Chapter 45: Imprisoned Fate (II)

Jiang Xingyu's tone carried a hint of complex emotion, and her gaze flickered slightly; she clearly did not intend to continue the discussion in this place.

"You must have seen the Level 4 civilization force field reflection shield beneath the academy, right?"

Her voice was somewhat low, as if she were recalling some heavy past events.

Lin Fan nodded. "Yeah, I definitely saw it."

Jiang Xingyu fell silent for a moment, seemingly brewing on how to start.

Finally, she sighed, a look of slight sorrow appearing on her face. "That was created by my father."

The tone she used when saying this made one feel an indescribable pain, as if that technology was not something she wanted, but rather some kind of burden or regret.

"Your father?"

Jiang Xingyu had always been mysterious, and according to records, her father was the technical director for some kind of aerospace vehicle. But Lin Fan had never expected that this Level 4 civilization shield was actually created by her father.

"Don't ask too much," Jiang Xingyu shook her head gently, seemingly unwilling to continue talking about it.

"It's not convenient here. Let's go somewhere else to talk."

"Alright." Lin Fan agreed in a deep voice, his gaze still following her closely, not intending to easily give up this opportunity.

Jiang Xingyu led him toward a hidden path, passing by several quiet corners, and finally entered a seemingly ordinary building.

The environment here was quiet and remote, with no excessive disturbances around, making it suitable for a secret conversation.

The door closed gently, the lights inside were dim, and the air was filled with a faint, musty scent.

As Jiang Xingyu walked in, she turned around and said to Lin Fan expressionlessly, "You won't regret coming here, but I must also warn you that what follows might shock you."

Lin Fan smiled slightly, his gaze remaining firm. "I have never been afraid of the truth."

A flash of pain crossed Jiang Xingyu's eyes, as if every word carried heavy memories. "Do you know what has become of my father now?"

Her voice was low and trembling, as if she were somewhat afraid to face the truth.

Lin Fan frowned, feeling the unease and sadness in her tone, his heart tightening. "What has become of him?"

Jiang Xingyu slowly turned toward an old computer, on which weak points of light flickered on the seemingly inconspicuous machine.

She pointed to the computer, her tone carrying a mix of helplessness and anger. "He was subjected to slicing research, and his consciousness was uploaded into this computer. Now, his consciousness is forever imprisoned in a virtual world, working non-stop, executing commands that cannot be stopped."

Lin Fan's heart sank sharply; he could not imagine such a situation in his mind. To be sliced, consciousness uploaded, and forever unable to escape shackles—was it actually this cruel?

"Your father…" Lin Fan wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat, difficult to utter.

He felt an indescribable pain. That technology which severed a person's Soul from their body brought not only physical torture but also permanent mental loneliness.

Jiang Xingyu took a deep breath, seemingly wanting to calm her emotions, but clearly, she had not yet emerged from the pain of losing a loved one.

"I can only see him now through the virtual world; occasionally he will communicate with me, but he is no longer a complete person. He is just a program, an existence constantly being controlled."

A flash of despair crossed her eyes. "Father was once the creator of this technology, but now he has become its victim."

Hearing this, a strong sense of sympathy rose in Lin Fan's heart. He could understand Jiang Xingyu's pain at this moment; her father's creation had become her father's shackles, and all she could do was occasionally see his incomplete consciousness in the virtual world.

"Do you want to end all of this?" Lin Fan finally spoke, a flash of determination in his eyes. Although he had not experienced the pain Jiang Xingyu had gone through, he knew that this situation could not continue.

Jiang Xingyu nodded gently, her eyes firm yet carrying a hint of helplessness. "Of course I do. But I cannot change all of this alone. Only a higher-level power can intervene and break these shackles."

"Then I will help you. No matter what, I won't let you bear all of this alone."

"No, Lin Fan, you really don't know the madness of the people behind the scenes. To obtain this kind of technology, they have stopped at nothing. You cannot imagine how they will use this power."

"People behind the scenes? Are you talking about those high-ranking officials in Ningguta?"

Jiang Xingyu's gaze became profound. She nodded slowly, a flash of pain and helplessness in her eyes. "I don't know who the mastermind is, but one thing is certain: they are definitely not the Ningguta Authorities. The authorities have always been trying their best to protect us, and those high-level officials have already seen the immense danger brought by the technology. They hope we stop researching these powers, at least to ensure we don't step into that abyss of no return too early."

Lin Fan frowned slightly, a trace of doubt and shock flashing through his mind. "You mean the Ningguta Authorities are actually stopping us from researching technology in order to protect us?"

Jiang Xingyu sighed softly, seemingly feeling a hint of helplessness at Lin Fan's confusion. "Yes. Without the official intervention, I fear many people would be addicted to the infinite temptations of technology, crazily conducting research, and their final outcome would be the same as my father's. Can you imagine it? Consciousness sliced, uploaded, forever trapped in a cold computer, doing endless work. That kind of torture is worse than death."

Violent fluctuations stirred in Lin Fan's heart. He had never thought that behind all of this, such an astonishing truth was hidden. The Ningguta Authorities were not their enemies, but their guardians, setting restrictions to prevent the abuse of technology.

He looked up, gazing into Jiang Xingyu's deep eyes, and suddenly felt a sense of responsibility surge into his heart.

"So, you're saying we aren't fighting against the authorities, but fighting against those black hands lurking in the shadows?"

Jiang Xingyu nodded, her eyes filled with powerlessness and determination. "Yes, those people only care about the power and benefits that technology can bring; they won't care about anyone's life or death, let alone consider us. And you, although innocent, are constantly becoming their targets. My father was also one of their targets; the technology he created eventually became the object of their crazy experiments."

Lin Fan was silent for a moment, the complex emotions in his heart gradually condensing into a firm resolution. He knew that the road ahead was full of danger, but also full of countless possibilities.

Lin Fan patted Jiang Xingyu on the shoulder and said with a firm gaze, "I understand. Don't worry, I will have a new plan."

Jiang Xingyu lowered her head slightly, sighed softly, and said in a low tone, "Be careful! This is a road of no return."

Her words were heavy, carrying a kind of helpless warning. Immediately after, she slowly pushed open the old door, her footsteps gradually fading into the distance.