"Can you remove the bandages now?"
Yunqian asked while sitting on a sofa. He leaned forward slightly with his hands clasped together. At such a close distance, the president looked even taller than before. The strong and steady aura he exuded seemed to carry an invisible weight that made people hold their breath.
"Yes, the doctor said it's almost done," the teenager answered. The boy who was sitting cross-legged on the bed was about to raise his hand when Yunqian stopped him. "You can't see. Let me do it," he said as he stood up and cut open the bandage on the back of the boy's head.
Yunqian was a tough man, but his movements were meticulous. The white bandages loosened and fell to the bed, revealing the thin scars on the teenager's face. They intertwined with each other on his once clean and fair cheeks.
Yunqian bent down and carefully examined the teenager's face for a while. His breath caressed the skin, and the side where the nerve necrosis was located felt slightly warm. "The color of these scars is much lighter than the last time," Yunqian said as he straightened his back and breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like it won't be long before your skin looks the same as before."
"I'm not a girl. What does it matter if my skin looks good or not?" Yun chuckled, but he still reached out to touch the side of his face. "I wonder if the scars on Yanqiu's face have faded. That guy is not good-looking to begin with. "
"I'll go and take a look for you and pass on your message to her," Yunqian said jokingly. He picked up the bottle of ointment beside him and asked, "Should I apply this?"
"Yes, Mr. President. I'm sorry that you have been taking care of the three of us for the past few days."
"Now that there is an epidemic, no one is allowed to go out. As the only healthy posthuman, of course, I have to do more work." Even when Yunqian was smiling, the hard lines on his face did not soften at all. He lifted the teenager's chin and applied a layer of cool ointment on his face. "I only hope that all of you will get better soon."
"Thank you, Mr. President." Yun did not dare to move his head. His long eyelashes were trembling, casting a shadow on his face.
"Young people recover so fast." Yunqian retracted his hand and tilted his head to look at him. "I'm done. Don't rub around. "
The youth smiled shyly, revealing a row of snow-white teeth amidst the plum-like redness. However, the nerves on the right side of his face had been destroyed, and there was no change in his expression at all. It looked like only half of his face was smiling, and the other half was calm.
Yunqian's eyes lingered on his face for a few seconds before he nodded and walked toward the door.
Just as the governor was about to leave, the young man suddenly thought of something and hurriedly asked, "Governor, is there any news from the evolved humans that left the city?"
"One of the posthumans came back this morning," Yunqian's hand, which was halfway through opening the door, stopped and turned around.
The young man was shocked, and his eyes immediately lit up. "That's great! Who is it? What happened? "
The Administrator furrowed his sword-like eyebrows. "I really don't have any impression of him. I'll have to go back and check the name list. His injuries weren't light, and he fainted as soon as he came back. For the time being, I don't know if he got the information … but no matter what, it's good that he came back alive. "
At this point, Yunqian pursed his lips. He paused for a moment before continuing, "If I lose too many posthumans because of this mission, I'll be the sinner of all nine cities."
Lin Sanjiu watched as the president walked out of the door after he finished speaking. She looked at the setting sun and sighed. "Looks like today is going to be another fruitless day." Under the orange glow of the setting sun, Lin Sanjiu crept back to the attic along the outer wall. She felt that she had almost turned from a peeping tom into a pervert. It would be fine if no one noticed her at the moment, but once someone did, she would not even have a valid reason to explain her actions.
As long as Puppeteer was sane, the Cloud Guard would be a relatively complete and normal world. "Maybe it's because the information he learned after the incident has been added to his memory?" Lin Sanjiu thought in her drowsy and exhausted state.
Ever since she entered the Veda's territory, she had not slept a wink. Whenever she thought of the Veda watching her from the dark, she dared not let her consciousness blur for even a moment.
In the past, it was still fine, but in Cloud Guardian Nine City, watching the sunrise and sunset every day, even her biological clock was assimilated. Whether it was her body or her mind, she felt that at least a month had passed. Even a posthuman could not stand such a slow torture. Lin Sanjiu pinched herself hard. She even suspected that this was the Veda's goal. Perhaps, they wanted to make her so tired that she would lose all her resistance.
