At the same time that Qin Xuezhong was retrieving the original footage, in a corner of the hotel's control room, an inconspicuous employee seemed to suddenly activate some implanted consciousness. He dialed a communication line.
On the other end, a distorted electronic voice said, "It's time."
The employee appeared to muster great courage as he replied, "Yes, I'll take care of it right away."
With that, he immediately got up.
A nearby colleague asked, "Are you going to the restroom? I'll go with you."
He shook his head, "I'm going to get something to eat."
His colleague laughed, "Get me a drink while you're at it."
He didn't turn back, seemingly afraid to let his colleague see his expression, and simply nodded, "Sure."
Though he verbally agreed, the employee didn't head to the dining area at all. Instead, he made his way to a deeper part of the hotel's pipe system.
Logically, he shouldn't have access to this area.
However, as he walked through, the guards seemed to overlook him. All the surveillance cameras ignored his presence as well.
In fact, in the hotel's monitoring room, the footage showed nothing but emptiness.
If Qin Xuezhong had seen this scene, she would have immediately understood that this was still the invisible killer, utilizing the hyper-realistic virtual dream system of the Golden Mountain Hotel to create this strange phenomenon.
The employee entered the pipe area without any hindrance, skillfully making his way to the innermost section. After walking around in an older area for a while, he directly opened a discarded air exchange unit.
Inside were rows of dust-covered boxes, seemingly left untouched for a long time.
He expertly input a password, and after verification, opened the box, revealing neatly arranged compressed energy blocks that looked as good as new, softly glowing with a faint blue light.
These were military-grade energy blocks, with a high compression density; with slight modifications, they could become high-energy explosives.
Judging by the simple wiring on top, it was clear these had already been modified.
He quickly transported the energy blocks to various locations throughout the vast underground pipe system. Anyone familiar with the hotel's structure would soon realize that he was installing the energy blocks at the hotel's main load-bearing columns and the cooling system of the control room below.
The cameras in the pipe area followed his movements, seemingly monitoring every step he took to ensure he completed his task—his backer was utterly ruthless, willing to destroy the entire hotel to cover up the creation of false images.
The person behind the cameras appeared relaxed, controlling them as they panned around to observe the surroundings.
After completing all this, the employee sat down next to the last energy block.
His expression was resolute as he took a deep breath, preparing to detonate it.
Just then, he heard a faint male voice.
"I found you."
Immediately, a faint electric shock burst from the back of his head—someone had forcibly hacked into his chip, causing an overload that rendered him unconscious.
The camera monitoring him also froze, seemingly confused about what had just happened.
Meanwhile, his coordinates were reported to Qin Xuezhong's ghost space, and two elite teams were already racing toward that location.
---
Upon seeing the employee collapse in the camera feed, Qin Xuezhong smiled slightly and let out a breath of relief.
Just moments ago, when she discovered the tampered original footage, her virtual consciousness had gained control over the entire hotel's system, naturally allowing her to identify the trigger program hidden within.
She immediately shared this with Yu Zhezhong.
Yu Zhezhong deduced that this program would send a warning message to a specific IP when the original footage was accessed.
Qin Xuezhong decided that Yu Zhezhong would play the role of a ghost while she provided technical support from behind the scenes.
Dealing with these lunatics and conspirators in Creek Valley City all day was too bothersome, especially when it interrupted her meal.
To enjoy her meal in peace, she took over the entire hotel's permissions and directly locked down the top-level restaurant.
The people in the restaurant were terrified to find that all the emergency lights flickered for a moment, and then all the exits were sealed off. The air conditioning and ventilation ducts began to close as well.
The entire restaurant started to pressurize, and they could feel the floor vibrating slightly.
—This was a sign that the flight system of the top-level restaurant was being activated.
Qin Xuezhong had seen the introduction before coming; the top-level restaurant of the Golden Mountain Hotel was actually a small mothership. Not only could it take flight for dining in the air, but it could also serve as an escape pod in emergencies.
However, this vessel would definitely inform guests ahead of time before taking off; it would never lock everyone inside without warning.
As the guests exchanged worried glances, a voice came from the restaurant's broadcast system.
"Good evening, everyone. Due to a large amount of explosives on the lower floors of the Golden Mountain Hotel, which are related to an unsolved case, we, the Ghost Organization, have temporarily taken over the top-level restaurant. Please remain calm and continue dining."
With this announcement, the people in the restaurant started to panic.
Why had they come today? Wasn't it to see Qin Xuezhong, the person rumored to have close ties with the Ghost Organization?
As those qualified to meet Qin Xuezhong, their minds had already been implanted with suggestions not to leak related information; any violation would trigger a death switch.
This was not just a security measure by the Fifth House but also a warning—Qin Xuezhong's status and importance were greater than theirs.
This meant that Qin Xuezhong could go berserk and kill them all, facing only minor consequences at most.
