“What’s it called?” Huang Xiu, ever the curious one, chimed in.
“This is CPU!” Professor Yuan exclaimed, his face etched with indignation. “He’s constantly ‘CPU-ing’ me, trying to get me to do his work!” Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought he had suffered an immense grievance.
Upon hearing this, Huang Xiu’s gaze, fixed on Professor Yuan, instantly turned peculiar.
‘Well, I’ll be,’ she thought. ‘He even knows this meme. His internet usage must be quite extensive!’
“Then why don’t you just ‘KTV’ him with your fists?” Huang Xiu playfully brandished her small, rosy fists.
“Cough, cough.” Professor Yuan offered an awkward chuckle. “Let’s not do that. Hitting people isn’t good.”
He deftly changed the subject. “In any case, just come with me.”
“Alright, then.”
Since he put it that way, Huang Xiu found it difficult to refuse, so she slowly followed Professor Yuan into the car.
She settled into the back seat, on the right side, commonly known as the ‘leader’s seat.’
For some unknown reason, perhaps due to her infrequent car rides, she was prone to motion sickness whenever she sat in a vehicle.
Only in this particular spot did she feel slightly more comfortable.
“This car was lent to me by the boss of Rong’an,” Professor Yuan stated, igniting the engine.
“What do you think? Not a bad car, eh?”
With a low hum, the car began to vibrate.
“I don’t know much about cars, but it certainly feels nice,” Huang Xiu said, gently stroking the red leather interior.
Although she wasn’t knowledgeable about cars, she had once heard a classmate who was an expert say that only S-Class models were truly referred to as ‘Big Benz.’
And this car, by all indications, was precisely an S-Class, a genuine ‘Big Benz.’
“The boss of Rong’an,” Huang Xiu suddenly realized, “is that the boss of Rong’an Pest Control?”
“I remember seeing employees from Rong’an Pest Control at the school last time… right around… Wait, is Rong’an Pest Control a disguised identity for the Jurisdiction Bureau?”
“Yes and no,” Professor Yuan replied, effortlessly backing the car out of its parking space.
“Rong’an Pest Control was founded by retired Awakened individuals. It’s a legitimate company that, in addition to its regular business, also provides cover identities for Jurisdiction Bureau employees investigating on-site.”
“I see,” Huang Xiu murmured, nodding in understanding.
“Such companies are ubiquitous across the country. Many Awakened individuals, upon retiring from their organizations, choose this method to continue contributing to the stability of the Present World.”
The vehicle halted at the entrance of the Jurisdiction Bureau, not driving off, seemingly awaiting someone.
“So, our target is the boss of Rong’an?” Huang Xiu suddenly asked, rolling down the car window.
In the rearview mirror, Professor Yuan’s lips curled into a slight smile.
‘This student of mine, though occasionally a bit awkward, is unexpectedly perceptive,’ he mused.
“How did you know?” he inquired.
“Hmm, if I had to say, it’s just a hunch.”
Huang Xiu gazed out the window, watching mosquitoes fly past and listening to the chirping of birds.
Rong’an Pest Control… had visited her school, not just once, but as early as half a year ago.
Yet, the last Void Realm inspection had yielded no findings.
Of course, there was no concrete evidence for any of this; it was merely speculation. However, intuition often defied logic.
“The boss of Rong’an Pest Control, for personal gain, betrayed the Present World and chose the Black Tower.”
Professor Yuan stated coldly, “He operated with extreme discretion, planning for two years in advance, and destroyed all evidence long ago.”
“That’s why he struts around so brazenly, completely unconcerned.”
“No evidence… then what should we do?” Huang Xiu posed a rather perilous question.
Awakened individuals, too, were bound by rules and subject to the law.
Otherwise, the world would have long since descended into chaos.
Indeed, in some respects, Awakened individuals were subject to even more legal constraints than ordinary people.
For instance, Yue Zhengyang couldn’t inform her about the Void Realm in advance due to the Present World Management Regulations.
“He went too far, believing that by destroying the evidence, he could escape justice.”
Professor Yuan revealed a flash of white teeth.
“But he doesn’t know that to deal with those who defy the rules, one must employ means outside of them.”
“Are you saying…?”
“Today, because we need to process the traces of the Void Realm’s descent, the computational power of the AI system will be heavily occupied, making it impossible to monitor the entire Ying City.”
Professor Yuan offered a cold smile.
“Therefore, on our way to Yanghai, we’ll make a slight detour and intercept someone near the highway.”
“Then he will be apprehended by you, secretly detained, and sent to the Jurisdiction Bureau for interrogation.”
“Can’t we just kill him directly?” Huang Xiu asked, her curiosity piqued.
‘Good heavens, this kid is a bit too extreme!’
Professor Yuan nearly choked on his own saliva, subtly coughing twice to mask his embarrassment.
“Killing him directly is absolutely out of the question. He is currently a citizen protected by law, and he has significant backing. We must first apprehend him, establish his guilt, and only then can we act against him.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you curious why *you’re* the one taking action?”
“Well…”
Huang Xiu scratched her head.
“I figured you wouldn’t set me up, Professor, right?”
She tossed the question back.
“Your ability hasn’t been archived yet, so for now, you’re a ghost floating outside the AI system. Even if your use of abilities leaves obvious traces, it won’t matter.”
Professor Yuan explained the reason.
“A ghost… so that’s it…” Huang Xiu clenched her fist, then relaxed it.
After transforming, even her fingerprints would be different; she would be a person who didn’t exist in the world.
A living ghost.
“If you’re unwilling, that’s perfectly fine. While it is my personal desire for you to act, I have no intention of forcing you. The decision rests entirely with you.”
Professor Yuan said with utmost sincerity.
He had no intention of pressuring her with righteousness; instead, he placed the choice squarely in Huang Xiu’s hands.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have explained things so clearly.
“It’s up to me?” Huang Xiu murmured to herself.
This wasn’t a simple yes-or-no question. Regardless of her choice, the outcome wouldn’t change.
The only variable would be who took action in the process.
Given that… would she bear this sin?
“Hoo…” She exhaled, her gaze rising with the air, and saw many faces.
The weeping girl among the monkey horde, Shi Lei sleeping in a hospital bed, Yun Ning running with her on his back, his face streaked with blood.
The soldiers grimly pulling triggers, covering their retreat.
And… the countless unknown deceased.
All of them were people deserving of a brighter tomorrow, yet their lives were ruined by this individual’s selfish desires!
So… was there still a need to deliberate?
“I can’t wait to give him a good beating,” Huang Xiu chuckled, her fists clenching tight.
To end her final ‘manly’ journey with a truly righteous battle seemed like a fitting conclusion.
It was a pity, however, that she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to Fang Miaoging.
Yet, eight or nine out of ten things in life never go as planned, and regrets invariably weave through one’s entire existence.
Such was the essence of life.
“When do we leave, Professor?” Huang Xiu asked.
“We’re waiting for one more person.”
Professor Yuan was pleased with Huang Xiu’s answer. Although he had recruited Huang Xiu as his student because of her talent.
Her character was also a crucial factor.
“Who are we waiting for?”
Huang Xiu looked out the window with curiosity, then watched as a short-haired young man slowly approached.
“Of course, we’re waiting for your senior disciple—Yun Ning,” Professor Yuan announced, tapping the steering wheel.
*Beep!* The horn blared, deafeningly loud.
“Hurry up, stop dawdling!” he urged, then turned back to Huang Xiu. “Otherwise, did you really think a newcomer like you could take on the opponent alone?”