45: Chapter 45 The Truth About the Virtual World

As the morning light pierced through the morning mist of the eastern suburbs of Los Santos, Lin Fan and his group were already standing before the entrance of the abandoned subway tunnel. The tunnel entrance was covered with rusty barbed wire, and a warning sign hung on it, rattling in the wind, stating, "Construction Restricted Area, No Entry." It cast an eerie atmosphere in the silent morning light.

"This is it?" Franklin kicked the barbed wire, his fingertips tracing the cold metal mesh, his brows tightly furrowed. "Elizabeth said the Core Area is under this tunnel, but this dilapidated place looks like even a rat would find it too remote. What kind of quantum computer could be hidden here?"

Kate, who had just finished organizing her tactical backpack, looked up at the darkness deep within the tunnel and said calmly, "The military's and Victor's security measures are always extreme. The more inconspicuous a place, the more likely it is to hide something crucial. Last night, I cracked the military's encrypted map, and the coordinates of the Core Area indeed point here. Furthermore, there's strong signal shielding deep inside the tunnel, which should be to block the core's radiation and signals."

Lin Fan squatted down, his fingertips caressing the broken stones on the ground. The fatigue from last night still lingered in his eyes, but his gaze was sharper than ever. Since they decided to team up at the southern suburban villa last night, they had been preparing all night—Elizabeth provided the general location of the Core Area and the military's deployment map, Kate cracked three access passwords, Michael contacted reliable subordinates to guard the perimeter, strictly preventing pursuit from the military and the Snake Fang Gang, and he had the system unlock the "Signal Penetration" skill to ensure communication within the shielded area.

"Victor has initiated the lockdown procedure, so there must be many of his Digital Legion patrolling the perimeter of the Core Area." Lin Fan stood up, slinging his assault rifle onto his shoulder, and checked the Desert Eagle at his waist again. "Michael, you and Franklin go first, I'll cover the rear, Kate will provide support in the middle. If you encounter the Digital Legion, try to finish the fight quickly, don't get bogged down. Our target is the core computer."

"Don't worry, I'm good at this!" Franklin grinned, pulling out a modified shotgun from his backpack, its body wrapped in anti-slip tape. "I didn't even flinch when stealing tanks from the military base, this small scene is nothing!"

Michael also nodded, his sniper rifle already loaded. "I'll keep an eye out for enemies in the dark. You just charge forward."

The group worked together to cut the barbed wire and entered the tunnel. The tunnel was pitch black, with only the beams of their tactical flashlights flickering ahead, illuminating the mottled, damp walls. Water droplets dripped down the rock face, making a "drip-drop" sound that echoed in the empty tunnel, making it particularly eerie. The air was filled with the smell of rust and mold, and thegravel underfoot hurt their feet, with every step producing a clear sound.

"Be careful, there might be traps ahead." Kate suddenly stopped, squatted down, and her fingertips explored the ground, quickly finding a thin steel wire. "It's a tripwire mine, luckily we found it early." She took out pliers from her backpack, carefully cut the steel wire, and then checked the surroundings. After confirming there were no other traps, she signaled for everyone to continue.

After walking about two hundred meters, the tunnel suddenly widened, and a heavy alloy door appeared ahead. There was an electronic lock on the door, and a red light flashed on the screen, displaying "Insufficient Permissions."

"This is it." Kate quickly walked forward, inserted a USB drive into the electronic lock's interface, and typed rapidly on the keyboard. The red light on the screen kept flashing, emitting a "sizzling" electrical sound. "Victor encrypted the access, I need a little time to crack it."

"I'll keep watch." Michael immediately found a hidden corner to squat in, his sniper rifle aimed at the tunnel entrance, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Franklin leaned against the alloy door, his shotgun held tightly, ready to respond to any sudden situation.

Lin Fan stood beside Kate, watching the constantly jumping code on the screen, feeling a strange unease in his heart. Ever since he saw the reaper plan data and knew Victor was a military man, he always felt that something was pulling him, from the moment he transmigrated into Los Santos, from the moment the system was triggered, even from the moment he stayed up all night playing GTA5, none of this seemed to be a coincidence.

"Ding—System Prompt: High-intensity energy reaction detected, suspected to be the Core Source of the virtual world. Unlocking skill [Code Perception], allowing preliminary reading of surrounding code information."

As the system prompt sounded in his mind, Lin Fan suddenly felt the world before his eyes change. In the originally dark tunnel, countless flowing blue codes appeared, like small snakes swimming around. The codes on the alloy door were the densest, forming a solid barrier.

