CH 243

Villainous Singer (15)

It wasn’t until the final piece was assembled and she pressed the last button that Song Xu Yi finally released a sigh of relief and lifted her head.

The glaring crimson digits at the front of the classroom were difficult to overlook. The viewer count for this classroom had reached an unprecedented level. Song Xu Yi furrowed her brows and only belatedly realized that everyone around her was watching her.

The complexity of assembling the robot she had received was indeed quite formidable. Song Xu Yi didn’t grasp it fully at the outset either. She was disassembling and exploring simultaneously. It was only after she began working on it that she gradually organized her thoughts. Over time, her approach became more adept, and her movements grew smoother.

In the past, she had always concealed her true abilities during exams. Now, she only wanted to exhibit her full strength. Racing against the clock, she completed the robot assembly. It was at this moment that she realized her actions were too conspicuous. There was still over half an hour left until the end of the exam, and she was the first one in the entire classroom to submit.

According to the examination guidelines, the first three people to submit would receive some extra points. Song Xu Yi looked around and observed the performance of the Ruo Shui student beside her. Considering her own completion and the other student’s performance, even though she didn’t want to be overly confident, judging by her current performance, securing a spot in the top ten was almost a sure thing.

Song Xu Yi released another sigh of relief.

Her completion had brought significant pressure to the Proxima Centauri students around her, causing them to accelerate their progress. Song Xu Yi didn’t bother to watch the others. She closed her eyes and began to rest.

After being too tense previously, now that she suddenly relaxed, Song Xu Yi wasn’t sure what she was thinking. Her thoughts drifted unexpectedly to Lin Ruoyu.

Lin Ruoyu had disappeared early in the morning. Song Xu Yi didn’t know her whereabouts or whether she was observing her exam process…

As she pondered these matters, Song Xu Yi also recollected her own results. This exam had gone well. How could she celebrate this victory with Lin Ruoyu?

……

At this moment, Song Xu Yi realized just how little she understood about Lin Ruoyu. She was unaware of Lin Ruoyu’s background and unfamiliar with her preferences. This left her struggling to find a way to celebrate with Lin Ruoyu.

Lin Ruoyu had promised to reveal her secret after the exam, yet Song Xu Yi had a hunch that Lin Ruoyu’s secret might be something heartrending – from the bloodstained edge of a garment, Lin Ruoyu’s daily actions and gestures hinted at certain things.

Before Lin Ruoyu divulged her secret, Song Xu Yi suddenly felt the urge to present Lin Ruoyu with a gift.

This idea appeared abruptly but held strong appeal. Song Xu Yi immediately took action, assembling the parts on the table…

Seeing Song Xu Yi’s actions, countless Proxima Centauri individuals behind screens began to murmur –

“Hasn’t she already finished? What does she plan to do now?”

“Could it be that her previous performance wasn’t up to par?”

“She truly is a curious Ruo Shui individual…”

The camera then switched back to the instructors’ side, and the mentors began discussing Song Xu Yi’s intentions. Eventually, Old Xu, observing Song Xu Yi’s actions, blinked and smiled contemplatively, “Her prior work was impeccable. She’s merely using the leftover components to construct a small toy.”

“If my guess is correct, she’s sculpting a humanoid robot. This young Ruo Shui girl is truly passionate about robotics. She doesn’t even forget to build a model in a situation like this…”

Old Xu’s words had practically confirmed Song Xu Yi’s undeniable top position. Even before the exam concluded, various media outlets closely following the test had already released news, asserting that this Ruo Shui girl had clinched the first rank in the Proxima Centauri robot graduation examination.

Initially, the military was dissatisfied with Song Xu Yi’s outstanding performance. The higher-ups were even infuriated. However, their stance underwent a subtle transformation upon learning that Song Xu Yi was the daughter of Song Yi –

Song Yi had distanced himself from Ruo Shui and become an ally of Proxima Centauri. His daughter’s consideration for her father suggested that she would naturally align with Proxima Centauri. The high-ranking officials, with their pride and duplicity, surmised: The reason this girl managed to secure the first place must be attributed to Song Yi’s substantial financial investment. While it might be improbable for another Ruo Shui individual to attain comparable success in the future, she could function as an ideal precedent, unequivocally demonstrating to dissidents within the Proxima Centauri population – Proxima Centauri extends equal treatment to all; by affiliating with Proxima Centauri, one can access advanced knowledge and technology.

