Chapter 8: Blade Cuts the Sky

I. Counterattack in the Pursuit

The night fog in Brooklyn is as thick as ink, like black paint splashed at the end of the alley. The damp and cold air with the salty smell of the Hudson River seeps into Niu Aihua's lungs. She drags her injured leg, leans against the brick wall, and her panting echoes in the fog, like a beast cornered. The wall is cold and rough, with blood seeping into her jacket. She holds the chip and documents left by Arnold in her hand. Blood drips down her arm to the ground, dyeing the sewage in the alley red, and the ticking sound is piercing in the silence. At the entrance of the alley, three black trucks block the retreat. The fluorescent words "S.U.C Logistics" on the rear of the truck are dazzling, like the eyes of a ghost. Five masked men approach with electric shock guns, their footsteps heavy and hurried. A group of drones hover overhead, and red lights flash like blood spots, like a group of bloodthirsty bats peeking in the night sky.

"You can't run away!" A masked man sneered, his voice was low and mocking, and the electric shock gun sparked and shot towards her, and the electric light drew a dazzling arc in the fog. Niu Aihua rolled behind the trash can, moving as fast as a shadow, and the electric light brushed her shoulder and hit the wall, brick chips flew and hit her face, stinging and angry. She gritted her teeth and growled: "Want me dead? It's not that easy!" Her voice was angry and trembling, and the image of Arnold falling down flashed in her mind. She whispered: "I will collect the debt you owe."

She took out her mobile phone, her fingers trembling slightly due to nervousness, connected the chip, and the screen popped up the core evidence of "Dream Distillation": 70% mortality rate, scanned copy of Niu Si's signature, and list of volunteers in Zone C, like a string of blood-written indictments. Her fingers quickly operated and connected to the anonymous reporter hotline. The light of the screen was reflected on her face, revealing the murderous intent in her eyes. She whispered, "Listen to the whole world!" She pressed send, and the file and recording were uploaded instantly, with the title: "The truth about the parasol murder." Her voice was low and firm, and her brother's face appeared in her mind. She whispered, "Brother, I did it."

The masked man rushed over, stabbing her chest with a dagger, and the blade drew a cold light in the dark, like the scythe of the god of death. She dodged sideways, and the electric baton hit the other person's neck. There was a flash of lightning, and the man twitched and fell to the ground, with white foam pouring out of his mouth, like a fish that was electrocuted. The drone swooped down, and the buzzing sound was piercing, like a group of angry bees. She grabbed the iron pipe on the ground and smashed it hard, sparks flew, and the fragments fell to the ground, making a crisp metal collision sound. She panted and growled, "You can't stop it!" Her voice was angry and trembling, and Jeffers' face flashed in her mind, and she whispered, "Hold on, I didn't let you down."

The masked man at the end of the alley shouted, "Kill her, don't let her spread it!" The voice was rapid and angry, like a group of desperate wild dogs. But it was too late. The phone screen lit up with a push notification: "Emergency news: Illegal parasol experiment exposed!" The news exploded like a bomb on the Internet. She sneered, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, rushed to the depths of the alley, and whispered: "Too late." Her steps staggered, the wound on her leg was torn and painful, blood flowed down her trouser legs, but she gritted her teeth and whispered: "Niu Si, your doomsday is here."

2. The truth is revealed

In the fog, the pursuit continued, and the footsteps of the masked man echoed in the alley, like a pack of hounds approaching prey. Niu Aihua got into an abandoned pipe, the sewage submerged her ankles, it was freezing cold, and it exuded the stench of decay and chemicals, like the echo of hell. She leaned against the wall of the tube, panting rapidly. She turned on her phone, and the screen scrolled with global news, like a fire that ignited the darkness:

"Illegal experiments by Sun Umbrella Company, with a mortality rate of over 70%!"

"New cancer drugs are actually exchanged for human lives, and the victims' families are furious!"

"Niu Si signed to confirm the necessity of sacrifice, and the technology community was shocked!"

She panted and clicked on the live broadcast. The reporter's voice pierced the mist, hurriedly and angrily: "We received anonymous evidence, exposing the crimes behind Sun Umbrella's "Dream Distillation" technology. Hundreds of volunteers died and their brains were drained, just for AI breakthroughs." The screen cut to the photo of the cabin in Area C. The pale faces were shocking, like a row of hollowed-out bodies, and the data on the screen was cold, as if sentencing them to death.

Niu Aihua clenched her teeth and whispered: "Arnold, you didn't die in vain." Her voice was low and trembling, and the image of Arnold falling appeared in her mind, and the blood foam at the corners of his mouth was like red tears. She whispered, "They have to pay your debt." There was an explosion at the end of the pipe. She looked back and saw a drone hit the gas pipe. The flames shot up into the sky, the heat wave hit her face, and the debris flew and hit the pipe, making a harsh crash. She climbed out of the pipe and rolled into the garbage dump on the corner of the street. The stench was overwhelming, and the garbage bag broke and the dirt splashed on her face. She panted and murmured, "The truth is out."

