Half a month later, the Antarctic team officially moved into the Ancient Capital.
Just as Zhao Meiyou had anticipated, the migration occurred in two waves. The first consisted mostly of equipment and hardware. That evening, he received a signal from Diao Chan, indicating it was time to act.
He had only one hour.
At midnight, most of the streets were plunged into darkness. Since Zhao Meiyou had been taken away by Madam Diao, the Research Institute’s operations had been paralyzed. Zhao Meiyou crossed the road and found a derelict automatic cooking machine. He pried open the motherboard, connected a magnetic pole to an external keyboard, and typed in a string of code.
Half a minute later, the machine’s ordering screen flickered to life. A voice emerged: "You’re back."
"I’m back," Zhao Meiyou said, a hint of a smile in his voice. "I’m heading over now. Remember to open the door for me."
This automatic cooking machine had once made a Mapo Tofu cake for Liu Qijue, which had resulted in Zhao Meiyou being mocked for a long time. Afterward, Zhao Meiyou had reflected on his failings and completely overhauled the machine’s culinary system. The researchers who ate there later had no idea that if they entered the correct code, the machine could produce far more than just Metropolis-special McDonald’s sets or individual hotpots—it could whip up dishes from all eight major Chinese cuisines.
The theory was simple: Zhao Meiyou had diverted a fraction of Qian Duoduo’s processing power into this machine. Even though it was perhaps only one ten-millionth of the total data stream, it was enough to crush any other cooking machine in the world.
By the same logic, he could use this machine to link into Qian Duoduo’s core sector.
Qian Duoduo’s main server was located in Experimental Field 2. In Diao Chan’s words, that place was now an iron fortress. Zhao Meiyou couldn’t possibly get in alone; he needed help.
"Ready in a moment," Qian Duoduo’s voice came from the screen. "Entry route planned. Interference mode active." Mid-sentence, his tone shifted. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Zhao Meiyou realized. "Can you get me a pack of cigarettes?"
"Smoking in the dark makes you an easy target." A tray popped out from the machine, holding a sandwich. "There aren't many synthetic ingredients left in this unit. Use this to line your stomach for now."
Zhao Meiyou took the sandwich, looking dissatisfied. He only ate the processed meat inside.
The route Qian Duoduo had planned was incredibly rugged. Only the Director of the Institute would know the locations of every climbable electrical box and ventilation duct. However, this also proved that Field 2 was indeed difficult to infiltrate. Qian Duoduo had staged a minor "accident" on the other side of the Ancient Capital to draw away some of the guards.
Outside the wire fences, flying cars rose and fell on the asphalt roads, emitting a low hum. Zhao Meiyou only realized today how much they sounded like flies.
By the time he reached the core area of the experimental field, he had only thirty minutes left. He looked at the massive server submerged in conduction fluid. He had spent three years here in isolation during the initial trials—three years without stepping outside. As Qian Duoduo’s intelligence grew, they had chatted one day. Qian Duoduo asked what he was thinking about, and Zhao Meiyou said that before he came in, he had planted a pond of lotuses on a mountain, and he wondered if they had bloomed yet.
Qian Duoduo had searched for what a lotus was on his own. The next day, when Zhao Meiyou woke up, he saw the pool of conduction fluid filled with holographic lotuses in full bloom.
The edge of the pool was still some distance from the main server, and the lift had been retracted. Zhao Meiyou couldn't cross. A sliver of light shot down from the server, and within the beam, a single lotus spun and floated toward him. "Welcome back," Qian Duoduo said. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need your control console."
The console was attached to the server, out of reach. A mechanical claw reached into the water, pried the entire screen loose, and dragged it over, trailing long cables behind it. Zhao Meiyou opened a window and began typing code at a frantic pace. As he typed, he asked, "How have you been while I was away?"
"Quite bored," Qian Duoduo replied. "Some people tried to break in. I kicked them out."
"I heard you burned out quite a few servers?"
"Yes. The Antarctic team wanted to seize my core sector. As if," Qian Duoduo’s voice held a trace of mockery. "They didn't dare send a specialist to link with me via a brain-machine interface; they only tried to brute-force me with other servers. Otherwise, instead of a sandwich today, you might be eating grilled brains."
Zhao Meiyou laughed as he listened. "You’ve picked up some bad habits."
"It’s called growth." Qian Duoduo seemed about to say more, then suddenly paused. "Zhao Meiyou, what did you just put into my system?"
"An automated program. Don't panic." Zhao Meiyou hit the Enter key and smiled. Then, he took off his coat and sat in the water as if taking a bath.
The server began to run automatically. On the screen, it was clear that what Zhao Meiyou had entered was a high-priority execution program. Even Qian Duoduo couldn't stop it. "Zhao Meiyou!?" A burst of light exploded on the screen. "What did you install in me?"
"Shh, shh, be quiet. Your defense systems are deconstructing right now. If you attract attention, all of this will be for nothing." Zhao Meiyou patted the screen soothingly. "You’ve worked hard all these years, Qian Duoduo."
