On the other end of the phone, Wen Er's light grey pupils froze instantly.
… What surged up in him the most was anger.
Wen Er always thought that anger was meaningless. In his view, anger was a negative emotion that only resulted from a loss of control and was the reaction of the weak and powerless.
He has this ability to ensure that everything around him is always within a controllable and safe range.
The unexpected car accident tonight, the strange moments on Luo Ran's body, Luo Ran's defiance and rebuttal, Luo Ran running home without his permission... Ever since Luo Ran came back this time, many things started to feel wrong, as if they were slightly bumping into him, trying to get rid of his control.
These things did make him unhappy, but he was not angry enough.
Wen Er knows how to get everything back on track.
But tonight, the headquarters' terminal was attacked maliciously and important S-level data was lost and damaged, which was beyond the limit of what Wen Er could properly solve on his own.
Wen Er called Luo Ran. The researchers who were in urgent need of data and their direct supervisors from the science department were blocking the office and had been arguing in a mess for several hours.
He was not responsible for data security, he was not the one who stole the data, and he was not the one who needed the data for research. Because he was the person in charge, he was responsible for all of this and had to find a way to solve it.
No one knows how to solve it, everyone just looks at the data.
When will the data be returned, when will it be completed, will there be another accident? Is there any remedial measure for this serious omission, compensation plan for the stagnant research progress...
… The occurrence of such an extremely severe data loss incident does not mean that the ability of the person in charge has been overestimated to some extent.
"Luo Ran." Wen Er asked calmly, "Do you know what you are saying?"
There was no sound from the other end.
Wen Er's eyes were dark, and his tone was still steady, but there was already a hint of coldness seeping out: "Luo Ran, speak."
Luo Ran had already begun to disobey and resist him, and originally needed to be taken back and corrected.
If Luo Ran said one more word, he would have plenty of ways to make Luo Ran remember clearly the consequences of provoking him this time -
On the other side of the phone, Luo Ran hesitated: "... Wen Er?"
The corner of Wen Er's eye twitched slightly.
"I'm..." Luo Ran seemed to be awakened by his words, and gradually returned to his normal tone, "I'm at home, I'm sick."
Luo Ran seemed to have not heard what he said behind him. He muttered in a low voice, a little vaguely: "I'm sick, and I didn't realize it myself... My parents saw it at a glance, and now they don't allow me to go out and let me sleep at home."
His voice became normal again.
Luo Ran explained to him in a low voice, with an unconscious fear in his voice, which was no different from usual, as if the person who just repeated those words was not Luo Ran himself.
Wen Er was provoked by those words, and the anger that had been accumulated to the extreme, which was just short of venting, was forcibly sealed in his chest.
Wen Er's brows were tightly locked.
On the other end of the phone, Luo Ran paused, as if he finally realized something was wrong: "Wen Er... What's wrong with me?"
Wen Er did not answer immediately. He entered the password on the computer and opened a top-level encrypted document.
Similar to the previous records, Luo Ran's performance today seemed like he had suffered a brief personality annihilation again.
Based on past experience, Luo Ran might indeed experience personality instability within 24 hours after entering the electronic storm.
But he clearly hadn't guided Luo Ran. What triggered Luo Ran to suddenly recite what he had said before
Is it because he mentioned the keyword "difficult", or... is it because he mentioned Pu Ying
For some reason, Wen Er suddenly thought of the car accident again, and the image of Luo Ran sitting on the roof of his own SUV and throwing the safety rope down.
It was not just cold - coldness was even warmer than flesh. It was more like an empty shell that had been completely stripped of a certain part, no longer human, with only the ability to think and behave left.
It's like... Pu Ying coming back again.
Wen Er narrowed his eyes, almost unable to control himself, and his fingers nervously jumped twice on the cold edge of the table.
What caused this change
Even though it was very brief and only flashed by, he was more familiar with the feeling that was almost exactly the same as Pu Ying's than anyone else.
How could Luo Ran suddenly become like this
Everything is normal, everything is under control—
Wen Er's pupils shrank slightly, and his brain suddenly shuddered.
