The train car swept through the city's skies.

Sunlight pierced through glass walls, dividing light and shadow, but the train quickly slipped into the shadow of the towering buildings, with only the LCD advertisement screens flashing various product information.

[Mission Objective Updated.]

[Talk to Hugo. (Optional)]

"Are you seeking revenge?"

John inquired.

He wasn't really concerned, just keeping the conversation going, with most of his attention focused on the broadcast.

Every time the train stopped, he was on edge.

"Revenge? Ha, I don't have hatred, just... anger. It hit me that I was duped, and now I just hit anyone, it's meaningless."

Hugo shook his head with a wry smile.

He took deep breaths now and then, looking quite exhausted, the stench of decay on him covered by a metallic scent.

John asked him.

"Why did you leave Internet Surveillance?"

"Have you ever dealt with the State Police?"

Hugo countered with a head tilt, and when John nodded, he continued.

"I, the State Police, and a hacker who's now dead, we all were at the same level, competing and restraining each other back then..."

Rumble rumble.

The train roared into the tunnel.

John slumped in the metal chair, listening to the story.

Back in the day, Hugo had a happy family and a decent income, and enforcing cyberspace laws was just a job to provide for his family.

He preferred material enjoyment, longing to clock out each day, never coveting the office director's chair.

"The State Police... shit, he's... uh, one of those vigilante enforcers."

Hugo furrowed his brow, giving an unexpected assessment.

John chuckled coldly, expressionless.

Hugo scratched the grime from the corner of his eye and said.

"I'm serious, he has this mania for technology, was summoned multiple times for excessive enforcement, yet instead of being fired, he was granted more hidden powers."

Internet Surveillance is essentially like a company.

It has its hierarchies and competition, even more ruthless. Fighting criminals and rogue AIs in cyberspace, in the end, it all comes down to mission completion rates and captures over human rights.

The State Police always survived.

"His whereabouts became increasingly secretive, and the experimental implants grew more numerous. The elimination and promotion rates under him were nearly equal. They say following the State Police is to trade your life for a future."

Hugo paused.

Whoosh—

The train burst out of the tunnel.

Sunlight suddenly flooded the car, waking the distracted passengers.

Hugo looked out at the city skyscrapers, the passing hovercars and various flying vehicles, murmuring.

"We all went through the Pompeii incident. Each Internet Surveillance branch had to send support, he was among the first batch... In hindsight, maybe the director at the time wanted to kill the State Police; after all, young people climbing too fast could disrupt the hierarchy."

"And then?"

John became a bit intrigued.

The State Police was a dangerous character, potential conflict loomed; it was good to know some past background.

"Only two survived, one was paralyzed, had part of his brain tissue removed in surgery."

The State Police returned, unscathed.

But his personality became even more extreme.

His AI hunts grew all the more efficient, and new implants with untraceable origins appeared on him; perhaps through some channels, he signed an experimental agreement with a major institution.

"Before, people found him hard to deal with, but after the Pompeii incident, it turned to awe; nobody dared to approach, his hostility even extended from cyberspace to reality, he'd stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

"Any examples?"

"Yes, but no evidence."

Hugo caught his breath, grasping the iron railing—outside, the rapidly changing scenery showed the train making a turn, drawing a long arc past the splendid buildings.

"Soon after, the former director died, and the State Police took over, heading the entire Eden City Internet Surveillance office."

He continued.

"Later, the Raqi Industry's AI went out of control, a super hacker called Serum worked wonders, designing a custom logic cage. Internet Surveillance and the company made a deal..."

Hugo, who led the aftermath efforts then, found the brutal situation crushed his last line of hope.

The rogue AI that was captured was meant to be handled by Internet Surveillance.

However, he used it to broker a deal with Raqi Industry, exchanging it for a lifetime of wealth and peace of mind.

"The results, well, heh, all of them are damn liars."

Hugo, in his current pitiful state, was evidence that any company's recruitment and transactions were exploitation.

"I was lucky. Some unlucky bastards, after giving their lives to the company, became guinea pigs, continuously experimented on, constantly losing themselves until nothing of their soul remained."

"Do you hate Raqi Industry?"

"Of course, and I've gotten my revenge."

Hugo gave a tired smile.

He said the rogue AI he released on the road earlier was the same one he personally handed over to Raqi Industry back then.

"These past years, I kept a card up my sleeve and finally played it."

Hugo stroked his stubble, estimating the few stops before getting off, he pulled a chip from his pocket and handed it to John.

"The thing you wanted."

"...F*ck, is... is it that?"

John's heart raced uncontrollably.

He had imagined working in a dark, stuffy equipment room to tweak it, or being cut open on an operating table, not that something to unlock the Black Ice Program would just...

be handed to him like this in physical form.

"This is part of the Pandora Algorithm, adjusted specifically for your situation. Insert it, and it'll work. As long as you haven't lied, the program will collapse from within."

Rumble rumble——

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