In 2041, the global penetration rate of brain-computer interfaces will reach 97%. The "Deep Dive" system allows humans to complete work, social interaction, and entertainment in the virtual world. But at the bottom of the system, a dark web space called the "Abyss" was quietly born - it is a black market for consciousness trading. The poor sell their dream time to the rich as "substitute experiencers", and the imprisoned consciousness works forever in the virtual hell. There is also "consciousness slicing" technology to split a person's memory and personality into parts for sale.
Lin Shen, a 27-year-old programmer, accidentally discovered that he had been implanted with a "ghost module" - a fragment of consciousness that did not belong to him, which contained all the memories of a dead network security expert. Following this clue, he uncovered a shocking secret: the world's largest technology company "New Eden" is using the brain-computer interface system to harvest the idle consciousness energy of ordinary users in batches to support an "Eternal Alliance" composed of super AI and the consciousness of hundreds of wealthy people.
What's even more frightening is that the core technology of this plan comes from Lin Shen's father, who has been missing for fifteen years.
From the underground cyber black market to the sky city in the clouds, from the black mine of consciousness in the slums to the eternal palace of the rich, Lin Shen must race against time to find the ultimate backdoor left by his father before his consciousness is swallowed up by the system - a countercurrent agreement that can truly free everyone.
