Chapter 88

Chapter 88

The wingman who was tripped and flew out ran back with a rumble and stopped in front of the Dolphin.

Zhuang Yu had seen Zhan Chen modifying this mecha.

The day before the exercise started, Zhuang Yu couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, so he went to take care of Shi Ji's wingman and chatted with Zhan Chen on the tarmac.

He was still not used to a mecha having self-awareness. After calming down, he pulled down the microphone and tried to negotiate: "...this is my team member."

Zhuang Yu said: "I need to take him back to check his health and have a good rest."

The silver mecha parked opposite him, too stubborn to be moved.

Zhuang Yu had a headache.

The mecha operator and the observer are the closest partners. If the observer is injured or sick, because he is tired and in a bad state, it is natural for the mecha operator to take care of him.

…But it’s not so logical for mecha to take care of it.

Zhuang Yu thought for a while, then retrieved Shi Ji's electronic military status, which had been unblocked and officially transferred to the special forces, made a copy, and sent it to the mecha on the opposite side.

The Dolphin read every page carefully and stored it in the deepest part of his archives.

Zhuang Yu: "..."

Zhuang Yu sent another transfer order for the comprehensive reconstruction of the "Sharp Knife" team, and Shi Ji was specially approved to become a deputy observer.

The dark blue light under the Dolphin's mask flashed.

It seemed that it had searched for a certain keyword, raised its head, and carefully scanned the area where the wingman was controlling.

Zhuang Yu's operation screen suddenly received some garbled messages.

Zhuang Yu couldn't help but frowned when he looked at the garbled codes sent back by the Dolphin. He was about to contact Zhan Chen to report the error, but casually glanced at the pile of garbled codes, but his expression suddenly froze.

…

His breathing suddenly became rapid.

There was a very inconspicuous piece of code hidden in the middle of the pile of garbled code that looked like a prank or a stuck program.

It's very short, and if you don't pay attention, you'll miss it with just one swipe.

[S7, 191519.]

In the alphabet, the 19th position is S and the 15th position is O. 191519 is one of the standard abbreviations of Morse code, which translates to "SOS".

Interstellar Morse code distress signal.

Emergency call for help.

Zhuang Yu rushed to the lookout and stared at the mecha.

His hands were shaking a little. He pulled down the communicator and was about to apply for a call. The voice on the other side already sounded amidst a burst of noisy electricity: "Captain Zhuang?"

Zhuang Yu was not surprised by the voice on the other side. His chest rose and fell several times and he said hoarsely: "Zhan Chen? I want to ask you. I received a code from your mecha..."

"I know." Zhan Chen said, "I saw it."

Probably Yu Tang used the small red light on the mecha panel to flash Morse code to him, and Zhuang Yu happened to mention the Sharp Knife Team. These two key pieces of information activated some historical traces within the intelligent AI carried by the Dolphin.

Zhan Chen was taking care of Yu Tang, who was so tired that he fell asleep. Without paying attention, the Dolphin surpassed his control and sent this garbled message.

Zhuang Yu waited for his explanation in silence.

Zhan Chen was quiet for a moment on the other side: "Is it convenient tonight?"

Zhuang Yu frowned: "What?"

"Captain Zhuang, the exercise has just ended. You still need to place the trainees who have passed the assessment and give them appropriate battlefield education."

Zhan Chen: "Some accidents occurred at your headquarters. Although it has been generally handled, you still need to take people back to deal with the aftermath."

Zhan Chen said: "I also have to deal with...my side of things."

Zhuang Yu was silent for a few seconds, and without asking any more questions, he simply agreed: "Okay."

Zhuang Yu asked: "Did what happened just now bring you any trouble?"

"It's a little troublesome." Zhan Chen smiled, "Fortunately."

Fortunately, Xiao Guangtuan was so tired that he fell asleep. Shi Ji, who was in the sea of consciousness, was also affected by his body. He obediently put down his notes and was persuaded to go back and rest.

Fortunately, this time it was not too late.

"I'll take them back first."

Zhan Chen said: "See you in the evening."

Zhuang Yu had already guessed that he was in a hurry, so he didn't say anything more and only knocked on the transmitter twice.

The silver mecha quietly sank deep into the factory.

Outside the abandoned factory, Zhuang Yu, wearing a refined pure black training uniform, jumped off the wingman and walked to the trainees who were gathering one after another.

…

Zhan Chen gently put down Yu Tang, who was sleeping soundly.

He had already called up his own body data, wiped away the thin sweat from Yu Tang's forehead, lowered the air conditioner in the dormant cabin by two degrees, and pulled the small blanket over Yu Tang carefully.

The Dolphin seemed to know that it was in trouble, its taillights flashed, and its blades drooped motionlessly.

Zhan Chen tapped the control panel twice: "It's okay, it's not your fault."