The news continued to ferment, and the society was in an uproar, like a bomb that exploded the calm water surface. Scientists exclaimed at the forum: "Dream data is indeed revolutionary and can overturn the existing AI model, but where is the ethical bottom line?" Their voices were shocked, as if they were facing an unsolvable problem. The victims' families took to the streets, holding signs and shouting: "Punish Nixke severely, give me my family back!" The shouts penetrated the fog, like a cry of revenge. The angry crowd blocked the streets of Brooklyn. The police tried to disperse them, but were pushed around. The government spokesman faced the camera and hesitated: "We will investigate, but technological progress requires a balance..." His voice was weak, as if he was covering up some kind of powerlessness.

Demonstration of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs

At the same time, a demonstration in Silicon Valley attracted global attention. The camera swept across hundreds of technology practitioners, who held signs saying: "Innovation without human lives!", "Sacrifice is the price of progress!" The crowd stood in front of the Sun Umbrella headquarters, speaking in high voices, as if defending Nixon. A young entrepreneur shouted at the camera: "Without these experiments, where would the new cancer drugs come from? Where would the energy revolution come from? You only see the dead, but not the survivors! My mother has lived on Lucid-9 for five years, do you understand?" His voice was trembling with anger, and his eyes were red, as if he was shouting for his beliefs.

Street conflict

However, on another street in Brooklyn, the victims' families and AI beneficiaries clashed violently, like two torrents colliding. A mother cried: "My son is dead! He was only 23 years old, and you drained his brain!" Her voice was hoarse, tears mixed with rain water flowed down, and she held a photo in her hand, which showed a young boy with a bright smile. Across the street, a cancer survivor waved a medicine bottle and shouted, "This saved my life! How can you say it's wrong? My wife and children are waiting for me!" His voice was trembling with anger, and his eyes were full of tears. The police tried to separate the crowd, holding shields, but were pushed around like a group of powerless bystanders. The media captured this scene, and the commentator sighed: "This is the tearing of human nature, the price of technology, who can make a final judgment?"

Niu Aihua stared at the screen, sneered, and raised the corners of her mouth slightly, whispering: "Save people? You haven't seen Area C." Her voice was low and angry, and the cabin on the seventh floor appeared in her mind. Those pale faces were like a row of hollowed-out bodies, and she whispered: "Your lives were exchanged for other people's blood."

3. Niu Si's fate

Three days later, the live broadcast of the court swept the Internet, like a global trial. Niu Aihua sat in the hospital ward, with bandages on her legs and blood oozing from the gauze. Niu Si's figure was on the TV screen. He stood in the dock, wearing a well-tailored suit and looking stern, like an unshakable statue. The prosecutor read out the charges in a sonorous and powerful voice: "Illegal human experiments, murder, data falsification, the evidence is irrefutable! 127 volunteers died, 99 of whom died directly from the experiment, and Niuske signed and approved it!"

Niuske sneered, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and his defense was harsh and arrogant: "I have promoted human civilization! New cancer drugs have saved millions of lives, superconductors have rewritten energy, and self-healing materials have prevented airplanes from crashing. Who dares to say that I am wrong? Sacrifice is inevitable, and the wheel of history never waits for anyone!" His voice was low and firm, and his eyes burned with paranoid flames, like a self-proclaimed god. The court was in an uproar, and the victims' families shouted: "Murderer! Give me back my son!" The shouts were angry and harsh, like knives stabbing him.

The judge struck the gavel, the sound was heavy as iron, and the verdict fell: "Life imprisonment, no parole." Niu Aihua clenched her fists, her nails dug into her palms, and whispered: "It's what you deserve." Her voice was low and trembling, and her brother's diary appeared in her mind. She whispered: "Brother, did you see it?" But her eyes sank, and she always felt something was wrong. Niu Si's sneer was too calm, as if he was hiding a bigger conspiracy.

The next day, the news suddenly changed, like a bomb that exploded the calm: "Niuske mysteriously disappeared, suspected to be transferred!" An anonymous informant broke the news in a low and hurried voice: "He was secretly sent to a base in the Arctic to continue his research. The top management of Sun Umbrella has already prepared a way out." The screen cut to a masked assistant, sneering: "He is the future, and the law can't stop him. His technology will make the world surrender."

Niu Aihua threw the remote control away, and the remote control smashed into pieces on the wall. She growled: "Transfer? I haven't settled accounts with him yet!" Her voice was angry and trembling. Her brother's face appeared in her mind, and she whispered: "You can't run away." She gritted her teeth, and the wound on her leg hurt like a tear. She whispered: "Noah, I'm coming."

Fourth, the end of the chase

Outside the ward, Jeffers pushed the door in with a cane, the bandage on his leg had not been removed, and his steps were heavy and slow. He frowned and whispered: "Being beaten again?" His voice was a little teasing, but his eyes were full of worry, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the cane.

