Chapter 8: The False Spiral Plan
Section One: The Initial Weaving of the False Web
Morning mist clung to the abandoned library's top floor.
Jason stood silently beneath the half-collapsed dome, his fingertips tapping the rusted railing, producing sharp, metallic clinks.
His gaze was fixed on the system interface unfolding in the air before him—a deep blue holographic screen where a new directive flickered to life:
[HEX64 Alert: Wind Mountain Gradual Hexagram Activated]
→ Current Primary Hexagram: Wind Mountain Gradual
→ Philosophical Guidance:
"Wind rises over the mountain,
Carrying far and wide.
Do not haste,
''Do not falter."
→ Strategic Directive:
Advance pseudo-node deployment gradually;
Layer multiple decoys to scatter the enemy's focus;
The true foundation must remain hidden beyond the storm.
[HEX64 Alert: New Module Online]
→ Module Name: False Spiral Engine
→ Module Functions:
Weaving a pseudo-peripheral node network;
Simulating dynamic decoy variations;
Manipulating the wind's direction (inducing enemy misjudgment);
Stacking protective layers for the core empire.
Jason exhaled softly.
This was a gamble.
A war without smoke, yet more perilous than any battlefield.
Before his enemies, he would weave a web—lavish, fragile.
A web to enthrall, to captivate, to mislead,
All while they remained blissfully unaware—
The Web of the False Spiral.
Ten o'clock in the morning.
In the basement of the school library, in an abandoned archive room,
Jason, Zhao Mingxuan, Lisa Peng, and John Wells gathered around a yellowed, tattered map.
With a broken piece of chalk, Jason circled several points:
The old gymnasium;
The west-side parking lot;
The former student activity building;
The north district's abandoned dorms.
Each point was an incubator for the future nodes of the false spiral.
Lisa frowned.
"These places… aren't they too obvious?
What if the nodes meant to stay hidden mistake them for the main stronghold?"
Jason replied calmly,
"It's precisely because they're obvious
That TRACE will believe—
These are the places of true value."
A spark of understanding flashed in Zhao Mingxuan's eyes.
John smacked his lips, muttering,
"So, it's about baiting the enemy, huh…
They know it's fake but can't resist taking a bite."
Jason gave a faint smile.
His fingertip tapped the map's center—
An utterly unremarkable, abandoned warehouse:
The true core node would grow here in secret.
While the enemy feasted their eyes on the false empire's banquet,
The real empire
Would rise quietly.
[HEX64 Alert: False Spiral Engine Synchronization]
→ First Batch of Pseudo-Node Deployments:
3 peripheral pseudo-cores (false activity hubs)
2 guidance nodes (spreading misinformation)
1 induced fracture node (creating localized unrest signals)
→ Core Node: Concealed within the second-layer spiral structure.
That afternoon, under the guise of a "new club expansion plan,"
Jason, through Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa, orchestrated a fresh wave of "recruitment" efforts.
The objectives were clear:
Draw as many eyes as possible;
Spread as much noise as possible;
Create the illusion of a vibrant, expanding, yet fundamentally fragile facade.
Meanwhile, the true peripheral nodes were privately guided by Jason:
"Stay low.
Disperse.
Hide.
Await the true signal."
Dusk fell.
The sunset bled red, and the school field buzzed with voices.
Club speeches, event sign-ups, and subtle recruitment ploys rose and fell in waves.
Jason, dressed in a plain school uniform,
Blended into the crowd,
His gaze quietly scanning—
[HEX64 Alert: Environmental Dynamic Monitoring]
→ False Spiral Preliminary Activation Rate: 48%.
→ Peripheral Node Flow Disruption Level: Moderate to High.
→ TRACE System Weak Scanning Signal Detected.
TRACE Has Taken the Bait.
The corner of Jason's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
Everything was proceeding as planned.
Night.
Atop the abandoned library.
Jason sat by the broken railing,
Slowly twirling an inkless old fountain pen in his hand.
His fingers were calm, resolute.
The one weaving a web amidst ruins
Did not seek to boast,
But to wait for the prey to entangle itself.
And he
Had already woven the first layer.
The wind whistled through shattered window frames,
Carrying the scent of an impending hunt,
Surging silently.
Section Two: The Bait Takes Hold
Monday morning.
