Chapter 393
Undercurrents
Chapter 393 Undercurrents
Half an hour after the new rules were released on the first day.
Guan Tong received a private message from the hacker Mask.
Mask: "I carefully reviewed the surveillance data you sent using specialized software and found that about ten minutes of video from half a month ago showed signs of being replaced."
Guan Tong had previously given the surveillance data she obtained from the rehabilitation center and medical department to Mask for analysis.
He now trusts independent third parties with no vested interest more than other stakeholders.
Now we finally have the results.
He replied, "So, someone replaced the surveillance footage?"
Mask: "Yes, the person who replaced the video was very careful. If I hadn't obtained different professional tools from several colleagues and analyzed them multiple times, it would have been very difficult to detect. However, being able to detect that the video has been replaced does not mean that we can obtain the original data."
Guan Tong: "Understood."
If others have already replaced the videos, how could the original video data still be retained in the surveillance footage?
Mask: "I've sent you the replacement evidence."
Guan Tong: "Okay, I'll pay you the final payment."
Having obtained the evidence, Guan Tong carefully examined the replacement video marked on the mask.
The timeframe wasn't within a few days of Suzuki's accident, but more than two weeks prior.
The video content is simply a recording of a corridor, with no one passing by.
No trace of replacement can be detected by the naked eye; only professional-grade tools can uncover the clues.
"In the original video, the hallway camera should have captured someone entering Suzuki's room. Could it be the short-haired woman with the pseudonym 'Wei Huo'?"
Guan Tong wasn't sure, but he was certain that the surveillance video wouldn't be so easily replaced.
The fact that it took a master like Mask several days to find evidence suggests that the forger not only has the skills, but may also have connections that can influence rehabilitation centers.
Guan Tong closed his eyes, and a shadowy surveillance image appeared before him.
For the past few days, he has been keeping a close watch on the doctors, nurses, and the person in charge of the rehabilitation center, but he has not found anything and has not discovered that the three of them are secretly contacting anyone.
But regardless, he had to get to the bottom of this. Now that he had video evidence to replace the video, he could go back to the rehabilitation center and press the person in charge for an explanation; perhaps the latter would know something.
However, doing so might alert the enemy.
Guan Tong pondered for a moment, then sent the information she knew to Shangyuan Zi, whom she was investigating in Yingqi, to keep her information synchronized.
……
An hour later, all buyers received the timed information sent by Guan Tong.
Just as Guan Tong had suspected, all buyers already possessed the information that witnessing Scarlet's influence through other means would affect them.
In particular, the Solomon Empire, which is the opposite of the North Star, has its time reversed. When the new rules were announced, it was 9 a.m. on the North Star, but it was midnight on the Solomon Empire.
It's easy to imagine how many people would be affected when the Soromans saw Terra suddenly turn crimson.
Fortunately, the more intelligent and health-conscious Somali people weren't foolish enough to stay outdoors when the rules were announced, so most people avoided this disaster.
However, the number of people loitering outside and not taking it seriously was enough to serve as a sample for Solmar's officials to draw conclusions.
It's not just looking directly at scarlet that can have an effect; even an ordinary person wandering in the wild, who just sits at the entrance of an alley and glances at the scarlet reflection in a puddle of dirty water on the ground, can quickly fall into madness.
The commonality of the aforementioned rules is once again evident: compared to those who have transcended, ordinary people have far less resistance.
[Extraterrestrial Parasite] Under the rule, ordinary people quickly transform from addiction to severe addiction, and immediately become parasites once the rule ends; while some sublimators with stronger mental power, some of whom have become addicted, have not yet completely transformed to this day.
The fact that ordinary people can lose their minds and go into a frenzy just by glancing at the crimson reflection in the water undoubtedly shows that the gap between themselves and those who have transcended is widening.
However, the Soromagna authorities didn't care; the only value of that homeless man was that he provided the data department with a set of test data.
What the Soromagna authorities care about is the "unknown hidden in the scarlet fear" mentioned in the intelligence. That unknown is very important in the eyes of the bigwigs.
Because danger and opportunity coexist... This golden rule in the investment field has been verified in many rules.
For example, in the "Silent Moment" event, defeating Sound Hunters will yield loot rewards; in the "Misty Nightmare" event, entering the depths of the mist may reveal a fog gate, from which you can obtain fragments of the Qimo Star...
Now a similar situation seems to be occurring again, and many people are trying to seize the opportunity to snatch some unknown benefit from the danger.
As a result, official departments in various countries immediately began to focus on discussions and plans on how to explore the "unknown".
……
France, Central Square.
In the past, a monument commemorating the resistance against the old king stood in the center of the square. It consisted of sculptures of various figures and people raising weapons, serving not only as a memorial but also as a constant reminder to the people to bravely resist tyranny.
The memorial statue is long gone, replaced by a huge black stone monument erected by the Fire-Stealers Church.
This stone tablet is like the sublimated terminal panel after information has been removed, representing only the unparalleled power of the fire-bringer.
Two figures stood beneath this stone tablet.
One of them, with a black cloth covering his left eye and a red sash around his waist, was Heath, one of the bishops of the Church of the Firebringers who had previously claimed responsibility in the video for the bombing at the Soma Competition site.
The person standing next to Heath appeared to be a boy of thirteen or fourteen, who also wore a red sash symbolizing a bishop around his waist.
The two looked up at the black stone monument, their eyes shining with pure faith.
“According to intelligence gathered by our infiltrators, the Human Alliance has decided to launch a decapitation strike against us. His Holiness the Pope and several of us bishops are targets,” Heath said.
"Thanks to you," the boy chuckled. "Your bomb attack was incredibly effective; thousands were killed or injured?"
“That’s not important,” Heath said seriously. “Besides, I don’t like to joke, Bick. You should know very well that dead people are only a secondary target for creating the explosion.”
The boy called "Byke" nodded, his smile fading. "Indeed. The main purpose of the explosion was to allow our people to infiltrate Soroma discreetly, and judging from the result, it was very successful."
"In fact, our people have infiltrated key teams in all member states of the Federation of People's Societies. Except..."
"The only team that can't infiltrate is the North Star Countermeasures Research Office, right?" Baike said as expected. "We've known that for a long time. North Star is different from other countries; they have the strictest background checks on personnel."
Heath said in a deep voice, "Moreover, they almost exclusively use their own people, and even when they discover outstanding newcomers, they set up a long observation period, which caused our several infiltration attempts to end in failure."
"Actually, I admire the rigorous and pragmatic attitude of most people in Beixing, as well as their indomitable will. No wonder Beixing has been able to maintain a very stable social order even though it will soon be two years since our god descended."
Bike's lavish praise greatly displeased Heath.
"Byk, get this straight, you're praising the enemy!"
"If we want to defeat the enemy, isn't it normal to first figure out the enemy's strengths?"
"Hmph, no matter who it is, there is only one outcome for anyone who dares to defy the gods," Heath said coldly, "an insignificant death."
"Haha. Then you can deal with the people from North Star, Heath. But speaking of which, shouldn't our allies do their part this time? Without us sharing the burden, they can only hide in caves like rats."
"The 'allies' you speak of are also enemies. Not dealing with them is just a matter of priority."
"Of course I know that—a bunch of zombies controlled by spores, how can they compare to us, the devout believers of God?"
Boom, boom, boom.
At that moment, three bells rang out from afar.
The two exchanged a glance and then turned to look in the direction of the main library.
“It’s His Holiness the Pope who has summoned us.” Heath stepped forward first. “Let’s go.”
(End of this chapter)