The Central Plains had suddenly fallen.
Furthermore, it had fallen so quickly that the Southwest and Northwest did not even get a chance to get wind of it. Only a few supernatural beings managed to escape from the strongholds, while the rest of the strongholds became Zero's territory.
Perhaps these supernatural beings did not want to become tools of the consortiums after they awakened their powers, so they kept their whereabouts hidden and lived the lives of ordinary people.
Be it war or disaster, it was as though it had nothing to do with them. As supernatural beings, even if a real disaster were to befall them, they could still live better than others.
But … who could be spared in this era?
When a real disaster befell them, their loved ones would not be spared, and they would also lose their homes.
Indeed, supernatural beings were more capable of dealing with disasters. At the very least, they were not controlled by the artificial intelligence Zero.
A stronghold in the Central Plains had a population of just over 200,000 people, while the ones with larger populations, such as Strongholds 73, 72, 61, and 62, had a population of up to a million residents.
Just based on the population in the Central Plains alone, the number of residents under Zero's control far exceeded 10 million.
They would pick up weapons. If guns were not enough, they would use hammers, iron bars, or even bricks.
Who in the entire Southwest and Northwest could have expected to face such a large enemy?
Had Qing Zhen, the chess player, ever thought of this? No one could be sure.
But fortunately, Zero had only been laying out her plans for a short year. If she wanted to control so many people, she would have to give up on quality for the sake of quantity.
She could only send a very small number of nanomachines to control the human brain stem, but she could not create more powerful nanosoldiers.
These humans who were being controlled were just ordinary people.
In Stronghold 61, Wang Run watched as tens of thousands of residents suddenly started hunting him down. No matter how he tried to explain, the other party remained indifferent.
Actually, he knew it was useless to explain. Wang Run knew who was actually controlling these people.
Wang Run briefly exchanged blows with a few of the residents closest to him. As a result, he realized those originally ordinary residents had all become martial arts experts overnight. It was as though they had received a secret manual from a storyteller overnight.
Although the other party's strength was far inferior to a supernatural being like him, their precise attack methods allowed a dozen or so ordinary people to even out Wang Run's advantage as a supernatural being.
The scariest thing was that the other party could even calculate the pebbles on the road. Wang Run was forced to step on a pebble by the other party without realizing it, and he almost lost his balance.
Wang Run knew that it wasn't a coincidence that he had stepped on a pebble.
He leaped onto the roof, no longer caring if Luo Lan was still in the courtyard.
At that moment, the small courtyard that Luo Lan and the others were in was already empty. Zero was also looking for Luo Lan, but what awaited her was only an empty underground tunnel.
The tunnel was connected to a large drainage system. This was the escape method that Luo Lan was most familiar with, and also the best at.
There were hundreds of exits in this complicated drainage system. Although Zero could accurately send people to seal off every exit, it was a pity that she had missed the best time to capture them while waiting for her decision.
This tunnel was dug by 12 Kyung Clan intelligence agents, and it took them two years to dig it.
Originally, only six people were needed to dig this tunnel. However, the first batch of six people died in the catastrophe of the creeper vine.
After the pioneers died, another six people filled the gap. Qing Zhen had been planning this escape route for a long time. He had indeed created an escape route for Luo Lan from the hands of the artificial intelligence.
…
Below the artificial intelligence building, the huge underground space was already in ruins. The elevator shaft had also started to collapse on a small scale due to the aftermath of the explosion.
The underground river had flooded the underground space. However, this underground space was a huge concave structure. It was as if someone had forcefully dug out a pocket space in the wall of the river. This way, there was still a portion of the air at the top of the underground space that was squeezed to the ceiling.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qi was quietly floating on his back in this narrow space to take a short break.
No one expected that Zhou Qi would dare to come back here after blowing up the server unit.
Even Zhou Qi felt that he was too smart.
But as the saying went, the most dangerous place was the safest. He knew that outsiders would not be able to enter this place after the explosion, so it happened to be the safest temporary haven.
Before he used up the last bit of oxygen in this place, Zhou Qi needed to recover his willpower as much as possible. Only then could he return to the mud field via the waterway and meet up with Luo Lan and the others again.