"Luo Ran." Wen Er asked, "This was your fifth time entering the electronic storm. How long did you stay there?"
Luo Ran was stunned: "...What?"
"The duration of the stay should be recorded on the instrument..." Wen Er stood up, "Forget it, I'll go and see for myself."
So many things happened, one after another, that he had almost forgotten about this incident.
After the car accident, Luo Ran stayed in the electronic storm for too long.
"Timeout?"
Luo Ran's voice was a little hesitant: "I don't know, I got the numbers mixed up... I was worried that I didn't get enough data, so I stayed a little longer."
"It's okay." Luo Ran said, "I just felt dizzy, but I'm fine now."
Wen Er wasn't listening to him.
Wen Er retrieved all of Luo Ran's equipment records.
He stood in front of the screen, an unprecedented feeling enveloped him, and his chest felt colder and colder.
… He had no time to talk about personality destruction and the influence on his children.
The last time Luo Ran entered the electronic storm, he stayed inside for 37.51 seconds.
Timed out in 7.51 seconds.
Luo Ran is a top storm chaser who is professional, stable, precise, and never has any accidents. So Wen Er almost forgot that there is such a rule in the safety code that has been forgotten.
Electronic storm detection is a high-risk detection activity. To ensure the safety of the detector, once the detection time expires, the personal ID will be automatically blocked by the system.
This regulation is set to prevent detectors from getting into danger. According to current research results, if the overtime detection exceeds 7.5 seconds, at least 15 days will be needed to eliminate the damage caused by electronic pulses to the human body.
If the timeout is less than 7.5 seconds, it will only trigger a warning reminder, and he can also use his authority as the head of the research institute to forcibly restore the status of use.
If it exceeds 7.5 seconds, the personal ID and iris fingerprint data will be bound and directly registered with the science and technology department, triggering a ban.
When the id is banned, no one, no department, can restart it through any means.
Because the retention time was 0.01 seconds longer than the stipulated 7.5 seconds, Luo Ran triggered the disabling of his personal ID and temporarily banned the operation and use of all instruments.
… in other words.
Within fifteen days, even if Luo Ran was willing to enter the electron storm again, he would not be able to detect any valuable data for him.
It only took 0.01 seconds longer.
…
Wen Er pressed the instrument with both hands.
His eyes were dark and gloomy, and he could hardly control his emotions, his chest heaving heavily.
There was no reasonable logic to support his suspicion of Luo Ran, not to mention that it was impossible for Luo Ran to have the idea of deliberately staying overtime... Even if he did, how could he do it
The time and space in the electron storm are temporarily distorted. No matter how many advanced instruments we have, when it comes to timing, we can only rely on the most primitive methods.
The detector has no reference and can only use its own time to time once it enters the electron storm.
If Luo Ran wants to calculate the time so accurately... he has to put a system with a built-in timer in his head and write a precise program for himself that can be accurate to 0.01 seconds.
How is this possible
Wen Er would not waste time on illogical assumptions, nor did he have time to consider such a suffocating coincidence.
Wen Er adjusted his breathing and heartbeat. He tried his best to calm himself down and his eyes fell on a thick stack of documents.
The reason why he called Luo Ran late at night was because if Luo Ran was willing to come back, this would be the most direct and effective way to solve the problem.
Who that daring hacker was, what his purpose was in attacking the terminals of the Central Research Institute and stealing these data, these were none of his business. The Alliance's direct security department in the imperial capital would take over the full investigation.
But the mess left behind can only be cleaned up by the person in charge.
The hackers only stole half of the data, and the remaining half was severely disrupted and had to be reorganized and archived before it could be distributed to several research teams in the institute.
For projects that are delayed due to data loss, compensation plans for team idleness must be implemented as soon as possible.
The most important thing is that there must be new detection data to make up for the serious deficiencies in the current database content.
Luo Ran couldn't help with any of these things.
Wen Er closed his eyes.
He didn't waste any more time, said a few words casually on the phone, and approved a fifteen-day rest vacation for Luo Ran.
