Unconventional security

Chen Bei stared at the white-haired old man in front of him, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Shen Qianshan.

A veteran of the research institute, head of the fiber wafer project, and Miao Yun's mentor.

He was just mentioned on Duke's rooftop terrace, and now he's standing on the bridge waiting for him.

coincidence?

Chen Bei didn't believe it was a coincidence.

"Professor Shen," he said, his voice more steady than expected, "you're taking a walk on the East African Bridge so late?"

Shen Qianshan smiled and said.

"I wasn't taking a walk," he said. "I was waiting for you."

Chen Bei didn't respond.

Shen Qianshan took a step forward, and the fireflies on the bridge rippled outwards beneath his feet.

He glanced down, as if admiring some work of art, or perhaps checking if the lights were still alive.

"The design of the East African Bridge is very interesting," he said, his tone as if lecturing a student. "The fluorescent material extracted from creatures in restricted areas is spread on the bridge surface. It absorbs light during the day and glows at night, and can stay lit for a hundred years. The engineers in the Upper Town call this 'sustainable utilization'."

He paused, looked up at Chen Bei, and his eyes behind his glasses gleamed.

"But do you know what happened to those organisms that were extracted?"

Chen Bei's heart skipped a beat.

"Dead?"

"No." Shen Qianshan shook his head. "Living, but it's worse than being dead. Being locked in a cage, having blood drawn, flesh cut off, and various things extracted every day, as long as you don't die, you'll be exploited indefinitely. There's a batch of these things being raised in the laboratory in the Upper City District; they're called 'active resources'."

Doesn't it look like a whale in an aquarium?

He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary, but this calmness sent a chill down Chen Bei's spine.

Chen Bei didn't respond.

Shen Qianshan didn't mind and continued walking forward, brushing past Chen Bei, until he reached the bridge and leaned on the railing to look at the night view of Shangcheng District in the distance.

The Tower of Hope, piercing the clouds, stood out prominently in the night, its spire flashing lights.

"You just saw Duke?"

"I've seen it."

"What did he say to you?"

Chen Bei hesitated for a second. He didn't know whether he should tell the truth, but he felt that lying to this old man was pointless.

"He wants to make a deal with me."

Shen Qianshan turned his head to look at him: "Use Miao Yun to exchange for evidence?"

Chen Bei's pupils contracted slightly.

This old man really does know everything.

"Don't be surprised." Shen Qianshan withdrew his gaze. "Everyone in the Upper City knows what Duke wants to do. But everyone in the Upper City also knows what he's capable of."

"Is he... really just a puppet?"

"Otherwise what?" Shen Qianshan chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Behind the East Africa Bridge are four congressmen, and they need someone obedient to stand in front of them. Duke is just right—capable, without connections... but with a weakness."

"A weakness?"

"His sister."

Chen Bei's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly thought of the corresponding person.

Miao Yun.

Duke wanted Miao Yun not because she was a scientist, nor because she knew the secrets of the Earth's core, but because she was his sister.

This makes sense.

"Are you saying that Duke wants Miao Yun not for the East African bridge, but for his own sake?"

"The East African Bridge? No." Shen Qianshan shook his head. "Duke wants Miao Yun because as long as Miao Yun is in his hands, he can get rid of his puppet status. Those four senators won't turn against him for a scientist, but they will for his sister, do you understand?"

Chen Bei understood.

Miao Yun was Duke's bargaining chip, the capital he used to negotiate with those four congressmen.

But Miao Yun doesn't want to go back.

"Of course not." Shen Qianshan turned around to face him, the wind on the bridge causing his white coat to flutter slightly. "Miao Yun is smarter than Duke; she knows it's useless to go back. Those four councilors won't give up Duke, this puppet, because of her; they'll only turn her into a puppet too. Then the two siblings will be tied together, and neither of them will be able to escape."

Chen Bei fell silent.

Shen Qianshan looked at him and suddenly asked, "Director Chen, do I look familiar?"

Chen Bei was taken aback.

look familiar?

He looked closely at Shen Qianshan's face—gray hair, gold-rimmed glasses, a slightly thin face, and an indescribable air about him.

There is indeed a strange sense of familiarity.

Where have I seen this before?

"Now that you mention it," Chen Bei frowned, frantically searching his memory, "it does seem vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place it..."

"It's normal not to remember," Shen Qianshan interrupted him, her tone carrying a hint of meaning. "We've never met."

After he finished speaking, he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Chen Bei.

The business card was simple, a white cardstock with only one line of text: Research Institute, Shen Qianshan. Below that was a contact number, and below that, in smaller print: 24 Hours.

"If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me," Shen Qianshan said, "no matter day or night."

Chen Bei took the business card, looked up as if to ask something, but found that Shen Qianshan had already turned and walked towards the other side of the bridge. His steps were not fast, but each step was steady, and his white coat fluttered gently in the night breeze.

"Professor Shen..."

"Director Chen." Shen Qianshan didn't turn his head; his voice came from the wind. "The waters in the Upper City are deep. You come from a small place; don't easily trust anyone. Including me."

His figure disappeared into the night.

Chen Bei stood there, looking down at the business card in his hand, his mind still replaying that sentence—

Do you think I look familiar?

Have you seen it before, or haven't you?

He looked up at the Hope Tower piercing the clouds in the distance. The lights at the top of the tower flickered, as if conveying some kind of signal.

My phone vibrated.

Chen Bei took it out and saw it was a message from Ye Zhixue:

How's it going? What did Duke say?

Chen Bei glanced at it but did not reply immediately.

He put the business card in his pocket and turned to walk off the bridge. The fireflies on the bridge rippled beneath his feet, as if he were stepping on the backs of a group of living creatures.

As he walked past the boundary marker of the East African Bridge, he stopped and looked back at the bridge surface that gleamed with a faint light.

The image of Shen Qianshan standing on the bridge still lingered in his mind.

look familiar.

Where exactly have I seen this before?

Chen Bei lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. The smoke dissipated in the cold air and quickly disappeared into the night.

He recalled what Shen Qianshan had just said—a creature locked in a cage is drained of blood and flesh every day; as long as it doesn't die, it will be exploited indefinitely.

In Shangcheng District, they are called "active resources".

Chen Bei exhaled a puff of smoke, and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

He glanced down at the cigarette butt in his hand and remembered the environmental robot in Zone D that charged 500 yuan per second.

The rules in the Upper District are completely different from those in the 103rd District.

But he didn't have time to reflect.

My phone vibrated again; this time it was a message from Dr. Zhou:

Be careful on your way back; someone was loitering around there earlier.

Chen Bei frowned.

He stubbed out his cigarette, threw it into a roadside trash can, and hurried toward the hotel.

The night was deep.

The streets were empty.

Only those holographic GG cards are still tirelessly playing various messages:

"Gene optimization fluid trial pack, 999 City Coins, delivered by drone in three minutes."

"Today's special offer on brain-computer interfaces: Get a free three-month video membership with implantation."

"Cyber ​​Information Bureau reminds you: Your mother's AI soul is waiting for your renewal fee."

Chen Bei quickened his pace, leaving those sounds behind.