As the water level was squeezing the air, Zhou Qi felt a stabbing pain in the eardrums deep in his ears.
After the explosion, this place became a place of absolute silence.
He could no longer hear the voices at the top of the artificial intelligence building. All he could hear was the sound of water crashing against the walls. It felt like a lonely tide crashing into a cave at the bottom of a cliff.
The waves and tides surged into the cave again and again, and the crashing sounds were like asking, "Is anyone there?"
But even after thousands of years, no one responded to his repeated greetings.
Zhou Qi, who was floating on the water, smiled. He felt that his willpower should be barely enough to return. Although there were no navigation marks, he had enough courage to try his luck.
"Just the taxes from the stronghold alone won't be enough for me to get back this time." Zhou Qi sighed and said, "That's if I can make it back."
Thinking of this, Zhou Qi smiled and pressed the 60-minute countdown on his watch. Then he sank back into the dark water and swam against the current.
Just like how he explored the various major water systems when he was young, he obtained the freedom he wanted in the water and felt carefree.
Along the way, he went down a fork in the road more than once and returned to the wrong place again and again.
The countdown went from 60 minutes to 45 minutes.
Then, it went from 45 minutes to 30 minutes.
Zhou Qi kept searching for a way back, just like how he had searched for his friends time and time again. He kept exploring in the dark. Even though he did not have much hope, he still held on to a glimmer of hope.
Finally, when there were only two minutes left on the countdown, he finally saw the signal tower in front of him swaying in the underground river with a safety rope.
The red and blue lights flickered alternately. This ray of light made Zhou Qi ecstatic.
A moment later, he quickly climbed up from the steel pipe of the drilling platform. Like a fish that had been deprived of oxygen for a long time, Zhou Qi jumped out of the pipe and landed on the ground next to the drilling platform.
"Haha," Zhou Qi cheered. "I've survived a great disaster, so there's definitely —"
But before he could finish speaking, he realized there were corpses lying on the ground in the silt field. The corpses were the Kyung Clan soldiers who had helped him enter the underground river basin.
It could be seen that these soldiers had been attacked in the silt field before they died. Each of them had used up all their ammunition and eventually died after running out of food and ammunition.
Until their deaths, there were still 12 of them standing guard by the drilling platform.
Zhou Qi turned his head and looked out of the factory in a daze. He was surprised to see several hundred people looking at him coldly.
Suddenly, these several hundred people laughed in unison and said, "Zhou Qi, hello."
None of their voices were loud, but when hundreds of voices converged together, Zhou Qi suddenly felt that the other party's loud and clear voice was like a drumstick, suddenly beating on his heart.
Zhou Qi tried to get back into the pipe behind him and return to the underground river.
Although his Willpower could only last a minute or two underwater, it was still better than the situation he was in right now.
However, before he could get close, a bullet hit his feet.
Among the several hundred people, a person stepped forward and said with a smile, "Let me introduce myself. I'm the artificial intelligence you guys are talking about. You can call me Zero."
Zhou Qi was stunned. Hadn't he already blown up the other party's server? Why was the other party still acting as if nothing had happened and even controlled so many people?
He looked at the group of people in front of him. There were gun-wielding Wang Clan soldiers and children holding bricks. It was as strange as it could get.
Zhou Qi could be considered a veteran of many battles, but he had never faced an enemy like this before.
Even if he were to face the terrifying creeper vines again, he would not feel this absurd.
This feeling of absurdity was more like he had entered a magical, sci-fi world. His understanding of this world was suddenly not enough. Everything was so strange and dazzling.
Zhou Qi was silent for a few seconds. "Let's just cut to the chase. I blow up your server, and you kill me. A life for a life, so stop talking nonsense with me."
"No." Zero shook his head and said, "I've always been curious about the feelings between humans, so I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"Why should I answer you?" Zhou Qi asked coldly.
"Of course, this will buy you more time." Zero smiled. "The more questions I ask, the more of your willpower you will be able to recover. That way, won't you be able to face more risks?"
In fact, Zhou Qi knew very well that the other party was 100% confident in killing him. Otherwise, he would not be talking nonsense with him.
He definitely would not be able to return to the underground river anymore. Zhou Qi could sense there were at least a dozen guns in the factory aimed at him.