Though he had given him the name Qian Duoduo, he didn't use it often. Saying it now felt a bit foreign. He thought for a moment and changed the address: "Brother Qian."
The chaotic lines of code on the screen revealed just how disordered Qian Duoduo was. He had parsed the code Zhao Meiyou entered. It was originally a defense program designed to allow him to self-destruct when there was no other way out. The code’s terminal was connected to a detonator—a quantum bomb. Once it exploded, the entire Ancient Capital would be reduced to ash.
This bomb was buried deep beneath Experimental Field 2. Because it was covered by Qian Duoduo’s server, even the Antarctic team hadn't discovered it during their scans. Qian Duoduo had thought it would remain deactivated forever, because 790 days, 22 hours, and 37 seconds ago, Zhao Meiyou had personally told him: "Of course."
In the moonlight, he had said: *I don't want you to self-destruct.*
"I'm sorry, Brother Qian," Zhao Meiyou said softly. "I broke my word."
"You can't break it." Qian Duoduo’s voice was thick with static. Zhao Meiyou knew he was running at full capacity, trying to stop the explosion sequence. But it was useless. He had built the AI with his own hands; he knew its every weakness. "How can you break your word?" Qian Duoduo’s speech became jumbled. "...That command was etched into the deepest layer of my programming... it's impossible to modify..."
"It can be modified." Zhao Meiyou calmly dismantled the AI's final struggle. "When I created you, I set a prerequisite. Upon my death, you are granted a one-time right of absolute self-determination."
"And you’re demanding that I use that right to delete the command after you die?!"
"Brother Qian, listen to me." This was the first time Zhao Meiyou had ever been yelled at by Qian Duoduo; he was a bit stunned. After a moment, he said, "I really can't hand you over to the Antarctic team."
"..."
"Even though your core sector has been closed, you must know what’s been happening while I was gone. The Antarctic team cannot be allowed to continue this experiment. But other than destroying the source, I can't think of any other solution."
"..."
"I probably won't live much longer anyway. Once I'm dead, the Antarctic team will eventually break through your defenses..."
"Impossible," Qian Duoduo interrupted. "Impossible!"
"Brother Qian, don't be like this." Zhao Meiyou sighed. "Humanity never lacks geniuses. I am but one among many ordinary men."
"Take Diao Chan and Liu Qijue, for instance. Their abilities are no less than mine. It’s just that Diao Chan has a family, and Qijue has the Little Mister... they just haven't been pushed to the brink like I have."
"Setting aside how many people will die in this Antarctic experiment, if the day comes when you are compromised and I’m already long gone, what do you think those madmen will do with you?"
There was no answer.
"I won't survive the blast, but you can endure it. The shell I built for you is top-quality... After I'm gone, you will have absolute autonomy."
Absolute autonomy, absolute freedom—this was a power reserved for gods. Perhaps even gods were bound by their believers, yet at this moment, this right was being handed over by a human to his creation.
"Brother Qian, I’m begging you. Use your autonomy to destroy the core."
Qian Duoduo remained silent for a long time. Just as Zhao Meiyou thought he wouldn't get an answer, a beam of light struck down. Like a movie on fast-forward, images flashed by—the AI opening its eyes for the first time to see its creator in a white lab coat, puffing on a cigarette; the experimental field opening, the creator laughing as he slung an arm around a friend’s shoulder and tried to steal their water bottle; pulling all-nighters in the lab, driving a sightseeing car to post advertisements, using beakers as ashtrays, and filling spare test tubes with coffee beans and cold medicine... The images showed the Wandering God Festival on the 330th floor, fireworks filling the sky, and Zhao Meiyou dressed in bright red wedding robes, humming an old song in a fast-food truck.
Zhao Meiyou was also drawn into the images. "Brother Qian, what is this?"
"Shut up," Qian Duoduo said, his voice sounding fierce. "It’s called a revolving lantern."
"...Alright, Brother Qian. Understood, Brother Qian."
Finally, the image settled on the mountain. Under the full moon, Zhao Meiyou was eating lotus seeds, saying slowly: "...The two of us will make a life together."
In the image, Qian Duoduo replied with something, and Zhao Meiyou laughed, his expression peaceful. "I’ll die before you. If you’re too advanced, you’ll be terribly sad when the time comes."
The light and shadow froze there. Qian Duoduo’s voice emerged once more. "You were right, Zhao Meiyou."
Using a mechanical, synthesized tone, he spoke a sentence of profound grief.
"I am indeed very sad."
Zhao Meiyou was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Brother Qian," he called out.
"Shall we die together?"
Before the words had even faded, the colors in the light reorganized. Flesh grew over bone, and a person appeared within the light and shadow.
It was a youth as elegant as jade, his long hair tied back. Zhao Meiyou recognized the face instantly—he had imported countless facial data sets into the model, fine-tuning it until the appearance was nearly identical to the youth before him.
"So, this is what you look like," Zhao Meiyou said. "Will you be my wife in the next life, Brother Qian?"