A grating electronic voice crackled through the speakers:
"Attention all students—This Wednesday, the [Future Scenario Simulation Competition] will be held.
All clubs and interest groups are welcome to register.
Winners will receive honor badges and social practice credits—"
The announcement echoed through the dilapidated corridors.
Students clustered in twos and threes, whispering.
"Future scenarios? Sounds like nonsense."
"The credits are tempting, though. Worth a shot?"
"Kyle's crew won't dare make big moves anymore. Maybe we've got a chance…"
Jason, with a worn army-green backpack slung over his shoulder, wove through the bustling hallway.
His expression was serene.
The system whispered in his ear:
[HEX64 Alert: Wind Mountain Gradual Hexagram Progress Synchronization]
→ Current Environmental Scan:
Target node interest increased (+8%)
TRACE micro-probing activity intensified (+14%)
Decoy signal amplification timely
→ Recommended Actions:
Form pseudo-node teams;
Create small-scale competitive hotspots;
Guide TRACE to deploy interference prematurely.
Noon that day.
By the tech club's booth, Zhao Mingxuan waved a stack of registration forms, grinning enthusiastically:
"Hey! The 'Future Scenario Competition' is forming teams! Sign up now!"
Lisa Peng crouched on the ground, sorting through a thick pile of documents, adding with a smile:
"No major or grade restrictions—
As long as you've got a brain,
You're in!"
As her words landed,
A crowd of peripheral students swarmed over.
Some were curious.
Some were eager to try.
Most—
Sensed opportunity.
Jason stood at the back of the crowd.
Watching.
The system's prompts scrolled slowly:
→ Confirmed pseudo-node affiliations: 12 individuals.
→ Dynamic spiral deployment rate: +17%.
→ TRACE probe activity: Sharp increase.
The bait was taking hold.
Three days later.
The Future Scenario Simulation Competition began.
Location: The second floor of the old student activity building—
A roughly cleared space, still heavy with the air of ruin.
Rickety desks and chairs were piled in a corner,
Faded safety signs hung by broken windows.
Students grouped in twos and threes, discussing in hushed tones.
Jason sat quietly by the window,
Twirling a small metal ring in his hand.
Zhao Mingxuan moved among the pseudo-peripheral nodes,
Stirring up small-scale discussion hotspots:
Resource allocation;
Safe zone construction;
Power structure evolution.
Each discussion,
Each minor dispute,
Was a pebble dropped into still water,
Rippling outward.
Guiding.
Spreading.
Controlling.
Not far off,
A boy in a gray hooded sweatshirt
Inched closer, feigning nonchalance,
His eyes occasionally flicking toward Jason's group.
[HEX64 Alert: Micro-Intrusion Probe Captured]
→ TRACE's first micro-manipulation node deployment confirmed.
→ Pseudo-peripheral node "Mark Phillips" exhibits abnormal behavior.
Jason's heart stirred,
But his face remained impassive.
He lowered his head,
Scribbling three letters in his notebook with the fountain pen:
T.R.A.
He stopped halfway,
Tucking the notebook away.
As if reminding himself:
The hunter
Was drawing near.
Three o'clock in the afternoon.
The competition entered the "disaster scenario simulation" phase.
Jason subtly prompted Zhao Mingxuan:
"Try handing resource allocation control to the 'peripheral group.'"
Zhao Mingxuan paused, then understood.
In front of the entire room,
He announced loudly:
"We've decided to let the peripheral group lead resource management!"
A wave of gasps swept through.
The peripheral nodes buzzed with excitement,
But among them, TRACE's pseudo-node—
Mark Phillips' eyes gleamed sharply.
[HEX64 Alert: Decoy Signal Amplification Successful]
→ TRACE interference frequency increased to 36%.
→ Latent node autonomous action probability surged.
→ System automatically recorded intrusion path residues.
Jason leaned against the windowsill,
The corner of his mouth curling slightly.
Not in mockery,
But because—
The prey had bitten,
Yet he remained in the shadows.
This was the moment—
The spiral's inner and outer layers, truth and deception interwoven, life and death hanging in the balance.
The sun sank.
The sky outside burned crimson.
Jason's shadow
Stretched long across the broken floor,
As if foretelling:
The true hunt
Had only just begun.
