ATDIWR Chapter 103

Chapter 103 Holographic: Why did it fail? Instead, they were played.

Wan Hong cleared his throat, his expression changing from relaxed just now to solemn and serious, “Since General Commander Gu mentioned this, I will also say a few words.”

Representatives from all Bases looked at Wan Hong.

Wan Hong saw everyone looking, and even pretended to nod at the crowd.

“Now we have reached a time of life and death for humanity. All people are facing huge crises: food, water, land pollution, mutated zombies. It is a miracle that we are still alive.”

“In this situation, I propose that all of us humans join hands and move forward together, to resist disaster, to resist zombies!” Wan Hong looked at the representatives of each Base one by one and asked, “I believe none of the people present have any objection to my proposal?”

“No.” The Q Base General Commander immediately said.

“I completely agree.” The H Base General Commander seconded.

The other Base commanders remained silent. Wan Hong was a bit annoyed. He looked around and named someone, “General Commander Gu Jinsheng, I presume you also agree with what I said?”

Wan Hong deliberately named Gu Jinsheng. What he just said was perfectly sound; Gu Jinsheng could only answer yes.

As long as Gu Jinsheng agreed, Wan Hong’s subsequent questioning would occupy the moral high ground. Then, no matter how Gu Jinsheng argued, Wan Hong could label him as someone who didn’t unite humanity.

Gu Jinsheng’s cold eyes stared coldly at Wan Hong. He said, “All of humanity? Are you referring to the R Base that turned a prosperous and peaceful era into this human purgatory of The Apocalypse?

R Base is not worthy of being human; they are sinners of humanity and deserve death as atonement!

When they have atoned with death, you can come and talk to me about uniting all of humanity!”

Wan Hong really didn’t expect Gu Jinsheng to be so direct. He was immediately put in a difficult position and wanted to just walk away.

The people from T Base had always clung tightly to the legs of M Nation and R Nation, essentially acting as their lackeys, yet holding onto this lackey status and believing themselves superior to other Bases within Xia Nation.

Wan Hong’s face was grim, his eyes sinisterly staring at Gu Jinsheng. Gu Jinsheng was calm, not even giving Wan Hong an extra glance.

The Q Base Commander saw that the atmosphere between the two was tense, as if the negotiation was about to break down in the next moment, and quickly tried to mediate, “We can’t say that either. No one can be sure of the exact cause of The Apocalypse. Perhaps it was the Earth itself conducting a major internal cleansing, right? After all, there was no nuclear capability during the age of dinosaurs, and later the Earth also rained acid.”

The Q Base Commander thought he had given Gu Jinsheng enough face. Even if Gu Jinsheng was unhappy inside, since he had said this, Gu Jinsheng should bear with it even if he had to.

Unfortunately, Gu Jinsheng did not give him this face. Gu Jinsheng continued, “There was no nuclear capability in the age of dinosaurs, but the plants and animals of the dinosaur age did not mutate, nor did they grow two or three heads, four or five legs, N eyes, and even more, there were no zombies.”

This time, the Q Base Commander’s face also darkened. The H Base Commander could only step forward awkwardly and say, “Regardless of whose responsibility it is, the situation has developed to this point, and there is no need to pursue it.

Now on Earth, compared to mutated plants and animals and zombies, our human race is the weaker group.

Precisely because of this, we should not have internal strife, but rather unite to resist external enemies.

Don’t you agree?”

Not a single Base responded. The H Base General Commander was extremely embarrassed and sheepish.

Gu Jinsheng sneered, “Your words are very interesting. The sinners who caused Earth to become this hellish place do not need to be held accountable. So does that mean I can kill you today, and then because it is the end of the world and it is not easy for humans to live, and we should protect each person, I will be forgiven and not held accountable for the fact that I killed you?”

The H Base Commander said, “How can that be the same?”

Gu Jinsheng’s eyes turned cold, “So when it happens to you, it’s different?

I even believe that R Base is more malicious than a murderer. A murderer only kills one person. But R Base turned the entire Earth into a human purgatory, killing millions of my Huaxia compatriots. How can that just be brushed aside as if nothing happened!”

