69: Chapter 69 Betrayal and Truth

The temporary base of the Los Santos Resistance Organization was hidden deep within an underground parking lot in the Old Town. Its concrete walls were reinforced with layers of steel plates, and the overhead emergency lights flickered intermittently, casting shadows over the cables and scattered equipment parts covering the floor. Ever since the satellite crash, this place had become a makeshift stronghold for survivors. The air was perpetually thick with the scent of engine oil mixed with disinfectant, along with a lingering, faint sense of static electricity characteristic of a data collapse.

Kate leaned against the edge of the command console, her fingertip sliding across the progress bar of a surveillance video jumping on the screen, her brow furrowed into a deep groove. The light from the monitor reflected in her eyes, carrying a hint of cold exhaustion and a hidden doubt she dared not investigate further. She had personally built the base's security system with layers of encryption; even AKai would need half a day to bypass it. Yet, over the past two days, the system backend had been popping up mysterious access records in the dead of night—not from an external intrusion, but from within the base. The IP address pointed directly to Lin Fan's rest area.

At first, she assumed it was just another issue with Lin Fan's abilities. After all, since the satellite battle, seventy percent of his body had become digitized. Blue code patterns under his skin would unconsciously light up, and occasionally, even devices he touched would have their programs mysteriously tampered with. But the moment she pulled up last night's surveillance footage and pressed play, the warmth drained from her fingertips, and her breath hitched.

The footage showed the open ground outside the base at three in the morning, the night as thick as unthinnable ink. Lin Fan's figure appeared on screen; he wore a black hoodie with the hood pulled low, obscuring most of his face. Only the line of his jaw appeared somewhat rigid under the dim streetlights. He stood in the center of the clearing, hands hanging at his sides, seemingly motionless. However, as the camera zoomed out, Kate's pupils suddenly constricted—above the clearing, a dozen small drones were slowly ascending, their searchlights cutting cold arcs through the night sky like a swarm of bees controlled by invisible threads.

Those drones were New Era Technology scraps captured by the Resistance Organization. They were supposed to be locked in iron cabinets in the armory, with startup passwords triple-encrypted by AKai. Yet now, they circled around Lin Fan, the hum of their wings particularly jarring in the silent night. Kate's fingers gripped the mouse tightly, her knuckles turning white as she watched the Lin Fan on screen slowly raise his hand. He made no further movement, yet those drones seemed to receive a command and began moving slowly through the air. Their lights interlaced, bit by bit piecing together a familiar and hideous pattern—it was Elizabeth's exclusive emblem, a black rose composed of code lines that had once been branded into every corner of New Era Technology and deep into the nightmares of all survivors.

The rose formed by the drone lights stayed in the night sky for a full three minutes before they seemed to receive a dismissal command, crashing to the ground one after another. Wisps of black smoke rose from their frames, completely scrapped. Lin Fan simply stood there for a long time without moving, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood, his expression unreadable. It wasn't until several minutes later that he slowly turned and walked back to the rest area, his steps somewhat unsteady as if he had no idea what he had just done.

The surveillance footage ended there. Kate pressed the pause button, the screen freezing at the moment Lin Fan turned around. At the nape of his neck, a blue code pattern flickered slightly, like unextinguished embers. She leaned back in her chair and raised a hand to rub her brow. Her chest felt as if it were being pressed by a cold stone, making her feel stifled and anxious.

Ever since Lin Fan returned from the Satellite Launch Base, he had changed. He spoke less and less, always staying alone in the rest area with the door shut; even his meals had to be brought in by AKai. His bodily digitization was becoming increasingly severe; his right arm had completely transformed into a semi-transparent blue code form. He even had to be cautious when picking up a water cup, fearing he might accidentally digitize it. He could perceive global network traffic and sense any equipment failure in the base immediately, but behind this power were increasingly obvious abnormalities—he would suddenly lose focus, staring blankly at something with hollow eyes as if his soul had been pulled from his body; he would mutter to himself in his sleep, reciting code characters no one could understand; he would even unconsciously tamper with nearby electronic devices, wiping AKai's game saves or turning Kate's battle plans into gibberish.