Section Three: TRACE's Probing
Midnight, atop the library, beyond the shattered railing, wind swirled scraps of paper into the air.
Jason leaned on the rusted guardrail with one hand,
Silently gazing at the dark school field below.
[HEX64 Alert: TRACE Activity Update]
→ Micro-node interference confirmed: 1 instance
→ Signal residue capture successful
→ Target trend: Inducing localized node defection
A new red warning flashed across the system interface:
[Breaker TRACE: Small-Scale False Spiral Disruption Program Initiated]
—
Jason narrowed his eyes.
He could feel it—
A subtle shift in the air, almost imperceptible:
Not an overt threat,
But a faint sting, like a needle grazing silk.
That night,
In a corner of the abandoned parking lot,
A small meeting of peripheral pseudo-nodes was underway.
Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng pretended to stroll casually, but their eyes tracked every movement.
Jason, hidden farther off, observed through a shattered car window.
A breeze passed, carrying a faint, unnatural frequency—
A ripple that didn't belong to the night.
One of the pseudo-nodes, Mark Phillips,
Rose slowly.
His eyes held an odd glint,
As if pulled by an invisible command.
He drifted toward the outer circle,
Whispering to a few peripheral nodes.
At first, no one paid attention.
But as he circled,
A subtle unease,
Like ink spreading through water,
Began to seep in.
[Peripheral Node Group, hushed conversation]
Node A (hesitant): "…Don't you find it weird? We've never seen the real 'higher-ups,' yet we keep following orders."
Node B (quietly): "But they've secured us space… We've got more resources now."
Mark cut in, his voice light but sharp as a blade:
"Resources? Sure… But what about real decisions?
Are you certain… you're not just pawns for some faceless group?"
Node A's expression froze.
Some looked down.
Others showed doubt.
Mark pressed on, softly: "Have you ever considered…
If things go wrong,
Won't those hiding in the shadows throw you out to take the fall first?"
A few words,
Like a subtle poison,
Slipped silently into the air.
Zhao Mingxuan frowned instinctively.
Lisa whispered,
"He's sowing distrust."
Zhao Mingxuan gritted his teeth:
"Should we stop him?"
Far off, Jason's fingers tapped lightly in his palm,
Each tap precise,
As if beating out an invisible rhythm in his mind.
A system prompt appeared:
[HEX64 Deduction Recommendation]
→ Avoid direct intervention;
→ Induce TRACE to overextend;
→ Use small fractures to trigger larger signals, reverse-locking the control path.
Jason smiled faintly.
Not in joy,
But in cold appreciation of controlling the prey's pulse.
He issued a low command:
"Let him be.
In fact…
Create more fractures deliberately."
Lisa's eyes widened:
"Are you insane?!"
Jason glanced at her coolly.
In that moment,
His gaze was like an ice wolf's in the polar night.
Zhao Mingxuan understood instantly.
He took a deep breath,
Issuing the order with a hint of restrained madness:
"Everyone, spread out.
Give the peripheral group more 'space for independent discussion.'"
The peripheral group erupted in excitement.
A faint smugness flickered in Mark Phillips' eyes.
On the system's monitoring interface—
Red fluctuation frequencies spiked sharply.
Within the pseudo-nodes,
Trust circulation plummeted,
Doubt infection soared.
TRACE was escalating its efforts.
Just as the fractures threatened to spread globally,
Jason acted.
Not with force,
But by silently releasing a "pseudo-consolidation signal" among the peripheral group.
Zhao Mingxuan subtly took the lead, uttering a pre-designed codephrase:
"We're not following anyone's orders—
We're finding a way to survive together."
Simple.
Ordinary.
Yet carrying a subtle call to belonging.
In the background, the system synchronized instantly—
[HEX64 Signal Interference Initiated]
Stabilize emotional fluctuations;
Delay doubt propagation;
Targeted stimulation of belonging receptors.
Within the peripheral group,
Those on the verge of wavering
Froze for a moment—
Their faltering resolve gently restrained by an invisible hand.
Not forced,
But soothed by a subconscious, familiar comfort.
Mark Phillips frowned slightly.
He sensed an unexpected "interference"
But couldn't pinpoint its source.
TRACE's backend registered faint disturbance signals.
—
And Jason,
Standing in the distant darkness,
Watched silently.
His fingers lifted from his palm.