Wan Hong couldn’t control his temper and slammed the table, “What else do you want? If you have the guts, do it!”

Gu Jinsheng looked at Wan Hong, his expression meaningful, “I will.”

These simple three words, spoken in a flat, unemotional tone, sent shivers down Wan Hong’s spine.

Dewet, sitting next to Wan Hong, was completely impatient. Dewet didn’t care about the matters between Gu Jinsheng and R Base, nor did he care if R Base, the biggest lackey of HSD Base, would be destroyed. His eyes were only on the mental scanner now.

Dewet whispered off-camera, urging, “Stop the nonsense, just ask him why he didn’t give the mental scanner to T Base, hurry up!”

Wan Hong suppressed the annoyance in his heart, enduring his anger, and said, “Whatever grievances General Commander Gu Jinsheng has with R Base, that is your and R Base’s business. Our T Base does not want to know.

What I want to ask General Commander Gu Jinsheng is, you promised that all Bases within Xia Nation’s borders could receive the core technology of the mental scanner for free. Why haven’t we, T Base, received it?

Now that humanity is facing such a critical moment of life and death, is General Commander Gu Jinsheng still trying to cause division?”

Wan Hong believed his statement completely occupied the moral high ground. Pinning the label of division on Gu Jinsheng would surely pressure him into breathlessness.

It seemed that Q Base and H Base also thought this way. The General Commanders of the two Bases followed suit and said, “Our Base has also not received the core technology of the mental scanner. General Commander Gu Jinsheng, what do you mean? Are you really trying to cause division?”

“What time is it for Xia Nation now? Instead of thinking about how to help Xia Nation get through this difficulty, you are still thinking about how to seek greater benefits for yourself at this time. Don’t you think your actions are too selfish and shameless?”

After saying these righteous words, Wan Hong and the two commanders immediately adopted a condescending attitude and looked arrogantly at Gu Jinsheng.

Gu Jinsheng said coldly, “I did say that Xia Nation Bases could get the core technology, but I thought the three of you no longer admitted to being Xia Nation Bases, nor did you admit to being Xia people anymore!”

The faces of the three major Bases, T, Q, and H, were directly exposed by Gu Jinsheng in public. The General Commanders of the three Bases had faces as grim as water.

Gu Jinsheng waved his hand behind him. Behind Gu Jinsheng, a bright red flag of Xia Nation with a five-pointed star slowly rose. Gu Jinsheng stood up and saluted the national flag. He solemnly and gravely said, “No matter what my Base is called, it cannot change the red blood flowing in my body, nor can it change my identity as a Xia person. I am a Xia person, a Xia person until death, and I am proud to be a Xia person!”

Immediately following the South Base General Commander, two Power Users unfolded a national flag. The South Base Commander stood up from the sofa, saluted the national flag, and solemnly swore, “South Base is a Xia Nation Base. Everyone in South Base is a Xia person. We are proud of our identity as Xia people!”

South Base seemed to have started a trend. In the videos of more and more Bases, the Xia Nation flag appeared, and solemn oaths sounded.

Some Bases were not prepared and couldn’t find a national flag in time, so they simply raised an electronic national flag on the large screen behind them and solemnly swore before the electronic national flag.

Looking around, almost all the videos were bright red, with only the three Bases, T, Q, and H, being particularly conspicuous amidst the vast expanse of red.

Gu Jinsheng stood under the national flag and said, “It seems I was not wrong. My mental scanner technology is only for us Xia people. Other countries shouldn’t even think about it!”

Wan Hong was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. He looked as if he could kill Gu Jinsheng if he were standing in front of him at this moment.

“Do you really believe his nonsense? He is just causing trouble, deliberately sowing discord within our Xia Nation. He has no good intentions at all!”

The Q Base General Commander said, “If he can treat us like this today, he can use the same methods against you someday. Aren’t you afraid? Think about what you would do when he unites all the Bases in Xia Nation to ostracize you.”

The H Base Commander said, “Gu Jinsheng is an ambitious person. Look at all the things he has done, one after another. Which one didn’t ultimately benefit Jing Shi Base?