The situation is in chaos. If it cannot be handled properly, the Ministry of Science and Technology will re-evaluate his qualifications as the head of the general research institute.
He had to gather people to organize data, finalize compensation plans, and urgently recruit a large number of new temporary "storm chasers."
He had to retrain these new explorers and have them provide enough data to make up for the serious losses this time.
This was just work within the research institute. Wen Er still had to report back to the science department, accept inspection by the investigation team, and give a reasonable explanation for why he left the research institute alone tonight... There were too many things to deal with.
He couldn't care less about Luo Ran.
Yu Tang didn't even bother to care about Wen Er.
In order to fit the new settings of "being stranded in the electronic storm for too long" and "suffering physical damage", Yu Tang received a big gift package from the Supervisory Department after returning to Luo Ran's bedroom.
The next morning, Luo's father called his son to get up and noticed that Luo Ran's face looked strange.
Father Luo touched his son's forehead and his expression changed.
…
"It's okay to have a fever." Yu Tang was in his sea of consciousness, wearing the small blanket he got from the first book, but he still couldn't figure it out, "Why is it hypothermia?"
The system helped him read the script: "Host, in the original novel, Luo Ran also entered this state of hypothermia after his fever subsided."
This is also the most serious known impact of electron storms on the human body.
Most of the people who are caught in the electronic storm but have not been completely swallowed up will suffer from this special "hypothermia" if they are rescued in time.
The body produces less heat, the regulatory ability is worse than that of normal people, and the body temperature cannot be maintained spontaneously.
In the original plot, after Luo Ran was completely imprisoned by Wen Er, he has been trapped in this physical state.
He became pale, weak, and afraid of cold. He had to wear very thick long-sleeved clothes even in summer and got used to curling up to keep warm.
He had met Luo's father and mother once.
He didn't know that it was Wen Er who specially arranged that time. Luo's father and mother thought that their son had gone on a detection mission, and the research institute was to send summer clothes to Luo Ran.
Luo's father knew that his son was most afraid of heat, so he specially bought a big bag of Luo Ran's favorite popsicles and ice cream when he was a child.
Luo's father and mother thought their son was not there, so they were anxious and left in a hurry.
They didn't notice that in a laboratory they passed by, there was a young researcher who was tightly dressed in long sleeves, long pants and a baseball cap. As soon as he noticed their presence, his figure froze behind the instrument.
Luo Ran hunched over, clutching his sleeves with his hands.
He had put on a lot of clothes, but he was still cold.
It was so cold that it felt like ice was coming out of my chest and no amount of hot water could melt it away.
He looked at the two familiar figures, his legs too weak to move, and thought to himself: Don't notice it, don't notice it.
He couldn't move at all. After watching Father Luo and Mother Luo walk away, he secretly ran out of the laboratory without telling anyone, took out all the ice cream that Father Luo had put in the refrigerator in the dormitory for him, and stuffed it into his mouth greedily.
Fortunately, he thought.
Fortunately, his parents didn't see him. Fortunately, he didn't lose his temper at that time and couldn't rush over, throw himself into their arms and cry desperately, begging them to take him away.
"Luckily it's a big watermelon." said Yu Tang.
system:"… "
Luo Ran's card was still awake, and the system was very worried, so it helped Yu Tang lower the volume by two levels.
"Let him listen."
Yu Tang turned the volume back down: "This type of hypothermia is a physiological disease and needs to be treated scientifically. You need to supplement your nutrition, exercise more, get more sun, and hug more people."
Yu Tang: "Eating a lot of ice cream is useless."
The system flashed a small red light anxiously: "Host."
Yu Tang paused and asked: "Am I wrong?"
System: “…Yes.”
Although there is no problem with the logic, the system still feels that Luo Ran is not eating ice cream for this reason.
It reminded Yu Tang, flew over quietly, and helped its host open the book "Human Behavior Research".
"Wait and see." Yu Tang specializes in teaching cards. "Next time you encounter this kind of thing, pour all the ice cream on Wen Er's head, and then take a taxi to the hospital by yourself."
system:"… "
Card: "..."