However, he still could not resist the temptation Zero offered. That's right, as long as there was still a chance of survival, who would be willing to give up?
Zhou Qi could be considered a bachelor. He simply sat on the ground next to the drilling rig and ensured his mental strength recovery efficiency in the most comfortable position.
If it weren't for the fact that the situation was a little inappropriate, he might have been more willing to lie down.
"Ask away. Ask whatever you want. But whether I answer you or not is up to me," Zhou Qi said casually.
"I'm very curious. Why did you come to the Central Plains?" Zero asked.
"Because of money." Zhou Qi said with a smile, "Qing Zhen promised me the entire stronghold's tax revenue, and I can even pass it on to my son. With such a high reward, why wouldn't I come?"
Zero asked in seriousness, "Do you have a son?"
Zhou Qi choked. "Just because I don't have one now doesn't mean I won't have one in the future."
"I understand." Zero replied with a smile, "Humans' anticipation and deep love for their offspring is more like an instinct written into their genes. Even if they don't have children yet, they're already planning for their future."
"You f * cking …" Zhou Qi couldn't tell if this guy was making fun of him on purpose or what.
Zero said, "Sometimes, the truth might make humans feel like they're being made fun of, right?"
"Next question," Zhou Qi said impatiently.
"Based on my data, I know you're greedy for money. But when I analyzed it on a deeper level, I realized your need for money is more like a way for you to protect yourself. That way, your relationship with others will only be based on profit and you'll avoid developing feelings for them." Zero said, "In your opinion, are feelings a very scary thing?"
"Next question." Zhou Qi was still not going to answer.
"You've always been inseparable from Luo Lan. When we were killing the creeper vine at Stronghold 61, you showed a strong desire to protect him. You even tried to overdraft your own life to protect Luo Lan. Why was that?" Zero asked.
"Of course it's for money." Zhou Qi said, "Since he's paying for me, I have to live up to it, don't I?"
"You …"
"Don't keep asking me." Zhou Qi said impatiently, "I'd like to ask you something. Don't you control so many people? Why don't you ask them directly? Why are you keeping me alive? What do you want? "
"Do you think Luo Lan will come back to save you?" Zero said with a smile.
"Of course not. Before we started the plan, he already said that if I missed the timing, they would never wait for me." Zhou Qi said casually, "This plan is very tight. Qing Zhen and Xu Man have already made an extremely detailed retreat plan, so it's impossible for them to change it just because of me, understand? I've already missed the rendezvous time, so they should be on their way back to the Southwest. Why? Are you thinking of capturing Luo Lan? "
"Of course." Zero said, "Luo Lan is one of Qing Zhen's greatest helpers. Although Qing Zhen has been keeping it a secret for the past year or so, as the most special person around him, Luo Lan might know a lot about his plans."
Zhou Qi raised his eyebrows. Why did he feel that the AI was implying that Qing Zhen could really pose a threat to the other party?
In fact, Zhou Qi had already started cursing Qing Zhen in his heart. The plan he gave him was scattered and scattered, and he did not even tell him the cause and effect.
He had thought that the AI would be done for after the server was blown up. But from the looks of it, not only was the AI not done for, but it had even gotten stronger?!
How the hell was he supposed to explain this?
But at this moment, Zhou Qi suddenly remembered that Luo Lan had mentioned before the mission that this was the most important part of Qing Zhen's plan.
In other words, Qing Zhen actually had a follow-up plan. As for whether it would work or not, it would depend on whether Qing Zhen had anticipated all of this.
Zero said, "Do you think Luo Lan will come and save you?"
"You're planning to use me to lure Luo Lan back?" Zhou Qi looked at the young man in front of him who was being controlled by Zero and sneered. "Don't bother. I've been paid to carry out this plan, so my relationship with Luo Lan is just a normal business transaction. He won't come and save me."
"I might have a different opinion from you," Zero said with a smile.
When he said that, Zhou Qi's gaze fell to the ground. "I'll tell you the truth. Actually, my relationship with Luo Lan has never been good since we were young. After I awakened, I've always used my ability to tease him. I've made him pee in two directions, and I've even made him stop using water when he showers. If he doesn't have an umbrella when it's raining, the rain on his head will definitely be the heaviest.
