Someone was paying attention.
And this time, they didn't look away.
An Unexpected Message
The notification didn't come from the system.
It came from the academic subnet Lin Chen had bookmarked earlier.
A short message. Polite. Carefully worded.
"Your emergency response architecture displays adaptive decision layering uncommon in civilian systems.
May we discuss its theoretical framework?"
Lin Chen read it twice.
Then once more.
Dr. Hart's Reaction
"Someone finally noticed," she said, leaning back.
"Question is—are they impressed, or suspicious?"
"Both," Lin Chen replied.
He didn't answer the message immediately.
The Weight of Recognition
Recognition was dangerous.
The moment someone tried to understand the system,
they would eventually try to replicate it.
Or worse—
Control it.
System Prompt
[System Insight: External Validation Detected.]
[Risk Level: Moderate.]
[Recommendation: Partial Disclosure.]
Lin Chen exhaled slowly.
"Partial disclosure," he murmured.
"That means… letting them see enough to underestimate me."
The Reply
He typed calmly:
"The system is based on distributed human–machine intuition mapping.
It is inefficient, unstable, and unsuitable for large-scale replication."
A lie.
But a believable one.
A New Variable
Seconds later, a response arrived.
"I see.
Then you won't mind if I observe?"
Lin Chen smiled for the first time that day.
Observation meant proximity.
And proximity meant opportunity.
Closing Thought
The system had saved lives.
Now it was attracting minds.
Some would help.
Others would try to take.
Either way—
The game had officially begun.
End of Chapter 65