The name "S7" is one of the key targets in this world that is monitored at any time.

The emergency distress signal sent by the Dolphin to Zhuang Yu was actually concealed enough that even the protection system he had set up in advance could not detect it in time.

But the S7 mentioned in the call for help still aroused the vigilance of Chuan Bookstore.

Zhan Chen asked the Dolphin: "Are you ready?"

The blue light under the Dolphin's mask flashed.

Zhan Chen nodded. He took off his regular jacket, unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt, and rolled his sleeves neatly over his elbows.

The silver-gray parts were condensed into reality from data. In his hands, a tactical intervention sniper rifle was quickly assembled at an invisible speed.

It was swift and fierce, yet so light and silent that it seemed like it was silent.

Zhan Chen loaded the magazine, pulled the safety, raised the gun and fired.

Hundreds of meters away, a mechanical bug that had just been blasted to pieces by Zhuang Yu's leaders rushed halfway, was accurately hit and destroyed the energy warehouse, and suddenly fell down.

The remains of the mechanical bug did not hit the ground.

When these wreckage fell halfway, they were exchanged for experience points and turned into a massive data stream silently.

Zhan Chen aimed his gun.

The Dolphin bypassed his shielding and mentioned S7 in the distress signal, which obviously alerted some people.

Traveling through the bookstore cannot transcend the logic of the world itself, and can only use the existing plot to further develop.

Under the current plot, the most convenient way to obliterate the Dolphin is to let these mechanical bugs that have been given the opportunity to "struggle to the death" again.

Zhan Chen looked calm and aimed at the baseline to lock the next target.

The gun in his hand was so stable that it didn't vibrate at all. When he pulled the trigger, the other mechanical insect fell down and quietly turned into a data stream.

The already dilapidated mechanical bugs staggered forward one after another, only to be shot down again.

The sight of the scope was limited, and behind Zhan Chen, a mechanical insect that quietly circled around suddenly burst out.

The sharp and cold chest horns were not deep enough, and the glowing red compound eyes were completely extinguished under the muzzle of the gun.

Zhan Chen rolled on the spot, and the gun in his hand slid neatly to his side against his forearm. He pushed a new magazine with his left hand and pulled the trigger one after another. There was almost no gap between the two bullets and they sank into the mechanical insect's energy tank.

...The plot deviation in this world finally made the terminal realize the crisis belatedly.

Zhan Chen raised his gun, took aim while changing positions, and shot down the remains of two mechanical bugs.

Compared to the immediate life and death crisis, the data formed from the remains of these mechanical bugs put more pressure on him.

Zhan Chen opened several spare warehouses in the mall at the same time, and they were still full. He was about to open another one when he suddenly heard a startled mechanical voice: "Host!"

In the sea of consciousness, the system carrying a small baggage finally broke in: "I'm sorry, I came back late. The data flow in this world has changed a lot. I have been looking for a long time... the host?"

When the system saw Yu Tang in the dormant cabin, it was so frightened that it immediately took out a complete life monitoring system: "Su——"

Zhan Chen smiled and interrupted: "Your host is resting."

The system that I had just returned from vacation was flashing red lights, and I was floating in shock.

Zhan Chen: "Just right, do me a favor."

The system used this time to go back and study. It has been upgraded to two levels and can process more data at once. He immediately patted the screen and agreed: "Okay!"

The system is gearing up: "Host rest! I will cooperate with Mr. Zhan to fight! Keep it with me——"

Before it even finished speaking, the boundless data flow poured down from the sea of consciousness at once.

system:"……"

Zhan Chen no longer suppressed his speed, raised his gun and shot down three more mechanical bugs: "A little more."

The system was drowned in the boundless sea of data. I took a few hard steps and bought myself a system-specific oxygen bottle.

The battle did not attract anyone's attention.

Zhan Chen eliminated all the dying mechanical bug remains, entrusted the system with the task of transporting data, and quietly returned to the Military Academy with the Dolphin.

As a maker of mechas, "Senior Zhan" who stayed at the military academy also declined the awards from several deans and academy executives and waited alone on the tarmac in advance.

The Dolphin anchored in front of the tarmac.

Yu Tang only woke up briefly when he was taken out of the sleeping cabin.

He was indeed exhausted this time. He vaguely heard the sound of gunshots while he was sleeping. He tried to wake up several times but failed.

The arm that held him out slightly moved back, and Zhan Chen's gentle voice as always came out: "It doesn't matter, nothing happened."

Yu Tang was hugged by him, as if being blinded by the suddenly bright light, he squinted his eyes and buried his face into Cheng Chen's shoulder.

Zhan Chen's body smelled of fresh gunpowder smoke, and the subtle sweetness of blood.

Zhan Chen seemed to know what he was thinking: "It doesn't matter, it's just a scratch."

Zhan Chen said: "Fortunately, you destroyed all the mechanical bugs in advance."

