Chapter 148: Three Lives

Chapter 148: Three Lives

Song Yuqing offered no further explanation to Ye Siling.

He simply told Ye Siling, "You're dismissed for the day."

With that, Song Yuqing lowered his head, resuming work on the robot.

Ye Siling wanted to offer to stay with Song Yuqing, but Song Yuqing looked up again, "Could you go back first?"

The gentle, reassuring tone preempted anything Ye Siling might have said.

Song Yuqing didn't want him there, nor did he want him to delve deeper into the robot's secrets. Song Yuqing was wary of him, distrustful.

Ye Siling's hand unconsciously clenched. Did Song Yuqing know something?

Yet, he truly wouldn't harm Song Yuqing, nor would he betray Xinzhou.

Finally, Ye Siling said, "Understood."

As soon as Ye Siling departed, Song Yuqing also left the training ground. Using the office's communication device, he dialed Pei Wei.

Song Yuqing had no habit of bypassing the chain of command.

He briefed Pei Wei on his findings. Given the numerical superiority of the Silan and Westland Continents, further attrition of Xinzhou's forces would put them at a significant disadvantage.

After instructing Pei Wei, Song Yuqing called Xiao Jinshi.

Xiao Jinshi's cheerful voice came from the other end, "Brother? What's up?"

Song Yuqing: "I recall you archiving some of Hakimi's research. Come over and bring all of Hakimi's research materials with you."

Xiao Jinshi: "I'll be right there."

Meanwhile, deep within the mine.

Masked, Su Quan was proselytizing his "cult doctrine." "Did you know? An alpha has three lives in total."

A flicker of excitement danced in Su Quan's eyes. "The first is birth, which I call the New Birth."

Su Quan gestured with a grotesque doll clad in a Silan Continent military uniform.

Hurst frowned, feeling Su Quan was insulting their Silan Continent warriors—that their alphas weren't so ugly.

But he patiently held his tongue, awaiting Su Quan's next words.

"The second life is after suffering severe trauma..." Su Quan's voice grew even more animated.

*Snap.*

Su Quan broke the doll's legs, then its arms, presenting a disabled alpha figure to Hurst.

The already ugly doll became even more monstrous, like a limbless, handless creature.

Hurst couldn't bear it, frowning, "Why use such an ugly doll? Are you deliberately insulting Silan Continent soldiers!"

Su Quan sneered, "You're an invader attacking our Xinzhou, and you expect not to be insulted? Truly, you want to play the harlot and still erect a monument to chastity."

Hurst: "..."

After mocking Hurst, Su Quan produced an exquisitely beautiful doll. The doll was tall and slender, with a delicate build, wearing a white shirt school uniform, black hair cascading to its collarbone.

Its eyes held a hint of aloofness, and it clutched a book, which lent it a touch of youthful charm.

A palpable sense of beauty and innocence, hovering between adolescence and young adulthood, emanated from it.

"Do you truly believe your worthless subordinates look like this?"

"Are they worthy?"

Su Quan's tone was flamboyant, like that of a madman.

Hurst's face turned livid with anger. This doll was clearly meant to represent Song Yuqing during his student days.

"Alright, look how angry you are." Su Quan felt pleased seeing Hurst's furious expression. "So ugly," he remarked.

Hurst thought Su Quan was truly insane, a lunatic who indiscriminately lashed out at everyone.

After insulting Hurst, Su Quan lowered his head and kissed the doll's forehead, then carefully placed it where he could see it.

Hurst: "Can you continue? Stop playing with your—"

Before Hurst could finish, he felt a chilling gaze fix on him, as if one wrong word would make Su Quan turn hostile.

Hurst: "What is the second life?"

Su Quan picked up the ugly doll again, attaching mechanical arms, mechanical legs, and even mechanical tentacles to its missing limbs.

Su Quan: "The second, I call it Rebirth. After the body suffers heavy blows or injuries, it undergoes modification, gaining a second, inhuman strength."

Hurst didn't question this. Their previous research had indeed explored such avenues.

It had been proven that modified alphas could achieve greater power.

Silan Continent soldiers, injured and withdrawn from the battlefield, could undergo such modifications and return to combat.

Hurst: "Have you fully mastered this technology?"

Su Quan offered an enigmatic smile.

Hurst posed another question, "What about Song Yuqing?"

If Song Yuqing had also mastered this technology, it would be a stalemate. He didn't believe Su Quan was significantly superior to Song Yuqing.

What disappointed Hurst most was that Song Yuqing wasn't in his faction. If Song Yuqing were aligned with him, conquering Xinzhou would be inevitable.

Excellent leadership, a sharp mind, emotional stability, and exceptional adaptability.

Even if Song Yuqing were his superior, he would follow willingly.

At least Song Yuqing wouldn't be like the madman before him, constantly flying off the handle.

But Song Yuqing wasn't his commander and wasn't on his side.

He could only remain wary of Song Yuqing.

Su Quan: "What do you think?"

Hurst said no more; Song Yuqing must have acquired this technology as well.

Hurst: "What about the third life?"