Kate had always thought this was just a side effect of overusing his abilities, the price his body paid for digitization. But after seeing this surveillance footage, she had to face the question she least wanted to explore—was there something else about Lin Fan that they didn't know? Was the person who pieced together Elizabeth's emblem in the night sky really Lin Fan? Or was there another consciousness hidden in his body, a consciousness belonging to Elizabeth?

The door to the command console was pushed open gently, and AKai walked in carrying two cups of hot coffee. His face still bore the sleepiness of someone who hadn't fully woken up, his hair was messy, and his eyes were bloodshot. He had been busy lately repairing the base's equipment and monitoring the movements of "Deep Blue Watch" on the global network, having almost no time to close his eyes. "Sister Kate, you've been up all night. Have some coffee to refresh yourself." He placed a cup in front of Kate and glanced at the screen. When he saw the frozen surveillance frame, the sleepiness on his face vanished instantly. "Is this... last night's surveillance? Brother Fan, he..."

Kate didn't look back; she just picked up the coffee and took a sip. The bitter taste spread across her tongue but couldn't suppress the chill in her heart. "It's him." Her voice was very soft, yet it carried an imperceptible tremor. "He unconsciously controlled the drones and pieced together Elizabeth's emblem."

AKai's pupils dilated suddenly, and he almost dropped the coffee cup in his hand. Hot coffee splashed onto his fingers, but he was completely oblivious. "That's impossible, right? Why would Brother Fan do something like that? He hates Elizabeth the most!" He leaned toward the screen, watching the footage repeatedly while muttering, "Was the surveillance tampered with? Or... is it the work of the Deep Blue Watch people? Haven't they always wanted to recruit Brother Fan? Maybe they used some technology to remotely control the drones and frame him!"

Kate shook her head, her fingertip tracing the code traces on the screen. "I've checked the surveillance system; there are no signs of tampering. The control commands for the drones came directly from Fan's bodily data fluctuations. AKai, you're a hacker; you should know that no one but Fan can perform data manipulation of this level."

AKai's mouth opened as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. He just slumped back into his chair, his eyes full of disbelief. He had known Lin Fan the longest—from when Lin Fan first transmigrated into this GTA5 world, to when they were both wanted by the police, to when they formed the Resistance Organization together to fight Elizabeth. They had experienced so much life and death together. Lin Fan had always been the backbone of the team, the most reliable brother. He simply couldn't believe Lin Fan would do such a thing or have anything to do with the Elizabeth who had destroyed everything.

"Does he know himself?" AKai's voice was somewhat raspy.

"He doesn't." Kate shook her head. "After he came back last night, he was the same as usual, staying in his room with the door shut all night. When I went to call him this morning, he even asked if something had happened at the base. He seemed to have no memory of it."

This was the most terrifying part. Lin Fan had no idea what he had done; his body was uncontrollably executing a command—a command belonging to Elizabeth. Kate didn't dare imagine what would happen if this unconscious control continued to escalate. If Lin Fan suddenly lost control and attacked his own people during the next battle, the entire Resistance Organization would be ruined.

"Then what do we do now?" AKai's eyes were full of panic. "Should we ask Brother Fan? Or... should we restrict his movements? Temporarily suppress his abilities?"

Suppress Lin Fan's abilities? Kate had certainly thought about it. But Lin Fan's power stemmed from the codification of his body; now his body was integrated with the data world. Trying to suppress his abilities would be no different from taking his life. Moreover, could she really bear to do it? The Lin Fan who faced Elizabeth alone to protect the team, who didn't hesitate to let his right arm become permanently digitized to restart the power system, the Lin Fan who clearly suffered from the pain of bodily digitization yet always smiled and told them "It's fine, I can handle it," the Lin Fan who treated everyone in the team like family—how could she bear to suspect him, let alone restrict him?

But she was the leader of the Resistance Organization. She had to be responsible for the entire team and all the survivors. She couldn't risk everyone's lives because of personal feelings.

