Chapter 57

[C1 Information Central Calendar 2060: The supercomputer "Chu" passed a public vote by a large margin and joined the Central Galaxy Political Council as a super advisor.]
[That same year, the Artificial Intelligence Rights Act was implemented on a trial basis. Scientists opposing AI lost influence, and several research institutes announced their dissolution. Meanwhile, a small number of extreme anti-AI scientists went underground and began conducting research against artificial intelligence.]
Reading this, Tao Shushu felt a sense of heaviness. At the beginning of the game, it was mentioned that in 2087, AI turned against humanity. While countless people celebrated AI gaining rights, the seeds of rebellion had already been sown.
Her pupils contracted as she read the next line.
[Within the Political Council, a small faction led by the young commander of the Second Legion, Nan Si, had long held reservations about AI’s involvement in governance. Rumor had it that Nan Si secretly sheltered a research institute that was covertly studying ways to control artificial intelligence. Nan Si’s wife was also a senior researcher at the institute. Because of this, Nan Si was among the first group of political figures to be targeted in the attacks.]
Tao Shushu instinctively glanced at Nan Yuan, who was directing others to move supplies. He worked methodically, positioned between the surviving humans and the bloodthirsty grass herd, maintaining constant vigilance. He was strong enough, alert enough, gradually growing into the role of a protector.
Nan Si was likely Nan Yuan’s father.
It went without saying that the artificial intelligence, seeking to eliminate its greatest threat, would show no mercy when striking.
Tao Shushu wanted to pat Nan Yuan’s shoulder but hesitated.
She silently continued reading.
After Nan Si was severely injured, he arranged for his wife and son to evacuate. But his adjutant seized the opportunity to betray him and seize power. Both Nan Yuan and his mother came under attack. At the critical moment, Nan Yuan awakened his supernatural ability, but their spaceship’s coordinates were exposed, attracting more pursuers.
Nan Yuan and his mother fled to a barren planet. In the end, his mother chose to pilot their ship into a suicidal charge against the enemy, protecting Nan Yuan one last time.
The description was straightforward, yet even with such simple words, Tao Shushu could imagine how agonizing it must have been for Nan Yuan, witnessing his father’s death, his brother infected and mutated into a zombie, and his mother dying before his eyes.
But back then, having just awakened his ability and lacking the power to seek revenge, Nan Yuan had no choice but to leave alone, without even waiting for the flames engulfing the spaceship to die down.
Tao Shushu rubbed her eyes. She had long known that the apocalypse was filled with stories of partings and loss, but learning Nan Yuan’s story still made her heart ache unbearably.
She gently ruffled Nan Yuan’s hair. He tilted his head and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Tao Shushu shook her head. She didn’t want to reopen his old wounds.
Nan Yuan gave a faint smile.
Ahead, someone lost their grip, and a sharp weapon clattered to the ground.
Nan Yuan hurried over, caught the weapon, and steadied the person who had stumbled.
Tao Shushu watched him and said, “Nan Yuan, you’re doing really well now.”
Amid the crowd, the young man still retained the slender grace of youth, yet his presence was already steadfast and reliable. Those moving supplies back and forth would instinctively glance his way, unconsciously seeing him as their anchor.
Tao Shushu sniffled and continued reading.
[After losing Commander Nan Si, the Second Army fell into disarray. “Prima” quickly seized the Second Army’s territory. But after ransacking their research institute, “Prima” failed to find the program that could issue it the highest command.]
[When Nan Si arranged for his wife and son to evacuate, he secretly entrusted his wife, senior researcher Man Qian, with that crucial program, the one capable of reversing the fates of humans and artificial intelligence. The secret route led to a subsidiary planet codenamed “X,” where one of “Prima’s” control units was stationed.]
Tao Shushu widened her eyes. So back then, Nan Si hadn’t simply let his wife and child retreat, he had secretly assigned them an important mission. Tao Shushu noted down "Planet X," planning to check the map later.
"But why..." Tao Shushu trailed off. Memory fragments weren’t a system; they wouldn’t offer detailed explanations.
Next, Tao Shushu noticed Nan Yuan’s expression shift dramatically.
He stared ahead, his face darkening ominously at the sight of a black box handed over by the Bloodsucking Grass cluster.
Tao Shushu suddenly remembered something, the Bloodsucking Grass was located near the spaceship port on the barren planet. When Nan Yuan and his mother had fled to the barren planet, this would have been their first stop.
So, Nan Yuan’s mother, Man Qian, had self-destructed here.
He had often come to this area alone to study the Bloodsucking Grass, not only to uncover the truth behind the mutation but also to find any remnants his mother might have left behind.
Tao Shushu reached out, covering Nan Yuan’s eyes.
"Don’t look," she said. The next moment, she remembered, she was separated from him by a screen. In Nan Yuan’s world, she had no tangible presence, and she couldn’t actually block his view.
Nan Yuan stared blankly at the black box before him.
Then, his eyes blinked, and immediately after, his hand was gently held.
"Don’t look," her voice was soft, tinged with a sob, as if she were suffering even more than he was.
The girl tugged at his hand, pulling on the corner of his clothes, trying to make him turn away.
The pain and anger in Nan Yuan’s heart suddenly eased.
Her trembling voice and cautious touch softened his heart.
"I’m fine," Nan Yuan whispered.
Tao Shushu looked at him with aching sympathy. She ruffled his hair, keeping one finger resting in his palm. "I’ll watch it with you."
