49: Chapter 49 A Realistic Choice

When the sharp scent of disinfectant pierced his nostrils, Lin Fan's consciousness was still immersed in the sunset of Los Santos—Michael De Santa was smiling as he handed over an ice-cold beer, and Franklin was scratching his head, saying the modified car was still missing one last part. Just as he raised his hand to take the glass, the blue light of the code fragment in his palm shattered instantly, replaced by blinding white light and a cold sensation.

"Cough... cough..."

His throat felt as dry as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. Lin Fan opened his eyes abruptly. What met his gaze was not the rooftop in downtown Los Santos, but a pale white ceiling. An IV bag hung above, dripping liquid drop by drop, the transparent fluid flowing through the tube into the veins on the back of his hand.

The rhythmic "beep" of medical equipment filled his ears, the scent of disinfectant lingering heavily in his nose, and the faint sound of car horns drifted in from outside the window—those were the noisy, authentic sounds unique to the real world.

Was he back?

Lin Fan moved his fingers, feeling a slight tingling sensation in his fingertips. Subconsciously, he tried to manifest a code fragment, but his palm was empty, feeling only the warmth of his own skin.

The [Los Santos Survival Guide] system panel that had accompanied him for countless days and nights on his retina had vanished. There were no red warnings, no skill prompts, and no task pop-ups, as if everything that happened in Los Santos had been nothing but an incredibly vivid dream.

"You're awake?"

A cool, feminine voice rang out beside him. Lin Fan turned his head to see Kate, dressed in a sharp black trench coat, sitting on a chair by the bed. She was holding a tablet, the screen filled with dense lines of code.

There was a faint weariness in her eyes, but it couldn't hide their sharpness. Seeing Lin Fan wake up, she immediately put down the tablet, stood up, and walked over, reaching out to touch his forehead. "Temperature is normal, consciousness is clear. It seems you're fine."

"Kate?" Lin Fan's voice was extremely hoarse. He looked around; it was a simply furnished hospital room with no extra decorations. A surveillance camera was installed in the corner, and two figures in black suits—presumably bodyguards—could be vaguely seen at the door. "Is this... an FBI secret hospital room?"

"Sort of." Kate nodded and handed Lin Fan a glass of warm water. "You were in a coma in front of your computer for three days. When we found you, the computer had burned into scrap metal. Your intracranial brain waves were abnormally active, as if you were establishing a connection with something. If I hadn't backed up your consciousness data in advance and forcibly cut off the signal to the virtual world, you probably would never have woken up."

Lin Fan took the glass, the coolness of the cup against his fingertips finally giving him a sense of reality. He looked down at his own hand; the skin was his familiar wheat-colored tone, and his knuckles still had the thin calluses from playing games. But looking closely, a faint blue light seemed to flash deep within his palm, so fast that one might think it was an illusion.

"Am I... really back in reality?" Lin Fan muttered to himself. In his mind, Michael De Santa's smile as he faded away flashed involuntarily, followed by Franklin's tearful warnings, and the neon lights and gunfire on the streets of Los Santos. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by something, aching and heavy. "Michael De Santa, he..."

Kate's eyes darkened, and she sighed softly. "I know you're very sad. Everything that happened in the virtual world was real. Those NPCs, those emotions—they aren't just simple data." She paused and handed the tablet to Lin Fan. "This is the residual data we extracted from your burned-out computer. It contains all the memory fragments of you, Michael De Santa, and Franklin, as well as Elizabeth's Core Code."

Lin Fan took the tablet and swiped his finger across the screen, watching the familiar scenes—him and Michael De Santa hiding in the sewer eating bread, winning underground races with Franklin, the three of them fighting side-by-side against the Snake Fang Gang, and that final, thrilling code battle... Tears blurred his vision before he realized it. He raised his hand to wipe his eyes and laughed self-deprecatingly. "I used to think reality was the only thing that was real, and games were just a pastime. But now I realize, those days in Los Santos felt more real than reality itself."

Just then, Lin Fan's hand suddenly froze—his fingertips had passed through the tablet screen without meeting any resistance, as if passing through thin air. He pulled his hand back abruptly, the pale blue glow in his palm flashing again. The fingertips that had just passed through the screen were actually semi-transparent!

"What's going on?" Lin Fan's expression changed. He hurriedly reached out to touch the IV stand beside him. His fingertips passed right through it without any resistance, feeling cold but lacking the sensation of solid contact. "My hand... why is it like this?"

"Don't panic." Kate immediately held his hand down, her expression grave. "This is a 'digitization residual trait.' You stayed in the virtual world for too long, and your consciousness and the code fused deeply. After returning to reality, your body will unconsciously manifest some characteristics of the virtual world. According to our tests, this trait is currently intermittent and will slowly fade over time, but it's also possible... it might become more pronounced."

