Chapter 174: The Rampaging Nightingale
"It's finally over, V."
Reed let out a sigh of relief. While the intensity of this battle wasn't too high for him, the weight on his shoulders felt insurmountable.
This was, by far, the most grueling task he had undertaken since joining the Agency—not because of the danger, but because it required him to turn against his own apprentice.
The torment of his conscience and the duty to restore his homeland placed him in a constant state of dual agony, as though drowning in deep water while being scorched by flames.
No matter what he chose, it would inevitably be wrong.
"Yeah, it's all over," V replied without picking up on the hidden bitterness in Reed's tone. Smiling, he patted him on the shoulder and walked toward Song Zhaomei.
But before V could get close, he noticed something strange—Song Zhaomei appeared to be afflicted by some unknown virus.
Her entire body convulsed uncontrollably, her limbs twisted and distorted in ways that defied logic.
Meanwhile, Alex didn't attempt to help her; instead, he pinned her to the ground, as if preparing to restrain her.
"What the hell is this? What did you do to her?"
With no one else present, V naturally assumed that Reed's team had done something to Song Zhaomei when he saw her in this state.
Faced with V's furious questioning, Reed responded honestly, revealing that Alex had used a "Cold Snap" program to subdue her.
"V, we have to bring Song Zhaomei back to the Agency. It's the only way for her to survive—there's no other option!"
"As long as New America exists, as long as the Agency exists, and as long as President Myers remains in power, Song Zhaomei will never truly be free."
"Living in humiliation within a cage is better than dying a miserable death. This is something we must do!"
Reed's tone was somber and resolute, tinged with a profound helplessness.
After all, he was nothing more than a useful tool at President Myers ' disposal, a pawn ready to sacrifice itself for the Agency whenever required.
As someone who couldn't even choose his own future, how could he possibly help others determine theirs?
Reed knew full well that as long as Song Zhaomei didn't return to the Agency, New America's hunt for her would never cease.
Even if it meant being hated and resented by her for the rest of his life, he was willing to accept it if it ensured her survival.
V remained silent, neither refuting Reed's actions nor supporting them. He turned to look at Song Zhaomei.
At this moment, she was still pinned to the ground by Alex. Weak and powerless, she could only cast a desperate and pitiful gaze at V.
She wanted to scream, to plead for his help, to tell him not to believe Reed's lies.
If only V would stand by her side, she could still escape to the spaceport with him and cure her condition.
However, the "Cold Snap" program Alex had implanted in her was far more insidious than she had imagined.
Song Zhaomei felt countless faint currents coursing through her body like a swarm of tiny insects gnawing at her insides.
The numbing electricity quickly traveled through the circuits of every cybernetic implant in her body.
This left her so drained that even speaking became a monumental effort. Mustering all her strength, she managed to lift her heavy eyelids and rasp out a plea:
"V... help... me…"
Although the "Cold Snap" program wasn't fatal, it was expertly calibrated to push her to her limits, preventing any form of resistance.
To break free, Song Zhaomei would need Alex to deactivate the program or resort to the Blackwall Protocol.
But doing so would mean dragging V, Reed, Alex, and herself into mutual destruction. She had no idea what terrifying actions she might take if she lost control.
Nor could she predict how her consciousness, consumed by the Blackwall and corrupted by rogue AIs, would transform her.
Would she slaughter everyone present? Or would she simply die on the spot? Song Zhaomei didn't dare gamble. Instead, she placed her hopes on V standing by her side.
Seeing V's silence, which seemed to signal agreement with his reasoning, Reed stepped forward, patting his shoulder as he urged:
"V, we need to act fast. The Phantom Hounds outside have already received the alarm. I estimate they'll surround this place in three minutes."
"There's still time. Let's leave Azure Gem first and sort things out later."
Reed thought he understood V's hesitation—it was nothing more than pity for this lost little nightingale, a desire to lend her a helping hand.
