Chapter 25: The Siege of Gray Zones

Section I: Node Re-evaluation and Signal Clarification

The night had deepened. Wind brushed against the flagpole outside the abandoned classroom building, emitting a faint, unsettling hum.

In the underground command center, dim lights flickered over the projection screen where the Fu Xi System mapped an immense web of nodes—hundreds of tiny glowing points pulsing in different colors, like a breathing gray spiderweb.

Jason stood at the center, a cold cup of coffee untouched in his hand, silently observing the ever-shifting stream of data.

Lisa approached and reported quietly, "Initial screening of peripheral nodes complete. Affiliation confirmation rate: 71%. Of the remaining 29%, some signals are drifting—possible signs of hidden instability or disconnection."

Jason didn't turn around. He simply asked, "What about within Gray Wing?"

Lisa quickly switched to a tighter structural view.

It was the internal affiliation map of what remained of Gray Wing.

[System Prompt]

Active Gray Wing Nodes: 31 | Stable Loyalty: 24 | Undecided/Unstable: 5 | Unreachable: 2

Onscreen, the undecided were marked in blurry gray, interwoven with stable blue indicators—like unhealed fractures across the network.

"Better than expected," Jason said flatly.

Lisa frowned slightly. "Among the undecided… there are several former core group members. They should have been the most loyal."

"Loyalty isn't earned through past glory," Jason murmured. "It's the result of future choices."

Lisa fell silent. The system automatically began calculating risk levels for each unstable node based on signal stability, emotional curve, and command response speed.

[Risk Assessment]

Node A13 (formerly Core Gray Wing) | Risk Level: Medium-High

Node B07 (peripheral infiltration) | Risk Level: High

Node C22 (intelligence support) | Risk Level: Medium

Jason scanned the list.

"Flag B07 as priority observation," he instructed. "Delay action on the others for now."

Lisa nodded, swiftly tagging them within the Fu Xi subsystem.

Jason set down his coffee and continued, "And Emily?"

Lisa's expression shifted slightly. "Signal recovery is at 40%. But she hasn't initiated reintegration."

"Fragment sync content?"

She pulled up another screen.

What Emily left behind was a single line of heavily encrypted data—short and cryptic:

"Please wait."

The Fu Xi System annotated:

[System Annotation]

Node F08 | Fragment Sync Abnormally Stable | No Hostile Intervention Detected

Inference: Self-imposed Delayed Return

Risk Level: Controllable

Jason stared at those three words, saying nothing for a long while.

Lisa asked softly, "Do you trust her?"

"Yes," Jason answered quickly. "But I won't depend on her."

He turned, scanning the entire command room.

In this space humming with low-pressure data noise, every light, every line, every order was part of their shared fate.

He knew clearly that Gray Wing was no longer the fragmented, fragile organization it once was.

Under his leadership, Gray Wing had to evolve—to become part of the tide, the bones beneath the wave, not ghosts surviving on memory.

As if understanding his silence, Lisa whispered, "Reorganization of peripheral nodes has begun. Student unions, clubs, and small faculty groups are under quiet surveillance."

"Don't rush into recruitment," Jason ordered. "First filter, observe their emotional curves and latent impulse reactions. Three rounds of evaluation before deciding whether to integrate."

"Understood."

A new indicator ring appeared on the periphery of the system—a series of pale blue paths gradually overlaying the campus map.

These were lightpoints representing an emerging covert network—

One that would silently take control beneath the school's surface calm.

Jason narrowed his eyes, recalling a prompt from Fu Xi:

[System Prompt]

䷊ Army Led by Righteousness – Shi

Victory comes only when guided by principle. Inner clarity allows decisive action.

He knew now—every step forward would be walking through mud to build a city.

No missteps. No sentiment. No mercy.

Section II: Co-optation of Hidden Forces

In the old wing of the classroom building, on the third floor, lay a dimly lit lecture hall.

Once used for student council meetings, it now served as a temporary screening site for Gray Wing's periphery.

Jason stood on the stage without a microphone, letting his gaze sweep over the crowd below.

