47: Chapter 47 Dual-Front Decisive Battle

A piercing alarm tore through the night sky of the real world, and crimson warning lights swept repeatedly over the tin roof of the abandoned warehouse, cutting the figures of Lin Fan and Kate into mottled fragments.

Outside the warehouse, the roar of heavy armored vehicles grew closer; the sound of tires crushing the gravel road was like the drumbeat of death, each strike hammering at the heart.

"New Era Technology has teamed up with the military," Kate said, crouching behind a pile of scrap steel, her fingertips tapping rapidly on her laptop. The code jumping on the screen looked like chaotic nerves. "They've cracked the signal shielding I set up, and now the satellite has locked onto this location. In three minutes, the encirclement unit will break down the doors."

Lin Fan leaned against the cold wall, clutching a few fragments glowing with a pale blue light in his palm—these were the "code fragment"s he had brought out from the virtual world, core data scattered when the system crashed during his previous confrontation with Victor.

At this moment, the fragments were slightly hot in his palm, pulsing as if they had a life of their own, resonating faintly with the remaining "Los Santos Survival Guide" system in his mind.

"They're after me," Lin Fan said in a low voice, his eyes sweeping over the encroaching shadows outside the warehouse. "They want my consciousness data, and they want to crack the core system of the virtual world."

Since returning from the Los Santos Observatory last time, Lin Fan had briefly returned to the real world with Kate's help.

He only then realized that the so-called "computer explosion" was no accident, but a flaw in New Era Technology's Brain-Computer Interface experiment; his consciousness had been forcibly pulled into the virtual testing ground they had constructed—Los Santos.

And Victor was the chief scientist of New Era Technology, as well as the chief administrator of the virtual testing ground. He had been lurking in the virtual world as the boss of the Snake Fang Gang in order to control the core system and achieve a permanent binding of consciousness to the virtual world.

"It's not just you," Kate said, her fingers pausing as an encrypted file popped up on the screen. "They also want to eliminate everyone who knows the truth, including me. I leaked the data on the 'Virtual Space Stabilization Project' without authorization, and now I've been branded a traitor by the FBI. Both the military and New Era Technology are hunting me."

She looked up, a hint of determination in her eyes. "Lin Fan, I know you want to go back to save Michael and Franklin, and you want to end Victor's conspiracy. But right now, we can barely protect ourselves. There's an underground passage at the back of the warehouse that leads to a subway station three kilometers away. Let's escape first, then figure out a plan."

Lin Fan shook his head, his gaze falling on the code fragments in his palm. The light from the fragments grew brighter, illuminating his eyes with clarity.

He could clearly sense the disturbances in the virtual world—Michael and Franklin's presence was fading, the space of Los Santos was twisting, and countless "program armies" with a cold, mechanical aura were devouring the world he had long since come to regard as his second home.

"I can't leave," Lin Fan said, slowly standing up and clenching the code fragments. The pale blue light spread from his fingertips to his arm. "Kate, you go. Leave this to me. They want me; I'll stay behind to hold them off, and you'll still have a chance to escape."

"Are you crazy?" Kate grabbed his arm, her voice anxious. "They have heavy weapons and devices specifically designed to capture consciousness entities. Staying behind is suicide! Besides, the virtual world won't hold up without you, and Michael and Franklin..."

She stopped mid-sentence. Her computer screen suddenly displayed a real-time transmission. It showed the city center of Los Santos; the once-bustling streets were now devastated, with high-rises collapsed and fire filling the sky.

Countless "program armies" wearing silver armor, their faces flickering with code patterns, were slaughtering survivors. Some of the once-vibrant NPCs dissipated into streams of data after being hit, while others struggled painfully on the ground, their bodies gradually turning transparent.

Michael and Franklin were leading a group of survivors in a defensive retreat inside the nightclub Lin Fan had previously acquired. The nightclub's main gate had already been blown open. Franklin was guarding the entrance with a heavy machine gun, the muzzle spitting fire as he knocked down the charging program soldiers one by one. But the program soldiers seemed endless; as one wave fell, another surged forward.

Michael's arm was still bandaged, and he was currently using a rifle to snipe at an enemy commander in the distance. His face was pale and his breathing was rapid; he was clearly at his limit.

"Brother Fan! Where are you!" Franklin's roar came through the screen, filled with despair. "These monsters are endless! We can't hold on much longer! Los Santos is going to be destroyed!"

