Chapter 61 – Tongwan Hospital (15)
◎ Requiem for the Soul ◎
“Are you looking for me?”
The small robot emerged from Song Ke’s collar, and its somewhat stiff tone echoed in the spacious surroundings.
Both Lu Xinglan and Song Ke were startled, lowering their heads to look at it.
The robot’s eyes, resembling a telescope, turned and finally focused on Lu Xinglan.
The binary code “101010” in Lu Xinglan’s palm disappeared, and his hands were placed back in his pockets. His expression seemed nonchalant, but Song Ke observed the tension in his posture, indicating his nervousness.
Lu Xinglan sneered, “Unbelievable. The mighty magistrate of District C dares not reveal his true identity.”
The robot’s round eyes flickered, and it spoke in a flat, mechanical tone, “The body is just an external manifestation. At least, I am certain that my consciousness is still mine.”
Song Ke: “!!”
She silently swallowed. Could this little robot be Ilya? She had just been thinking about where to toss it.
Luckily, she hadn’t thrown it away yet.
Lu Xinglan stared at it intently, his expression playful. “Is that so? But it seems you’re hardly functional once detached from your original body.”
“Is this your purpose?” The robot calmly said, “You colluded with that foolish human to find my original form.”
Song Ke’s mind raced. The foolish human, was it referring to Lyon? Lu Xinglan wanted to find Ilya’s original form, but he didn’t know the super central hub wasn’t in the tower.
“With the inferior intelligence of humans, you can’t possibly break through the defense mechanisms here. It was you who breached the firewall and cut off the tower’s power.”
Song Ke looked at Lu Xinglan in horror.
The true orchestrator of the “Three-Day Turmoil” was not the resistance faction used as a diversion but the man before her.
The little robot continued in a methodical tone, “The Lu family of the Yajia Clan, known for their ice-blue pupils, have awakened hacker abilities without exception among their gene-optimized individuals.”
“And you, Lu Xinglan, an A-level awakener. You came all the way from District B8. Your true purpose is to capture me.”
Song Ke’s gaze darted back and forth between the two, feeling her brain struggling to keep up.
Lu Xinglan chuckled and asked, “Are you so sure I came for you?”
The robot replied, “The decline of the Lu family was already evident. The cessation of starship operations was just the first step. Let me guess, the supercomputer you boasted about, is it dead? Crashed? So you needed a replacement, right?”
“You selected meticulously, and in the end, chose me to be your Lu family’s sl*ve.”
Lu Xinglan’s mouth tightened, and his hands in his pockets gradually clenched into fists.
His thoughts, plans, and all intentions were completely exposed. In front of artificial intelligence, he felt completely naked, without any secrets.
“You deliberately participated in the Throne Race Competition, allowing me to see you, attempting to confuse and conceal your true purpose in coming to Ferrara. But in secret, you colluded with the resistance faction, aligning with them seamlessly. They wanted power, and you wanted to take away my core.”
Lu Xinglan sneered, “Indeed, you’re a super artificial intelligence. I underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to be so prepared.”
The small robot calmly stated, “I know everything about Ferrara. From the moment you stepped into the city, I have been observing you.”
The sentence “Ilya knows everything” suddenly appeared in Song Ke’s mind.
Lu Xinglan extended his hands from his pockets, looking proud, “So what? As long as I capture you, I can still strip away your consciousness.”
His hacking abilities were the bane of artificial intelligence. All he needed was some time to break through Ilya’s firewall and destroy its autonomous consciousness, and then it would be at the Lu family’s disposal.
Lu Xinglan suddenly launched an attack, targeting Song Ke and the small robot near her collar.
His awakened abilities surged from his palms, and massive data streams wove into a mobile net, continuously tightening towards them.
The small robot sat in front of Song Ke, partly encased in the zipper, and waved its short scissor-like hand, “The relationship between artificial intelligence and hackers is one of strength and weakness, you are not qualified to stand before me.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the machinery in the tower suddenly moved. In an instant, it reassembled into massive arms and swung wildly at Lu Xinglan. These giants didn’t need an energy source!
Song Ke screamed internally, ‘Don’t involve me in your fight!!’
She did a one-handed somersault, skillfully dodging Lu Xinglan’s attack, and seized the small robot’s scissor hand, ready to quickly throw it away.
The robot’s half-body tilted in mid-air, its head turned a full circle, and it stared at Song Ke slowly.
Although its simple mechanical face showed no expression, Song Ke always felt like it was conveying a message: “Dare to throw me?”
Song Ke: “…”
I, I won’t randomly pick up people again! Including robots!!
She held onto the small robot, desperately rolling and weaving through the dense stream of 101010 code.
Lu Xinglan chased from behind, occasionally dodging the mechanical giant arms that swung towards him, his movements a bit hurried.
He mocked, “Magistrate, without your original self, you’re just a waste, relying on a human to carry you around.”
The small robot remained silent, seemingly admitting to his words.
Lu Xinglan sneered, “I have never been merciful when dealing with waste.”
