Gulf Area Second General Hospital.
The hospital lobby was packed with people. Stretchers lined the walls, and where there wasn't space, makeshift mattresses were laid out for patients. Even the most seasoned data disease doctors and battle-hardened emergency personnel were left feeling their skin crawl at the sight before them.
— Everyone was trembling, rolling their eyes back, and mumbling incessantly. The entire hospital was filled with this terrifying whispering, and just standing in the lobby for a moment made one feel nauseous, as if they had stumbled into some electronic cult's brainwashing session.
The doctors on site were busy injecting sedatives into the most severely affected individuals to prevent them from suffering secondary injuries due to excessive seizures. At that moment, a loud crashing sound came from the examination room at the back of the emergency department.
Initially, no one paid much attention; with so many people in such poor condition, it was normal for something to get knocked over. But seconds later, there was a gasp, followed by increasing commotion. Everyone realized something was amiss.
The first group of individuals exhibiting seizure symptoms began to rise one by one. Their postures were bizarre; heads bowed, arms raised high, and legs contorted as they staggered down from their beds and crawled toward the exit.
Panic ensued. With the hospital already understaffed, the consequences of these individuals going rogue were unthinkable.
"Call the police! Security needs to restrain these people, and everyone else, get the restraint straps!" an elderly doctor commanded loudly.
— Similar scenes were unfolding in hundreds of hospitals across Creek Valley.
Qin Xuezhong received the news. She quickly urged Zhang Yuan and the others who were taking the antivirus program for testing, stating it was an anonymous contact from the ghost, and they should check its safety as soon as possible.
---
Upon hearing that the ghost had provided the materials, the security department, while frantically organizing personnel to maintain order at the hospital, swiftly assembled a verification team. Once the program's safety was confirmed, they intended to use it directly. Not only were they clueless about the symptoms, but they also felt that the ghost, who had previously resolved the subway explosion case, would at least wish to maintain stability in the city.
What Qin Xuezhong didn't expect was that this verification team also included the entire analysis department. The reason provided by the anti-intrusion team was that the analysis department's work related to the brain chip, so they should join in; perhaps they would offer different perspectives. Moreover, since Qin Xuezhong's brain domain development program was advanced, verifying the antivirus program would be more efficient.
This meant she would have to run to the headquarters late at night to work overtime, validating something she had personally handled in the black space. The behind-the-scenes boss of the ghost group felt like a fool.
Fortunately, Xue Zhi Shi specifically reminded her that there would be extra overtime pay tonight and that taxi expenses would be reimbursed. Relieved, Qin Xuezhong hailed a taxi and rushed to the headquarters.
Upon arrival, Xue Zhi Shi was already waiting at the entrance with Jin An An and Xie Ke Duo. When he saw Qin Xuezhong get out of the car, he immediately said, "Let's go, we've been waiting for you."
As they walked inside, he reiterated, "This situation is significant, but it doesn't concern us much. Our task is straightforward: connect, review the program, and if there are no issues, we're done. Don't feel pressured; there are plenty of experienced personnel from the core data division on site, so we won't be the ones in the spotlight."
The three nodded in agreement.
After a moment of silence, Xie Ke Duo asked, "I saw online that this antivirus program was created by the ghost organization; it should be safe."
Xue Zhi Shi paused for a moment, saying nothing as he continued inside. Instead, Jin An An pursed her lips and said, "I'm not so sure; we don't really know their motives. What if all of this was orchestrated by them?"
"Alright, I've said it before, this doesn't concern us. Just verify it, complete the task, and later I'll treat everyone to a late-night snack," Xue Zhi Shi concluded.
Qin Xuezhong quietly observed from behind. In her impression, while Xue Zhi Shi often avoided trouble, he had shown great care for his subordinates during previous negotiations with the anti-intrusion team. Yet this time, he was directly allowing everyone to connect to an unknown program provided by an unknown organization.
Then there was Xie Ke Duo. He had previously discovered that the subway explosion incident was caused by a tech-obsessed recluse, which typically meant he would place a high value on security. It was odd for such a reserved person to suddenly claim there were no issues.
Knowing this, Qin Xuezhong quickly entered the conscious void to check the members of the ghost organization. As expected, Xue Zhi Shi and Xie Ke Duo were both in there… and they were active members of the Zero section, directly involved in the development of this antivirus program!
Furthermore, Xue Zhi Shi's invitation code had originated from Case, sent to the Mercenary Club under the "Ship Fire" moniker!
Xue Zhi Shi was the detective who had previously undertaken a commission task for her???
Qin Xuezhong sighed, feeling that the world was far too small.
With events unfolding this way, she began to have a bad premonition.
