Chen Shouyi's face instantly turned pale as he quickly gathered the photographs and documents from the table, his movements displaying the practiced efficiency of an experienced operative.
"We need to leave immediately," he said urgently in a lowered voice. "Leviathan's people have surrounded this street."
Leo felt his heart rate accelerating while Odin's system flashed warning signals in his mind:
`Multiple hostile signals detected approaching rapidly`
`Threat level: High`
`Recommendation: Immediate evacuation`
"How did they find this place?" Leo asked, confused.
"They might have monitored our meeting at the abandoned factory last night," Chen Shouyi explained while observing the situation outside the tea restaurant. "Leviathan's technology is more advanced than we imagined. They may have been tracking my movements all along."
Through the tea restaurant's glass windows, Leo saw several people dressed ordinarily but moving with coordinated precision appear on the street. They seemed to wander casually, but through Odin's enhanced visual capabilities, Leo noticed they were all communicating through silent hand signals.
"The back door," Chen Shouyi pointed toward the rear of the restaurant. "I know a secret passage that leads directly to the subway station."
"But what about Chen Xi and Ah Zhe?" Leo asked with concern.
"They'll figure out their own way," Chen Shouyi said firmly. "Right now, the most important thing is protecting you and the legacy your father left behind."
The two quickly moved toward the restaurant's back door, passing through the kitchen where Chen Shouyi nodded to the chef who was stir-frying. The chef said nothing, simply stepping aside to clear the passage—evidently they shared some sort of understanding.
The back door opened onto a narrow alley filled with garbage bins and debris. Chen Shouyi led Leo through the alley to what appeared to be an ordinary sewer manhole cover.
"Here?" Leo looked skeptically at the manhole cover.
"Trust me," Chen Shouyi said, using a specialized tool to open the cover, revealing what appeared to be a remarkably clean underground passage. "This is an emergency escape tunnel built by the Pigeon Society in the 1970s, connecting several important locations."
The two descended into the underground passage as Chen Shouyi replaced the cover. The tunnel was equipped with low-wattage LED lighting providing adequate illumination. Pigeon Society markers on the walls confirmed this was indeed a secret organizational facility.
"Where are we going now?" Leo asked as they walked.
"Back to the Sham Shui Po safe house," Chen Shouyi replied. "That's the safest place right now. Besides, you need a quiet environment to read your father's diary."
The passage was long—they walked for approximately twenty minutes before reaching the exit. The exit was located in an abandoned building's basement, completely invisible from outside. Chen Shouyi used a flashlight to illuminate a hidden button, and the wall slid open silently, revealing the street outside.
"No matter how capable Leviathan is, they'd never think we have this tunnel network," Chen Shouyi said with some pride. "Your father and I designed this together."
Thirty minutes later, they returned to the abandoned Sham Shui Po textile factory. Leo was somewhat surprised to find Chen Xi and Ah Zhe already waiting for them.
"How did you get here?" Leo asked.
Ah Zhe smiled: "After we saw those people surrounding the tea restaurant, we figured you'd escape through the back door. Chen Xi said this would be the most likely rendezvous point."
Chen Xi approached Chen Shouyi, solemnly extending her hand: "Uncle Chen, thank you for protecting Leo all these years. I'm Chen Xi, Asian Regional Coordinator for the Pigeon Society."
Chen Shouyi grasped her hand, surprise flashing in his eyes: "So you're Chen Xi. Your father Chen Tianping mentioned you, saying you were the organization's hope."
"You knew my father?" Chen Xi asked in surprise.
"Chen Tianping was one of the Balance organization's founders," Chen Shouyi explained. "He was mentor to both your father and me. When the organization split in 1997, he sacrificed himself to prevent Leviathan."
This revelation plunged the room into brief silence. Pain flashed in Chen Xi's eyes, but she quickly regained composure.
"Now isn't the time for this," she said. "We need to understand what Leo's father left behind before we can formulate our next plan."
Chen Shouyi nodded, withdrawing the package from his jacket: "This is Julian's legacy for Leo. But complete interpretation requires special methods."