Yu Tang paused for a moment, flipped through a few pages of Human Behavior, and switched to the second new plan: "Go up... hug your parents, tell them everything, tell them you are cold."
"We will tell you how serious it is and how severe it is."
Yu Tang: "Then your father will help you put the ice cream on Wen Er's head and take you to the hospital in a taxi."
The card couldn't hold on and trembled slightly in his sea of consciousness.
…
In reality, Luo Ran leaned on the hospital bed, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but raise slightly.
"Have you figured it out?"
Luo's mother glared at him, and when she saw her son's expression ease, she finally smiled and said, "I told you a long time ago, the doctor checked it and it's not serious."
"Run more, jump more, be more active, and get more sun."
Luo's mother reached out her hand and stroked her son's soft and obedient little red-haired dog: "Just take care of it for a few months. It won't hinder you from chasing thunder on your motorcycle."
As soon as Luo's father came in, he couldn't help but interrupt: "When the doctor said to liven up your hair, he probably didn't mean dyeing your hair..."
"I like to see my son's head turn red."
Luo's mother said: "Celebration."
Father Luo: “…”
Luo Ran obediently let his mother rub his head. He pursed the corners of his pale lips, and the heat flowed down from behind his ears into his collar.
This time, Luo Ran returned home early and was discovered in time, so his condition was not serious.
Hypothermia caused by electronic storms is not uncurable. In fact, the treatment plan is very simple - supplement nutrition, scientific diet, scientific exercise, ensure adequate sleep, mental relaxation, and increase the body's basal metabolic rate.
Wen Er never mentioned that he wanted to treat Luo Ran, just because it made him look more like Pu Ying.
"Mom, turn on the air conditioner for a while."
Luo Ran saw the thin layer of sweat on Luo's mother's temples and said softly, "I'd better put on more clothes."
It is midsummer now, and the air-conditioning is not turned on in the single room, but Luo Ran said the temperature is just right.
But there is no way that Mr. and Mrs. Luo wouldn't feel hot.
Luo Ran gently grasped the quilt. He was afraid that his tone was wrong and would make his parents worry. He tried to recall what he was like in the past: "I'm not afraid of the cold. You guys cool down for a while, I—"
Before he could finish his words, he received a light slap on the back of his head.
Very light, almost like some kind of optical illusion.
Luo Ran was stunned.
Neither Mr. Luo nor Mrs. Luo took any action.
They still haven't figured out what happened to Luo Ran. Luo's mother's anger that night has subsided, and she is left with a pain that she doesn't know where to put.
Luo's father and mother carefully considered every word they said. They protected their son awkwardly and clumsily, and were reluctant to say a harsh word to their exhausted son.
Luo's father had just gone to the supermarket and bought a lot of nutritional supplements for Luo Ran. He and Luo's mother were placing them one by one at his bedside.
Luo Ran sat there in a daze, and subconsciously looked at Yu Tang's figure in his sea of consciousness.
Yu Tanggang slapped himself on the back of the head, then took his hand back without even looking at him, and continued to concentrate on processing the work documents that w&p had sent remotely.
…
Luo Ran tensed up, met the gazes of Luo's father and mother, and whispered, "... I want to eat ice cream."
"No." Luo's mother frowned, "Why eat ice cream now when there is nothing else to eat?"
Having agreed not to scold his son, Father Luo quietly touched Mother Luo and whispered: "Son wants to eat."
"He can't eat even if he wants to. With his current health, how can he eat something cold?"
Luo's mother was reluctant to scold her son, so she turned around and scolded her husband: "You can't agree to everything. Your son's health is important. What if it affects his recovery?"
Luo's father argued for his son: "It doesn't matter. Just eat a bite to satisfy your craving..."
"You eat a bite." Luo Ran whispered, "Mom and Dad can eat the rest."
Luo's mother was stunned.
She suddenly understood what Luo Ran meant.
