Unconventional security

The car stopped at the holographic boundary marker, on which several lines of text scrolled:

[East African Bridge Autonomous Region]

[Please make an appointment in advance if you are a temporary visitor]

As soon as Chen Bei got out of the car, the air next to the boundary marker suddenly distorted, and a holographic projection rose from the ground.

The projection was a woman, wearing an earth-colored robe, with a professional smile on her face.

This was the second time Chen Bei had seen this earth-colored robe; the first time was in the video just now, where it seemed to be unique to East African bridges.

The robe was entirely earth-colored, not a single shade of yellowish-brown, but a mixture of varying shades of sandy soil, like a cross-section of wind-eroded rock layers, with subtle shimmering light flowing through it under the lamplight.

"Welcome to the East African Bridge. May I ask who you are?"

"Chen Bei".

He gave his real name; at this point, using an alias would have been pointless.

The holographic woman blinked, as if checking information.

Two seconds later, her smile became even brighter.

"Director Chen, Director Duke is already waiting on the top floor. Please follow me."

She turned around, stepped onto the bridge, and Chen Bei silently followed behind her.

The bridge was wider than he had imagined, with holographic light pillars on both sides spaced ten meters apart, casting a cold white light.

The lights shone on the bridge surface, reflecting a strange texture that resembled neither stone nor metal, but rather some kind of translucent synthetic material.

Chen Bei glanced down.

Under the light, something could be vaguely seen moving.

Like a liquid, yet also like... a living thing.

"What is this?"

Chen Bei asked casually.

The holographic woman didn't even turn her head: "A specialty of the East African Bridge, a bio-fluorescent coating that absorbs sunlight during the day and releases it at night, allowing it to glow continuously for a hundred years."

"Biofluorescence?"

"Hmm." The holographic woman said casually, "Extracted from a creature in a forbidden zone."

Chen Bei didn't ask any more questions, but he glanced a few more times at the flowing light beneath his feet.

Extracted from creatures in forbidden zones... Doesn't that sound a lot like a byproduct of some kind of slaughterhouse?

After walking for a while, a building appeared at the end of the bridge.

It's not tall, only a dozen or so stories, but it occupies a large area, and the exterior is covered with an earth-colored robe pattern.

On the top floor of the building, there is a huge terrace, and a person is standing on the terrace.

They were too far away to see the face clearly, only a tall silhouette holding a glass of wine, looking down at the bridge.

The holographic woman stopped at the building entrance. "Director Chen, please come in. The elevator goes directly to the top floor."

After she finished speaking, she vanished into thin air in a flash.

Chen Bei pushed open the door and entered the elevator. The elevator door closed automatically, but there were no floor buttons inside, only a sensor.

A red light swept across his entire body, followed by a broadcast.

[Identity confirmed: Chen Bei, Director of the 103rd District Police Station, a three-gene lock awakener.]

Welcome to the East Africa Bridge Business Division.

The elevator began to ascend.

Chen Bei stared at his reflection in the elevator door, the two audio clips Miao Yun had spoken flashing through his mind.

Beware of Shen Qianshan? His life could be in danger?

It was Shen Qianshan who recommended Duke to him.

What are these people up to? I just want to protect myself, so why do I feel like I'm getting deeper and deeper into trouble?

The elevator doors opened, and we entered the top floor.

This is a huge open terrace with a transparent dome overhead, offering views of the sparse starlight in the Upper East Side night sky.

A long table sits in the center of the terrace, with two glasses of red wine on it.

A man stood behind the table, around forty years old, with deep-set features and a somewhat mixed-race appearance, wearing a well-tailored dark suit.

Duke.

Chen Bei lingered on his wrist for a second longer, where a faint blue light flowed... a cyborg.

"Director Chen, I've heard so much about you."

He was holding a wine glass, smiling as he looked at Chen Bei.

Chen Bei walked over and stood on the other side of the long table. There were two glasses of wine, one in front of him and the other in Duke's hand.

"Sit down," Duke gestured to the chair opposite him.

Chen Bei did not sit down.

He just stood there, staring into Duke's eyes.

He had been threatened by him first, and then forced to come and meet him; the clay figure still had some temper left.

Seeing this, Duke was not annoyed.

"Director Chen is indeed as cautious as the rumors say."

"A legend?" Chen Bei asked. "What legends could a mere district police chief like me possibly have?"

"You're too modest." Duke took a sip of his drink. "In the entire 9th District, there are no more than ten people who can stay in Cao Chengxiu's shop for five minutes in ten years, and even fewer who can meet Shen Qianshan as non-research personnel."

"And you did it all in one day."

He put down his wine glass. "And incidentally, that old fox Shen Qianshan took the initiative to say a lot of things to you."

Chen Bei's heart stirred slightly.

This person knew his whereabouts perfectly well.

"So?" he asked without changing his expression. "Director Du invited me here just to say a few words of praise?"

Duke swirled his wine glass, took a sip, and said seriously, "Since Director Chen is unwilling to stay any longer, let's get down to business."

"Director Chen, have you heard of the Project Central?"

Chen Bei's heart skipped a beat.

This is the second time someone has asked him this question today.

The first time was with Shen Qianshan.

The second one is Duke.

"I've heard a little about it." He said calmly, "Humans are digging into the Earth's core, trying to find a way to break through the genetic lock."

"That's all?"

That's all.

Duke turned around and stared into his eyes.

"Then do you know why the East African bridge dares to evade taxes?"

Chen Bei's pupils contracted slightly. Since the other party had investigated him, they must have known about the interview, so it was impossible that they didn't know the content of the interview.

Shouldn't he have kept this information hidden?

Why did you just tell me that outright?

Chen Bei narrowed his eyes, temporarily suppressing his doubts.

Shen Qianshan had also asked him this question.

"Because you have something in your hands." He quoted Shen Qianshan, "something that can make the Upper District turn a blind eye."

Duke raised an eyebrow. "Did Shen Qianshan tell you?"

Chen Bei did not deny it.

"That old fox, he really does tell everyone everything."

"Did he say anything about that thing...?" He paused, "...where did it come from?"

"The Earth's core?"

Duke didn't answer. He put down his wine glass and took something out of his suit pocket.

It was a small metal box, about the size of a palm, entirely silver-white, with no markings on its surface.

The moment Chen Bei saw the box, his pupils contracted sharply.

He had seen that box in the soul image. Miao Yun put it into a hidden compartment under the experimental table. Shen Qianshan opened the compartment, took it out, and stared at it for a long time.

The same.

"Director Chen, if you promise me one thing, I will not only give you all the evidence and methods of East Africa Bridge's tax evasion, but this thing is also yours."

After saying that, he pushed the small metal box toward him.

Hearing this, Chen Bei felt that the scene was somewhat familiar.

He came here to investigate tax evasion, but now he's taking on other jobs because of that investigation, potentially falling into an even bigger trap.

Isn't this the road I came from?!

Originally, it was just an investigation into a high school student case, but it turned out that they found the organization and realized that a crisis was imminent. They specially went to the Upper City to seek survival in the Earth's core, but along the way, they uncovered so many forces and messy affairs!

I'm only doing an interview assignment and I have to go through all this trouble?!

Chen Bei stared at the box but didn't reach out.

After a few minutes of thinking it over, he finally gave in. Since things had come to this point, he decided to ask first.

"What is it?"

Duke looked at him and said, word by word:

"Get someone from Cao Chengxiu for me."