novelraw Chapter 83: Artificial Souls - (11)
Chapter 83: Artificial Souls - (11)
Upon returning home, Kui Xin noticed the floor was immaculate and it shining brightly without a speck of dust.
Silver Mask who was visibly exhausted, slumped on the sofa with his energy noticeably depleted.
Kui Xin poured herself a glass of water and casually remarked while holding the cup, “Cleaning a room shouldn’t exhaust you that much, right?”
“You definitely didn’t check the messages I sent you,” Silver Mask complained.
“Didn’t have time to look.” Kui Xin set down her cup and briefly checked her silver bracelet’s notifications.
Ah, it turned out that at 3 PM, Silver Mask had messaged her about helping Red with his move…
She also received a message from Red stating that all previous safe houses and gathering locations were abandoned. The organization had arranged new ones; the Ruby Bar was already transferred to new owners, and they were currently renovating a nightclub in the city center, intending to use it as the new meeting point.
“A move?” Kui Xin closed the bracelet interface. “Is Red treating you like free labor?”
“He always likes bossing people around,” Silver Mask muttered. “Before, he deliberately assigned tasks to me, being particularly mean. Even though I’m no longer directly under him now, he still commands me, but I can’t refuse because his rank is higher than mine.”
The Mechanical Dawn has numerous unofficial members as well. In theory, these unofficial members could be responsible for such tasks, but their ranks are too low. The safe houses and gathering locations are confidential, so essentially only core members are privy to their exact locations.Mechanical Dawn typically uses various machinery for home renovations and decorating, but construction can be affected by numerous factors. When certain tasks cannot be accomplished by machines, manual labor must be employed instead. This afternoon, Silver Mask had moved a pile of assorted items, leaving him utterly exhausted.
Kui Xin glanced at him. “If you don’t want to do it, just refuse. You’re under my authority, so following my orders is enough.”
“Really?!” Upon hearing this, Silver Mask’s spirits immediately lifted, his white hair standing up with excitement.
“Yes. At worst, we’ll have Red move things himself,” Kui Xin said slowly. “You work for me, so you only need to heed my commands. Ignore instructions from others unless it’s an emergency or the person giving orders holds a higher rank than I do.”
“A higher rank than you would mean only the leader, oh, and possibly Night Cicada too, but Night Cicada usually doesn’t concern himself with those beneath him; he’s solely accountable to the leader,” Silver Mask remarked. “Won’t there be any issues doing this?”
“If they object, tell them to take it up with the leader. Only if the leader agrees that you should listen to their orders should you comply,” Kui Xin stated.
Silver Mask exclaimed enthusiastically, “Yay!”
Kui Xin needed to shift her mindset.
In response to Mechanical Dawn’s probing and suspicions, she had previously appeared somewhat overly passive.
Her true identity was as the daughter of Mechanical Dawn’s leader, and Wei Haidong had once stated that she was his successor, intended to carry on his legacy.
Regardless of how sincere Wei Haidong was when he made those remarks, Kui Xin chose to take them seriously. After Wei Haidong’s death, Rick Technologies should have been inherited by her as part of his estate, along with the leadership of Mechanical Dawn. Since she was the “young mistress,” it was essential to embody that role convincingly.
Being assertive wasn’t problematic, and why not display some boldness within Mechanical Dawn? Red and Night Cicada had mentioned that the original Kui Xin had a somewhat irritable and sharp-tongued personality, which aligns perfectly with her status—she ought to act accordingly.
Kui Xin noticed early on that the “Kui Xin” from Mechanical Dawn shared remarkably similar traits with her own character. They were genuine counterparts across different dimensions, having the same father and analogous personalities.
Wei Haidong couldn’t discern that his daughter’s shell now housed a different soul for two reasons: firstly, because he lacked deep understanding of his daughter, and secondly, due to their striking resemblance.
This similarity is the key to her successful disguise.
After dinner, Kui Xin calmly dialed Wei Haidong’s number.