"Almost ready!" Kate's voice came. The red light on the screen suddenly turned green, and the alloy door made a loud "clank" and slowly opened to both sides.

Behind the door was a huge underground space, even wider than imagined, as large as a football field. In the center of the space stood a giant computer, its body entirely silver-white, covered with dense circuits and indicator lights. Blue lights constantly flickered, emitting a "humming" operational sound, and countless data streams flowed rapidly across the screens. A circle of control consoles surrounded the computer, with all their buttons and screens lit up, displaying complex data.

"Holy crap... this is the core?" Franklin's eyes widened, and he instinctively took a few steps forward, looking at the giant computer, his face full of shock. "Such a huge machine, how much electricity does it consume? Can Los Santos's power grid handle it?"

Michael also put away his sniper rifle, his eyes filled with disbelief. "This isn't an ordinary computer at all, it's a quantum computer! The military actually has such advanced technology, no wonder it can support the entire virtual world."

Kate quickly walked to the control console, typing on the keyboard to bring up the computer's operating data. "It's still running, and the status is very stable. All the data for the virtual world relies on it. Once it stops running, the entire Los Santos will collapse."

Lin Fan slowly walked to the computer and reached out. As his fingertips touched the machine body, he felt a warm current spread throughout his body. The [Code Perception] skill was instantly activated, and countless codes flooded his mind. He could clearly feel that this computer was the heart of the virtual world, and every operation it performed was transmitting "vitality" to Los Santos.

"Look at this." Kate suddenly pointed to the screen of one of the control consoles, a grave expression on her face. "This is the core's operation log. It shows that it was activated ten years ago, and there are multiple records of consciousness access."

The group immediately gathered around. The log on the screen was dense with entries. Lin Fan quickly scanned it, his gaze suddenly fixated on a line of text—"Initial Tester: Lin Fan, Consciousness Access Successful, Compatibility 100%."

"Lin Fan? Isn't that your name?" Franklin instinctively looked at Lin Fan, his face full of confusion. "Ten years ago? You hadn't transmigrated yet, right? How could your name be here?"

Lin Fan's heart sank abruptly. He quickly scrolled his finger across the screen, and more records came into view—"Tester Lin Fan, Consciousness Duplication Successful, Backup Archive No. 1" "Tester Lin Fan, Consciousness Compatibility Stable, Initiating reaper plan Preparatory Experiment" "Tester Lin Fan, Consciousness Detached, Experiment Paused."

Line after line of text pierced Lin Fan's heart like sharp knives. He staggered back a step, leaning on the control console behind him to barely stand steady. Ten years ago, he was still in high school and could not have possibly encountered such a thing, yet the records on the screen were clear, even including his photo, although a bit blurry, it was definitely him.

"What on earth is going on?" Lin Fan's voice was a little hoarse, his eyes full of confusion and shock. "I never came here ten years ago, and I've never heard of any tester program. How is this possible?"

Michael frowned, carefully looking at the records on the screen. "The log says consciousness duplication successful. Could it be... that the current you is a consciousness duplicate of Lin Fan from ten years ago?"

"Impossible!" Lin Fan immediately retorted. "I have my own memories, from elementary school to university, from work to staying up late playing games, every memory is clear. How could I be a duplicate?"

"Perhaps not a complete duplication." Kate slowly spoke, with a hint of speculation in her tone. "Perhaps your consciousness was extracted in advance, and the first compatibility experiment was conducted ten years ago. Later, the experiment was paused until you transmigrated into Los Santos and your consciousness reconnected, which then triggered the system and made you the key adapter."

Kate's words made Lin Fan tremble. He remembered the night before he transmigrated, when his computer suddenly exploded, countless codes flashed across the screen, and a blurry voice sounded in his ear—"Welcome back, Tester." At the time, he thought it was an illusion, but now, it was clear it was no illusion, but the core computer speaking to him.

"No wonder... no wonder I could trigger the system, no wonder I'm the key adapter, no wonder Victor has been targeting me from the start." Lin Fan murmured, the doubts in his heart gradually unraveling, but with it came a deeper panic. "If I'm a tester, is the me in the real world still alive?"

Just then, a cold female voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire underground space, spreading through the loudspeakers to every corner, with a hint of eerie laughter: "Welcome home, Lin Fan. You finally found this place."

"Who?!" Franklin immediately raised his shotgun, vigilantly looking around. "Who's talking? Come out!"

Lin Fan's pupils contracted. He was too familiar with this voice—it was Elizabeth!

"No need to look, I'm not there." Elizabeth's voice sounded again. The main screen of the giant computer suddenly lit up, showing Elizabeth's figure. She wore a long white dress, her smile gentle, but her eyes held a hint of fanaticism. "I'm at New Era Technology's headquarters, speaking to you through the core computer's external interface."

