Neurolink System in the Modern World

"Quarantine incident?" I furrowed my eyebrows, puzzled by what he was referring to.

"Are you talking about the barricade at Namdaemun Market?" I asked, seeking clarification.

"Yes," the driver replied. "I heard it was total chaos out there. Some of my passengers mentioned it was just a gang fight, but the government is reacting as if there were a virus outbreak or something."

I leaned back in my seat, contemplating the driver's words. It did seem like the government was overreacting, especially considering that it was supposedly just a confrontation between two gangs. The fact that they had even cut off Internet connections raised my suspicions further.

I could understand the presence of the Korean Special Forces getting involved if it was just gangs using rifles, considering how strict gun laws are in Korea.

But why the need for barricades? Why check everyone's identity? Why go through people's phones? These actions seemed entirely unnecessary. It felt like they were trying to cover something up or searching for someone specific.

"It does seem like a lot for a gang dispute," I mused aloud.

The driver nodded in agreement.

"Exactly, that's what has everyone talking. It's hard to believe they'd go to such lengths just for a gang fight. Makes you wonder what's really going on."

I could understand what he was hinting at, but this isn't some web novel where I'm the hero compelled to go where the action is just because I have a "system" or something.

I had no business poking my nose into whatever they were hiding.  All I really need to do is concentrate on  leveling up and taking care of my own affairs. Matters like this are the government's responsibility.

"Do you have any inside information?" he asked.

"You should just forget about it and concentrate on driving," I said with a chuckle, attempting to steer the conversation away. It seemed this driver still believed I was an NIS agent.

"You're absolutely right" he replied with an awkward laugh.

—

—

RING RING RING!

The blaring sound of my alarm clock jolted me awake from my sleep. I groggily opened my eyes, finding my dimly lit bedroom and a heaviness in my chest. As I shifted my gaze downward, I spotted Alyssa's sleeping face nestled on top of me.

I remembered that we had gone a couple of rounds last night in an attempt to help me fall asleep. Afterward, I had been so exhausted that I simply conked out.

Looking at her beautiful face, I couldn't help but recall the situation with Alice.

I had a method to acquire attribute points now, so the penalty wasn't as problematic  as it seemed. Nevertheless, there was still a part of me that yearned for her.

It was becoming clear that this had evolved beyond just completing a mission; it had become something I truly desired. I wanted her—no more and no less.

But that's something to ponder another day.

Lying in bed, I reached for my phone and began scrolling through the news. As expected, reports about the events of the previous night were all over the place. However, the government's extreme actions were conspicuously absent from the reports.

I attempted to check various threads on online discussion sites, and while I found some links related to the incident, they were promptly taken down. The government was evidently not taking this lightly. However, the internet is vast, and once information is out there, no government in the world can completely erase it.

With a simple browse through my Discord channels, I could see that people were indeed discussing the situation.

As I scrolled through the chat, I noticed that the conversations were mainly reiterating what I already knew: the gang fight, the shootout, the government's phone checks, and the internet being cut off. However, one message  immediately caught my attention.

..

Innocent : Guess what, guys? I've got a picture of the building, and there's something fishy going on. Like, conspiracy theory levels of fishy!

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Dr.Stranger0513: Stop lying!!!

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HentaiOne-chan: This guy is just talking nonsense again to get some temporary clout.

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DemonicGod: Show pic NOW!

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Innocent: I'll show you the pic if you send me 1 USD .

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DemonicGod: You're just too greedy. Just send us the photo if it's actually real. I bet you're lying you piece of sh*t

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HentaiOne-Chan: Ahh...….Never .

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Dr. Stranger513: I have money, but I won't give it to you.

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Innocent: How about reading my book ?

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DemonicGod: You have to kneel in front of me before I even consider that.

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HentaiOne-Chan: Bruh, you should stop begging for readers and just get good. XD

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Innocent: I'm already doing my best 🙁

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DemonicGod: Don't set your expectations too high, HentaiOne. He got an IQ lower than you. And you're quite stupid already .

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HentaiOne: Hey, I'm not stupid. I'm actually pretty smart.

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DemonicGod: It looks like we've got a bunch of self-proclaimed geniuses here, but I'm putting my money on HentaiOne's IQ being a solid 60.  InnocentFox is probably pushing 50, and I'm being incredibly generous with that estimate.

"These guys are really something," I chuckled to myself after reading their funny comments.

I discovered that InnocentFox was actually a small-time newbie writer. To be honest, I hadn't read his book yet because I'd been too busy.

'Let's humor him for helping me out last time ,' I chuckled.

I began to type on my keyboard, tapping out a response to Innocent's message.

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Me: I'll read your book if you send me the pics.

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Innocent: For real?

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DemonicGod: You really want to throw away your money at this 50IQ guy?

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Me: I have lots of money, so no problem.

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DemonicGod: Oh, look, we've got ourselves a self-proclaimed millionaire now. One of these days, I won't even be surprised if someone claims to be Elon here.

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Innocent: Hey stop bothering my boss ,DemonicGod!

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DemonicGod: SIMP 😛

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Innocent: Alright, Boss, I'll DM you the pic. Don't mind DemonicGod... he's a 9 year old kid.

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Me: Sure.

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Innocen: Thank you boss. 🙂

I received a DM from him, and there were ten photos inside it. The pictures were quite blurry due to the distance, but it appeared that he had used some AI-enhancing app to make them clearer.

"Who is this woman?" I pondered as I examined the enhanced copies. I knew I shouldn't be getting wrapped up in this, but my heart raced when I saw her.

In the photos, I could see a woman with black hair. Her face was hard to make out, but her body frame suggested she has beautiful body. In the images, it seemed like she was being restrained by military personnel and escorted into a helicopter on the rooftop of our gang building.

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Me: Did you take these photos?

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Innocent: Nope, one of my friend in my channel sent them to me. He told me it's some government secret.

Me: Can you introduce me to that person?

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Innocent: You got it, boss. Whatever you desire.  [Person Bowing Emoticon]