However, when the military received a communication from Old Xu stating his intention to take Song Xu Yi as his disciple, they instinctively voiced their resistance – Old Xu was distinct from the rest. Despite Song Xu Yi’s apparent loyalty to Proxima Centauri, they subconsciously hesitated to impart advanced technology to Ruo Shui individuals.

Nevertheless, Old Xu, who had consistently backed the military and made significant contributions to its advancement, seemed resolute in his decision. He proposed a personal meeting with the high-ranking officials to elucidate his rationale for wanting to accept Song Xu Yi as his disciple.

The military sensed that Old Xu’s actions might have hidden intentions, so they agreed to the meeting with him. Even though the place where Old Xu was located was less than a half-hour’s drive from the military’s headquarters, they waited for a considerable time, yet Old Xu never made an appearance…

On the examination grounds, as soon as the test concluded, the examiners promptly announced the results. With Old Xu’s endorsement, Song Xu Yi was undeniably the top scorer, with the opportunity to advance to higher-level education.

The prolonged efforts had finally borne fruit. Song Xu Yi held onto the robot frame she had constructed using the leftover parts, and a smile naturally formed on her lips –

At the age of sixteen, the girl’s smile was gentle and shy. Her countenance might not have been breathtakingly beautiful, yet her eyes held the splendor of blossoming fireworks. In her hands, she cradled a robot frame that wasn’t overly large, creating a peculiar yet harmonious juxtaposition: the cold and the warm, humanity? and technology… Similar to a blade of grass that had managed to push through a crack in the pavement after enduring countless hardships. Although diminutive, it exuded vigor and hope.

This tableau was captured in photographs. Many years later, as Ruo Shui underwent various changes, this image of Song Xu Yi continued to grace the entrance of the Ruo Shui Robot Museum –

his was the genesis of Ruo Shui’s robot development and, more significantly, the inception of the Ruo Shui populace’s resistance after enduring prolonged enslavement.

However, in the present moment, Song Xu Yi’s emotions were simply happiness.

She received the admission letter from the advanced robot research institution granted by the Robot Association. Simultaneously, she heard a message from the staff – Old Xu wanted to have a private conversation with her tomorrow.

The staff member’s gaze at Song Xu Yi was filled with envy. Becoming Old Xu’s student was something many people could never hope for in their lifetime. However, Song Xu Yi didn’t feel particularly elated in her heart. Instead, she sensed a hint of discord – with Lin Ruoyu’s exceptional innate talent and brilliance preceding her, Song Xu Yi considered her own skills quite modest. Despite her relatively good performance, she questioned if she could truly impress Old Xu, a seasoned founder who had witnessed countless storms.

Undoubtedly, there must be additional hidden motivations at play.

However, Song Xu Yi couldn’t figure out the reason why Old Xu wanted to meet with her. Everyone was saying that Old Xu wanted to take her as a student due to his appreciation of talent… After thinking it over, Song Xu Yi ultimately decided to give up on trying to uncover the truth – no matter what Old Xu’s intentions were, things would become clear tomorrow.

With these thoughts in mind, Song Xu Yi thanked the staff and carried the half-assembled robot back to her room.

If someone else had achieved the same level of success as Song Xu Yi, the students of Ruo Shui would probably be ecstatic. However, this someone was Song Xu Yi – her presence had been quite subdued over the years. Just as the Proxima Centauri military had anticipated due to Song Yi’s influence, upon learning that Song Xu Yi had passed the test, the emotions of the Ruo Shui students were extremely complex. They had no idea what kind of expression to put on when facing Song Xu Yi.

Disregarding the intricate gazes from these students, Song Xu Yi returned to her dorm.

However, in order to achieve their conditioning objectives, the military had already sent the footage of Song Xu Yi’s test success to Ruo Shui and started spreading the news. As soon as Song Xu Yi returned to her dorm, she received a communication request from Song Yi.

Song Yi had always been composed, but at this moment, there was a hint of choked emotion in his voice. When he had extended his support to Song Xu Yi years ago, he hadn’t anticipated that this child would make such strides in this field. After all, Proxima Centauri had nearly monopolized this domain.