Before that, he was still thinking about the reason why Yu Tang insisted on delaying the exercise even though he could successfully complete the exercise just by resisting the attack of the insect tide, risking risks and consuming the village territory.

——Only when Zhuang Yu brings people over will all the mechanical insects be completely destroyed.

If the plot was secretly revised this time, and the ones who counterattacked against the Dolphin were not the destroyed wreckage, but the mechanical bugs that had been temporarily repelled and still had full combat power, what might be waiting for him might not be just this scratch.

By the third book, Yu Tang had figured out the complete rules of the game, and had long been accustomed to destroying all possible threats in advance within the rules at every step.

Zhan Chen lowered his head and looked at Yu Tang, who was wrapped tightly in a small blanket.

He can easily tell who is in the body at any time. When Yu Tang is in charge of the body, there will be a warm light that is not visible to others and is not obvious.

Zhan Chen gently touched Yu Tang's messy hair while sleeping.

The little ball of light who once accidentally blew up the dryer even if he tried to learn how to dry blankets, became more reliable than anyone before he had time to participate and interfere.

Yu Tang was still very sleepy. He struggled out of his deep sleep and touched Zhan Chen's body, trying to find the wound.

"..." Zhan Chen held his hand that was groping around, and raised the corner of his mouth helplessly: "It has been repaired."

Zhan Chen said slowly: "Have you forgotten? I am data now, and I can repair my injuries quickly."

Yu Tang asked: "Can't we not do data?"

Zhan Chen touched his back: "Not yet."

Yu Tang tightened his arms and his voice was a little vague: "Then I will also do data."

Zhan Chen stopped for a moment.

This time he didn't answer, but gently rubbed Yu Tang's hair again, quickened his pace, and carried him back to the dormitory from the tarmac.

Zhuang Yu came at night.

Yu Tang was still sleeping on the sofa, with a little yellow duck on his head, curled up peacefully in a pile of pillows, holding a corner of Zhan Chen's clothes.

Zhan Chen sat on the floor next to the sofa.

His coat was covering Yu Tang's body, and he put on a shirt casually, and was treating his wounds by the light of the desk lamp.

Zhuang Yu couldn't help but frown: "Are you injured?"

"I can only get a little injured." Zhan Chen nodded, "It doesn't matter."

Zhuang Yu noticed the sleeping person on the sofa, closed the door and walked over lightly.

Zhan Chen knew what he was worried about and did not beat around the bush: "Both of them are very tired. One is sleeping in the sea of consciousness, and the other is outside...Captain Zhuang, I am responsible for the outside."

Zhuang Yu's hand that was about to cover his subordinates with quilt stopped in mid-air: "..."

Zhan Chen nodded politely, stretched out his hand, and helped Yu Tang tidy up the fallen blanket.

Zhuang Yu: "..."

Zhuang Yu took a deep breath and didn't argue with him. He simply sat down on the ground and said, "What's the matter with your injury? What do you mean you can only get a little injured?"

Zhan Chen's waist was scratched by the remains of the exploded mechanical insect, and the wound opened freshly. Even with a new bandage, blood was still slowly oozing out.

Zhan Chen did not answer immediately.

He treated the wound, put a barrier around the bandage, and buttoned the buttons of his shirt one by one.

"There are some people in your world who are chosen."

Zhan Chen said: "Do you remember the current section chief of the Special Investigation Section of the Ministry of Security?"

"Pu Ying?" Zhuang Yu certainly remembered, "He brought a team here this time. The alliance headquarters was furious and asked the Security Department to take the lead in a thorough investigation of the conservatives. We just met."

Zhan Chen nodded.

He was treated as data and recycled into the terminal of Chuan Bookstore. When he was about to rewrite the program, he once saw a very long list.

This list includes many worlds. In the world they are in, Luo Ran, Pu Ying and S7 are all on the list.

The people on the list are the selected "data to be recycled".

He had no idea what this meant.

It wasn't until Yu Tang conducted an experiment with a mechanical insect and raised the question that he suddenly realized the most likely explanation.

After being exchanged once, the mechanical bug will become an "empty shell" that has completely lost its will but still retains the ability to move under the processing of Chuan Shuju Mall.

The same goes for humans.

These seemingly outrageous and absurd fates are designed to obliterate the autonomous consciousness of these target people and turn them into "empty shells."

…

Zhuang Yu frowned: "Are you saying that everyone on this list is your prey?"

Zhan Chen nodded.

Zhuang Yu asked: "Am I?"

"You're not." Zhan Chen said, "You're too old."

Zhuang Yu: "..."

Zhuang Yu: "?"

"You have survived for too long and your thinking has matured, so it is not so easy to wipe it out."

Zhan Chen put it another way: "But if you are still young and have strong enough potential, you will become a target."