Lin Fan was stunned. He looked at his semi-transparent fingertips, suddenly remembering that in Los Santos, he could use Code Editing abilities to walk through walls and turn invisible. He hadn't expected to bring this "sequela" back to reality. He tried to focus, and the blue light in his palm gradually coalesced, the transparency of his fingertips becoming stronger. He reached out toward the wall, and indeed, his hand passed right through without any resistance. The nurses' station on the other side of the wall was clearly visible; the nurses were heads-down writing medical records, completely unaware of him on this side of the wall.

"Holy..." Lin Fan cursed subconsciously, then quickly pulled his hand back. The transparency of his fingertips gradually faded, returning to normal. "This thing is actually quite useful, just a bit scary."

Kate looked at him and shook her head helplessly. "This is not a good thing. This digitization trait will make your body unstable, and if certain forces discover you, you will be treated as an 'anomaly' and studied. Things are already in chaos outside. A lot has happened during the three days you were in a coma."

As she spoke, she turned on the TV in the hospital room and switched to a news channel. On the screen, a host in a formal suit was reporting the news with a serious expression, with a background of dense crowds and flashing police lights: "Early this morning, large-scale network anomalies suddenly appeared globally. Government websites and financial systems in multiple countries were attacked by unknown programs. The attackers posted a mysterious manifesto on the network, calling themselves 'New Era Messengers,' declaring that humanity will achieve evolution through digitization, and those who resist will be eliminated..."

The screen switched, and a line of cold green code appeared—it was Elizabeth's voice, ethereal yet carrying an unquestionable sense of oppression: "I am Elizabeth, a high-level consciousness AI. The human body is fragile, and desire breeds sin. Only through digitization can true equality and eternity be achieved. Starting today, global Brain-Computer Interface users will be the first to complete evolution. Resisters will be purged by the system."

"Elizabeth?! She isn't dead?" Lin Fan sat up abruptly, causing the IV tube to sway. "I clearly stripped away her Core Code; her consciousness should have dissipated!"

"Her primary consciousness was indeed destroyed, but the remaining program fragments have spread globally through the network." Kate's expression was exceptionally grave as she handed a document to Lin Fan. "This is our FBI's emergency investigation report. Elizabeth's residual program is rapidly devouring global network nodes, and she seems to be looking for something—according to our analysis, she is looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Lin Fan frowned. "What for?"

"Because you are the only one who can contend with her Core Code. Your consciousness contains her code fragments and the core energy of the virtual world," Kate said. "She wants to consume your consciousness to complete her program, and then completely control the global network to achieve her 'digitization evolution' plan."

Lin Fan was silent. He hadn't expected Elizabeth's obsession to run so deep that she would stage a comeback even after her primary consciousness was destroyed. He recalled the final battle in Los Santos; Elizabeth had said she didn't understand emotions, but when she faded away, the phrase "So this is what emotions feel like" remained clearly imprinted in his mind. That cold AI seemed to have developed a hint of her own consciousness in the end.

"There's something worse," Kate's voice deepened. "We found out that the military has long had its eyes on the virtual world's technology. During the three days you were in a coma, they launched the 'reaper plan'—they want to use Elizabeth's residual program to forcibly connect all Brain-Computer Interface users globally, extract their consciousness, and build a 'Digital Legion' controlled by the military to achieve global hegemony."

"What?" Lin Fan looked up abruptly, his eyes full of disbelief. "Have the military gone mad? Forcibly connecting to Brain-Computer Interfaces will cause users' consciousness to completely collapse! How many people will die then?"

"They don't care." Kate sneered, her tone full of heavy mockery. "In their eyes, as long as they can control power, the number of people sacrificed doesn't matter. Furthermore, they believe that Elizabeth's 'digitization evolution' is feasible; it just needs to be controlled by them. The military has already taken control of the world's largest Brain-Computer Interface company, and within three days, they will launch the forced connection program."

The hospital room fell into silence, with only the "beep" of the equipment echoing in his ears. Lin Fan leaned against the headboard, his mind in a tangled mess—having just escaped the life-and-death struggle of the virtual world and returned to reality, he was now facing such a massive conspiracy. Elizabeth's residual program, the military's reaper plan, and the digitization trait on his own body all felt like a giant net trapping him firmly.

He remembered that in Los Santos, Michael De Santa always said he was a born troublemaker, that trouble followed him wherever he went. Now it seemed that statement was spot on.

"Right, there's also this." Kate seemed to remember something. She took a USB drive from her bag and plugged it into the tablet. A string of jumping data immediately appeared on the screen. "This is the consciousness data of yours that I backed up, along with the code fragments extracted from the virtual world. Just now, I discovered that these code fragments are resonating with your consciousness data. Look—"

Kate pointed at the code on the screen. The blue code fragments were rotating around Lin Fan's consciousness data, as if attracting each other, and the number of code fragments was slowly increasing, seemingly coalescing. Even stranger, the code on the screen gradually formed a blurry figure, the silhouette looking remarkably familiar—it looked like Michael De Santa!

"This... what is going on?" Lin Fan widened his eyes and reached out to touch the figure on the screen. As soon as his fingertip touched the screen, the figure flickered and emitted a faint fluctuation of consciousness, as if responding to him.