Song Yi felt a mixture of pride and deep sorrow for this child. “Child, you are truly exceptional…” Song Yi’s voice was filled with admiration through the interstellar communication. Finally, his voice became somewhat strained as he continued, “I’m sorry, because of me, you’ve endured hardships!” Song Yi was incredibly perceptive; he almost immediately understood the challenges that Song Xu Yi would face post-test due to the discrimination and criticism he had faced.

Song Xu Yi hadn’t shed tears when she passed the test, but at this moment, as she listened to Song Yi’s words, her nose tingled with a trace of sadness. In fact, Song Yi was confronting a situation even harsher than her own – he might never gain the forgiveness of Ruo Shui’s people. Yet, at this time, Ruo Shui needed someone like him – someone to serve as a pioneer, to usher in the strengths of Proxima Centauri, to burst the abscess shrouding Ruo Shui, and to alter its helpless predicament. He was there to create a pathway for survival in Ruo Shui’s challenging environment.

And so, Song Yi stepped forward.

He chose to bear the stigma, to confront the odds, to face the collective blame, to carry the disdain of Ruo Shui’s people, and to forge ahead. For the countless inhabitants of Ruo Shui, he fought on Proxima Centauri to reclaim a seed of hope. Even though this seed had only just begun to sprout, there would come a day when the tree it grew into would reach the heavens. It would break the shackles that bound Ruo Shui’s people to the sky, aiming for space and freedom…

Song Xu Yi held a deep admiration for Song Yi.

However, she couldn’t make her current thoughts known and could only softly console and respond to Song Yi, “No, Dad, you will always be my pride.”

Song Xu Yi understood that Song Yi had comprehended her words, as he fell silent for a moment and then released a soft sigh, his tone also carrying a touch of a smile, “I heard that the robotics prodigy from Proxima Centauri wishes to take you as a student. What are your thoughts on that? I think…”

But before Song Yi could finish his sentence, an urgent voice interjected from the side, interrupting him.

“Song Xu Yi, you can’t go!” The voice belonged to Luo Xi, sounding extremely eager. She seemed to realize the unintended offense in her tone, took several deep breaths, and then continued, “I met Old Xu a long time ago! He also showed significant interest in Lin Ruoyu. That’s why I’ve been troubled by this for many years. After all, Lin Ruoyu back then was able to elicit good intentions from Old Xu. If Lin Ruoyu continues to pursue her development in robotics, her potential is boundless…”

“But after returning, the more I thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Later, Lin Ruoyu became a singer, but I also witnessed Old Xu visiting her.”

“I can’t describe that feeling. The way Old Xu looked at Lin Ruoyu was incredibly strange, and Lin Ruoyu turned pale as soon as she saw him…”

Listening to Luo Xi’s words, Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened. She carefully thought back and realized that Lin Ruoyu had vanished from the scene shortly after encountering Old Xu. Coupled with Lin Ruoyu’s exceptional talent in robotics, could all of this be linked to Old Xu?

But there were simply too many enigmas in the midst…

After Luo Xi finished speaking, even though he knew that there might be surveillance, Song Yi stated his position – he wanted Song Xu Yi to refrain from meeting with Old Xu.

Clearly, the people from Proxima Centauri did not take kindly to Song Yi’s words: the outcome of his statement was that the communication with Song Xu Yi was disconnected before the designated communication time had even been reached.

Listening to the ‘beep’ sound from the other end, Song Xu Yi’s feelings became exceedingly complicated.

According to Luo Xi’s words, it did seem that meeting Old Xu would be unwise. However, that would also result in potential repercussions: after all, it would make the Proxima Centauri people feel ashamed – a Ruo Shui individual rejecting their robotics prodigy was something they found unacceptable. This could be gleaned from the fact that the communication was severed abruptly.

Moreover, this was tied to Lin Ruoyu’s past…

Yet, Song Xu Yi didn’t dwell on it for long. After ending the call, it wasn’t long before a message arrived that sent shockwaves throughout Proxima Centauri – Old Xu had been murdered on his way to the military headquarters!

The author has something to say:

This little world is coming to an end, followed by the real world, and then there will be about 2-3 extras from different little worlds. The stories in the extras will be relatively short, like honeymoon trips (#^.^#). It is expected that this work will be completed in early May. If anyone has any preferences for the upcoming little worlds, feel free to let me know~