Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 551 Temporary Team (4)

Five o'clock in the afternoon, at Shaxi Bay, 1,500 kilometers away from Johor Bahru.

This is one of the most prosperous cities in the state. Although located near the coastline and boasting stunning scenic views, Shaxiwan doesn't rely on tourism as its mainstay of economy. Due to its unique geographical conditions, it is the state's largest aquaculture base, supporting anything that swims in the sea. The finest seafood, not only in the state but also in the country, comes largely from Shaxiwan. Furthermore, due to its beautiful scenery and, unusually, despite its proximity to the sea, Shaxiwan has remained unaffected by typhoons and tsunamis for decades. As a result, the city has a large population base and a high number of tourists. Many major companies have their headquarters in the area. Compared to other parts of the state and the country, the living standards of the people living around Shaxiwan are significantly more advanced.

Fabulon's second son-in-law, whose vast business empire included two key companies in Shaxi Bay, one specialized in high-tech chip manufacturing near Shaxi Bay's commercial center, and the other, a manufacturing company, located in the suburbs of Shaxi Bay's outer ring. Near Shaxi Bay was a commercial private airport, where the private plane carrying Adenauer landed.

Fabron's second son-in-law had brought other family members with him, so the private plane Adenauer, Frank, and Liz boarded—although also owned by the other party—was not the same one he had been traveling on. This private plane happened to be returning to Shaxi Bay, so the other party did them a favor and had the pilot take the three people there. Although Fabron's second son-in-law didn't care about Adenauer's identity, he couldn't tell his family, and he also had to transport Fabron's body back to his hometown, so he had no choice but to resort to this method. But for Adenauer, these things didn't matter at all.

"gentlemen."

"what happened?"

When getting off the plane, the stewardess on the private plane called Adenauer and when Adenauer walked over, the stewardess handed him a bank card.

"What does it mean?"

"The chairman has instructed that this is his way of thanking you. If you need some 'alone space', the chairman can also ask someone to help you."

As the stewardess spoke, she glanced at Frank and Liz, who were standing nearby. Anyone who could assume any position aboard a private jet was undoubtedly a trusted aide to the asset owner. The stewardess's point was that if Adenauer wanted to get rid of the two policemen, they would provide assistance. For a behemoth like Fabron's second son-in-law, making a few people disappear wouldn't be difficult. While Liz's father, the Chief of Police in Oak City, might seem like a god to most people, to someone of his rank, a chief was practically no different from a beggar.

"Please thank the chairman for his kindness, but there's no need to bother him. The chairman is very busy, and I'm just a small figure. I can handle anything myself, and there's no need to burden him."

"If you need anything, you can call me."

"Thank you very much, please stay."

Adenauer's conversation was measured and polite, which surprised the crew members nearby. But that was also a good thing. After a brief greeting, Adenauer nodded in gratitude, pocketed the business card given by the flight attendant, and left the area surrounding the private jet, reuniting with Frank and Liz at the hangar door.

"So what are you going to do next?"

"I'll find a way to get to Xinshan City and see what's going on. But what happens next has nothing to do with you two. Well, now that I've left Oak City, I'll keep my promise. Goodbye. Oh no, we probably won't meet again."

After saying this, Adenauer walked away without any intention of discussing it with Frank and Liz.

"Hey! Wait!" But Liz and Frank chased after him and stopped him.

"Are you planning to arrest me? I need to remind you that this is not a wise move..."

"It has nothing to do with that. Liz and I are going too."

"Going too? Where? Johor Bahru?"

"If the synths are planning to replace Liz, then this matter has something to do with us. So no matter what you think, we have to go to Johor Bahru to find out the truth and make it public. This is not only for Liz and me, but also for everyone else."

"Frank is right, Adenauer. I know you're skilled, but two fists can't defeat four hands, let alone people from the same city. Since we're all going to Johor Bahru, why not act together? Although we two can't compare to you, we're not useless either. If anything really happens, we won't hold you back."

"No."

"Why? Are you concerned about our police identity?"

"It has nothing to do with that. I don't care what your identities are. The main reason is that you two are normal people."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let me ask you a question. Are synthetics considered human?"

"I guess... I guess so. After all, they're not machines, and the artificial hippocampus only serves to implant memories, but their bodies are exactly like ours."

"What if two identical people appeared before you? One was a real person, but he was a damned bastard who did all sorts of evil. The other was a synthetic human. Although he looked exactly like the real person, he was a good person, a kind person. Now you have a gun in your hand and need to make a choice. You have to shoot and kill one of them. What would you do?"

"this..."

"I'll keep the synths."

Adenauer shook his head, seemingly dissatisfied with the two's answers.

"Did we answer wrong?"

"No, you didn't answer incorrectly, but your way of thinking is still based on normal human logic. So, let me give you another hint. There's a secret about synths. While they aren't machines and can be considered real people from a biological perspective, these synthetics can actually be controlled using specific word keys. To put it simply, it's like a sleeper agent. Do you understand? After knowing this information, how will your choices change?"

(So-called sleep agents refer to special agents who have undergone deep hypnosis. Their daily lives are no different from those of ordinary people. They may not even remember being hypnotized, and they may also forget some specific memories. However, through specific opportunities, such as word groups, special light frequencies, or specific movements and sounds, they can awaken their forgotten memories due to deep hypnosis, thus achieving perfect concealment and undercover work. Because almost all sleep agents are members of the military, these activation methods are also sealed with top secrets, and only the relevant personnel are aware of them.)

Adenauer's implication was clear: the synth that had displayed a kind nature could very well be controlled by the Word Key, completely transforming its personality and attitude, leading to actions even more deserving of death than the sinister real-life counterparts. After understanding this, Frank and Liz hesitated. From their perspective, the kind synth still had a chance. Since there was a chance for good, there was no need to kill it.