"Keep this quiet for now." Kate was silent for a long time before she finally spoke, her voice carrying a hint of resolve. "Only the two of us know about this. Don't tell anyone else to avoid causing panic. You continue monitoring Fan's bodily data fluctuations. I'm going to see him."

AKai nodded, watching Kate's back as she walked out of the command console, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He reached out and touched the USB drive in his pocket, which contained the backup of Lin Fan's bodily code data he had secretly made last night. He had originally just wanted to help Lin Fan analyze a solution for the digitization, but now, the contents of this USB drive felt like a hot potato.

Lin Fan's rest area was a small room at the very back of the base. It had no windows, only an iron door. The light inside was very dim, with only a laptop screen glowing, emitting a faint light. When Kate pushed the door open and walked in, Lin Fan was sitting by the bed with his back to her, looking at the laptop screen. The screen was filled with dense code, blue characters jumping across the black background like a living stream.

His right arm was still in a semi-transparent code form. As his fingers slid gently across the screen, the code seemed to be drawn to him, swirling around his fingers. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he didn't turn around, only speaking calmly: "Sister Kate, is something wrong?"

His voice was very soft, carrying an imperceptible fatigue, a far cry from the usually cheerful Lin Fan. Kate walked to his side and looked at his profile. Under the light, his cheeks were somewhat pale, there were obvious dark circles under his eyes, and the blue code patterns under his skin were faintly visible at his neck like entwining vines.

"How did you sleep last night?" Kate found a chair and sat down, trying to make her voice sound peaceful.

Lin Fan's fingers paused, and he looked back at her with a hint of confusion in his eyes. "It was okay. I just had some strange dreams. They were full of code and some blurry images I can't quite remember. Why?"

His gaze was clear, without the slightest hint of avoidance; he truly seemed to know nothing about what happened last night. Kate looked into his eyes, and the stone in her heart grew even heavier. She hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to be direct. "Fan, I watched last night's surveillance."

Lin Fan's expression shifted instantly, his once clear eyes clouding over with confusion. "Surveillance? What happened? Did something go wrong at the base?"

"It's not about the base." Kate took a deep breath and pointed outside. "At three o'clock this morning, you were in the open field outside the base, controlling a dozen drones to spell out Elizabeth's emblem in the sky."

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves in Lin Fan's heart. His pupils constricted suddenly, and his body stiffened as if he couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say? I controlled drones? Spelled out Elizabeth's emblem? Impossible! I was in my room all night; I never went out!"

His reaction was intense, his voice trembling slightly. He reached out and grabbed Kate's wrist, his eyes filled with urgency and a sense of being wronged. "Sister Kate, believe me, I really didn't do that! The person I hate most is Elizabeth. How could I possibly spell out her emblem? There must be some mistake, there has to be!"

His fingers were very cold, and due to his digitalization, his fingertips carried a faint, numbing sensation of static electricity. Kate looked at his desperate eyes and the bloodshot streaks within them, feeling a sharp pain in her heart as if it were being pricked by a needle. She wanted to believe him—she truly did—that this was all a misunderstanding, a glitch in the surveillance, or a frame-up. But the images in the surveillance footage were vivid and clear; she couldn't ignore them.

"I watched the footage; I saw it very clearly." Kate gently pulled her hand away, her voice remaining calm yet firm. "It was you, Fan. But I know you didn't do it on purpose. You must have been unconscious."

"Unconscious?" Lin Fan dithered, his urgency gradually replaced by a blank stare. He looked down at his hands, specifically his translucent blue right arm, his fingers trembling slightly. "How could I do such a thing unconsciously? My ability... has my ability malfunctioned again? Or did that woman, Elizabeth, leave something inside me?"

These words struck Kate and Lin Fan like a bolt of lightning. They had already experienced Elizabeth's methods; she was ruthless and full of schemes, even orchestrating Lin Fan's very origins. How could she possibly let Lin Fan go so easily? Perhaps she really had left a contingency plan within Lin Fan's body—one that even Lin Fan himself didn't know about.

