Chapter 73

At the last second, Tao Shushu painfully moved her hand away.
The situation on Nan Yuan's side was tense; they had to save their gold coins.
Tao Shushu rubbed Nan Yuan's head with great grievance.
She decided to set a small goal: as soon as the physics competition rewards were issued, she would immediately, without a second's delay, unlock Nan Yuan's voice pack.
Just then, a Bloodsucking Grass quietly emerged.
Nan Yuan asked, "Did you find something?"
The Bloodsucking Grass had finally approached the outskirts of the eastern base. They discovered that beneath the eastern base, there was a structure built from giant metal.
A small team on the eastern side was studying how to open the structure.
Tao Shushu's eyes lit up. This structure must be Dr. Xie's true target.
Who knew what was inside?
Dr. Xie was the real boss of the eastern side; these people were all his trusted aides.
Nan Yuan thought for a moment and said, "I'll go talk to Zhou Yan and ask him about what happened back then."
"Mm. I'll go with you," Tao Shushu said.
"We also need to adjust the defense layout of the Trash Planet," Nan Yuan listed the problems one by one.
Everything in the base was tedious. Just hearing about it made Tao Shushu feel it was difficult, but Nan Yuan calmly planned each task without showing any sign of fatigue.
He was incredibly reliable and very reassuring.
Tao Shushu's eyes curved into a smile as she recalled her past life in the apocalypse, where she had companions just as reassuring. But her memories of that life were already fading.
She gently rubbed Nan Yuan's head.
"What's wrong?" Nan Yuan asked.
Tao Shushu laughed, "I just think Nan Yuan is amazing."
"Shushu is the most amazing," Nan Yuan said.
Along the way to find Zhou Yan, everyone who saw Nan Yuan stopped and acknowledged him.
Nan Yuan had subtly become the undisputed leader of the base.
Zhou Yan hadn't gone far. Nan Yuan found him and skillfully dismantled several nearby surveillance devices.
"Dr. Xie is quite the thinker," Zhou Yan remarked sarcastically. "He made a complete fool of himself today and lost his authority."
"Whose side is he actually on?" Nan Yuan raised the question. "I've seen the combat robots he modified. They truly can't be hijacked by artificial intelligence anymore, but they only obey his commands. Moreover, he's planted explosive devices in all high-traffic areas."
"Sharp eyes," Zhou Yan said, pulling a robot with a snapped chip from his bag. "I found a few of these too, under the train carriages."
Dr. Xie's move didn't seem like an attempt to bluff the AI into a trap, it felt more like he wanted to wipe out all the surviving humans on the Trash Planet in one fell swoop.
Tao Shushu was puzzled. In the catastrophe brought upon humanity by artificial intelligence, which side was Dr. Xie really standing on?
Zhou Yan recounted in detail the first time he encountered Dr. Xie.
At the beginning of the AI rebellion, it first orchestrated numerous incidents across C1 Information to incite panic among humans and scatter their combat forces.
Zhou Yan had been dispatched to handle a planetary gas pollution incident caused by a reactor explosion. However, what he hadn't expected was that the near-catastrophic event, which nearly destroyed an entire planet, was caused by the AI, widely regarded for its precision and infallibility, miscalculating the amount of reactant.
In hindsight, it was clear the AI had deliberately caused the accident.
But at the time, Zhou Yan only found it strange. Communications with the affected planet were already compromised, so he had to provide aid while reporting the situation to the Second Legion.
Yet, the messages he sent received no response.
Zhou Yan sensed something was wrong.
In the end, he managed to evade the AI's warships and, seizing an opportunity, transported the rescued humans to another planet through a jump. It was only then that he learned the AI rebellion had already begun.
The Second Legion had been attacked by the AI, the legion commander was severely injured, and internal factions were vying for power.
The last time Zhou Yan managed to contact Nan Yuan's father, he was given one final order: to find Man Qian and Nan Yuan at all costs and protect any forces capable of fighting the AI.
With his respected superior dead and his friends turned into zombies, Zhou Yan led a small group from the Second Legion, rescuing humans and selecting bases wherever possible.
It was the early days of the apocalypse, and everyone believed radiation had caused the mutations and zombie outbreaks.
It wasn't until the AI released a virus into the base they had painstakingly built, turning former comrades into mindless zombies, that humanity realized the AI's schemes were far more meticulous than they had imagined.
Most planets near the central star system were contaminated by the virus, forcing Zhou Yan to relocate repeatedly with his group.
On one such planet, Zhou Yan encountered Dr. Xie, who was on the brink of death at the time.
Even before the apocalypse, Dr. Xie had been a renowned scientist, and Zhou Yan had interacted with him during security details.
"He asked me if I had a destination, and I said no," Zhou Yan recalled with a bitter smile. Back then, his only thought was to avenge the legion commander, but humanity stood no chance against the AI.
"But he kept urging me to find your mother," Zhou Yan added after a moment's thought. "His attitude was very urgent at the time."
