The wingman that was tripped and flew away rumbled back and stopped in front of the Dolphin.
Zhuang Yu had seen Zhan Chen modify this mecha.
The day before the exercise began, Zhuang Yu couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, so he went to maintain Shi Ji's wingman and chatted with Zhan Chen on the tarmac.
He was still not used to a mecha having self-awareness, so he calmed down, pulled down the transmitter and tried to negotiate: "... This is my team member."
Zhuang Yu said: "I need to take him back for a physical check-up and let him have a good rest."
The silver mecha was parked opposite him, stubbornly unmoved.
Zhuang Yu had a headache.
The mecha operator and the observer are the closest partners. If the observer is injured or sick, it is natural for the mecha operator to take care of him because of fatigue.
... But it is not so natural for a mecha to take care of it.
Zhuang Yu thought about it, and copied Shi Ji's electronic military record, which had been unsealed and officially transferred to the special operations team, and sent it to the mecha on the opposite side.
Dolphin read every page carefully and put it away in the deepest part of his archive.
Zhuang Yu: “…”
Zhuang Yu sent an order to completely rebuild the "Sharp Knife" team, and Shi Ji was specially approved to be the deputy observer.
The deep blue light flickered under the Dolphin's mask.
It seemed to have searched for a certain keyword, raised its head, and carefully scanned the area where the wingman was operating.
Zhuang Yu suddenly received some garbled messages on his operating screen.
Zhuang Yu looked at the garbled code sent back by the Dolphin and couldn't help but frowning. He was about to contact Zhan Chen to report the error, but he casually glanced at the garbled code and his expression suddenly froze.
…
His breathing suddenly became rapid.
Hidden among the garbled codes that looked like a prank or a program jam, there was a very inconspicuous piece of code.
It's very short, and if you're not paying attention, you'll just miss it.
[s7, 191519.]
In the alphabet, the 19th is s and the 15th is o. 191519 is one of the standard abbreviations of Morse code, which translates to "sos".
A Morse code distress signal used across the universe.
Call for emergency help.
Zhuang Yu rushed to the lookout and stared at the mecha.
His hands were shaking. He pulled down the communicator and was about to ask for a call when the voice on the other end rang out amidst a noisy electric current: "Captain Zhuang?"
Zhuang Yu was not surprised by the voice on the other side. His chest rose and fell several times, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Zhan Chen? I want to ask you, I received a piece of code from your mecha..."
"I know." Zhan Chen said, "I saw it."
Probably because Yu Tang used the red light on the mecha panel to flash him a Morse code, and Zhuang Yu happened to mention the sharp knife group. This key information activated some historical traces inside the intelligent AI carried by the Dolphin.
Zhan Chen was taking care of Yu Tang who had fallen asleep due to exhaustion. He was not paying attention and the Dolphin escaped his control and sent out this garbled message.
Zhuang Yu waited silently for his explanation.
Zhan Chen was silent for a moment on the other end: "Is it convenient tonight?"
Zhuang Yu frowned: "What?"
"Captain Zhuang, the exercise has just ended. You still need to place the trainees who passed the assessment and give them appropriate battlefield education."
Zhan Chen: "Some accidents happened at your headquarters. Although they have been roughly dealt with, you are still needed to bring people back to clean up the mess."
Zhan Chen said: "I have to deal with...my business."
Zhuang Yu was silent for a few seconds, and without further questioning, he simply agreed, "Okay."
Zhuang Yu asked: "Did what happened just now cause you any trouble?"
"It's a little troublesome." Zhan Chen smiled, "Fortunately."
Fortunately, Guangtuan was so tired that he fell asleep. When Shi Ji was unconscious, he was affected by his body and obediently put down his notes. He was persuaded by him to go back and rest.
Fortunately, everything is still in time this time.
"I'll take them back."
Zhan Chen said, "See you in the evening."
Zhuang Yu had already guessed that he had something urgent to do, so he said nothing more and just turned down the transmitter.
The silver mecha quietly sank into the depths of the factory.
Outside the abandoned factory, Zhuang Yu, dressed in a refined black training uniform, jumped off his wingman and walked in front of the trainees who were gathering together.
…
Zhan Chen gently put down the sleeping Yu Tang.
He had already retrieved his own body data, wiped the sweat from Yu Tang's forehead, turned down the air conditioner in the hibernation cabin, and then pulled the blanket over and covered Yu Tang carefully.
The Dolphin seemed to be aware of the trouble it had caused, with its taillights flashing and its blade wings drooping motionlessly.