Leo accepted the package, carefully examining the Go manual and notes. The Go manual's cover appeared ordinary, but when his fingers touched the surface, Odin's system suddenly issued a prompt:
`Biometric marker detected`
`Blood sample required for complete unlock`
`Warning: This process is irreversible`
"Odin says it needs my blood sample," Leo said, then realized he had again revealed the system's existence.
Both Chen Shouyi and Chen Xi looked at him with understanding expressions.
"You don't need to hide Odin's existence," Chen Shouyi said gently. "We all know your father implanted an AI system within you. In fact, that was his greatest achievement."
Ah Zhe retrieved a small blood sampler from his equipment bag: "If you need a blood sample, this can help."
Leo accepted the sampler, pricking his finger lightly and letting several drops of blood fall onto the Go manual's cover. After the blood was absorbed by the paper, the cover began undergoing strange changes. What had appeared to be ordinary printed text started transforming, revealing another layer of hidden text beneath.
`Biological verification passed`
`Synchronizing Odin system with genetic code...`
`Unlock complete`
The Go manual's true contents began appearing. This wasn't merely a Go manual, but a complex cryptographic system. Each stone pattern represented different letters and numbers, while those seemingly random game records were actually Leo's father's research notes.
Even more remarkably, Odin began automatically decoding this content, displaying translated text in Leo's field of vision:
"To my son Tianlang:
If you're reading these words, it means Odin has successfully activated and I'm likely no longer in this world. I must tell you some things about our family, about the Balance organization, about the truth of this world."
Leo began reading his father's words aloud while the others listened intently:
"The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis was not a natural economic disaster, but a carefully orchestrated currency war. On the surface, Soros and other international speculators attacked Southeast Asian currencies, but the real puppet master was Leviathan."
Chen Shouyi continued the narrative: "I remember the situation then. July 2nd, 1997—the Thai baht collapsed first, then the crisis spread throughout Southeast Asia. Everyone thought it was Soros's individual speculation."
"Leviathan used a technique called 'currency manipulation,'" Leo continued reading from his father's diary. "They didn't simply short Asian currencies—they simultaneously manipulated multiple countries' exchange rates, creating chain reactions."
Odin displayed 1997 exchange rate charts in Leo's mind, clearly showing the collapse patterns of various national currencies:
`Analysis: Thai baht devalued 32% → triggered Malaysian ringgit devaluation → caused Indonesian rupiah collapse → threatened Hong Kong's linked exchange rate system`
"How does currency manipulation work?" Ah Zhe asked curiously.
Chen Xi explained: "Simply put, it uses leverage effects to amplify market panic. When you have sufficient funds, you can simultaneously attack multiple currencies, creating panic sentiment. When investors see one currency falling, they worry their own country's currency will fall too, so they start selling, forming chain reactions."
"But the Hong Kong dollar was an exception," Leo continued reading. "Because Hong Kong operates a linked exchange rate system, with the HKD pegged to the US dollar. For Leviathan to attack the Hong Kong dollar, they had to simultaneously attack Hong Kong's foreign exchange reserves and financial system."
Chen Shouyi nodded: "The Hong Kong Monetary Authority made a crucial decision then—entering the market to support Hong Kong stocks. This was unprecedented government intervention."
Odin displayed additional details:
`August 1998: Hong Kong government deployed HK$120 billion to intervene in markets`
`Objective: Simultaneously support HKD exchange rate and Hang Seng Index`
`Result: Successfully repelled international speculators`
"The Balance organization internally disagreed about whether to help the Hong Kong government," his father's diary continued revealing the truth. "The Dove faction believed we should protect ordinary citizens' interests, supporting the government's intervention. But the Leviathan faction felt markets should be controlled by elites—government intervention was a betrayal of the 'free market.'"
"This was the real reason for the organization's split," Chen Shouyi said gravely. "Not just ideological conflict, but fundamental disagreement over monetary control. Leviathan wanted to establish a financial system controlled by technical elites, while we believed finance should serve everyone."
Leo turned to the diary's next page, discovering even more shocking content:
"I buried a special program in the Odin system called the 'Balance Protocol.' This program can monitor global financial market stability, and when systemic risk reaches dangerous levels, it automatically activates protective mechanisms."
