back door, and dashed onto the airport tarmac.

Franklin was driving a Zentorno sports car, heading toward them, the tires grinding over gravel and making a harsh sound.

"Get in the car!" Franklin shouted, braking hard in front of the two and pushing open the car door.

Lin Fan pulled Michael into the car, and Franklin immediately stepped on the gas.

The sports car shot toward the airport fence like an arrow off a bowstring.

Just then, several drones caught up and fired missiles at the sports car.

The missiles left long trails of fire as they whistled toward the car.

"Hold on tight!" Lin Fan yelled, raising his hand to press against the steering wheel, channeling the code energy within his body into the car's control system.

The system panel flashed before his eyes: [Code Editing: Vehicle navigation system tampered with, target: Los Santos Satellite Launch Base].

The sports car's steering wheel suddenly turned automatically, driving in another direction and avoiding the missile attack.

The missiles landed on the ground, causing a violent explosion and kicking up dust that filled the sky.

Franklin looked at the self-driving car, his eyes wide with disbelief: "Brother Fan, what is this..."

"No time to explain. AKai betrayed us. He teamed up with Night Owl's people to try to capture me." Lin Fan's voice was urgent.

While channeling his code energy, he said, "I tampered with the vehicle's navigation system. Now we are going to the satellite launch base. Elizabeth's Core Code server should be there. Only by destroying the server can we completely cut off her energy source and stop her plan."

Michael leaned against the back of the seat, his eyes filled with guilt and self-reproach.

He looked at Lin Fan and said in a low voice: "Lin Fan, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me back then, you wouldn't have gone through all this. It's all my fault."

Lin Fan turned his head to look at Michael, raised his hand, and patted his shoulder, his tone calm: "Michael, let the past be the past. You took the risk to save me back then; I keep this debt of gratitude in my heart."

Now, we are comrades-in-arms, fighting against Elizabeth together, protecting Los Santos together—that is enough."

Just as Lin Fan was speaking, a violent, stabbing pain suddenly surged in his mind.

A powerful surge of code energy poured out from the depths of his body, resonating strongly with Elizabeth's code energy in the air.

Immediately after, a vague consciousness appeared in his mind. It was Michael's remnant—the protective consciousness Michael had injected into his body during the experiment back then.

This remnant had been dormant in his body until this moment, when, stimulated by Elizabeth's code energy, it finally awakened.

Michael's remnant merged with Lin Fan's consciousness, and a powerful force instantly filled Lin Fan's entire body.

He could clearly feel the surrounding code energy becoming docile; the originally violent code energy of Elizabeth began to slowly dissipate under the suppression of Michael's remnant.

"This is..." A flash of shock crossed Lin Fan's eyes.

He could feel that his own code energy had become unprecedentedly powerful. The system panel in his mind had also changed: [Los Santos Survival Guide] upgraded, [Code Editing] ability advanced, [Michael Remnant Fusion: Can briefly suppress Elizabeth's code energy, duration: 10 minutes].

A sense of exhilaration swept through Lin Fan's entire body.

This was the first time he had successfully used Michael's remnant to suppress Elizabeth's code energy, and it was also the first time he felt that his own power could become so strong.

He knew that this time, he was no longer fighting alone. Michael's remnant would always be with him, fighting against Elizabeth and facing all dangers together.

Meanwhile, at the New Eden nightclub in Los Santos, the scene was quite different.

After AKai left with his men, he left a few members of the Deep Blue Watch to guard the nightclub.

They had originally thought it was a simple guard mission, but they didn't expect to run into a group of uninvited guests.

The remnants of the Snake Fang Gang learned that Lin Fan's properties were unguarded and wanted to take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack, stealing the funds and supplies in the nightclub, but they ran right into the members of the Deep Blue Watch guarding the place.

The lead member of the Deep Blue Watch looked at the members of the Snake Fang Gang charging in, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He raised his hand and pressed the button on his waist. The lights in the nightclub instantly went out, and then countless laser lines lit up in the darkness, enveloping the entire hall of the nightclub.

The members of the Snake Fang Gang panicked instantly, becoming a mess in the dark, bumping into things everywhere, only to run into the laser lines, getting slashed and letting out shrill screams.

And the culprit behind all this was the defense system AKai had set up before leaving.

Although AKai had betrayed Lin Fan, his hacking skills were indeed not to be underestimated.

Before leaving, he had used the nightclub's surveillance system and power system to set up an extremely perverted defense system. As long as someone broke in, it would trigger the laser defense, leaving the intruders with no way to return.

The members of the Snake Fang Gang fled everywhere under the laser lines, but there was nowhere to hide.

In just a few minutes, they suffered heavy casualties, and the remaining ones were scared out of their wits, crawling and scrambling out of the nightclub, never daring to approach it again.

The members of the Deep Blue Watch guarding the nightclub looked at the Snake Fang Gang members fleeing in embarrassment and smiled at each other, their faces showing triumphant expressions.

They never expected that AKai's unintentional act had actually easily resolved a crisis for them.

This bizarre operation also made the underground world of Los Santos witness the strength of the Deep Blue Watch once again.

The sports car sped all the way toward the Los Santos Satellite Launch Base.

The scenery outside the window flew past rapidly. The sunset gradually set, and the night began to fall.

The streets of Los Santos lit up with dazzling lights, yet they could not cover up the darkness and crisis deep within this city.

Lin Fan sat in the passenger seat, closed his eyes, and channeled the code energy in his body to merge with Michael's remnant, feeling that powerful force, and began planning the attack on the satellite launch base in his mind.

He knew that the satellite launch base was Elizabeth's core stronghold. It must be heavily fortified with the most powerful defense systems and the most elite guards; destroying the Core Code server would be no easy task.

But he also knew that he had no way out. Either he would succeed, or he would fail completely—not only would he lose his life, but Los Santos, and even the entire real world, would fall into an irreparable situation.

And Night Owl's words kept echoing in his mind: Was the true purpose of the Deep Blue Watch really just to stop Elizabeth?

Or did Night Owl also have his own selfish motives, wanting to use his code energy to achieve his own goals?

Was AKai's betrayal born out of admiration for Night Owl's hacking skills, or was he coerced by Night Owl?

All these questions were like a fog, shrouding Lin Fan's heart.

He faintly felt that this war was far from as simple as he had imagined.

Elizabeth was just the tip of the iceberg; behind her, there were more powerful forces and more terrifying conspiracies, and he was nothing but a pawn in this conspiracy, used and fought over by all parties.

But Lin Fan also knew clearly that from the moment he traveled into Los Santos, from the moment he became experiment subject no. 0, his fate had already been in his own hands.

He would not let others manipulate him, would not become someone else's pawn.

He would break all of this, master his own fate, and protect the people around him—protecting this city that was full of chaos yet full of vitality.

The sports car drove through the downtown area of Los Santos toward the satellite launch base in the suburbs.

The night grew darker, and code energy surged crazily in the air. A new war was about to begin.

And deep within the satellite launch base, Elizabeth stood before the massive code server, a cold smile curling at the corner of her mouth, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Lin Fan, my experiment subject no. 0, you have finally arrived. This game has only just begun..."