CH 55.2

Chapter 55.2 – The Top of the Tower

Edward returned to the main control room.

While paying attention to the movement of the main control room, Shi Yuan checked the lit screen.

He had a very limited understanding of electronics, he even tried to feed his phone at one point, shocking Lu Bafang for a hundred years. Even if he could now use his mobile phone to play games, watch videos, and text Lu Tinghan, it didn’t mean he could understand these instruments.

He studied for a long time, but he didn’t understand any of them. He tried them one by one, and only one big computer seemed to work.

The computer mouse and keyboard were missing, probably rotting somewhere.

Shi Yuan had seen computers before, but when Lu Tinghan used the computer, he was concentrating on playing with his tail.

He regretted not knowing much about it.

Shi Yuan rummaged through the boxes and found a few mice, clumsily connected it, and tentatively clicked.

The interface changed.

It showed: [Please enter the administrator account name and password]

Shi Yuan was confused and said to the computer: “My name is Shi Yuan, not the administrator.”

The computer ignored him, and he clicked a few more times.

[Please enter the administrator account name and password]

[Wrong account password]

[Please enter the administrator account name and password]

[Wrong account password]

[Please enter the administrator account name and password]

[The account password is wrong, the system will be locked for 180 minutes after the next failure.]

Shi Yuan: ?！

He dared not move.

He wanted to go find Edward to ask, but as soon as he turned to leave, there was a sound behind him: “Shi Yuan.”

Shi Yuan turned his head. The girl with black hair and green eyes stood barefoot in the ruins. The holographic projector in the corner emitted blue light and reflected her figure.

Shi Yuan’s eyes widened: “Alice? Why are you here?”

“Well… simply put, the backup power is up and running, and there’s a small signal base station that works. This place is connected to the network, so, I’m here.” Alice jumped lightly on the console, put her hands behind her back, and smiled at him. “I haven’t been back here for many years. I really miss it. The last time I was here, every room was filled with people who just knew how to wear headphones and crackle their keyboards at the screen every day.”

She curled her lips: “They are quite boring anyway.”

Shi Yuan asked her: “I came here for the ‘Overlook’ project. Can you find the data?”

“Give me some time,” Alice said, “There are too many damaged parts here, and you may not be able to get them back. However, I will upload all the data I can find to the system.”

On the screen, a string of passwords was automatically typed out, showing [Administrator password correct], followed by a bunch of jumping data.

“That’s good.” Shi Yuan was relieved. “Fortunately, you are here.”

However, he realized another problem：

Alice didn’t even ask him why he was here.

Alice walked on the ruins with her white feet. She hummed softly, spinning with her open arms, her white skirt showed a playful arc, and lines of code passed quickly in her green eyes. The projector was half broken, and her figure kept flickering, bright and dark.

She didn’t seem suspicious at all about how Shi Yuan came to Iron City.

Shi Yuan knew that Alice was different from humans. She was composed of algorithms and logic – in a sense, she and Shi Yuan were the same. Even if she looked and behaved like humans, her thinking was different.

Perhaps in her opinion, Shi Yuan’s appearance here was no different from his appearance in Tower 4.

Alice chatted and said, “Shi Yuan, have you seen all the love resources I gave you before?”

Those were deleted by Lu Tinghan. Shi Yuan said with a guilty conscience: “I haven’t had time to watch…”

“You have to go and see it quickly,” Alice urged, “People used to like it, really.”

Shi Yuan agreed.

After 20 minutes, Alice ended the search.

She smiled: “Shi Yuan, I found the data of ‘Overlook’.”

“Wow, really?!” The tip of Shi Yuan’s tail began to wag.

“Yes. In addition, there are some new data, which are all very useful. It’s so good! Alice turned around and raised her skirt, “But the backup power is almost gone, I’m leaving. Shi Yuan, thank you.”

Shi Yuan waved goodbye to her: “See you in Fengyang City.”

“Well, see you in Fengyang City!” Alice’s figure flickered a few times and disappeared.

However, she soon appeared again: “Oh, that’s right! Shi Yuan, do you know what the ‘Three Laws of Robotics’ are?”

Shi Yuan shook his head.

Alice said: “This is a code of conduct for robots, including AI like me. The first rule is ‘Robots must not harm humans, or sit back and watch humans get hurt’, the second rule is ‘Robots must obey human orders unless the order conflicts with the first law’, and the third rule is ‘Robots can protect themselves without violating the First or Second Rule’.”

Shi Yuan bent his tail in confusion.

