Amid the intense screams, the hacker bit down hard on his tongue.
He forced himself to use the pain from his body to regain a bit of control.
With a mouthful of blood, he stammered, "Then let's... die together!"
His skin began to flush rapidly.
"It's energy-triggered self-destruction!" gasped the interrogator and the people in the black space.
This was a very dangerous and powerful form of body modification—implanted with nano-scale activation devices that could annihilate a large amount of human tissue, unleashing immense energy.
It was almost like turning his body into a small nuclear bomb.
Such modifications were nearly impossible to detect, making them extremely dangerous.
Several assassination attempts against high-ranking officials and corporations had been carried out this way in the Federation.
The only consolation was that this kind of modification was prohibitively expensive, time-consuming, and there were very few places capable of performing it.
Since the Federation began strict controls on this technology, such incidents had become rare.
To their surprise, they were witnessing it today.
Everyone's hearts raced.
Not only would the interrogator be dead, but the Phantom, who was directly connected to the hacker's brain, would also suffer severe consciousness backlash.
Even in the face of intense pain, the hacker's twisted face still showed a triumphant grin.
The next second, however, his smile froze.
He first felt a severe pain radiating through his limbs and body.
—The Phantom had seized control of his body!
He froze for a moment, even forgetting the pain.
Like the members of the Phantom Organization, he was shocked that the Phantom could directly connect to a human brain.
Even the Federation's most elite technical operatives or high-ranking officers with advanced cerebral development, like Yu Zhezhong, faced significant risks in directly connecting to an active brain.
Not to mention reading specific information; even just establishing a connection could lead to irreversible brain damage for both parties.
Now, the Phantom not only connected to his brain but could also control his body?!
Because the hacker had undergone neural and muscular enhancements, he could trigger his own explosion by controlling his neural signals at a critical moment.
It was like a password hidden inside his body.
But as soon as Qin Xuezhong took over his nerves, he could no longer trigger the explosion and was left frozen in place.
The interrogator and everyone in the black space quickly realized what was happening.
They were all elites and understood the triggering mechanism of such self-detonation.
The sudden halt meant only one thing: the Phantom was not only reading the hacker's consciousness but also controlling his nerves.
Soon, the screams stopped, and the hacker's skin returned to normal, leaving only a waterfall of sweat as he slumped unconscious in the chair.
The interrogator, having narrowly escaped death, stood silently, trembling, not daring to move.
The black space fell into a deathly silence.
All that could be heard was Qin Xuezhong's calm voice: "Coordinates acquired. Those who are available, proceed with the dismantling."
The interrogator nodded slightly, responding in a trembling voice, "Yes, my master."
Xiao Qin was taken aback, goosebumps breaking out all over her body.
What master? What's going on… Why did it suddenly turn into a play?
What she didn't know was that the members of the Phantom Organization felt the same way.
Previously, there had been a warm, grassroots atmosphere in the black space, where everyone discussed various topics together.
Even when mentioning the Phantom, the tone was affectionate—as if the Phantom were a big brother or sister leading them in play.
Although they had always had vague suspicions about their seamless connection to the black space, which proved this network was somehow always in touch with them.
However, the Phantom rarely spoke or directly participated in frontline actions, appearing more like an external organizer.
But now, the Phantom could directly control a person's body?
This meant the Phantom could find them anytime, read them, and even control them.
Where there had once been curiosity and admiration, there was now a sense of fear.
Xiao Qin, a bit annoyed, scratched her head and simply tossed the mess to Yu Zhezhong. "You handle the follow-up; if you think there are improvements needed in the Phantom Organization, feel free to take care of it."
"Yes." Yu Zhezhong responded respectfully and then asked, "Should we still have someone investigate the intermediary mentioned by the hacker?"
Since Qin Xuezhong had directly linked to the hacker's brain, she had confirmed that the intermediary's information was authentic.
"What about that Liu Ting office?" Qin Xuezhong inquired.
"Yes, it's actually a nightclub, just named Liu Ting office," Yu Zhezhong replied with a hint of amusement. "It seems you've been a bit tired lately and haven't gone anywhere; maybe... it'd be nice to relax a bit."
Xiao Qin paused.
Suddenly, she experienced the feeling of being a boss—her subordinates not only handled work for her but also cared about her well-being?
Moreover, she had never been to a nightclub before her transmigration.
Not wanting to disappoint Yu Zhezhong's kindness, she quickly agreed, "Okay, I'll go early to avoid coming back too late."
Yu Zhezhong was momentarily stunned.
Qin Xuezhong had just been shocked by the entire Phantom Organization, yet now she was talking about going home early, which struck him as both strange and heartwarming.
He replied, "Alright, I'll arrange it right away."
---
At seven in the evening, Liu Ting opened for entry.
Although located in the slum district, Liu Ting office was actually one of the most upscale nightclubs in the entire Creek Valley City.
Rumor had it that Liu Ting was situated in the slum district to increase the thrill.
Typically, entry time for Liu Ting was nine in the evening, but today it opened two hours early, with all drinks and services at 20% off, attracting a large number of customers.