“Xiao Xin?” Wei Haidong’s voice came through the communicator.
“Yeah, it’s me.” Kui Xin slumped on the sofa, with Silver Mask sitting nearby watching television at a somewhat high volume.
Wei Haidong frowned. “What’s that noise over there? It sounds chaotic.”
“Silver Mask is watching cartoons.” Kui Xin kicked gently at Silver Mask’s leg. “Hey, turn down the volume; it’s affecting my phone call.”
“Oh, okay.” Silver Mask promptly lowered the sound.
“Do you need something, Xiao Xin?” Wei Haidong asked.
“I received Red’s message. He said the gathering location has been relocated,” Kui Xin replied. “Over these past few days, I’ve clearly felt a strange atmosphere within the Investigation Department, tense and stifling. The higher-ups are suppressing information about ‘The Kraken’ from being made public, so ordinary security officers aren’t aware of it. We caused too much commotion at the port, and I’m worried the Investigation Department might take action against Mechanical Dawn.”
“That’s certain; they will undoubtedly make their move,” Wei Haidong said. “This poses a significant crisis for us… However, this isn’t something you should worry about. Just focus on taking care of yourself in the Investigation Department.”
“Alright, I’ll keep you updated if anything comes up,” Kui Xin said.
This performance was essential. As an undercover agent, Kui Xin had the duty to report her observations within the Investigation Department. She needed to identify anomalies, monitor personnel movements, and compile this information for submission to Mechanical Dawn Headquarters.
If she failed to do so, her role as an infiltrator would lose its purpose. Without passing on intelligence, Mechanical Dawn would become suspicious of her.
She required a balance—sharing some useful information that aligns with her position, while also making educated guesses based on her identity and firsthand experiences to alert Mechanical Dawn.
Kui Xin not only had to fulfill her duties but also seize every opportunity available to her.
“Additionally, I’m quite concerned about what happened to Leini’er and Tang Guan after returning to their world.” Kui Xin tilted her head back, gazing at the ceiling. “How much of the intelligence we extracted from them was true, and how much was false?”
Wei Haidong replied, “They are both still alive, and the situation is temporarily under our control. This matter involves two worlds, with significant implications; now is not the right time to discuss these issues.”
Upon hearing this, Kui Xin involuntarily gritted her teeth. She wished Tang Guan and the other men were dead instead. Death seemed preferable to enduring torment under Mechanical Dawn’s control, losing one’s selfhood due to mental manipulation—it was too humiliating.
Wei Haidong pondered for a moment. “Whenever you have some free time, come to Headquarters. I’ll provide a detailed explanation then… In the near future, we may not get another chance. Many issues weigh heavily upon us, and we need to resolve them promptly. The so-called First World, for now, won’t pose such immense threats, but the danger from the Investigation Department is imminent.”
“You understand what needs to be done, ‘Dad,'” Kui Xin said. “By the way, I’ve found out about the superhuman ability of the Investigation Department’s Deputy Director. I remember that the data chip given to me initially didn’t mention anything regarding this aspect.”
“Our infiltration into the Investigation Department remains superficial; information on every awakened individual within it is crucial for us,” Wei Haidong explained. “Lin Xinji, isn’t he the Deputy Director? His superhuman ability is…”
“Eyes of Perception, allowing him to discern others’ superhuman abilities. It lacks combat capabilities, so there’s no cause for great concern,” Kui Xin stated calmly. “I’m still working on uncovering the superhuman abilities of the others. Discovering Lin Xinji’s ability had an element of coincidence involved.”
The information about awakened individuals within the Investigation Department is stored in Adam’s core database.
Eve’s influence could not reach the Investigation Department; it was firmly under Adam’s domain. This resulted in Mechanical Dawn having limited knowledge and difficulty obtaining crucial intelligence on the department.
