Chapter 77 Before the Storm 04

In the study, the sound of beeping echoed from the desktop computer.

Lin Shuicheng hadn't turned on the lights. As the startup screen appeared, a soft blue glow emerged, illuminating the depths of his dark, starry eyes.

His computer was still the old one. When Fu Luoyin had moved in a few days ago, he had asked if Lin Shuicheng needed a new one, as this outdated laptop model produced buzzing noises when running. But Lin Shuicheng had declined the offer.

He lowered his gaze to the USB drive in his hand.

The flash drive had no branding, its pure silver exterior folding open with a gentle click.

Lin Shuicheng's hands trembled slightly as he tried three times before successfully inserting it into the port.

With a "beep," his computer automatically connected to a previously non-existent domain network, and a dark blue authentication interface popped up.

"Interstellar Alliance National Security Agency, Ninth Division Login Authentication System. Welcome. Please insert your authorization card or click to obtain a dynamic password."

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback.

This was different from the "Alliance-Wide Accident Summary" that the informant had mentioned; it was actually a login page for the Alliance's national security system.

He was just an ordinary student without any access cards.

Lin Shuicheng tentatively tapped on "Get Dynamic Password," only for the page to immediately redirect to a dialing interface.

Fixated on the call screen, Lin Shuicheng watched as the green loading bar seemed to crawl through an eternity.

It was now three thirty in the morning.

The connection was established, and someone picked up the call. Simultaneously, Lin Shuicheng turned on his phone's voice recorder discreetly.

He spoke politely, "Hello."

From the other end came the reply, "Hello, Lin Shuicheng."

The voice had been processed through a voice changer, altering its tone, rhythm, and pauses. Lin Shuicheng was familiar with this kind of disguise. The last time he received a call asking about Chu Shihan at Star University Hospital, the caller's voice had also undergone such encryption.

But he knew that call had come from Dong Shuoye, representing the Alliance Security Bureau.

Department Nine was an entirely unfamiliar entity to him. He had only heard of it a few days ago, mentioned in a police communication channel as "the National Security Agency and the Alliance's Ninth Department."

"Please activate your webcam so we can confirm your identity as Lin Shuicheng," said the peculiar voice from the other end.

Lin Shuicheng reached out to turn on the webcam and simultaneously switched on the desk lamp that had been off.

The small corner of his desk was illuminated.

"The facial recognition scan has been verified," announced the AI's cold voice.

The person on the other side smiled. "Hello, let me formally introduce myself. I am the head of both the Alliance Defense Bureau and Department Nine."

Lin Shuicheng saw his own face appear on one side of the screen. The person opposite him, however, seemed unwilling to show themselves, their expression slightly distant and resistant. "There's no need for us to know each other. Just give me the password, as you promised."

A faint laugh came from the speaker, barely audible, but Lin Shuicheng caught it.

"Our military is more curious about what you plan to do after learning about these unexpected incidents within the Alliance," the voice continued.

In the meantime, a string of numbers appeared on Lin Shuicheng's computer screen.

Ignoring the voice on the computer call, Lin Shuicheng directly entered the password, logging into the Department Nine system page.

The page's verification was his real name: Lin Shuicheng.

All other windows were grayed out, except for one database file that was accessible to him, filled with an array of files chronologically organized – summaries of various "accidents."

Lin Shuicheng directly initiated a search on the page, typing in 23221129 and clicking search. The result was empty.

He spoke with a cold tone, "Lacking data, this isn't what I'm looking for. Where's the information on Chu Shihan's assassination attempt at the harbor on November 29th, 2322?"

The person on the other end replied warmly, "That wasn't an accident, it was murder. Hence, the Chu Shihan case doesn't appear in these statistics. Similarly, due to the clear indications in the cases you're involved with, your father and brother's cases, Yu Fan's assassination attempt, and so on, have been removed from the accidental category. What remains in the database are incidents and cases where human influence cannot be conclusively ruled out, nor can the possibility of accidents."

Lin Shuicheng paused, his expression turning ashen, the fingers gripping the mouse turning white from the pressure.

- In the end, he had been played!

Seeing him momentarily speechless with anger, the person on the other side continued to smile. "Your intuition was correct. Two years ago, you already suspected that the incident wasn't an accident, right? We've reopened the investigation into cases related to Chu Shihan. I believe all you need to do now is wait for our investigation results. The Alliance will give you a fair and just explanation. Hence, among the data we're providing you now, there isn't the part you're hoping to see. We hope you can understand our work."

Almost unable to restrain a sarcastic laugh, Lin Shuicheng asked, "Then why did you look for me? Do you want me to analyze this data? An accidental incident?"

"Put it another way, yes," the person replied, still smiling without being riled by his sharp retort. Their tone remained amiable and composed. "You are an exceptionally talented quantum analyst, and we sincerely hope that you can conduct some in-depth research on these pieces of data that we haven't been able to resolve. Perhaps you could bring about a different perspective."

Lin Shuicheng reached out to turn off his computer.

The voice on the other end spoke calmly, "What if I told you that this is the condition for obtaining the case files on Chu Shihan?"

Lin Shuicheng paused but remained aloof, "Then I don't want them. You might be able to stop me now, but not knowing doesn't mean I won't find out in the future. There's always a way for me to uncover the truth. You can't control everything."

"Lin Shuicheng, I understand that Nine Bureau's handling of certain matters has left a negative impression on you," the voice replied solemnly. "In fact, we're doing our best to make amends, including breaking regulations to reveal the cemetery's location to you. You must understand that in the Chu Shihan case, not only you, but... many others also seek the truth, including his family."