"Survived." Niu Aihua stood up and pointed at the TV. The screen was still scrolling the news of Niuske's disappearance. "The truth is out, and they are still chasing me." Her voice was low and firm. The chase in the alley flashed through her mind. She whispered, "They are scared."

Jeffers grinned, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly: "Then we didn't lose." He paused and whispered, "I checked the Noah, and the transfer has not stopped. The informant at the port said that a cargo ship went out to sea last night, marked as S.U.C." His voice was low, and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. He whispered, "Niuske ran away, but his lackeys are still there."

Before he finished speaking, the window glass exploded, and a dart shot into the wall. The feathers on the tail trembled, with a bitter almond smell, like the mark of the god of death. Niu Aihua threw Jeffers to the ground and shouted, "Get down!" Her movements were as fast as a shadow, and the two fell to the ground. The floor was icy cold. Two masked men climbed in through the window, wearing tight black clothes and holding injection guns. The barrels of the guns flashed coldly in the dim light. She grabbed the IV stand beside the bed and swept it across to hit one person. The injection fell to the ground and emitted white smoke, and the pungent smell penetrated into her nose. She rushed to another one, knocked him down with her knee, and growled: "Who sent you?"

The masked man sneered, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Boss Niu said that you will not survive tonight." His voice was low and mocking, and a trace of madness flashed in his eyes. She punched him in the chin, blood splattered, and her teeth fell to the ground with a crisp sound. She growled: "He is wrong!"

The drone group approached, red lights flashing, like a group of bloodthirsty eyes. She gritted her teeth and grabbed Jeffers' crutches, smashed the window frame, glass fragments flew, and pulled him to the fire escape, moving as fast as the wind. The explosion came from the ward, the flames lit up the night sky, and the heat wave hit her face, as if tearing her defense line. She panted and whispered, "They are anxious." Her voice was low and trembling. Arnold's face appeared in her mind and she whispered, "Hold on, I didn't let your death be in vain."

V. Open ending

A week later, the sun umbrella company announced its bankruptcy, and the glass curtain wall of the building was dim, like an abandoned tomb. Niu Aihua stood by the Hudson River, the wind blew her hair, mixed with the smell of blood and sweat, and the river rolled in the fog, like a whisper. She stared at the city in the distance and whispered, "Did we win?" Her voice was low and tired. Her brother's smiling face appeared in her mind. She whispered, "Brother, did you see it?"

Jeffers came over with crutches, his steps heavy, and whispered, "Half the victory. Noah is still on the sea, the technology is not dead." His voice was low, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes. He whispered, "The informant at the port said that another cargo ship went out to sea last night, and the mark was still S.U.C." He paused and whispered, "Niuske ran away, and his lackeys are still doing it."

She nodded, sneered, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly: "I know." Her voice was low and firm. The picture of the Arctic base flashed in her mind, and she whispered, "He can't run far."

That day, the postman delivered a package wrapped in tattered kraft paper, like a relic sent from the battlefield. She opened it and saw that it was her brother's diary before he disappeared. The paper was yellowed, the edges were frayed, and the handwriting was trembling, as if he was using his last strength to write: "C-01, the first volunteer. I dreamed of a red umbrella, like a bloody shadow pressing on me. They said this is the future, but I can't wake up." The last page read: "Aihua, don't check, live." She clenched the diary, her nails dug into the paper, her eyes were red, and she growled: "Brother, I can't do it." Her voice trembled, tears dripped on the paper, smudged the ink, and whispered: "I have to get it back for you."

The news interrupted, the voice was harsh: "Similar 'distillation' technology has been discovered in many places around the world, supervision is a mystery, and experts warn that it may trigger a new crisis." Niu Aihua looked up, the city lights were like stars, as if flashing a signal of anxiety, she whispered: "It's not over." Her voice was low and firm, the shadow of Noah appeared in her mind, and she whispered: "Niu Si, I will find you."

Six, Philosophical Questioning

In the hiding place, Niu Aihua and Jeffers sat around a shabby table, which was covered with dust and scratches. The sound of TV debates was endless, like an endless quarrel. A scientist said: "Sacrificing a few for the welfare of the majority is the price of technology. Lucid-9 has saved millions of lives, and superconductors have rewritten energy. We can't stop eating because of choking." His voice was calm and arrogant, as if he was pronouncing the truth. An ethicist retorted: "People are not data, where is the boundary? If your family was squeezed dry, would you still say so?" His voice was angry and trembling, as if he was shouting for the dead.

Jeffers turned off the TV, the screen went dark, and whispered, "What do you think?" His voice was low, and a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes. He whispered, "My mother almost died, and Lucid-9 saved her, but when I saw the photos of Area C, I felt sick again."

She was silent for a moment and whispered, "My brother died, Arnold died, and hundreds of people died in Area C. They said it was progress, but I only saw blood." Her voice was low and trembling, and the cabin on the seventh floor appeared in her mind. She whispered, "Their lives are not numbers." She paused and whispered, "But the new drug saved people, and superconductors changed the world. I don't know the answer." Her voice was low and her eyes were confused, as if she was facing an unsolvable abyss.