As Su Quan pressed a button, the grotesque dummy instantly exploded. Some escaping essence was caught in Su Quan's hand.

Su Quan stepped forward, a smile curling at his lips. "The third is immortality."

"Liberated from physical form, only psychic energy remains eternal."

A vision of immortality—an army of tireless robots invading the other three continents—unraveled before Hurst, making his blood boil with excitement.

Song Yuqing calculated all possibilities based on the structural schematics of the robots.

When Xiao Jinshi arrived, he saw Song Yuqing completely absorbed in his calculations.

Xiao Jinshi walked over, bent down, and embraced Song Yuqing. The Alpha carried the chill of wind and snow from outside, clearly having hurried straight from the Cobalt Bay District to the Central Special District.

"Brother, why are you working so hard?"

Xiao Jinshi leaned in for a kiss, brushing his lips against Song Yuqing's. The brief touch sent an electrifying tingle through him.

The cool, refreshing scent from those thin lips was intoxicating.

After just one kiss, Song Yuqing pushed him away. "Give me the things."

Xiao Jinshi straightened up. "I brought Hakimi's research notes and those unfinished prototypes."

"Mm." With that response, Song Yuqing finished his final calculation.

Song Yuqing took the research notes Xiao Jinshi had brought.

As he flipped through them one by one, a frosty glimmer appeared in his eyes.

This inductive trap was just the beginning of Silan's plan.

The simulation results showed that the robot designed by Hakimi would, during self-destruction, inflict maximum damage on the Alphas of Xinzhou while concentrating protection on the core bodily regions of Silan Alphas—everything except their limbs.

The goal was to kill the Alphas of Xinzhou but maim the Silan Alphas.

If unfortunate deaths occurred, another device would trigger, containing the Alpha's psyche, causing them to fall where they stand.

Once the trap began, Silan Alphas would be plunged into perpetual darkness, completely reduced to instruments of battle.

At first, it was just about replacing cybernetic limbs, returning to the battlefield with hatred to fight again.

Another death would repeat the fate of being contained.

These psychic energies would be collected by Hakimi to create robots filled solely with hatred and a desire for revenge, thoroughly corrupted into monsters.

From life to death, they would have no control over themselves.

This design, from life to death, was not just about the robots but also a psychological game, dragging Alphas step by step into the abyss.

As long as war existed, their plan was feasible, able to drain the Alpha's value again and again.

In the end, it would even create an army of monsters driven only by hatred, never tiring.

Xiao Jinshi noticed Song Yuqing's unusual state and took his hand. "What's wrong?"

Song Yuqing's fingers were as cold as ever, making Xiao Jinshi's heart ache.

"You can tell me what's happening, brother. I can help you."

The firm warmth from the back of his hand brought Song Yuqing back to reality.

Song Yuqing pressed his forehead and spoke softly, "Hakimi isn't dead."

Xiao Jinshi's expression shifted, and he finally let out a scornful laugh. Damn it, truly, "evil endures."

Xiao Lin wasn't dead either. Those two dogs must be together somewhere.

When Xiao Lin escaped the Xiao family's control, he took half of Hakimi's research notes with him.

If his people had arrived any later, Xiao Lin, that dog, would have taken all the robots from the manuscripts.

Xiao Jinshi stood behind Song Yuqing, his warm chest pressed tightly against Song Yuqing's slender back, his work-roughened palm firmly against Song Yuqing's cheek.

As he spoke, Xiao Jinshi's voice remained light. "Brother, don't worry. I've already found Xiao Lin."

But from an angle Song Yuqing couldn't see, Xiao Jinshi's eyes were icy cold.

"Hakimi didn't die thoroughly last time. This time, I'll make sure he does."

Song Yuqing slowly turned his head, his eyelashes lowered, his gaze falling on Xiao Jinshi's arm wrapped around his waist.

"I mean..." Song Yuqing said calmly, "be careful of his revenge."

Xiao Jinshi lowered his head, his tall nose bridge affectionately nuzzling Song Yuqing's smooth, slightly cool cheek, like a large dog marking its territory.

As he moved, his lips deliberately or accidentally brushed against the sensitive skin of Song Yuqing's neck.

"Brother," his voice thick and burning with heat, sprayed into Song Yuqing's neck, "are you worried about me?"

The question was asked with feigned delight.

Xiao Jinshi tightened his arms, embedding Song Yuqing deeper into his embrace, their bodies pressed closely together without a gap.

Song Yuqing patted Xiao Jinshi's head, his cool voice carrying a faint trace of laughter.

"Worried about the little dog."

The tail of his words was like snow falling on pine boughs, causing them to tremble lightly.

Xiao Jinshi, who had been acting recklessly, wanting to rub and snuggle against Song Yuqing, felt his ears instantly turn red at these words.

Both embarrassed and thrilled.

"I am your little dog, brother." Xiao Jinshi then playfully nuzzled deeper into Song Yuqing's neck, kissing and nuzzling.

But Song Yuqing's phone rang. Song Yuqing held Xiao Jinshi back. "Stop rubbing. It's Qi Zhengqing's call."