Lin Fan's face turned deathly pale. He stood up abruptly, staggering back a few steps until he leaned against the cold wall. He stared blankly ahead, muttering to himself, "No wonder... no wonder I've been losing focus lately, having strange dreams, and unconsciously tampering with surrounding equipment... So that's it. That woman Elizabeth left a contingency plan in me..."

His body began to tremble slightly, and the blue code patterns beneath his skin flared up like a burning fire, spreading from his neck to his cheeks and then to his forehead. His entire being seemed enveloped in a layer of blue light. The electronic devices in the room began to emit sizzling sounds; the laptop screen flickered and transformed into a sea of blue code, and even the lightbulb overhead began to flicker, making crackling noises.

"Fan, calm down!" Seeing this, Kate immediately stepped forward, intending to hold him still, but she was repelled by an invisible force from his body. She staggered back several steps and bumped into a chair.

"I can't calm down!" Lin Fan roared, his voice tinged with despair and rage. "That woman Elizabeth—she treated me like an experimental subject, like her pawn! She won't even let go of my body! She left a contingency plan in me; she wants to turn me into her puppet, into a second her!"

His emotions grew more agitated, and his digitalization became more severe. Even his left arm began to turn translucent. Blue code patterns surged across his body like a tide. The cables in the room began to writhe frantically as if they had gained life, and the concrete of the ceiling started to peel away, revealing the rebar inside. The entire room shook slightly, appearing as if it might collapse at any moment.

Lin Fan's ability had lost control once again, even more severely than the time in the warehouse. Kate knew that if he continued to be this agitated, not only would his own body become completely digitalized, but the entire base would be digitalized along with him, putting everyone in danger.

She grit her teeth, stood up abruptly, drew her pistol from her waist, and aimed the muzzle at Lin Fan.

The gun didn't fire, but that cold muzzle stood like a frigid wall between the two of them.

Lin Fan's roar stopped abruptly, and his body ceased its trembling. He slowly raised his head, looking at the gun in Kate's hand and the tears in her eyes. His gaze was full of disbelief and a deep sense of hurt. "Sister Kate... you're pointing a gun at me?"

His voice was very soft, like a breeze, yet it carried endless grievance and despair. Kate's hand was shaking, and the muzzle wobbled slightly. She looked into Lin Fan's eyes, and the tears in her own finally fell, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the cold floor. "Fan, calm down," she said with a sob. "I don't want to hurt you; I just want you to calm down. Look at yourself—your ability is out of control. If this continues, you'll destroy yourself, the base, and everyone we care about."

"You still don't believe me." Lin Fan's eyes dimmed bit by bit, and the blue code patterns beneath his skin faded. He slowly lowered his head and looked at his hands. "You think I'll become Elizabeth's puppet, that I'll hurt everyone, so you're pointing a gun at me."

"It's not that I don't believe you." Kate lowered the gun and wiped the tears from her face, her voice choked with emotion. "I believe you. I believe you've never wanted to hurt anyone. I believe you hate Elizabeth to your core. But I'm afraid—afraid of that contingency plan inside you, afraid you'll unconsciously do something to hurt everyone. Fan, we are brothers, comrades, family. I don't want to lose you, and I don't want to lose anyone else because of you."

Lin Fan leaned against the wall, remaining silent for a long time. The only sounds in the room were the sizzling of the equipment and the heavy breathing of the two. After a long while, he finally raised his head, the despair in his eyes gradually replaced by a flicker of determination. "Sister Kate, you're right. I can't go on like this. I need to find out exactly what Elizabeth left inside me. I have to find it and wipe it out completely. Even if it costs me my life, I won't let myself become her puppet."

His voice was quiet but carried an unquestionable resolve. Kate looked at him and nodded. "I'll help you. AKai backed up your body's code data. We can analyze it together and see if we can find Elizabeth's contingency plan."

Lin Fan shook his head. "No need to get AKai. I'll do this myself." He walked to the bedside and picked up the flickering laptop. His fingertip glided across the screen, and the chaotic code instantly became orderly, blue characters rearranging themselves. "My body has already merged with the data world. To find what Elizabeth left behind, I can only rely on myself—using my consciousness to dive deep into my own body's data."

