Hidden Dead Ends-Chapter 61

The old man let out a heavy sigh, resignation settling over him. "Fine, fine. Since you all treasure this painting so much, I trust you'll treat it with care. If my grandfather were still alive, he would probably be delighted, knowing that someone would pay so much for his work. This is a validation of his art."

The team didn’t know what to say in response, unsure how to feel about the old man’s words.

Meanwhile, Li Chengyi, ever since the negotiation started, had been scrutinizing the details of the street in the painting.

"There!" His eyes suddenly fixed on a spot, and he lightly touched the canvas, his fingers landing on the base of a cement lamppost.

There, swaying gently in the wind, was a small grayish-white flower. It was exactly what he needed.

"Sir, are you absolutely sure you can’t remember the name of that comic book series?" After sealing the deal, Sindra couldn’t help but ask one last time.

"No, I really can’t recall it, though I remember it had something to do with artificial intelligence. Back then, anti-AI sentiment led to movements against technology, machinery, even intelligence itself. Anything involving electronics was shunned. The comic was likely created as a commentary on that," the old man replied with a laugh.

"Those times... Probably all those books were destroyed, right?" Sindra mused, his eyes showing a hint of understanding.

"Yes. There was also something called the Unity League, which proclaimed that the essence of technology was inherently evil," the old man nodded.

"Indeed, the Unity League’s central belief was that technology was created to breed mechanical and intelligent life. The end of this path, they argued, would be the birth of a lifeform infinitely more powerful than humans, and we’re merely nutrients within a nurturing womb.

"So, they believed technology was anti-human, and that eventually, machines would eradicate humanity and rule everything," Sindra said gravely.

"The Unity League was likely the precursor to the terror organization Star Lake, right?" Song Ran interjected.

"Yes, the two are connected," Sindra confirmed.

"But why does technology have to lead to intelligent life?" Zhong Ying asked, struggling to see the logic in their ideology.

"That ties into the tech race," Li Chengyi explained.

"When I was in college, I read about it. The Unity League believed that international competition over technology and power would drive governments to relentlessly pursue higher levels of tech, social efficiency, processing speeds, precision, and so on.

"In this race, the gap between nations with artificial intelligence and those without would only grow wider over time. Advanced AI dramatically boosts research across many fields and possesses military capabilities far surpassing human capabilities. So…”

Li Chengyi paused.

"This compels every nation to pursue AI development relentlessly. The end result is that AI becomes more refined, more powerful, evolving until it ultimately frees itself from human control and becomes a complete lifeform," he finished.

"This is the essence of capitalism," Sindra sighed.

"Indeed, capitalists, like countries, are often caught in the same trap, swept along by forces they can’t control," Li Chengyi nodded.

Though he’d specialized in horticulture in both his past and present lives, he’d read enough on the subject to recall some of the Unity League’s history.

"Let’s not dwell on it any further. Zhong Ying, check everything one more time to make sure it’s intact, and then let’s go," Sindra instructed.

They had come here primarily to help Zhong Ying get through this crisis.

Now that they had located the source of the Dead End, the next step was to figure out how to escape it.

Zhong Ying stepped forward, carefully inspecting the painting from all angles. Once she was satisfied that it was undamaged, she asked the owner to encase it in a wooden box, securing it tightly with foam padding until the painting was sealed up securely.

After Sindra confirmed the transfer of funds with the old man, they quickly left the bookstore and climbed into the off-road vehicle.

The rest of the team followed closely, getting into the car.

Song Ran started the engine, slowly driving toward the villa.

"Now that we have the painting, how do we find an escape method?" Sima Gui asked with a trace of uncertainty.

Inside the car, Li Chengyi glanced around and noticed that Zhong Ying was sitting with her head lowered, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, looking tense.

Both Sima Gui and Sindra were staring intently at the painting, deep in thought.

"In terms of escape methods, using the replication method, we can determine the last person who interacted with the slot machine—or this painting, rather," Sindra said.

"Which would be Bai Feipeng himself, the last person," Sima Gui responded.

"So, the escape method we need would be to replicate everything Bai Feipeng did," Sindra concluded. "But we don’t know exactly what he did before his final interaction with the painting."

