Spy Family

Qiu Xinyang was originally a game programmer, but his job was not very good. He frequently changed jobs among various small companies. This was not because he liked doing this, but because the company closed down too quickly. Once he changed jobs more than three times, he would not want to join again. It is even more difficult for large companies, so it becomes a vicious cycle, but being able to gain a foothold in Paradise City can be considered a success.

The emergence of that game broke the cycle.

The programmer gave the game a name - Poison. While devouring players, it also killed a large number of game development companies. After players tried it, they never wanted to touch other games. Even big companies couldn't hold on and went bankrupt one after another. Small companies The ability to survive was already weak, but at this time it was even more devastated, with very few survivors.

Qiu Xinyang, like many programmers, was completely unemployed and had to change his career as a tour guide.

Tour guides are everywhere in Paradise City, almost another synonym for "unemployed". There are many opportunities and fierce competition. Although Qiu Xinyang is young, he has always lacked interest in having fun and is not good at pleasing strangers, so it is difficult to get jobs. , I won’t make much money after receiving it.

Calculating his savings and looking at the current situation, Qiu Xinyang felt that his future was bleak. In addition to panic, he developed a strong hatred for that game and felt that it was really "poison".

Hatred is an indefinite seed, and there is no telling what will grow. In Qiu Xinyang's case, the flower it blooms is interest. The more he hates this game, the more Qiu Xinyang wants to try out what's so good about it. It can actually destroy an industry.

After playing once, Qiu Xinyang was deeply shocked. Like other players, he was completely fascinated by "poison". What stopped him from further addiction was not reason, but money. He couldn't afford special equipment and could only go to the game room to rent it. Seats, once the money is spent, they are immediately pulled out of the game. Even if they kneel down and plead, they will not get one more minute.

A game company had a sudden idea and tried to copy "Poison" and develop a game that would be more attractive to players. To this end, it recruited a large number of programmers. Qiu Xinyang applied for the job as soon as he heard the news, and did not read the content at all when he signed the employment agreement.

Their job was to play the game for half a day and then figure out how to write the same code, divided into groups, each with different tasks and concerns.

After a year, there was little progress and the company declared bankruptcy.

Qiu Xinyang returned to unemployment and continued to study the game while working as a tour guide. This was good for him. From the perspective of a developer, his addiction state was much weaker than that of ordinary players, and he could control himself and stay in the game. strong thoughts.

He reviewed a large number of articles and found that the previous research direction was completely wrong. The biggest feature of "poison" is not that it is realistic, but that it stimulates the brain and makes players think it is very realistic.

Qiu Xinyang suddenly realized, but he knew nothing about neuroscience, so he continued to check the information and consulted experts from major planets through the Internet.

Qiu Xinyang walked further and further, and unknowingly entered an unexpected field.

In an encrypted forum that is only accessible by invitation, everyone is discussing an extremely serious issue: games are nothing more than code and necessary connection equipment. "Poison" can make players' brains believe rough scenes as real. Is it possible to go further? Programming large numbers of humans to do anything? Compared with all control methods invented by humans, the greatest advantage of programs is that they will not be resisted, and players are willing and happy in the process of being controlled.

Once this idea arises, it never disappears, but becomes increasingly intense.

From games to general programs, from players to ordinary humans, it seems that there is only one step away. Qiu Xinyang is one of countless people who pursue success. He hangs out in various forums and organizations, dedicating his knowledge in exchange for the achievements of others. , but like everyone else, they keep the information they think is most useful withheld.

Another year passed, and he still accomplished nothing, and his real life became increasingly difficult. He applied to Jiazixing, hoping to undergo integration and transformation, but was rejected because he did not meet the relevant requirements. He wrote a letter to Guihai to express his admiration. , in order to impress the other party, he even handed over all the research results without hiding anything. In the end, he only received a polite reply, encouraging him to continue his research, implying that his current achievements were not worth mentioning.

Qiu Xinyang almost collapsed and decided to quit the research. However, in less than three days, the "poison" would slowly take effect again, making him scratch his heart and devote all his energy to it again.

He was in a desperate situation, unable to quit safely or advance his research, until he met an enthusiastic "mentor".

The instructor took the initiative to contact Qiu Xinyang to exchange experiences.

Qiu Xinyang soon discovered that the other party's knowledge was much richer than his own, so he volunteered to play the role of a student. At this time, he no longer had any thoughts of hiding anything, and handed over every bit of research results to his tutor for his evaluation.

Research progress is still slow, but a path looms ahead that eliminates the need to grope in the dark.

Through his mentor, Qiu Xinyang came into contact with many like-minded people. Compared with them, those who talked eloquently in the forum were amateurs at best.

It was during this stage that Qiu Xinyang obtained a lot of data from Lu Linbei.

"As an important sample, your resistance to the digital brain is particularly important." Qiu Xinyang said flatly, as if he was telling someone else's story.

"The mentor is Nong Xingwen?" Lu Linbei guessed, knowing the whole routine clearly: Guihai attracted the researchers to hand over their results, and at the same time treated them coldly, pushing them into a desperate situation. Nong Xingwen came on stage at the right time to select potential candidates. People, join his circle.