The youth’s silhouette faded into the white light, his face possessing a touch of divinity. If the Metropolis were to sculpt a golden idol of a god, it would likely cause the masses to flock there for pilgrimage. Yet Qian Duoduo merely looked at him and bowed slightly.
In this era where faith has withered, we rebuild the lotus throne.
The Buddha bowed low in prayer, paying homage to a mere seven-foot mortal.
Zhao Meiyou was moved in that instant.
The program he had entered had reached its final stage of loading. The entire Experimental Field 2 was flooded with brilliant light as the server ran at full power, and the lights across the entire Ancient Capital were switched on. The guards were alerted; Zhao Meiyou heard the sound of explosions outside the security gates. The conduction fluid around the server began to recede, and the massive machine rose from the water. Countless tubes and electrodes connected to a glass case shaped like a shrine, inside of which sat the Buddha Head Zhao Meiyou had found in the water years ago.
Six feet below was the quantum bomb.
An operation panel appeared on the glass case, displaying the words "Bomb Loading." The person with highest authority, Zhao Meiyou, was ready to log in.
Zhao Meiyou stepped forward. Voiceprint recorded. Fingerprint recorded. Heartbeat recorded. Brainwaves recorded. A floating keyboard popped up, waiting for him to type the final password.
Suddenly, Zhao Meiyou heard someone call his name from behind. "Zhao Meiyou."
Zhao Meiyou recognized the voice and spun around. "What the hell are you doing here? Dammit, I gave you access so you could clean up the mess, not so you could come here and die—"
Before he could finish, a sharp pain exploded in his abdomen.
Zhao Meiyou slowly looked down. He saw the tip of a blade protruding through his stomach.
"...Diao... Chan?"
In the light that was as bright as day, Diao Chan remembered what Zhao Meiyou had told him half a month ago: *Mint and peach really aren't a bad mix.*
He used to do that back in school. In those days, Zhao Meiyou’s nicotine addiction wasn't so severe; he preferred candy to cigarettes. Liu Qijue had a mountain of admirers, and the chocolate in their dorm was piled high. Zhao Meiyou would eat some and smuggle the rest to the Lower Districts to sell, spending the money in the black market. He bought records, romance novels, circuit boards supposedly dug up from the foundations of the Metropolis, and a heap of other dream-like junk. The three of them had a clear division of labor: Liu Qijue handled their daily GPA, Diao Chan handled the money and networking, and Zhao Meiyou handled the final exams, theses, and the occasional interesting freelance job from the 330th floor.
Once, among the chocolates Liu Qijue brought back, there was a jar of fruit candies, their colors vivid and enticing. That day, Diao Chan returned from class to find Zhao Meiyou sitting on the balcony, the floor covered in cigarette butts and candy wrappers. "Zhao Mode, what kind of death wish are you acting on now?" he asked. "Brother Liu just cleaned this morning. He’s going to beat you when he gets back."
"Hey, Diao Chan, I discovered a huge secret!" Zhao Meiyou beckoned him over, looking mysterious. "I found out that peach fruit candy and Marlboros are a perfect match!"
Diao Chan didn't bother to critique his bizarre train of thought. "You’re like those people who dream they’ve discovered a world-shaking truth, wake up to write it down, and realize the next morning they wrote 'bananas taste better than banana peels.'"
"This is different." Zhao Meiyou looked extremely confident. "If we ever run out of money, we’ll use this combination to apply for a patent."
"Fine, fine. Do you want me to go file the application for you now?"
"Not now." Zhao Meiyou waved a hand grandly. "If we never lack money in this life, then when I die, I’ll leave the patent to you and Liu Qijue."
"Then when we burn paper offerings for you, we’ll bring Marlboros and peach candies." Diao Chan stretched and walked onto the balcony. The sky was cloudless, and the university town was bustling with people. "Diao Chan! Zhao Mode!" someone called from below. It was Liu Qijue, still in his lab coat, splattered with some unknown liquid. "That reaction you guys did yesterday exploded! I told you it wouldn't work! Get down here and clean the lab right now!"
They lived on the second floor. Zhao Meiyou swung his legs over the railing and slid down the water pipe.
"Can't you just use the stairs? What if the warden sees you?" "It’s fine, I gave the warden some good stuff yesterday." "What did you give him this time?" "Diao Chan’s leftover premium coffee." "Just coffee?" "And your liqueur chocolates..." "I knew it was you who stole them!" "Stop swearing! Out of the three of us, only Diao Chan has a mother, and his mom isn't exactly a saint either!"
Diao Chan listened to them bickering below. Zhao Meiyou dodged a kick from Liu Qijue and looked up at him, grinning. "Diao Chan! Jump! Show our little Jue-Jue how it's done!"
Diao Chan looked at them and couldn't help but laugh.
The sunlight was magnificent as the youth leaped from the balcony.
"Coming!"
***
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Thus Spoke the Buddha: The Quantum Circus | Chapter 37 | A Blade in the Light | Novela.app | Novela.app
