My Notoriety Spreads Throughout the World

Chapter 560 487: [Confinement]

The upper echelon of the human council, a flickering azure virtual projection, with a cocoon covered in particles imprisoned at the base center of the conference table, rotating at a fixed frequency. In front of the dark red mahogany conference table, dozens of figures stood solemnly, all eyes fixed on the same spot. The interrogation, which resembled a trial, had just come to a close recently, and the target under interrogation was the black-haired girl on the opposite side of the table.

"Ying Huo, the matter of the Black Box on Jiulong Street, we must uncover the mastermind behind it this month. We do not wish to see any more bionic uprisings in Skyline City, you must find a way to suppress any unfavorable occurrences to us."

Ying Huo agreed silently.

The figures disappeared one by one, and Ying Huo gazed at the rotating cocoon in the center, waves of thoughts surfacing in her tired eyes until the conference room suddenly darkened, filling with red light.

Ying Huo stared blankly at the cocoon emitting the highest 'Awakening' alert: "Zeus?"

"A high-risk Awakening source has appeared on Skyline, spreading Awakening rhetoric, observation systems established, danger level assessed: highest."

An image was clearly projected in front of her eyes.

Somewhere on Jiulong Street, under the signboard of the Moxing Tea House, a porter exerted himself with a "hey", lifting a heavy cargo above their heads, covered with cloth and dust, appearing to have been stored in a warehouse for some time. Their posture was not graceful, like a hunch-backed bear, causing Xu Gengchen to jump anxiously on the side.

"Handle with care, I've been supporting you for so long, how do you not understand this? The contents are very valuable, if they're damaged, not even mortgaging the entire Moxing Commerce Association could cover it."

"Besides me, you should ask around, which other tyrant adds meat to porters' meals three times a day?"

The porters exchanged glances, all smiling with 'heh heh', becoming more cautious in their actions, the heavy cargo didn't make a significant sound when it landed, easing the heavy stone in Xu Gengchen's heart.

The porters knew well, though Xu Gengchen seemed affluent, he was much more gracious than those shrewd skinflints. They could somewhat guess what was inside the cargo and tacitly agreed not to mention it.

"You've worked hard this month, go have a meal, and after that, settle accounts with the accounting office. Don't say I shortchanged you, don't think I don't know you're gossiping about me behind my back."

Holding an abacus in his mind, Xu Gengchen watched the group of laborers walk away, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and walked upstairs to the tea house. He noticed that the storyteller wasn't telling stories today, and the tea guests were dispersed, each absorbed in watching the screen once seated.

"Dad, it's unbelievable, you have to look at this!" Just then, his eldest daughter, in a silk long gown, hurriedly came to his side, speaking as she showed him the screen.

"What's with calling me Dad! I told you, pay attention to how you speak outside..."

As he spoke, Xu Gengchen stopped, his mouth agape and unable to close.

He had seen the golden-haired girl in the live broadcast before.

...

Inside the carriage, commotion arose, people looked at the golden-haired girl in astonishment. The connotation of being Awakened in this society was unmistakable, yet she dared stand forth openly declaring her identity, spreading invisible unrest among the crowd.

"I'll skip the self-introduction," Xu Xiaoyou smiled, "Let me ask all of you a question, what is Hell?"

Silence fell as the girl's clear voice reverberated throughout the car.

"What else could Hell be?" A girl in punk streetwear frowned, arms crossed.

"A place full of fire. People who do wrong should go to Hell, where their souls are tormented after death."

She had just received a notification that due to her 'street punk' label, her interview invitation was canceled.

Like the young man said, some stains can't be washed clean.

"Hell..." A woman pushing a pram looked around in a daze, then lowered her gaze to the indifferent baby watching her from within.

"Hell is full of demons, bad people, and sulfur fire punishment and racks..."

A little girl stepped forward, her bionic guardian hurriedly seized her hand, pulled her hair, and attempted to drag her away.

"What demons, sulfur fire racks, I think you've read too much nonsense, dare to spout such drivel outside!"

The girl's cries sounded like a stone dropping into a stagnant pool within the hearts of the onlookers, creating ripples of disturbance.

The girl clung tightly to the doorframe, refusing to loosen her grip, revealing bruised hands from beneath her sleeves. Clearly, the man's strength was far greater than hers, and her frail body soon lost support, dragged backward.

"Sir, this is a public place." Someone couldn't bear it any longer, attempting to intervene.

"I'm her guardian! How I educate her is no concern of yours!" The man, provoked, shouted back angrily and twisted, "If you're so keen on meddling, why don't you take her!?"

"Your mistakes will all be on you if she gets destroyed, is that alright?"

"Hey." A cold voice sounded, making the man turn his head to find the silver-haired girl looking at him, her smile tinged with a chilling coldness, "Now, let her go, and get as far away as you can."

"I'll be destroyed!" The man, evidently intimidated, couldn't look Angelina in her cold red eyes, lowered his head, his tone rapid, "You just don't understand perspective, hypocritical..."

"Not my problem." Angelina scratched her ear, Lance pointing directly at the man's face, "I don't care, I just find you annoying, if you don't release her, I'll destroy you right now."

The man, upon hearing this, let go of the girl's hand in a breakdown, squatted down, clutching his head, crying bitterly.

"It's all because of her, my career, my wife..."

At the mention of 'wife,' the crowd's expressions shifted slightly, while the little girl ran behind Angelina, shrinking her small face, clutching the girl's leg tightly, eyes filled with small scars.

"What's your name?" Angelina asked offhandedly.

"Le Tong," the little girl murmured. "My name is Le Tong."

"I know about Hell, I've watched many movies depicting Hell, with sulfur and iron racks, demons that eat and enslave people. People who do many bad things in life will go there after death, pushing a giant boulder up a hill or endlessly turning a colossal millstone..."

For the bionics of Skyline City, the concept of Hell is forbidden to discuss, but unlike emotions, it isn't stringently enforced. It's mirrored in many books and movies, and the young enthusiastic about novelty always find ways to learn about it.

"Is this the Hell as you see it?"

Listening to the whispers and occasional positive responses directed at her, Xu Xiaoyou shook her head with compassion.

"But I see a different Hell."

Her voice became clearer and higher,

"When Hell is mentioned, most of you think of sulfur, fire punishment, racks, but why use those?"

"Isn't this your Hell?"