Number 43 trembled with rage at Sun Jack's recent words.
"Then why don't you sacrifice yourself! Why do you only sacrifice others?"
Sun Jack shook his head. "I have sacrificed myself, I'm always at the forefront, ready to die at any moment. Do you think a person who won't even sacrifice themselves is fit to say what I just said?"
"Then why don't you sacrifice your own family! You know how painful it is to watch your loved ones die before your very eyes!"
"I know, of course I know. The entire Rat Alliance Battle Line died five years ago, they were all my relatives and family. They all died because of me, because back then I was the Boss! The leader! I've experienced your feelings a hundred times over! But so what?"
Number 43 stood there, his eyes wide as he stared at Sun Jack, at a loss for words in the face of such brazen righteousness.
He wanted to scold, to curse in anger, but looking into Sun Jack's unwavering eyes, Number 43 knew that no matter what he said, this guy's heart wouldn't be shaken in the slightest.
At this moment, he felt like he was punching cotton, a sense of defeat welling up inside him.
He had specifically requested to come here to see all this, hoping to witness Sun Jack's despair and breakdown.
But now, he understood that no matter what happened, even if a fake Sun Jack took over the entire Metropolis, that expression would never appear on this man's face.
Seeing that Number 43 remained silent, Sun Jack spoke again, "Do you know why, even though so many have been sacrificed, I still have to do this? You're from the Metropolis too. The homeless on the streets, those people driven to madness and suicide by oppression, the prostitutes kneeling in the brothels, haven't you seen them? I have!"
"I haven't told anyone about these things because talking is useless, you have to act."
"If necessary sacrifices have to be made so that there will no longer be new sacrifices in the future, then let all the blame and hatred fall on me, Sun Jack! I'll bear it all!"
"Madman! Madman! Madman!!"
Number 43 yelled at Sun Jack again, "What does it matter to me about homeless people! What does it matter to me about people jumping off buildings! What do the prostitutes have to do with me! The only thing I care about is my Hopelily! She was my everything! You killed her, so I'll destroy everything of yours!!" After saying that, he vanished on the spot.
"An extremist idealist," Sun Jack said as he turned to look at UO behind him. "He's not, he is a tool of the FFP, today's incident was specifically designed to test my psychological defenses."
"I'm talking about you," OU said as he began circling Sun Jack. "It seems they really are afraid of the spread of your ideas. If there were a few more people like you around the world, not only would FFP Director Lan Meng's position be unstable, but all the capitalists on Earth would be uneasy."
"What do you plan to do next? The FFP created a fake past for you, they'll definitely try to diminish your influence as much as possible."
"They might even make you a worldwide laughingstock by broadcasting you live, to diminish your threat."
The thought that the other side's words could become reality made Sun Jack fume inside, but he suppressed his anger and turned towards the next cell. "What else can I do? Figure out a way to break the game, find a way out of here!"
As Sun Jack squeezed his body through the bars and was about to head towards the other cells, he saw UO suddenly block his way once more. UO subtly gestured towards Saotome's cell and then vanished into thin air.
Sun Jack was taken aback by this act, which seemed to suggest something. "Could it be that he was hinting that the old lady riddler really has a way out? Why does this guy want to help me?"
Sun Jack thought it over and decided to take a look. After all, it seemed there weren't any other good options right now.
Having just crawled back through the fence, Sun Jack saw, once again, Saotome—that kind and gentle old lady—standing there just like before.
Before Sun Jack could speak, unexpectedly, she was the one who started talking first, "I've met people like you before."
"That's normal, where there is oppression there is resistance."
"Can one disregard everything for the sake of resistance?" Saotome asked.
"Yes, one can give up everything."
"Even including the most sincere love?"
Confused, Sun Jack wondered how old this old lady was, to still be talking about this with him?
But then remembering the hint from UO, Sun Jack said, "Love is bullshit when you're carrying the lives of thousands on your shoulders. You're not entitled to stop for love and romance. Only when you've kept your promises do you earn the right to do your own thing."
Saotome nodded in understanding, then became as silent as a statue.
"Is this UO trying to set me up?" Sun Jack decided to go back first and ask for clarification.
However, as he had just reached the fence, he heard an old voice behind him starting to resonate, gradually becoming ethereal.
"Sun Jack, since you are willing to sacrifice, I'll give you the opportunity to do so."
When Sun Jack turned around, the old grandmotherly image of Saotome had completely transformed into a tall woman built of various cables and luminescent tubes, floating in mid-air, with her many wires dissolving into the unseen beyond.
"Who are you?" Sun Jack asked warily, eyeing the woman before him.
The woman, looking down on Sun Jack from her lofty position, stared at him with eyes embedded with chips, "You don't need to know who I am, nor what I am. You only need to know I can help you."
"How can you help me? Didn't you say they are monitoring our conversation? Including what we are saying now?" Sun Jack retorted.
With a wave of Saotome's hands, everything around them turned into a stream of data, including Sun Jack himself. The prison walls became incomprehensibly transparent, and Sun Jack felt as if he could no longer sense his own body.
Sun Jack wasn't surprised that someone could do this. None of the entities held here were uncomplicated.
"Now they cannot hear us," Saotome said.
"How will you help me, and what do you want in return?" Sun Jack asked succinctly.
He understood that she had the ability to help him, but whether she wanted to help was another matter.
"I want your life."
Sun Jack looked at her silently for several seconds before speaking, "I can die, but my death must be communicated. Tell my people that the Sun Jack out there is a fake."