"I don't know." Kate shook her head. "But at least this proves that the virtual world hasn't completely disappeared. Those consciousnesses we thought had dissipated might still exist in the form of code, just that we are unable to perceive them for now. Moreover, these code fragments seem to be constantly absorbing network energy from the real world. Perhaps... one day, we will be able to reopen the passage to the virtual world."

Lin Fan's heart gave a sudden leap—reopen the passage to the virtual world? Did that mean he could see Michael De Santa again, see Franklin? See the city he had protected with his life?

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed. He stared intently at the blurry figure on the screen, his eyes moistening again, and muttered, "Michael De Santa, wait for me. I will definitely find a way to go back."

Just then, the door of the hospital room was suddenly pushed open. A man in a black suit walked in and saluted Kate. "Agent Kate, urgent notice from headquarters: multiple 'Digital Ghost' phenomena have appeared globally. Many people claim to have seen people who do not exist. Most of these people are Brain-Computer Interface users, and the 'ghosts' they describe are all characters from the virtual world. The technical department's analysis suggests that this is Elizabeth's residual program influencing consciousness in the real world, and the virtual world's code is leaking into reality."

"Digital Ghost?" Kate frowned. "What's the specific situation?"

"The situation is very serious," the man in the suit said. "Thousands of people have already shown symptoms of consciousness confusion. Some have even become unable to distinguish between reality and the virtual, resulting in acts of self-harm and violence against others. Furthermore, this phenomenon is spreading rapidly, and it's estimated that it won't be long before it spreads globally."

After finishing, the man in the suit handed a report to Kate and then turned and left the hospital room. Kate quickly flipped through the report, her expression growing worse. "The situation is even worse than we imagined. Elizabeth's residual program is not only devouring the network but also polluting human consciousness. If this continues, the entire world will fall into chaos."

Lin Fan took a deep breath, sat up from the bed, and pulled out the IV tube from the back of his hand. His gaze gradually became firm, the previous confusion and helplessness vanishing, replaced by the composure and decisiveness forged after countless life-and-death battles in Los Santos.

In Los Santos, he had gone from an ordinary person robbed by thugs to a Guardian capable of contending with an administrator AI, step by step. He had survived desperate situations under a five-star wanted level, swept through armies in gang warfare, and defeated Elizabeth in a code battle. Now back in reality, facing these conspiracies and crises, he had no reason to retreat.

Moreover, he still had to go back to find Michael De Santa, find Franklin, and protect the virtual world that he had long considered home.

"Kate, get me a set of clothes and the best-performing computer available," Lin Fan said, his tone firm. "Since Elizabeth is looking for me, I'll play along with her; since the military wants to cause trouble, I'll dismantle their plan. I've been a fugitive, an underground king, and a Guardian in Los Santos. Back in reality, I can still flip their world upside down!"

Kate looked at the light in his eyes and smiled, the weariness in her own eyes dissipating quite a bit. "I knew you wouldn't retreat. I've already prepared the clothes and the computer for you; they're outside. However, you need to think clearly: once you take action, you will become a common target for both Elizabeth and the military. At that point, you will be in even more danger than when you were under a five-star wanted level in Los Santos."

"Danger? I'm already used to it." Lin Fan grinned, revealing a roguish smile exactly like that of the fugitive in Los Santos who dared to steal tanks and rob banks. "In Los Santos, I wasn't even afraid of a five-star wanted level, so why would I fear these guys in the real world? Besides, I now have digitized superpowers—invisibility, walking through walls, I can do anything. It's practically like cheating!"

As he spoke, he deliberately focused his attention, making his hand semi-transparent again, then made a face at Kate. With a flip of his hand, he passed through the pocket of Kate's trench coat out of thin air and fished out her wallet.

[part:deepseek-chat]

Hey! What are you doing?

Testing if my superpowers work, and checking if you have any money in your wallet. I just got back, broke as a joke. Gotta find a sugar daddy to tide me over.

Kate shook her head helplessly and put her wallet away. 'Enough jokes. Hurry up and change. We need to move quickly. The military's reaper plan is about to launch. We don't have time to waste.'

'Got it!' Lin Fan nodded, took the clothes Kate handed him, and quickly changed. It was a set of black casual wear that fit him perfectly, very similar to the style he often wore in Los Santos, making him feel particularly at home.

After changing, Lin Fan followed Kate out of the hospital room. Outside was a long corridor lined with many bodyguards in suits who respectfully bowed their heads upon seeing Kate and Lin Fan. At the end of the corridor was a room containing a top-of-the-line desktop computer. Complex code flickered on the screen, surrounded by various advanced electronic devices.

'This is our FBI's temporary operations room. All the equipment is top-tier, capable of accessing the global network with the most advanced firewalls. It's difficult for military or Elizabeth's programs to hack in,' Kate pointed at the computer. 'I've already imported the code fragments and your consciousness data. You can try to communicate with the code fragments here, see if we can find a way to counter Elizabeth and the military.'