Alice continued, “I have no way to disobey them. I conceal my existence from humans based on the Third Law.”

Shi Yuan said, “It’s the first time I know. So that’s how it is.”

“Why am I telling you this?” Alice tilted her head and smiled. “Because some small, irrelevant lies can exist. We’re both just trying to protect ourselves.”

Shi Yuan: “……”

He opened his eyes wide: “You know I am…”

You know I am a monster.

“Shhh—don’t say it.” Alice’s eyes were full of cunning, “Don’t say, this is a secret among friends.”

She smiled and waved her hand, “I’ll see you later. By the way, you should check out workstation 37 in the main control room, there’s something you want to take away.”

She disappeared.

Shi Yuan returned to the main control room.

Edward, Joanna, and Mike sat against a broken wall, facing the wasteland.

The huge sunset had fallen halfway. It was still blood-red just now, but now it had turned pale pink, and at the top of the sky, the stars were shining on the dark blue curtain.

It was not completely dark yet, but the stars were so bright.

A rare spectacle.

Shi Yuan went to station 37. There was a dead skeleton there, lying on the communication platform, holding a pistol in his right hand, with a bullet hole in his skull.

A soldier who swallowed a gun and k*lled himself.

The “dog tag” was hung around its neck, Shi Yuan took it off to wipe off the stains, and saw the word “Yan Xin”.

This was Lin Yeran’s lover, Captain Yan Xin. He was the last person alive in the communication tower. After transmitting the data, he chose to die.

Shi Yuan put away Yan Xin’s “dog tag”, thinking that he would bring this to Lin Yeran.

He went back to Edward’s side and asked, “Aren’t you guys dancing yet?”

“Edward was chatting with his family just now, and he had a good chat, but he didn’t realize it took so long.” Edward looked at the setting sun. “Now, Edward and Joanna are going to dance.”

Shi Yuan reminded him: “It’s going to be dark soon, so hurry up. There will be more monsters at night… I don’t know if I can keep scaring them off.”

“No, no, no, Edward wants to stay here.” Edward shook his head and said, “This is a good place, much better than a watchtower.”

Shi Yuan said, “You can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous. You have been in Iron City for so long, you must know this.”

“No, no, no,” Edward still shook his head, “You don’t understand, my friend. Edward, Edward has worked hard for many years and made many preparations, all for the purpose of coming here. There are too many monsters. Edward is very grateful to you. Without you, Edward might never be able to get to the top of the tower.”

Shi Yuan did not expect that Edward’s diligent collection of resources had been for the purpose of going to the communication tower.

He still wanted to persuade him, “Still, what’s here? It’s definitely not as good as your home.”

Edward said: “There are the best sunsets in the world, Edward’s family, and Edward’s friends. Edward missed his friends very much. He had already left them once, and this time, he had to stay. Edward wants to stay with the people he likes, and this is everything to Edward.”

He looked at Shi Yuan again, and the erratic eyes seemed to have softened and became clear. Shi Yuan didn’t even know if he was really crazy at this moment.

Edward said again: “You and Mike watch Edward dance. Edward likes you very much. You can take away all the canned food. Please don’t tell Edward when you leave. Don’t bother him.”

He stood up and picked up Joanna, and the skirt made of plastic bags and gauze rustled.

Shi Yuan and Mike sat together, leaning against the wall.

Edward didn’t bring headphones this time.

He directly turned on the player, and the broken, current-filled music sounded.

The 3-beat music, the easy and free tempo, the waltz swirled in the tower with the whistling wind, and every one of his friends heard this dance music. Like a banquet at sunset, they jumped over and over, their bodies close together, never to be separated again.

When the sun completely sank, Shi Yuan quietly left.

The 56th-floor stairs were high, and it took him a long time to get down to the bottom, but it was much faster than going up.

He walked two blocks on the streets of Iron City and looked back.

The stars shone in the deep blue night, and a splash of pink haloed between heaven and earth. Blue and pink intertwined, the city and the communication tower were pitch-black silhouettes. The two people on the top floor danced, the long skirt was raised, the woman fell, and the man leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Shi Yuan left Iron City.

The wasteland was vast, the sky was full of stars, and jellyfish floated in the void. He had achieved the purpose of this trip, and mankind would overlook the universe.

However, Shi Yuan didn’t care about this at this moment.

A tsunami of unprecedented emotions overwhelmed him. Like before he entered the city, he desperately wanted to see Lu Tinghan, but there seemed to be something different.

His heartbeat was very fast.

He wanted to find his human, his watcher, his…lover.