Chapter 1 The Fog City Ripper

Chapter 1: The Fog City Ripper

Winter 2050, California.

In recent years, the climate has become increasingly harsh, with extreme weather events occurring frequently around the globe. The once sunny West Coast of the United States was blanketed early this year with heavy snowfall.

The straight road was deeply rutted, with trees on either side draped in silver frost. The distant horizon was a vast, white expanse, stretching endlessly.

A roaring burst of music broke through the snow from the end of the road, carrying an unusual, frenzied jazz rhythm.

The engine rumbled in sync with the music as an off-road vehicle sped past, splashing mud and snow.

Li Jianchuan pressed the accelerator to the floor, one hand on the steering wheel, the other flicking open a lighter to light the cigarette in his mouth.

The dim sunlight streamed through the windshield, casting sharp shadows on his angular, deep-set features.

The music blared inside the car, and he squinted his eyes, alert, staring at the road ahead.

Suddenly, his brow twitched, and he silently cursed under his breath before coldly saying, "So, you're saying... you want me to sell my ass?"

The static in his earpiece cut off.

A few seconds later, the dispatcher Han Lin coughed and replied, "Brother Chuan, that's not what we mean. Based on some intel from the underground black market, Dr. Ning is probably a bottom, both psychologically and physically. Don't be too disappointed."

A puff of ash fell from the cigarette at his lips as Li Jianchuan smiled and spat out, "Fuck off."

"But that's not the point!"

Han Lin, well aware of Li Jianchuan's tendency to hang up at the slightest provocation, quickly steered the conversation back: "The point! This temporary mission involves you becoming Dr. Ning's test subject..."

Li Jianchuan already knew.

But when the tension was high, a bit of banter was a way to relax.

Though Han Lin's mouth was good at relaxing things, sometimes it was too relaxed, often running off the rails.

"According to intel from above, given Ning Zhun's intelligence and achievements, combined with God Lab's recent activities, it's almost certain that Ning Zhun has the key to Pandora's Box Game.

"All you need to do is get close to him, investigate him, and that's the initial task. If you can get the key from him, enter Pandora's Box Game, and find the so-called X-chip, that's the complete mission. Sounds manageable, right?"

Han Lin stopped joking and relayed the mission from above.

Though some terms involved classified information he didn't fully understand, he managed to convey the gist.

Li Jianchuan remained silent.

Han Lin continued, "Brother Chuan, you've heard of this Pandora's Box Game, right? It's been around for almost half a year now, and it's bizarre. The department's been scrambling.

"Current intel suggests its neural network is far beyond any technology we currently understand. It can pull top talents from various fields worldwide into the game, forcing them into life-or-death battles, with no way to stop it.

"So far, 370 high-profile individuals globally have died in Pandora's Box Game... and that number keeps rising. Countries are panicking and have to respond.

"The department has launched an investigation. Regarding Ning Zhun, a suspected Pandora's Box player, you're already in California, so it's perfect timing."

Han Lin patiently explained, "The identity the department prepared for you fits the requirements for Dr. Ning's test subjects. This time, the department's special ops in California have detected activity at Ning Zhun's God Lab. It's a rare opportunity.

"The department has already leaked your info to Ning Zhun's side. You just need to focus entirely on this mission."

The smell of smoke filled the driver's seat as Li Jianchuan glanced at the rearview mirror: "How many know about God Lab's latest activities?"

"Right now, it's just us," Han Lin said, "but the longer we wait, the more likely the information will leak. You must hurry..."

A sharp gunshot cut Han Lin off mid-sentence.

The off-road vehicle's tires screeched as they skidded across the road.

Li Jianchuan kicked the car door open with his boot and, facing the howling wind and snow, unleashed a burst of fire from his submachine gun.

The tires of a trailing Jeep exploded, and the vehicle crashed into the woods, blood splattering across the windshield.

"Brother Chuan, are you... being tailed?"

Hearing the commotion, Han Lin was momentarily stunned.

"They've been chasing me for two hours straight..."

Li Jianchuan replied nonchalantly, noticing two more cars speeding towards him from behind, their windows rolling down, dark gun barrels trained on him.

He yanked the steering wheel, and the window shattered, showering him with shards of glass. He spat and continued, "I've seen some of the God Lab's data. The people chasing me clearly aren't their style."

He frowned, "It must be those vultures circling again."

"This is your third chase since your last mission. It seems those mercenary groups really don't want to let you go. Maybe you should sit this one out," Han Lin worriedly said, "How are you holding on?"

Li Jianchuan swung the steering wheel, blood oozing from the bandages around his waist, soaking most of the driver's seat.

His face was grim, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, "I won't die."

Han Lin hesitated, "If the injury is serious..."

"Serious?" Li Jianchuan scoffed, "If it's serious, can you even send backup?"

