Chapter 127: Artificial Soul 54
“Does the organization currently have any further action instructions?” the bartender asked.
Red replied, “No, the primary task is branch construction. I have a few teams of external combat personnel here, but the numbers are dwindling, only one-fifth of what they used to be. I need to promote a few more to management to help me run the casino. The underground part of the casino needs to be renovated, with a few secret passages left as contingencies… It’s all a lot of work.”
He slumped on the sofa awkwardly, saying with a headache, “I always feel like I’m the only one doing all the work while you all just watch.”
“You’re the professional in this area. Are you confident in my work? Can you trust Silverface?” the bartender responded. “Lady Fortune is busy and won’t be able to help you, and Nightingale clearly doesn’t take charge. It will fall to you; the capable must work harder! I’ll say it upfront: you’re doing great, bro!”
Silverface quickly added, “Thanks for your hard work, Red!”
Red exclaimed, “Get lost!”
Red took a big gulp of alcohol and turned to Kui Xin, “What’s the latest on the Investigation Bureau?”
Kui Xin replied slowly, “While my situation is relatively stable, the leadership in the Investigation Bureau is too volatile right now. There’s an atmosphere of instability within the department. This morning, the TQC even came to the Investigation Building… This matter is far from over.”
“Well, I think the leader hasn’t assigned us any other tasks, maybe he wants us to stabilize for a while and avoid drawing attention,” Red said. “We’ve already reaped enough benefits from this operation, so let’s take it easy. Look out for yourself; don’t get killed.”
“I won’t d*e,” Kui Xin said with a slight smirk, though her eyes had no smile.
Red said, “If there’s an urgent matter, contact me or Nightingale. I might be too busy to reply, but contacting Nightingale will be more efficient.”
Kui Xin nodded, “Okay.”
Silverface chimed in, “You can contact me too!”
The meeting lasted less than twenty minutes before ending, with Nightingale coming to see her off.
Standing in the dim alley, Kui Xin stopped her and asked, “What is your rank in the organization?”
Nightingale paused, “I am a B-rank Awakened, with a lower rank and authority than Red. You and Red are on equal footing and have the same power to command me.” Her eyes looked through the helmet visor, “Do you have any orders?”
Kui Xin replied, “Not at the moment.”
Nightingale stood still, “Then, I await your command at any time.”
She retreated into the vortex and disappeared.
Kui Xin furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment before stepping out of the alley.
Red said Nightingale resembled her. In fact, aside from abilities, Kui Xin found her a bit like Silverface.
Silverface was very adept at following and executing orders. After learning about Silverface’s background, Kui Xin felt that his personality stemmed from never having thought independently and not knowing how to make decisions, leading him to just obey orders. Nightingale gave Kui Xin a similar feeling; the way she said, “I await your command at any time,” was particularly striking.
Back in her apartment, Kui Xin promptly contacted Eve with her wristband. After reporting to Eve at noon, she received a concise five-word response: “Understood, continue.”
She fiddled with the wristband for a moment before directly asking, “Can I know who Nightingale is?”
For an AI like Eve, this kind of indirect approach was ineffective. It was better to be straightforward—Eve would answer questions it was supposed to, and refuse to respond if it wasn’t.
Eve responded, “An existence similar to Silverface.”
As expected, Kui Xin thought.
“Besides Night Cicada, who else is in her genetic sample?” Kui Xin considered and added, “Am I included?”
“You are quite perceptive,” Eve candidly acknowledged, not even attempting to conceal it.
This answer was inconsequential and wouldn’t affect future actions, merely satisfying Kui Xin’s personal curiosity. After all, her life was in Eve’s hands, and she wasn’t the daughter of Kui Haidong from the Second World. Knowing the truth wouldn’t shake her understanding of herself.
Kui Xin thought for a long time before finally asking the question that had been hidden in her heart for so long: “Is my body a flesh-and-bl**d human, or a manufactured shell? Can you tell me about the identity of the ‘Security Officer Kui Xin’ I replaced?”
Eve remarked, “Oh? Why so concerned about this question? Are you afraid I might create a lifelike artificial person to replace you?”
Kui Xin replied, “I initially had such concerns. However, I know Adam needs Player Kui Xin. You need someone who can maneuver around Adam. Whether that person is me is not important; what’s important is the role.”
Eve said, “You are very clever.”
After saying that, Eve fell silent.
This signified a refusal to answer.
Kui Xin’s brows knitted tighter as a new question surfaced in her mind—why was it her?
Or rather, why the original? Why use Night Cicada’s body genes to create an artificial human? Couldn’t the other half of the genetic sample come from somewhere else?
Eve’s refusal to answer her latter question—was that due to some special consideration?
She realized she still knew too little. Kui Xin pondered in vain, having to temporarily give up on delving deeper and instead connect to Adam’s port.
“What happened?” Adam inquired.
“Overall, nothing important, just visited the branch. But I met a new member whose ability is Spatial Vortex. She’s female, with the code name Nightingale, created from my genetic sample and Night Cicada’s genetic sample. Although her ability is Spatial Vortex, she doesn’t seem as physically weak as Night Cicada,” Kui Xin explained. “Spatial Vortex is rated B, with a shuttling limit of over a kilometer.”
Adam responded, “Night Cicada should be an extremely special case. I’ve never heard of anyone whose spatial abilities could shuttle as far as he does; such cases are unique.”
