Chapter 549: You Will Lose For Sure

Half an hour later...

Chen Xiaolian and Roddy left the base. They drove a car, heading to the city area. On the way, Chen Xiaolian leisurely parked the car beside the road and observed the stretch of ground beside the road.

“I am beginning to regret it now.”

“Regret what?”

“I regret it. I should not have allowed GM’s doppelganger to enter the base.” Chen Xiaolian sighed. “I keep getting this feeling that allowing it to evolve into a new Zero City may not be a good thing.”

“Oh?” Roddy tapped his nose. “Zero City is a great place. A home, which belongs to us and comes equipped with powerful functions. It could also create resource pockets like that C13 mine…”

“But Zero City has been destroyed,” Chen Xiaolian said coldly. “Don’t forget, in the past, the base too, was destroyed. Additionally… … is it really a home? Isn’t it just another cage?”

Roddy fell silent.

“I keep thinking about it… … maybe, when I made that strange decision inside Zero City’s Room Zero, it was because… … inside that room, I found out about something!” Chen Xiaolian’s eyes flickered. “However… … what is it I found out? What would make me decide upon such an action?”

…

Zero City…

The world inside had completely changed.

The outline of the city that had originally existed within it was now no more. There were ruins everywhere.

All the buildings on the ground had been flattened and large amounts of earth, sand, stone, ashes, and the aftermath of high temperature…

Shen floated in the air, alone. He was in a cross-legged seating posture as he pondered something.

“What is the point in you doing all this?”

After a long time, Shen finally raised his head. Looking at the air, he asked that question.

Zero City did not answer.

“Due to the rules, I am unable to harm you, but you are also unable to harm me.” Shen sneered. “So now that there are only the two of us here, you want to contain me inside?”

“Your existence disrupts the balance,” answered Zero City. “Even if I were not to do this, once the outside system discovers your existence, it too, would do so.”

“Ha ha ha!” Shen laughed out maniacally before abruptly standing up in the middle of the air. In his fury, his body radiated a sphere of light similar to that of a nuclear explosion.

A loud noise reverberated as the nuclear explosion spread outward in the middle of the sky and the intense shockwaves spread out. It felt as though the air itself was burning.

After a long time, the power of the explosion dispersed.

“Your wilful acts of destruction are pointless,” said Zero City indifferently. “There are only you and me here. I have no need for air or a body, but you possess a body. By destroying the structures here, you are only reducing your own level of comfort.”

“… … …” The statement startled Shen, who suddenly smiled. “True, you are right. Sigh, I feel thirsty. Give me some water, will you?”

A glass rapidly materialized in the air before him. Next, clean water slowly materialized within the glass.

Shen accepted the glass of water and gulped it all down in one go. “Thanks.”

After saying that, he casually hurled the glass down. It smashed down upon the ground, creating a large crater.

Shen smiled and descended to the ground.

He checked his surroundings. “I want to sleep for a bit. Create a room for me; there must be a clean bed. Make sure the mattress is soft. And preferably have an air humidifier inside the room. This place is so dry my skin is about to crack.”

A building appeared. It was a circular building. Shen pushed open the door and walked inside to see a big and beautiful bed. The mattress on the bed was as soft as the clouds.

“ … by the way. If… … I ask you to create a woman out for me, would that be too much? I know you cannot allow a third life form to exist here. So, how about just an inflatable doll? I am not asking for much, just a redheaded one is good enough.”

This time, Zero City did not respond.

“Fine, boring fellow.” Shen threw himself onto the bed and stretched his waist. Next, he closed his eyes and began sleeping.

Shen really did fell asleep. His rate of breathing became proportionally balanced and long.

After sleeping for an unknown period of time, Shen suddenly sat up from the bed.

His ears seemingly strained and he widened his eyes. There was a look of utter disbelief in his eyes.

“… … I… … did not mishear it?”

He jumped out from the bed and laughed loudly. “You actually… … actually made a mistake? You? Committing a mistake? Ha ha ha ha! Too funny! Too damned funny! Ha ha ha ha!”

Boom!

With a loud explosive noise, the wall of the circular building broke outward as Shen’s figure shot out like an artillery blast. He broke the sound barrier while flying in the sky and left behind a residual after image.

In the blink of an eye, Shen’s figure arrived before a certain spot. The spot was originally located to the north of the destroyed Board of Patriarchs’ building.

There were ruins on the ground; Shen landed. He narrowed his eyes and looked around, his ears quivering lightly.

Suddenly, his eyes shone and he moved to a certain location. He crouched down and raised his right hand up high. His right hand formed a fist before slamming the fist down the ground.