About forty individuals sat on the worn wooden chairs—some tense, some indifferent, some skeptical.

They came from all corners of the school:

Student Union, Debate Club, Arts Group, Society Federation…

Once secondary power structures within the campus, now they were Jason's target—not for conquest, but reshaping.

[System Prompt]

Identification of Periphery Sentiment Underway…

Voluntary Integration Tendency: 22% | Watching & Waiting: 47% | Latent Opposition: 31%

Jason didn't speak immediately. He signaled Lisa to project preliminary profiles onto the central screen.

Names weren't listed—only codes and behavioral tags:

Lisa whispered beside him, "According to the central system's initial analysis, about half fall into 'malleable' categories."

Jason nodded.

He stepped to the center of the stage, voice low yet steady.

"I won't promise you anything. Nor will I try to move you with idealism."

His eyes roamed the crowd, each flicker of doubt, hesitation, or defiance recorded silently by Fu Xi.

"You're here tonight, not because I need you.

But because the world no longer allows you to survive alone."

A brief silence fell.

Some looked down. Some clenched their jaw. One scoffed.

Jason remained unmoved.

"Starting tonight, every flow of information, every resource allocation, every authority checkpoint will be governed by a network you cannot see."

He lifted a hand, pointing toward the translucent map forming on the back screen.

The semi-transparent gray structure slowly enveloped the entire campus layout like a web of fine threads.

"If you choose to accept, you'll gain protection, information priority, and resource access.

If you refuse…" He smiled slightly, though no warmth touched his eyes. "…you may remain. But know this—every act of betrayal, every hidden movement, will be recorded clearly."

[System Prompt]

䷟ Mystery of Mountains Over Water – Meng

Beginnings are soft but must stand firm. Guidance lies within awareness; shaping follows naturally.

A society leader finally rose, unable to contain himself. "Who do you think you are? This school doesn't belong to you! Even if you've gathered some underground force, you can't represent all of us!"

Jason met his gaze evenly.

"I don't need to represent anyone."

"I only represent those who want to survive what's coming."

The air grew thick.

The Fu Xi System registered the man's sudden emotional surge, but under Jason's unwavering stare, he eventually sat down, fists clenched tight, lips sealed.

Jason returned his attention to the room.

"This isn't conquest. It's not assimilation."

"It's choice."

"You have three days."

"In seventy-two hours, all peripheral nodes will finalize allegiance. Those who integrate join Gray Wing's outer circle. Those who hesitate will be monitored. And those hostile…"

His pause was sharp. His eyes—cold steel.

"Will be removed."

Lisa silently picked up the list, marking each individual with distinct color indicators.

Meanwhile, in the background, Fu Xi wove a new command structure:

Central Tide Group, Outer Support Wing, Peripheral Alliance Layers, Information Camouflage Zone.

A true invisible dominion—Jason's own silent network—was taking shape.

Wind drifted through broken windows, lifting dust lightly.

And within that dust, Jason's shadow seemed to merge with the dark underbelly of the school itself.

Silent. Invisible. Impeccable.

Section III: Brandon's Undercurrent and Subtle Shifts

On the third floor of an abandoned experimental building in the South District, isolated by a broken iron door, few ventured.

Here, at night, was another hidden outpost—Brandon's base.

He stood before a cracked lectern, surrounded by about a dozen people, their faces barely visible under dim emergency lights.

"What do they want?" Brandon's voice was low but filled with undisguised anger. "A future controlled by the system? Domesticated by false rules?"

A young peripheral node whispered, "But… Jason saved us."

Brandon sneered, his voice harsh and cold. "Saved? Is that what you call it? He merely moved you from one cage to a larger one!"

His gaze swept over them, eyes sharp and unforgiving.

"Open your eyes!

Do you think he's leading us against oppression?

No, he's the next controller—the next 'elite' who will dictate our fate!

Just a different face on the same old coin!"

Some wavered. Some remained silent. Others gritted their teeth.

Brandon pressed on:

"I don't want mere survival!