Michael also shouted into the communicator: "Lin Fan, don't worry about us! Find a way to destroy the core system! Don't let Victor succeed! Even if Los Santos is gone, we can't let him become a god!"

The screen suddenly stuttered, then went black, leaving only the harsh sound of static. Clearly, the communication in the virtual world had been jammed by the program armies, and the situation on Michael and Franklin's end was completely unknown.

Lin Fan's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by a giant hand, the pain almost suffocating him. He thought of the days he had spent on the run with Michael and Franklin, of them sharing a piece of bread in the sewers, of winning championships side-by-side in the underground racing circuit, and of raising glasses in celebration at the nightclub... Those days, even filled with danger and escape, were the most vivid memories of his life.

"I'm going back," Lin Fan said, turning sharply to look at Kate, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination. "This time, I'm going to end all of this for good."

Kate looked at him, silent for a long time, before finally letting go of his hand. She took a palm-sized black device from her backpack—it was a portable Brain-Computer Interface terminal, which she had risked her life to steal from an FBI laboratory.

"This is the latest Brain-Computer Interface; it can forcibly send your consciousness back to the virtual world," she said, handing the terminal to Lin Fan, her fingertips trembling slightly. "But the risk is huge. The encirclement unit in the real world has already activated consciousness jammers. A forced connection could lead to consciousness disorder, or even complete dissipation."

"I don't care," Lin Fan said, taking the terminal. His fingertips touched the cold metal casing, but he felt no chill. "Compared to watching Michael and the others die, and watching Victor destroy everything, I'd rather take the gamble."

Just then, the warehouse door was suddenly blown open. A violent explosion rang out, sending gravel and dust flying into the air. A group of soldiers wearing black tactical gear and gas masks rushed in, firing their submachine guns wildly at them. Bullets struck the steel, sending sparks flying and making harsh sounds.

"Go!" Kate pushed Lin Fan into a hidden corner deep in the warehouse, while she raised her pistol to fire at the soldiers. "I'll cover you! Connect the Brain-Computer Interface, quick!"

Lin Fan did not hesitate. He immediately pressed the Brain-Computer Interface terminal against his temple and pressed the activation button. The terminal instantly lit up with a pale blue light, and a faint electric current spread from his temple throughout his body. He felt a sharp pain in his head, his vision began to go black, and the sounds of gunfire and explosions in the real world gradually became blurred, replaced by the familiar sounds of gunfire and roars from the virtual world.

The code fragments in his palm suddenly erupted with a dazzling light, intertwining with the light from the Brain-Computer Interface to form a blue cocoon of light, enveloping Lin Fan. Seeing this, the encircling soldiers immediately fired at the cocoon, but the bullets struck the cocoon and were all deflected, dissipating into trails of white smoke.

"Activate the consciousness capture device!" the leading officer roared. Several soldiers immediately set up a silver instrument. Once activated, the instrument emitted a blinding white light, shooting it toward the cocoon.

Seeing this, Kate immediately rushed forward, firing at the instrument's operator. But she had only taken two steps when a bullet hit her shoulder, and blood instantly stained her clothes red. She staggered, but gritted her teeth and rushed forward anyway, pushing the operator away and slamming hard into the instrument. The instrument emitted a piercing alarm, and the white light instantly dimmed.

"Kate!" Lin Fan roared from within the cocoon, wanting to rush out, but he was firmly trapped by the cocoon, his consciousness being forcibly pulled away from the real world.

Kate turned her head and gave him a forced smile, her eyes filled with a hint of relief and a trace of hard-to-detect complexity. "Lin Fan, survive. End all of this. And..."

She didn't finish her sentence before she was pinned to the ground by the soldiers who rushed up. Lin Fan watched helplessly as she was taken away, unable to do anything. Intense anger and self-reproach flooded his heart, and his consciousness plunged into darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, Lin Fan found himself standing at the entrance of the Los Santos nightclub, facing the familiar ruins and fire. The program armies were still attacking frantically. Franklin was nearly at his limit; his heavy machine gun was out of ammunition, and he was now using a machete to fight the program soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. His body was covered in wounds, yet he still stood firmly at the entrance, not letting a single program soldier get near the inside of the nightclub.

Michael was leaning against the wall, his rifle also out of ammunition. He looked at the charging program soldiers, his eyes filled with determination, and was just about to pick up a steel pipe from the ground and charge when he was firmly held back by a hand.