In his perception,
The entire local spiral web
Trembled like ripples on water,
But—
It didn't break.
Instead,
It sank deeper
Into his control.
[HEX64 Alert: TRACE Small-Scale Probing Interception Successful]
→ TRACE failed to breach the false spiral defenses.
→ Reverse-captured intrusion protocol samples: 2.
→ Localized belief cohesion restored (+9%).
Small-Scale Tactical Victory!
Jason stood amid the ruins,
The wind lifting the tattered flag behind him,
Like a lonely emblem torn in the night.
He didn't smile.
He only lowered his head,
Whispering to himself:
"Welcome to my world."
Section Four: Mirror Within Mirror
Midnight, atop the abandoned library.
Cold wind swept up scattered newspapers, fluttering in the darkness.
Jason stood before the railing,
His fingertips grazing a half-collapsed stone pillar,
As if caressing an unfinished chessboard.
The system whispered:
[HEX64 Alert: Wind Mountain Gradual Hexagram Progress Synchronization]
→ Current Spiral Structure Stability Rate: 78%
→ Pseudo-Peripheral Node Affiliation: Rising
→ TRACE Interference Frequency: Stabilizing
→ Strategic Directive:
Construct a mirrored core;
Create a dynamic self-performing illusion;
Guide TRACE to misjudge the true empire's structure.
Jason closed his eyes.
He inhaled the frigid air deeply.
It was time
To craft
A true false mirror.
The next day, noon.
In a secluded corner of the abandoned parking lot,
The peripheral node group was summoned,
Ostensibly to discuss a "resource allocation upgrade plan."
Zhao Mingxuan casually handed out a "new resource allocation draft."
Lisa Peng lingered in the corner, quietly studying everyone's micro-expressions.
Within three minutes of the meeting's start,
The atmosphere began to shift subtly.
Peripheral Node A scowled:
"Why does the core group get to decide everything?
We fought for those resources—
We deserve a say!"
Peripheral Node B muttered in agreement:
"Yeah, why is it just you few calling the shots?
Was it… already decided behind closed doors?"
The air grew heated, bit by bit.
Jason observed from a distance.
He knew—
This was TRACE's manipulation:
Sowing discord within the false spiral,
Masquerading as "a real empire fracturing in its growth."
If the false spiral began to "spontaneously splinter,"
TRACE would assume—
"This empire is immature, fragile, still in its natural evolution."
This would reduce its urge to intervene directly,
Buying time for the true empire to grow.
Zhao Mingxuan carefully maintained order,
But the peripheral nodes' emotions surged.
Finally,
Mark Phillips stood.
His voice was soft, yet powerfully persuasive:
"Those who truly want to survive
Won't blindly follow a bunch of faceless leaders.
We need our own voice.
Our own choices."
The crowd stirred faintly.
Whispers spread:
"He's got a point…"
"Are we… just tools being used?"
"If things go wrong, the peripheral nodes will be the first ones sacrificed."
[HEX64 Alert: Wavering Trend Rising]
→ Trust circulation rate declining
→ Fracture tendency increasing
Lisa Peng glanced at Jason,
Her eyes tinged with urgency:
—Should we act?
—Should we stop this?
Jason made no move.
He only tapped three times beneath his sleeve.
The system whispered in response:
[Strategy Execution: Mirror Self-Performance]
Guide peripheral nodes toward "self-organization";
Grant pseudo-cores false autonomy;
Dynamically create the illusion of fractures.
Zhao Mingxuan took a deep breath,
Steadying his voice:
"Fine.
If you have ideas—
Elect your own representatives
To set the rules."
The room froze.
The peripheral nodes blinked, stunned.
Elect representatives?
Were they really being given power?
Zhao Mingxuan pressed further:
"Choose your representatives.
Manage the resources yourselves.
Of course,
If you succeed, the credit's yours.
If you fail,
You bear the consequences."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the air.
Within a minute,
Debates over "free choice" and "responsibility" flared like wildfire.
A flicker of surprise crossed Mark Phillips' eyes.
He hadn't expected
The opposition to yield power so readily,
Trapping the peripheral nodes in a quagmire of power struggles.
The peripheral nodes began to argue:
"I'll be the representative!"
"No way, he's too biased!"
"Who do you think you are?"
