Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 592 "Geological Research"

Han Zu searched the apartment from top to bottom, but he found nothing. Besides normal furniture and some unremarkable decorations, there was nothing else. No hidden compartments, no secret rooms. Not a single clue. Yet, the room was exceptionally clean. The fine, streaky dust in the corners and under the furniture suggested it wasn't a robot that cleaned the room, but a person.

Han Zu didn't think the scientist and her partner would enjoy housecleaning. Even if they did, given their status, once they left a place, the chances of returning were slim. Similarly, given their circumstances, they wouldn't ask family or friends for such a trivial matter. In fact, Han Zu suspected that whether they even had these two types of social interactions was a problem.

Yet, for some reason, they'd left the apartment behind. If they were assigning someone to clean or guard it, based on their expertise, the person staying there was likely a synth. Second-generation synths were already well-known by now, and there were established methods for detecting and finding them. So, they wouldn't have made such a rudimentary mistake. Fourth- and fifth-generation synths were indeed harder to detect, but their value was too great to be used as mere babysitters. So, if the person left here to clean was indeed a synth, it was likely a third-generation one. In that case, this lead might not be completely closed, and there was still room for further investigation.

Third-generation synths aren't necessarily more advanced than second-generation synths, but their synthetic components are not uniform. The synthetic components of all second-generation synths are artificial hippocampi, making them easy to detect. However, the synthetic components of third-generation synths largely avoid the hippocampus, making them difficult to distinguish using conventional methods.

However, Han Zu did have some exclusive clues in this regard, which allowed him to determine through observation whether the person he saw was a third-generation synthetic human.

Because second- and third-generation synths are based on normal human anatomy, controlling them requires manipulation of their brains. However, to prevent detection of artificial synthetic components, third-generation synths typically do not have any synthetic components installed in their brains. Furthermore, to ensure control, during their creation, they are genetically engineered to create a second brain, or a biological structure with complete brain functions, elsewhere in their bodies. This second brain is then manipulated. Because of the genetic engineering used, these second brains are difficult to detect. Consequently, third-generation synths are often mistakenly diagnosed with abnormal brainwaves or brain-related diseases during biometric testing.

While conventional detection equipment struggles to distinguish third-generation synths, Han Zu has no such problem. His powerful perception allows him to clearly separate different energy signals, including brain waves. Since a third-generation synth's secondary brain is a man-made product, it inevitably exhibits energy fluctuations that are inconsistent with the energy required for brain waves. Han Zu uses this to determine whether he's facing a third-generation synth. Even if Han Zu can't easily distinguish, he can use the contractor's equipment to perform a full-body scan, directly confirming the individual's anatomy and instantly identifying the third-generation synth in a crowd.

Although third-generation synths were an upgrade to second-generation synths, their numbers were limited due to the rapid development of fourth-generation synths. Their production cost was roughly the same as fourth-generation synths (compared to second- and fourth-generation synths), yet their functionality was comparable to that of second-generation synths. Therefore, they were quickly put into mass production. Similarly, because they were not as inexpensive as second-generation synths and their performance was inferior to that of fourth-generation synths, aside from a small number of operational third-generation synths, the majority were withdrawn or used as mere experimental manikin. A significant number were also sent to storage facilities and kept as backup options. After all, third-generation synths were not much different from second-generation synths, allowing them to be used as readily available "repair materials" for second-generation synths.

Han Zu sat on the living room sofa, thinking about the third generation of synths. He used the contractor's equipment to retrieve the apartment building's surveillance footage. He focused on the footage from this floor, hoping to find the person who regularly cleaned the apartment and perhaps find out more about the scientists.

It was just a few minutes before midnight. At approximately 11:57, Han Zu discovered something odd in the surveillance footage. The apartment building's security room only had footage from the last two months. According to the footage, every night at 12:30 a.m., the door to Han Zu's apartment mysteriously opened automatically. However, there wasn't a single person visible in the footage. Han Zu carefully analyzed the footage using the contractor's equipment and found no signs of tampering. The contractor's equipment also failed to detect any usable echo in the apartment.

This intrigued Han Zu. After all, what he had witnessed strongly resembled someone possessing some kind of invisibility ability. While zooming in on the surveillance footage, Han Zu noticed the doormat briefly dent, and the degree of dent was always different, as if it wasn't the same person. Furthermore, Han Zu clearly remembered that due to the limitations of their "materials," third-generation synths couldn't use a similar ability unless they were equipped with some kind of cloaking device. This didn't make sense. If the person opening the apartment door truly possessed some kind of cloaking device, they should have been detected by the contractor's echo detection system. Since the contractor's equipment didn't detect an echo, it only meant that the person's invisibility wasn't due to any equipment, but rather to their own strength.

In this case, Han Zu's previous inference about the identity of the person staying here as a "nanny", that he should be a third-generation synthetic human, was a wrong judgment.

"Could it be that this place has been occupied by people from the Infinite Company?"

As previously mentioned, while fourth- and fifth-generation synths are powerful, they're overkill in this location. If the synths left here aren't the scientists' creations, then based on the intelligence he'd gathered in Johor Bahru, the most likely culprits are some department or organization of the Infinite Company. Speaking of invisibility, the Infinite Company has demonstrated exceptionally thorough and far-sighted research and extensive experience in its use. Han Zu considered the possibility of the Fei Denan family or the Rat Control Company. However, upon closer inspection, the Rat Control Company's research isn't focused on invisibility, and the Fei Denan family has no connection to the scientist who created the synths. Furthermore, as a large family, they'd undoubtedly be deeply averse to these creatures capable of "taking over" human bodies. Even if they encountered them, they'd likely seek to completely eliminate them, not negotiate a partnership. Therefore, the most likely culprit is the Infinite Company.

