"Self-Destruct Program?" A wave of dread washed over me.
"No, it's a purification program." Dr. Wang's smile grew more sinister. "In ten minutes, the laboratory will release a special gas. And all data will be completely destroyed."
Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Old Ma: "Found a loophole! The system is connected to the hospital's power network. Cut off the main power, and the backup system will automatically activate, but there will be a 30-second vacuum period."
"Xiaoyu, can you still move?"
She gritted her teeth and nodded.
We had to gamble on those 30 seconds.
"You’re insane!" Dr. Wang seemed to see through my plan. "Cutting the power will release all security locks. But once the backup power kicks in, the entire lab will be completely sealed!"
Countdown: 8:27.
I scanned the surroundings—control room, hallway, elevator... wait, the elevator!
"Xiaoyu, where is the backup data on B6?"
"The Data Center... near the East Elevator."
I took a deep breath and pulled out my phone. "Old Ma, get ready to cut the power. Remember, only 30 seconds."
Dr. Wang lunged for my phone, but it was too late.
"No!"
The entire space plunged into complete darkness. The security locks released simultaneously, and all doors became accessible. I grabbed Xiaoyu and dashed toward the East Elevator.
"Go!"
As the elevator doors opened, the backup power kicked in. Blinding red warning lights flashed, and sharp alarm sounds echoed everywhere.
"To the left!" Xiao Yu pointed to a room.
The Data Center's main door was tightly locked, but the electronic lock was still rebooting. I quickly typed in the password that Xiao Yu had memorized.
With a beep, the door opened.
Countdown: 3:42.
"Help me find it!" We frantically searched for the backup server. Suddenly, Xiao Yu pointed to a corner. "That one!"
A server marked with a special insignia was in the process of data synchronization. The screen displayed a flurry of filenames:
"Project M Final Report"
"Subject Data"
"Matching Algorithm"
"Special Research Agency Directive"
"Don't waste your effort." Dr. Wang appeared at the doorway, "You don't have permission; you can't copy anything."
Countdown: 2:15.
My mind raced. Wait... since this is a backup system, there must be an emergency protocol. Given the caution of the Special Research Institution, they would definitely set up... That's it!
My fingers flew over the keyboard. My father had always said that every system has an ultimate fail-safe.
"Requires highest authority." The screen prompted.
Dr. Wang mocked from the doorway, "Give up..."
But I ignored him and typed in a name:
The screen flickered for a moment.
"Authorization granted. Starting backup."
"How is this possible!" Dr. Wang lunged forward, trying to stop it, but was pinned to the ground by the suddenly arriving police.
It turned out Old Ma really did call the police. And I had bet right—the ultimate authority of this system must have been given to the true founder.
Countdown: 0:30.
"Go!" the officer shouted.
In the instant the final data backup completed, I yanked out the external hard drive. On the screen, a familiar name stood out:
"Special Research Institution Confidential Project Leader: Chen Ci."
"Four hours left," Mr. Li said, staring at the countdown on the large screen in my office. "You better hurry."
It had been eight hours since I escaped from the lab. The police had captured Dr. Wang at the scene, but Chen Ci was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, I was racing against death, desperately trying to decrypt that hard-won backup drive.
"Forget about that prediction," Old Ma said, typing furiously on the keyboard. "The AI System's predictions aren't always accurate. The key is this data..." He pointed at the screen. "This isn't some charity organization; it's clearly an organ matching center. Look at these compatibility analyses—they're precise down to the genetic level."
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