A simple proposal for delegation
Ignited the desires and conflicts of human nature.
Jason watched silently.
To him,
It was all a meticulously scripted play.
False power,
False fractures,
False autonomy,
Taking shape naturally
Amid the authentic fluctuations of human nature.
[HEX64 Alert: Mirror Within Mirror Constructed]
→ False spiral mirror structure achieved.
→ Peripheral node pseudo-fracture state formed.
→ TRACE detection feedback: "Empire unstable, in early natural evolution."
TRACE Misjudgment Successful!
Jason's lips curved slightly.
This wasn't victory.
It was merely
The preliminary formation of a false mirror.
And the enemy,
Still outside the mirror,
Gazing at its false reflection,
Believing they held all the cards.
Section Five: Preliminary Counterstrike
Night, black as ink.
In a corner of the abandoned parking lot,
The peripheral node group huddled around a battered wooden table, arguing in low voices.
A hand-drawn map lay spread out,
Marked with circles—
Locations of underground supply caches.
These caches, built in secret by black-market factions after the FSA system's collapse, were lifelines:
Discarded school lab equipment;
Expired but usable medical supplies;
Smuggled small-scale energy units;
Even, occasionally, leftover long-range communication devices.
In this rotting, fractured world,
These abandoned goods
Held more weight than any promise.
They could sustain a person through winter.
Turn a small group into an independent kingdom.
Or tear a node collective apart,
Leaving rivers of blood.
Zhao Mingxuan announced calmly:
"We've secured intel on several abandoned supply points.
Whoever controls these points
Elevates their node group's priority."
A clamor erupted among the peripheral nodes.
Some eyes burned with greed.
Some fists clenched instinctively.
Lisa Peng stepped forward,
Adding coolly:
"But control doesn't mean monopoly.
Twenty percent must be surrendered to the central organization
To maintain the system's operations."
Some frowned.
Some muttered complaints.
But most—
Fell silent.
They were weighing.
Calculating.
Tempted.
As the atmosphere grew tense,
Mark Phillips' voice cut in:
"Twenty percent? Hah…
They do nothing,
Living off the resources we risk our lives for?
Why should they?"
[HEX64 Alert: Target Wavering Node Activity Increased]
Murmurs spread among the peripheral nodes:
"He's got a point…"
"What if they're just sitting pretty up there…"
"While we're out risking our necks?"
Jason stood quietly in the shadows,
Feeling each subtle fracture spread through his palm.
He didn't intervene.
He knew
Only by letting these fractures form naturally
Could he sift out the nodes worth keeping.
Zhao Mingxuan remained composed.
He picked up a small map, slapping it onto the table.
"Rules can be negotiated.
But the line is non-negotiable."
He pointed to a red-marked area on the map:
Location: Ruins of the old FSA munitions transfer point.
Resources: Emergency medical kits, handheld energy units, discarded short-range communication modules.
Zhao Mingxuan declared clearly:
"The group that secures this area's resources
Will gain direct promotion within the organization.
More voting power,
Priority training access.
But if you fail—
You bear all losses."
In an instant,
The air among the peripheral nodes
Grew heavy.
They realized:
This wasn't about glory.
Nor belonging.
It was a raw survival game.
Seize, and win.
Lie idle, and die.
And no one
Would collect your corpse.
[HEX64 Alert: Induction Complete]
→ Resource acquisition desire triggered successfully
→ Node differentiation occurring naturally
→ TRACE guided to false resource flow paths
Eleven o'clock at night.
The peripheral nodes split into groups.
Each team, with their map copies and basic gear,
Vanished quietly into the city's dilapidated corners.
In the distant darkness,
Jason, Zhao Mingxuan, Lisa Peng, and John Wells stood together.
Jason spoke softly:
"Let them go.
TRACE is watching—
Let it
See deeper."
Zhao Mingxuan narrowed his eyes.
Lisa Peng clenched her fists.
John licked his cracked lips.
They understood.
This wasn't just a test of the peripheral nodes.
It was
A fishing expedition against the entire enemy undercurrent.
[HEX64 Alert: Harvest Phase Initiated]
→ Within the next 24 hours:
Peripheral pseudo-nodes naturally filtered;
TRACE misjudgment signals further deepened;
Resource consolidation, inducing enemy exposure of hidden nodes.