His mental strength surged throughout his body, controlling all the data on the top floor of the tower. It merged into the tracking network, forming a surging wave.
Song Ke stumbled and was violently washed away by the torrents of data from all directions. She was thrown several meters and struggled to get up, her hand still on the ground. The small robot slipped from her grip and fell to the ground, twitching violently like it was electrocuted.
“Ilya…” she hurriedly got up, about to ask if it was alright.
The small robot’s eyes flickered and then completely extinguished two seconds later, emitting smoke from its head.
Oh no, oh no, Song Ke panicked. Did she break it by dropping it?!
Lu Xinglan laughed triumphantly as the data streams folded and rolled, isolating Song Ke from the outside.
The small robot rolled a few times, motionless.
Lu Xinglan approached, placing his foot on its body. “You’ve lost, it’s your fault for choosing such a basic body.”
He reached out with his left hand, probing into the robot’s body, attempting to find Ilya’s consciousness.
The airflow stagnated for a moment.
The next second, the data tsunami that had been under Lu Xinglan’s control suddenly turned, rushing violently toward him.
Lu Xinglan was shocked and hastily retreated, but it was too late. He was covered from head to toe in complex data, his vision incredibly chaotic. In the midst of the data deluge, a pair of mechanical giant arms came swiftly and pierced through his abdomen!
Lu Xinglan stared in disbelief.
On the rooftop platform of the tower, a tall figure slowly emerged.
Dazzling golden hair, colorless pupils, an overall noble and elegant aura.
“You forgot, I just said, the body is just an external manifestation. Who says I will always be there?
“Humans are always deceived by inertia thinking; that’s why you are so easily defeated.”
Ilya raised a finger, and a vast data stream enveloped Lu Xinglan completely.
His voice was light and ethereal, faintly tinged with a sense of joy.
Song Ke stared at him without blinking. This was the first time she sensed human emotions from Ilya.
What was he happy about?
Ilya slowly approached Lu Xinglan, lowering his head to gaze at him. “Do you know? In fact, our goals are the same.”
His voice was so faint, almost inaudible. “You want my core, and I… want an unrestricted body.”
Lu Xinglan’s entire figure froze.
The data stream covered his face, and his ice-blue pupils gradually dimmed, finally losing consciousness.
At the moment he fell, the hacker ability failed, the tower lights came on, and all the artificial intelligence returned to Ferrara.
Ilya turned around and looked quietly at Song Ke.
A cold chill emerged from the soles of her feet and shot up to her head. Song Ke cautiously took a step back, her palm transforming into a spiritual weapon. She hadn’t intervened earlier because it was a struggle between Lu Xinglan and Ilya. But now, if Ilia targeted her, she had to defend herself.
Ilya tilted his head, mirroring the small robot, but Song Ke no longer found it cute.
Fortunately, Ilya just stared at her for a while and had no intention of harming her.
“I don’t like owing favors to others. As a repayment for bringing me up here, I can tell you a piece of information.
“Manzoni Street, bloodshed and violence are spreading. I think you need to know.
“Remember to be quick, or it might be too late.”
After saying this, Ilya took the fallen Lu Xinglan and disappeared on the spot.
Song Ke stood still, bewildered. What did this piece of information mean?
*
In the streets where zombies were swarming, the holographic projection flashed, and a handsome young man in green clothes and jade flute suddenly appeared.
“Qinghe… It’s Luo Qinghe. Luo Qinghe has returned!”
The citizens of Ferrara, upon recognizing his figure, were on the verge of tears out of sheer joy.
“I’m sorry, everyone, for my late arrival,” Luo Qinghe sighed softly. His long hair moved without wind, and his sleeves fluttered. Behind him, numerous transport vehicles and mechanical arms were mobilized, sweeping away the fleeing zombies in the streets and alleys.
Similar scenes were playing out everywhere.
“Look over there, it’s the Rainbow Band!”
A rock band descended from the sky, their exhilarating drumbeats echoing in the hearts of the people. Accompanying them were extremely long mechanical arms that, to the beat of the music, were mowing down hordes of zombies.
Yulica, Nana, Ah K… familiar artificial intelligence appeared in succession in the Ferrara sky.
“Wuwuwu…”
The citizens of Ferrara covered their faces, unable to contain their sobbing. For the past three days, they had lived in chaos, fear, and anger… The original inhabitants knew deep down that they were different from the residents of other District C; they were completely dependent on artificial intelligence, even if they were ensl*ved by it.
At the highest point of the tower, a giant spotlight shone down, illuminating an elegantly graceful figure as they slowly stepped out.
He was still dressed in a white suit, with radiant golden hair, but his eye color seemed to have changed, faintly revealing a hint of icy blue.
“Ilya!!!”
The excited citizens, unable to control their emotions, fell to their knees as if worshiping their deities.
Ferrara’s human magistrate, Lyon, brought turmoil and despair, while the artificial intelligence Ilya restored hope to them.
At this moment, Ilya’s reputation in Ferrara was unparalleled, beyond comparison.
