De Lang collapsed on the ground and began babbling incoherently.
Fei Jin watched without the slightest change in expression and offered her assessment. "His mental layer is badly eroded. I mean, progress is good. The window period is extremely short. If we can achieve reverse unification and complete the basic verification before it ends, this trip will count as a success."
Fei Jin spoke these words aloud rather than sending them as text. It was the first time she had spoken that night. Though her words were casual enough, her voice carried an intensely soft, seductive lilt, almost excessively effeminate.
Xu Hu frowned and sent a brief message over the communications channel: "Thanks for the effort."
That already counted as a warning.
"You've been having quite a lively chat." Fei Jin spoke again, only switching to text for the latter half. "You're doing a pretty convincing job of pretending."
Several seconds passed before Xu Hu replied in the communications channel. "I really don't recommend undertaking such complicated work at a time like this."
Fei Jin laughed, lifted a foot, and kicked De Lang as he convulsed on the ground. She also typed a response. "But as this 'professional' said, Neo's brain tissue won't retain its activity until next time. Rather than rushing through a tense attempt with little chance of success, we might as well let that half-brain go on existing in another form... So all along, that half-brain has been far, far more valuable than this professional. He's been pontificating for so long, yet he never figured that out."
"He simply didn't know such an incredible method existed."
"This is nothing." Fei Jin chuckled softly, fortunately still replying in text. "They only came to me because we're like-minded people. As for this fellow, he's spent so long in Deep