Luo Ran was afraid that they were too hot and wanted them to turn on the air conditioner, but he was afraid that they would not agree, so he tried to find a roundabout way to cool them down.
—Same as when I was a kid.
Xiao Luoran had just arrived home and his memory was severely impaired. He didn't know that ice cream should be placed in the refrigerator. Xiao Luoran wanted to save some ice cream for them, so he covered it with a large bowl and waited for a whole day.
By the time Mr. and Mrs. Luo returned home, all the ice cream had melted.
Luo's mother still remembers that little Luo Ran cried so miserably and heroically that night that people within dozens of meters thought that Luo's father had finally and accurately hit his son's butt with a broom for the first time.
The more Luo's mother looked at her son, the more she felt that Luo Ran looked almost exactly the same as when he was a child.
…But why did Wen Er keep telling them that Luo Ran was in a rebellious period, his personality was beginning to develop, and he began to think that his parents were too strict and too old-fashioned, and he was unwilling to talk to them
Was it that Wen Er didn't understand Luo Ran and misunderstood his condition, or did Luo Ran do something that caused misunderstanding, or was it -
Luo's mother didn't say anything. She looked at her son who was curled up obediently at the head of the bed and frowned slightly.
Luo Ran only said these few words.
His breath was gone, his eyelashes lifted up for a moment, his eyes drooped again, and his body slid down limply.
Luo Ran gets tired easily now.
Even the doctor is not sure of the specific reason. He can only speculate that he had experienced a very mentally exhausting experience, so he needs to rest more, stay in bed more, and ensure that his body is more relaxed and happy.
Luo's mother embraced her son, let Luo Ran lie down gently, and touched his forehead.
"If you don't like the research institute..." Luo's mother said, "We won't go there."
Luo Ran closed his eyes and shuddered slightly.
Luo's mother reached out her hand, across the quilt, and patted her son gently like she did when he was little: "Let's do what we like."
"I met an old colleague from the World Geographic magazine yesterday, and your father sent him the photos you gave him." Luo's mother said, "He liked them very much and said he would publish them in this issue urgently, and would also hire you as a professional photographer."
If it were two years ago, Luo's parents would not dare to process these photos for their son without permission.
The main journal of World Geography is at the same level as their main research institute. Luo's father has many old colleagues in the editorial department and has long wanted to recommend someone for Luo Ran.
But Wen Er told them that Luo Ran hated relying on his parents the most and didn't want to have anything to do with them.
The more Luo's mother thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She had a hunch that something was wrong here, so she asked her son softly, "Let's not go to that research institute, okay?"
Luo Ran's eyelashes trembled.
He was quiet for a long time, so quiet that Luo's mother thought he had fallen asleep, and then he gently rubbed Luo's mother's palm again.
He trembled slightly, moved his lips several times, and said softly: "Okay..."
Luo Ran suddenly stopped talking and groaned softly.
Luo's mother was startled: "What's wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
"No."
Luo Ran paused and finished in a low voice: "… It's so cold."
Mother Luo felt a sharp pain in her heart and quickly closed her arms, even pulling out the quilt to hug her son.
"It's cold, so I'll eat some ice cream."
Luo's mother was in so much pain that she tried her best to scold him: "Are mom and dad afraid of the heat? Get well soon, quit your job and go home to get well, jump up and down, and even ask for some ice cream..."
"I still have something to do... Mom." Luo Ran said softly.
Luo's mother was slightly startled.
Luo Ran: "I have to go back to the main research institute, you guys leave me alone, I will protect myself."
Luo's mother vaguely felt that her son's tone was a little strange. She did not ask any further questions, but continued to pat her son slowly.
"Okay." Luo's mother said, "but you have to call mom and dad."
Luo Ran nodded obediently: "Okay."
Luo's mother hugged her son, and her shoulders were gently rubbed by the little red hair that her son had just dyed back to black. Her heart completely softened, and she said no more, and tucked in the corner of the quilt for Luo Ran carefully.
…
Yu Tang took over the control of the body without leaving a trace, and picked up the card that had been slapped again and made him stand in the corner as punishment.
"Host."