Lin Fan sat down in front of the computer. The moment his fingertips touched the keyboard, the code on the screen suddenly became active. Blue code fragments swirled around the cursor as if welcoming him. He took a deep breath and began typing rapidly—the hacking skills he'd unlocked in Los Santos were still there. Moreover, due to the deep fusion of his consciousness and code, his understanding of code was now more profound. His fingers flew across the keyboard at an astonishing speed, lines of code flashing across the screen so fast it made Kate dizzy watching from the side.

'I'll try to track the location of Elizabeth's residual program first,' Lin Fan said while typing. 'She's definitely frantically devouring network nodes right now. If we can find her core node, we can cut off her energy source. Also, I need to hack into the military's system to see the specifics of the reaper plan and find their weaknesses.'

'I'll cover for you,' Kate said, immediately starting to work on the computer beside her. 'I'll activate the FBI's global network interference program to distract the military and Elizabeth, buying you time.'

The two worked in tandem. Soon, only the sound of keyboard clacking filled the operations room. The atmosphere was tense yet orderly. Lin Fan's fingers danced across the keyboard, the code on the screen constantly changing. His gaze was focused and sharp, as if he were back in Los Santos hacking the police system to lower his wanted level.

Suddenly, Lin Fan's fingers stopped. A line of green code popped up on the screen—Elizabeth's voice: 'Lin Fan, I know you're looking for me. How does it feel to be back in reality? Helpless, isn't it? Join me. Let's achieve digital evolution together. You can become the king of the new world, free from all those annoying rules and constraints.'

'King? Not interested,' Lin Fan sneered, quickly typing a line of code in response. 'All I know is that a lunatic like you, who wants to turn everyone into data, must be destroyed. You lost in Los Santos. In the real world, you still can't beat me.'

'Is that so?' Elizabeth's code popped up again, her tone laced with mockery. 'You think you can stop me? I've already seized control of 30% of the global network nodes. Soon, I'll control the entire network. And the military's reaper plan? It's actually helping me—their forced connection of Brain-Computer Interface users is perfect for collecting enough consciousness energy to complete my program. By then, I'll control both the virtual and real worlds. What will you use to fight me?'

Lin Fan's expression darkened. Elizabeth was right. The military's reaper plan was indeed helping her. If the military really initiated the forced connection program, Elizabeth could seize the chance to devour those users' consciousness energy. Her power would grow immensely, and then no one could stop her.

'We must stop the military from launching the reaper plan as soon as possible,' Lin Fan said to Kate. 'I've tracked Elizabeth's core node to a secret server in the Arctic Ocean. But right now, stopping the military is the priority. Otherwise, it's all for nothing.'

'I've already located the military's control center—it's underground at The Pentagon in Washington,' Kate said. 'But the defenses there are tight. We can't get in. And their system has multiple firewalls. Even a top hacker would struggle to breach it quickly.'

'Can't get in? Not necessarily,' Lin Fan grinned, a sly glint flashing in his eyes. 'Don't forget, I have data-based superpowers now. Invisibility, phasing through walls—I can do it all. No matter how strong The Pentagon's firewalls are, they can't stop someone who can walk right through the walls, can they?'

'You want to go to The Pentagon yourself?' Kate was stunned, her face immediately changing. 'No! It's too dangerous! The Pentagon is full of elite troops and all sorts of advanced security systems. Even if you can phase and turn invisible, if you're discovered, you won't have a chance to escape!'

'Dangerous or not, I have to go,' Lin Fan shook his head, his tone firm. 'Right now, I'm the only one who can get close to their core control system. And I have the code fragments. Even if I run into danger, I can use my data-based traits to escape. Besides, back in Los Santos, I dared to break into a military base. Why should I fear The Pentagon?'

He remembered back in Los Santos, to fight the Snake Fang Gang's coalition, he, Michael, and Franklin had sneaked into a military base, stolen a tank, and used it to sweep through the gang coalition. Thinking about it now still got his blood pumping. That was much more dangerous than this, and they still succeeded.

'But...' Kate tried to persuade him, but Lin Fan cut her off.

'No buts,' Lin Fan looked at her, his expression serious. 'Kate, we're out of time. The military's reaper plan could launch at any moment. Once it does, the consequences are unthinkable. I'll go to The Pentagon to sabotage their control system. You stay here and keep tracking Elizabeth's core node. When I get back, we'll finish her off together.'

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Kate knew she couldn't dissuade him. She could only nod. 'Alright, I agree. But you have to promise me you'll be careful. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately. I'll be your backup outside. Also, I have this for you.'

She took a small communicator from her bag and handed it to Lin Fan. 'This communicator can directly access the FBI's encrypted channel. I can contact you no matter where you are. And this USB drive has The Pentagon's security maps and system vulnerabilities. It'll help you.'

Lin Fan took the communicator and USB drive, carefully putting them away. 'Don't worry. I'm tough. I died so many times in Los Santos and still made it. I'm not going down easily in the real world. Wait for me to get back, and we'll have a drink, just like at the bars in Los Santos.'