The relentless roar of engines behind him. Li Jianchuan jerked the steering wheel again, and the battered off-road vehicle tore through the light and shadow, dodging a hail of bullets, and turned into a narrow side road barely wide enough for one car.

Han Lin said, "It's not impossible, your safety comes first..."

"Cut the bullshit," Li Jianchuan took a deep drag of his cigarette, dispelling the heavy taste of blood in his mouth, "I've been dodging bullets for half a day, hoping to meet the lively Dr. Ning, not to go back and see you bunch of rough guys."

While keeping an eye on the rearview mirror, he drove the car sliding and sprinting on the snow, the vehicle constantly shaking and hitting the surrounding trees.

The howling wind and snow poured in, and without looking back, he fired a few shots at the pursuers until he ran out of bullets, then continued, "I'll take this mission, you guys stay out of it, keep it under wraps."

"Bang!"

Finally, a tire was shot out.

The off-road vehicle careened out of control.

Li Jianchuan's brow furrowed slightly, and before the cars behind could take the opportunity to flank and crash into him, he decisively turned the steering wheel, slammed on the gas, and drove the off-road vehicle straight through the ice, plunging into the river beside them.

The icy current swept over.

Li Jianchuan kicked open the car door the moment he hit the water and swam towards the other side.

Someone was firing at the river surface, bullets continuously hitting the water, causing ripples. Li Jianchuan was hit twice, but the water's resistance caused the bullets to deflect, missing his vital spots.

He didn't surface, swimming forward until he was truly out of breath and his vision blurred, then he tilted his head up to take a breath.

Bullets immediately rained down.

But he was quicker to dodge.

The river was wide enough to divide the two banks. Chasing him from the south bank to the north by land would take at least half an hour, and they likely wouldn’t risk entering the water to catch him.

Li Jianchuan scrambled ashore.

Loud English curses echoed from the opposite bank.

Li Jianchuan glanced back and quickly vanished into the dense forest.

He ran for what felt like hours until the sky grew dark.

Darkness was the perfect cloak for concealment.

Once Li Jianchuan was certain they wouldn’t catch up anytime soon, he sat against a tree, pulling out a syringe from his pocket and injecting it into his arm.

The snowy night was eerily silent.

Every sound seemed swallowed by the night, leaving no trace.

In the forest, only the faint sound of Li Jianchuan’s labored breathing broke the silence.

Shivering in the snow, he stripped off his shirt and retrieved a small toolkit he always carried, skillfully cutting open the wound to extract the bullet.

His hands were slick with blood.

Sweat trickled down his face to his chin.

His face was stoic as he swiftly extracted the bullet, hastily applied a special hemostatic agent to the wound, and began to bandage it.

The earpiece of his communication device had been shattered by broken glass, with blood and metal fragments flowing from behind his ear into his collar. He mechanically wiped it with a handful of snow.

The starless night was ink-black, shadows clinging to every surface.

Soaked to the bone, his clothes clung to his body, outlining his muscles.

The icy wind and snow threatened to freeze his blood solid.

His long limbs trembled slightly, the gunshot wounds bleeding heavily.

The injection dulled the pain, but without proper treatment, infection could still be fatal.

He’d faced countless close calls since leaving the military for this godforsaken organization.

From the moment he joined the department, Li Jianchuan’s identity had been wiped clean.

His past had been obliterated. Due to his profession, Li Jianchuan had no particularly close relatives or friends. His parents died when he was a teenager, and he underwent long-term closed training. Now, only a handful of people truly knew him, and all his social connections were almost completely severed.

People like him could vanish without a trace, and no one would remember they’d ever lived.

The muscles in his abdomen twitched with pain.

Li Jianchuan ignored it.

He found a small piece of soggy chocolate and ate it, rested for a while, then slowly stood up with the help of a tree, cleaned up the surrounding traces, and continued deeper into the forest.

Most of California's terrain was already etched in Li Jianchuan's mind, making it easy for him to determine his current location.

The end of the forest he was traversing was another mountain, remote and difficult to climb. He couldn’t go back the same way and walk into a death trap, so he had to find a new path, but he wasn't sure if his injuries would allow him to climb out from here.

The night was thick, with the snowstorm masking a faint, elusive scent of blood.

Li Jianchuan drew a dagger and gripped it tightly.

The rustling sounds persisted, likely from animals that hadn't hibernated, unusually clear in the silent night.

In the distance, the howl of a wild wolf faintly echoed, spreading under the vast night sky.

Danger struck without warning.

Li Jianchuan instinctively dodged, a bullet grazing his ear and sparking off the tree trunk.

Only one person? Where was the ambush?

Li Jianchuan's mind raced as he quickly judged the situation, simultaneously taking cover behind a tree and raising his gun.

A chill brushed over his head.

The gun, aimed into the dark depths, suddenly jerked upwards and fired.

