The next morning, the special forces captain and his deputy observer, who had reunited after a long absence, overslept together.
When the morning sun came in, the standard biological clock trained over the years actually woke them up briefly. But before they were fully awake, Yu Tang quickly joined the system and inserted a sleep card.
They all deserve some sleep.
Yu Tang did not alarm Shi Ji and quietly retrieved the student data of the temporary student.
…
The living room is empty.
Zhan Chen told him what to do today in advance. The biscuits were on the second layer of the kitchen cupboard, and the milk was in the study. He could pick a book he liked.
Yu Tang directly put the data into the study, selected a book, and went to the kitchen to heat milk for himself and soak some biscuits.
Yu Tang yawned as he walked out of the kitchen, looking at the clean and bright living room, the smooth curtains without a single wrinkle, the sofas, and the pillows neatly sorted by color: "..."
Yu Tang: "System."
The system turns on the light screen.
“Has the virtual world finally invaded reality?”
Yu Tang: "Senior Zhan has created an installation package that can organize the entire world with one click. The trigger logic is when I take the first book from his bookcase, and the startup program is the pot in the kitchen that heats milk."
system:"… "
Yu Tang stood in front of the sofa and opened the mall in his sea of consciousness.
System: "Su, what do you want to exchange?"
"I want to exchange for an alarm." Yu Tang said, "Except for Senior Zhan, if anyone comes within 1 meter of my sofa or pillow, I will bring the Dolphin to step on their toes."
system:"… "
The system flashed a small red alarm light and quickly stuffed itself into the mecha model made by Zhan Chen.
These days, little S7 has been diligently organizing its internal affairs in the sea of consciousness. The system has become very skilled and smoothly retrieved the photo archives, crawled onto the sofa, and restored the pillows to their original arrangement for its host.
Yu Tang didn't have time to take care of the milk for the time being. He tried his best to dust the curtains back to a shape that didn't look like it had been ironed.
"Lao Zhuang is awake. I want to talk to him."
Yu Tang couldn't figure it out: "Does every member of the special forces stack pillows? If I find the others for him, will I still be faced with a two-meter-high stack of pillows sorted by color?"
The more Yu Tang thought about this scene, the more headache he felt: "Can I put up a sign..."
As he was speaking, he turned back and was about to take the milk and biscuits back to the dining table to eat, when he suddenly stopped.
The door of a room in the corner was opened, and Zhuang Yu had already walked out.
He had tidied himself up and washed himself briefly, and although he still looked a little haggard, his complexion had improved a lot.
"..." Yu Tang looked at the expiration date of the sleep card and typed in his mind: "System."
The system was also a little surprised, and quickly flipped through the instructions: "It should be able to guarantee up to five hours of deep sleep..."
The village is united.
He had just looked over, and was met with the gaze of Yu Tang and the small mecha beside him.
He actually had a rough premonition, and when he saw the face of a student he had met once before, he finally confirmed it completely: "It's really you."
"I am trained to resist anesthetics and can force myself to wake up."
Zhuang Yu guessed something and explained to Yu Tang: "I'm afraid it's just an illusion. I don't dare to sleep too much..."
He smiled bitterly: "... I don't know how to thank you."
Yu Tang was speechless: "You're welcome."
Yu Tang asked the system to open a soundproof shield for Shi Ji's bedroom. He nodded to Zhuang Yu, walked back to the dining table, counted the biscuits and put them into the milk.
Yu Tang knew what Zhuang Yu was most concerned about, so he didn't keep him in suspense: "Shi Ji's problem can be solved, but I need time."
"The implanted program has already been semi-fused with him. It's easy to peel it off, but it's a bit difficult to ensure that his original brain area is not damaged."
"I'll make sure everything goes well." Yu Tang said, "Don't worry, sir."
Zhuang Yu: “Yes.”
He can.
"I believe you." Zhuang Yu said, "If you need my cooperation on any task, please tell me."
Yu Tang nodded.
The milk was no longer very hot. He finished his biscuits and slowly drank it from the small white porcelain bowl, mouthful by mouthful.
Zhuang Yu stood in silence for a while before speaking in a low voice: "... Sorry."
Zhuang Yu said: "I haven't found Zhan Shilin yet."
Yu Tang was a little curious and looked up from the milk bowl: "Didn't Senior Zhan tell you?"
Zhuang Yu was stunned: "What?"
Yu Tang thought about what happened last night and said, "That's right."
No matter how you look at it, the situation last night was indeed not suitable for discussing more things with Zhuang Yu.
Yu Tang hesitated for a moment, put down the bowl in his hand, tore off two pieces of paper towels to carefully wipe off the milk foam, and raised his eyes.
… He had never had the chance to face this problem.
He seemed to have gotten the answer, but until now, he had not found an opportunity to truly touch the answer.
Zhan Chen didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.
Yu Tang asked, "When I first approached him, did I give any specific characteristics?"
"He should be a soldier like me, with good marksmanship and great skills."
Zhuang Yu remembered it clearly: "Very young... Very young. When you met him, he was about the same age as when he joined the team in S7."
"It was seven years ago. I tried to enter the electronic storm, but you threw me out twice... You even accused me of trespassing." Zhuang Yu said, "You set a condition. You could help me find my subordinates, but you also wanted me to help you find one."
"I asked you for a rough description of your appearance."
Zhuang Yu said: "You said at the time that he should be two stories tall, be able to fire laser cannons, and have red taillights on his butt."
Yu Tang: “…”
system:"… "
Yu Tang: "And then you started looking for me according to this standard?"
Zhuang Yu coughed.
He finally began to let go of the burden on his shoulders a little, feeling much more relaxed than before, and occasionally a faint smile would show on his face.