For some reason, Lin Shuicheng sensed an unusual emotion in those words.

"You are the talent we hope to win over, but please don't let emotions cloud your judgment. As a regular student, even as one involved, we cannot divulge classified information to you. If Nine Bureau's intelligence and analytical networks were disclosed to every victim's family, wouldn't everything fall into chaos? If you wish to know top-secret details, first show us what you can achieve. Are you a technical expert or a key witness with evidence? Given that you've spent two years studying quantum analysis, we need to hear about your research direction before making any judgments."

"The mere fact that we trust you and acknowledge your importance isn't enough. By now, most people would consider these incidents accidents... because you lack evidence, do you see? We're dealing with a high-tech criminal organization, so we must be cautious in this regard."

There was a brief cough from the other end, "You can't just show us at Nine Bureau or the police department; you need everyone to believe in this. What was your original plan?"

Lin Shuicheng lifted his gaze, "What does 'everyone' mean? Can't the National Security Nine Bureau and the police department represent the Alliance's official stance?"

There was a pause in the voice, avoiding a direct answer to the question. Instead, it changed the topic, "I know you're trying to resolve the butterfly effect, to backtrack from the event's outcome to its origin. Have you encountered any issues lately?"

Lin Shuicheng fell silent for a moment before he said, "The butterfly effect is inexplicable."

"No, child, that was a question from two years ago. You knew the butterfly effect was inexplicable, yet you still chose to study it. Why?"

After another moment of silence, Lin Shuicheng replied softly, "Because quantum computers emerged."

"At the quantum level, when several particles interact with one another, their individual properties become entangled, making it impossible to describe each particle's characteristics separately. Instead, we can only describe the properties of the entire system. This phenomenon is known as quantum entanglement." [Citation]

"On a macroscopic scale, events cannot be individually described by their constituent units because everything in the world is interconnected and interdependent, causing cause-and-effect relationships. When describing or observing an event, we can only account for the properties of the whole."

"They're very similar, don't you think?" Lin Shuicheng whispered. "The advent of quantum computers made it possible for me to simulate and track the butterfly effect."

"Both quantum entanglement and the butterfly effect have been proven to be chaotic, unpredictable states with highly similar structural systems and nearly identical pattern developments. In quantum analysis, ordinary practitioners need to eliminate the chaos caused by quantum entanglement, but I need to do the opposite. I directly study the data produced by natural quantum entanglement interference because I'm seeking the chaos itself."

Quantum analysis is like fishing in muddy waters – analysts must sift through countless instances of quantum entanglement interference to catch the fish they need.

But what Lin Shuicheng sought was the entirety of the muddy water itself, for that was the closest method to reproducing the "event itself."

There was no response from the other side.

Lin Shuicheng whispered softly, "But that's still useless. I've tried many algorithms and calculated numerous scenarios, but there's no solution. Existing technology can't overcome the butterfly effect."

The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment, seemingly surprised for the first time, and asked, "Why?"

"Because quantum computing technology is not yet mature. Currently, quantum computers have only developed to the fifth generation, relying more on precise algorithms than the computer itself for computational power. They can't ideally simulate the situation I need," Lin Shuicheng explained. "No amount of algorithm optimization can overcome this limitation. The technological level is just that, so no one can do it."

"But RADOM managed it, they fully utilized randomness and unexpected events," the voice deepened. "This is their common method of operation. In addition, the quantum analysis system was attacked, and all the quantum computers in the Alliance were disrupted. We at Ninth Division believe it's related to your research."

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback for a moment before responding, "But it truly is unsolvable. My research has become meaningless."

He had already taken the wrong path and couldn't find a solution by continuing down it.

Lin Shuicheng felt somewhat weary.

"Since they're still afraid of you and suppressing you, there must be significance in it," the disguised voice conveyed a sense of military authority and decisiveness. "Find that meaning, finish your research, and I promise, in the name of the Ninth Division's head of the Defense Bureau, you'll learn everything you desire."

The tone of the speaker reminded Lin Shuicheng of Fu Luoyin, a professional yet somewhat arrogant demeanor.

Lin Shuicheng replied calmly, "We'll see."

Before the person on the other side could finish, Lin Shuicheng reached out to turn off his computer and got up from his chair.

He stood there in a daze for a moment before hearing scratching at the door. Upon investigation, he found it was the little gray cat.

Bending down, he picked it up and asked, "Why aren't you sleeping obediently?"

The little gray cat looked at him innocently.

Carrying it, Lin Shuicheng returned to the master bedroom.

In the pitch-black room, the Chief was still lying at the head of the bed as usual, while Fu Luoyin was slanted against the pillows, wrapped in a blanket, his breaths deep and slow.

Lin Shuicheng placed the little gray cat at the foot of the bed.

After sitting in the darkness for a long time, he undressed and climbed into bed.

Fu Luoyin was lying on his side facing him, eyes closed but his brows seemingly knitted together, perhaps due to the silhouette in the dark or simply feeling cold—he hadn't touched Lin Shuicheng's blanket, instead still only wrapped in a single blanket.

Half-awake and half-asleep, Fu Luoyin sensed that Lin Shuicheng had come to bed, lying beside him.

Unperturbed, he was about to drift back into his dreams when he suddenly sensed the person beside him rustling closer.

They had nestled into his embrace.

Lin Shuicheng cuddled up to him, reaching out to share half of the blanket before turning over and falling asleep.

Fu Luoyin instantly became fully awake.

He didn't dare to move a muscle.