Chapter 20: So, Miss Amane Moko, Do You Know These People?
In some minor details, things didn’t develop as Jonas had expected.
With the advantage of foresight, he had avoided potential early-stage risks, but he remained vigilant.
This damn place was full of traps—one misstep could lead to irreversible ruin.
Right now, it was still the early stages of the plot, and no overly overpowered entities had appeared yet.
By the later stages, characters with awakened psychic powers and mechanical ascension would be everywhere, and District 25’s environment would completely change.
The conglomerates now seemed to monopolize all resources, but they didn’t hold an absolute advantage—otherwise, they wouldn’t have been overthrown by the game’s protagonist.
The only thing Jonas could do now was maximize the effectiveness of the resources he controlled, leveraging his foresight.
Jonas rubbed his temples.
No matter what, he’d take it one step at a time.
Come to think of it, the Destiny Organization should be making their move soon.
……………………………..
In the confinement room, Amane Moko leaned against the wall, her disheveled hair making her look somewhat disheveled.
The decryption interface before her had reached 35% through her efforts. Given another half-month, she could take control of the security system and escape this confinement room.
But Amane Moko knew all too well—time was running out.
Ever since she had obtained intelligence about the outside world from the building’s system last time, she knew that the Destiny Organization had begun arranging personnel to forcibly break into the Vetting Conglomerate to rescue her.
Amane Moko was well aware that this was an impossible feat. Regardless of Jonas’s preparations, even if the place were completely undefended, the Destiny Organization would have to pay a heavy price to extract her.
She didn’t believe the consequences of her own misjudgment should be borne by the organization.
But she had no means to communicate with the outside world. The only thing she could do was infiltrate the building’s security system as much as possible before the rescue arrived, so as to minimize casualties when the time came.
The girl propped herself up, resting her slightly dizzy head against the wall.
The food delivered daily by the Vetting Conglomerate was barely enough to sustain life. Coupled with the immense computational workload she endured each day, her brain couldn’t help but feel faint.
Various symptoms of low blood sugar made it difficult for her to concentrate. She knew this was intentional on Jonas’s part—another tactic to further weaken her mental defenses.
But was she the kind of person to give up so easily?
Physical torment couldn’t shake her in the slightest. What weighed more heavily on her mind was the intelligence she had stolen from the building’s system earlier.
—Ian Stella had betrayed the Destiny Organization.
She knew Ian Stella had always been dissatisfied with joining the Destiny Organization. This former senior engineer had always looked down on people like her from the lower ranks, only pledging loyalty to the organization because his secrets had been exposed.
But what she hadn’t expected was that he would choose to betray the Destiny Organization under such circumstances.
Moreover, among the rescuers sent by the Destiny Organization, Ian Stella held considerable authority.
Knowing Jonas’s scheme yet being powerless to stop it tormented her deeply.
Amane Moko had no idea when the rescue would come. Because of this, she dared not let her guard down at any moment.
“I have to… push harder.”
She straightened her back and shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
Just then, the lock on the confinement room clicked, and the door swung open. The sudden influx of light made the room noticeably brighter.
Amane Moko instinctively narrowed her eyes, adjusting to the abrupt change in lighting.
“Long time no see, Miss Amane. How have you been lately?”
The man’s tone was casual, as if they were old friends catching up.
He stood in the doorway, his figure blocking most of the light, making it difficult for Amane Moko to discern his features.
Yet she recognized him by his voice alone—a voice that, like a spell, dredged up the memories she least wanted to recall:
“Jonas Vetting…”
She uttered the name in a hoarse whisper.
Perhaps the Amane Moko of the past could never have imagined that this name would become a nightmare haunting her present self.
She subtly tucked one hand behind her back, straightened her posture, and met Jonas’s gaze, feigning composure as she retorted:
“You already know exactly how I’ve been, don’t you?”
As if oblivious to her subtle movement, Jonas casually pulled over a nearby chair and sat down, behaving as though they truly were old friends reuniting after a long absence. He continued speaking as if nothing were amiss:
“It seems Miss Amane is doing quite well.”
These words made Amane Moko grit her teeth in frustration.
—Two vegetable leaves and half a steamed bun per day, and you call this “doing quite well”?
But she didn’t voice her thoughts, merely letting out a cold snort.
Unfazed by Amane Moko’s attitude, Jonas smiled and spoke:
“Miss Amane seems quite at ease, but I’ve been facing no small amount of trouble lately.”
As he spoke, his smile gradually faded, and he began recounting unhurriedly:
“Since the riot incident, the Arte District branch building has been under constant cyberattacks. The maintenance costs and fees for hiring external teams have cost me dearly.”
He looked at Amane Moko and asked:
“Does Miss Amane consider this good news?”
Amane Moko sneered and replied:
“For me, of course it is.”
“I thought so too.”
Jonas chuckled.
As he spoke, he took out several photos from his pocket, a move that stirred an uneasy premonition in Amane Moko.
As if confirming her unease,
She then saw Jonas toss the photos onto the ground and calmly ask:
“Well, Miss Amane, do you recognize these people?”
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