The guests thought: They had heard that Qin Xuezhong, because of her background, had been treated differently within the Dreamscape and had even been targeted by the Fifth House… Now that she had power, would she seek revenge?
While they were anxious, several screens in the restaurant displayed the timeline of the Mu Tingdeng incident.
—A future reserve executive had gone missing, the proud hyper-realistic virtual dream system had been hacked, and explosives capable of destroying the entire hotel were hidden underground…
The chairman of the Golden Mountain Hotel turned pale.
If this information was true, he could forget about continuing his position!
He instinctively glanced at Qin Xuezhong, who was leisurely picking at her food—could it be that she had discovered all this?
Otherwise, why would this woman be here dining today?
Or perhaps she had just happened to come here to eat and stumbled upon this issue?
Regardless of the possibility, this woman was terrifying!
Others were thinking the same.
Looking at the scene, everyone was terrified, yet Qin Xuezhong appeared completely unfazed, still eating as if nothing was wrong.
Only the hotel manager responsibly asked, "What do we need to do?"
He was genuinely confused.
With danger present, they were locked inside without any explanation of what was about to happen—what was the purpose?
Yu Zhezhong simply replied, "Wait."
Qin Xuezhong was indeed enjoying her meal, but at the same time, she was using her virtual consciousness to control the situation.
As for launching the restaurant, it wasn't for safety; she just wanted to experience it and have a bit of fun.
Meanwhile, she was also supporting the action on the other side.
Under the powerful invasion capabilities of her virtual consciousness, everything around the target appeared as a holographic map in front of Yu Zhezhong.
Every wire carrying current or signals, every passing person, every stopped vehicle, every running machine, and every screen displaying various images were crystal clear.
The target was hiding in a regular rental apartment, surrounded by numerous cameras, signal detectors, and embedded explosives.
—This person had practically turned their hiding place into a fortified fortress.
Due to the complex situation, any misstep could alert the individuals inside. Thus, the members of the Ghost Organization were surprised to find that the Ghost "itself" was speaking for the first time to command the operation.
Though a voice modulator was still in use, the calm and professional tone of Yu Zhezhong made it clear that this person's skills and experience were top-notch.
"Team One, enter through the south staircase. The infrared and dynamic detectors will deactivate immediately; follow my instructions," Yu Zhezhong clearly communicated the situation without unnecessary chatter. "3, 2, 1, move."
"Team Two, activate the vibration suppressor, drill through the glass, and enter from the outer wall. Be aware that there are independent sensors inside the wall; remember to scan the positions."
"There are triggered combat robots within the front wall. Use the adjacent pipe; the socket is number three, and make sure to minimize the disassembly noise."
"Team Two, there may be unnetworked anti-armor landmines on the left; be sure to scan…"
Yu Zhezhong quickly assessed the situation and provided the most suitable commands.
Even without any communication among the team members, through occasional eye contact, they all sensed that the team was at ease.
From Yu Zhezhong's first command, the members began to build confidence.
With such a commander, everyone just had to focus on their tasks, and success was assured.
—Truly the Ghost Organization!
The thrill of such coordinated action was exhilarating.
Before long, both teams arrived at the target room.
"There is some electromagnetic shielding within the room, preventing us from getting specific details. Directly use magnetic explosives, paired with gel and stun grenades; the order of deployment is…"
With just a few concise words, Yu Zhezhong laid out the action plan. Even if there was an armored monster inside, under such an assault, it would only have one fate—defeat.
With clear commands, the front-line team members acted decisively. Before the occupants had any chance to respond, a series of attacks erupted.
Then, silence fell.
Once the smoke cleared, there was only one completely unconscious individual lying in the room.
"Secure the area and leave first," Yu Zhezhong ordered.
Meanwhile, he updated the situation back in the restaurant.
"Alright, the person controlling the virtual system and placing the energy blocks has been apprehended. Please check your work carefully; don't let us, the Ghost Organization, handle everything every time."
With this statement, the screens went dark.
That last line was something Qin Xuezhong had requested Yu Zhezhong to say.
Everyone present could confirm that today's events were undoubtedly related to Qin Xuezhong.
They all had connections, and upon seeing the Ghost Organization's message, a quick investigation would reveal that the assassin sent to kill Mu Tingdeng had just been detained at the Bay Flow District Public Security Bureau.
Perhaps Qin Xuezhong wanted to see what was happening, only to discover clues through the Ghost Organization…
What was most terrifying was that upon discovering the danger, she and the Ghost Organization had swiftly neutralized the threat, taking down the main culprit behind it.
The people present had long been accustomed to protracted schemes, negotiations, compromises, and connections; it had been a long time since they had witnessed such rapid action.
Everyone was pondering if they had angered Qin Xuezhong, would they also face such fierce retribution?
A seed of fear quietly began to sprout in everyone's hearts.