She received the gift of God [Greek mythology]

The top floor on the south side of the mansion at 1212 Agra Avenue is a sun room.

Pandora slid open the frosted glass sliding door, and looked inside with her head.

The spacious sun room is arranged in a seaside resort style, with a dream catcher hanging on the door, thin blankets woven with colorful geometric patterns are spread under the rattan woven sofa and reclining chairs, well-maintained green plants are scattered and hung in the corners hammock.A great place to take a nap or spend an afternoon doing nothing in the sun.

It's a pity that it's raining today.

The torrential rain hammered the glass ceiling, and the water flowed continuously from the roof along the transparent wall, and the scenery outside was blurred into blurred blocks of color.The air conditioner is fully turned on, but there is still a damp smell seeping in through the small windows that are opened a line, giving the rooftop resort the atmosphere of a train station waiting room for no reason.

Hermes sat cross-legged on the ground, facing the large-scale jigsaw project that was more than halfway in progress, turning around with a piece of jigsaw puzzle at his fingertips, as if he lacked interest in locking where it belonged.He raised his head when he heard the door slamming, and greeted Pandora with a smiling face: "You are here." After a pause, he motioned behind her: "Can you please lock the door? Thank you."

Pandora turned around to pull the hasp of the door lock, and a voice came from behind, polite and cautious:

"Some things need to be said in private, but it's not appropriate to let you go to my room rashly, so I thought of it here."

The fact that she was locked gave her a sense of security, Pandora nodded her understanding, and went straight to the point: "I searched for the id of caduceus4"

He bent his eyes and looked at the vacant sofa and armchair next to him: "How about sitting down first and then continuing?"

As if hitting the air with a punch, the reckless tactic of trying to stand up and ask all the questions in one breath seemed to be unworkable, so Pandora sat down on the rattan sofa, facing Hermes, but separated by two or three steps. distance.She opened her mouth, and the track of her thoughts was interrupted by the invitation to take a seat, and her momentum was suppressed. She suddenly didn't know where to start, and she flattened her mouth in annoyance.In terms of seizing the advantage of negotiation, Hermes is much more experienced than her.

He became the one who asked the question: "You searched for that code name, and then what? May I ask your thoughts?"

"caduceus4 is the founder of the anonymous web platform 'Mercury'."

Mercury is essentially a large-scale network bulletin board. The core positioning is the same as the original intention of the World Wide Web. It is very simple, that is, "information exchange".Users can share any factual information by "posting". The posting content can contain hidden content, and the opening conditions are set by the publisher. It can be a password or a payment price.Similarly, users can issue an "invitation" on Mercury to seek information, and invited guests can choose to directly "post" new information associated with this invitation, or they can negotiate sharing conditions.All "posted" and "invited" content is only available through the platform's internal search engine.

Because Mercury's operator defines "information" very broadly, a large part of the platform is "Sea salt dark chocolate is the best chocolate flavor" "The colleague sitting behind me to the right smells like antiperspirant "This kind of non-nutritive trash talk that can also be seen on other SNS platforms.The model of free pricing and information sharing has also attracted some industry professionals, allowing Mercury to undertake part of the function of answering questions and disseminating professional knowledge and experience, which partially overlaps with the question-and-answer platform starting with the letter q.

Yet Mercury is most famous, and at the same time the most controversial, for its role in breaking news, disinformation, intelligence and counter-terrorism.Except for personal privacy such as the ID number, the operator does not conduct any review or restriction on the disseminated information, and will never disclose the information of the publisher.But at the same time, the platform also stated in the user agreement in advance that as long as there is a search warrant, the police and even the intelligence agencies can freely browse all the "posted" and "invited" content on the platform without restriction. Of course, the publisher's information is still protected. Closely guarded.It is not difficult to imagine that Mercury has become a cyber gray area, and any user may be a whistleblower, an informant, a reporter, a criminal, an extremist, a judiciary, or even an analyst of an intelligence agency.Any chain of linked "posts" and "invitations" could be the sticking point in a serious game of cat and mouse.

Caduceus4, who created this platform and set the rules for information exchange, is extremely mysterious, so that Mercury's perennial popular "invitation" is as follows: Seek clues about the true identity of Caduceus4.There are countless "posts" related to it, many of which are true, but it is impossible to distinguish the truth from the false.When Pandora browsed Mercury's website, the hottest invitation that was pushed to the homepage was of course looking for clues to Trailblazer's identity.

In other words, caduceus4 can be said to be the number one information dealer on the Internet today.

Be sure to say something about your impressions.

"The rumors about caduceus4 are kind of scary."

Hermes was not surprised by Pandora's answer. Instead, he looked into her eyes and continued to ask calmly, "What about me? Do you think I'm scary?"

She looked away: "I don't know."

