Soul Identification Technology

While Chairman Gao was meeting with representatives from Confidential Electronics and Planet Energy, a stranger arrived at the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson Group.

This guest was very strange; he didn't trigger any defense systems wherever he went.

It looks a lot like "Ghost Rider", with flames shooting out from its skeleton.

However, its flames were more transparent, and one could vaguely see human faces.

If there were a 'face detector', it would be possible to see that each face belongs to a scientist who has gone missing in recent years.

Wherever it goes, not only the identification system but also the staff ignore it.

He continued upwards until he arrived at the Johnson & Johnson Group headquarters, in a very old room that housed many works of art from civilized times: sculptures, oil paintings, calligraphy, and original printed novels.

At the very center of the artwork is a huge oil painting, and standing in front of it is an elderly man with white hair that is draped over his shoulders and neatly combed.

The oil painting also depicted this old man, whose features were not only unattractive but even somewhat ugly, yet he possessed a mysterious charm, smiling as he looked down at the newcomer.

"Uninvited guests are not good guests."

"Old Merkel?"

"It's me."

"Which would I prefer to talk to, the clone or the original?"

Merkel did not turn around, but the old man in the painting suddenly opened his mouth.

"Little one, you are still too young. If you live to my age, you will understand that there is no difference between the 'clone' and the 'original body'. The real difference lies only in the essence of the human soul."

"Right, the founder of soul recognition technology."

Soul recognition technology is a rapidly emerging field that has gained considerable momentum in the past year or two.

Furthermore, he is a member of Skull and Bones!

A murderous glint flashed in the skull's eyes, and the transparent flames on its body suddenly transformed into two venomous snakes. One snake coiled around Merkel, who had her back to it, while the other climbed up the wall and covered the oil painting.

The two flames did not emit heat; instead, they were eerily terrifying.

However, Merkel seemed unaffected, and her smile only grew wider.

"It seems you disagree with what I'm saying. Well then, let this old man give you a little bit of common sense."

"In civilized times, the lifespan of a normal person is 80 years, while the lifespan of a modified person is 50 years."

"In the cyber era, the lifespan of cyborgs is generally 30 to 40 years, the lifespan of androids is 20 years, and the lifespan of artificial intelligence versions is a maximum of 5 years. We can understand that its lifespan is only 5 years, while the longest that virtual personalities can maintain is only 1 year, and then they will wear out."

"Look, isn't it strange? With the development of technology, people's lifespan is getting shorter and shorter. What's even more interesting is that nobody seems to care about this."

"Then tell me why?" the 'Skull' said coldly.

"We are but mayflies in the vastness of the universe, a grain of millet in the boundless ocean," Merkel said leisurely. "The more we look up at the cosmos, the more we realize how insignificant we are as intelligent beings, and the more we become obsessed with the advancement of technology."

"Cyborgs are weapons of war, but they are also potential patients of cybernetics. Madmen don't care how long they live. Cyborgs are created out of nothing. For them, life is just a process of issuing and executing commands. As for AI, it doesn't even have the concept of 'life.' Its obsession with 'iteration' is essentially a path to self-destruction. As for virtual personalities, are they really a kind of life? Perhaps, they are just a directional modifier of the 'nervous system.'"

"According to your logic, the more advanced technology becomes, the shorter lifespan becomes. So what about you living for four hundred years?"

"No, no, what I mean is that the more technology advances, the easier it is to blur the concept of 'life.' On the contrary, this old fellow has a very clear definition of life."

"As the saying goes, the Tao is inherently silent, and cannot be forced or demanded. It is like trying to interpret it through poetry and music. Its original form is true and constant, responding to things as they come without hindrance."

The flames in the skull's eye sockets suddenly stopped.

Merkel in the oil painting, and the Merkel standing in front of him, have both disappeared.

In the collection room, an old man chuckled and rocked on an old pearwood chair; he looked ten times older than in the oil painting.

He reached out his trembling, veiny old hand and opened the box on the armrest. Inside the box were two kinds of pills, blue and white. His dim eyes seemed unable to distinguish which pill it was, so he randomly picked up a blue pill and swallowed it.

"Ahem, would you like to try some?"

After taking the pill, his eyes gradually brightened, and the light in his eyes was remarkably similar to the flames on the 'skull'.

The 'Skull' finally stopped being arrogant and instead showed a hint of respect.

"We are all explorers on the path of 'Soul Technology,' but you have walked 400 years longer than me."

"Heh, four hundred years is not as long as what you achieve in one or two years."

"But I probably won't live as long as you."

"Young people should not be modest."

The 'Skull' finally gets to the point.

"With Dugo Technologies pressing us from the outside and the Research Association trying to devour us from within, if we don't unite, there will only be one outcome."