Perhaps Song Zhaomei had struck some sort of deal with V, but whatever she could offer, New America could match—or surpass.
Moreover, Song Zhaomei belonged to the Agency and was a wanted target personally designated by President Myers . In New America, no one could take her away—not even someone working for a megacorporation like V.
"No, Reed. I'm taking Song Zhaomei out of Dogtown today. No one will stop me."
V turned around, his tone resolute and fierce. "Don't make me use force."
Seeing V's bullheaded determination, Reed's expression darkened as he issued a cold warning:
"V, if you want to take Song Zhaomei, you'll have to give me a good enough reason. Otherwise, I can't let her go under any circumstances."
"This is a direct order from President Myers !"
For a moment, Song Zhaomei, who had teetered on the edge of despair, felt a glimmer of hope—V hadn't given up on her.
But the next moment, V's words plunged her into an icy abyss, freezing even the faint smile that had just begun to form on her lips.
"Because this is an order from Mr. Li Ang himself. Is that reason good enough for you?"
With that, V pulled out a coin engraved with the LA insignia—a token unique to LA operatives, with different designs for each department.
The one V held, along with the one in Reed's possession, was a button-sized coin symbolizing their allegiance to the LA Corporation.
This signifies that they belong to the same company department and report directly to Li Ang .
When V mentioned Li Ang and the LA Corporation, his tone carried an inherent authority. Even Reed, who had been about to confront V and launch a sneak attack, froze in surprise.
Clearly, the coin token in V's possession, combined with the information he had revealed earlier, was sufficient proof that he was an agent of LA Corporation!
All of V's actions represented Li Ang 's will.
" Reed , did you really think I came to Dogtown to serve Myers like a lackey? No! Everything I've done has been under the orders of Mr. Li Ang , including infiltrating the so-called United Intelligence Bureau!"
At that moment, Reed stood there dumbfounded. He hadn't expected V to actually be an agent dispatched by Li Ang , nor had he imagined that his mission was to take away Song Zhaomei.
If that were the case, then as both an undercover agent for LA Corporation and an operative for the United Intelligence Bureau, how should he choose?
On one side was the CEO of a megacorporation; on the other, the President of New America. Two bosses, one target— Reed had no idea what to do.
It seemed that no matter which choice he made, it would always be the wrong answer.
V could see that Reed was trapped in a dilemma, so he gave him a nudge, attempting to guide him onto the "right path."
" Reed , this is your and Alex's last chance to join LA Corporation. Time is running out, and you need to make your decision quickly."
"This moment is the only time you can take control of your destiny. The choice is yours!"
With that, V stood before Reed , locking eyes with him. If Reed still chose to side with Myers and insisted on taking Song Zhaomei back to the United Intelligence Bureau, then V would have no choice but to unleash carnage, just as he had with Hansen —killing Reed and Alex on the spot.
As Reed lowered his head and fell into conflicted thought, Song Zhaomei, who was pinned to the ground by Alex, suddenly let out a raspy laugh mixed with choking sobs.
"V, so you lied to me too."
Song Zhaomei's body trembled uncontrollably from her intense emotions. Raising her head, she stared at V with eyes full of turmoil.
Sadness and fury intertwined within her heart.
She had thought that V and Reed had come to genuinely help her, but she now realized that one was acting for the company, while the other was serving the Bureau. They both intended to trade her life for their futures, all the while shamelessly claiming it was "for her own good."
From beginning to end, all that existed were hypocritical facades, betrayal in the face of crisis, and insatiable greed.
No one was truly on her side—not even V, in whom she had placed all her hopes.
As Alex prepared to escalate the suppression program restricting Song Zhaomei, she suddenly discovered that the program had been forcibly cracked by an unknown data source.
"What's going on? Why is the program malfunctioning?"
Alex issued several commands to the program, but there was no response.
Even worse, the virus meant to suppress Song Zhaomei had backfired and infected Alex instead, taking immediate effect!