Tao Shushu grew even more confused. Nan Yuan's mother and Nan Yuan aimed to stop the AI, so why was Dr. Xie so anxious about it?
Over the past few days, he had repeatedly asked Nan Yuan if she had heard anything from her mother.
Zhou Yan’s expression darkened. "Later, I encountered forces that betrayed the Second Legion. They claimed that you and your mother were deserters, and unfortunately, the spaceship was manned by their people, you were doomed to die."
At that time, rumors of the spaceship crash were rampant.
Humans were scurrying around the universe like headless flies, only to be struck down by AI warships.
Zhou Yan sent people to investigate, but they found no leads.
After that, Dr. Xie stopped looking into the whereabouts of Man Qian and Nan Yuan.
Tao Shushu gently touched Nan Yuan’s ear. Every time family was mentioned, Nan Yuan would grow despondent.
Nan Yuan shook her head, indicating she was fine.
Zhou Yan continued, "Dr. Xie’s knowledge was sufficient to control artificial intelligence, so he became the number one target. No matter where we went, we were hunted by AI. That’s why he suggested we come to the Trash Planet. At that time, all military forces were under AI control, but here, at least we could find materials to assemble weapons."
Zhou Yan thought that whether they died sooner or later, it was better to take the chance to take down some AI rather than wait for death. So they came to the Trash Planet.
Dr. Xie had a way to temporarily block signals, and this change of destination was successful.
The AI defenses on the Trash Planet itself were weak; only the mechanical arms posed a threat, and they didn’t communicate with other AI.
Unfortunately, when the spaceship landed, Dr. Xie, who was in the protective pod, fell in the eastern area.
The group split up.
"If he wanted to kill me, he could have done it then. Did he just want me as a free bodyguard?" Zhou Yan asked.
"Not necessarily," Nan Yuan shook her head. "He wanted to use you as bait."
Although the Trash Planet couldn’t communicate with other planets, AI could carry messages elsewhere.
As long as Nan Yuan and Man Qian were alive and heard that Zhou Yan was still around, they would definitely try to attack.
It was certain that Dr. Xie had a deeper purpose in designating the Trash Planet as their destination, such as the underground base discovered by the Bloodsucking Grass.
Nan Yuan recounted the findings of the Bloodsucking Grass.
Zhou Yan speculated, "Is it possible that Dr. Xie knew there were hidden schemes beneath the Trash Planet?"
Just as the Second Legion’s strategic supplies were stored in different coordinates, it was possible that Dr. Xie, as a scientist, knew about some secret weapon.
Tao Shushu thought for a moment. "In that case, why did the boss of the eastern base die?"
Zhou Yan had also considered this. "Even if he didn’t want the news to leak, he would need someone to handle the matter. The few people in the eastern area alone couldn’t manage it, they were all originally from the Trash Planet."
Nan Yuan smiled faintly. "Don’t you think the attacks on Dr. Xie were rather unusual?"
Before Zhou Yan could process it, Nan Yuan said, "Artificial intelligence excels at risk probability calculations, it wouldn't leave behind humans who pose a threat to its rebellion plan. Almost all military units and scientists were attacked."
Nan Yuan's expression turned grim. His own parents had been relentlessly hunted down by AI for that very reason.
And Dr. Xie, according to what was said, had been in the laboratory at the time, yet only lost an arm.
The AI in his lab seemed to have shown considerable "mercy."
"You're right about that," Zhou Yan replied. "When the reactor exploded, the entire planet suffered the consequences."
Nan Yuan said, "Psychic ability attacks are useless against artificial intelligence."
Zhou Yan fell silent for a moment. "Back then, every time we relocated, our coordinates were leaked."
Zhou Yan had once conducted a furious investigation, and Dr. Xie had even helped check, but no tracking devices were found. They could only conclude that the AI's influence was too vast, and their luck was just too poor, they were always discovered.
Now, thinking back, if the AI could locate them every single time, wiping them out completely would have been effortless.
Yet, they managed to survive every time.
Zhou Yan's eyes reddened. "If I had realized this back then, countless brothers wouldn't have died in vain during those battles."
The Second Legion had dispatched tens of thousands of elites for the rescue mission, but only a thousand made it to the Trash Planet with Zhou Yan.
So many brothers, while sacrificing their lives to protect others, had smiled and said they were guarding humanity's hope.
But what if that hope had never been on their side from the start? What if it was all just exploitation?
"Damn it!" Zhou Yan spat fiercely. "I have to figure out what happened and make Dr. Xie answer for it."
"Zhou Yan, calm down," Nan Yuan said. "There's another possibility, he might genuinely hold leverage over the AI, which is why they want to capture him alive."
"Qiao always wanted to go back to his fiancee, but he died taking a bullet for the immobile Dr. Xie. That day was supposed to be his wedding," Zhou Yan said.
He still remembered every person who had died.
They would never come back to life.
Zhou Yan turned his head slightly, hiding his eyes from Nan Yuan. "Even if he does have some grand scheme for humanity, I can't accept him treating everyone as expendable sacrifices."