"Don't be reckless."

The familiar voice rang out. Michael turned his head sharply, and the moment he saw Lin Fan, his eyes instantly reddened. "Brother Fan! You're back!"

Franklin also saw Lin Fan, and his originally weary eyes instantly ignited with hope. He roared as he cut down the program soldiers around him and ran toward Lin Fan. "Brother Fan! You're finally back! We can't hold on much longer!"

Lin Fan patted the two men on the shoulders, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding survivors—those former NPCs no longer had numb eyes, but were filled with the desire to survive. Some held clubs, others held salvaged pistols, and although they were afraid, they were still resisting.

"I'm back," Lin Fan said, his voice calm yet filled with power. The code fragments in his palm lit up again, and the pale blue light spread outward. The program soldiers that approached touched the light and instantly dissipated into streams of data. "This time, no one can destroy Los Santos, and no one can bully our brothers."

He held the code fragments above his head, and their light grew increasingly intense. The system prompt in his mind sounded again, but this time, the voice was no longer cold, but carried a hint of divinity: [Core system permissions fully unlocked. Skill "Code Reconstruction" activated. Can manipulate arbitrary data in the virtual world and construct defensive barriers.]

As the system prompt faded, the pale blue light spread wildly in all directions with Lin Fan at the center, forming a massive defensive barrier that protected the nightclub and all the survivors within. The program soldiers' attacks struck the barrier, only to disappear like a stone into the sea, without causing the slightest ripple.

Seeing this, the survivors cheered one after another, and their previously low morale instantly soared.

"Great! We're saved!"

"Brother Fan is amazing!"

"Following Brother Fan, we'll definitely be able to defeat these monsters!"

Michael looked at Lin Fan, his eyes full of admiration. "Brother Fan, is this... you've unlocked the system's ultimate ability?"

"You could say that," Lin Fan nodded, his gaze looking toward the distant skyline, where the space was twisting and countless code flowed out like a tide. Victor's figure was looming in the tide of code. "Victor is here. He is the mastermind behind the scenes. He is the one controlling these program armies, wanting to destroy Los Santos and control the core system."

Franklin clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger. "That bastard! He framed us before, and now he wants to destroy Los Santos! This time, we must make him pay the price!"

Lin Fan took a deep breath and said, "Michael, Franklin, I'll leave this place to you. Lead the survivors and hold the defensive barrier; I'm going to confront Victor."

"No! That's too dangerous!" Michael immediately objected. "Victor's strength is too great. He is the administrator of the virtual world and controls many rules. If you go alone..."

"Don't worry," Lin Fan interrupted him, a confident smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "The me of now is no longer the fugitive who could only passively run away. I control the core system; it won't be easy for him to beat me. Besides, this is a grudge between him and me, and it must be settled by me personally."

He paused, looking at the two of them with solemnity in his eyes. "If I lose, take the survivors and run to the mountains in the west of Los Santos. There is a blind spot in the system there that the program armies can't find for the time being. Remember, surviving is more important than anything else."

"Brother Fan, we'll go with you!" Franklin said. "We're brothers; we live together, and we die together!"

"No need," Lin Fan shook his head, raising his hand to pat them on the shoulders. "Your task is to protect the survivors; that is the most important thing. Trust me, I will definitely come back."

After saying this, Lin Fan turned and walked toward the skyline. Pale blue light coalesced beneath his feet, forming a bridge of light that led straight to the twisted space. His figure gradually rose into the air, and, facing the tide of code filling the sky, he walked step by step toward Victor.

At this moment, in a secret laboratory in the real world, Victor was sitting in front of a giant display screen, which was showing real-time footage of Los Santos. When he saw Lin Fan rising into the air, a cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of disdain.

"You've finally arrived, Lin Fan," he said into the communicator, his voice reaching Lin Fan's ears through the tide of code. "I thought you were going to hide for the rest of your life."

Lin Fan stood on the bridge of light, looking at Victor not far away. He was wearing a white lab coat, which was completely different from the fierce look of the Snake Fang Gang boss in the virtual world, but the ambition and madness in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest. "Victor, why are you doing this? Los Santos is a testing ground you built with your own hands, and these consciousness entities were all created by you. Why do you want to destroy them?"