When they entered the temporary conference room at headquarters, Qin Xuezhong used her connections in the conscious void to roughly locate everyone's positions. To her surprise, she discovered that a small portion of the attendees in the conference room were members of the ghost organization!
With her presence as the leader, it was essentially becoming an internal meeting of the ghost organization.
It wasn't entirely surprising, though.
Although Creek Valley had a large population, Xie Ke Duo was a tech geek, Zhang Yuan was a tech cop, and Kai Si was a security expert… According to the Mercenary Club's records, Xue Zhi Shi was also an expert in data defense.
Thus, most of the people they invited were prominent figures in the field of cybersecurity. As a result, nearly half of the top hackers and data security experts in Creek Valley had joined the ghost organization. And now, they all found themselves meeting here.
Since they needed to verify a piece of software, the security department naturally gathered internal experts. The antivirus program itself was solid, and with the developers present, the verification process turned into a mere formality.
"It's fine; very safe," stated an elderly man, his attire and expression stiff. Qin Xuezhong noted that he told jokes that only the younger generation would understand in the Zero section.
"I don't see any issues, and this program could very well become a breakthrough in neural data research," said a middle-aged woman with a scholarly elegance. Yet Qin Xuezhong knew she was ruthless in the Zero section, often putting people in their place with her scoldings.
"Alright, let's release it quickly," urged a very attractive young girl, lightly tapping the table. She was surprisingly recognized as an expert in the Zero space, and many assumed she was an elderly man.
Familiar faces, but unknown hearts…
Even someone like Old Xue, who constantly talked about taking it easy, turned out to be a top mercenary making money off commissions. Who would have thought this bushy-browed, big-eyed guy had secretly betrayed the revolution?
As Qin Xuezhong watched the performances of these people in the conference room, her worldview shattered.
The entire inspection process went unusually smoothly. When you check your own work, how could it not be smooth?
Before long, the program was quickly copied and distributed to various hospitals. It was also uploaded to terminals and installed in patrol cars, ensuring it could be accessed anywhere in Creek Valley at any time.
In a very short time, the entire situation calmed down. Both the security department and the ghost organization gained some breathing room to analyze the reasons behind this incident, hoping to uncover some clues for resolution.
After a late-night meal with her colleagues, Qin Xuezhong returned home and slept soundly until nearly noon when she lazily got up to head to the office. According to the security department's overtime policy, if one worked past midnight, they could come in after lunch the next day—Xie Ke Duo often took advantage of this, playing games in the office and arriving only at noon.
Everything was calm.
Creek Valley, having experienced last night's turmoil, was quieter than usual. Just when Qin Xuezhong thought she could breathe a sigh of relief, she received a system notification.
[Permission Upgrade Notification]
[Chip Data Analysis Department Level 3 Staff Qin Xuezhong, due to outstanding job performance, has been promoted to Level 4 and appointed as a long-term advisor to the Anti-Intrusion Team of the Creek Valley Security Division. Congratulations, let's work together as the sword and shield of humanity!]
Qin Xuezhong: ???
What on earth?
She looked confusedly at Xue Zhi Shi, who had also received the message. He hesitated and quietly called Qin Xuezhong aside.
"Little Qin, tell me, are you part of the ghost organization?" Old Xue asked in a hushed tone.
Qin Xuezhong's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly shook her head. "No, how could I be? I've heard it's filled with big shots."
"I guessed as much," Old Xue nodded. "Let me tell you, among the people we had verifying the antivirus program yesterday, several are likely members of the ghost organization, and that program was probably developed by them."
"Last night's events led to a lot of people getting promoted—from grassroots officers to headquarters tech staff; anyone who contributed was elevated," Xue Zhi Shi explained the general situation, then turned to Qin Xuezhong. "You were contacted by the ghost organization after resolving the subway explosion, right? Now you're the only known person possibly linked to them."
Qin Xuezhong's expression darkened—her position as the leader, akin to being a ghost herself, made her the first exposed member of the entire ghost organization???
She understood what Xue Zhi Shi was implying. The internal cohesion of the ghost organization was strong, and many members held power and influence. After a successful attack and rescue, everyone enjoyed collaborating. Naturally, many wanted to continue strengthening these ties, like wanting to deepen a budding romance after a first date.
In this wave of promotions, it wouldn't be much effort to take care of Qin Xuezhong, this "suspected insider."
Xue Zhi Shi concluded, "Little Qin, Level 4 permission is equivalent to a section chief; some deputy bureau chiefs only have Level 4… You should be careful."
Qin Xuezhong felt despair. With such high permissions, any available positions could easily promote her, right?
She had originally just wanted someone to help with the work…
But unexpectedly, she felt like she had been set up by these people instead???