Zhan Chen tapped the control panel lightly: "It's okay, it's not your fault."
The name "s7" is one of the key targets that are monitored at all times in this world.
The emergency distress signal that the Dolphin sent to Zhuang Yu was actually covert enough that even the protection system he had set up failed to detect it in time.
However, the s7 mentioned in the call for help still aroused the vigilance of the game.
Zhan Chen asked the Dolphin: "Are you ready?"
The blue light under the Dolphin's mask flickered.
Zhan Chen nodded, he took off his casual jacket, unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves neatly over his elbows.
The silver-gray parts were transformed from data into reality. In his hands, a tactical intervention sniper rifle was assembled at an invisible speed.
Swift and fierce, yet so light and quick that it seems silent.
Zhan Chen loaded the magazine, pulled the safety, raised his gun and fired.
A few hundred meters away, a mechanical insect that had just been half-destroyed by Zhuang Yu and his men rushed halfway when its energy tank was accurately destroyed and it fell suddenly.
The remains of the mechanical insect did not fall to the ground.
When these debris fall halfway, they are converted into experience points, silently transforming into a massive data stream.
Zhan Chen aimed his gun.
The Dolphin bypassed his shielding and mentioned S7 in the distress signal, which obviously aroused the vigilance of some people.
The game cannot transcend the logic of the world itself and can only develop further using the existing plot.
Under the current plot, the most convenient way to destroy the Dolphin is to let these mechanical insects that have been killed "struggle" again.
Zhan Chen looked calm as he aimed at the baseline and locked onto the next target.
The gun in his hand was so steady that there was not even a tremor. He pulled the trigger and the other mechanical insect fell down, quietly turning into a data stream.
The broken mechanical bugs kept coming forward one after another, but were shot down one by one.
The field of view of the scope was limited. Behind Zhan Chen, a mechanical insect that had quietly circled around him suddenly jumped up.
Before the sharp and cold chest horns could pierce through, the glowing red compound eyes were completely extinguished under the muzzle of the gun.
Zhan Chen rolled on the ground, and the gun in his hand slid neatly to his side along his forearm. He loaded a new magazine with his left hand and pulled the trigger one after another. The bullets fired almost without interval and penetrated the energy compartment of the mechanical insect.
…The plot deviation in this world finally made the terminal realize the crisis belatedly.
Zhan Chen raised his gun, changed his position and aimed at the target, shooting down the wreckage of the rolling-headed mechanical insect.
Compared to the immediate survival crisis, the data generated from the remains of these mechanical insects put even more pressure on him.
Zhan Chen opened several spare warehouses in the mall at the same time. They were still full. He was about to open another one when he suddenly heard a surprised mechanical voice: "Host!"
In the sea of consciousness, the system, carrying a heavy burden, finally rushed 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... Host?"
The system saw Yu Tang in the hibernation cabin and was so frightened that it immediately took out a complete life monitoring system: "Su—"
Zhan Chen smiled and interrupted it: "Your host is resting."
The system, which had just returned from vacation, was flashing red lights and floating in shock.
Zhan Chen: "That's right, do me a favor."
The system had used this time to study and had been upgraded to be able to process more data at once. It immediately tapped the screen and agreed: "Sure!"
The system is ready to fight: "Host, take a rest! I will cooperate with Zhan Sheng in the battle! Leave it to me—"
Before it finished speaking, an endless stream of data poured down from the interface of its sea of consciousness all at once.
system:"… "
Zhan Chen no longer suppressed his speed, raised his gun and shot down three mechanical bugs: "That's a bit too much."
The system was submerged in a boundless sea of data. It managed to make a few bubbles and buy itself an oxygen cylinder dedicated to the system.
The battle attracted no one's attention.
Zhan Chen dealt with all the struggling mechanical insect wreckage, entrusted the task of transporting data to the system, and quietly returned to the Military Academy with the Dolphin.
As the maker of the mecha, "Senior Zhan" who stayed behind in the Military Academy declined the commendations from several deans and academy executives, and waited alone on the helipad in advance.
The Dolphin anchored firmly in front of the helipad.
Yu Tang only woke up briefly when he was carried out of the hibernation capsule.
He was indeed exhausted this time. He vaguely heard gunshots while he was sleeping. He tried to wake up several times but failed.
The arm that held him out slightly retracted, and Zhan Chen's usual gentle voice came: "It's okay, nothing is wrong."
Yu Tang was held in his arms, and he squinted his eyes as if being blinded by the suddenly bright light, and buried his face in the hollow of Zhan Chen's shoulder.