There was silence for a few seconds, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of rain.

Pandora took out the mobile phone that Hermes gave her from her pocket, and placed it on the coffee table with the screen facing down, revealing the lettering on the bare back of the fuselage. "If I reply the 'invitation' and reveal the real identity of caduceus4, what will you do?"

"Do you have any conclusive evidence?" Hermes asked back, "Any fan of caduceus4 can customize a mobile phone with this ID engraved on the official website. There is no recording of my conversation with you. If you just claim to be an insider , then just added a far-fetched 'post' on Mercury. If you want to add credibility, you have to explain the situation in detail, and even reveal your identity... I don't think you will be anonymous Leaking personal information on the platform.”

as he said.Of course he considered the risks and how to ensure that his mysterious camouflage was comprehensive.

"You can give me a mobile phone without engraving. Why?"

Hermes was very frank: "To test what kind of person you are."

"And it's because..." Pandora stared at him wordlessly for a moment, then continued slowly and tentatively, "You know who Trailblazer is."

Hermes' expression didn't change.This kind of him made Pandora feel strange.His expression gradually softened a little: "You know who he is now," paused, "and who you are."

He even knew she hadn't known anything about Prometheus' secret identity.

Hermes seems to know everything.The exact opposite of her.

It was unclear whether it was anger or humiliation or something else that rushed to the back of her neck, the blood was hot, but Pandora wanted to tremble.Her voice was indeed trembling and inflected: "Did Mr. Olympian tell you to do that? Approach me, get a word from me, test me and investigate me... What does he want? When did he ,how do you know--"

Hermes stood up.She fell silent immediately, sitting tensely upright, her gray eyes blinking warily.He seemed to be stabbed by her reaction, stroked his forehead back, exhaled a long breath, sat on the opposite chair, and chuckled softly: "I will tell you everything. I originally planned to tell you this weekend Everything—if nothing happened suddenly to my father."

Pandora was stunned and understood: on the Friday before Senator Olymboi was suddenly involved in the turmoil, after watching the movie, the invitation that Hermes threw out, what he said he wanted to tell her... Since the reason why Hermes paid special attention to her, she completely misunderstood it.

Maybe he just realized his conscience and didn't want to continue to hide a lot of inside information from her.If he speculates with greater malice, it is more likely that he is ready to stop just because she passed his "test".

It's her being selfish.

Pandora felt more and more that she was a big fool, and lowered her head deeply.

"My father knew your adoptive father's secret many years ago. He didn't explain the specifics, but I guess they had a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship. The Torch Energy scandal should have been unexpected by my father. As for Prometheus Whether he used his father's connections to obtain those important evidences, I think there is. This is a betrayal to his father. On the surface, he is the beneficiary, but to get rid of the suspicion of his fellow party members, and even go further in his official career, He can be said to have narrowly escaped death."

"As for whether the disappearance of Prometheus is related to my father, I asked directly, and the answer I got was no, it should not be a lie," Hermes' fluent and concise narrative broke down, and he looked at the rain screen, "Prometheus Si holds some evidence that makes my respected father feel at ease. After you came here, he asked me to find a breakthrough in you and track down your adoptive father's whereabouts."

After the conjecture was confirmed, Pandora's heart suddenly felt empty.She said dryly, "That's why you are so friendly to me."

Hermes showed an expression of denial.

She reluctantly raised the corners of her lips: "It doesn't matter, you have your position and obligations, I... can understand. But unfortunately, the hope of the councilor is about to fail. Both Epimetheus and I are very concerned about Prometheus's Nowhere to go."

The fingers on Hermes' knees clenched into fists.However, in the end, he didn't defend himself anymore, and just nodded succinctly: "That's what I told my father."

"It seems that you have already used your resources to do a full investigation on me," Pandora looked at the phone on the coffee table again, "Is there a hidden application installed on it like in the movie, so that you can..." She couldn't continue, and pressed He pursed his lips and stared at the floor.

"That's within my ability, but I don't have it." Hermes looked away from the phone and lowered his eyelashes guiltily.After a moment of silence, he confessed: "But I can indeed track the geographical location of the machine, for your safety."

This is the age when you can go out with only a credit card and a mobile phone.In other words, Hermes is equivalent to installing a locator on Pandora.

She looked at him fiercely: "For my safety? What danger will I encounter? Someone already knows that I am related to Trailblazer?"

Hermes shook his head.

"Then why did you—"

Together they fell silent.

After a long time, Pandora was startled suddenly: "Does that have something to do with my biological parents?"

There was no crack in Hermes' unreadable expression, only his eyes froze slightly.

"What did Epimetheus know, but he refused to tell me, he only warned me not to reveal the process of being adopted. Here I only told you..." Pandora stood up, walked directly in front of Hermes, Repeat in a tone that does not allow him to be vague and evasive, "I only told you how I was adopted. What did you find out?"

