Chapter 321 — Emerging into Prominence

"We ought to count ourselves fortunate—before these vulnerabilities could breed a major crisis, a talented compatriot discovered the problem in time..."

"The Pontiff has already issued his order: we are to confirm the full extent of the vulnerabilities as quickly as possible, and lose no time in contacting that nightmare instructor who found them. Since he could detect the flaws of the Mind Network so keenly, he must surely possess a unique gift in this field."

...

In the domain of Cecil, Gao Yang slowly roused from his "meditation."

He silently regarded the amber before him. "Do you have to shove your face this close every single time?"

"I just want to see when I'll finally manage to scare you!" The half-elf lady grinned mischievously. "But you, you're always so calm every time! Tell me the truth—you never actually fall fully asleep, do you? You just pretend to be asleep to toy with me!"

"When would I ever be as bored as you?" Gao Yang pushed Amber aside and rose to his feet in good spirits, working the joints of his shoulders. "Nothing happened while I was 'meditating,' I take it?"

"Nothing at all—Hammer just came by once to hand in the steel production increase plan. I left it on your desk," Amber said, while studying Gao Yang's expression with curiosity. "Say, you look like you're in a good mood—did something happen?"

Gao Yang touched his own face, a little puzzled. "Is it that obvious?"

Amber crossed her arms and laid out her analysis with perfect confidence: "Anyway, I can tell—when the left corner of your mouth curls higher than the right, it usually means you're in a great mood, and most likely you've just pulled one over on somebody again..."

"...Don't you have anything better to do in your spare time than pay attention to stuff like that?" Gao Yang shot the fellow a look of exasperation, then nodded in admission. "My mood is indeed pretty good."

The half-elf lady at once wore an expression of considerable interest: "Why, why? Did you have another dream and grasp some new insight?"

Gao Yang did not answer the fellow directly. Instead, a question that seemed entirely unrelated suddenly popped out of him: "Tell me—how would one go about hiding inside a massive organization with a labyrinthine internal structure, and never once be discovered by its screening mechanisms?"

Amber blinked, not understanding where the question had come from, but still made an attempt at answering: "Disguises? Constantly relocating? Preparing multiple false identities?"

Gao Yang shook his head, but did not answer. For the time being, he still did not intend to let anyone know the truth—that he had infiltrated the mind network of the Sleepers.

In truth, the answer to the question was very simple:

Disguises could always be exposed; constant relocation would eventually be spotted by an alert watcher; and no matter how many false identities one had, they were still false. The best method was really only one... to become the one who made the screening mechanisms.

Gao Yang was utterly delighted, the corners of his mouth curling upward wildly: as long as he was the one in charge of verifying identities, then all false identities would become real.

And once Daniel finished those tasks, Gao Yang could even use the real-name verification and address-binding functions to trace the ifi and cut down the Ember Shadow cultists...

Watching the shifts in Gao Yang's expression, Amber suddenly could not help rubbing the goosebumps on her arms: "...Out of nowhere, old Zongzi, your brain's gone off the rails again."

For once, Gao Yang paid no mind to Amber's foul mouth, and instead waved a hand with a smile: "All right, I'll explain it to you in the future. First, you—"

Before he could finish, the voice of the little maid Betty suddenly came from outside the door: "Master! Mr. Suo Jilin is back!"

Gao Yang was startled, and quickly responded: "Let him in at once!"

A moment later, Gao Yang beheld the high-ranking ranger—travel-stained and, one might even say, rather bedraggled.

He stared in astonishment at this friend of no small strength, and immediately noticed the bloodstains on the other's chest: "What happened to you?!"

Suo Jilin tugged at the corner of his mouth with some embarrassment: "Got hacked by cultists..."