When the Mental-type Zombie King besieged the city, all Bases suffered heavy losses, but only their Jing Shi Base not only suffered no losses but also gained significant advantages while everyone else was suffering from the disaster, taking over one Base after another.

Luo City Base was once a major Base, just as famous as Jing Shi Base, not inferior, and even faintly surpassing it.

But even such a Base has now been taken over by Gu Jinsheng.

Are you really not afraid? Aren’t you afraid that the next one to be calculated and taken over by Jing Shi Base will be yourselves?”

Wan Hong added fuel to the fire, “Don’t listen to how righteous Gu Jinsheng sounds, look at what he has done! What he has done is incorporate one Base after another. Don’t you see his wolf ambitions in this?”

The South Base General Commander looked at Wan Hong and said, “Instead of attacking General Commander Gu here, why don’t you gentlemen reflect on yourselves.

Since General Commander Wan said that you look at a person not by what they say, but by what they do, then let’s first look at what you yourselves have done!

All of us Xia Nation Bases have raised the red flag of our motherland and solemnly sworn our oaths. So what about the three of you? May I ask where the national flag of the three of you is?”

“Or are the three General Commanders publicly telling us that you no longer belong to Xia Nation and are no longer Xia people!”

“If you don’t want to be Xia people, you can get out of our Xia Nation’s land, and don’t meddle in our internal affairs. That is none of your business!”

“Three commanders, please raise the national flag of the motherland.”

The Base commanders attacked simultaneously, and the General Commanders of the T, Q, and H Bases were utterly disgraced. They had openly and secretly defected to capitalism, so they naturally dared not raise the flag symbolizing Xia Nation here. For a moment, they were cornered and extremely embarrassed.

Wan Hong argued, “No one informed us beforehand that we needed to raise the national flag during the meeting, so we were not prepared.”

The South Base General Commander said, “If you’re not prepared, you can raise an electronic national flag. We will recognize an electronic national flag just the same.”

Wan Hong stuttered, not daring to agree.

Gu Jinsheng said coldly, “Since you gentlemen are no longer Xia people, then from now on, do not participate in the internal affairs of our Xia Nation. It is none of your business to whom we give the mental scanner and to whom we don’t.”

Gu Jinsheng then looked at the others and said, “I still have some matters to discuss with you gentlemen. Originally, the General Commanders of these Bases, who no longer belong to our Xia Nation, were not qualified to listen, but we Xia people are generous, so we will reluctantly share it with you.”

After Gu Jinsheng finished speaking, a large screen behind him was turned on. At the same time, a Power User walked up. He didn’t say anything, just sat on the sofa, and then pressed a few times on something on his wrist that looked like a watch. Everyone then saw a light screen suddenly appear in the air in front of the Power User. A line of Chinese characters appeared on the light screen – Do you want to enter the holographic world?

Below this line were two characters, one on the left and one on the right: Yes and No.

The Power User took out a helmet made of an unknown material from the space necklace around his neck and put it on.

Then he lay down. Yes, he lay directly on the sofa, appearing as if he had fallen asleep. No one saw him move again or use voice control. They just saw that the Yes button below the light screen in the air was pressed, and then the light screen suddenly disappeared.

The large screen behind Gu Jinsheng suddenly showed a picture. A person seemed to descend from the front, suddenly appearing on the large screen.

That person turned around, and all the commanders saw his face, then gasped.

This face was the face of the demonstrating Power User who had just been lying on the sofa!

Everyone subconsciously looked at the sofa. The Power User on the sofa had not disappeared; he was still lying there quietly as if asleep.

Outside the video screen of Jing Shi Base, which the crowd could not see, a male voice explained, “This is the holographic world. The device the demonstrator was wearing on his wrist that looked like a smart watch is actually a terminal.

This terminal is like a computer’s ID, an identity authenticator. If the identity verification is successful, you can enter the holographic world.”

“As for this helmet, it is used to link your mental energy with the terminal, putting your mental energy into the holographic world.”