The slight pain on her skin did not have any effect on her at all. When she sat down in the attic, the overwhelming drowsiness finally showed its power. Her head was getting heavier and heavier, and her eyelids were glued shut. Every time she opened them again, she felt as if she had exhausted all her strength. Sleep was such a sweet temptation. She just wanted to give up. She did not want to think about anything else. She did not care about Puppeteer anymore.
Lin Sanjiu did not know how long she struggled, but just as she slowly closed her eyes, a series of loud footsteps approached from below. The footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. Lin Sanjiu was startled awake. She cocked her head to the side and realized that there was more than one person approaching. Their destination seemed to be the attic. Lin Sanjiu sprang to her feet, looked around, and jumped out of the window.
The outer wall of the magistrate's mansion was flat, and there was almost no place for her to use as leverage. Lin Sanjiu grabbed a hanging green vine with one hand and stepped on the edge of the window on the next floor to stabilize herself.
Creak! It sounded like the door embedded in the floor of the attic was pushed open.
"Lord Majordomo," Yun's voice rang out first, "Can I just leave it here?"
'Did I fall asleep? How much time has passed without me knowing? ' Lin Sanjiu was taken aback. She felt that Puppeteer's memory was flowing faster and faster. She quickly adjusted her angle and looked into the attic through the window.
Even though the attic of the governor's mansion was very spacious, it seemed to be a little cramped the moment Yunqian walked in. It was as if the stately and tall governor could not fit inside. His back was facing Lin Sanjiu, and the light from the setting sun shone in from the window on the other side of the room. Lin Sanjiu could only see his dark back.
Countless dust particles floated in the air, and they were dyed into golden-red particles by the setting sun. The teenager named Yun was carrying a metal box in his arms. It was so heavy that even he found it difficult to carry it. Panting, he put the box on the floor with a thud, and a layer of dust flew up. He choked and coughed, and his face flushed.
Yunqian patted him on the back, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It's just that the right side of my body is a little stiff."
Yunqian squatted down in front of the metal box. He spoke softly, as if he was afraid that he would scare the boy. He slowly stroked the surface of the box and murmured, "Yes, it's this … it's this one. I have been looking for it for a long time, but I still failed. I didn't expect to see it again … "
"Lord Majordomo, thank you for your persistence and Brother Gong risked his life to bring it back." The teenager squatted down as well and gave Yunqian a half-smile. He turned his head to look at the iron box. There was a hint of surprise in his voice. "But … can such an ordinary iron box really work?"
Yunqian stretched out his hand slowly. His fingers were trembling. He gulped as if he had finally calmed down. "Of course. I've already activated it."
"Already?" The teenager was shocked again. He studied the box for a while, but he could not see anything. "There's no sound at all. I used to think that an AI command station should be high-tech. At the very least, it should have a screen, right?"
Yunqian looked at him and chuckled, "Yes, it has everything."
Before Yun could ask any more questions, Yunqian suddenly stood up and strode toward the attic. "Let's go. It's not the right time yet."
The teenager was stunned. Before he could ask any more questions, Yunqian had already gone down the stairs. He quickly followed Yunqian, and the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance.
Lin Sanjiu entered the attic again. After a moment of contemplation, she decided not to look at the metal box. Instead, she followed Yunqian down the stairs. This was just a world replicated from Puppeteer's memory. It was impossible to recreate everything that Puppeteer didn't understand. Even if Lin Sanjiu went up there, she would only be confused.
Initially, she thought that the arrival of the metal box would change the situation. However, nothing happened in the next half a day. The president went to meet Brother Gong, who was injured and rendered meritorious service. They talked until late into the night. At the same time, Lin Sanjiu followed Yun. She watched him do some rehabilitation exercises and read a book. After dinner, he washed up and went to bed. Not only was it boring, but it also made Lin Sanjiu feel even more like a pervert.
A silver crescent moon slowly appeared in the dark sky. After Ayun fell asleep, Lin Sanjiu sneaked back to the attic. She did not know if she could last through the night. She was too tired and she was not sure if she could survive the night.
Only in the dead of night could she hear the faint buzzing sound coming from the metal box in front of her. It was as if there was a Dynamo Core operating inside. Lin Sanjiu felt like she was an ancient person who had seen a TV. She circled around the metal box, but she still could not figure out how this thing could become an AI command center.
Just as she sat on the floor, bored out of her wits, she heard the soft sound of a door turning. Her nerves immediately tensed up.