Rumor had it that a big shot was coming, and they wanted to create a vibrant atmosphere for them.
Since the big shot usually went to bed early, Liu Ting had specially opened two hours early.
Qin Xuezhong arrived shortly after seven, accompanied by Jin Anan.
Earlier in the office, she had thought about inviting Xue Zhi Shi and Xie Kedu to join, but both gentlemen had politely declined, leaving only Jin Anan looking excited.
Qin Xuezhong had no idea why.
Once they arrived at Liu Ting, she saw that the line outside was filled entirely with women!
She immediately realized that, starting from Yu Zhezhong's reaction, she seemed to have overlooked some crucial information.
She quickly searched for information.
[Liu Ting Office: A famous women's nightclub in Creek Valley City, known for male models dancing and stage performances.]
Qin Xuezhong: !!!
Only then did she realize why Xue Zhi Shi and Xie Kedu had declined her invitation, why Jin Anan was so excited, and why Yu Zhezhong suggested she "relax a bit"...
Xiao Qin covered her face, feeling her aloof persona collapse in an instant.
But at the same time, she felt a bit excited.
Having never experienced it, she thought she might as well see what it was all about.
The taxi gradually descended, and the surrounding noise began to close in.
Jin Anan exclaimed, "There are so many people today! I've been here a few times, but I've never seen this many people! It looks like we'll be waiting in line for a while."
Hearing Jin Anan's words, Qin Xuezhong's heart sank.
Wait in line? How could someone as considerate as Yu Zhezhong make her wait? He had said he would arrange things; surely he hadn't prepared some grand entrance for her?
Sure enough, before the car even came to a complete stop, she saw a man and a woman in black vests waiting below.
As soon as the taxi halted, the two disregarded the scorching heat from the engine and quickly approached, holding the car door open.
Once the driver unlocked the door, they respectfully pulled it open.
"Ms. Qin, Ms. Jin, please follow us. We've prepared a luxury private room and the best seats in the main hall for you. The bar has also reserved a spot for you both. Where would you like to go first?"
Qin Xuezhong was taken aback, while Jin Anan looked utterly shocked.
The two of them didn't say a word, and the man and woman didn't rush them, patiently smiling as they waited.
Jin Anan whispered, "What kind of connections does your friend have? This is incredible!"
Qin Xuezhong could only awkwardly shake her head, "I'm not sure. Let's just enjoy ourselves."
Jin Anan's expression brightened even more. "Exactly! Let's go!"
Instead of using the front entrance, they took the VIP passage at the back.
The VIP passage led through the entire club's back lounge, which was noticeably quieter compared to the deafening noise outside.
However, the issue was that the lounge was filled with Liu Ting's staff.
As soon as they entered, Qin Xuezhong spotted someone in an adjacent room changing their shirt.
The glass that should have blurred automatically was completely transparent, and the slightly dim light highlighted the muscular contours of the male model inside.
When he saw Qin Xuezhong and the others passing by, he wasn't shy at all; instead, he turned to them, smiled broadly, and winked at Qin Xuezhong.
Xiao Qin looked back at Jin Anan, who was already blowing kisses at someone on the other side.
She stiffened, her mind going blank.
All she could think about was what Yu Zhezhong said about "relaxing a bit."
How... was she supposed to relax? The head of the Phantom Organization, who had never encountered such a scene, was suddenly flustered.
To divert her attention, she messaged Yu Zhezhong: "Where's the boss of Liu Ting?"
Yu Zhezhong quickly replied, "He's been waiting in his office since this afternoon. No need to rush; you can go find him whenever you're done having fun."
Finished having fun?
Qin Xuezhong's face turned red.
What she didn't know was that Yu Zhezhong, along with several members of the Phantom Organization connected to Liu Ting, had arranged for the boss, who was the intermediary, to wait patiently in his office.
Except for Yu Zhezhong, everyone else thought Qin Xuezhong was sent by the Phantom to conduct an interrogation, so they had meticulously prepared everything.
At that moment, Jin Anan tugged at her arm, leading her to a booth in the main hall.
Suddenly, three exceptionally attractive performers appeared before them, enticingly beginning to dance.
When one of them approached, Jin Anan waved her hand, sending a hefty tip their way.
At Liu Ting, the transfer was accompanied by dazzling visual effects, replacing the tangible feel of cash.
After that, Qin Xuezhong was pulled along by Jin Anan, drinking strange-tasting cocktails, watching various performances, tasting different snacks, and even exchanging numbers with several girls in the dance floor...
Eventually, Jin Anan disappeared somewhere.
Qin Xuezhong, now carrying an inexplicable fragrance, felt she had indeed relaxed quite a bit and finally squeezed her way out of the crowd, quietly heading toward Liu Ting's office area.
The path was completely clear.
The lead attendant guided her to the innermost office and opened the door.
Inside, the boss of Liu Ting, a middle-aged man who looked mature yet still bore traces of youthful beauty, was pacing back and forth, sweating profusely.
Upon seeing Qin Xuezhong enter, he politely greeted her.
Once the room was left with just the two of them, he suddenly knelt down in front of Qin Xuezhong with a thud.