Xiao Yu did not know where Chen Mo had gone after leaving his research institute, what she had experienced, or whether she had lived well or not. At this moment, when those words, “It feels like… not very well, perhaps.” came from Chen Mo’s lips, Xiao Yu’s heart inexplicably ached.
“Forget all of that. From now on, you will live well.” Xiao Yu said with a smile.
“Director Xiao, is there something you wanted from me when you woke me up?” Chen Mo tried for a while, but still could not recall what had happened during the past year. No, rather, it was that the program Xiao Yu had written searched for a while and found no data at all regarding the past year, so she simply gave up on trying to remember. Chen Mo had always been like this, outwardly gentle and quiet, but inwardly an optimistic, cheerful girl.
“No, nothing at all. I just wanted to see you.” Xiao Yu said.
“You can’t fool me.” Chen Mo said playfully with a smile. “You definitely have something on your mind. You can’t deceive me. Director Xiao, do your best! What difficulty could possibly stump our genius?”
Xiao Yu gave a bitter smile, manipulating his projection to walk toward Chen Mo’s projection, opening his arms to embrace her.
But Xiao Yu did not embrace Chen Mo. His projection passed straight through hers. The projection had no sensory devices installed, so Xiao Yu received no information, no sensation of an embrace.
Chen Mo, however, let out a startled “Ah!”
Her figure began to slowly fade, fade further, and fade again, like fluttering petals drifting away, until she gradually disappeared.
This was because the program Xiao Yu had set determined that Chen Mo, at this moment, would feel shy. The natural result of shyness was to run away. Since the projection had no way to run, it simply shut itself off.Watching Chen Mo’s fading shadow vanish, Xiao Yu felt a deep sense of loss.
He shifted his attention away from that scene and turned it toward the Home One spaceship.
In response to Xiao Yu’s sudden order for a three-day holiday, the citizens expressed all kinds of doubts, sparking countless discussions and speculations. Their guesses were nothing more than wondering what great joyous event had occurred within the Divine Ark Civilization, so much so that their master would announce a holiday, unlimited access to all entertainment facilities, and free supply of all resources in such a grand gesture of celebration.
But the doubt lasted only a short while. After a brief period of speculation, the intelligent beings quickly sank into the revelry. Since the establishment of the Social Committee, which had concluded that nothing could be given freely without cost, it had been a long time since such an event had taken place aboard Home One. Although the intelligent beings’ living conditions were still good, they could no longer live idly as they had before, doing nothing day after day. If they wanted a better life, it was simple, they had to work hard.
So this time, the carnival completely captured their hearts. The more than seventy Home One ships were transformed into cities that never slept, immersed every moment in oceans of joy. Scenic spots and tourist attractions were packed with crowds, and laughter echoed throughout the ships.
This was only the revelry of the lower citizens. The scientists at the top of the social pyramid, however, fell into a strange unease. No bad news had arrived, but no good news either. The timing of this carnival was far too sudden. Some of the upper figures, such as Luka Three and Luka Four, began to ask Xiao Yu about the matter, attempting to learn the true reason behind his decision.
Xiao Yu had no intention of telling them. The reason was simple, even if they knew, they had no way of solving the problem. Better to let them remain ignorant and allow them to spend these three days in peace.
Xiao Yu thought this way, and he acted this way. To all inquiries, he brushed them aside with a single sentence, “It’s confidential for now. In three days, you will know. For now, just go and join the carnival.”
Seeing that Xiao Yu’s expression did not look like someone facing bad news, they finally felt reassured enough to leave.
The more excited the intelligent beings became, the heavier Xiao Yu’s heart grew.
“Director Xiao, you’ve encountered something very difficult, haven’t you?” At some unknown moment, the program controlling Chen Mo activated its projection again, even giving Chen Mo’s virtual face a faint, enchanting blush.
When Chen Mo’s projection noticed Xiao Yu’s gaze fall on her, she flustered and stepped back two paces, lowering her head. “Director Xiao, y-you mustn’t try to hug me again. You’re not my boyfriend yet, how can you do that?”
Xiao Yu’s eyes were full of laughter. “Alright, I won’t hug you. I promise.”