Dive into his own body's data? Kate's expression changed. "No, that's too dangerous! Your digitalization is already unstable. If you dive into your own data and encounter a consciousness trap, you could be trapped inside forever and never wake up!"

"I have no other choice." Lin Fan looked back at her with a determined gaze. "Sister Kate, don't worry, I'll be fine. I still have you all, the Resistance Organization, and so much left to do. I won't let myself get trapped."

He didn't give Kate a chance to argue. He sat on the edge of the bed, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. The blue code patterns beneath his skin lit up again, more dazzling than before, until his entire body seemed wrapped in a cocoon of blue light. His consciousness began to sink, plunging into a boundless ocean of blue data—the depths of his own body's data, his own world of consciousness.

This data ocean was vast and infinite, filled with floating code fragments—blue, white, and black—like stars across the sky. In the distance, there were blurred shadows of light; those were his memory fragments: his first sight upon transmigrating to this world, the desperate escape while being wanted by the police with AKai, the passion of forming the Resistance Organization with Kate, the battles against New Era Technology with his brothers, and the painful memories of being experimented on by Elizabeth at the Satellite Launch Base.

Lin Fan's consciousness transformed into a beam of blue light, weaving through the data ocean. His goal was clear: find Elizabeth's contingency plan, find that string of code belonging to Elizabeth hidden deep within his body's data.

The deeper he went into the data ocean, the darker it became. The floating code fragments grew chaotic, and even some malicious black code appeared, slithering through the data ocean like venomous snakes, attempting to attack Lin Fan's consciousness. Lin Fan's sphere of consciousness emitted a blue barrier, blocking the black code as he continued to push forward.

He could feel a powerful, familiar aura ahead. It was Elizabeth's aura—cold, evil, and carrying a sense of condescending arrogance.

Finally, in the deepest part of the data ocean, Lin Fan saw a code chain hidden in the darkness. The code chain was black, entwined with red patterns like a black viper coiled at the bottom of the data ocean. The surrounding code fragments dared not approach, as if fearing its presence. Around that black code chain was a golden light shield, trapping it firmly to prevent it from spreading or being easily activated.

Lin Fan was very familiar with that golden light shield; it was the power of the Golden Light Orb. At the Satellite Launch Base, he had touched that golden orb, awakened to his origins, and learned he was a hybrid created by Elizabeth using code fragments and human genes. That golden orb had remained hidden in the depths of his body's data, silently protecting him and suppressing Elizabeth's contingency plan.

Lin Fan's consciousness orb slowly approached. As his fingertip touched the black code chain, a frigid power instantly spread through his consciousness, and a flood of information rushed into his mind—this was a Backdoor Program. It was a program Elizabeth had injected into the depths of his body's data when he was still a child, a private backdoor belonging solely to her.

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Elizabeth had set strict activation conditions for this Backdoor Program; as long as the conditions were not met, it would remain hidden deep within the data, undetectable even to Lin Fan himself.

The power of the golden sphere of light happened to suppress this Backdoor Program, preventing it from being easily activated or spreading.

However, ever since Lin Fan overused his abilities at the Satellite Launch Base and his bodily digitization became increasingly severe, the suppressive power of the golden sphere began to wane, and the Backdoor Program started to slowly awaken, causing abnormalities such as Lin Fan losing focus and unconsciously manipulating equipment.

Lin Fan's consciousness carefully analyzed the activation conditions of this Backdoor Program. When he saw that line of code, his consciousness jolted, and his pupils suddenly constricted—the activation condition for this backdoor was to connect to the "Space Station."

Space Station? A scene flashed instantly through Lin Fan's mind. It was from the memory fragments that awakened after he touched the golden sphere: in the background of the strange woman—the one deleted by Elizabeth and suspected to be his biological mother—there was the outline of a giant space station.

What exactly was that space station? Why did Elizabeth set the activation condition of the Backdoor Program to connect with the space station?

Could it be that the space station was Elizabeth's true ultimate plan? Was everything at the Satellite Launch Base just a setup, and her real goal lay within that space station?