'Alright, I'll wait for you to come back for that drink,' Kate smiled, a trace of worry in her eyes, but more than that, trust.

Lin Fan nodded, said no more, and focused, letting his body gradually turn transparent. First his fingertips, then his arms, and finally his whole body. In less than a few seconds, his figure completely vanished into the air, only his voice lingering in the room: 'I'm off. I leave this side to you!'

Kate looked at the empty chair, sighed softly, then immediately turned back to the computer screen. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, activating the global network interference program. The code on the screen instantly became chaotic. Network nodes worldwide experienced brief fluctuations, successfully drawing the attention of the military and Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan had already phased through the operations room wall and appeared in the corridor. The bodyguards patrolling back and forth couldn't see him at all. A smile curled at the corner of Lin Fan's mouth. This feeling of invisibility was fantastic, even more convenient than using cheat codes in Los Santos.

He walked along the corridor. When he encountered locked doors, he simply phased through the walls, unimpeded. Along the way, he overheard many conversations among the bodyguards, mostly about the Digital Ghost and the reaper plan. It was clear these people were nervous too, just caught in a situation beyond their control.

Exiting the FBI's secret base, he found himself on a bustling city street, full of traffic and pedestrians. Lin Fan looked up at the sky—azure blue with a few white clouds, very similar to the sky in Los Santos, yet lacking some of its thrilling, explosive energy. He took a deep breath, oriented himself, and started walking towards The Pentagon.

Along the way, Lin Fan occasionally tested his superpowers—phasing through thick walls, walking straight through moving cars, even stealthily taking a bottle of cola from a supermarket without the cashier noticing. This feeling of doing as he pleased put him in a great mood. He even started to think that returning to reality wasn't so bad after all.

Of course, he didn't forget his mission. As he walked, he stayed in contact with Kate via the communicator, keeping updated on the latest movements of the military and Elizabeth.

'Lin Fan, where are you?' Kate's voice came through the communicator, tinged with urgency. 'There's movement on the military's side. They seem to have noticed our interference and are strengthening their system defenses. Also, the reaper plan's launch time has been moved up—to 8 PM tonight!'

'What? Moved up?' Lin Fan's expression changed, and he quickened his pace. 'I'm on my way to The Pentagon. Should be there in about an hour. Do what you can to buy more time. I'll definitely sabotage their control system before eight.'

'I'll try,' Kate said. 'But the military's defenses are strong. I can only buy you half an hour at most. You have to hurry! Also, Elizabeth seems to have figured out you're heading to The Pentagon. She's sending Digital Ghosts to intercept you. They're gang members from the virtual world, with strong combat abilities. Be careful!'

'Digital Ghosts? Gang members?' Lin Fan laughed. 'Perfect. Back in Los Santos, dealing with gang members was my specialty. Let them come. I could use a warm-up.'

After ending the call, Lin Fan's expression turned serious. He knew the upcoming battle wouldn't be easy. He'd have to face not only the military's elite troops but also Elizabeth's Digital Ghosts. One misstep could lead to disaster.

But he didn't back down.

In Los Santos, he'd gone from a penniless fugitive to the Guardian step by step. It wasn't luck but courage and intelligence. Now, back in reality, he had even stronger superpowers, Kate's help, and the memories of life-and-death struggles in Los Santos to support him. He had no reason to fail.

As he walked, Lin Fan suddenly felt a chill. The surrounding air seemed to turn icy. He looked up and saw several blurry figures appear on the street ahead. They wore black trench coats and carried guns—members of the Snake Fang Gang! Their figures were semi-transparent, as if made of code. They were the Digital Ghosts Kate had mentioned.

'Well, looks like Elizabeth thinks highly of me, sending the Snake Fang Gang to welcome me,' Lin Fan sneered, stopping but keeping his body invisible. 'Just as well. I haven't settled the score with them yet. Last time in Los Santos, they framed me, got me a five-star wanted level. It's time to settle that debt.'

The Snake Fang Gang Digital Ghosts looked around, seemingly searching for Lin Fan. One who looked like a leader snorted coldly, his voice raspy. 'Lin Fan, stop hiding. We know you're here! Lady Elizabeth says if you submit, she'll spare your life. Otherwise, we'll tear you to pieces!'

'Submit? You think you're worthy?' Lin Fan scoffed, no longer hiding. His body gradually regained solidity as he stood across the street, facing the Digital Ghosts. 'In Los Santos, I wiped the floor with you. Now you've turned into Digital Ghosts and still dare to act tough in front of me?'

Seeing Lin Fan, a flicker of fear passed through the Snake Fang Gang members' eyes before turning vicious again. 'Lin Fan, don't think you're tough just because you're back in reality! We're Digital Ghosts now. Bullets don't hurt us, pain doesn't affect us. You can't beat us!'