"this..."

It was this hesitation that made Adenauer keep his own ideas. He did not want to take these two people to Johor Bahru.

"Your hesitation means that when you encounter a synth, you might put yourself in a passive situation where you might be stabbed in the back because of your normal sympathy. I won't be someone else's babysitter. If you fall into a trap, I won't waste time saving you, because in my opinion, you asked for it. But you two aren't the kind of people who deserve to die, so although I don't mind, it would be a good thing if you don't die. So you two should not go with me, because you two may not understand or accept the choices I will make. That's it."

"So what would you choose?"

"what do you mean?"

"The question you just asked is, if there are two identical people, one is bad, but real, and the other is fake, but a synthetic human, which one would you kill?"

"Easy, kill them all."

"why?"

"Real person or synthetic, good or bad, it makes no difference to me. As long as they don't get in my way, I don't care whether they live or die. But if they do, is there any difference between killing one person and two, other than the number?"

Frank, a man of countless experiences, immediately understood Adenauer's character. To him, people were no different from objects. Beneath a veneer of politeness, he possessed a mindset akin to a machine. He cared nothing for good or evil, nothing for ethics, and naturally nothing for the law. Everything was rational. His refrains from killing weren't driven by inner condemnation, nor were his killings driven by a morbid desire. Instead, his actions were driven by a rational consideration of the consequences: the consequences of killing and the benefits of not killing. Everything served his purpose. Frank had no doubt that if it weren't for Liz's background, killing her would have triggered a massive Lugosi uprising, mobilizing all forces to locate and blockade Oak City. By the time the two men learned of Adenauer's whereabouts and discovered his body, Adenauer would have eliminated them both. Martina, who had seen Adenauer in person at the time, was spared because of her celebrity status; a hasty death would have drawn even more attention. Martina was also clever; she clearly stated she was a minor figure, posing no threat, which was one of the reasons Adenauer didn't kill her.

Frank had a way to deal with such people: he made it clear that he wouldn't cause any complications. For someone with weak emotions and a rational mindset, what mattered most was whether things went their way. If things went wrong, Adenauer might have suddenly lost his temper and gone on a killing spree. But if things went as he envisioned, he wouldn't have any emotional fluctuations and would act rationally, not emotionally, perhaps even more reasonable than the average person.

"Along the way, even after we arrive in Johor Bahru, we won't care what you do, and you don't need to tell us why. Once we arrive in Johor Bahru, we can separate if necessary, and you don't have to worry about us. In return, we won't interfere with you, nor will we bother you with our moral standards. We won't ask who you want to kill, or how many, as long as we don't know. Even if we see it, you can pretend not to know. How do you say that?"

Adenauer paused, pinched his fingers, and made some bone-rubbing sounds, as if he was thinking. Seeing his state, Frank felt that there might be a way.

“Okay, but I have to tell you in advance, if anything happens to you, don’t expect me to rescue you. And if something serious happens and you need to leave Johor Bahru immediately, I may not notify you.”

"That's fine with me," Frank replied immediately.

"I can take care of myself." Liz responded immediately.

"Then let's go. I have no other requests."

After leaving the airport, the three boarded the airport train, heading into the urban area of ​​Shaxi Bay. However, as they crossed the platform and boarded the train, Frank and Liz realized that Adenauer hadn't been stopped by the security system. As Frank and Liz were whispering, Adenauer pulled the business card the flight attendant had handed him from his pocket and waved it. Frank immediately realized what was going on.

"I didn't expect that Fabulon's second son-in-law is indeed a big shot who cannot be underestimated. As expected, there is a way to revoke the state's wanted order."

Frank pulled out his phone and checked the police system. It showed that the wanted order for Adenauer had been revoked, with a note indicating that Adenauer had been captured and shot dead by police officers somewhere. A dead man wouldn't necessarily warrant a wanted order.

"But you were fine when you went through security just now. What was on you...?"

"I threw it in the bushes outside the airport. I was almost out of bullets anyway."

Frank and Liz were fine. They were police officers and had formal gun licenses. Their guns were actually thrown at Liz's house. Although they had no weapons on them, Frank and Liz were not panicked at all. For someone like Adenauer, it was not difficult to get a gun.

More than ten minutes later, the three entered the city of Shaxi Bay. The two did not know that the flight attendant had given Adenauer a bank card, and Adenauer was not going to use the bank card. If he wanted to go to Johor Bahru, he needed a vehicle and weapons. The permanent security force in Shaxi Bay was one or two levels higher than that in Oak City, so Adenauer would not directly rob a car on the street. A simple thought would tell him that the least suspicious way to obtain guns and vehicles was to find local criminal organizations or gangs.

Six o'clock sharp.

The more glamorous a place is, the more filth and dirt it harbors, just like light and shadow, inseparable. Frank's investigation led the three to a drug-dealing gang's lair, located in the heart of the industrial zone west of Shaxi Bay. Surrounding this drug factory were even numerous legitimate businesses.

Adenauer didn't rush into action. He stole the warehouse access card from a factory supervisor and obtained several sets of workers' clothing. Frank and Adenauer naturally dressed as workers, while Liz didn't change her clothes. She wore a casual suit and a hard hat, so she was easily mistaken for a department manager or something like that, inspecting the factory.

So the three of them walked through the industrial area in a swaggering manner, searching for the exact location of the drug factory and familiarizing themselves with the route. However, after becoming familiar with the area, Adenauer still did not take action. Instead, he temporarily left the industrial area, returned to the city, and found a restaurant to stay.

"So you're planning to wait until dark?"

"Ah."

"That's fine. We haven't had much proper food. What are you eating? I'll treat you."

"casual."

"What about you Liz?"

"A hamburger will do."