"Okay," Nan Yuan said. If Shushu was by his side, the losses didn’t seem so unbearable anymore.
The surviving humans worked together and finally moved all the supplies into the base.
Nan Yuan assigned Cheng Feimao to take inventory of the resources and returned to his room alone.
But the moment he pushed the door open, he froze.
Several sets of clothes lay on his bed, along with a steaming bowl of shredded chicken noodles. Beside them were the small fireworks he had made for Shushu, though he had no idea how she had learned to replicate them.
Tao Shushu coughed lightly. Unsure how to comfort him, she had absentmindedly bought him a bunch of clothes, weapons, and energy spheres. As she exited the in-game store, she spotted the steaming noodles and bought a bowl too. "Cub, have something to eat first. Whenever I couldn’t get up for school, my mom..."
She caught herself, pausing briefly before continuing, "...would make shredded chicken noodle soup to tempt me."
Nan Yuan was taken aback, his agitation gradually subsiding as he realized how empty his stomach felt.
He sat down and began eating with surprising calm.
Nan Yuan’s table manners were elegant, his gaze lowered slightly as he chewed and swallowed unhurriedly.
Tao Shushu, worried about his emotional state, watched him intently. As she did, she began to feel a little hungry herself.
A simple bowl of noodles, something common before the apocalypse, tasted incredibly delicious to Nan Yuan now, as if he were savoring a gourmet meal.
After clearing the bowl, Nan Yuan murmured, "The food Shushu likes... is delicious." His heart felt warmed by the comforting noodles, and the shadows in his emotions faded away completely.
Only when pressing the playback button on the black box's video player did his hand tremble slightly.
Tao Shushu cautiously grasped Nan Yuan's arm. "Maybe I should step away for now."
"No need," Nan Yuan whispered. He was no longer afraid of recalling these events, though he hadn't wanted Shushu to learn about his past, he didn't want her to see him as weak.
Yet it seemed Shushu felt nothing but heartache for him.
The player began working.
Tao Shushu stayed with Nan Yuan, quietly watching the screen.
The initial scenes were gentle: Man Qian checked the spacecraft's navigation systems, putting on a calm front for her younger son, inquiring about Nan Yuan's health and comforting him. Only when alone did she anxiously pray.
Then came the news that Nan Yuan's older brother had been infected with the zombie virus. Man Qian had one last conversation with Nan Yuan, appearing devastated, as if all life had drained from her.
Subordinates who had betrayed the legion secretly killed several loyal guards and turned against Man Qian and Nan Yuan. Tao Shushu even spotted Lin Wei among them.
Nan Yuan's hands clenched into fists, veins bulging prominently.
Tao Shushu gently touched Nan Yuan's arm, saying nothing, quietly staying by his side, pretending not to see him wipe his eyes.
What followed aligned mostly with Tao Shushu's assumptions.
The program capable of stopping "Chu" was stored in Nan Yuan's backpack. Lin Wei and others had searched it, but Man Qian had already removed the integrated storage device beforehand.
At that time, a few encrypted signals were still usable. Calmly, she backed up the data, transmitted it, and reinforced the integrated storage device.
While welding the reinforcement, Man Qian's hand slipped, making Tao Shushu's heart leap.
Nan Yuan, who had been restraining himself, spoke up, "My mother suffered injuries in her early years and never fully recovered. My father and brother's situations hit her hard."
He deeply regretted it, back then, he was solely focused on returning to Central Star to fight alongside his father and brother, refusing to be seen as a deserter. He resented his mother for urging him to save himself alone, never realizing that she, too, was enduring immense grief.
Tao Shushu glanced at Nan Yuan, hesitating slightly. "Nan Yuan, do you not remember anything about this integrated device?"
Nan Yuan shook his head, pondering for a moment. "I know I've forgotten something crucial, but I can't recall what it is."
Tao Shushu gasped softly. So, what Nan Yuan had forgotten was likely related to this secret mission.
In the critical moment, Nan Yuan awakened his light-based ability.
But the AI fleet and the traitors' pursuers caught up.
Man Qian scrambled the routes, confusing the pursuers, then specially processed a disc and sewed it into Nan Yuan's backpack.
Nan Yuan picked up the backpack, which he had been carrying all along because his mother had insisted he keep it safe, so he never set it down. He had checked the disc before, no decryption, no special content.
In the end, only about thirty pursuers were left chasing them.
Nan Yuan’s energy was depleted. Having just undergone mutation, his combat experience was insufficient, and he was no match for the pursuers.
At the final moment, Man Qian chose to pilot the spacecraft and perish together with them.
Nan Yuan kept his hand over his eyes, moisture gliding down his skin.
Tao Shushu’s heart ached as well. Unaware, her voice had grown hoarse, even choked with sobs. "Let’s pause for a moment, Nan Yuan."
Nan Yuan wiped his eyes. "I want to finish watching."
Amid the beeping of the spacecraft’s alarm system, Man Qian took one last look in Nan Yuan’s direction. Smiling, she said, "Nan Yuan, I believe you can return here and find your mother’s final words. I’ve also awakened an ability, a psychic one. That’s why I sealed your memories during our conversation. When your abilities grow strong enough, you’ll recall all the details of that mission. The disc is double-encrypted. Input the passcode we commonly use, and you’ll see Mother’s backup. Everything about Chu’s weaknesses is written there. Mother wanted to wait until you were strong enough before letting you decide whether to complete the mission. This is the last thing I can do for you. Goodbye, my son."