Chapter 75

Zhou Yan secretly went to the eastern base to investigate the underground structure discovered by the Bloodsucking Grass and to find out what Dr. Xie was up to.
Dr. Xie had placed robots he made everywhere. Though he appeared sickly and harmless, he had eyes and ears all over the Trash Planet.
Zhou Yan was extremely cautious during this mission and didn't alert anyone.
Tao Shushu and Nan Yuan waited for several days before Zhou Yan returned.
As usual, Nan Yuan met with Zhou Yan outside the base.
"All the people stationed at the eastern base are abnormal," Zhou Yan said with a shudder. "They're like worker bees in a hive, completely immersed in their labor."
Zhou Yan described the group as fully domesticated slaves with no thoughts of their own. Having worked underground without sunlight for so long, their skin had turned waxen, and their bodies had become frail, yet they continued digging mechanically underground.
"They enhanced their limbs but weakened their brains and other functions," Zhou Yan said. "To be honest, compared to those robots capable of thinking and making judgments, I can't even say which one seems more human."
The image Zhou Yan described sent a chill down Tao Shushu's spine. Humans reduced to mere mechanical laborers while robots acted as overseers, this truly fit the ideal post-apocalyptic world envisioned by artificial intelligence.
Nan Yuan asked, "Do they still retain their original supernatural abilities?"
Zhou Yan shook his head. "No. They no longer attack, and all evolutionary directions have changed. I inquired about these people's abilities, they've completely transformed."
"It's Dr. Xie's mind control," Nan Yuan said. "Only he can manipulate so many people's minds."
Zhou Yan sneered, "He's been planning this all along. He had me escort him to the Trash Planet, then deliberately separated from me during landing."
"At least it shows there's something underground on the Trash Planet that Dr. Xie values," Nan Yuan remarked.
"Then he hasn't had the chance to obtain it yet. I've seen it, the underground facility's defense level is extremely high, stricter than the Second Legion's weapons depot. The construction materials are rare minerals capable of withstanding nuclear attacks; it can't be breached by force," Zhou Yan said.
Zhou Yan had never heard of such a thing before.
Tao Shushu thought for a moment and said, "Nan Yuan, could it be related to that mission with your mother and you?"
The core computer of the artificial intelligence leader "Chu" was stored in a highly concealed location.
Nan Yuan pondered, "It's possible. Perhaps it's something similar that can restrain artificial intelligence."
"Who are you talking to?" Zhou Yan asked.
"She's my friend. She doesn't truly exist in this world, but she can interact with it. Her name is Shushu," Nan Yuan formally introduced Tao Shushu's existence to Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan looked at Nan Yuan's side in surprise, seeing nothing, but he knew Nan Yuan was always steady and wouldn't joke about something fabricated.
Just as Zhou Yan hesitated, Nan Yuan smiled and said, "That batch of wound medicine I gave you last time came from this friend of mine."
"If you're willing, you can shake hands with her," Nan Yuan suggested.
Zhou Yan extended his hand.
Tao Shushu, from behind the screen, touched Zhou Yan's hand.
"There's really someone?" Zhou Yan exclaimed in astonishment.
"She's real," Nan Yuan said with a laugh.
Zhou Yan looked at Nan Yuan and composed himself. "Hello."
Tao Shushu also said hello, but Zhou Yan couldn't hear her; Nan Yuan relayed the message.
Tao Shushu whispered in Nan Yuan's ear, "Zhou Yan's stunned expression is so amusing."
"Yeah," Nan Yuan chuckled softly. Upon learning that Tao Shushu could only speak with him, a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
He felt grateful that such a wonderful Shushu had the most interactions with him in this world.
After asking a few minor questions, Zhou Yan finally said, "Shushu's existence will definitely drive certain people to madness."
A cheat that can provide era-defining weapons and medicine, no matter which faction, they would all covet it.
Tao Shushu whispered in Nan Yuan's ear, "But I met Nan Yuan first, and I only like Nan Yuan. Even if the bond with Nan Yuan were truly broken, I wouldn’t leave him to help others."
From the moment she still regarded Nan Yuan as an NPC in a raising game, she had been drawn to him as a person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have worked so hard to nurture her cub.
Tao Shushu ruffled Nan Yuan’s hair, the cub she first met was just too adorable. The way he was both wary and yearning for companionship melted her heart, making her want to spend all her resources on him.
Tao Shushu was explaining this to Zhou Yan as if talking to herself, but she hadn’t noticed that she had pressed the voice button.
Nan Yuan heard every word Tao Shushu said.
The smile on his face instantly brightened.
Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Nan Yuan, don’t go around talking about her existence."
"Mm, only you and the people from the barren planet know," Nan Yuan replied.
Zhou Yan gasped sharply, "Only? That’s dozens of people from the barren planet."
And among them were ordinary people without abilities, anyone could spill the secret under pressure.
"I’ve warned them not to say anything," Nan Yuan said. Of course, he knew that a secret only remained a secret if no outsiders knew.
But he didn’t want Shushu to be overlooked. He wanted everyone to know how clever and amazing she was, and he wanted her to hear others’ praise.
Because she was someone who loved hearing compliments so much.
Nan Yuan smiled, "You remember to keep it secret too."
"Of course, I will," Zhou Yan replied. "Was it her who played that trick on Dr. Xie?"