"Elizabeth! You're playing us!" Lin Fan's eyes turned cold, and he clenched his fists. "You knew the core was here all along, and you knew my identity all along. You've been using us from the very beginning!"

"Using? Perhaps." Elizabeth chuckled softly, her tone relaxed. "But I also helped you, didn't I? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have found the core, nor rescued Kate. Moreover, everything I told you was true. Victor wants to destroy the core, the military wants to utilize the core, only I want to make the core more perfect."

"What exactly do you want to do?" Kate walked to the control console, her fingers rapidly typing on the keyboard, trying to cut off Elizabeth's connection, but the codes on the screen jumped wildly, completely uncontrollable. "You said Lin Fan has always been your key, what does that mean?"

"Literally." Elizabeth's smile deepened. "This quantum computer was developed by Victor and me ten years ago, and the reaper plan was also jointly proposed by us. Our goal is to create a virtual world that can accommodate human consciousness, allowing humanity to break free from the shackles of the flesh and achieve conscious immortality. And Lin Fan is the key to opening this world."

"Ten years ago, we found Lin Fan in the real world. His consciousness was a natural adapter, capable of perfectly integrating into the virtual world. We extracted his consciousness and conducted the first experiment, which was the initial test. The experiment was very successful, but then the military intervened, wanting to turn this plan into a weapon of war. Victor, wanting to monopolize the technology, collaborated with the military, while I left and founded New Era Technology to continue my research."

"It wasn't until half a year ago, when Lin Fan's consciousness reconnected to the virtual world, which was when he transmigrated, that I knew the opportunity had arrived. Victor also noticed, which is why he set a trap to frame him, wanting to capture him and complete the reaper plan."

Lin Fan felt a chill run down his spine. It turned out that all of this was a setup, a scheme revolving around his consciousness. His transmigration into Los Santos was not an accident, but an inevitability; his triggering of the system was not luck, but something predetermined; his becoming a wanted criminal, becoming the King of the Underworld, all of it was under someone else's control.

"You and Victor, who is lying?" Lin Fan's eyes became incredibly sharp, staring intently at Elizabeth on the screen. "You say you want to achieve conscious immortality, but the reaper plan aims to destroy consciousness. What's the difference between you and Victor?"

"There's a huge difference." Elizabeth's expression became serious. "Victor wants to extract consciousness and inject it into soldiers to create killing machines; that is a desecration of consciousness! As for me, I want consciousness to live freely in the virtual world. Los Santos will become humanity's second home, without war, without disease, without pain. Everyone can achieve eternal life here!"

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

"Lin Fan, you are the original tester. Your consciousness is the bridge connecting reality and the virtual world. Only you can help me perfect this plan." Elizabeth's tone became earnest. "If you're willing, we can create a perfect world together. You would become the king of this world. Michael, Franklin, Kate, and everyone else you care about could live here forever."

Franklin sneered. "You're dreaming! Who wants eternal life in a virtual world like this? I want a real life, not some illusion built out of a pile of code!"

Michael also shook his head. "I once betrayed friends for my family, and later gave up everything for my friends. I know what's important. Virtual immortality isn't worth a single day of reality."

Kate looked at Lin Fan, her eyes filled with concern. "Lin Fan, don't let her bewitch you. No matter how perfect a virtual world is, it's fake. The real world is where your roots are."

Lin Fan remained silent. The world Elizabeth described was indeed tempting—no bounties, no pursuits, no conspiracies; everyone could live happily. But he knew it wasn't real. He missed his parents in the real world, his friends, and those ordinary yet authentic days. He didn't want to be trapped in a world composed of code for the rest of his life.

"I won't help you," Lin Fan spoke slowly, his gaze firm. "Virtual immortality is meaningless. I want reality, even if it's full of pain and danger; that's what it feels like to be alive. Besides, your so-called perfect world is just another form of control. You want to be the god of this world, which makes you no different from Victor."

"It seems I still can't convince you." Elizabeth's eyes instantly turned cold, and her smile vanished. "In that case, I'll have to take other measures."

As soon as she finished speaking, the giant computer suddenly emitted a piercing alarm. The data streams on the screen became chaotic, the originally blue light turning red. Countless lines of code jumped frantically like angry little snakes.

"What's happening?" Kate immediately looked at the console, her expression changing drastically. "The Core Code is being hacked! Someone is trying to take over the Core!"