The sound disappeared in a flash. It was so soft that she thought she had misheard it. Lin Sanjiu held her breath and waited for a while until she caught a faint footstep. Then, she jumped up and rushed downstairs, following the sound of footsteps.
The dream and the night seemed to be intertwined. It was so heavy that it was hard to tell one from the other. Yun turned over in his confused dream. He heard his own breathing, which echoed in the dark night. The right side of his face still felt like it was covered with a layer of biting ants. His skin was numb and painful. Then, something warm fell on his right cheek, slowly caressing it.
Yun dreamt that the president's hand slowly slid across the command center that looked like an iron box.
A hand touched his face as well, and this thought surfaced in his mind.
The thought flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning. When he opened his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. A tall shadow was standing in front of his bed.
"Who is it?" The teenager pushed himself off the bed and tried to take a step back. His voice was still nasally. However, before he could move, the hand on his face turned and grabbed his throat.
"Don't move," the shadow said softly. Every word he uttered carried the weight of a high-ranking person. It was as if he couldn't help holding his breath to listen to it.
Yun was stunned. For a moment, he couldn't control his body.
"I've been to Cloudguard 9 a few times. It was during my inspection tour." Perhaps it was because of the darkness, the familiar voice sounded a little different. It was dark and hoarse. "Even with the AI, Cloudguard 9 still developed itself into a slum. In the eyes of others, there is no value in inspecting this place. But I really don't agree. I have very good memories here. The poorer and more chaotic a place is, the easier it is for me to find what I want. "
The young man listened in the darkness without moving. He felt the large hand on his throat slowly loosen a little. It only held his neck lightly and did not move away. The body's body was as cold as a snake's, sticking to Yun's warm skin.
"After the fall of the city, the number of humans around me decreased. Whenever I showed my face, I would only see those AIs. Although they were in human form, they were different." The voice was getting softer and softer, as if it was about to disappear into the darkness. However, there was a faint undercurrent of fear in it. "Oh, people. I can assure you that there is no one who loves people more than I do, Yun. "
"C-Director, you …"
"Shh." Yunqian suddenly lowered his head and whispered in Yun's ear, "I don't need you to speak or move. Yun, listen carefully. The AI command station has been working for a long time. The AI has taken over all the defense and weapon systems of the city. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that the AI took over the city so smoothly. "
The young man's intense heartbeat traveled far into the night.
The cold hand gently stroked his Adam's apple and circled around to the back of his neck. Yunqian chuckled as he felt the goosebumps on the teenager's skin. "Are you sixteen or seventeen this year? Your Adam's apple is not big, like a girl's. Your evolved ability can only control dolls, right? "
His hand moved like a snake, but it suddenly stopped.
In the thick darkness, the boy's low whimpers rang out intermittently.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid?"
A Yun gasped for air. His vision, which was originally obscured by the darkness, was blurred by his tears. He hated himself for crying out loud, but he could not stop the waves of fear and confusion in his heart that seemed to be about to devour him. He wanted to vomit and cry at the same time. The young man said hoarsely, "I … I saved your life …"
"Yes, I am grateful for that."
"Then why —"
"Don't you want Jiujitsu to be good? If you want it to be good, you have to pay a price, "Yunqian's voice was still soft. Yunqian's voice was still soft. "I can turn Jiucheng into what it was during the Golden Era. With AI, you will know that I am not lying."
The teenager leaned to the side and threw a punch at the shadow in front of him. Yunqian caught the punch and chuckled. "Didn't I tell you? I don't need you to move. "
"F * ck you!" When Yun was about to jump up again, a hand suddenly pressed on his shoulder. All the strength in his body flowed away from the place where the hand pressed on his shoulder like a leaking river. In the blink of an eye, it was gone. His limbs went limp, and for a moment, the teenager could not even support his body.
He was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and his stomach tightened to the size of a needle tip. But no matter how hard he struggled, it was useless.
"Making the people obey is the power of the president."
The shadow smiled slowly. "Since I activated the command station, twenty Enforcers, seventy engineering AIs, and fifteen mobile weapons stations have responded to my order this afternoon. Just now, the first batch has arrived."
This did not reduce Ayun's resistance. It was his next words that made the boy suddenly stop moving.
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