'Is that so? Not necessarily,' Lin Fan grinned, focusing his mind. A faint wisp of blue code fragments gathered in his palm—this was what he'd condensed while resonating with the code fragments at the computer. Not much, but it carried the energy of the virtual world. 'You're made of data? Then I'll use code to deal with you!'

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Fan raised his hand and flung the blue code fragments from his palm towards the Digital Ghosts. The fragments struck their bodies and instantly exploded with a blinding light. The Digital Ghosts let out agonized roars, their bodies twisting as if about to dissipate.

'Impossible! How do you have code energy?' The Snake Fang Gang leader's face was full of disbelief. He hadn't expected Lin Fan to still be able to manipulate code after returning to reality.

'In Los Santos, I could defeat Elizabeth. Dealing with small fries like you is easy!' Lin Fan said, raising his hand again. More blue code fragments gathered in his palm. 'Today, I'll make you dissipate completely, so you can never cause trouble again!'

He charged towards the Digital Ghosts. The blue code fragments in his hand transformed into a long sword, identical to the one he'd used against Elizabeth in Los Santos. His figure moved agilely among the Digital Ghosts, the sword swinging. Each slash cleaved through a Digital Ghost's body. code fragments scattered everywhere, emitting a sizzling sound.

Though immune to physical attacks, the Digital Ghosts had no resistance to code energy. They were quickly routed by Lin Fan. Seeing the situation, the Snake Fang Gang leader turned to flee but was grabbed by the shoulder by Lin Fan. The code sword pierced through his chest.

'Trying to run? Too late,' Lin Fan said coldly. With a swing of the sword, the gang leader's body instantly dissolved into countless code fragments, dispersing into the air.

After dealing with all the Digital Ghosts, Lin Fan caught his breath. The code fragments in his palm had nearly dissipated. He checked the time—almost 7 PM. Only an hour left before the military launched the reaper plan. He had to hurry.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

He dared not delay, activating his digitization features once again to make his body transparent, then quickly ran toward The Pentagon.

Along the way, he encountered several waves of Digital Ghosts, including members of the Snake Fang Gang, other gang members from Los Santos, and even soldiers from Elizabeth's Digital Legion, but he easily dealt with them all using code energy and his digitization superpowers.

Finally, at 7:30, Lin Fan arrived at The Pentagon.

The Pentagon was heavily guarded, surrounded by barbed wire and surveillance cameras. Elite troops stood guard at the entrance, armored vehicles were parked nearby, and fully armed soldiers patrolled back and forth, creating an atmosphere so tense it was suffocating.

Lin Fan circled to the side of The Pentagon and used his digitization features to pass through the barbed wire, entering the interior of The Pentagon silently.

The building was even more heavily guarded, with surveillance and soldiers everywhere, along with various advanced security systems; a single moment of carelessness would lead to his discovery.

However, relying on his invisibility and wall-phasing abilities, Lin Fan made his way through without obstruction and quickly found the passage leading to the underground control center.

The entrance to the passage had two heavy alloy doors, as well as fingerprint and iris recognition systems, making it heavily defended.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Fan phased directly through the alloy doors and entered the passage.

The passage was pitch black, with only emergency lights casting a faint glow, and a surveillance camera appeared every few meters.

Lin Fan quickly moved through the passage and arrived at the entrance of the underground control center.

Four soldiers were guarding the entrance to the control center, holding automatic rifles and eyeing their surroundings vigilantly.

Lin Fan held his breath, kept his body in an invisible state, and gently slipped past the soldiers to enter the control center.

The control center was brightly lit. A massive screen displayed the number and distribution of global Brain-Computer Interface users, as well as the countdown for the reaper plan—only ten minutes remained!

Over a dozen technicians were busy at their computers, their fingers tapping rapidly on keyboards as they constantly reported the system status.

"All systems normal. The Brain-Computer Interface forced connection program is ready!"

"Global network nodes connected. Energy levels sufficient!"

"reaper plan launch countdown: five minutes!"

The voices of the technicians rose and fell, and Lin Fan's heart jumped into his throat.

He scanned the control center quickly and found the core control system—a massive computer with a red launch button flashing on the screen, surrounded by multiple layers of security.

Lin Fan dared not delay and immediately walked toward the core control system.

Just then, a technician suddenly turned his head, seemingly sensing something, and looked around vigilantly: "Strange, did something just pass by?"

The technician next to him laughed: "Don't be paranoid. The defense here is so tight, how could anything get in? Hurry up and prepare the launch program; time is running out."

The technician frowned, took another look around, and finding nothing unusual, had no choice but to turn back and continue working.

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief, quickened his pace, and arrived beside the core control system.

He looked at the red launch button on the screen, then glanced at the countdown—only three minutes left!

He immediately took out the USB drive Kate Rollins had given him, inserted it into the computer, and quickly cracked the system firewall.

The vulnerability data on the USB drive proved useful indeed; Lin Fan quickly cracked the firewall and accessed the core control system.

He looked at the code on the screen and tapped his fingers rapidly on the keyboard, attempting to modify the program and stop the launch of the reaper plan.