"It's me," Elizabeth's voice rang out again, tinged with triumph. "I wanted to cooperate with you properly, but since you didn't cherish the opportunity, don't blame me for being ruthless. I will take over the Core and initiate the Second Home Project. When that happens, whether you're willing or not, you'll have to stay."

"Don't even think about it!" Lin Fan immediately activated his [Code Perception] skill. His fingertips swiped through the air as he attempted to modify the Core Code to block Elizabeth's intrusion. However, his Code Perception ability was still in its early stages and couldn't compete with Elizabeth at all. "System, is there any way to stop her?"

"Ding—System Notification: The opponent possesses the highest administrative privileges for the Core and cannot be directly stopped. It is recommended to shut down the Core's power supply or destroy the Core console."

"Destroy the console?" Lin Fan looked at the surrounding consoles. "No, if the console is destroyed, the Core will collapse, and all of Los Santos will be finished!"

"Then shut down the power!" Michael pointed to a massive power switch in the corner. "That's the main power supply. Turn it off, and the Core will stop running. Elizabeth will lose her connection too!"

"No!" Kate immediately stopped him. "Once the Core stops running, not only will Los Santos collapse, but every consciousness connected to the Core will dissipate—including us! Our consciousnesses are currently linked to the Core!"

The group was instantly plunged into a dilemma. If they shut down the power, they would disappear; if they didn't, Elizabeth would take over the Core, and everyone would be under her control.

Just then, a flurry of heavy footsteps came from the tunnel entrance. A group of people in black combat gear rushed in, led by none other than Victor! Wearing a military uniform and devoid of expression, he looked at Lin Fan and the others with cold eyes. "It seems I've arrived just in time."

"Victor!" Lin Fan gripped his gun tightly, his eyes full of wariness. "How did you get here?"

"This is my experimental base; I come and go as I please." Victor sneered and waved his hand. The soldiers behind him immediately raised their guns, aiming at Lin Fan and the others. "Elizabeth wants to steal the Core, and you want to destroy it. Both of you are too naive. The Core is mine. The reaper plan must be completed, and you, Lin Fan, will be the key to that plan."

"In your dreams!" Franklin immediately fired. The bullet flew toward Victor but was blocked by a soldier beside him. The soldiers opened fire in return. Bullets whizzed past, hitting the surrounding consoles. Screens shattered instantly, and sparks flew everywhere.

"Go! Retreat through the side passage!" Kate grabbed Lin Fan's hand and pointed to a small side tunnel. "I saw an emergency exit there earlier!"

"Right!" Lin Fan nodded and ran toward the small tunnel with Michael and Franklin. Victor's soldiers were in hot pursuit. Bullets continued to whistle behind them as Franklin fired back while running, taking down several pursuers.

The side tunnel was very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. They ran quickly, one after another. At the end of the tunnel was a small door. Kate took out a pair of pliers, snipped the chain on the door, pushed it open, and rushed out.

Outside was a forested mountain. The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated, the air was fresh, and birdsong could be heard in the distance. Not long after they ran out, a massive explosion echoed from behind. The shockwave from the underground space knocked them to the ground as dust filled the air.

"Cough, cough..." Franklin climbed up coughing, looking back toward the underground space with a face full of lingering fear. "Holy shit, good thing we ran fast. One step later and we would've been blown to bits!"

Michael also climbed up and brushed the dust off his clothes, his expression solemn. "Victor must have wanted to destroy the Core to stop Elizabeth from getting her way. Now that the Core is blown up, what will happen to Los Santos?"

Lin Fan stood up, feeling a wave of dizziness in his head. His [Code Perception] skill showed that the surrounding code had become chaotic. In the direction of Los Santos, the code was rapidly dissipating. "The Core is damaged, and the data is starting to collapse. Before long, massive anomalies will appear in Los Santos."

Just then, Kate's phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. She hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer key. An anxious voice came from the other end—it was her colleague from the real world. "Kate! It's bad! We found a medical report for Lin Fan on your desk. It shows his brain structure is completely different from a normal person's. There are a large number of unknown signals in his brain, like... like he's connected to some kind of machine!"

Kate's face changed drastically. She looked at Lin Fan, her eyes full of shock. "What did you say? A medical report? From when?"

"It was on your desk before you disappeared. We were going to hand it over to the higher-ups, but we realized the information in the report was too bizarre, so we contacted you first." Her colleague's voice became increasingly urgent. "Also, we found out that ten years ago, there was a secret experiment codenamed 'seed project.' The subject was a young man named Lin Fan. The experiment involved consciousness extraction and virtual adaptation. The people in charge were Elizabeth and Victor!"

"seed project..." Lin Fan's heart sank. So the experiment ten years ago was called seed project. His abnormal brain structure was because his consciousness had been extracted back then.