"No matter what I investigate, I don't intend to share it with others. My father doesn't know. Similarly, for you, you don't have to know," he looked up at her, and his tone was tender, "It's better if you don't know .”

Pandora almost questioned: Why do you want to maintain this attitude as if you are seriously considering her? !

She turned her face away, breathing heavily, fighting the urge to lose her temper.

But she could feel that Hermes' eyes fell on her face.It made her want to scream like a childish brat.Don't look at her that way.It was only because she was the adopted daughter of Prometheus that they had more connection than they should have.Why should she allow him to continue to be a good person?This is too cunning!

If it goes on like this... She will mistakenly think that he is not only approaching because of the order of Councilor Olymboi, and wishful thinking sees what she wants to see in him.Do you want her to get to the bottom of it and speak clearly so that she can confirm that she is a clown who can misunderstand?

"What is better for me, you have no right to make decisions for me." Pandora got the courage out of nowhere, leaned over and sat on Hermes' lap, put her hands on the back of the armchair behind him, and made a pressing question posture.Her heartbeat was frighteningly loud, but she sullenly said coldly, "What did you find out?"

His pupils dilated a little, but he didn't push her down.

"Tell me." She leaned forward more toward him, watching her shadow magnify in his green eyes.

Hermes did not back down: "Pandora, don't do this."

She declared stubbornly: "I want to know. I have a right to know."

After a pause, she stared at him, turned her head slightly, and followed him at an angle where he turned his face away, not letting him look away, her voice lowered, her tone was soft and fragile, like a request to a lover: "please"

Pandora didn't expect this trick to be useful to Hermes at all.

But suddenly he took her by the shoulders, opening a forearm's distance between them.

"Your biological mother is an employee of Torch Energy."

No need for more points, Pandora has already guessed the follow-up direction of the conversation.

"She was a brave person."

She murmured, "That's...the so-called whistleblower? It's about the scandal."

"Trailblazer uploaded all internal emails and audio recordings when it broke the news, from which it is not difficult for insiders to determine the source of the leak."

Pandora shuddered: "Then the car accident..."

"Murder disguised as accident, perpetrators get away, road section where accidents don't happen often, no cameras. Too much of a coincidence to think so."

She was a little dizzy, and her vision became blurred.If it was a TV series, by this time she would have thought of the flashbacks to the accident, and the face and voice of the woman who gave her life.But she still couldn't remember anything.

Memories about myself began in the ward of the children's department of the hospital.She retained the common sense of a six-year-old, knowing that she was in the hospital and could even ride a bicycle when she got out of the hospital, but she lost her previous life experience.At the beginning of the memory, the thin and gentle man was sitting by the window, with a reassuring smile on his face, he told her, don't be afraid, from today onwards, they are relatives.

And Hermes' soft voice continued: "According to official documents, the death toll in the car accident is 3. The politicians and Torch Energy executives involved in the scandal have all resigned. Continued pursuit is likely to attract unnecessary attention, or even If it brings you danger, I will stop."

Pandora took a few deep breaths, not knowing where to look: "So you are telling me that my adoptive father indirectly caused the death of my biological parents."

Trailblazer is the hero who exposes corruption inside.But the hero also has blood on his hands.Although not what he wanted.

Hermes was dumb, and sighed softly: "I didn't want to tell you originally."

It was indeed she who asked him to tell the truth.Of course she couldn't blame him for anything.In one day and one night, her barely normal life up until now was completely overturned. Pandora was confused and aphasic, her hand holding the rattan chair gradually let go, and she slid backwards.It's like she's slumped into a chasm of factual gaps without feeling.

However, the waist tightened, and the young man fixed her in place.

"I apologize for hiding something from you. I originally planned to confess to you that I was entrusted to investigate your matter, but," Hermes suddenly sped up his speech, as if he wanted to explain something clearly before it was too late , "Besides that, I have something else I wanted to tell you."

"What else?" Pandora smiled absent-mindedly, and just asked casually.

Obviously, she was still under the control of the numb aftertaste aroused by horror, and all her thoughts were on the shocking fact that was suddenly revealed.

Hermes whispered self-deprecatingly: "It shouldn't be said in this context."

She withdrew her wandering thoughts and tried to concentrate: "What do you mean?"

She will listen carefully to what he says.Just to take her mind off the Prometheus thing for a moment.It would be better if what he said could make her forget what she just knew.Such an absurd idea flashed by.

"I know what you think of me now, but I still have to defend myself. It's not because of my father's entrustment that I'm particularly friendly to you. It's not like that."

Hermes pursed his lips nervously, and his Adam's apple rolled clearly.

"Before you showed up, I didn't believe in love at first sight."