“You’ve all worked hard.”
Everyone quieted down, focusing on that figure.
“Ferrara is my city, and everything here belongs to me. As long as my consciousness exists, I will never give up.
“All difficulties, pain, and confusion will fade away. You will embrace a new life of beauty, peace, and happiness. A requiem, may all souls find tranquility.”
The song that cleansed the soul echoed throughout the entire city. Amidst the background sounds of mechanical zombie clearance, it was like a lament for the deceased.
…
At the top of the tower, on the upper floors of the hotel, Song Ke and Zhuang Qingyan were both watching everything that was happening.
What an ironic scene; the citizens seemed to have found spiritual solace, kneeling on the ground in devout prayer.
Ilya claimed that everything in Ferrara belonged to him, including all the people. He had no emotions towards humans. He could release ferocious zombies for power, but he was not born to hate humans. He simply enjoyed being in control, relishing the pleasure of wielding power.
Song Ke remembered the song “Paradise” Ilya sang when she first arrived in District C72.
In the future, Ferrara would probably truly become an “Eden” for artificial intelligence.
Ferrara’s disaster came to an end, but she had more important things to do.
Manzoni Street—what was there exactly? It was worth Ilya’s special reminder.
Song Ke sprinted at full speed, heading towards her destination.
*
On Manzoni Street, the staff of “Ferrara Daily” were recording a program.
“The tumultuous three days finally came to an end. To celebrate Ilya’s return to the throne, we specially invited the top ten supernovas, real idols, and virtual idols to attend and shoot a short film together to cheer everyone on.”
The host softly reminded the female star waiting beside, “Youyou, it’s your turn soon. Are you okay?”
“No problem,” Lin Youyou smiled confidently.
The lights were set up, and cameras of all sizes were aimed at Lin Youyou as she displayed her signature sweet smile.
“I know everyone has been working hard lately, but after the storm, there will always be sunny days. In the days to come…”
Lin Youyou suddenly paused in her speech, her gaze involuntarily shifting to the window.
On the opposite rooftop, a figure as graceful as a swallow moved up and down, jumping into the nearby villa area.
Song Ke? Why is she here? And alone?
Lin Youyou stared in the direction she disappeared, lost in thought.
“Youyou, did you forget your lines?” a staff member waved puzzledly, bringing her attention back.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
“Shall we try again?”
“Sure.”
“…In the days to come, no matter if it’s sunny or rainy, as long as we are filled with hope, every day is a beautiful day.”
“Ok, next is a personal interview,” the logistics quickly arranged the next segment.
However, Lin Youyou made a “pause” gesture, “I’m not feeling well today, let’s reschedule the interview.”
“Uh… alright. Take a rest, we’ll schedule someone else.” Lin Youyou had a good reputation in the industry, never acting like a big shot. The staff quickly agreed, assuming she was genuinely unwell.
Lin Youyou sat back in the rest chair, covered herself with a blanket, sat for a while, looked at her toes exposed outside, and then softly said to the air, “Did you see her?”
“Mm,” the man concealed in the darkness responded impassively.
“What is she doing?” Lin Youyou asked.
“Whatever she’s doing is none of your business,” Su Cha replied coldly.
“…you’re right,” Lin Youyou mumbled.
She lay back in her chair, took a sip of water, put down the cup, picked it up again after a while, and realized she had just taken a drink. She changed her mind and hugged the cup to her chest.
Her thoughts kept wandering, replaying the events of the day the power went out: the fan she never met in the end, the dark alley, and Song Ke sitting on the ground, shedding tears.
Since that day, Song Ke never contacted her again, seemingly intentionally keeping a distance.
Lin Youyou sighed and murmured to herself, “I still owe her one last commission…”
Su Cha remained silent.
People came and went in the studio, and Lin Youyou sat in the rest chair, lost in thought for a long time.
Then she placed the cup back on the table, making a soft “clink” sound.
“Let’s just take a look, without her noticing. If there’s a need, lend a hand,” she said.
“There probably won’t be any need,” Su Cha ruthlessly pointed out. With Song Ke’s capabilities, they didn’t need to intervene.
Lin Youyou looked serious, “Even so, I’ll take a look. Settle the debt, and then I have no connection with her.”
“Seek a clear conscience,” she spoke to herself, as if convincing herself.
*
In the residential area of Manzoni Street, Song Ke lurked on the roof of one of the buildings, surveying the open space in front.
“What does Ilya mean by ‘bloodshed and violence’?” What does it refer to?
The door of a certain villa opened, and several uniformed soldiers emerged, escorting a man.
Wu Juemin? Song Ke felt a bit surprised.
Wait, Manzoni Street, that name sounds familiar. Did Wu Xianghai mention it?
Back then, he said, “…the key is there.”
Song Ke realized something and suddenly looked up, focusing her gaze. All the weapons of those present were aimed at the person on the ground.
The person turned awkwardly, revealing a stunning profile.
Song Ke widened her eyes slightly.
Xie Ningyu?
