Lu Zhaoming stood in front of the control panel, staring at the constantly changing data stream on the screen.
The light from the machine shone on his face, making his gaze appear even more resolute.
Professor Lin's voice broke the silence: "'Annihilation Light' is not simply a weapon of destruction, but a technology capable of reshaping human civilization. It can eliminate all contaminated genetic chains, but it may also lead to large-scale extinction of life."
Lu Zhaoming frowned slightly, pondering the matter. He asked, "What is the cost of using it?"
Professor Lin hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said frankly, "The price is that the user's own mental energy will be completely devoured. In other words, the person who activates it will pay with their life."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoming's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He turned to look at Afu and Xiaohu, whose eyes were also filled with shock and confusion.
“Time is of the essence, we must find a solution as soon as possible,” Lu Zhaoming said calmly. “Afu, you assist Professor Lin in analyzing the data to see if there are any ways to optimize the operational efficiency of ‘Annihilation Light’ and avoid unnecessary casualties.”
"Yes, Boss Lu!" Afu responded immediately and quickly got to work.
Lu Zhaoming then turned to Xiaohu: "Xiaohu, go patrol the outer perimeter to prevent a surprise attack by the remaining Blood Raven forces. Be careful, Green Snake may have a backup plan."
"No problem, Brother Lu, don't worry!" Although young, Xiao Hu was full of enthusiasm and accepted the mission without hesitation, then turned and left the control room.
Lu Zhaoming watched Xiao Hu's departing figure and silently prayed in his heart.
He turned back to Professor Lin and Afu to continue discussing how to optimize the operational efficiency of "Annihilation Light".
The data jumped around on the screen at lightning speed, and every line of code seemed to hide countless secrets.
Suddenly, Xiao Hu's voice came through the communicator: "Brother Lu, I've discovered a hidden passage! It contains a large number of records about the early experiments of Blood Raven!"
Lu Zhaoming's heart tightened, and he quickly walked toward the passage that Xiao Hu had discovered.
The passageway was dark and damp, with a musty, musty smell permeating the air.
The occasional flickering light on the wall casts dappled shadows, as if telling secrets of the past.
Lu Zhaoming held his breath and carefully stepped into the passage.
At the end of the passage was a secret room, with rows of filing cabinets neatly arranged on the walls.
Lu Zhaoming quickly opened a filing cabinet, which was filled with documents and data chips.
He took out a chip, inserted it into his handheld device, and lines of text and data immediately appeared on the screen.
These records reveal a startling fact: Blood Raven's "consciousness uploading" technology actually originated from the betrayal of a scientist before the nuclear war, and this scientist was Professor Lin's father.
Lu Zhaoming's brows furrowed more and more, and his doubts grew stronger.
The reason why Professor Lin has always harbored complex feelings towards Blood Raven has finally been answered.
The system interface popped up a prompt: "Host's emotional fluctuations have been detected. It is recommended to reassess the credibility of the current allies."
Lu Zhaoming took a deep breath, carefully put away the file chip, and turned to leave the secret room.
His steps were heavy, as if a thousand-pound stone was pressing on his heart.
Back in the control room, watching Professor Lin and Afu busy at work, he felt conflicted and struggling.
Just as he was about to tell Professor Lin about this discovery, suddenly, a cold light flashed, and Lu Zhaoming's eyes sharpened.
He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of coldness: "Professor Lin, there are some things you probably need to explain to me properly..." Lu Zhaoming stepped back into the control room, his deep eyes like an X-ray machine, staring straight at Professor Lin, making the old professor feel uneasy, and even the surrounding air seemed to drop several degrees.
The hum of the machine sounded particularly oppressive at that moment, like the calm before a storm, making it hard to breathe.
“Professor Lin,” Lu Zhaoming’s voice was flat and emotionless, yet it was like a dagger chilled to ice, precisely piercing the other’s most sensitive nerve, “shouldn’t you tell me about your father’s ‘glorious past’ with Blood Raven? Don’t try to dodge my questions; I’m not exactly a patient person.”
Professor Lin's face turned deathly pale in an instant, like a primary school student caught red-handed, with cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He closed his eyes in anguish, his wrinkled face contorted like old tree bark, as if he were going through a battle between heaven and man.
After a long while, he finally opened his eyes listlessly, his voice hoarse as if it had been rubbed hard with sandpaper: "Yes... Judge Lu, I... I did conceal it. That damned information, the source of Blood Raven's damned 'consciousness uploading' technology, is indeed... indeed related to my father."
Ah Fu, who was standing to the side, was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped to the ground. He slammed the data tablet in his hand onto the metal floor with a "thud," making a crisp yet embarrassing sound.
Good heavens! Is this melon even ripe?
That's so exciting!
Professor Lin took a deep breath, as if using all his strength. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked at Lu Zhaoming with a hint of despair and pleading: "I know I was wrong! Terribly wrong! But I swear, my original intention was only to stop that heartless bastard Chi Xiao from continuing to abuse this technology, and not to let more innocent people become experimental subjects! I don't want to see my father's research become a weapon in their hands to slaughter the world!" The old professor's voice trembled with suppressed emotion, and it didn't sound like he was just acting.
Lu Zhaoming, however, showed no expression. He merely glanced at him indifferently, his gaze as calm as a deep pool of water, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
He didn't respond immediately, but slowly turned around, his gaze fixed on the data streams still jumping wildly on the console screen. The dim blue light reflected on his angular profile, making him appear somewhat unpredictable.
After a long silence, he whispered, his voice almost drowned out by the hum of the machine: "Trust is a very expensive luxury, Professor. It seems we'll have to pay this bill together."
He paused, his fingertips tapping slowly and deliberately on the cold control panel, making soft "tap, tap, tap" sounds, each beat seeming to tread on the hearts of everyone present.
"So, Professor, don't waste your time."
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