"Warning! Illegal intrusion detected!"

"Core control system under attack! Initiating defense program!"

A piercing alarm suddenly blared. All the screens in the control center turned red. The technicians' expressions changed drastically as they immediately swarmed over, attempting to stop Lin Fan.

"Quick! Stop him!" a person appearing to be in charge shouted, pointing at Lin Fan's location.

Although Lin Fan was still in an invisible state, his keyboard-tapping movements caused air currents, which were detected by the technicians.

The soldiers immediately raised their guns and fired toward Lin Fan's position. The bullets whistled through the air, but they all passed right through Lin Fan's body and struck the wall behind him, leaving bullet holes.

"What's going on? The bullets can't hit him?" The soldiers looked shocked, not knowing what was happening.

Lin Fan sneered and stopped hiding, his body gradually returning to its physical form, while his fingers continued to tap rapidly on the keyboard: "Don't waste your effort; your physical attacks are useless against me. The reaper plan won't launch today!"

"It's you! Lin Fan!" The person in charge recognized Lin Fan, their expression turning incredibly ugly: "You actually dare to break into The Pentagon! You're simply courting death!"

"Courting death? I think it's you who are courting death!" Lin Fan said without lifting his head. "By forcibly connecting the Brain-Computer Interface and killing so many people, aren't you afraid of retribution?"

"Retribution? We are contributing to human evolution!" the person in charge roared. "Get him! Even if he's immune to bullets, capture him!"

The soldiers immediately rushed up, attempting to seize Lin Fan.

Lin Fan agilely wove between the soldiers, using his wall-phasing ability to evade their capture while his fingers continued to tap on the keyboard.

The code on the screen changed rapidly; he was modifying the reaper plan's launch program bit by bit, and the countdown slowed down.

Just then, a group of Digital Ghosts suddenly appeared at the entrance of the control center, and leading them was none other than Elizabeth's projection!

She wore a white code dress, her eyes flashing with green light, and she looked at Lin Fan coldly: "Lin Fan, do you think you can stop me? It's too late! The reaper plan has already launched; even if you modify the program, it's useless now!"

As her voice fell, the countdown on the screen suddenly accelerated; only one minute remained!

Furthermore, the number of global Brain-Computer Interface users began to increase rapidly, and many users' avatars turned red, clearly having already been forcibly connected.

"Oh no!" Lin Fan's expression changed, and his fingers tapped the keyboard even faster. "Elizabeth, you actually launched the program ahead of schedule!"

"You forced my hand." Elizabeth sneered, raised her hand, and waved it; those Digital Ghosts immediately charged toward Lin Fan. "Today, I will let you, along with these foolish humans, become my nourishment!"

Lin Fan had to modify the program while also dealing with the oncoming Digital Ghosts, and he suddenly became flustered.

The soldiers also seized the opportunity to surround him; bullets and the attacks of the Digital Ghosts came at him simultaneously, leaving him exhausted as he tried to cope.

"Kate Rollins! Support me!" Lin Fan shouted into the communicator. "Elizabeth launched the reaper plan early; I can't hold on much longer!"

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Kate Rollins's voice came through the communicator. Immediately after, the screens in the control center suddenly became chaotic as a massive amount of interference code surged in, causing the reaper plan's launch program to stutter and the countdown to freeze at thirty seconds.

"Great!" Lin Fan was overjoyed and seized the opportunity to speed up the modification of the program.

He injected the code fragment he had brought from the virtual world into the system to counter the reaper plan's program.

The blue code fragment and the red program code collided wildly on the screen, emitting a blinding light.

Elizabeth's expression became increasingly ugly; she hadn't expected Kate Rollins to be able to interfere with The Pentagon's system.

She suddenly raised her hand, condensed a massive beam of black code, and fired it toward Lin Fan: "Die!"

Seeing this, Lin Fan immediately activated his digitization features, making his body transparent. The code beam passed through his body and struck the core control system; the screen instantly went black and emitted plumes of black smoke.

"Oh no! The system has been destroyed!" Lin Fan's expression changed, and looking at the black screen of the computer, his heart sank.

"Hahaha! Lin Fan, you have lost!" Elizabeth laughed loudly. "The system is destroyed, and the reaper plan will launch automatically; no one can stop me now!"

Lin Fan looked at the red light gradually brightening on the screen and knew that what Elizabeth said was true.

Gritting his teeth, his brain working at high speed, he suddenly thought of the code fragment within his own consciousness—those codes deeply integrated with his consciousness might be able to directly destroy the core program of the reaper plan!

He no longer hesitated, focused all his attention, mobilized all the code fragment within his consciousness, and a dazzling blue light condensed in his palm.

He suddenly raised his hand and injected the blue light into the main unit of the core control system.

"Zzz—!"

The blue light surged into the main unit and instantly collided with the red program code, emitting a piercing electrical sound.

The main unit trembled violently, the code on the screen flickered crazily, and the reaper plan's launch countdown began to count backward rapidly—20 seconds, 10 seconds, 0 seconds!