"The ending you're talking about, is it joining the Research Association and developing 'virtual technology' with them?" Merkel's eyes gleamed with a strange light. "That's quite a good option."

The "Skull" said, word by word:

"It's either control or it gets out of control. That's the law of survival in this era, and it's also the standard for joining the Skull and Bones Society. We can't just sit here and wait to die."

"So, you mean your 'little friends' will come to your aid?" Merkel asked thoughtfully.

"With you added to the mix, we have a good chance of breaking this deadlock!"

"Break the deadlock, break the deadlock," Merkel's eyes shone brighter and brighter.

"Decapitation is an ancient tactic, and it may still be applicable in this era."

"Just like you said, the more powerful a life form is, the more it blurs the distinction between its clone and its original form. If you kill a 'Mr. G,' given his life strength, there won't be a second Mr. G. Then, if you frame the Research Association, the Dugo Group will take revenge, and Confidential Electronics and Planetary Energy will rekindle their ambitions. And then our opportunity will arrive."

"Soul Severing, cough cough, cough cough cough cough..."

Merkel's eyes shone brightly, then dimmed in an instant, her aged body went limp, and she completely lost all signs of life.

The skeleton was taken aback. It couldn't be sure whether the other party was truly dead or feigning death. Its soul recognition was ineffective against humans for the first time.

Merkel's physical body turned directly into white ashes, which were scattered on the two pills by a cold wind.

Whether it was a white pill or a blue pill, they were all dyed a gray color.

"Then prove to me that you can break the limitations of soul and body!"

On the pear wood bench, a note remained quietly in place.

The skeleton hesitated for a moment, then picked up a pill and put it in its mouth.

He knew this was a test from the other party.

"Wow, so many weapons, cybernetic devices, and equipment!!"

Whether it was PP's boss, Sister Ji, or even the most composed "Student Zhang," they all showed expressions of astonishment.

The weapons and equipment of 30 companies were displayed in large numbers on the exhibition shelves, with as many as a thousand types, and the lowest level of equipment was Tier 2.

For players at this stage, Tier 2 equipment, regardless of its level, is top-tier. If the attributes are even better, it's the absolute best!

"We can really each choose two items, Baozi Bro, you're not kidding me, are you?"

PP's boss stared at a "headphone-shaped" network implantation pod with starry eyes. This implantation pod, which increases hacking speed by 60%, is equivalent to having an additional hacker job for a neural editor.

"Haha, yeah, pick whatever you like."

Baozi laughed heartily, but his heart was bleeding. If he had known the reputation reward would be so great, he shouldn't have given up his control over the equipment under the persistent pleading of his old acquaintance.

You should know that the first time he went to the Research Association to select equipment, he was turned away.

How did it turn out like this this time?

While rubbing his churning stomach, Baozi looked around. With Sister Ji, the female driver, around, he could forget about breaking his promise; he could only cut his losses.

The best way to cut your losses is to choose the best equipment.

As if guided by some unseen force, Baozi walked to the last weapon rack. A purple prism caught its eye, and the system panel displayed the following:

Special Tier 2 Weapon - Purple Energy Mirror

Information measurement?

Built-in teleportation!?

Baozi's eyes lit up immediately.

"President, I have completed what you asked me to do."

Another new male secretary spoke up. This secretary was no longer a pretty boy, but a tall, imposing man with chest hair thicker than a towel.

The senior engineer waved his hand dismissively, sending the other person away.

He already knew the plan was complete the moment Baozi took the "Purple Energy Mirror".

Collapse Entity can sense Collapse Entity.

Collapse Entity are also infected individuals who can sense the aura of Honkai.

This time, however, he took a clever approach. He sealed the power of the "Purple Energy String" into the information weapon and had Gao Yuanyuan apply an information seal to it. As long as it was not activated, it would not leak its aura.

Once activated, the senior engineer can immediately appear at the Assassination Alliance headquarters.

He wanted to see if that "Fate Weaving Machine" was actually a "Collapse Entity".

"Are you planning to try and persuade the other two companies?"

On the sofa, Bird of Paradise crossed its arms and asked, the firebird on its cheek particularly eye-catching.

The senior engineer shook his head and said:

"The members of Skull and Bones never compromise; this is one of their few remaining human traits. And Merkel of Johnson & Johnson Group is an old fox; the closer you get to her, the easier it is for her to manipulate you."

"Tell those hackers to get ready. This is a critical moment. Don't mess things up. After this is over, they can do whatever they want. Nobody will be able to control them anymore!"

Bird of Paradise nodded and said, "I understand. Also, I came here to tell you that the source of the 'avalanche' has been found."

"Oh?" The senior engineer showed great curiosity.

Bird of Paradise paused to think before asking, "Have you heard of Punk Group?"