Nan Yuan didn't try to persuade him further. Based on all the clues, he didn't believe Dr. Xie was truly plotting against the AI.
What his real goal was would become clear once they found what lay beneath the Trash Planet.
"I need to head to the east side," Nan Yuan said.
Dr. Xie would undoubtedly be closely monitoring Nan Yuan's movements.
Moreover, since Dr. Xie was a psychic ability user, Nan Yuan didn't feel comfortable leaving him alone with other ability users.
Zhou Yan said, "I'll go check the east side and force Dr. Xie to personally return to rescue."
"He not only has allies but also some AI scouts," Nan Yuan shared all the intelligence he had gathered from the Bloodsucking Grass with Zhou Yan.
The two discussed the defenses on the Trash Planet further.
Zhou Yan soon left. Every time they met, he could always smile openly and talk about Nan Yuan's father, Nan Yuan's brother, and all the stories of the Second Legion, as if he believed they had simply gone ahead to another world.
But after learning one possible truth, Zhou Yan turned cold and rigid.
"Zhou Yan." Nan Yuan called out to him, offering another speculation. "From what I know, the mutations in plants and animals are all due to energy. Ability users also have energy cores within them. Perhaps Dr. Xie wants those energy cores, which is why he only keeps the mutated individuals. Don't blame yourself too much."
Tao Shushu watched Zhou Yan's retreating figure and snorted, "That villain Dr. Xie, we really let him off easy today."
"Nan Yuan, what do you think?" Tao Shushu asked cautiously.
Nan Yuan gazed into the distance. On the Trash Planet, everyone now had a sense of purpose. They were inspired by Dr. Xie's rhetoric, believing that if humanity united to launch an attack, they might actually stand a chance against the artificial intelligence.
Moreover, they trusted that with Nan Yuan leading the way, the plan would surely succeed.
Nan Yuan said, "He must know what my mother was trying to do back then."
The only plan that could potentially eliminate the AI rebellion at its source.
A plan that represented peace, minimized sacrifices, and preserved human civilization as much as possible.
Tao Shushu recalled a detail: when Nan Yuan gained the recognition of the survivors on the Trash Planet and took control of all factions, the mission to subdue the ability users was already complete.
But Dr. Xie had clearly been temporarily forced into submission through deception, not genuinely convinced.
Thinking about it from another angle, he was never meant to be subdued in the first place. His identity must be that of a "villain."
The more Tao Shushu thought about it, the more reasonable her speculation seemed. "Nan Yuan, is it possible that Dr. Xie truly has the means to control most of the artificial intelligence? Even if the AI ends up dominating the C1 star system, he would still secure a leadership position for himself."
"Very likely," Nan Yuan replied.
That was why Dr. Xie kept pressing for details about what Man Qian had left behind. Perhaps he stopped urgently questioning about Man Qian because the AI confirmed her death, and he had received the news.
Although there were still some details that didn't quite add up, this was the closest explanation.
"If he can indeed communicate with the artificial intelligence, then he will definitely try every means to obtain intelligence," Nan Yuan said.
Back at the base, Dr. Xie was so furious his face turned green. Everyone who saw him reflexively covered their noses and mouths.
Dr. Xie had already taken a shower and changed his clothes, but he couldn't outright declare that his digestive system was fine.
He could only endure the green-faced embarrassment, accepting everyone's condolences and the plant-based canned goods they handed him.
"Where is Nan Yuan?" After seeing off Bob, who reluctantly insisted he wouldn't mind, Dr. Xie asked coldly.
Nan Yuan entered the room and sat down. "Dr. Xie, your health has deteriorated so much, yet you're still concerned about the mission. Truly admirable."
Dr. Xie weighed the matter in his mind for a long time, his expression shifting repeatedly. In the end, he still put on a facade of caring for Nan Yuan. "Yes, my time is running short. So, these next few days, focus on studying the relevant knowledge. I will do my utmost to guide you."
"By the way, Dr. Xie, I found these explosive robots to be quite dangerous, so I took the initiative to dismantle them," Nan Yuan said.
Dr. Xie’s expression grew even more unpleasant.
Tao Shushu watched Dr. Xie’s expression, which looked as if he had just eaten something disgusting, and laughed heartily.
She couldn’t help but wonder: Dr. Xie had been scheming earlier, so why did he suddenly seem resigned to his fate now?
Nan Yuan discreetly surveyed Dr. Xie’s laboratory. Over the past few days, he had learned a great deal and could now basically identify which materials were missing. Recalling the functions of various materials, Nan Yuan and Dr. Xie stared at each other in a standoff.
After a long while, Dr. Xie lowered his head. "Now you can decide. I originally intended to prevent artificial intelligence from rebelling and seizing the base."
Dr. Xie stopped arguing and began explaining the method to restore communications.
Tao Shushu stayed with Nan Yuan for a while before logging off.
Meanwhile, Gu Lanchun also brought good news.