With a “boom”, shattered rocks spread out and flew about as a crack appeared on the ground. Next, it collapsed.

After the ground collapsed, a dark passageway appeared before Shen.

“Zero City, how unexpected! To think that you would make such a mistake! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!”

Shen raised his head up and laughed loudly.

Then, the countless pieces of broken stones on the ground floated up. Next, they shot out like bullets toward Shen.

Shen sneered. “Trying to stop me now is too late, don’t you think?”

He casually waved his hand and a barrier of air appeared around him. The barrier easily deflected off the incoming stones. After that, Shen jumped into the passageway.

Shen landed in the middle of darkness somewhere tens of metres below ground. With a snap of his fingers, Shen quickly created tens of illuminating flames around him. The flames swayed in the air.

Suddenly, the flames quickly extinguished as the oxygen in the air was quickly drawn out.

“You cannot stop me.” Shen sneered, ignoring the loss of oxygen. Instead, he strode forward in a certain direction.

Within the darkness, he used his bare hands to tear open the wall of the place to reveal an elevator. Shen walked inside it and immediately tore apart the elevator. Next, he continued down following the elevator shaft.

Explosions erupted underground as metals suddenly exploded for no particular reason.

Shen however, simply put up his hand to block his eyes. He allowed the explosion to strike his body and simply continued to laugh loudly.

Finally, he landed. When Shen’s feet made contact with the most bottom layer of the elevator shaft, he stabbed both hands into the wall before him and tore the metal door open.

“I am coming~”

…

An underground space…

The structure of the underground space appeared like an underground research centre. There on the door of the research centre was a metal plate. There were words written upon the metal plate.

“Rubik’s Cube research centre? Interesting.” Shen smiled and strode inside.

The interior of the research centre was filled with darkness. There at the end was a very small room. The door leading to the room was only partially closed, allowing a small amount of light to shine through.

Shen moved forward, one step after another.

Zero City continued its attempts to stop Shen. The metal plates beneath Shen’s feet quickly dissolved, seemingly in an attempt to drag him down. However, Shen ignored it. His legs rapidly transformed into intangible silhouettes as he swiftly moved closer to the door.

“Zero City, since you committed a mistake, you can no longer stop me! Just forget it!” The joy in Shen’s eyes grew in intensity. Finally, he reached the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

He extended his hand and deliberately knocked on the door. “Is anyone home?”

Beyond the door was a very simple looking room. There was also a faint clump of light inside.

In the middle of the room was a little boy, who was crouching on the floor. Before the little boy were several circular shaped building block like items.

Strangely enough, the source of illumination inside the room was…

The little boy himself!

That faint light was coming off the little boy’s body.

His entire person appeared translucent, just like a ghost.

Having heard the knocking sound, the little boy turned his head around to see Shen. Seeing that handsome face, the little boy seemed surprised. “Hello, who are you?”

“My name is Shen.”

The moment Shen saw the little boy, looks of puzzlement, astonishment and several other emotions appeared on his face. His eyes squinted into lines and he said, “Shen is my name. So, how should I address you, you lovable little fellow?”

“I… … I am Adam.” The little boy looked at Shen.

Adam. Back then, he was the one who helped Chen Xiaolian and Gibbs escape Zero City. He was the… weak, new-born, AI life form.

Adam!

Shen began to sigh.

“Zero City, this time, you lose.” Shen cast a smile toward the air. “If there are only you and me in this place, I would be unable to do anything to you thanks to the rules. However, if there is a third existence… … it will certainly be your loss!”

A sigh of helplessness seemingly rang out from the air.

It was a deep and profound sigh.

…

“Daddy?”

Yu Jiajia cast a frown at Qiao Yifeng. There was a seemingly displeased look on her face. “Why the urgency?”

“We have to leave now. Something has happened,” said Qiao Yifeng, who pulled off his sunglasses before turning to observe the street.

There were two black coloured cars parked behind him. Several bodyguards in black suits stood around them.

“But… … I have not said anything to Xiaolian yet.”

“If you want to say goodbye, just do it over the phone. Right now, you must leave with me.” Qiao Yifeng shook his head.

Just across the street…

Inside an iced drinks shop, a small figure sat before the shop’s window. In her hand was an ice cream cone and her pink tongue gently licked the ice cream. Her naïve and innocent looking eyes shone as she observed Qiao Yifeng, who was right across the road.

Next, the ice cream cone was casually thrown onto the floor and the little figure that was dangling on the chair jumped down. She moved to the shop’s door, pulled the door open and walked out.

Behind her, on the surface of the glass door, was a little girl’s face; one filled with anxiousness.

“No! Don’t! Don’t!”

…