Zhan Chen's body smelled of fresh gunpowder and a faint sweet smell of blood.
Zhan Chen seemed to know what he was thinking: "It's okay, it's just a scratch."
Zhan Chen said: "Fortunately you destroyed all the mechanical bugs in advance."
Before this, he had been thinking that the exercise could be successfully completed just by resisting the attack of the insect swarm, but Yu Tang insisted on delaying time and was willing to take risks in order to waste time on Zhuang Yu.
—Only when Zhuang Yu brings people here can all the mechanical insects be completely destroyed.
If the plot was secretly modified this time, and the ones that counterattacked the Dolphin were not the destroyed wreckage, but the mechanical insects that were temporarily repelled and still had full combat power, the damage waiting for him might not be just this minor scratch.
By the third book, Yu Tang had already figured out the complete rules of the game, and had long been accustomed to playing within the rules, preparing for and destroying all possible threats with every step.
Zhan Chen lowered his head and looked at Yu Tang who was wrapped tightly in a blanket.
He could easily tell who was in this body at what time. When Yu Tang was in charge of a body, there would be a warm light that was invisible to others and very subtle.
Zhan Chen gently touched Yu Tang's messy hair.
The shiny ball who would accidentally blow up the dryer when trying to learn how to dry a blanket by herself, now appears to be more reliable than anyone else when he has no time to participate or interfere.
Yu Tang was still very sleepy. He struggled out of his deep sleepiness a little and felt around Zhan Chen's body, trying to find any wounds.
"…" Zhan Chen held his hand that was groping around and raised the corner of his mouth helplessly: "It's been fixed."
Zhan Chen said slowly: "Have you forgotten? I am data now, and the injuries I get can be repaired quickly."
Yu Tang asked: "Is it possible not to do data?"
Zhan Chen touched his back: "Not yet."
Yu Tang tightened his arms, his voice a little unclear: "Then I will do the data."
Zhan Chen stopped walking.
This time he did not answer, but just gently ruffled Yu Tang's hair, quickened his pace, and carried him back to the dormitory from the tarmac.
Zhuang Yu arrived at night.
Yu Tang was still sleeping on the sofa, with a yellow duck on his head, curled up comfortably on a pile of pillows, clutching a corner of Zhan Chen's clothes.
Zhan Chen sat on the floor next to the sofa.
He covered Yu Tang with his coat and casually put on a shirt. He was treating his wounds in the light of the desk lamp.
Zhuang Yu couldn't help but frowned: "Are you injured?"
"It's just a minor injury." Zhan Chen nodded, "It's okay."
Zhuang Yu noticed the person sleeping soundly on the sofa, closed the door, and walked over quietly.
Zhan Chen knew what he was worried about, so he didn't beat around the bush: "They are all very tired. One is sleeping in the sea of consciousness, and the other is outside... Captain Zhuang, I am responsible for this person outside."
Zhuang Yu's hand, which was about to cover his subordinate with a blanket, stopped in mid-air: "..."
Zhan Chen nodded politely, reached out his hand, and helped Yu Tang tidy up the blanket that had slipped off.
Zhuang Yu: “…”
Zhuang Yu took a deep breath and didn't bother with him. He simply sat down on the ground and asked, "What's wrong with your injury? What do you mean you can only be slightly injured?"
Zhan Chen's waist was scratched by the remains of the exploded mechanical insect, and the wound was freshly opened. Even with a new bandage, it was still slowly oozing blood.
Zhan Chen did not answer immediately.
He tended to the wound, set up a barrier outside the bandage, and buttoned his shirt one by one.
"In your world, some people are chosen."
Zhan Chen said: "Do you still remember the current chief of the Special Investigation Section of the Security Department?"
"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 investigating the conservatives. We just met."
Zhan Chen nodded.
When he was treated as data and recycled into the terminal of the bureau, and was about to rewrite the program, he had seen a very long list.
This list includes many worlds, and 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 didn't initially figure out what this meant.
It was not until Yu Tang conducted experiments with mechanical insects and raised that question that he suddenly realized this was the most likely explanation.
After a mechanical bug is exchanged once, it will be processed by the game mall and become an "empty shell" that completely loses its autonomous will but still retains the ability to move.
This is how human beings are.
These seemingly outrageous and absurd fates are intended to obliterate the autonomous consciousness of these target people and turn them into "empty shells."
…
Zhuang Yu frowned and said, "Are you saying that everyone on this list is a hunter from your place?"
Zhan Chen nodded.
Zhuang Yu asked, "Am I?"
"You are not." Zhan Chen said, "You are too old."