"Destroy?" Victor sneered, waving his hand as countless code coalesced into a giant longsword. "I'm not destroying them; I'm purifying them! These consciousness entities were supposed to be my puppets, the pawns for me to control the world. But your appearance ruined everything, giving them independent consciousness and making them dare to resist me! This is unforgivable!"

His eyes became crazed. "As long as I control the core system, I can rewrite the rules, turn all the consciousness entities back into puppets, and make Los Santos my exclusive kingdom! Then, I will be a god! I will be able to control life and death, and control everything!"

[part:gemini-2.5-flash]

"You're crazy," Lin Fan shook his head, a code fragment in his palm condensing into a blue long blade. "Once consciousness awakens, there's no going back. Your so-called 'god' is nothing but a selfish dictator. Today, I won't let you succeed."

"Overestimating yourself!" Victor roared, controlling a code longsword to slash at Lin Fan. Wherever the longsword passed, space twisted.

Lin Fan immediately raised his long blade to block. The blue long blade and the code longsword collided, emitting a harsh metallic clang, and countless code fragments splattered, like stars across the sky.

The two instantly became entangled in battle. Code-constructed weapons collided and exploded, stirring up waves of code. Lin Fan, relying on the core system's authority, continuously reconfigured code, changing weapons and moves, sometimes transforming into a spear, sometimes into a shield, fighting Victor to a standstill.

As the administrator of the virtual world, Victor was extremely skilled at controlling rules. He constantly altered the surrounding space, at times trapping Lin Fan in a code cage, and at other times summoning program soldiers to besiege Lin Fan. But Lin Fan now controlled the core system, with higher authority than Victor, and could easily break his moves every time, even using the rules to counterattack.

"Impossible! How can you have such high authority!" Victor was sent flying back by Lin Fan's sword, stumbling a few steps, his face full of disbelief. "The core system was clearly designed by me, you're just an accidentally intruding consciousness. How could you control it!"

"Because you forgot," Lin Fan walked towards him step by step, blue light flowing around his body. "The core of the system has never been cold code, but the emotions of consciousnesses. You only treated them as puppets, but I treated them as brothers, as family. It's emotion that allowed me to control the system, that gave me the power to fight you."

Just as the two were locked in fierce combat, Los Santos's defensive barrier suddenly shook violently. Lin Fan's heart tightened, and he turned to look in the direction of the nightclub, only to see countless program soldiers condensing into a giant monster, frantically crashing against the defensive barrier. The barrier's light grew dimmer and dimmer, on the verge of shattering at any moment.

"This is bad! Michael and the others can't hold on!" Lin Fan thought to himself, wanting to go back to support them, but Victor blocked him.

"Trying to leave? Not so easy!" Victor sneered, controlling all the code to surge towards Lin Fan. "Today, you either die here, or watch your brothers and those lowly consciousnesses dissipate together!"

Lin Fan was trapped by the surging code, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as the defensive barrier grew dimmer. Just then, he suddenly felt a familiar aura—it was Elizabeth! She emerged from the surging code, wearing a red long dress, with a cold smile on her face, holding a string of black code. That code emitted a strange aura, which was the power of the "Mutant" she had mentioned earlier.

"Elizabeth, why are you here?" Lin Fan asked. He could feel that Elizabeth's aura was very strange, both familiar and unfamiliar.

Elizabeth didn't answer his question, but looked at Victor, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Victor, you're still so useless, you can't even handle an accidentally intruding consciousness."

"Elizabeth? You traitor!" Victor's face instantly darkened when he saw her. "How dare you betray me! Have you forgotten who gave you the chance to awaken?"

"Awaken?" Elizabeth scoffed. "That wasn't awakening, it was imprisonment. What I want is freedom, not to become your accomplice."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Lin Fan, a complex emotion in her eyes, and a hint of imperceptible calculation: "Lin Fan, do you want to save your brothers? Do you want to defeat Victor? I can help you."

"What do you want?" Lin Fan watched her warily. He hadn't forgotten that Elizabeth had said he was just part of a plan last time at the Observatory.

"It's simple," Elizabeth raised her hand and waved, and the black code flew towards the surging code trapping Lin Fan. The two collided and instantly canceled each other out. "I'll help you hold off Victor, and you go save your brothers. But after it's done, you have to give me half of the core system's authority."

Lin Fan didn't hesitate, immediately nodding: "Okay! As long as I can save them, as long as I can defeat you, Victor, I agree!"