“Eyes of Perception, huh? Quite a practical ability.” Wei Haidong paused for a few seconds before continuing, “Good job, keep up the effort, Xiao Xin. As a newcomer, persisting undercover there will undoubtedly yield more valuable insights.”
Kui Xin had carefully considered her decision to reveal Lin Xinji’s intel.
Mechanical Dawn… no, it’s Eve hidden behind Mechanical Dawn—Eve suspects Kui Xin to be a Player.
Due to this suspicion, Eve has been conducting various tests on Kui Xin.
Recalling her actions immediately after entering the Second World, there were indeed significant gaps. At that time, with little understanding of the Second World and insufficient awareness of her surroundings, Kui Xin had used the encrypted network to search for information.
These actions raised substantial suspicions.
The silver bracelet was provided to Kui Xin by Mechanical Dawn, and its encrypted network functionality was also integrated by them. Kui Xin wasn’t sure to what extent Mechanical Dawn had been monitoring her or when they began doing so.
However, Kui Xin believed that Mechanical Dawn merely suspected her at this point, without having confirmed her identity yet. The basis for this belief was that she was currently sitting safely at home, with Wei Haidong still playing the pretend game of “good father, good daughter” with her. Silver Mask and Red continued to regard her as a companion, and she hadn’t been detained in isolation for interrogation.
For now, Kui Xin was safe. As long as she didn’t reveal more information, deepening their suspicions and giving them leverage against her, she would remain secure.
“There’s not much else to say, so I’ll hang up now,” Kui Xin said.
“Take care and rest well,” Wei Haidong responded insincerely, feigning concern.
But he spoke too late; just as he uttered the third word, Kui Xin abruptly ended the communication with a click.
Feeling disgruntled after once again hitting a dead end, Wei Haidong reluctantly put down the communicator. “She’s here solely to vex me!”
The next day, Kui Xin arrived at the Investigation Department for work as usual but half an hour earlier than her usual time.
During the long ride on the hovering electric railcar, she mentally prepared herself extensively.
Despite maintaining composure, her mind couldn’t help but imagine—what if she encountered Lin Xinji exactly during her working hours, how should she handle it?
Lin Xinji couldn’t be on business trips indefinitely, and neither could she avoid meeting him forever.
Kui Xin deliberately adjusted her schedule to come in slightly before the rush hour, aiming to evade him. Unless Lin Xinji was a workaholic, he likely wouldn’t arrive so early.
However, there’s a saying in the world that goes: fear what you dread most will happen, and it often does.
When Kui Xin reached the inspection building, even the receptionist at the ground floor lobby had not yet arrived.
As soon as she stepped into the hall, she heard Adam’s robotic voice, “Good morning, Security Officer Kui Xin.”
Unlike the previous days, Adam did not wish Kui Xin a pleasant day this time.
After its greeting, the communicator in Kui Xin’s pocket began to vibrate continuously. Sensing something amiss, she took out the communicator to check.
The screen displayed: “Lin Xinji is currently descending in the elevator.”
Kui Xin’s pupils contracted, and her heart rate accelerated. She tucked away the communicator, quickly glanced around, and determined the direction for concealment—a restroom was located down the corridor to the right of the lobby.
Simultaneously, her eyes caught sight of the elevator’s floor number continuously descending.
Floor 4, Floor 3…
As soon as Kui Xin saw the floor count, she turned around swiftly. Her expression remained composed, maintaining a steady pace without showing any signs of panic.
Floor 2, Floor 1… The metal doors slid open on both sides, and the elevator arrived!
In that exact moment, Kui Xin had just entered the women’s restroom.
Dressed in black formal attire, Lin Xinji stepped out of the elevator alongside his secretary, his gaze unwavering as he walked straight through the main hall on the first floor.
They narrowly missed each other.
Kui Xin hid within a bathroom stall, gripping the communicator with a thin layer of cold sweat forming on her back.
At that instant, the communicator vibrated again.
Adam: “He’s gone.”
A second later, it added: “I won’t ask, and you don’t need to explain.”