I want to burn down the entire rotten system!

Even if all that remains is rubble, it's better than being boiled alive in tepid water!"

[System Prompt]

Peripheral Node Group - Microwave Anomaly Detection

Signal Source: South District Experimental Building - Old Zone

Fu Xi detected weak data anomalies in the background—short-term group emotional agitation, information leakage out of control, node thought curves distorted.

Jason stood far away in the main control room, idly playing with a small recording pen, his expression unchanged.

Lisa approached quietly. "Should we intervene?"

Jason shook his head. "Not yet."

His voice was soft, yet carried a chilling logic.

"They're just kids stirred up by desperation."

"The real battlefield isn't in their words."

"It's in their choices."

He tapped his terminal, setting Fu Xi to "silent tracking mode" with delayed alerts—only triggering interception when Brandon's faction took substantive action.

The system responded silently:

[System Prompt]

☵ Water Over Earth – Bi

At the beginning of comparison, avoid rash moves. Observe intentions, guide actions.

Jason watched the distant night scene towards the experimental building, the faint flickering light reflected in his eyes.

He understood Brandon's emergence wasn't coincidental.

Every organization, every collective, during its growth, would encounter disruptors.

They were inevitable, toxic, and touchstones.

If Gray Wing couldn't withstand this,

Then, even without TRACE's encirclement, he wouldn't go far.

Jason spoke softly, as if to himself or perhaps giving orders for the future:

"Let them gather."

"Let them believe they still have power."

"When they truly make their move—"

He smiled slightly, calm and ruthless.

"Not even ashes will remain."

Wind blew across the top of the abandoned classroom building, stirring fine dust.

And beneath the gray night, the tide surged silently, waiting for an inevitable cleansing.

Section IV: TRACE's Covert Cleanup

At midnight, in the underground layer of the old library on the east side of the school, a faint light flickered through cracks in the damaged floor tiles, like a silent signal.

A boy dressed in ordinary school uniform crouched in a corner, quickly adjusting a miniature communication device. His movements were skilled, his expression tense, glancing back frequently.

He was one of the last remaining covert observers planted by TRACE within the school.

[System Prompt] (Visible only to Jason)

Anomalous Node Activity Detected: ID N-17 | Location Confirmed

Anomalies: Unauthorized Information Flow | Time Violation | Abnormally Stable Emotional Index

Jason monitored the target from afar in an abandoned document room, watching through lenses.

Beside him, Lisa, Zhao Mingxuan, and others stood armed, awaiting orders.

"Is there just one?" Lisa asked quietly.

Jason nodded. "Other lines are cut. He's the last living tendril."

Zhao Mingxuan cracked his knuckles. "Shall we act?"

Jason calmly observed the target's actions—he was clearly trying to transmit structural data of the internal node network via hidden channels.

If successful, it would expose Gray Wing's outer layout around the school.

It couldn't be allowed.

"Move," Jason said calmly.

Silence shattered instantly.

Zhao Mingxuan led the team in a coordinated assault, sealing off all exits.

The boy reacted swiftly, initiating a self-destruct sequence to destroy the device and silence himself—standard protocol for TRACE operatives.

However, he hadn't anticipated Fu Xi had already infiltrated his mini-device.

[System Prompt]

TRACE External Signal Intercept | Manual Destruction Protocol Frozen | Memory Block Sealed

Communication equipment froze before self-destruction, emitting a faint noise.

Zhao Mingxuan rushed forward, executing a quick takedown, subduing the boy.

The boy clenched his jaw, eyes devoid of panic, only dead silence.

"Too late," he sneered.

"Yes," Jason approached, looking down at him, his voice almost devoid of warmth.

"For you, indeed too late."

The boy's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something more, but a weak current burst from the implant in his neck, severing his consciousness completely.

Zhao Mingxuan's face changed slightly. "Self-destruct module?"

"No," Lisa analyzed calmly, "Termination chain. Standard TRACE procedure. They don't need failures."

Jason squatted down, examining the boy's mini-terminal.