“The holographic world is also equivalent to the internet world. Many people value privacy and are unwilling to reveal their real personal information in the online world, so we can change our appearance here.”

This off-screen voice was Ji An’s voice. As soon as Ji An’s voice fell, the man on the large screen changed his appearance. He changed himself into Gu Jinsheng’s appearance.

Ji An said, “Changing your appearance is very simple. You just need to imagine it in your mind, and the holographic world linked to your mental energy can change your appearance according to your imagination. Here, you can become a lion or a tiger, or even General Commander Gu Jinsheng of Jing Shi Base. That’s fine, it’s not illegal.”

All the commanders in the video were shaken. No one was amused by Ji An’s words, but someone off-screen from the Jing Shi Base video burst into laughter. Gu Jinsheng glanced somewhat wistfully at the person speaking off-screen.

Ji An quickly smiled reassuringly at Gu Jinsheng, “Of course, to prevent people from being deceived by fake appearances, our holographic world also has anti-fraud features. The real identity of all players will be verified through gene authentication via the terminal. As long as a player is not using their real appearance, the words ‘Virtual Image’ will be displayed in the player’s profile.

You can check this yourself at that time.”

“I believe many Bases have just experienced the siege by the Mental-type Zombie King. The purpose of our holographic world is to improve the combat strength of all Power Users.”

“Training one-on-one with zombies in reality to slowly improve strength is too dangerous. Our lives are precious and cannot withstand any accidents, so the holographic world came into being.”

“Here, you can choose zombies of any difficulty for one-on-one training, or multiple-on-one training.”

“Of course, there is also resistance to mental intrusion training. If you are afraid of being controlled by Mental-type Zombies but don’t want to train with familiar Mental-type Power Users around you, unwilling to have your secrets peered into by Mental-type Power Users, then come to the holographic world for training. It simulates all levels of Mental-type abilities. You can choose any difficulty without anyone discovering your secrets.”

“If you feel that simulated training is not realistic or flexible enough, you can choose real-person training. All your personal information can be encrypted if you wish. Even if the opponent invades your brain, they will not know who you are.”

“Friends who have obtained the teachings for Space Blade, Space Slash, and Space Displacement abilities but can’t learn them no matter what, trust me, the holographic world is your best choice.

Here, you can learn your skills through the holographic world.”

“If you think your ability type might have other more powerful skills that haven’t been discovered, then you can register as a teacher, recruit students, and teach your secret weapons.

Your teaching can be either paid or unpaid, both are voluntary.”

By the end, Ji An was basically giving commercials.

The commanders’ attention was drawn to the Power User on the large screen.

That demonstrating Power User was conducting an experiment on resisting mental intrusion. He chose the confidential option, real-person training.

On the other side was a real Mental-type Power User. The demonstrating Power User’s brain was invaded by the Mental-type Power User, but thanks to the protection of the holographic world, the opponent could only perform mental control or implant mental suggestions on the demonstrating Power User, but could not freely browse the demonstrating Power User’s memories.

The demonstrating Power User chose advanced resistance to mental intrusion training, and then everyone witnessed what was essentially a monkey show.

The Mental-type Power User easily invaded the demonstrating Power User’s brain, first mentally controlling him to meow like a cat and bark like a dog, then making him perform a striptease and shout “I am an idiot”.

After the Mental-type Power User had enough fun with the demonstrating Power User, he implanted a mental suggestion, the command being a name.

At this point, another Power User entered. He casually said the name, and then the demonstrating Power User self-detonated his crystal core, blowing all the Power Users out of the holographic world.

The watching commanders were startled by the demonstrating Power User’s sudden self-detonation. After realizing it was just the holographic world, they immediately looked at the demonstrating Power User lying on the sofa.

They saw the demonstrating Power User jolt and sit up on the sofa. He took off the helmet and said to the people off-screen with a look of lingering fear, “Fortunately, I listened to you and set the pain threshold to the lowest. Otherwise, the pain of the ability self-detonation would have truly killed me from the pain.”

At this moment, the commanders in the video couldn’t sit still. One commander asked, “Excuse me, General Commander Gu, is this Power User comrade’s crystal core still intact?”