But in that split second, the shadows above shifted, a flash of cold light, and a dark figure leaped down, while several agile figures sprang from the surrounding bushes, charging straight at Li Jianchuan.

More than one!

His gun was knocked from his hand, and Li Jianchuan quickly retreated, his gunshot wounds reopening, the heavy scent of blood instantly filling the air.

Close combat ensued in an instant.

The attackers were swift and powerful, their movements accompanied by the sound of rushing wind and beast-like heavy breathing.

Li Jianchuan's focus reached an unprecedented level of intensity.

His strikes were cunning, aimed at vital points, instantly engaging in a fierce struggle with the attackers, new wounds continuously appearing on his body.

There was also an enemy lurking in the shadows, firing cold shots, the bullets streaking with sparks, scorching and sharp, weaving through the intense fight, greatly hindering Li Jianchuan.

Li Jianchuan's fighting style was fierce, the power and speed he unleashed far beyond that of an ordinary person.

But even so, facing the relentless pressure from several attackers, he gradually found himself at a disadvantage.

His strength was rapidly draining, the taste of thick, metallic blood filling his mouth and nostrils.

His breathing was heavy, but his mind became unusually clear.

Amidst the fierce and brutal attacks, he continuously adjusted his grip on the short knife, in a flash dodging behind a large tree, then suddenly closing in.

The short knife clashed with a combat knife, both piercing flesh.

Enduring the intense pain, Li Jianchuan turned sharply, his other hand, hanging by his side, suddenly rising like a silent ghost.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Bullets pierced through temples, sending sprays of blood flying.

A concealed pistol rested in Li Jianchuan's bloodied palm, using up the last few bullets, his eyes flashing a cold blue in the darkness, his marksmanship eerily precise.

At almost the same moment.

A bullet silently approached from behind Li Jianchuan, his sense of danger making him instinctively dodge, but the sound of this bullet slicing through the air was different from the usual.

Li Jianchuan's eyes flickered, sensing something.

He decided to take a gamble.

After a brief pause, the overly thick and blunt bullet struck his body.

Intense dizziness and numbness surged from his shoulder to his brain, spreading rapidly across his body.

Despite his anesthesia training, he lost control of his body within seconds and collapsed.

The cold snowflakes mingled with the scent of soil, overwhelming his senses.

In the final flicker of his fading consciousness, Li Jianchuan heard the unmistakable crunch of snow approaching, and an indistinct voice echoed above him like a fleeting wind: "Test subject captured, A-level qualification."

...

"Abnormal mental activity detected, increase voltage."

"Residual memory fragments are interfering; unable to capture. Recommend isolation and investigation..."

Mechanical, cold voices buzzed in his ears.

White and gray shadows swirled before his eyes, clawing at his fragile and sensitive retina, leaving large patches of chaotic green spots.

A drop of icy liquid hit his forehead, jolting his muddled and blurred consciousness awake.

Li Jianchuan jolted awake, his eyes snapping open as he bolted upright.

His vision remained blurry, but shadowy figures swayed closer.

"He's awake!"

"Quick! Crank up the voltage!"

As the sensation in his limbs just began to return, a powerful electric current surged through his wrists and ankles, sending excruciating pain coursing through his body, and he fell back.

But almost instantly, Li Jianchuan, ignoring his trembling hands, grabbed the chains wrapped around his wrists and flung them, directly wrapping them around the neck of the nearest figure. A sharp "crack" echoed, as if right beside his ear.

"Ah—!"

"Holy crap! Is he insane?!"

"What are you waiting for? Zap him, now!"

Li Jianchuan's vision blurred, his consciousness hazy, driven by pure instinct as he lashed out at those approaching.

The surrounding figures scrambled back in panic.

"Call Dr. Ning! The test subject's gone rogue—we need backup!"

The powerful electric current tore through his body like a whip laced with blades, causing Li Jianchuan's limbs to convulse, his skull felt like it was about to explode.

But the sharper the pain, the clearer his mind grew.

When the voltage finally subsided, Li Jianchuan lay like a dehydrated fish, drenched in sweat, his hair plastered to his skin. He opened his bloodshot eyes, straining to focus his blurred vision.

The figures that had been swaying around him earlier were gone. The empty room was gray and white on all sides, with a large screen occupying most of the front wall, reflecting his current state of being a trapped beast.

His chaotic vision slowly sharpened.

Li Jianchuan shifted his gaze from his reflection on the screen and casually glanced around.

This was clearly a medical lab, about thirty square meters in size. Tall iron shelves lined both walls, filled with an assortment of bottles and jars in various sizes. A strange, mixed medicinal smell lingered faintly in the air.

He was no longer wearing the clothes he had on before passing out. Instead, he was dressed in slightly loose, all-black shirt and pants, similar to a hospital gown.