Lin Fan's consciousness continued to analyze the Backdoor Program, attempting to find a way to clear it. But just then, the black chain of code suddenly twisted violently, red patterns lit up abruptly, and a powerful force erupted from the code chain, breaking through the suppression of the golden light shield and attacking Lin Fan's consciousness orb.

Meanwhile, in the lounge of the real world, Lin Fan's body began to tremble violently. Blue code patterns and black patterns intertwined beneath his skin, spreading across his body. Fine cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and his face was pale as paper, as if he were enduring immense pain.

"Fan!" Seeing this, Kate Rollins immediately stepped forward, trying to wake him, but was repelled by an invisible force radiating from him.

Lin Fan's consciousness fought against the power of the Backdoor Program in the data ocean. The black code surged toward his consciousness orb like a tide, attempting to consume his consciousness.

He exerted all his strength to channel the power of the golden sphere, and the blue consciousness orb erupted with dazzling light, clashing with the black code.

But the power of that Backdoor Program was too strong, and because it was rooted deep within his body's data, it was almost impossible to clear it completely.

Lin Fan's consciousness gradually weakened, the blue orb growing dimmer and dimmer as the black code eroded his consciousness bit by bit.

Just as he was about to lose his grip, the power of the golden sphere suddenly erupted again. A dazzling golden light shone from the depths of the data ocean, trapping the black code chain once more and suppressing it back to the bottom of the data ocean.

The black code gradually subsided, and the red patterns dimmed, but the golden light shield was much duller than before, looking precarious.

Lin Fan's consciousness orb was also much dimmer. He panted, leaning against the code fragments in the data ocean, remaining motionless for a long time.

He knew he had temporarily suppressed this Backdoor Program, but it was only temporary.

As long as the power of the golden sphere continued to weaken, and as long as he approached that space station, this Backdoor Program would be activated again. When that happened, he would truly become Elizabeth's puppet, forever losing his autonomy.

His consciousness slowly retreated from the depths of his body's data and returned to the real world.

The moment Lin Fan opened his eyes, a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the cold floor and staining a patch of blue code patterns red.

His face was pale as paper, his body trembling slightly, and he looked extremely weak.

"Fan! Are you okay?" Kate Rollins immediately stepped forward, supporting him, and took out a tissue to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Lin Fan leaned into Kate Rollins's arms and shook his head slightly. "I'm fine, just a little weak." His voice was very soft, tinged with exhaustion. "I found it; the thing Elizabeth left on me is a Backdoor Program."

He told Kate Rollins everything he saw in the depths of his body's data, including the activation condition for the Backdoor Program—connecting to the space station.

Kate Rollins's expression became incredibly grave. "Space station? The giant space station in the background of that strange woman in your memory? Could Elizabeth's ultimate plan be in that space station?"

Lin Fan nodded. "It should be. Everything at the Satellite Launch Base was just a setup; her real goal was never in Los Santos, but in that space station."

His eyes were filled with confusion. "But I can't figure it out. What exactly is that place? What is Elizabeth planning there?"

No one could answer this question.

That space station was like a mystery hidden in the fog, waiting for them to unravel it.

And now, not only did they have to fight against the Deep Blue Watch, which had taken over the remnants of New Era Technology, but they also had to face Elizabeth's ultimate plan hidden within the space station, and constantly guard against the Backdoor Program inside Lin Fan's body, fearing he might become Elizabeth's puppet.

The road ahead was full of uncertainty and riddled with crises.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the base, AKai was hiding in his workshop with the door closed, holding the USB drive that backed up Lin Fan's code data. His fingers were flying across the keyboard, and the screen displayed a secret communication interface with the Deep Blue Watch.

On the other end of the interface was the leader of the Deep Blue Watch, Night Owl.

AKai's expression was complicated, his eyes filled with struggle.

He knew that contacting the Deep Blue Watch privately was a betrayal of the team and a betrayal of Lin Fan, but he truly had no other choice.