"Protective mechanisms?" Chen Xi asked.
"Odin can temporarily take control of critical financial infrastructure, preventing malicious market manipulation. But this function can only be used in extreme circumstances, because it essentially means letting an AI system control the global economy."
This revelation shocked everyone present. Leo realized he hadn't just inherited an AI assistant, but possessed a weapon that could potentially change the world's economic order.
Chen Shouyi looked at Leo seriously: "Now you understand why Leviathan wants you so badly. If they control the Odin system, they essentially control the global financial system."
At that moment, Leo discovered an appendix on the diary's final page, listing several mysterious names and addresses:
Tokyo: Akira Tanaka - Quantum Cryptography Specialist
London: William Blackwood - European Financial Network
New York: Alice Rothschild - Wall Street Insider
"Are these other 'Architect's Sons'?" Leo asked.
Chen Shouyi nodded: "Yes. Your father and several other core members each had descendants. Each person inherited different systems and capabilities. Akira Tanaka inherited a quantum computing system, William received control of the European financial network, and Alice commands Wall Street's internal intelligence network."
"So we need to find them?"
"It's more than that," Chen Shouyi's expression grew even more serious. "I've received word that Akira Tanaka may have already been captured by Leviathan. And both William and Alice have lost contact."
Chen Xi frowned: "So Leo might be the last free 'Architect's Son'?"
"Not necessarily," Chen Shouyi shook his head. "Actually, there are still Pigeon Society members in Hong Kong who have been hiding among ordinary people. Moreover, your father left more than just the Odin system."
"What do you mean?" Leo asked.
Chen Shouyi took a deep breath: "Before Julian died, he split the Odin system into two parts. What's inside you is only the main system—there's a backup system hidden somewhere in Hong Kong. Only when both systems combine can Odin's true power be unleashed."
This news hit Leo like a heavy hammer, shattering his understanding of reality. He thought he had already grasped his father's complete legacy—apparently this was just the beginning.
"Where is the backup system?"
"I don't know the exact location," Chen Shouyi said regretfully. "But I know there's a clue. Your father said when the Odin system reaches 30% initialization progress, it will automatically display clues for finding the backup system."
Leo checked Odin's current status:
`System initialization progress: 23.7%`
`Distance to critical threshold: 6.3%`
"Looks like we need to wait a while longer," Leo said.
"Time might be running out," Chen Xi warned. "According to our intelligence, Leviathan is preparing to launch a plan called 'New Tower of Babel.' They want to establish a globally unified digital currency system under their complete control."
"Digital currency?" Ah Zhe asked.
"Imagine if all the world's money became digital, and the people controlling this system could freeze your accounts at any time, monitor every transaction, even decide where you can spend money," Chen Xi explained. "This is Leviathan's ultimate goal—controlling everyone by controlling currency."
Leo felt a wave of terror. This was no longer a story about personal revenge or family vendettas, but a war for humanity's future freedom.
"What should we do now?" he asked.
Chen Shouyi stood up, walking to the window to observe the darkening sky outside: "First, we need to find Hong Kong's other Pigeon members. Then we need to help Odin reach 30% initialization, revealing the final secret your father left behind."
"Most importantly," Chen Xi added, "we need to stop Leviathan's 'New Tower of Babel' plan. If they succeed, the entire world will become their slaves."
Night fell, and the Sham Shui Po industrial district returned to silence once again. But in this abandoned textile factory, four people were planning actions that might change the world's fate. They knew every step ahead would be filled with danger, but they also knew that without action, human freedom would forever vanish into a digital prison.
Leo looked at his father's diary in his hands, feeling an unprecedented sense of responsibility. He was no longer the ordinary clerk who ate breakfast at the tea restaurant every day, but a key figure in a war concerning humanity's future.
The weight of inherited legacy pressed down upon him—not just the technological marvels his father had created, but the moral imperative to use them wisely. As he sat surrounded by allies in this desolate place, Leo understood that the comfortable predictability of his old life had been an illusion. The real world was a battlefield where the very foundations of human society were at stake, and he had been thrust into the center of that conflict by the accident of his birth and the foresight of a father he was only now beginning to truly know.