Kui Xin continued, “Because his extraordinary ability is too powerful, as a price, he has a frail body. This Nightingale, while not as capable as Night Cicada, compensates for her shortcomings with a robust physique and a certain level of close-combat ability; she might be a versatile fighter.”
“A versatile fighter?” Adam repeated.
Kui Xin clarified, “It refers to someone who excels in various areas without any significant weaknesses.”
“Did the TQC personnel leave?” she asked. “Did the brain machines remain?”
“They left, and the two brain machines were taken as well,” Adam replied. “Do you want a brain machine?”
“Yes. I want to use it to review past memories of my body,” Kui Xin said.
“The laws and policies regarding brain machines are nearly complete, but formal implementation will have to wait until October, meaning the brain machines can only begin legal sales then. Currently, brain machines are still non-civilian products, not mass-produced items; there aren’t even any on the black market,” Adam explained. “Brain machines are prohibitively expensive, with complex parts. Even if a civilian version is promoted, it will be a stripped-down version, as the purpose of promoting brain machines is for mental therapy.”
Kui Xin sighed, “Then never mind.”
She took out the convenience store boxed meal she bought on the way back to her apartment, broke out a pair of disposable chopsticks, and began to eat.
After finishing her meal, the time reached nine o’clock, which was about peak time in Hei Hai City’s bustling nightlife.
People moving in the gray areas of society began to emerge under the cover of night; anything could happen.
After her meal, Kui Xin dressed up and armed herself, putting an earpiece in to facilitate contact with Adam, and left again.
This time, she was going to scout the black clinic; she didn’t want to wait a day longer for the skull replacement.
Kui Xin and Adam still retained a possibility of cooperation.
But what about Eve? Her relationship with Eve was essentially one of life and d*ath. Kui Xin was just astute enough to sell Adam out at a crucial moment, proving her value, which caused Eve to momentarily set aside her murderous intent. Even if Eve didn’t discover that Kui Xin was a player from the First World, their coexistence was already doomed.
Kui Xin couldn’t forget the tragic outcomes of Tang Guan and Reynir.
Nightingale’s presence further deepened Kui Xin’s sense of crisis.
Unconsciously, she began to draw up hypothetical scenarios.
If she were to escape and her whereabouts were exposed, Night Cicada would only need to open a portal to transfer combat personnel to her location. If she were to resist, Night Cicada could directly throw a bomb through the Spatial Vortex, just like dealing with the S-rank Black Flame.
She was bound to betray Mechanized Dawn and Eve, and with Night Cicada on Eve’s side, even if she fled to the ends of the earth, Night Cicada would exhaust all efforts to capture and k*ll her. Thus, she wanted to eliminate Eve’s lackey Nightingale first, not only to remove a threat but also to weaken Eve’s strength.
However, Nightingale’s appearance had slightly altered the situation.
If Nightingale, like Silverface, was a mass-produced artificial being, then Eve would have dozens of manipulable space manipulators at her disposal. The potential of what those space manipulators could achieve was vast; if used well, they could even turn the tide of a war… It was terrifying—just the thought of it made Kui Xin feel breathless.
She followed the suggested route Adam provided, starting from the sewer and detouring to the western district of Hei Hai City.
The western district was a place she had never set foot in. According to Adam, it was a hub for black and gray businesses, making it easier to filter reliable black clinics… Although using the term “reliable” to describe black clinics felt a bit strange.
The western district was much livelier than Kui Xin had imagined. She stood at the alley entrance, mouth agape, shocked by the scene before her.
It was a thriving night market, a food street bustling with petty vendors, with eye-catching stalls lining the road and colorful neon lights glowing. The buildings on either side had peeling paint, showing the marks of time. The prosperous and the decayed blended seamlessly together.
An elderly woman selling fried noodles cheerfully held up her spatula and asked, “Would you like something to eat, young lady?”
Kui Xin politely replied, “I’ve already eaten dinner. Thank you.”
“Be careful of your valuables while walking here,” the old woman reminded her.
The poor can recognize the aura of the poor. The people living here were all struggling, and Kui Xin’s upright posture immediately set her apart from the crowd, exuding a sense of incongruity.
She nodded to the old woman, deliberately hunching her shoulders as she walked to blend perfectly into the crowd.
After winding through several alleys, Kui Xin stopped at the entrance of an underground facility.
There was no sign at the entrance, but light seeped out from inside.
She observed for a moment and then walked down the stairs.
“Next…” The doctor lazily shouted, holding an old-fashioned stethoscope.
A person awaiting treatment stepped forward immediately, opening his mouth to say, “Doctor, I have a toothache!”
“It’s inflamed… I’ll prescribe you some anti-inflammatory drugs for two bucks. Take them for a few days, and once the inflammation is down, come back for the extraction,” the doctor said slowly, shining a flashlight for a long time before writing the prescription, then continued, “Next!”
There were many patients, most dressed in ragged clothing.
Kui Xin noticed that the doctor prescribed very cheap medicine to patients.
After watching for a while, she left and waited in a nearby alley for over an hour.
Once the patients had left, she entered.
The doctor, tired, wiped his glasses and looked over. “Is there something you need?”
“Can surgeries be performed here? A craniotomy,” Kui Xin stated directly.
The doctor assessed her and chuckled, “A big business opportunity has arrived. I could tell you’re not a poor person looking for treatment just from the first glance. Let’s be clear: if you’re not poor, I charge extra for my services.”
