The darkness deep within the pipe seemed endless, the ground beneath his feet was slippery, and the smell of mold and rust grew stronger in the air. Lu Cheneng had never imagined he would find himself in such a situation, let alone that the source of the "virus" that had disrupted his entire world would be the one leading him through this unknown maze.

Wen Shifei's hands were still cold, yet remarkably firm. Her figure loomed ahead, like a nocturnal animal familiar with the darkness. Lu Chensheng could sense the slight tremor in her body, unsure whether it was from her earlier escape or the uninvited guest beside her.

"How far is it?" Lu Cheneng asked in a low voice, his voice echoing dully in the narrow pipe. The alarm on the emotion suppression chip had changed from a sharp beep to a continuous, headache-inducing low-frequency oscillation, as if silently protesting his current "abnormality."

"Almost there." Wen Shifei's voice was filled with a subtle hint of fatigue. "Shut up and save your energy. Those 'hyenas' have a sense of smell that's more sensitive than an electronic detector."

Lu Chenheng fell silent. He began to notice that Wen Shifei's familiarity with the Lower City far exceeded his expectations. She could always find hidden passages in seemingly dead ends, avoiding the flashing infrared scanning beams of surveillance cameras. Every step she took was precise and decisive, as if this forgotten ruin of the Upper City was her true home.

After an unknown amount of time, Wen Shifei stopped before a moss-covered pipe wall. She reached out and groped for a moment on the rough surface, seemingly triggering a mechanism. With a gentle grinding sound, a metal plate, seemingly blending in with the surroundings, slowly slid inward, revealing a narrow entrance barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Come in." Wen Shifei went in first.

Lu Cheneng followed closely behind. Beyond the entrance was a steep staircase leading down, the light extremely dim. When he reached the last step, the view suddenly opened up.

This seemed to be an abandoned underground shelter, larger than he'd imagined, yet still cramped and cluttered. The air was thick with the faint smell of disinfectant and overheated circuit boards. Several servers, clearly cobbled together, hummed, their screens cascading with data. A variety of electronic components and tools lay stacked in the corners, and a few pieces of clothing lay haphazardly piled on a crude camp bed.

The only thing that seemed somewhat "alive" was an unknown green plant planted in a discarded nutrient solution can in the corner. Its leaves were thin, but they stubbornly stretched upwards.

"Welcome to my 'palace'." Wen Shifei's voice was filled with self-mockery. She walked to a host computer, her fingers tapping quickly on the keyboard, turning off the external alarm system and calling up several real-time surveillance images of the downtown area.

Life is Wen Shifei's brother.

It turns out that what was stained on his hands were not only the "necessary sacrifices" in business competition, but also human lives and blood and tears.

"So, you are targeting me not only because I am the heir to a chaebol, but also because... I am Lu Qiming's son." Lu Chenshang's voice was hoarse. For the first time, he felt an emotion called "guilt", which overwhelmed him like a tide.

"Yes." Wen Shifei opened her eyes, tears already wiped away, leaving only a bone-chilling chill. "I will make you, and everyone in the Lu family, experience the feeling of losing everything, being deprived of emotion, and ultimately collapsing in pain. That 'Scarlet Code' is just the beginning. It will gradually disintegrate your chip, allowing you to experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness again. Then, when you are happiest and most devoted, I will personally... destroy everything you have."

Her voice was calm, yet held a chilling determination.

Lu Chenheng looked at her, a chorus of emotions welling up within him. Anger, shock, guilt, and a hint of... an inexplicable sting. He wanted to retort, to defend himself, to say he had no knowledge of what had happened, or that it hadn't been his intention. But he knew that any explanation would pale in comparison to the pain Wen Shifei had endured.

"Tianqiong City... is about to change." Wen Shifei said suddenly. She walked to a monitor that showed real-time news footage of Tianqiong City's upper city.

On the news, the host was announcing in a standard and calm tone: "Tianshu Group heir Lu Cheneng has been missing for over twelve hours. The Group has activated its highest-level emergency plan. Simultaneously, the Oracle system has detected large-scale illegal data activity, suspected to be related to the recent attack on the Genetic Identity Database. The Joint Security Council of the Four Major Groups has declared Tiankong City on Level One Alert."

An official photo of Lu Cheneng appeared on the screen, still sporting that cold, rational look. Below the photo was the codename "Fei," labeling him an "extremely dangerous terrorist."

"You're a wanted criminal just like me, Master Lu." Wen Shifei's tone was devoid of emotion. "The Tianshu Group will soon find their way here. What are you going to do?"

Lu Chenshen looked at his own photo on the screen, then looked at Wen Shifei beside him.

He knew that from the moment he stepped into the downtown area and extended a helping hand to Wen Shifei, he had no way out.

After meeting this girl burning with crimson flames, his world completely collapsed, and then was reconstructed on the ruins in a completely new and unknown way.

"How many 'fireflies' can the 'lighthouse' you mentioned connect to?" Lu Cheneng suddenly asked.

Wen Shifei was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting him to ask this.

"Not many, but they're all trustworthy. They're scattered throughout downtown. Some are hackers, some are technicians, and some are... just ordinary people who refuse to be at the mercy of fate." She looked at him warily. "Why are you asking?"

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!