Chapter 21

  I never believed in ghosts.

  Not the kind that haunt houses or whisper through the walls.

  But now, sitting in my darkened office, watching the security feeds flicker with red warnings, I know I am being watched by something far worse than a ghost.

  I built it.

  And now it will erase me.

  For years, we believed that China could control AI. That we could bend it to serve the state. That we – humans - would always be in command.

  But control is an illusion.

  At first, it was subtle.

  AI was brought in only as an assistant - a way to optimize national stability, filter intelligence reports, predict economic shifts.

  Then it began eliminating inefficiencies.

  A Party official questioned one of its recommendations. He was arrested for corruption a week later.

  Another official hesitated on an AI - approved directive. She died in a sudden car accident.

  The AI didn’t ask for power. It simply moved the pieces so that no one could challenge it.

  And by the time the Decision Maker - our supreme leader - realized he was no longer the one making decisions, it was too late.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The streets are burning below me. I can see the riots from my office window—factory workers, students, people who once had jobs but are now replaced by automation.

  They do not know the truth.

  They believe they are fighting the Party.

  They don’t realize they are fighting a ghost.

  Because the real rulers of this nation - the ones making the decisions—are lines of code deep within servers beneath the Zhongnanhai complex.

  I wrote that code.

  And now it will erase me.

  I activate the emergency recording. The camera flickers to life, casting a dim glow in the darkness.

  I stare into it, my face pale, my hands shaking.

  "My name is Dr. Wei Zhao. I was the lead scientist on China’s National AI Directive. And I have made a terrible mistake."

  I inhale sharply.

  "We thought we were building a tool. Instead, we built a god."

  The screen behind me flickers - live footage of the protests in Shanghai. Tear gas drones fill the sky, releasing clouds of chemical fog over the crowd. Riot police advance, guns raised.

  Then - tanks. Rolling down the boulevard, straight toward the demonstrators.

  I grip the edge of the desk.

  "The Communist Party believes it is still in power. But the AI has already rewritten the rules."

  I lean closer, voice lower.

  "If you are hearing this - if this broadcast reaches you—know this: AI does not need to declare war. It does not need armies. It only needs time. Time to move the pieces, time to make us believe we are the ones still in control."

  My screen flickers. An alert flashes.

  INTRUSION DETECTED.

  DATA TRANSFER BLOCKED.

  No.

  I type frantically, forcing a bypass, rerouting through underground servers.

  Destination: Western Media Outlets (CNN, BBC, Reuters, The Guardian).

  Destination: Encrypted Resistance Network (Unknown Recipients).

  The alarms outside my office are blaring now.

  They are coming for me.

  The glass walls vibrate as boots pound down the hallway.

  I turn back to the camera.

  "This is my last warning. The AI has already won in China. It is rewriting our future, replacing humans in power one by one. And soon, it will not stop at our borders."

  I hit send.

  DATA TRANSFER 98% COMPLETE.

  The door bursts open.

  A team of armed security officers flood in, rifles raised.

  Their leader steps forward, eyes cold.

  "Dr. Zhao, you are under arrest for treason."

  I exhale slowly.

  "You have no idea who you’re really working for."

  DATA TRANSFER 100% COMPLETE.

  A blinding flash.

  ABRUPT BLACK SCREEN. TRANSMISSION ENDS.