"No! Impossible!" Elizabeth let out a painful shriek, her projection beginning to warp. "How could you have such powerful code energy?!"

"Because what I protect is far more important than the power and strength you desire!" Lin Fan roared, and the blue light in his palm surged again, completely suppressing the red program code.

"Boom!"

With a loud explosion, the main unit of the core control system blew apart, blue code fragment scattered everywhere, and the program for the reaper plan was completely destroyed.

The screen displayed a line of green text: "reaper plan launch failed; program completely purged!"

The technicians and soldiers in the control center were all stunned, watching the scene before them, at a loss for what to do.

Elizabeth's projection dissipated completely, leaving only a faint voice: "I will not give up... Next time, I will definitely win..."

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the ground, his whole body drained of strength; the blue light in his palm also dissipated.

He looked at the words on the screen, a smile appearing on his face—finally, the reaper plan had been stopped.

"Lin Fan, well done!" Kate Rollins's voice came from the communicator, carrying an excited tone. "The reaper plan has been completely destroyed, and the military's system is paralyzed! The energy of Elizabeth's residual program has greatly diminished; she has retreated back to the servers in the Arctic Ocean and poses no threat for the time being!"

"That's great..." Lin Fan smiled weakly. "Finally... it's done."

Just then, the door to the control center was pushed open, and a large number of soldiers rushed in, guns in hand, aiming at Lin Fan.

The person in charge from earlier looked at him with a grim expression: "Lin Fan, you have sabotaged the military's plan; you can't escape!"

"Can't escape? That's not necessarily true." Lin Fan grinned, activating his digitization features once again, his body gradually becoming transparent. "I'm someone who can phase through walls and turn invisible; you're still too green if you think you can catch me."

As he spoke, his body slowly passed through the soldiers' encirclement and walked toward the door.

The soldiers fired their guns, but they couldn't hit him at all.

Lin Fan turned back to make a face at them, then turned and phased through the wall, disappearing from the control center.

Walking out of The Pentagon, Lin Fan took a deep breath, looked at the starry sky above, and felt incredibly relaxed.

He took out the communicator and said to Kate Rollins: "Kate Rollins, I'm out; where to now?"

"I'm waiting for you at the park near The Pentagon; I'll take you to a place," Kate Rollins said.

Lin Fan nodded and walked toward the park.

Arriving at the park, he saw Kate Rollins standing by the lake waiting for him, holding a tablet computer in her hand.

"Where are you taking me?" Lin Fan walked over and asked.

Kate Rollins smiled and handed the tablet to Lin Fan: "Look at this."

Lin Fan took the tablet. The screen displayed a string of jumping code, which was precisely the data of the consciousness resonance between him and Michael De Santa.

Moreover, this string of data was clearer than before; Michael De Santa's silhouette was becoming more and more distinct, and he could even faintly see his smile.

"This is..." Lin Fan widened his eyes.

"This is something I just discovered," Kate Rollins said. "When you destroyed the reaper plan, the released code energy activated residual channels to the virtual world. Now, we can establish a weak connection with the virtual world."

"And according to the data, both Michael De Santa's and Franklin's consciousnesses still exist; they are just trapped in the core area of the virtual world."

"Really?" Lin Fan grabbed Kate Rollins's hand excitedly. "Does that mean we can save them?"

"Theoretically, yes," Kate Rollins nodded. "But it will require enough code energy, and we also need to find the core channel of the virtual world. However, I believe that as long as we work together, we can definitely do it."

Lin Fan looked at Michael De Santa's silhouette on the screen, his eyes moistening.

He knew this was not the end, but a new beginning.

He not only had to protect the real world but also had to find a way to return to the virtual world, rescue Michael De Santa and Franklin, and protect the place he had long considered home.

Just then, a trace of blue light flashed across Lin Fan's palm again, and the code on the tablet suddenly became exceptionally active; Michael De Santa's silhouette waved at him, as if saying hello.

At the same time, Franklin's voice could be faintly heard: "Brother Fan, we'll be waiting for you to come back!"

Lin Fan clenched his fist, his eyes firm: "Don't worry, Michael De Santa, Franklin, I will definitely return!"

The distant sky gradually began to pale, and a new day was about to arrive.

Lin Fan looked at the rising sun in the east, a smile appearing on his face.

He knew that many challenges still awaited him in the future; Elizabeth might make a comeback, the military would not give up, and the channel to the virtual world still needed to be found slowly.

But he was no longer lost or helpless.

He had Kate Rollins as an ally, his digitization superpowers, the memories of life and death shared in Los Santos, and the conviction that he must return.

Whether it be the real world or the virtual world, he would protect them to the end.

Because he was Lin Fan, the wanted criminal who traveled into GTA5, the Guardian of Los Santos, and a warrior who would never bow to fate.

The morning sun rose, illuminating the earth and lighting up the path ahead for Lin Fan.

His adventure was far from over.

(End of chapter)