Zhuang Yu sat down across from Yu Tang at the table and explained earnestly, "I guess you weren't a complete human at first."
He still remembers the situation clearly.
… should not only be described as “not a complete class”.
It was a ball of cold light.
The ball of light completely refuses to come into contact with any living thing. It will catch anything that falls into it, carefully identify it, and then throw it far away with its own hands.
When Zhuang Yu was caught and examined by him, he once caught a glimpse of the core of the ball of light.
There were many rumors at that time. Some said that there was a mirage deep in the electronic storm, some said that there were countless precious resources inside, and some said that there was frozen tundra and pale bones inside.
But in fact, there is none of this.
There was only light inside.
Different from the gorgeous and mysterious outer layer, this light is warm and makes people feel dizzy.
Tightly hidden in the light were a repaired book, some bubble gum with faded wrappers, and two buttons.
"I guess you probably confused the operator with the mecha."
Zhuang Yu said: "I tried to explain to you that everything inside the mecha is controlled by humans. It is impossible for the mecha to control itself through thoughts."
"But you don't agree with this statement." Zhuang Yu said, "You told me that it was him, he was in there."
In the sea of consciousness, the system suddenly realized something and called him softly: "Su... "
Yu Tang nodded calmly.
… What Zhuang Yu said was almost exactly the same as Shi Ji’s situation in the original novel.
Before meeting Zhuang Yu, the robot he had tried to find had already been integrated with AI and turned into a set of intelligent programs for controlling mechas.
This crazy and extraordinary research started even earlier than they expected.
Yu Tang took it back.
He did not force himself to explore those memory puzzles—before that, there was something more important that had to be done and completed.
"Captain Zhuang," Yu Tang asked, "what are your plans next?"
Zhuang Yu hesitated for a moment before answering cautiously, "I found a few targets that might meet the requirements."
"Special forces members are different from ordinary people. Even if they have lost their memories, they will remain alert instinctively. Forcing contact rashly will only backfire."
Zhuang Yu: "I have been in contact with Chief Pu, and he is collecting relevant information..."
"That's not what I'm asking." Yu Tang said.
Zhuang Yu was slightly stunned.
Yu Tang: "I want to ask, what did you want to do by forcing yourself to wake up before Shi Ji got up?"
Zhuang Yu did not give an answer immediately.
He rubbed his forehead, finally sighed heavily, and smiled helplessly: "You and Senior Gezhan... are you together? Is he the one you are looking for?"
Yu Tang didn't answer, still looking at him patiently.
“… I can’t just ignore it.”
Zhuang Yu was silent for a while before he continued, "I must find out the conspiracy behind this, not just Wen Er's laboratory... I can't let others become like me."
"Before I came here, Dean Nie had already told me roughly about S7's experiences over the years."
Zhuang Yu: "This matter cannot be let go like this."
"I can't just let it go like this." Zhuang Yu gritted his teeth, "To raise an observer, this kind of crazy thing, even if Sheng Tianxun is dead..."
"His mech crashed into the insect swarm, and only the observer survived."
Yu Tang: "So he was judged to be sacrificed, is that right?"
Zhuang Yu paused.
He had already realized the problem here, his shoulders and back suddenly tensed up, and his brows were furrowed.
"The idea that wingmen have to sacrifice themselves for their mechas was an outdated traditional concept ten years ago. It has long been revised in subsequent developments."
Yu Tang said: "The mecha crashed, but the wingman survived. This is completely reasonable in a real battle... So even Dean Nie and you didn't notice the problem."
Yu Tang: "But Shi Ji was implanted with a compulsory program."
In this mandatory procedure, protecting the target object is prioritized over obeying orders.
In other words, even if Sheng's father really gave an order before his death, asking Shi Ji to return, Shi Ji's program would force him to choose to sacrifice for the mecha first.
"But Shi Ji did return." Yu Tang said, "This is only one possibility."
Zhuang Yu: "... Under the circumstances at the time, the observer judged that the survival probability of the mecha operator was over 90%."
Yu Tang looked at him.
Zhuang Yu closed his eyes.
He clenched his fists tightly, stood up suddenly, and forced himself to sit back down slowly.
…
He also needs to take S7 to have a physical examination first.
Every time before going to the battlefield, the little one would try every means to avoid the big happy nutritious meal. He would try his best to run out and go to various inconspicuous stalls to buy food.
The exercise will officially begin tomorrow. It will be a high-intensity, cross-military, full-environment simulation of a real war and will allow for real deaths.
Apart from taking the little one for a physical check-up, taking a walk, having some fun, and then going back to the dormitory to have a good sleep, he did nothing today.
"Let them go. No one can escape."
Yu Tang stood up and said, "I have already deciphered the information in Wen'er's computer. I will send it to you tonight."
Zhuang Yu: “Yes.”
"Alright, talk to your assistant observer and see if we can just bake ten cakes a day."
Yu Tang said: "I really can't finish it, I saved some before-"
He suddenly stopped and stood there thinking.
Zhuang Yu asked: "What's wrong?"
“…It’s okay.” Yu Tang said.
Just now, the system sent a message in the sea of consciousness, saying that a new stall has been opened in the mall, selling various baked pastries, especially hot cakes.
The new store is recruiting investors, and the prices are particularly favorable. Experience points can be exchanged at a 1:10 ratio, and lottery tickets are also given away.
“We didn’t have enough in stock to sell.”
Yu Tang: "Please ask him to bake more."
Zhuang Yu: “?”
Yu Tang shook hands with him sincerely, cleaned the dining table neatly, washed the small porcelain bowl and put it back on the table, then left the dormitory with his coat on.