“Of course.” The demonstrator replied, “The holographic world is just a simulation. My ability crystal core is still here.” He said, releasing his ability.

“Even setting the pain threshold to 100% only allows me to experience the pain of a real ability crystal core explosion; it doesn’t actually explode my ability crystal core. However, I want to say to comrades who haven’t undergone resistance to mental intrusion training before, don’t choose high difficulty right away. You will lose badly.”

The demonstrator suddenly said to the video, “Also, the Mental-type Power User who just performed mental intrusion on me, I know you are a real person. You’d better hide your real identity well and never let me know who you are, otherwise…”

An arm reached in from outside the screen, “Otherwise, what do you want? You’re unskilled yourself yet dare to threaten others. Also, what you said should be returned to you. Offline, you’d better not run into that Mental-type Power User. Otherwise, before you even have a chance to say tough words, you will be mentally controlled by the opponent, and then if they tell you to hang yourself, you won’t even dare to lie on the train tracks.”

The demonstrator’s face turned red with frustration, having to admit that this was true.

Things were jovial and the atmosphere was relaxed on Jing Shi Base’s side of the video, while the commanders of the other Bases were stunned and confused.

Ji An then said, “The terminal is still the old rule; it is only sold to us Xia people. People from other countries, don’t even think about buying it.”

Gu Jinsheng nodded, indicating his support for Ji An’s words, and then said, “Those who want to buy can contact Jing Shi Base privately. As long as you are a Xia person, you can buy it. Then, today’s video conference is concluded. I have other matters.”

After saying that, Gu Jinsheng arbitrarily cut off the communication, not giving the other Bases a chance to speak at all.

“Holographic? Is that real?” A Base commander couldn’t help but ask. Then the commanders looked at each other, simultaneously ended their video calls, and started new videos to discuss.

In the entire video conference room, only the T, Q, and H Bases remained.

These three Bases had originally intended to unite and condemn Jing Shi Base, but unexpectedly, not only did they fail to condemn them, they were instead played by them again.

Holographic world?

Is that real?

The three Bases could only reluctantly hang up the video.

Dewet’s face was grim, “Holographic, terminal, connection helmet! Where did Jing Shi Base get so many scientific research achievements! Do their research institutes not need rest? Can’t they take a break?”

Wan Hong, who had been arrogant in the video conference, was now offline, acting like a quail in front of Dewet.

“Block the news. Under no circumstances can General Commander Charles know about the existence of the holographic world. Otherwise, neither you nor I will end well!”

As soon as Dewet finished speaking, Charles’s video call came in. Dewet shivered all over, and cold sweat immediately streamed down his face. He looked at Charles’s video as if seeing a ghost.

In the end, Dewet still answered the video call. He dared not not answer; the consequences of not answering were even more severe.

“Ch-Charles, General Commander Charles,” Dewet said with a trembling voice.

Charles looked at Dewet with his one eye, his eyes sinister, “Did you get the core technology for the mental scanner?”

Sweat poured down Dewet’s face. He said, “Gu Jinsheng refused to give it, citing T Base joining us.”

Charles asked coldly, “Then what about the holographic world?”

Dewet suddenly looked at Charles, his shock too obvious. He couldn’t believe how Charles knew so quickly.

Charles said coldly, “Dewet, do not try to hide anything from me. I know everything.”

Dewet suddenly lowered his head, not daring to look into Charles’s eyes, “No, I dare not deceive you.”

Charles asked again, “What about the holographic world? Can you buy it?”

“That should be possible.”

“Then go and buy it now!”

“Yes.”

After hanging up the video, Charles asked his assistant, “Is the brain of that woman from Jing Shi Base still impenetrable?”

The assistant replied trembling, “No.”

Charles said cruelly, “Tell those useless Mental-type Power User wastes that if they cannot pry open that woman’s brain, I will kill one Mental-type Power User every day until they pry open that woman’s brain.”

The assistant trembled even more and scrambled out to relay Charles’s order.

Charles muttered to himself, “What kind of secret is it that allows Jing Shi Base to have one scientific research achievement after another?”