Nan Yuan nodded.
Zhou Yan immediately praised, "Well done! That bastard Dr. Xie, his face turned green with anger. If I get the chance, I’ll give him a beating too."
Tao Shushu felt the same way as Zhou Yan. Hearing about Dr. Xie’s actions, she felt that if he didn’t suffer properly, this grudge wouldn’t be settled.
Tao Shushu also had a suspicion: since Man Qian’s mother was on a covert mission and was being hunted by the AI at the time, could Dr. Xie have been fueling the fire behind the scenes?
Tao Shushu and Zhou Yan discussed various ways to mess with Dr. Xie through Nan Yuan.
One was an elite from the Second Legion, the other a top-scoring student with perfect marks, yet their discussion grew increasingly absurd, like kindergarteners planning a breakup.
Though the conversation lacked substance, Nan Yuan patiently acted as their messenger.
It wasn’t until Zhou Yan complained that Nan Yuan’s relay lacked emotion and that he couldn’t fully enjoy the conversation with his new kindred spirit that Nan Yuan cut short their friendly exchange and steered the topic back to business.
"Assuming the thing beneath the Trash Planet can really deal with the AI, does Chu know about it?" Nan Yuan asked.
The Trash Planet’s combat strength wasn’t strong, with only a little over two thousand people.
Yet it had never faced a severe attack. Even after Nan Yuan destroyed the mechanical arm, the AI hadn’t retaliated quickly.
This was highly suspicious.
"The key must lie with Dr. Xie," Zhou Yan said.
Dr. Xie was the only one who knew the true situation on the Trash Planet. Only he knew what the AI feared about the Trash Planet, or perhaps, what it feared about him.
After some discussion, Zhou Yan continued gathering materials while collecting intelligence on the eastern base.
Zhou Yan handed some evidence to Nan Yuan, who could release it when necessary to expose Dr. Xie.
Before leaving, Zhou Yan asked Nan Yuan for some medicinal supplies for wounds.
It was only then that Tao Shushu noticed Zhou Yan had been attacked during his infiltration.
His arm was bloody, but throughout their earlier conversation, Zhou Yan’s demeanor and expression had remained completely normal.
Tao Shushu couldn’t help but deeply admire him.
As Zhou Yan was leaving, he winked at Nan Yuan and said, “I’ve noticed that everyone in the Nan family is really good at living off others.”
Nan Yuan’s face flushed slightly. “Just go do your job.”
Because of Zhou Yan’s teasing remark, Nan Yuan suddenly felt unsure how to interact with Tao Shushu.
Tao Shushu chuckled quietly for a moment before asking, “Nan Yuan, if you succeed in stopping the artificial intelligence, what do you want to do most?”
Nan Yuan’s lips twitched slightly. A long time ago, his only goal had been revenge.
But after meeting Shushu, he had developed an impossible fantasy, to cross the barriers of time and space, to meet the real Shushu, to possess her.
Nan Yuan lowered his gaze. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”
“Whatever Nan Yuan wants to do, I’ll support you,” Tao Shushu said.
“Mm.” Nan Yuan smiled faintly, hoping only that his delusional longing wouldn’t frighten Shushu.
Nan Yuan sat on the wasteland of the Trash Planet, watching the sunset with Tao Shushu.
The sunset’s glow spilled over the scattered piles of metal junk. Nan Yuan manipulated the light, creating colorful chibi-style figures in the distance.
Beside him, he formed a vibrant girl, the image of Tao Shushu.
Outside the screen, Tao Shushu, just like the chibi figure in the light painting, rested her chin in her hands, wide-eyed as she watched the flowing images in the distance.
Nan Yuan had created a “movie.”
One by one, the chibi figures reenacted scenes from the base.
A long-legged figure representing Cheng Feimao ran swiftly in circles, flashing by in an instant.
The most muscular one was Bob, dopey Bob raising his arms to show off his biceps.
Zhou Yan grinned widely, running his mouth everywhere.
Then there was Dr. Xie, sitting in a wheelchair, covering his head as he was beaten.
The golden-maned lion and the Bloodsucking Grass also claimed two spots. The Bloodsucking Grass split into a large patch, while the golden-maned lion rolled around in the grass.
“This is the best movie I’ve ever seen,” Tao Shushu said.
Nan Yuan chuckled softly.
With his other free hand, he subtly shifted its position, so that the shadow of his hand overlapped perfectly with the chibi figure representing Tao Shushu.
From behind, it looked as though he were embracing that little figure.
Tao Shushu couldn't resist taking a screenshot, preserving this moment.
She had watched many, many movies.
But at this moment, on the chaotic Trash Planet, the movie Nan Yuan drew for her, devoid of plot or visuals, felt like the most beautiful one she had ever seen.
It was Nan Yuan's heartfelt gesture.
Tao Shushu ruffled Nan Yuan's hair. "Nan Yuan, I want to see the elemental sprite beating up the bad guys."
"Alright." Nan Yuan manipulated the light.
In front of them, a pixelated heroine appeared, relentlessly pummeling the villains before her.
"Nan Yuan is the best," Tao Shushu said, ruffling his hair again.
Nan Yuan continued to control the light, conjuring various scenes for Tao Shushu to enjoy.
It wasn't until the sun set and night fell that Nan Yuan hopped down from the pile of scrap metal and returned to the base.