"What are you thinking about?" Wen Shifei seemed to notice his gaze, raised his head, and a faint and tired smile appeared at the corner of his lips, breaking the silence in the warehouse.
Lu Chenheng smiled back, and that smile diluted the cold lines on his face: "Thinking about our first meeting. You were like a lightning that tore through the darkness and invaded the 'Oracle', while I... was still trapped in that cold chip cage, playing the role of the perfect heir. Fate is really ironic. Now, we two who should have been in opposing worlds have become companions who fight side by side against the shackles of the old world." He pondered and finally used the word "companion".
Wen Shifei's eyes dimmed for a moment, a trace of guilt lingering in them. "Back then... I only saw your identity as a chaebol heir, thinking you were cold and heartless, part of the system. Now I know..." She looked at him with a complicated gaze, "...you're also a victim. The core... sacrifice of that cold system."
"No," Lu Chensheng shook his head, his voice low and serious, "I was once the sharpest knife in the system. If it weren't for you... if you hadn't risked your life to implant that 'Scarlet Code' into the core of my chip, I might still be sleeping in that perfect cage without warmth or heartbeat. It's you, Wen Shifei," he stared into her eyes, every word was filled with unquestionable sincerity, "it's you who truly awakened me. Let me feel the anger, the pain... and also... the warmth of hope." His gaze fell on her injured shoulder, and that "warmth" was now mixed with unspeakable heartache.
Wen Shifei's cheeks instantly flushed, looking especially charming under the dim blue screen light. She subconsciously averted her gaze, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes. She whispered, "Don't... don't say that. We're all seeking redemption, for ourselves, and for... all oppressed souls." Her words were tinged with longing for her brother, Wen Shiyu, and a nostalgia for the "mole."
Lu Chenshang stood up and walked in front of her. His tall figure brought an invisible sense of oppression, but also a reassuring power. He reached out his hand, not touching her cheek or hand. Instead, extremely gently and with infinite cherishment, he gently brushed the edge of the gauze wrapped around her left shoulder with his fingertips, as if touching a fragile treasure. Wen Shifei's body stiffened instantly, and then she trembled slightly uncontrollably, but she did not dodge. This subtle contact, like a weak electric current, conveyed a power and trust that was more profound than words in the cold warehouse.
"The road ahead," Lu Cheneng's voice was low, whisper-like, yet filled with immense force, "every step is on a knife's edge, every step could lead to eternal damnation. But," he looked down at her, his eyes as deep as the sea of stars, with an unquestionable promise, "as long as I'm here, you don't need to fear falling. My back will always be your shield."
Wen Shifei raised her head, her gaze meeting his deep eyes in the gloom. Complex emotions swirled within her clear eyes: fear of the future, worry about the injuries, grief for the victims, but ultimately, they were soothed and ignited by the rock-hard radiance in his gaze. She spoke softly, her voice laced with a barely perceptible sob: "Lu Cheneng... What I feared was never the dangers of the abyss. What I feared was... becoming a burden to you, afraid that my existence... would drag you deeper into despair." This was her deepest fear, even more vivid after the finale's bombardment.
Lu Chen's heart felt like it was being violently gripped. He shook his head, his words resounding with conviction, "Remember my words, Wen Shifei. From the moment you awakened me, our destinies became intertwined, inseparable! We are one! We share honor and disgrace, life and death! I will shoulder the blood debt and hope you carry! I will accompany you in the freedom and dawn you seek! Even if the fires of hell burn everything ahead, I will go with you...!" His words, like a vow, echoed in the empty, cold warehouse, with an almost tragic and heroic resolve.
Wen Shifei's pupils dilated slightly, and a surge of warmth mixed with bitterness instantly broke through all the barriers in her heart, flowing through every part of her body. Even the pain in her shoulder seemed to temporarily numb. A thousand words choked in her throat, ultimately translating into a single, trembling yet incredibly firm word: "...Okay!"
No further words were needed. The two of them once again immersed themselves in the cold screen and the vast sea of data. The only sounds in the warehouse were the subtle tapping of virtual keyboards, the mingling of their breathing, and the whimper of the slowly flowing sewage outside. Time slipped silently in intense concentration, the light outside the window turning from pale white to dim yellow, finally swallowed up completely by the thick, inky darkness. Only the faint blue light of the analyzer, like a lonely island in the vast ocean of darkness, stubbornly glowed.
Lu Cheneng quietly moved to a gap in the warehouse that afforded him a view of the waterway outside, keeping watch. A cold night breeze carried the smell of water. In the distance, a few dim lights flickered in the old docks, and the gruff shouts of Black Snake gang members and the rumble of patrol boat engines could be heard faintly.
"The Black Snake Gang is patrolling the docks, but their presence is low. They haven't found our entrance yet," he reported in a low voice, his hawk-like gaze scanning the dark water and the blurred outlines on the other side. "The chaebol's 'bee eyes' haven't appeared again, but I feel... they're more like weaving a web in the dark, waiting to close it."
In front of the analyzer, Wen Shifei rubbed her sore, red eyes, her voice tinged with tired excitement. "The deep structure of Project Zero has been analyzed! Here's the key point!" She turned the screen toward Lu Chenentropy and zoomed in on a complex energy node model. At its core, a miniature, rotating seven-pointed star pattern nestled within the model! "Look, the seven-pointed star! It's not just a symbol of the Awakened, but also the core protocol cluster of the Zero Matrix control network! The emergence of every Awakening Point (one of the seven-pointed stars) is theoretically within the Matrix's monitoring and potential control! But at the same time..." her eyes gleamed with wisdom, "...it's also a potential resonance weakness in the Matrix's defense system! If...if we can completely control the power of the seven-pointed star, especially by finding and uniting with other awakening points, perhaps we can trigger resonance from within, disrupting or even paralyzing the Hive system! Creating an opportunity to destroy the Matrix!"
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