Anyone or AI who wants to prevent these selected targets from becoming "data to be recycled" will be quietly strangled by the will of the world under the intervention of Chuan Shuju.

The Dolphin sent a forbidden distress signal, and it should have been strangled into broken data.

Zhuang Yu's heart sank heavily: "That mecha——"

"It's okay." Zhan Chen said, "I did a little trick."

The remains of the mechanical bugs sent by Chuan Bookstore to interfere with the will of the world are bringing back a bunch of strangled and broken data.

Zhan Chen deliberately pretended not to avoid it and was injured during a mechanical bug attack. Part of his data was shattered, simulating it as the defeated fragments of the Dolphin.

The automatically running strangulation program was indeed deceived.

Zhuang Yu frowned and glanced at Zhan Chen's wounds.

The wound was very abnormal. It was still bleeding slowly and showed no signs of improvement.

"Is it okay for you?" Zhuang Yu said, "If it doesn't work, I will take you to the hospital to at least stop the bleeding."

Zhan Chen shook his head: "No need."

To the outside world, the wounds he simulated on the human body were bleeding all the time, but in fact the data of the wounds were constantly disintegrating into pieces.

This is a virus that is specifically targeted at data that is carried in strangulation attacks through bookstores.

Zhan Chen's own data is not incapable of dissolving this virus, but it will also take time. Before it is processed, the data near the wound will continue to disintegrate like this.

"Don't worry, I will protect myself."

Zhan Chen said: "Captain Zhuang, let's solve your problem first."

Zhuang Yu looked away and clenched his fist silently.

Zhuang Yu: "...Okay."

"I received a distress signal sent to me by the Dolphin."

Zhuang Yu said: "It is replacing -"

"You can rest assured." Zhan Chen had blocked the terminal in advance and took over Zhuang Yu's words, "It is asking for help for S7."

Zhuang Yu fell silent.

...When he saw the string of distress data, he almost thought that he had made a mistake. S7 had not been rescued and was still waiting for him to pick him up somewhere.

This possibility drove him almost crazy.

If he didn't want to cause interference to Zhan Chen, he wouldn't have endured it until night before asking Zhan Chen this question.

"Don't worry, S7 is Shi Ji now, he is resting in the sea of consciousness."

Zhan Chen: "You will receive this distress signal because the AI of the Dolphin is not new."

"It has been sending this distress signal for a long time, and what happened today accidentally activated its historical data."

Zhuang Yu raised his head.

His voice was a little hoarse: "What was it originally?"

Zhan Chen: "It was originally a very basic set of artificial intelligence."

The most basic kind is far inferior to the current one. It can only obey orders and is widely installed in old-style wingmen and mechas to cooperate with the driving work of observers and operators.

Zhan Chen asked: "Have you seen Shi Ji's original ending?"

Zhuang Yu closed his eyes.

He nodded.

...He once asked Yu Tang to show it to him.

He watched as his best subordinate, the most talented observer in the entire army, chose to merge with his wingman's AI and became an emotionless, unconscious intelligent program.

The wingman's control panel flashed red crazily, and he tried his best to resist the instructions of the observation hand, but he was still unable to disobey.

The wingmen trembled in the insect swarm, and the wind chimes whined and whined.

…

"I have experienced this ending before." Zhan Chen said.

Shi Ji's wingman was equipped with the most rudimentary intelligent program. This program could not even be called a real AI. It could only be regarded as giving birth to a little chaotic self-awareness.

It's like a small ball of light that just came out of an electronic storm and looked curiously at the outside world.

Zhan Chen: "The new artificial intelligence came to me and chose to exchange it for something."

Zhuang Yu asked in a low voice: "...what?"

"It is itself." Zhan Chen said, "It no longer wants to be self-aware."

Unable to forgive itself, it swallowed its observing hand.

It watched the young man's gentle and happy consciousness dissipate into its own sea of data, frantically searching every corner of the database, but could not find any trace.

"Exchange the experience points, and I used it to buy all the violin music in the world."

Zhan Chen said: "It asked me to repair the S7 wingman and import all these violin music into it before the military took back the integrated intelligent AI."

The violin music was played on loop all night.

In the violin music, the new artificial intelligence slowly dissipates and no longer gives any reaction outside of combat procedures.

…

Zhuang Yu was silent for a long time in this story.

He exhaled, raised his head and asked, "You didn't erase that AI's self-awareness?"

"No." Zhan Chen said, "I've done a lot of this kind of hiding from the truth, and I'm quite skilled at it."

Zhan Chen: "I kept it temporarily because the world needed to be corrected... until one day, a slave ship capsized."

"..." Zhuang Yu: "?"

"The boat capsized and the people on it sank into the sea. The plot needs some new changes and some new characters need to be generated."

Zhan Chen smiled: "I found it and asked about it."

Zhan Chen: "It said that it is willing to be a kind dolphin."