But... Han Zu actually understood that he might have been wrong, because an empty apartment was completely useless to Infinity Company, and the scientist himself had connections with Infinity Company. According to some rumors he had heard inside Infinity Company before, the scientist's cooperation with Infinity Company started very early. In fact, when they first contacted each other, Infinity Company was not the Infinity Company it is today, and the prototype of the game cabin had not yet been completed.

The fact that the contractor's equipment couldn't locate the scientist's location was likely related to the Infinite Company's secrets, demonstrating their importance to the company. Even so, the Infinite Company wouldn't have sent personnel specifically to guard such an obviously abandoned location; doing so would be pointless. The individuals remaining there likely had no connection to the forces they suspected.

That being said, Han Zu has only been dealing with these few forces for a long time. Even if there are other forces, he doesn't know about them. The two sides have no intersection, so naturally there will be no conflicts.

"Fuck, I don't want to."

As Han Zu thought about it, he grew tired of it. To ensure his future investigation wouldn't be affected by his emotions, he temporarily abandoned his speculation about the identity of the person remaining in this place. He left the sofa in the living room and walked onto the balcony of the apartment, letting the evening breeze soothe his restless emotions. He lit a cigarette and quietly waited for time to pass. As he lit the cigarette, he also closed the balcony door to prevent the smoke from escaping and revealing his location.

"Drip!"

He was halfway through his cigarette when the door to the apartment suddenly rang, the smart door lock unlocked from the outside, and the door slowly opened. Han Zu's balcony position perfectly blocked his body, preventing the door from directly seeing his position. So he used his perspective to peer through the wall and carefully observe the door's location.

"Slippers...slippers..."

A strange scene unfolded before Han Zu. Even with his own vision, he couldn't see anyone at the door. The door quietly closed, and the sound of shoes being thrown could be heard on the floor inside the hallway. Han Zu looked closely and saw a pair of sneakers abruptly dropped onto the floor. Immediately afterwards, the carpet in the apartment began to show regular signs of collapse, clearly the result of someone walking barefoot across it. About a minute or two later, a large dent suddenly appeared on the single sofa in the living room. Judging from the outline, someone had been lying on it.

When he was searching the apartment, Han Zu had been flying close to the ground until he entered the balcony, so he didn't leave any footprints. He was not worried at all that the other party would find evidence of his entry.

He couldn't visually detect the other person, and the contractor's equipment couldn't accurately scan them. The only thing he could confirm was that the distance between the footprints left on the carpet suggested they were human, or at least humanoid with feet. This clue wasn't enough. Han Zu needed more details before deciding his next move: to get information from the other person or to leave immediately.

Han Zu silently and slowly expanded his perception to encompass the entire living room. He focused his attention, using his powers to gather more information about the other party. Fortunately, this time, he wasn't completely unsuccessful. Based on the clues he'd sensed, the other party was indeed human, but their condition was strange. A strange substance seemed to envelop them. This substance was thin, not even as thick as a hair, yet incredibly strong. Han Zu quickly calculated using the contractor's equipment. Even with his own all-out, high-energy beam attack, he couldn't penetrate it, let alone destroy it. Furthermore, this substance wasn't composed of pure energy, so his energy conversion abilities couldn't erode it. Because of this, while Han Zu could confirm the presence of a human based on the fluctuations in its energy components, he couldn't confirm whether it was male or female, or what it looked like.

Han Zu compiled the information detected by his perception into data, uploaded it to the contractor's equipment, and immediately passed the data to γ4. Han Zu was not afraid of the unknown, but since it involved important clues, he could not act rashly. He still needed to obtain some relevant information before deciding how to act.

Soon, γ4 replied to Han Zu, but because the data Han Zu provided was based on his own description of perception ability, γ4 said that more data was needed before calculation and confirmation could be made.

So Han Zu increased his perception, briefly enhancing it. This time, he did get more data: the object enveloping the other party seemed to be some kind of film-like object with considerable energy. This was something Han Zu had never seen before.

But Han Zu couldn't help but feel that something was off. He hadn't seen anything like it before, yet the energy component of the membrane felt familiar. While continuing to transmit more data to γ4, Han Zu fell into deep thought. Subconsciously, he accidentally disabled the camouflage module on the contractor's equipment.

“Thump thump thump!!!”

And just half a minute later, the guy lying on the sofa suddenly jumped up from it, and quickly ran to the door of the apartment, opened the door and ran out without even having time to put on his shoes.

"Hold!"

In the blink of an eye, the other party had already run out of the apartment. Han Zu immediately opened the balcony door and accelerated to chase him. Fortunately, his perception range was large enough and the other party could not run out of his perception range. According to his perception, the other party had run to a certain position in front of the elevator. The elevator was not on this floor at this time. Normally, the other party should not be able to escape, but the other party went straight through the closed elevator door, entered the elevator shaft, and began to move downwards rapidly.

"Bang!"

Han Zu didn't hesitate. With a gentle tug, the elevator doors on both sides were pulled open. Han Zu jumped directly from the elevator shaft, quickly approaching the opponent. There was an elevator rising below. Han Zu confirmed that there were many people inside, so he didn't hit him directly. However, the opponent passed through the elevator and continued to fall.

"Buzz~!!"

Using high-energy radiation, Han Zu carved a groove into the elevator shaft, stepped into it, and made way for the ascending elevator. Then, he quickly descended, attempting to catch up. Soon, Han Zu reached the bottom of the apartment building, three stories underground. He opened the elevator door and rushed out.

However, just a few seconds ago, the guy who was locked by his perception suddenly disappeared in front of him. Han Zu immediately lost his target. Han Zu clenched his fists, not very happy.

“He really ran away.”