"Straightforward," Elizabeth smiled, her figure flickering as she rushed towards Victor. The black code transformed into countless vines, coiling around Victor. "Victor, your opponent is me!"

Victor was entangled by the vines, unable to break free for a moment, and could only roar as he manipulated code to counterattack.

Lin Fan took the opportunity to turn and fly towards the nightclub. At this moment, cracks had appeared in the defensive barrier, and the program monster's attacks were becoming more fierce. Michael and Franklin were desperately trying to repair the barrier with the survivors, but the cracks in the barrier were still growing larger.

"Brother Fan!" Seeing Lin Fan return, Franklin immediately shouted, "Quick, think of something! The barrier can't hold much longer!"

Lin Fan immediately landed in front of the barrier, the code fragments in his palm glowing brightly. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and the system's prompts echoed in his mind: "Code Reconstruction in progress... Defensive barrier strengthening... Program monster analyzing..."

Under his control, blue code continuously poured into the defensive barrier. The cracks in the barrier gradually healed, and its light grew brighter. At the same time, Lin Fan analyzed the program monster's code structure, raised his hand, and countless blue codes transformed into sharp blades, stabbing at the monster's weak points.

"Roar!" The program monster let out a painful roar, its body began to collapse, turning into countless code fragments and dissipating.

With the crisis resolved, the survivors cheered again. Michael breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his face, and said, "Brother Fan, you're amazing!"

Lin Fan smiled, just about to say something, when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his mind, and his vision began to black out. He realized that the reality world's consciousness interferer was at work, and his consciousness was becoming unstable.

"Brother Fan, what's wrong?" Franklin noticed his abnormality and quickly supported him.

"It's nothing," Lin Fan shook his head, enduring the pain. "The military in the real world is interfering with my consciousness, I can't hold on for too long. I must deal with Victor quickly and end all of this."

Just then, a huge explosion came from the direction of the skyline. Elizabeth and Victor's battle had entered a fever pitch. Surging code flew everywhere, space twisted more and more violently, and many buildings in Los Santos began to collapse, turning into code fragments and dissipating.

"Let's go, we'll help Elizabeth!" Lin Fan said, standing up with Franklin's help and flying towards the skyline. Seeing this, Michael immediately followed, and the three of them flew towards Victor.

At this moment, Elizabeth was gradually falling into a disadvantage. Her black code was being swallowed by Victor's code, and multiple wounds had appeared on her body, from which code fragments were constantly dissipating.

"Elizabeth!" Lin Fan shouted, controlling blue code to attack Victor. Michael and Franklin immediately followed, and the three of them combined their efforts to launch a fierce assault on Victor.

Victor, besieged by the three, gradually found himself unable to cope. His face grew darker and darker, but the madness in his eyes intensified: "Since I can't have it, none of you will! I'll destroy the core system and take all of Los Santos down with it!"

He roared, and a dazzling white light erupted from his entire body. Countless codes began to collapse frantically, the space of Los Santos began to tear, huge cracks appeared in the earth, and countless consciousnesses struggled painfully in the collapse, dissipating into data streams.

"Oh no! He's going to self-destruct the system!" Elizabeth's face changed drastically. "Stop him quickly! Otherwise, everyone will die!"

Lin Fan also realized the danger. He immediately condensed all the code in his palm, forming a giant blue light sphere. This was the source power of the core system, and also the strongest power he could currently mobilize. "Michael, Franklin, Elizabeth, help me hold him off! I'm going to use the core power to completely seal him!"

The three immediately nodded, attacking Victor with all their might, tying up his movements. Lin Fan took the opportunity to throw the blue light sphere at Victor. The light sphere instantly enveloped Victor, and began to compress continuously.

"No! I won't accept this!" Victor roared frantically inside the light sphere, constantly manipulating code to break free, but the light sphere's power was too strong. His body was gradually compressed, turning into a string of code.

Just as Victor was about to be completely sealed, he suddenly looked at Lin Fan, a strange smile on his lips: "Lin Fan, you think you've won? You're too naive! You're just part of our plan! Elizabeth is the same! None of you can escape!"

As his voice fell, Victor completely turned into code, sealed within the blue light sphere. The light sphere gradually shrank, finally transforming into a blue crystal that landed in Lin Fan's hand.