Bang!
A sharp explosion erupted as Alex's cybernetic implants short-circuited, emitting a blinding spark.
She collapsed on the spot, unconscious, her fate uncertain.
"Alex!"
Both Reed and V called out simultaneously, and it was only then that they noticed Song Zhaomei was now enveloped in a dark-red current of energy.
It was as if some mysterious and sinister force had suddenly possessed her.
Her eyes transformed from human pupils into glowing crimson orbs resembling those of combat robots. Thin, menacing black patterns crawled across her face.
"This... this is the Black Wall! Song Zhaomei has been backlashed by the Black Wall!"
As someone who had also used the Black Wall, V was all too familiar with the strange state Song Zhaomei was in. No one understood the backlash of the Black Wall better than he did.
However, V's mind housed the AI White Queen, which could help mitigate the Black Wall's negative effects. Song Zhaomei, who had no such safeguard, was left to endure the immense pain alone.
"V, I... I trusted you so much. I thought we were the same kind of people. But you've let me down. Truly, deeply let me down."
Song Zhaomei's voice was an eerie mix of fragmented human tones, electronic distortion, and metallic friction, creating an unsettling effect.
In reality, the entity controlling Song Zhaomei's body at that moment wasn't entirely her. Something else had entered her being.
When Song Zhaomei forcefully activated the Black Wall protocol to break free from the suppression program, her consciousness data was invaded by stray AI streams from the Black Wall. While her core consciousness remained intact, she struggled to control her body.
Now, Song Zhaomei was essentially an AI vessel breached by the Black Wall. Rogue AI entities could freely enter and exit her body, and she had to constantly fight for control against these invasive forces.
From V and Reed 's perspective, Song Zhaomei appeared like a twisted, zombified figure as she rose from the ground and approached them with distorted, jerky movements.
"V, I really don't want to hurt you. I gave you a chance. You didn't cherish it. We could have left this place together."
With that, Song Zhaomei raised her hand and released a dark-red electric current aimed at Reed . The attack was a virulent assault virus written through the Black Wall protocol, capable of devastating anyone with cybernetic implants.
Even so, she didn't use her full strength—only about 10% of her power.
Still, Reed was rendered unconscious from the sheer pain, completely defenseless.
Seeing this, V realized there was no time for words. Song Zhaomei, consumed by rage and chaos, would no longer listen to reason. He had to subdue her quickly.
"Song Zhaomei, come with me now. I promise you'll have a new life and freedom. Trust me this once!"
While shouting to awaken her consciousness, V activated his Chapter-6 module, preparing to deploy the Puppet Protocol for a sonic assault.
But Song Zhaomei's glowing crimson eyes only intensified, and her voice morphed into a harsh, fully electronic tone, as though no longer human but some unknown machine entity.
V knew the one speaking wasn't her—it was the rogue AI from the Black Wall that had invaded her body.
Before Song Zhaomei could launch an electromagnetic attack on V, he preemptively activated his device, inflicting sonic damage on her.
Caught off guard, Song Zhaomei hesitated. The rogue AI within her sensed a terrifying presence: the White Queen's data signature.
To entities from the Black Wall, the White Queen was an untouchable, godlike force.
At that moment, Song Zhaomei realized that V was the true cybernetic monstrosity—his body was fused with the White Queen itself!
As she tried to retreat, reinforcements from the Phantom Hounds broke through the warehouse doors.
When they saw the carnage inside, including their fallen leaders Hansen and Gago, Bennett was momentarily shocked but quickly delighted. With Hansen dead, Bennett was now Dogtown's new king.
"Kill that agent!"
The warehouse erupted in gunfire as V was forced to fend off the advancing Phantom Hounds, leaving Song Zhaomei to summon a large, flat-headed combat robot and escape through the wall.
Meanwhile, the chaos she unleashed began spreading through Dogtown.
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