Fu Xi had synchronized all recoverable data fragments.

[Data Recovery Summary]

Preliminary Structure of Outer NodesPartial Codes of Peripheral Gray Wing MembersUnidentified Code S-A (Unparsed)

Jason's gaze tightened slightly.

S-A?

An unparsed fragment.

Was it a backup plan for TRACE, or a deeper trap?

He noted it mentally.

Lisa looked at the body on the ground, her voice low. "Without our central system's intervention, this data might have leaked."

Jason replied indifferently, "There are no ifs."

He stood up, issuing instructions. "Clean up the site, update node information, notify the peripheral support group to expand the perception radius by ten meters."

Zhao Mingxuan nodded, immediately carrying out the order.

In the system background, Fu Xi quietly displayed a new prompt:

[System Prompt]

☰ The Creative - Heaven – Qian

Earth carries things with thickness; heaven moves with strength. Act calmly, hide potential.

Jason took a deep breath, gazing through broken windows at the dark silhouette of the campus.

TRACE's covert operatives had been cleared, but he knew—

The real storm was brewing just beyond the horizon.

And he must turn this place into an unassailable fortress before that storm arrived.

Section V: Heart Tide Unification (Implicit Oath)

Late at night, in the underground main control command center.

The lights were dimmed to minimum power, enveloping the space in a faint blue glow.

Jason stood at the central podium, behind him floated a giant transparent screen displaying a minimalist symbol—the incomplete loop of a tidal vortex, symbolizing the rebirth and unfinished journey of Gray Wing.

Forty individuals—core members of Gray Wing, peripheral support teams, intelligence units, and allied peripheral node members—stood quietly in designated areas according to their numbers, orderly and disciplined.

No clamor, no slogans, no applause.

Only a silent and heavy anticipation filled the air.

[System Prompt] (Private Message Only)

Node Affiliation Confirmation Rate: 92%

Thought Synchronization Deviation Value: 4% | Stable

Suggestion: Execute Implicit Oath Binding Process

Jason took a step forward, his gaze steady as a mountain.

"After tonight—"

"There will be no Gray Wing, no periphery, no allies, no watchers."

His voice was low but carried an invisible current beneath the surface, slowly dispelling the last doubts in everyone's hearts.

"There will only be one name, one identity, one path."

Lisa, Zhao Mingxuan, key members of the outer circle, straightened up silently.

They understood that this moment wasn't just about organizational integration,

but also about faith and destiny.

Jason raised his hand; the vortex symbol on the screen began rotating slowly, light seeping into everyone's pupils.

Central System issued a faint prompt:

"Node Synchronization Module Ready."

"Implicit Oath Binding Protocol Standby."

Jason withdrew his hand and said calmly:

"You don't need to loudly swear."

"Your very existence is the oath."

"Every decision you make in the future, every resistance, every sacrifice—they are all silent vows."

He slowly surveyed the crowd, pausing briefly on each face.

No coercion, no compulsion.

But in that instant, it seemed as if an invisible brand had been ignited within everyone's heart.

Jason whispered softly:

"If you're ready—step forward."

The air froze.

One second. Two seconds.

Then Zhao Mingxuan took the first step forward, standing tall with determination.

Followed by Lisa, Cain, Ellie, members of Peripheral Group A, B, C—one by one stepping half a pace forward.

A tide-like motion, subtle yet irresistible.

Fu Xi System Prompt

Implicit Oath Binding Rate: 88% (Rising)

Heart Tide Synchronization Rate: 94% (Stable)

Deviation Groups C-22, D-07 Under Observation

Jason nodded slightly.

He knew he couldn't expect unconditional loyalty from everyone.

But as long as most followed the same direction, the situation was under control.

The system completed the implicit binding process in the background:

Each confirmed member's node data was automatically embedded into the main neural network;Information flow would prioritize transmission to the central processing area;Security circuits were set up; any attempt to disrupt or sabotage would trigger automatic isolation and counter-lockdown.

Lisa reported quietly, "Binding successful, core stable."