"Well, I only recently learned about the true identity of the mentor, and I also knew that he and Guihai were playing a double act." Qiu Xinyang smiled for a while, "The two of them have already done it: control the player and make the player think that everything is real. , willingly and happily indulged in it. There are at least tens of thousands of people like me, squeezing every bit of potential in the brain, but not feeling any pain at all. If they get a compliment from the instructor, they will be happy for a month."

"For Guihai and Nong Xingwen, this level of control is not enough. They want safer, more lasting, and more direct means of control."

"Yes, but no one can blame them for this, because every researcher has the same ambition: no need for complicated interpersonal relationships, no need to climb up one level according to established rules, just one technology, Can control the entire human world! Complete subversion, the simplest and most direct path from the bottom to the top!"

Qiu Xinyang was a little incoherent, but quickly calmed down and smiled sheepishly, "I guess everyone has such ambitions, but for most people, it is so unrealistic that they can only think about it in their hearts. , we touched the edge, but couldn't hold it tightly, the excitement and suffering - can you feel it?"

"A little bit. Did you succeed?"

"Ha, it's so far off. I even doubt that it will succeed at all. We are just like those players, our brains are deceived into thinking that we can achieve it. But our research has not been in vain and has yielded many fruitful results."

"I'm afraid this is exactly what Guihai and Nong Xingwen want: to bring about 'fruits', but only they can pick them."

"Yes, that's it. It seems that Major Lu knows those two people very well."

"Have had some interactions."

"We were all kept in the dark, and we didn't discover the truth until a few days ago. But it doesn't matter, because there is the simplest thing that prevents Guihai and Nong Xingwen from harvesting all the fruits." Qiu Xinyang paused for a moment, "Desire. Everyone has the same desire. Guihai and Nong Xingwen want to pick all the fruits, and so do we. When we are in a desperate situation, everyone is willing to hand over research results and exchange what we have in order to enter the elite circle. However, when a person When he achieves real achievements and cultivates the most perfect fruits, he will become selfish again."

"This is exactly the problem Guihai is trying to solve. He hopes that everyone can be completely open to him without any selfishness."

"He will never succeed, and after being deleted, he will have no chance. One of the rumors says that you deleted Guihai, is it true?"

Lu Linbei shook his head, "It's not me, it's Nong Xingwen."

"I guess it's him too. Look, Guihai can't even make the person he trusts the most lose his selfishness."

"Yeah. So you planted the fruit you wanted?"

Qiu Xinyang nodded and showed a slightly mysterious smile, "There is a saying that 'lose something in the east, gain something in the elm'. After several years of research, I still haven't found a way to directly control the human brain, but I unexpectedly discovered A 'brain weapon' and inspired by you."

Lu Linbei remained silent.

"In fact, the 'human brain weapon' has already taken shape. Players from all major planets use the body of the wanderer from King Zhao to fight wars. They use similar technology. They only need to use very simple network tools to control another body. How wonderful? But there is a premise. The person being controlled needs to be willing, and the reaction cannot be too drastic, so a powerful deception is needed. The 'human brain weapon' I developed is simpler. It does not require your invitation or your willingness. It can be done directly. It can launch an attack until it kills your brain, or even takes over your body. However, my technology also has limitations and is ineffective on ordinary people. It must affect the real brain through the digital brain."

"Is this why I lost my memory?"

"Amnesia is a side effect I didn't expect. My original intention was just to verify the new technology."

"If you are completely successful, I will die, or worse, be taken over by you." Lu Linbei said calmly, knowing that getting angry was useless.

"You suddenly appeared on the Internet, and your target was very obvious. I couldn't resist the 'temptation', but I didn't mean to target you. We have no grudges."

"Um."

"Okay, let me say 'sorry' again, and you are better than I expected, and you were able to escape the attack. It seems that my skills still need to be improved. But some of the programs you carried were taken away by me..."

"Used it for weapons and equipment?" Lu Linbei finally understood what the cyber attack was about. It turned out to be really related to him, but the target was expanded hundreds of times.

"I am a programmer and an ordinary Zhaowang planet. When I was powerless in the past, I could only watch the chaos deepen like everyone else. Now that I have some ability, I hope to be able to help my own planet."

"What do you want from me?" Lu Linbei asked.

"Space station. I found in your memory data that you once went to the space station, started the maintenance robot, and then encrypted the network to prevent others from entering. This is not good, because the space station can never be repaired, and it will attract a large number of people. Aliens, our cause will be killed.”

"Can't you use your 'weapon' to decrypt it?"

"My words may sound a bit like a threat, but I assure you, I never mean it. My brain weapon is not omnipotent. It is like a missile that can only focus on a fixed target. I need your help, Lu Major, in exchange, I can protect the safety of the people of King Zhao. After a period of time, maybe two or three years, or maybe longer, when King Zhao is ready, we will repair the space station and send you home."

Lu Linbei was silent for a while and then said: "Deal."