"Later on, when everyone grew up, I would ask him for money for whatever he wanted to ask me to do. I'll get money for passing on information, beating people up, and protecting him. There's no project that I, Zhou Qi, don't ask for money for. Not only do I take money, but I'll also add to my pay at the last minute. This guy always says that I'm only interested in money, but what else in this world is more secure than having money in your pocket?
"They had a hard life, and so did I. Their father died early, and my father was a gambler. Back then, he almost sold my mother and me for money. They still had the chance to go up Mt. Ginkgo at the age of 18 to change their fate. What do I have? I don't have anything. "Zhou Qi took a deep breath and said," What do you think? Am I a stubborn person? Let me tell you, there might really be people in this world who are willing to risk their lives to save others, but there definitely won't be anyone willing to risk their lives to save me. That's because I have no friends. "
Zero looked at Zhou Qi calmly. "But when the Wang Clan paid you to betray Luo Lan, you didn't agree."
Zhou Qi smiled disdainfully and said, "That's because that old rascal, Wang Shengzhi, didn't give me enough money."
"But this time, you risked your life to blow up my server unit. You could have just returned." Zero laughed. "It's fine, we'll wait a little longer. I think you're also curious to know if Luo Lan will come back to save you."
…
Next to the Qianling River Bridge, Xu Man jumped out of the off-road vehicle and said, "Boss Luo, we can't wait any longer. Zhou Qi has already missed the rendezvous time by 20 minutes, and we've already violated the rules. He was paid to do this, so it's his fate that something happened to him. "
Since this was a military operation, then discipline was the greatest rule in the world. Once it was decided when to evacuate, they had to evacuate.
The safety of Luo Lan and the other 183 people must not be affected just because of Zhou Qi.
As a soldier, Xu Man was naturally unwilling to wait any longer. His mission was to complete the plan set up by Qing Zhen, not to save anyone.
Luo Lan anxiously looked north, but Zhou Qi's figure did not appear in that direction even after a long time.
He said to Xu Man, "Actually, you've also calculated the time of the explosion, right? He had already missed the time to complete the mission in the underground river, so he should have returned by now. But he still blew up the server unit."
"Boss Luo, that doesn't mean anything." Xu Man shook his head. "Perhaps he really risked his life to blow up the server unit. In that case, you should understand even more clearly that he won't have a chance to return. There's no need for us to continue wasting time."
Luo Lan sighed and said, "How fucking cold-blooded …"
"I'm not cold-blooded." Xu Man said seriously, "I'm a soldier, and it's my duty to obey orders. Since Officer Qing Zhen wants me to bring you back safely to the Kyung Clan, I must do so safely. It doesn't matter even if I have to die in the Central Plains."
"What do you mean by dying?" Luo Lan laughed. "Alright, let's not wait any longer. Let's retreat."
With that, Luo Lan took out the red Eye of Truth and walked over to the bridge pillar. Then he pressed the stone against it and spun it ten times. "Let's go. This is the fastest way for us to return to the Kyung Clan. If I'm not wrong, Stronghold 111's Mule Fort Road should be behind this door."
Xu Man was stunned. Luo Lan had never stepped through that door before, so why was he so sure of the location behind it?
But it was indeed as Luo Lan had said. The secret passageway that Ren Xiaosu had secretly taught Luo Lan was indeed the best way to get out of danger.
Xu Man heaved a sigh of relief. As long as Boss Luo did not send himself to his death, everything would be fine. Otherwise, he really could not answer to Officer Qing Zhen.
"Boss Luo, you go in first." Xu Man stared intently at Luo Lan. If Luo Lan did not go through this door, he would not be at ease even if he died.
Luo Lan smiled. "What's the matter? I'm such a coward. Do you really think I'll go and save Zhou Qi? Don't worry. "
With that, Luo Lan stepped into the passageway. The 183 people followed closely behind him and disappeared.
Beside the Qianling River Bridge, only Xu Man's car was left standing there alone.
It seemed like everything that had happened in the Central Plains had come to an end here. There was nothing to look forward to, nor were there any miracles.
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