Jason nodded, taking a half-step back, standing before the vortex symbol, as if merging himself into the new dark tide.

Silently, Fu Xi displayed a brief message:

[System Prompt]

䷒ Without Fault - Wu Wang

True resolve begins with faultless action. Once the heart is set, there can be no regrets.

Outside, the wind continued to blow.

But Jason knew—

The school was no longer a place adrift.

Gray Wing was no longer a fragmented force.

And he was no longer alone.

The tide had converged.

No matter how fierce the storm ahead,

This deep blue undercurrent, born from the cracks of fate, would rise against both light and darkness.

Section VI: Border Defense Setup

At three in the morning, the first faint light crept over the parapet of the rooftop.

Jason stood atop the main control building, gazing at the hazy edge of the campus, his eyes calm as water.

All nodes had been confirmed within the campus perimeter. Reports on the reorganization of peripheral clubs had arrived. Covert operatives had been eliminated. Brandon was under static surveillance.

The entire school had now been silently taken over by a new structure.

He turned and entered a small broadcast cabin on the side of the rooftop.

Core leadership team, various level commanders, and external liaison officers were already connected online, distributed across dozens of real-time communication terminals, waiting silently.

Jason spoke, his tone still restrained:

"From today onward, all information releases, task coordination, node authority adjustments will be unified through a central platform."

On the screen appeared a short string of characters:

[ARGUS Main Control Platform]

Exclusive Identification Code: A-G—0469—HNX

Command Passphrase: Multi-level Verification | One-Time Recognition Order | Active Push Limited to Registered Nodes

Lisa immediately recorded the complete code, while Zhao Mingxuan raised an eyebrow but didn't ask questions.

Jason glanced around, explaining calmly:

"ARGUS isn't a new system; it's merely a front-end."

"Its purpose isn't to think for you—but to verify whether commands originate from us."

He pointed towards the terminals below:

"For any unauthorized signals, temporary network disconnections, behavioral command mismatches, submit an 'Identification Challenge Protocol' to the ARGUS main control layer. Failure to respond within thirty seconds results in rejection."

"Remember one thing," his gaze sharp, "the main control platform doesn't dictate how we think, but it must ensure we aren't controlled by others."

For a moment, all terminals fell silent.

This wasn't a ceremony—it was a covenant.

And such covenants belonged to the deepest layers of control structures—

Not for 'authority,' but for 'not being controlled.'

In the background, the system quietly displayed a message:

Fu Xi System Prompt

Naming Registration · ARGUS Command Core | Display Mode Restricted to Outer Layer Central Hub | Binding Complete

Current Mode: Pseudo-layer Activated, Kernel Isolation Stable

Fu Xi Main Control Hidden Status: Not Exposed

The wind blew across the rooftop, and Jason looked up, staring into the distant campus boundary.

He whispered softly,

"Expand the outer node network by ten meters, establish a perception lockdown layer."

"Not too fast, but dense."

ARGUS Prompt

Peripheral Nodes: Z1-Z9 Online | Dynamic Sensing Circle Establishing

City Signal Probe Relay Station: Abnormal Electromagnetic Reflection Detected (South District Abandoned Subway Station) | Source Unconfirmed | Monitoring In Progress

Jason paused slightly.

Lisa asked quietly from the terminal, "What did you find?"

He shook his head, "Still uncertain."

Looking out at the night, he added softly,

"Perhaps it's the city breathing."

"Or perhaps, the enemy preparing to breathe again."

Fu Xi Private Prompt

䷶ Great Accumulation - Da Xu

Accumulate strength to act, close yet not stifled. Knowing before action, clarity of mind ensures steadfastness.

The first glimmer of dawn appeared on the horizon.

The school had returned to silence, while the world outside remained noisy.

But Jason knew—

From this moment forth, they finally had their own 'internal language.'

Their own rules. Their own web. Their own shadow.

And when the true storm came,

This system—this 'gray wing' reshaped from the fissures of fate,

Would no longer fear any light or darkness.

Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: The Siege of Gray Zones