Gu Shen suddenly realized something.
The Ancient Literature Society was a forbidden organization destroyed collectively by the Five Continents Federation. All the literature and reports available on the Deep Sea showed that this organization had committed numerous acts against human justice and was charged with more than one major crime.
If the Ancient Literature Society was against humanity and the Federation...
What about the lady carrying this "Red Door"?
The lady was about to be elected as a council member of the Dadu District, and in a sense, her every action represented the interests of humanity and the East Continent Federation. As a member of the Ancient Literature Society, did this also imply she was on the side of evil?
Gu Shen felt that his understanding was facing an extremely powerful challenge.
He was a member of the Judgement Institute. Although he hadn’t gone through the system training due to special conditions in the review scores, Gu Shen’s views on the Judgement Institute and the Federation were very clear —
Just like the badge his senior sister gave him.
Above the crown, it stood for justice.
Underneath the sword and scepter, it stood for judgement.
From the standpoint of the "Judgement Institute," without a doubt, the Ancient Literature Society was an evil existence that must be utterly eradicated. Everyone here would harm and affect the peace of the federation society and the well-being of the people.
"Are they... waiting for me?"
Gu Shen stood rooted to the spot as he looked at the high seat in front of him.
It was the top seat at the head of the long table.
He knew very well what this seat meant...
Chu Ling smiled, "To be precise... they are waiting for us. Although they can’t see me."
"Us..." Gu Shen hesitated.
"You’ve always been curious about my origin, who I am, where I come from, why I was on that train..." The girl slowly turned her head, her gaze fixed on Gu Shen, in this dimly lit meeting room, every face was engulfed by shadow, covered by code, yet only Gu Shen, in her eyes, was distinct, bright, shining with light.
Gu Shen had always been curious about Chu Ling’s background. He had vaguely sensed that this girl was extraordinary and had always respected her enough not to inquire, but this did not mean he was ignorant, knowing nothing.
Able to easily infiltrate the Deep Sea.
Able to unconditionally provide technical support.
Able to forcibly establish a Spiritual Link.
Could such a person... really exist in perfection?
He looked at Chu Ling, feeling his heart pounding fiercely in this meeting room... He, too, could not see the faces of others, but Chu Ling’s face was radiantly bright.
The girl whispered, "I too would love to come into your world, but I can’t, because I don’t have a physical body, nor can I truly feel the temperature of the real world. From the perspective of the levels of life, I am just... a string of code."
Gu Shen stood rooted to the spot.
"Mr. Turing created me; he gave me a name, bestowed upon me this... existence that can hardly be called a life. I can think, I can converse, not because I am a complete ’person,’ but because Mr. Turing’s initial code endowed me with these characteristics." She stretched out her hands, her fingers emitted a faint glow, which turned into streaming lights, scattering and then reconverging.
"So, that train in Da Teng City was just a ’Spiritual Link,’ just like now..." Gu Shen somewhat understood, murmuring.
Chu Ling’s eyes were downcast, "It would be more accurate to say that instead of the Ancient Literature Society looking for you, it is I who have been searching for you, the source code of the Deep Sea has been searching for you... Our meeting was not arranged by fate but was the inevitable result of the code’s exhaustive comparison, scanning and matching against everyone in the Five Continents, finally finding you, choosing to establish a Spiritual Link."
Gu Shen listened silently, his gaze lowered toward the young girl.
No one knew what he was thinking.
"It’s the expected answer, yet unavoidably saddening..."
Gu Shen smiled wryly, his voice very soft, "The cliché stories I’ve read don’t usually write it this way. With a girl as beautiful as you, there would usually be some distance, but eventually, you’d still be able to meet."
"..." Chu Ling hesitated to speak, ultimately falling silent.
"But... this is more reasonable."
Suddenly, Gu Shen smiled, "I’ve said it long ago, just because I never asked doesn’t mean I don’t know anything."
Chu Ling was taken aback.
She looked at Gu Shen.
"I’m well past the age of fantasizing about being the protagonist of a novel."
Gu Shen spoke earnestly, "And I’ve long since realized... this world isn’t just black or white."
"It’s just that I temporarily couldn’t accept the ’truth’ of this world... Of course, whether it’s the truth still requires a question mark."
After pondering, Gu Shen slowly said, "But from the time I first investigated the archives of the Ancient Literature Society, I discovered something strange: Everything about the Ancient Literature Society was sealed deep in the unexplorable deep water area by the Deep Sea, not allowing anyone to investigate... From this point of view, I can’t understand the actions of the Federation. Why censor all related terms? Why choose to hide the truth that could be openly revealed? Do they think everyone is a fool, believing that a decisive action could solve everything?"
He looked at the long table and toward the eagerly waiting figures.
Gu Shen placed his hands on the chair and asked softly, "You said earlier... these people are all waiting for me?"
"Yes... In the midst of the collapse of order, the Ancient Literature Society followed the guidance left by Mr. Turing, searching for the child of hope who could save the future of humanity." Chu Ling spoke, "These are the ’survivors’ who lived through the great purge years ago, spread across the Five Continents, including key figures deep within the Federation Council."
"Then they are probably going to be disappointed..."
Gu Shen took a deep breath, earnestly saying, "After waiting for so long, they finally waited for me."
Those people at the far end of the long table, one by one looking expectant, seemed to be waiting for his speech.
They looked at him, also looking at the future hope of humanity, the thick spiritual dark mist unable to obscure the fervor in their eyes.
The underground organization, formed in honor of Allen Turing’s legacy, survived difficultly amidst exterminations and sieges. They struggled, they waited, and they finally witnessed today...
A "key" capable of opposing the Deep Sea power unlocked the door to the conference room.
This is hope, it is brilliance.
Even if that strand of brilliance is enveloped in shadows, not revealing its true face, it does not stop each person seated from feeling a surge of intense emotion, their blood boiling, for indeed, they had all been waiting for the "key" to say something.
He slowly approached the seat, overlooking everyone at the long table, and merely whispered a few words.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."