Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 762, Section 176: Not All Black and White
I'm dying, please save me.

The message from the lark would naturally not be so straightforward.

As a professionally trained agent, even in the most urgent secret communications, she strictly adhered to the principle of conveying the most information with the fewest words.

Every word in the brief, encrypted message was precisely calculated. What appeared to be random numbers actually conveyed the same meaning—an urgent need for help.

"What do you mean, 'she's dying'?"

V watched as Li De secretly took out what appeared to be a chip prepared in advance by the Lark from under the sofa, and asked a question while Li De was inserting it to receive information.

"The modifications Xiao Song has undergone have reached their limit."

While receiving the information, Li De said, "The Black Wall is like a bottomless quagmire. The more you go deeper and deeper, the more likely you are to be completely buried inside. Even a skilled hacker like Xiao Song has been corrupted by the Black Wall and her body is about to reach its limit."

"Hmm, it doesn't sound like anything particularly unexpected, so what?"

"So I understand who the traitor is, and I understand why Air Force One crashed precisely in Dogtown. It was all done by Xiao Song."

"Was it done by Song Zhaomei?"

V's face showed some surprise, but after thinking about it carefully, he said, "I was wondering why I always felt that something was wrong with her, and why she was the only one who survived by the president's side. I see. But this doesn't seem to make sense. If she wanted to betray Rosalind Miles, there's no need for us to come and rescue her."

"Because she wasn't sure if Hansen would actually achieve her goal, she placed bets separately. She actually learned everything I taught her back then."

"So Song Zhaomei also realized that Hansen is not a trustworthy person? So what's going on here? She's doing things like splitting up bets and then asking someone else to rescue her. I feel like she's no different from Hansen."

"Miles pushed Xiao Song too far."

Li De wanted to say something, but in the end he sighed: "Miles can't possibly not have noticed Xiao Song's betrayal, but he still wants Xiao Song to go back, which means that this was all within Xiao Song's expectations. She knows that Miles needs her, but she is still too naive. She doesn't know that Miles is the kind of person who will destroy anything that he can't get his hands on and that poses a threat to him."

"So you still intend to save her, right?"

V looked at Li De: "Did she say exactly how she's going to save them? I don't think anyone who's been corrupted by the Black Wall can be saved. But Song Zhaomei has schemed so much, even betraying the president to get involved with Hansen and hedging her bets. She must have some kind of plan."

"Xiao Song explained it very clearly in this data chip."

After Li De finished reading the chip, he handed it to V. V looked at the chip, and after thinking about the team, especially Karl's teachings, he hesitated for a moment and still didn't take it: "Just tell me, I'll listen."

Li De glanced at V, noticing his wariness from his behavior, but didn't pay much attention and directly stated the information he had gleaned.

"Simply put, there is something that can remove the influence of the Black Wall on the lark. It is a secret technology called the Neural Matrix. This thing stores the AI ​​that was captured on the other side of the Black Wall by military technology. As long as you give a command to the AI ​​stored in the Neural Matrix, it can execute the content defined under certain conditions, and complete tasks such as clearing the influence of the Black Wall data and obtaining information from the old network on the other side of the Black Wall."

"It sounds a bit like flashing the firmware and formatting the device?"

"There's nothing wrong with this understanding. After all, the AI ​​on the other side of the black wall definitely knows more about things. For the AI, removing the influence of the black wall from the lark is obviously not a big deal."

"So, it was for this that Song Zhaomei sold Miles out? To save herself. Hmm, that doesn't sound like a problem. If I were in that situation and had a chance to survive, I might also choose to sell her out to save my life over a boss who wanted to kill me." "It's not a black-and-white issue. Some things always involve getting dirty, and many people can't accept it, but if you do it, you have to be prepared to take responsibility. I know that Xiao Song has lost trust in others, which is why she did this, but no matter what, this shouldn't have happened this way. I will find a way to save her, but she also has to honestly go back and accept her mistake."

"I feel that Song Zhaomei might be very unwilling to go back. After all, she may not be alive next time, even if she is cleaned up this time."

V shook his head, but didn't dwell on it for too long: "So that thing is in Gemstone Blue? Are we going to save someone and see it through to the end?"

"No, that thing is in the stadium. The most important thing right now is to rescue Xiao Song. We can put her problems aside for now. But there is one thing that needs to be done right now."

"We need to get started now. Tell me the specifics?"

"The Neural Matrix was first developed during the corporate wars, but was later abandoned due to the collapse of the old network data. Seven or eight years ago, a group of people were hired by military technology to try to reactivate the Neural Matrix. They even obtained access codes, but they had to abandon the plan due to the unification wars and Hansen's entry.
"And now, two of those people from that group who had the access codes are at this banquet, planning to make a deal with Hansen: to exchange the neural matrix activation codes for a substantial sum of money. We need to get the activation codes from them."

"Now I understand."

V's gaze swept across the banquet hall: "So, where are those two people?"

"It's there."

Li De gestured with his eyes, directing V to look at a gambling table in the banquet hall: "Don't pay too much attention to those two red-haired twins. They are both quite famous hackers, armed to the teeth with ICE and anti-spyware devices. Even a slight misstep from you could arouse their suspicion."
Xiao Song's only goal is for them to get the access code from them. She's always like this, meticulously planning everything, but she never considers what might happen if a part of the plan goes wrong. She's always been terrible at this; we'll have to find a way to make up for it.

"At Hansen's banquet, she tries to both discuss business with him and make a move against his trading partners. I don't think that's a reasonable approach. It's just about absolving herself of all responsibility and leaving the hard work to others. I think I was wrong. She's not like Hansen, but more like Miles."

"Nobody wants to do this, but someone has to do it."

"Yeah, Li De, someone has to do it. So Miles and Song Zhaomei know you love your country and are kind-hearted. They've got you figured out over there that you'd work yourself to the bone for them. Ha, and you actually did it, you're so stupid. I think you're doomed to be ruined by these two women for the rest of your life."

"V"

"Okay, I know. After all, it's a job, and there's an additional fee for it. I'll do my best. But I really want to say that more and more now."

"Which sentence?"

"What Karl once told you: If you don't want to do this anymore, come work for us. Putting everything else aside, someone of your caliber as a mercenary will definitely get paid. It's better than risking your life and working yourself to the bone, only to be manipulated by others and not even get paid."

Li De remained silent in response to V's words.

Then he shook his head.

"talk later."

He said so.

(End of this chapter)