118

The complete opposite of Kangtao's headquarters.

At this time, the conference room in the New United States Capitol building was in chaos.

"God, logically speaking, this shouldn't even be possible!"

"F**k that, it happened anyway!"

"We checked backup databases across other states and found no abnormal activity from Donald before his death!"

"Now is not the time to argue about that! Focus on two things—stabilize the stock and find the killer!"

"Killer? Synchronized data shows the warhead's timer was only active for a little over ten seconds. How far do you think someone can get in that time, even with a vehicle?"

"This was clearly a suicide mission!"

Everyone was shouting over each other.

But obviously, since they had no knowledge of Lin Chao's existence, they couldn't comprehend either the cause or the result of what had happened.

As for the white-haired old men from the secret boardroom, none of them spoke for a long time.

As the top five most powerful people in the New United States, they had more to worry about than just what was happening with Militech…

"Good morning, Night City! I'm your host, Stan Leigh!"

"You won't believe what happened yesterday!"

"The Militech Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the east coast, was hit by a full-scale nuclear strike!"

"No, no—I know what you're thinking. But this is no Arasaka Tower situation like fifty years ago."

"An entire zone, dozens of square kilometers wide, has been reduced to ash. The entire Militech HQ building is gone—wiped off the face of the Earth!"

"And according to sources, Donald Lundy, the president of Militech, was assassinated in the most heavily guarded top-floor conference room well before the explosion."

"I know, it sounds crazy, but soon enough you'll see all the insane footage spreading online."

"Finally, if any of you still hold Militech stocks, sell them now."

"Or in the time it takes to finish your coffee, they might turn into scrap paper!"

As Lin Chao stepped out into Night City after rushing back overnight, that was the first thing he heard on the streets.

He had to admit—Kangtao worked fast.

In just one night, the whole situation had been blown wide open.

After all, with the nuclear explosion wiping out all evidence, no one outside the company would know that Donald Lundy had been killed before the strike.

Using the nearest teleport station, Lin Chao returned to North Oak District and asked the system while walking back to his villa:

"System, explain something to me—why did I only absorb scattered memory fragments after using the Thousand Tentacles ability?"

He hadn't been able to stop thinking about it.

Especially the moment when he had briefly forgotten who he was—it left a lingering worry.

If something like that happened again, or got worse, it could become a serious problem.

"Host, the main reason is that the Blacklight Virus you possess is a system-modified version—essentially a safe variant. So some aspects work differently from the original strain."

A safe version.

Lin Chao frowned. He already knew that.

No mass infection, slower mutation speed—but was memory absorption also reduced?

He hadn't noticed it before.

"Before explaining further, the host needs to understand how the Blacklight Virus operates. It's extremely assimilative, contagious, and prone to mutation."

"The virus carriers you know—Alex Mercer and James Heller—essentially became viral composites. You could even say that the virus became them, by consuming and replacing their memories and personalities."

"Think of it like a data construct—similar to Relic."

A chill crept up Lin Chao's spine.

That comparison hit too close to home.

The Blacklight Virus is a sentient pathogen.

Relic is a sentient digital consciousness.

Both believe they haven't changed—when in truth, they've become someone, or something, else.

Like Johnny once said…

Lin Chao stopped in his tracks and looked down at his hands.

Was he…

"Please don't worry, Host."

The system interrupted his spiraling thoughts.

"Your version of the virus was fused with your body as an auxiliary system. The virus's original traits have been severely reduced."

"It also includes self-protection mechanisms. That memory fragmentation you experienced is one of them."

"It prevents your own identity and memories from being overwritten by the personalities you absorb. Without it, you would eventually evolve into a composite of your own thoughts and the minds of people like Alex Mercer or Otto Cunningham."

"…So that's what happened," Lin Chao muttered, breathing a sigh of relief.

And breaking into a cold sweat.

No wonder he had that brief identity crisis earlier.

He'd nearly lost himself in the flood of foreign memories and personalities.

Turns out, that "flawed" memory absorption wasn't a drawback—it saved him.

Without the system's safeguards, he would've slowly lost all sense of who he truly was.

"No wonder Otto Cunningham became so cold and emotionless…" Lin Chao shook his head.

He understood now.

That overwhelming stream of memories had briefly dulled his own emotions, made his personal history seem irrelevant in comparison.

It was like the old saying:

"After seeing the ocean, no other waters impress."

He shook off the thoughts, smiled again, and continued walking toward his villa.

Only one problem remained:

While the place was insanely luxurious, it was a long hike from the teleport hub.

His last house was just ten minutes away.

This one? Half an hour.

When he finally stepped through the front door, he was greeted by a slouched figure on the couch.

"Lin Huohuo, what are you doing flopped over like that at this hour?" Lin Chao asked as he kicked off his shoes.

Hearing his voice, Lin Huohuo shot up and ran over.

"Savior! You're finally back!"

Savior? Since when was he not a "pervert" or "scumbag"?

Lin Chao was dumbfounded.

Had the sun risen in the west today?

Clinging to his arm, Lin Huohuo whined dramatically:

"You were gone all day yesterday—you have no idea what I went through."

"There was no breakfast, so my sister and I didn't eat. We were starving at noon. She said she'd cook, said she learned something from you…"

Just as she spoke, V's voice came from the kitchen.

"Huohuo! Come eat! I made tomato-thick soy milk and cheese-fried dough sticks!"

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