BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Erik moved stealthily through the corridors of the Red Palace, his senses heightened and his heart pounding in his chest. If he were caught trying to leave, people would start asking questions. Why was he going outside this late in the night?

With his hood pulled low over his face and his footsteps muffled by soft-soled shoes, Erik left his apartment, closing the door behind him, and moved silently, trying not to attract attention through the brightly illuminated corridors of the Red Palace.

<System, send loop videos to all the cameras I will encounter. I’ve already deactivated them too many times, and I can’t risk them finding patterns. Make it so they can’t see I’m leaving the Red Palace.>

[UNDERSTOOD. CONNECTING TO ALL NEARBY DEVICES. SENDING LOOP VIDEOS.]

As Erik moved stealthily through the corridors of the Red Palace, he heard the approaching footsteps of a group of students. He quickly hid behind a corner, weirdly calm despite the situation. Peering out from his hiding spot, he observed the students passing by.

They were two male and female students, all dressed in the standard Red Palace uniforms: red pants with golden stripes on the sides and a jacket embroidered with the golden Red Palace Dojo logo on the back. They chatted animatedly, their voices echoing in the corridor as they walked side by side.

The first student was a tall, athletic-looking male with short, dark hair and a confident stride. The second student was a petite female with brown hair that matched her eyes. She walked with a determined gait; her eyes focused ahead as if she had a goal in mind.

“So, I told her to mind her business, and she got angry despite being the one who put her nose into my business,” the girl said.

“Leave her be; it doesn’t bring you anything to get angry because of her…”

“Yes, but-“

After the two went past him, Erik started going ahead again. He quickly turned right, moving with cat-like grace, minimizing any noise or sudden movements that might alert the other people to his presence.

He quickly arrived in front of the elevator, went in, and pressed the button for the ground floor. Soon, the doors closed, and the machine started its descent. The first thing had been done; now, he needed to get to the main entrance.

The elevator quickly arrived, and Erik stepped out of it and hid behind one of the many couches the ground floor had. From his position, Erik could observe that the reception was empty. Apparently, Miss Smith ended her shift, and the place was left unattended.

However, many guards were around, and Erik had to go undetected by them if he wanted to sneak out of the institution. However he could see the exit from his position, but he knew there were two guards outside, and he needed to get rid of them.

<System, I need you to send a message to the outside guards. Tell them to head to the first floor immediately. Hopefully, they will be questioned by the other guards, and I will have enough time to sneak out.>

[UNDERSTOOD. CONNECTING TO THE DEVICES. MESSAGE SENT.>

Shortly after, the two guards received the messages and went inside, heading for the elevator. As Erik predicted, the other guards were puzzled.

“Hey! Where are you going?” one of them asked.

“We got told to head upstairs.”

“Uh? Why?”

As the guards kept talking, Erik sneaked his way past them unnoticed; however, at one point, he found himself trapped between two guards walking toward him from opposite directions.

He quickly ducked into a nearby janitor’s closet and held his breath, listening to their footsteps as they passed by. Once they were out of earshot, he slipped out of the closet and continued his stealthy journey.

Finally, after what felt like hours of nerve-wracking evasion, Erik left the building and reached the garden, where he could see the night sky peeking through the trees.

He knew the most challenging part was over, but he couldn’t let his guard down just yet as he had to get out of the Red Palace’s property.

With a final glance back at the building, Erik took a deep breath and prepared himself for the next phase of his mission—finding Achim and his girlfriend at the club. He knew the real challenge was still ahead but was determined to see it through.

And so, Erik slipped into the shadows of the night, hiding behind trees and bushes, and finally went past the gate. However, he wasn’t done; he quickly called a cab and told them to meet on a nearby street. So he quickly ran there and waited for it to arrive.

<System, like last time, deactivate all cameras and make it so that I can’t be traced. Before leaving the cab, erase all evidence of my presence from their servers.>

The cab arrived shortly after, and Erik sat inside. “Bring me to the Red Lotus Lounge,” he said. That was the name of Nathaniel’s father’s club; there were numerous and varied rumors about the place.

Some said it was a front for illegal gambling, where high-stakes poker games were held behind closed doors, and fortunes were won and lost in a single night.

Others claimed it was a hub for illegal drug trafficking, where exotic substances from around the world were bought and sold under the cover of darkness.

There were also whispers of clandestine meetings between McConnel and other powerful crime lords, where shady deals were struck, and alliances were formed.

The Red Lotus Lounge was said to be a haven for the criminal underworld. In this place, the rich and powerful rubbed shoulders with the seedy underbelly of society, where secrets were exchanged in hushed tones over glasses of expensive whiskey.

Of course, prostitution went rampant there, and it was said that people didn’t have problems having sex in front of everyone else, even on the dance floor. Of course, Erik never went there, so he didn’t know if all of that was true.

However, since he was aware of Matthew’s connection to the underworld, it was clear that there must have been some truth to those rumors.

The police had never been able to prove these claims since they never found anything, probably because Matthew received some intel beforehand that the police would check on them, giving him the time to clean everything.

pαndα`noνɐ1–сoМ

Like that, he walked toward the building, and as Erik approached the Red Lotus Lounge, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe mixed with trepidation.

The club was housed in an old, refurbished warehouse that stood imposingly amidst the city’s bustling nightlife. Its soft red brick exterior was adorned with a prominent, glowing red lotus flower symbol, serving as a beacon for those seeking excitement and intrigue.

As he approached, the awakener noticed a line of people waiting outside the club. There were men and women of various ages, dressed in a mix of casual and formal attire, all eagerly anticipating entry into the mysterious establishment. Some were chatting animatedly with friends, while others were checking their phones or scanning their surroundings curiously.

There were well-dressed businesspeople, young partygoers, and even some rough-looking individuals who seemed to exude an air of danger.

It was clear that this was a place where people from all walks of life converged, drawn by the allure of the club’s reputation and the promise of a thrilling night ahead.

Two hefty bouncers in all-black suits with earpieces and stern expressions stood watch at the club’s entrance.

They carefully scrutinized each person in line, occasionally turning someone away with a shake of their heads. Erik could tell that security was tight and that getting past the bouncers unnoticed would be challenging.

The young man took in the atmosphere around him as he waited in line. The air was filled with a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement, punctuated by the distant thump of music that seeped out from inside the club. Neon lights illuminated the dimly lit street, giving the surroundings an otherworldly glow.

A long line of people snaked around the block, all waiting eagerly for their turn to enter the club and join in on the fun. The scent of alcohol and perfume hung heavy in the air, adding to the overall sensory experience.

Erik tried to keep a low profile as he waited, blending in with the crowd and avoiding drawing attention to himself. He knew he couldn’t afford to be recognized, as it could jeopardize his mission to find Achim.

He kept his hood pulled up, concealing his features, and carefully observed the bouncers’ movements, looking for an opportunity to slip past them unnoticed.

The tension in the air was palpable, and Erik’s heart pounded in his chest as he approached the front of the line. He knew that once he crossed the threshold of the Red Lotus Lounge, he would be entering a world of danger and uncertainty.