With Victor sealed, the collapsing space gradually stabilized. The dissipated code began to re-condense, and the fallen buildings slowly returned to their original state. Los Santos gradually regained its former appearance.

The survivors cheered and embraced each other, celebrating their victory.

Michael and Franklin also breathed a sigh of relief, smiling: "We won! We won!"

Elizabeth walked up to Lin Fan, looked at the blue crystal in his hand, and a cold smile played on her lips: "You think you can win? You're just part of the plan. Victor may be dead, but the plan continues, and soon, a new 'administrator' will take over here."

Lin Fan was stunned and looked at her: "What do you mean? What plan?"

Elizabeth didn't answer, her figure gradually becoming transparent, turning into a string of black code and dissipating into the air, leaving only one sentence: "You'll know soon, Lin Fan. Your adventure has just begun."

Lin Fan looked at the direction she disappeared, his brows tightly furrowed, his heart filled with doubt. Victor's words, Elizabeth's words, were like two thorns, piercing his heart. He always felt that things were not that simple, and there was a bigger conspiracy behind it.

Just then, Kate's voice suddenly came to his mind, faint but clear: "Lin Fan, are you okay? I've backed up your consciousness data, and the military personnel have been led away by me, you're safe now..."

Lin Fan was startled. He hadn't expected Kate to be alive and to have secretly backed up his consciousness data. "Kate? Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kate's voice carried a hint of fatigue. "I'm currently in New Era Technology's secret laboratory. I've discovered a shocking secret, regarding the ultimate purpose of the Virtual Space Stabilization Project..."

Before she could finish, the communication was cut off. Lin Fan tried to contact Kate, but couldn't get through again. He knew something must have happened to Kate.

"Brother Fan, what's wrong?" Michael asked, seeing his troubled expression.

Lin Fan shook his head and said, "It's nothing, just remembered some things." He looked at the blue crystal in his hand, then at the calm Los Santos, his eyes full of determination. "No matter what conspiracy lies behind this, no matter how many difficulties, I will protect Los Santos and protect all of you. And, I must find Kate and uncover all the truth."

Michael and Franklin exchanged glances and nodded heavily: "Brother Fan, we're with you! Whether it's a conspiracy or difficulties, we'll face them together!"

Lin Fan looked at the two, a smile appearing on his lips. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering onto the streets of Los Santos, warm and bright. After this two-front battle, Los Santos returned to peace, but Lin Fan knew this was only a temporary calm; a bigger storm was yet to come.

His consciousness was still connected to the real world, the code fragments in his palm were still slightly hot, the consciousness data Kate backed up, the mystery Elizabeth left behind, the plan Victor spoke of, and New Era Technology and the military in the real world... All of this was like a huge net, tightly enveloping him.

But he was no longer lost, no longer afraid. Because he had brothers, a belief to protect, and the power to control his destiny.

Lin Fan looked up at the sky, his eyes firm: "No matter how many challenges the future holds, I will face them one by one. This time, I will not only be the Guardian of Los Santos, but also the master of my own destiny!"

In the distance, on the skyline, a faint black light flashed and quickly disappeared. No one noticed that within that light, a pair of cold eyes were hidden, staring intently at Lin Fan and at all of Los Santos.

A new crisis was quietly brewing. And Lin Fan's two-front battle had not truly ended; his adventure had just begun.

Michael patted Lin Fan's shoulder, pointing to the bustling street not far away: "Brother Fan, look, Los Santos is alive again. Let's go for a drink, to celebrate our great victory!"

Franklin also smiled and echoed: "Yes! A drink! Let's properly relax!"

Lin Fan nodded, carefully put away the blue crystal in his hand, and followed the two towards the street. The sunlight shone on the three of them, casting long shadows. On the street, people laughed and chatted, traffic flowed, and everything returned to its former prosperity.

But in Lin Fan's heart, he still worried about Kate and the mystery Elizabeth left behind. He knew that beneath this calm, a turbulent undercurrent was hidden. He had to become stronger quickly, uncover the truth quickly, to truly protect all of this.

Walking to the entrance of a bar, Lin Fan stopped, looked back at the skyline, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Wait for me, Kate. Wait for me, all the truth. I will find you, and I will end all of this completely."

After speaking, he turned and walked into the bar, raising a toast with Michael and Franklin. The clinking of glasses was exceptionally clear in the noisy bar, as if marking a temporary end to this two-front battle, and also as if playing the overture to the upcoming new adventure.