"Then we should use the ice-breaking method," Song Ran suggested.

"What’s the ice-breaking method?" Li Chengyi asked, hearing the term for the first time.

"It’s straightforward," Song Ran explained. "When there are no clues, and everything feels as frozen as an ice block, you take a hardline approach, forcing a change in the situation—breaking the ice, so to speak."

"And how exactly do you ‘break the ice’?" Li Chengyi asked, puzzled.

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"Simple," Song Ran continued. "Usually, something major has happened in a Dead End, so we re-create that event. This tends to force the Dead End into a reenactment mode."

"Reenactment mode?" Li Chengyi seemed to understand.

"Yes. In reenactment mode, the Dead End reverts to its original state, revealing clues for an escape. Plus, the ice-breaking method can speed up the Dead End’s fading process," Sindra added.

"By accelerating its disappearance, we weaken the Dead End. This is tied to what we call the connection objects. The ice-breaking method can also involve destroying these objects to lower the Dead End’s intensity, causing it to fade more rapidly," Sindra explained.

A bad feeling rose in Li Chengyi’s chest.

"So, your ice-breaking method… involves destroying this painting?"

"It’s the simplest method. We’ve used it many times. It’s effective at reducing a Dead End’s danger and complexity," Sindra nodded.

"Impressive, boss! Tossing a million-dollar painting like it’s nothing," Sima Gui praised without hesitation.

A glimmer of hope appeared in Zhong Ying’s eyes, her tension easing slightly.

Only Li Chengyi thought of that small white flower…

"By the way, does a ‘connection object’ ever include a living person?" He suddenly thought of a question.

"Of course. The fewer connection objects, the less dangerous the Dead End becomes," Sindra nodded. "Did that remind you of one of your past Dead End experiences?"

Li Chengyi nodded.

"The death of Aixi Corporation’s boss might have been beneficial for me back then."

"Perhaps, though we can’t say for sure," Sindra sighed.

He reached over and handed the painting, now covered, to Zhong Ying.

"What we know for certain is that this painting is tightly connected to Mist Street. It’s a crucial connection object, so the choice is yours—whether to destroy it or not."

Zhong Ying hesitated as she accepted the painting.

"If I break the ice, will I survive?"

"No one knows. If the painting is indeed important to the Dead End, Mist Street’s danger might lessen significantly. But you should also know that the ice-breaking method can sometimes make things worse. We’ve seen that happen. So compared to the replication method, ice-breaking is usually a last resort," Sindra said solemnly.

Zhong Ying fell silent, mulling it over.

The boss had been incredibly generous, letting her have control over a painting worth a million.

This gesture filled her with deep gratitude.

But what should she do now?

Li Chengyi wanted to speak up. As a third party, he didn’t want to see Mist Street’s Dead End undergo significant changes—he hoped that Mist Street would eventually reappear, with the white flower still there.

But if Zhong Ying chose to destroy the connection object and use the ice-breaking method, what Mist Street would become was anyone’s guess.

Whether his little white flower—the Mountain Red—would remain was a mystery.

The car jostled along the road as they drove on.

Zhong Ying clutched the painting frame tightly, biting her lip as her eyes flickered with indecision.

Time passed slowly until they were close to the villa

.

"I’ve decided!" Zhong Ying’s eyes finally hardened with resolve.

"I’m going to burn it!"

"Recreating the fire incident, huh?" Sindra immediately understood.

The others thought of the same thing.

The mysterious fire from the past could well be connected to Mist Street’s Dead End.

After all, for so many years, Mist Street hadn’t only entrapped Zhong Ying—it had likely pulled in countless newcomers.

Among those newcomers, some may have escaped, and their method probably wasn’t ice-breaking, since the painting remained in one piece, and most people weren’t powerful enough to attempt it.

So most likely, they had used the replication method.

Everyone felt a faint anticipation.

Except for Li Chengyi, who opened his mouth, then sighed silently.

He couldn’t stand in the way of Zhong Ying’s chance to survive. In this moment, he could only remain silent.

Moments later, they arrived at the villa, heading to the rooftop in a circle.

Zhong Ying placed the painting on the ground, took the gasoline canister, and gently poured it over the canvas.