The system is already very familiar with Little Red Card. It floated over and tried to speak for Luo Ran: "He is afraid that the host will risk entering the electronic storm again and collect scattered particles for him, which will also be affected."
The system whispered: "In his current state, after a few years of recovery, he will be able to become almost like a normal person with a weak body."
The system became less and less confident as it spoke: "After recovering for another ten years, I will be able to be like ordinary people..."
Yu Tang: "Stand together as punishment."
system:"… "
The system rang the small speaker and floated to the side of the card.
"I'm here to gain experience."
Yu Tang pulled the computer in his sea of consciousness over and said, "My job is to help the protagonist and the shou to reach the ending as required. If they are not together, this book cannot be completed and I cannot settle the account."
Yu Tang only had work in his eyes: "Helping you find particles in the electron storm is an after-school homework, and it helps me exercise."
The system cooperated with the flashing of a small red light to hide the particle catching net, particle storage bucket and particle portable compression box that the host had just bought.
Yu Tang finished editing the small program at hand, hit enter, and closed the computer.
The system came over and tried to change the subject: "Host, host, what is this program?"
Yu Tang: "A temporary journal deliveryman."
system:"… ?"
Yu Tang has studied the mall's programming model for a few days and has figured out a way to temporarily generate a character. He taps the system and guides his consciousness back into Luo Ran's body.
Wen Er stood outside Pu Ying's office.
He received a notice that an investigation team sent by the Ministry of Science and Technology would enter the General Research Institute today to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the details of how the data was stolen and to supervise the research work of the General Research Institute.
… He didn’t expect that Pu Ying would be the person in charge of the investigation and supervision team.
There is no worse encounter than this.
Wen Er closed his eyes.
He couldn't stay calm in front of Pu Ying, and couldn't even face Pu Ying's indifferent and empty eyes - he gave up his original ambition, the family inheritance, and even his conscience and bottom line, and went to a place like the Ministry of Science and Technology with great effort, just to get Pu Ying back.
But what is this thing
Wen Er suppressed the coldness in his heart. He didn't want to think of Pu Ying like this. He would rather believe that Pu Ying was just sick.
Pu Ying was just sick, just like Luo Ran who had been stuck in the electronic storm for too long and suffered a temporary loss of personality.
After fifteen days, he will let Luo Ran be exposed to the electronic storm a few more times, which should make Luo Ran's condition more similar to Pu Ying's.
As long as we closely monitor combustion, we can find out the conditions and influencing factors that cause such changes, and then work backwards to find a solution.
He can find a solution.
Once he finds a way, everything will be fine.
Wen Er calmed himself down, knocked twice on the office door and gave his name.
Pu Ying's voice came from inside: "Please come in."
Wen Er took a deep breath.
He carefully adjusted every aspect of his state, put on a proper smile, pushed away the door, and said slowly: "Team Leader Pu—"
He stood at the door, a hint of surprise flashing in his light grey eyes.
Pu Ying put down the book in her hand and smiled at him.
Wen Er could hardly make a more appropriate expression. He saw an extra, extremely faint gleam of light in Pu Ying's eyes.
—He was sure that when the investigation and supervision team entered the General Research Institute last night and he was standing behind the layers of people and watching Pu Ying get off the car, those lights had not yet appeared in Pu Ying's eyes.
At that time, Pu Ying was still an empty, meaningless shadow that could talk and think.
"Director Wen." Pu Ying said, "Sit down."
Wen Er walked over and sat down at the desk.
He saw clearly the book in Pu Ying's hand.
It was the latest issue of World Geography. There was a paper cutter on Pu Ying's desk. The illustrations in the journal had been carefully cut out and simply sealed in plastic.
It wasn’t even a caption—it was a photograph of thick clouds, of striking lightning flashing across the sky, and of people.
It is the back of a person.
Bright red short hair, cool riveted leather jacket, controlling the huge fiery red motorcycle with one hand, half of the body standing up, the camera strap flying in the wind.
Walking through the heavy rain and lightning, it was so dazzling that it was almost scorching.