The tracking device in Zhang Heng’s was fully optimized the moment it left the factory. Once the signal transmission had been blocked for more than eight hours, it would automatically trigger the meltdown process, causing irreversible damage to the user’s cerebral cortex.

  When Zhang Heng fought his enemies at the amusement park, he temporarily removed the signal blocking device because it was approaching the eight hours time limit. However, from the moment he laid down on the operating table, only five hours were left before the tracking device started to meltdown.

  In order to ensure that Shengtang Morgan Group did not know Zhang Heng was still alive, Dr. Gu needed to complete the operation within five hours and extract the tracking device under Zhang Heng’s cerebral cortex.

  Even for Dr. Gu, who was known as one of the only two people in the new Shanghai 0297 who could perform this surgery, it was still a very challenging task for him.

  Four hours had now passed, and Doctor Gu’s back was completely soaked in sweat, prompting his assistant beside him to wipe the sweat off his forehead countless times. Since this surgery required a high degree of concentration, Dr. Gu often could not blink for a long time. His eyes were bloodshot.

  Not far away, Feng Zi had fallen asleep against the wall. She was not afraid to watch the surgery, but she was completely exhausted after undergoing so many high-adrenaline events. Both her body and mind had reached their limits. And she fell asleep before the sunrise.

  As for F, on the other side, she remained the same from the beginning to the end. She stood there like a stone statue by the operating room entrance, kept the same posture, and had not spoken a single word. The nurse in the operating room started to suspect that she was a robot.

  Finally, after four hours and thirty minutes of complicated surgery, Dr. Gu controlled the surgical robot to extract a piece of metal wire only tens of microns in diameter from under Zhang Heng’s cerebral cortex.

  The microscopic object was designed to continuously transmit the clone’s location information to the data center. It could help them to locate their clones whenever it was necessary. It acted as a choke chain around the clone’s neck, prohibiting them from running away.

  “This thing is like the thread used by the puppet master to manipulate his puppet,” muttered Dr. Gu while looking at the wire under the tweezers.

  F’s pupils shrank when she saw the piece of wire.

  After that, she drew the saber around her waist for the first time and cut the wire in the hands of the surgical robot into two.

  “How long till the surgery is over?” F put the saber back to her waist and asked Dr. Gu.

  “Soon. I just need to stitch him up.”


  “I shall let you continue.” F bowed slightly.

  Dr. Gu returned the courtesy, and his gaze fell on F’s mechanical prosthesis. He seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before a flash of sorrow flashed in his eyes. But in the end, he said, “You have a lovely left arm.”


  “Thank you, doctor.”
……

  Forty minutes later, in Zhang Heng’s ward, F lit a cigarette and looked at the blurry street outside the window, not knowing what she was thinking.

  The next moment, a voice came from behind. “Smoking should be banned in wards.”


  F then turned around and saw Zhang Heng with his eyes opened on the hospital bed. She was a little surprised, “I didn’t expect you to wake up so early. I thought it would take some time for the anesthesia to subside.”


  “Well, I asked the anesthesiologist to reduce the amount of anesthetic for me.” Zhang Heng then touched his head.

  “Why did you do that?”


  “If the surgery fails, I will have some time to deal with the police officers and assassins sent by the Shengtang Morgan Group. Anyway, the worst outcome for my action is to watch the doctor fix my skull while I’m awake,” Zhang Heng said while attempting to sit up from the bed.

  “I thought you wanted me to protect you.”


  “Yes. But I’m used to preparing for the worst.” Zhang Heng put on his clothes. And he was not worried that Mr. G would do something terrible to him. After all, he was the only person that knew the whereabouts of the memory encoder. At least before he handed over the memory encoder to him, Mr. G would not harm him. He might even protect him.

  Strictly speaking, this arrangement was way better than the first agreement set between the two parties. Zhang Heng was now more cautious about the Shengtang Morgan Group. If they realized that he was not dead, they would not hesitate to send more powerful men to deal with him.

  Although the emergency response team starting with the number Zero, was Shengtang Morgan Group’s strongest armed force, Zhang Heng was not naive enough to think it was the only one. After all, his enemy was the owner of New Shanghai 0297. Not only did he own this new city, but it was also a well-respected behemoth in society.

  As the actual ruler of the first level, Mr. G could be regarded as the overlord in New Shanghai 0297. However, to Shengtang Morgan Group, he was no different than an ant. Zhang Heng had a problem that he still could not figure out. Even if Mr. G managed to effectively promote the revolution in New Shanghai 0297, Shengtang Morgan Group would not hesitate to send their armed forces to retake New Shanghai 0297 once they felt their interests were threatened. By then, how would Mr. G plan to deal with them?

  Zhang Heng had a hunch. Maybe the answer to this question lay in the memory encoder.

  “Sorry.”


  F’s voice pulled Zhang Heng back from his thoughts.

  “Why say that? You weren’t the one who broke the contract,” Zhang Heng said. He had previously suspected F was involved in it, but F was not there among the ten couriers and the special operations team. It was then that Zhang Heng realized that F had nothing to do with this matter.

  After that, the latter even broke into Mr. G’s garden on a motorcycle, arguing with her fiancé over Zhang Heng, an outsider.

  “You chose to accept this job because you trusted me. So, I am also responsible for introducing you to him. He is my fiancé anyway, and I naturally have to bear half of the mistakes he made,” F said.

  “Are you disappointed in him tonight?”


  “Why do you ask?” F raised her head and looked at Zhang Heng.

  “Everyone would make mistakes,” she added after a pause. “Compared to others, he has done a great job. He is an excellent leader. After I reminded him, he realized his mistakes, and he is willing to make up for them. You heard what he said. I think the both of you should let go of your hostility and focus on what’s important. After such a long time of preparation, we finally managed to piece all the puzzles together, and we can begin to take the first step.”