No matter what he faced, as long as he saw Chen Mo’s shadow, Xiao Yu’s spirit would always relax involuntarily.
Hearing Xiao Yu’s promise, Chen Mo finally lifted her head. Her bright, glimmering eyes looked at him softly as she said, “Director Xiao, do you still remember when the institute was just founded? Back then, everyone gathered around you because of your reputation, completely disregarding the harsh difficulties of reality. Your business had only just started, the conditions at the institute were terrible, experimental equipment was incomplete, and sometimes there wasn’t even money for salaries. But everyone always had confidence. Because we all knew, no matter what difficulties there were, Director Xiao could overcome them. No matter how desperate the situation, Director Xiao would always lead us out of it. And indeed, that was how it turned out. The institute’s conditions got better and better, and in the end we achieved results that shocked the entire world. Director Xiao, in my heart, you have always been omnipotent. What difficulty could possibly stop you?”
Xiao Yu’s heart surged, nearly beyond control. Although these words were automatically generated by the program, Xiao Yu believed the real Chen Mo thought the same way. After all, this program was designed based on Chen Mo herself. Its initial parameters, such as her personality, were all set according to Chen Mo.
“Yes, no difficulty can stop me. I am omnipotent.” Xiao Yu murmured to himself, unable to resist stepping forward again, opening his arms, trying to embrace Chen Mo.
“Director Xiao, you don’t keep your word!”
With Chen Mo’s startled cry, her projection vanished once again.
“Was making this program too intelligent a mistake?” Xiao Yu thought bitterly, but his heart was already gradually calming down.
“It’s time to make a choice.” Xiao Yu said slowly. “We’ve reached the final step. Divide the fleet. Division leaves a sliver of hope; without it, certain death.”
“I will split the entire fleet into tens of thousands of small squads, each scattering in different directions. I will hide among them, attempting to escape. Nation-Class ships are too conspicuous and will definitely draw the attention of the Guardian Civilization, so I will abandon them. Even Province-Class ships I cannot take. City-Class ships will be my limit. To avoid suspicion, the real escape squad must be small, the smaller, the better. This means I cannot bring along all intelligent beings, not even all the scientists. Only Luka Two, Three, Four, and a handful of outstanding scientists can accompany me, and the total number cannot exceed one thousand.”
“Within a City-Class ship, the central computer’s computing power is not strong, and its storage capacity is nowhere near that of a Nation-Class ship. This means I will lose ninety nine percent of my current computational capacity and over eighty percent of my data. My technological level will fall back to that of a Level 4 Civilization. This is the price of a divided escape.”
“But even so, it at least preserves a little hope. Although… under the Guardian Civilization’s overwhelming mobility, even with division, my chances of survival are slim. Still, I must strive. If I fall back to Level 4, then so be it. If I lose my computational power, then so be it. As long as I live, I will have the day to rise again.”
Xiao Yu had already finalized the list of one thousand scientists who would follow him on this escape journey. Deciding who would stay and who would go was cruel, but Xiao Yu had no choice. He could not take one thousand ordinary beings without scientific knowledge. At this moment, individual value became Xiao Yu’s only standard.
“Perhaps, staying behind is not necessarily bad, and following me on the escape may not necessarily be good. Perhaps the Guardian Civilization will not kill these intelligent beings. Perhaps these scientists may even receive better treatment under the Guardian Civilization…” Xiao Yu thought silently. “Everything is uncertain. Then let it be so. I will still choose according to my judgment. After that, life or death, fortune or ruin, will be left to fate.”
This was the only thing Xiao Yu could do. At this moment, he finally made up his mind and chose. To abandon everything else, to preserve his own life. As long as life remained, there was hope.
Xiao Yu ran through the entire plan in his mind once more, refining some details. Just as he was about to send the notification to the one thousand selected scientists, suddenly his thoughts wavered.
Xiao Yu realized he now had another choice. Although this choice might not necessarily be better than dividing the fleet, he still decided to consider it. The method of dividing and fleeing was too stifling, and its chances of success were low. The new option before him, though also slim, was at least more heroic.