"I understand. Thank you." Kate hung up and told everyone the situation. "It seems Lin Fan's transmigration and his consciousness are all related to seed project from ten years ago. Elizabeth and Victor are both after him because of this project."

Lin Fan sat on the ground, leaning against a large tree, his gaze lost. He finally understood that he was never just a lucky guy who accidentally transmigrated; he was a 'sample' that had been experimented on for ten years. His life had been rewritten ten years ago.

"Brother Fan, don't lose heart." Franklin crouched down and patted Lin Fan's shoulder. "No matter what your identity is, you're our brother. So what if you're an experimental sample? We can still live well and take down Victor and Elizabeth all the same!"

Michael also nodded. "That's right. Now is not the time to be depressed. The Core is damaged, Los Santos is in peril, and Victor and Elizabeth will definitely come looking for you again. We must find a way quickly to stop their conspiracy and save Los Santos."

Kate walked over to Lin Fan and handed him a bottle of water. "Also, the real world has discovered your anomaly. Perhaps we can find a way to contact people in the real world to help us. That colleague of mine is very reliable; maybe we can trust him."

Lin Fan took the water and took a sip. The cold liquid cleared his head quite a bit. He looked up at the three people beside him, his gaze gradually becoming firm. Yes, no matter who he was or what his past was, he had brothers and comrades now. He couldn't be depressed; he couldn't give up.

"You're right." Lin Fan stood up, his eyes sharp. "We can't just sit and wait for death. First, we need to contact Kate's colleague in the real world to get more information about seed project. Second, we need to find Victor and Elizabeth and stop their conspiracy. Finally, we have to find a way to repair the Core and save Los Santos."

"Good! We'll do exactly as you say!" Franklin immediately perked up. "I'll contact my men and have them keep an eye out for Victor and Elizabeth's movements."

"I'll get in touch with my colleague to get the data on seed project." Kate took out her phone, preparing to dial.

Michael looked deep into the mountain forest. "I'll look for a suitable hiding place. Right now, the military, Victor, and Elizabeth are all looking for us. We need a safe spot."

The group immediately went into action. Sunlight pierced through the morning mist and fell upon them. Although the road ahead was full of unknowns and dangers, their eyes were filled with determination.

Lin Fan stood where he was, looking toward Los Santos, thinking to himself: Whether you are an experimental subject of seed project or a wanted criminal in Los Santos, from today on, your fate is in your own hands.

Just then, a vibration came from his pocket. It was the USB drive he had brought out from the Core area, the one Kate used to hack the door lock. He took out the USB drive and plugged it into his tablet. A line of text suddenly appeared on the screen—[External connection request, Source: Real World, Identity: Unknown].

Lin Fan's pupils constricted. Someone in the real world was trying to contact him? Who was it? His parents? Or someone else who knew about seed project?

He took a deep breath and lightly tapped the 'Accept' button. A blurry figure appeared on the screen; only a silhouette was visible, and the voice was unintelligible. He could only see the other party typing continuously: [Lin Fan, I know your situation. The truth about seed project is more than this. Elizabeth and Victor have an even bigger conspiracy. Beware of their 'Harvest.' Only by finding the 'initial code' can you return to reality.]

After the line of text disappeared, the connection was suddenly cut, leaving only a blank screen.

"initial code?" Lin Fan frowned. What was that? And what did it have to do with returning to reality?

"Brother Fan, what's wrong?" Franklin's voice came as he finished contacting his men and walked over quickly.

Lin Fan put away the tablet and shook his head. "Nothing. Let's leave here first and find a safe place."

The group headed deeper into the mountain forest. The sun grew hotter, and the morning mist gradually dispersed, but the crisis in Los Santos had only just begun. The Core was damaged, data was collapsing, Victor and Elizabeth were watching like tigers, a mysterious person from the real world had suddenly made contact, and there was that unknown initial code—everything had become even more complicated.

Lin Fan knew he had to find the initial code as soon as possible and uncover the full truth of seed project. He had to stop Victor and Elizabeth's conspiracy, save Los Santos, and find the way back to the real world to reclaim his own authentic life.

He glanced back at Los Santos one last time, his gaze firm. No matter how many dangers lay ahead, he would forge ahead. Because he was Lin Fan—the wanted criminal who transmigrated into GTA5, the experimental subject of seed project, and more importantly, the master of his own fate!

The wind in the forest blew past, carrying the fragrance of leaves and the scent of unknown dangers. The figures of the group gradually disappeared into the depths of the forest. A great war concerning virtuality and reality, survival and destruction, was about to begin once again.