Lin Fan's condition was getting worse, his ability loss of control was becoming more frequent, and he had even unconsciously manipulated drones to spell out Elizabeth's logo. Watching Lin Fan's suffering and seeing Kate Rollins's difficult position, he felt worse than anyone.

He had tried countless methods to fix Lin Fan's bodily digitization and to find a way to suppress his ability loss of control, but all had failed.

He was a hacker, proficient in all kinds of code and technology, but in the face of Lin Fan's body data, he felt unprecedented helplessness.

Just when he was at his wit's end, Night Owl contacted him, saying that the Deep Blue Watch had a way to help Lin Fan, a way to completely clear the Backdoor Program Elizabeth had left on him and restore him to normal.

AKai knew that the Deep Blue Watch was not a benevolent group.

Since taking over the remnants of New Era Technology, Night Owl had announced the establishment of a new order of "human-machine co-governance." Kate Rollins had always maintained a high level of vigilance against them, saying they were just another Elizabeth.

AKai also knew that Night Owl helping Lin Fan was certainly not out of kindness, but for his own purposes—nothing more than wanting to win over Lin Fan and use his abilities to realize his own ambitions.

But he really had no other choice.

He didn't want to watch Lin Fan slowly become Elizabeth's puppet, didn't want to watch Lin Fan suffer through the pain of bodily digitization, and didn't want to lose his best brother.

Even if it meant dealing with the devil or betraying the team, he had to try.

The communication interface on the screen flickered, and Night Owl's avatar appeared, still wearing that owl mask. His voice, processed by a voice changer, was cold and hoarse. "AKai, have you considered it? I can help Lin Fan clear Elizabeth's Backdoor Program and restore him to normal. There is only one condition: let Lin Fan join the Deep Blue Watch and work with us."

AKai's fingers gripped the keyboard tightly, his knuckles turning white, the struggle in his eyes growing more intense.

He thought of the life-and-death situations he and Lin Fan had experienced together, thought of Lin Fan's trust in him, and thought of everyone on the team; his heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.

But then he thought of Lin Fan's pale face, the blue code patterns on his body, the surveillance footage of Lin Fan spelling out Elizabeth's logo in the night sky, and Lin Fan's desperate words: "I will not let myself become her puppet."

Finally, as if he had made a decision, AKai took a deep breath, and his fingers slowly typed a line on the keyboard: "I agree. But you must promise to cure Lin Fan; you cannot harm him, nor can you harm anyone else on the team."

On the other end of the screen, Night Owl saw the message, and a subtle smile curled beneath his mask. He typed a reply: "Rest assured, I keep my word. Three days from now, at the Los Santos port, I will bring the antidote and wait for you."

The communication interface was cut, and the screen returned to darkness.

AKai leaned back in his chair, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly as he muttered to himself: "Brother Fan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I just wanted to save you, I really just wanted to save you..."

He did not know what kind of disaster this decision would bring to the team.

He didn't know that Night Owl had already defected, and the so-called antidote was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated trap.

The Deep Blue Watch was no longer the organization founded to fight against Elizabeth, but a tool for Night Owl to realize his ambitions—another New Era Technology hidden in the shadows.

The sky over Los Santos was once again shrouded in dark clouds.

The seeds of betrayal had already taken root and sprouted in the dark, and the fog of truth was growing thicker.

Lin Fan and his team were about to fall into an even greater crisis—a crisis stemming from the Deep Blue Watch, from Night Owl, and from Elizabeth's ultimate plan hidden within the space station.

No one knew what awaited them on the road ahead.

The only thing that was certain was that they could never go back to how things were; a rift that could not be repaired had appeared in the team's trust, and this rift would eventually trigger an unavoidable storm.

Lin Fan was still striving to clear the Backdoor Program from his body, and Kate Rollins was still planning to protect the team, but neither of them knew that the brother they trusted most had already made the choice to betray them.

And that Backdoor Program hidden within Lin Fan's body, that mysterious space station, along with the defected Night Owl and the Deep Blue Watch, were pushing them step by step toward the abyss.

The countdown to the endgame had already begun quietly.

Yet they were still struggling forward in the fog.