"...Shi...Fei...Run..." Broken syllables were squeezed out from between his teeth with difficulty, and each word was filled with the pain of blood foam, "...Run...quickly...I can't control......"

Before he finished speaking, the cold metallic luster surged into his pupils again like a tide! The pain was instantly replaced by a deeper violence!

"No!" Wen Shifei hugged him desperately, tears finally falling, "I won't leave! Lu Chenshang! Come back to me!"

"Increase the dosage!" Dr. Qin shouted at the device with veins bulging on his forehead.

Sizzle——!

A stronger current penetrated! Lu Chen's body was like being struck by high voltage electricity. He suddenly bounced up, then fell heavily to the ground, completely losing consciousness. Only his body was still twitching slightly nervously.

The information center was deathly silent. Only heavy breathing and the low hum of instruments could be heard. The ground was a mess. Several wounded soldiers were being helped to their feet. Li Shuo clutched his ribs, his face grim. Everyone's eyes were focused on the unconscious figure on the ground, filled with shock and fear.

Wen Shifei knelt beside Lu Chenhang, tightly grasping his cold hand, tears silently dripping onto his chest. She looked at Dr. Qin, her voice trembling but filled with unquestionable determination: "Doctor! Tell me! How can we save him? Completely eliminate that thing! No matter the cost!"

Dr. Qin looked at the tiny red mark left by the injection point on the back of Lu Chenheng's neck, then looked at the desperate fire in Wen Shifei's eyes. Finally, he sighed heavily and turned his gaze to the terminal that was tightly protected by Wen Shifei, where the light blue outline of consciousness was still quietly floating.

"The cost... may be greater than you imagine." His voice was hoarse and tired. "To completely remove the active contamination source remaining in his chip, there is only one place that can do it - the core of Pandora Labs, the purification matrix where the mother unit 'Zero' is located. There, there is the most primitive and powerful ability to reset and format neural signals."

He paused, his gaze becoming incomparably sharp as he spoke word by word, "Furthermore, we must utilize 'Wen Yuan Backup' as a consciousness beacon. While formatting the chip, we must also completely destroy the 'Number Zero' matrix. Only by destroying the matrix can we sever the energy foundation of the chip's active contamination source. Otherwise, the contamination will continue to regenerate."

Wen Shifei's body trembled violently. She understood the cruel decision that Dr. Qin had not explicitly stated.

Using his brother's frozen backup as a key, he unlocks the path to destruction. While saving Lu Chenentang, he personally severs the last possibility of his brother's consciousness returning. Furthermore, he must face the unknown horrors of Pandora's core area.

On one side is Lu Chen's life and soul being devoured by entropy.

On one side is his brother Wen Yuan's vague but real "existence" which serves as a cold backup.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, piercing her skin and oozing blood, but she felt no pain at all. The immense pain and choice were like two heavy mountains, pressing down on her shoulders, almost crushing her.

Li Shuo clutched his ribs and trudged to her side, saying in a deep voice, "Shi Fei, there's no time to hesitate. Shen En can't wait. Firefly can't wait. Pandora must be destroyed. This is the root of all nightmares. Dr. Wen Yuan... if he knew, he would make the same choice. Destroying the Matrix and liberating all bound consciousnesses is the best way to comfort him!"

Wen Shifei slowly raised her head, tears still wet, but the confusion and pain in her eyes, under immense pressure, were being replaced by a burning determination. She looked at Lu Cheneng, who lay unconscious on the ground. His pale face still bore traces of struggle.

She can't lose him.

Absolutely not.

She took a deep breath, a breath that carried a piercing pain like a rip in her chest, yet was remarkably steady. She released Lu Chenshang's hand, stood up, and turned to Dr. Qin and Li Shuo. Her face was still stained with tears, but her eyes were like tempered ice, sharp and resolute.

"Prepare for action." Her voice was quiet, but it clearly pierced the oppressive atmosphere, carrying a sense of desperation. "Use the backup as a beacon. Target: Pandora's core area. Mission: Format the chip and destroy the mothership 'Zero'."

She took one last look at the pale blue outline on the screen, her eyes filled with bottomless sadness and a farewell-like determination.

"Brother..." The silent lip language dissipated into the air, "...I'm sorry."

The passage leading to the core area of ​​Pandora Laboratory is like the cold and sticky esophagus of a giant beast.

The air was stagnant, thick with the stench of ozone, the acrid odor of disinfectant, and a deeper, indescribable, sweet smell of decay. Overhead, pale green emergency lights flickered intermittently, illuminating the twisted metal pipes and the dried, strangely colored stains on the walls like a hellish mural. The metal grid beneath my feet groaned under the weight, and every step was accompanied by a hollow echo.

Wen Shifei walked in front, each step heavy. She was connected to a portable neural access terminal, a thin data cable like an umbilical cord connecting her brain to a small holographic projector floating in front of her. The projector projected the pale blue humanoid silhouette that had been copied from Wen Yuan's consciousness. Like a silent ghostly guide, it emitted faint, specific frequency fluctuations of consciousness, guided by Wen Shifei's thoughts.

This fluctuation is their only key.

Li Shuo followed closely behind. His ribs, despite emergency treatment, still ached slightly, but he stood straight, gripping a large-caliber pulse pistol tightly in his hand. His eyes, like a searchlight, scanned every dark corner and fork in the road. His presence was the team's strongest shield.

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