Zhuang Yu: “…”
Zhuang Yu: “?”
"You have lived for too long, and your mind has matured. It is not so easy to wipe you out."
Zhan Chen put it another way: "But if you are still young and have strong enough potential, you will be the target of selection."
Anyone or AI who wants to prevent these selected targets from becoming "data to be recycled" will be quietly strangled by the world's will under the intervention of the bureau.
The Dolphin sent out a forbidden distress signal, which should have been strangled into fragmented data.
Zhuang Yu's heart sank deeply: "That mecha—"
"It's okay." Zhan Chen said, "I'll do something."
The bureau interfered with the world's will and sent the wreckage of mechanical insects to bring back a bunch of strangled and broken data.
Zhan Chen deliberately pretended not to avoid it and was injured in an attack by the mechanical bugs. He broke part of his data and simulated it into the destroyed fragments of the Dolphin.
The automatically running strangulation program was indeed fooled.
Zhuang Yu frowned and took a look at Zhan Chen's wound.
The wound was very abnormal and was still bleeding slowly with no signs of improvement.
"Are you okay?" Zhuang Yu said, "If you're not, I'll take you to the hospital and at least stop the bleeding."
Zhan Chen shook his head: "No need."
To the outside world, the wounds on the human body he simulated were bleeding all the time, but in fact the data of the wounds were constantly disintegrating into pieces.
This is a stranglehold-style attack that penetrates the entire system, and it will carry a virus that specifically targets data.
It’s not that Zhan Chen’s own data cannot eliminate this virus, but it will 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 us come and solve your problem."
Zhuang Yu looked away and clenched his fist silently.
Zhuang Yu: “…Okay.”
"I received a distress signal from the Dolphin."
Zhuang Yu said: "It is for—"
"You can rest assured." Zhan Chen had blocked the terminal in advance and took over Zhuang Yu's words, "It's asking for help for S7."
Zhuang Yu fell silent.
… When he saw that string of distress data, he almost thought he had made a mistake. Maybe S7 had not been rescued and was still waiting for him to pick him up somewhere.
This possibility tortured him almost to the point of driving him mad.
If he didn't want to disturb Zhan Chen, he wouldn't have waited until the evening to ask Zhan Chen this question.
"Please rest assured, S7 is Shi Ji now. He is resting in his sea of consciousness."
Zhan Chen: "You received this distress signal because the Dolphin's AI is not new."
"It had 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 artificial intelligence.”
The most basic type was far inferior to the current one. It only obeyed orders and was widely installed in old wingmen and mechas to assist the observers and operators in driving.
Zhan Chen asked: "Have you seen Shi Ji's original ending?"
Zhuang Yu closed his eyes.
He nodded.
… He once asked Yu Tang to take a look at it for him.
He watched as his best subordinate, the most talented observer in the entire team, chose to merge with the AI of his wingman and become an emotionless, unconscious intelligent program.
The wingman's control panel flashed red wildly, trying its best to resist the observer's orders, but it was still completely powerless to disobey.
The wingman trembled in the insect swarm, and the wind chimes whimpered.
…
"I have experienced this ending before," said Zhan Chen.
Shi Ji's wingman was equipped with the most basic intelligent program, which could not even be called a true AI. It could only be regarded as having a bit of chaotic self-awareness.
It was like a ball of light that had just emerged from an electronic storm and was curiously looking at the outside world.
Zhan Chen: "That new AI came to me and chose to exchange something."
Zhuang Yu asked in a low voice: "...what?"
"Itself." Zhan Chen said, "It doesn't want self-awareness."
It could not forgive itself for devouring its observer's hand.
It watched the young man's gentle and cheerful consciousness dissipate in its own sea of data, and frantically searched every corner of the database, but could not find any trace.
"Exchange experience points for me to buy all the violin music in the world."
Zhan Chen said: "It asked me to repair the S7's wingman and import all these violin pieces into it before the military takes back the fused intelligent AI."
Those violin pieces were played on loop all night long.
The sound of violin music played, and the newly born artificial intelligence slowly dissipated, no longer giving any response outside of the combat procedures.
…
Zhuang Yu was silent for a long time about this story.
He took a deep breath, raised his head and asked, "You didn't erase the self-awareness of that AI?"
"No." Zhan Chen said, "I have done this kind of concealment many times, and I am 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 board sank into the sea. The plot needed some new changes, and some new characters needed to be created."
Zhan Chen smiled and said, "I'll just find it and ask."
Zhan Chen: "It said that it is willing to be a kind dolphin."