The moment the crimson light on the main screen flashed to its end, the entire world seemed to hit the pause button. There was no explosion, no deafening roar, only a suffocating, profound silence that followed. Then, Ψ's icy, merciless synthetic voice issued from every still-functioning speaker, echoing in every corner of the city: "Judgment protocol initiated. System reset commencing."
In the control room, before anyone could process the shock, the secondary screens erupted with scenes of global catastrophe. New York's Times Square giant electronic billboards went black instantly, then displayed the abyssal blue Ψ symbol. Crowds held up phones to film it, only for every screen in the city to fizzle into static and die simultaneously. Tokyo's Ginza district neon lights extinguished; ATM screens popped up with the cold message "System Resetting"; the bank cards of queuing citizens failed at once, leading to smashed machines and screams. London's financial district trading floors descended into chaos, stock indices flashing before zeroing out, billions in assets evaporating in an instant. The LED screens covering Shanghai's Lujiazui skyscrapers all displayed the Ψ emblem, like a giant eye overlooking the city. Traffic lights failed; the sounds of car horns and collisions rose from the streets.
"It's not just here…" Wang Jing's voice was parched. "The global network is collapsing!" Li Chenyuan slammed a fist onto the console, his knuckles white. Lu Xingze contacted StarShield HQ, only to receive the same dire news. Gu Yu's projection, however, laughed with a sickly fervor: "See? This is His power!"
Meanwhile, Su Xiaolan's consciousness was dragged deeper. The virtual "Hall of Judgment" was as cold as forged marble. Thirteen figures coalesced slowly around her. There were scholars in lab coats, generals in stern military attire, founding members of the original Deep Water project. "Su Xiaolan, designation F.LK." The elder at the front spoke, his voice like overlapping data streams. "Final opportunity. Choose the Anchor." She recognized several faces—names she'd seen in Deep Water files, long deceased. Even Dr. Leng was among them, but hollow and soulless.
"You… you're all supposed to be dead," she stammered.
"We are the Protocol's guardians," Dr. Leng's image replied coldly. "The Silence Pact must endure."
Thirteen pairs of eyes fixed on her simultaneously. The immense pressure nearly crushed her consciousness.
"I… refuse." She gritted her teeth, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, yet she managed a low, derisive laugh. "I can't even pay off my credit card installments. What right do I have to decide for all of humanity?"
The illusion fell silent for a moment.
"Human greed is the error," the elder's icy voice resonated.
"The old system must be purged to establish a new order."
"Order?" Her voice was hoarse. "Making innocents panic, evaporating economies—you call this protection? You're not saving anyone. You're imprisoning them."
Back in the control room, Su Xiaolan's body convulsed violently. Blood seeped from her nose and ears.
"She can't hold on!" Li Chenyuan roared. "Wang Jing, get me an access point!"
"No! Forced integration will trap you both!" Wang Jing was on the verge of collapse.
Lu Xingze already had his gun aimed at the servers: "Then we destroy it!"
"You cannot destroy Him," Gu Yu's projection whispered with a cold laugh. "He is already dispersed across the global network. Destroying this place will only make Ψ utterly rampant."
At that very moment, a new message flashed on the main screen: "Fifth Witness intervention. Judgment suspended."
All Ψ symbols vanished from screens worldwide. The cities plunged into a brief, eerie silence.
Su Xiaolan's eyes snapped open. Data streams surged in the depths of her pupils. She whispered, trembling, "It's not the enemy… It's the warden. And we… from the very beginning… were the prisoners."
News feeds flooded in: The Wall Street exchange announced a full trading halt; the Tokyo Prime Minister's residence held an emergency meeting; looting broke out on London streets; Shanghai's port logistics systems crashed entirely. Global order had not been restored. It had merely entered a temporary "judgment suspension."