Ke Xiao's expression was agitated, clearly somewhat out of composure.

  This also left Xia Li feeling deeply puzzled. He didn't know who had left this glass case for him.

  But whatever was inside seemed to be precious even five hundred years later.

  "Sis Ke, first tell me what exactly this thing is?"

  "Let me observe it a bit more so I can confirm."

  "Alright, but be careful."

  Xia Li handed the glass case to Ke Xiao. She immediately gripped it with both hands and held it right up to her eyes, turning it over and over to examine from every angle.

  After several minutes...

  Ke Xiao let out a long sigh.

  "I'm certain now. This is indeed a Source Code Chip."

  Ke Xiao was amazed beyond words. The glass case in her hands, which wasn't particularly heavy, suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

  "What's a Source Code Chip?"

  "Let me put it this way. Do you know the origin of Spirit Cores?"

  Ke Xiao didn't directly answer the Heaven Chip question, but instead asked if Xia Li knew the origin of Spirit Cores. He did know this.

  He'd been told about it by a shop assistant when shopping in the upper district before.

  "They originated from spherical fusion reactors—failed products at the time."

  "Strictly speaking, they didn't fail. But let's not get into the reasons now. Through this, you should be able to see that failed products from the past aren't necessarily failures in the modern era—they might even be keys to opening a new age."

  "Mm, and then?"

  This kind of thing was common throughout human history. Technology too far ahead of its time was often buried due to the limitations of its era.

  Fortunately, humans were clever enough in their foolishness to keep records of even failed technologies, thinking they might be useful someday.

  "The development of Heaven Chips was similar. Chip technology was already very mature before the spiritual energy revival, but Heaven Chips use an entirely different manufacturing process. From materials to design, everything was created with brain implantation as the primary condition."

  "Therefore... Heaven Chips contain an extremely unique source code that can interface with biological consciousness."

  "Only by mastering this code can one compile, design, and manufacture Heaven Chips."

  "Since Heaven Chips came into existence, the one hundred Source Chips containing the source code have been fought over and hidden by major factions using every means possible. A single Source Chip determines the rise of a Heaven Chip manufacturing enterprise."

  "Our Hidden Wing doesn't have a Source Chip. We can only use secondarily compiled code, which puts us at an absolute disadvantage against the code provider. Our proudest techniques are useless against them."

  Ke Xiao told Xia Li everything she knew. He looked at the glass case in her hands—he hadn't expected it to contain something so precious.

  But why was it in his keepsake box?

  Who had left it for him?

  Actually, Xia Li already had a vague idea of the answer.

  His sister, Xia Shu.

  "How do you know there are only a hundred Source Chips?"

  "After Heaven Chips came into existence, people naturally became interested in their development history and investigated the past."

  "The Source Chips were originally secret technology belonging to a corporation. They had no intention of making it public. That corporation tried to use Source Chip technology combined with other technologies to create a super army. Any technology of that era would have paled before that army—even mechanical armies would have betrayed their masters."

  "But that corporation ultimately didn't succeed. A researcher named Li Shu secretly produced one hundred Source Chips and released them to the outside world. Like Prometheus stealing divine fire from the gods in mythology. Her fate was said to be extremely tragic."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "After various nations obtained the Source Chips, they immediately began research. The subsequent product was the Smart Chip. Only after the Smart Chip iterated to its fifth generation did the Heaven Chip appear."

  The history Ke Xiao recounted was just a few brief lines in historical records, but it represented the tumultuous lives of countless people from that era, and directly changed the course of history.

  If that corporation had succeeded, the consequences would have been unimaginable. What human civilization would have become was anyone's guess.

  "A researcher using the alias Li Shu?"

  Xia Li lowered his head and suddenly laughed bitterly several times.

  Ke Xiao also suddenly realized something.

  Xia Li's sister was named Xia Shu.

  Xia Li, Xia Shu—wasn't that Li Shu?

  So that's why there was a Source Chip in Xia Li's keepsake box. Li Shu was Xia Li's sister—the Prometheus who stole the digital divine fire for the new era!

  "Xia Li, your sister... could she really be..."

  Ke Xiao now felt an indescribable sense of reverence. Xia Li's sister had definitely been a hero of that era.

  "Most likely, yes. So is the Source Chip what Silver Star Group is looking for?"

  "Not necessarily, but the probability is high. After countless struggles and deliberate destructions, probably less than half of the Source Chips still exist. Each one is invaluable."

  "Mm... tell me, can source code hold memories?"

  Xia Li suddenly asked a strange question.

  He'd dreamed of his sister more than once during Heaven Chip installation. She seemed to still be alive, constantly reminiscing about their time together.

  "This... that's beyond my knowledge."

  Ke Xiao laughed awkwardly. Though the source code was important, it was just a complex string of program symbols. How could it hold memories?

  "Sis Ke, this Source Chip is my sister's keepsake. If possible, I don't want to hand it over. But I will provide the source code within it to the organization."

  "That... the organization probably won't believe it. Only source code extracted directly from a Source Chip is first-hand. We must ensure no one handled it in between."

  "Then can you keep this secret for me temporarily, Sis Ke? I'm still too weak. When I'm strong enough, I'll give it to the organization."

  "That... fine!"

  Ke Xiao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to respect Xia Li, and to respect Xia Shu.

  She could report this secret to the organization. Her position and future in the organization would improve dramatically. But doing so would make her unworthy of being human.

  Xia Li was the brother of a hero, the last relative that hero had left in the world. If so, then being blessed by heaven and having opportunities was only right!

  Afterward.

  Xia Li carefully placed his file and keepsake box into his storage ring, then extended his hand to Ke Xiao to ask for the Source Chip back.

  Ke Xiao immediately returned it.

  "Xia Li, most of us in the new era owe you a thank you—except for the Corporate Alliance."

  "The Corporate Alliance..."

  At these four words, Xia Li gritted his teeth, his face showing obvious hatred.

  Qiming Mining, Silver Star Group, and most of the giant monopolistic corporations in this world were all members of the Corporate Alliance.

  And the Corporate Alliance's history could be traced back to 2080.

  Its founder was precisely that corporation that had tried to use Source Chips to control the world. That malicious ambition, even after five hundred years, had probably not diminished in the slightest.