Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 820 - 65: Twisting and Tumor

Chapter 820: Chapter 65: Twisting and Tumor

[Hmm, I did it on purpose.] Tumor Xiang Shan said calmly. [If others inquire about this matter, I will deliberately be evasive, obscure some key information, to make myself appear less committed.]

Jeanne was very puzzled: [Why? Because... because His Majesty, the Father of Machines...]

[This is the most advantageous outcome. At that time, Yawgmoth was the greatest geneticist. His reputation was directly correlated with the future of the entire field of genetics, and also had a strong association—even though from a rational perspective, he was just a part of biological history. But to the general public, in that era, he represented genetics itself.]

[The scandal on Yawgmoth would have very serious negative effects, possibly affecting the grand endeavor of human standardization. But I am different. I am a manager, a person who deals with bureaucrats. The public already presumes that I am not entirely virtuous. Placing this matter on me would not have very serious adverse effects. Instead, I have handed a "false handle" to my potential enemies. Those who think they have leverage over me will tacitly avoid spreading this information and will keep it preserved.]

[In the eyes of some, I’m not a cold, unfeeling ruler who calculates benefits to the extreme, but someone overwhelmed by anger, willing to risk everything to avenge a friend. Such a person is obviously easier to control than someone purely cold-hearted.]

[Moreover...]

Xiang Shan paused slightly, then looked up...

Jeanne turned her head, looking through the spaceship’s camera at the dim sun in the dark starry sky.

[I have retained relevant evidence. If one day, I... our cause reaches an impasse because of this, I will throw Yawgmoth out as a shield. I clearly told Yawgmoth about this. For me, this flaw deliberately exposed is ultimately a "false flaw." If one day, this stain appears on Yawgmoth, it would not affect the progress of human standardization, and if I can’t reach an agreement with those in power and they attack me on this point, I will do just that. I told him to be prepared at any time...]

——This is the only punishment I can give him...

[Punishment...] Jeanne murmured.

This was not consciously conveyed to Jeanne by Xiang Shan, but an exclamation that inadvertently flowed into Jeanne’s consciousness.

Yawgmoth is difficult to be punished by law. The country where Kanhara Tsun died is practically a mire, a cesspool. When the civil war broke out, let alone judicial bodies, even the government itself was paralyzed.

When his own country comes to Yawgmoth? But, Yawgmoth is a key figure in the human standardization cause. Falling into the hands of a world power may not be good for humanity.

Besides, what exactly did Yawgmoth do?

In name, he merely hired a group of private detectives to investigate the death of a friend. This is fully compliant with the law—though anyone with eyes can see that those "private detectives" are mercenaries. But that was the banner they raised.

The United Nations declared mercenaries illegal as early as the 1970s, and recruiting, funding, and training mercenaries in principle within all member countries is a criminal act.

But in reality?

Mercenaries continued to exist under a different name. The whole world knows they exist.

The subject of international law is sovereign states. Even if Xiang Shan went insane and sent Yawgmoth to the international court, it would merely give Yawgmoth’s country of citizenship an opportunity to intervene.

——I hope this warning can hang over his head...

——This is the only punishment I can give him...

Jeanne found it hard to understand all this. The complex rules of the old era were difficult to understand. It was difficult to understand the behavior patterns of everyone turning a blind eye to rules yet pretending they exist. The relationship between Xiang Shan and Yawgmoth was also hard to understand.

In the late forties of the 21st century, what kind of emotions did these two have during their exchanges?

How did they maintain daily conversation?

[Alright, let’s end this topic here. Daughter, tell him about your condition, and then think of a solution.] Tumor Xiang Shan turned around, [He should be quite docile now.]

Jeanne looked again at Li Zheyuan.

Li Zheyuan and Asgard were frightened by Jeanne’s prolonged silence and reverie. Unknowingly, Li Zheyuan had finished complaining about Xiang Shan, just staring at Jeanne.

Asgard said, "You now... are getting more and more abnormal... in just the past few days..."

Jeanne nodded, "Indeed, because my life countdown is about to stop. Asgard, do you want to know what was up with me just now? Do you want to know why I kidnapped this bastard? Do you want to know why we were purged back then?"

Jeanne said this and approached the maintenance instrument.

The instrument’s transparent protective cover closed. Then several mechanical arms descended from above, starting to dismantle Jeanne’s External Armor, removing the electronic devices covering the Brain-Machine Interface.

Biological tissues were directly exposed.

Asgard exclaimed.

Jeanne’s brain had already undergone slight deformation. Strange colors seeped through the folds of the cerebral cortex. Several objects directly implanted in the brain couldn’t be disassembled and remained on the brain.

Those are the integrations of Artificial Neural Circuits.

A data stream flowed out along the spaceship’s wireless signal.

"This is a tumor in my brain. This is the result of ultrasound imaging." Jeanne said.

Asgard was shocked: "This... you’re still alive?"

"This tumor is also very special. It should be the result of neuron cells re-differentiating. The proto-oncogenes of the neurons were reactivated, gaining growth ability. And this Artificial Neural Circuit connects my higher cortex with the internal parts..."

"The function of these Artificial Neural Circuits is to transmit the neural signals preprocessed by my neural network into the lower parts of my brain. These parts have undergone peculiar cancerous changes due to the action of drugs or viruses..."

"That’s right, the result is that I..." Another voice—a man’s tone—came from the synthesizer.

This was a standalone synthesizer. Asgard followed the wires and found that the external lines of the synthesizer were actually connected to those Artificial Neural Circuits...

"What... what is this..."

"Me? I am the Evil Spirit fed from the memories of Xiang Shan... I am Xiang Shan reborn in this tumor." Tumor Xiang Shan said in a somber tone, "Director Li, be grateful... be grateful this girl still needs your skills to treat my tumor. Otherwise, you would already be dead..."