Slightly raising his hand, the sleeve slid down, revealing a metal electronic lock clamped around his muscular arm. The lock was connected to two thick iron chains, anchored to the four corners of the bed. The chains gave him enough slack to get up and move around inside the room.

He opened his right hand and glanced at his palm, where he indeed saw a tattooed number.

A3—just like the ones he’d seen before in the God Lab records.

It seemed that the voice he heard before blacking out was real. He was most likely taken to Ning Zhun's domain—this laboratory named God, where illegal human experiments were conducted.

Ning Zhun was known as a mad scientist, specializing in biology.

He had no nationality, no faith, an extremely high IQ, a clean past, and few moral constraints.

Since his name appeared in the public eye, he had been seen as a man of contradictions. On one hand, the drugs he developed saved thousands of terminally ill patients from death; on the other hand, the poisons he created were enough to wipe out an entire city.

For some countries and organizations, the threat and benefits of Ning Zhun were almost equal.

But no one had ever laid eyes on him or captured him. In this era where almost no one has privacy, this was downright astonishing.

Or, to put it another way, who Ning Zhun truly was remained unknown to anyone. Because all the information about him was secondhand.

Recalling the scant details about Ning Zhun, Li Jianchuan lay on the bed for a while longer.

After the severe pain and the aching numbness, his body regained some sensation.

He eased the throbbing in his gut and sat up from the bed.

He touched the gunshot wounds on his body, now bandaged and healing. Pulling off the gauze, he saw that they were healing at an astonishing rate.

Such a healing speed was unthinkable in the outside world, but in the God Lab, it wouldn’t be too surprising.

Li Jianchuan intuitively felt that there must be more than one monitor in this medical room.

He didn’t show too much expression, just gloomily scanned the surroundings with his eyes.

Some instruments were overturned on the floor, and a round robot was silently cleaning up.

Li Jianchuan observed the robot for a while, while the corner of his eye inadvertently scanned the more detailed situation of this medical room.

He remembered someone shouting to call Dr. Ning when he suddenly attacked. If nothing unexpected happened, he would soon meet Ning Zhun.

He pondered over how to respond next, but the electronic locks on his limbs suddenly tightened without warning.

"Click, click!"

The sound of mechanical vibrations.

Before Li Jianchuan could struggle, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck, a needle was inserted, and a strong, familiar numbing sensation instantly spread throughout his body.

Damn, knocking me out without warning!

Li Jianchuan's red eyes glared in resistance for a few seconds, but eventually, he unwillingly closed them.

Once again, he had been unconscious for an unknown period of time.

When Li Jianchuan woke up again, the harsh white lights in the infirmary had been turned off, leaving only a faint, hazy glow illuminating the pale gray room.

His body still ached with residual pain and weakness, but his mind was unusually clear.

There was an additional presence in the infirmary.

He cautiously turned his head toward the source of the unfamiliar presence, and the first thing he saw was a slender, pale hand.

The next moment, that hand reached over and forcefully pried open Li Jianchuan's numb fingers.

"You're awake?"

The soft, smooth fingertips of the young man slowly rubbed against the web of Li Jianchuan's hand, like a feather brushing by.

Li Jianchuan calmly raised his eyes.

The person before him was a young man who exuded an air of privilege and aloofness from head to toe.

He looked no more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with long eyebrows and peach-blossom eyes. His jet-black hair was slightly long, softly framing his face and neck, accentuating his pale, jade-like complexion.

The sleeves of his white lab coat were slightly open, revealing a thin, pale wrist with a faint red mark on the inner side—a half-blooming, alluring red peony tattoo.

With a slight exertion of force, the young man injected a syringe into the web of Li Jianchuan's hand.

A sharp, unbearable pain shot through, and Li Jianchuan's sharp gaze turned toward the young man: "What do you want?"

His voice was hoarse, but his question was pointed and direct.

The young man slightly lifted his eyelids, glancing at the man restrained on the infirmary bed. His deep, dark eyes were unfathomable, with long lashes partially obscuring them, like the gates of hell—mysterious and inscrutable, betraying no emotion.

His lips were thin, moist, and strikingly beautiful, and when slightly pursed, they carried a hint of seductive allure.

"Your aggression and danger are greater than I imagined, so I gave you an extra dose."

The young man straightened up.

The loose white lab coat clung softly to his slender, delicate build, with the faint light outlining his narrow waist, long legs, and a small patch of pale collarbone.

"I'm Ning Zhun."

He tilted his head slightly, a faint, coldly alluring smile playing on his lips: "I heard you wanted to sell yourself to me?"

Li Jianchuan's eyes darkened.

He looked at Ning Zhun, and after a few seconds, he pulled a mocking, faint smile: "Dr. Ning, eavesdropping on adults isn't very mature, is it?"

Author's Note:

This story is inspired by the Jack the Ripper case, but it does not reflect any real-life events.