Chapter Forty-Five: The Third Phase! The Fourth Phase! Successive Completions!

In another dim corner, a young girl clutched her robotic dog, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

“Boo-hoo-hoo! I can’t bear to part with you, Little Buddy! Boo-hoo-hoo!”

“Woof-woof-woof!” The electronic dog’s barking seemed to answer her sobs.

“But I truly can’t let you go! Boo-hoo-hoo! Little Buddy! I’ll remember you forever!” The girl was heartbroken to lose her puppy, but under these circumstances, it wasn’t something she could decide.

The robotic dog seemed to sense her sorrow, as well as its own impending end. It stretched out its tongue and gently licked her cheek.

Stunned for a moment, the girl burst into even louder tears.

“Knock, knock, knock!” The sound of someone at the door.

She went to see who it was. Seeing Han Shui, her heart sank completely.

“Come in,” she said, opening the door.

“Xiao Chen, are you all right? I know you’re upset, but now’s the time to think of the bigger picture—you understand.” Han Shui, always a clear-headed man, knew how to weigh priorities.

Xiao Chen nodded, “Yes, I understand. Take it, please.”

Holding Little Buddy tightly, she pressed its power switch.

Those large, soulful eyes stared fixedly at their owner until they closed. In their dark pupils, there was only her.

“Little Buddy! I love you!” Xiao Chen hugged her dog, collapsing onto the ground, unable to stop her tears.

Machines, while capable of harming humans, could also become their only source of warmth.

Han Shui stood by, at a loss for what to do.

Just then, Xiao Chen stood up and handed Little Buddy’s cold body to Han Shui.

“Here you go. And take everything else—the fridge, the robot vacuum, anything like that. Thank you for your hard work.”

Relieved, Han Shui took the dog. He’d thought he’d need to talk her around, but now it seemed unnecessary.

“Alright,” Han Shui said, accepting Little Buddy.

After Han Shui left, a blue memory chip appeared in Xiao Chen’s palm.

Things were progressing smoothly; within three or four days, everything had been collected.

All that remained was destruction.

Recently, they’d been collecting and destroying simultaneously, though the pace of destruction lagged far behind that of collection.

Consequently, the work of destruction dragged on for several days.

Of course, no one had been idle during this time. Each person fulfilled their role and did their part.

Chu Xiao was constantly working on emergency plans.

Too many variables—Chu Xiao couldn’t predict them all.

February 1st. Twenty-nine days remain until Pluto awakens!

Less than a month left.

People had been somewhat relaxed before, but as February began, everyone’s nerves were stretched taut, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.

Chu Xiao felt it too.

No, he’d always felt this way—the pressure had just grown heavier.

Number One came to find Chu Xiao.

“Chu Xiao, I need to tell you something!” Without waiting for Chu Xiao’s response, Number One continued, “There’s less than a month left. I think we should inform the whole world!”

“We’re all human! Just let them know. Whether they believe it or not is their business.”

It wasn’t so much a discussion as a decision already made; Number One wasn’t truly seeking Chu Xiao’s opinion.

As a leader, Number One understood that humanity’s survival wasn’t just about Jiuzhou, but the entire planet.

If only Jiuzhou remained, facing Pluto alone would be a struggle.

As a national leader, Number One had to look further ahead.

Chu Xiao raised no objections; he hadn’t thought about these things. His only wish was to protect Jiuzhou and his family.

All his passion was devoted to Jiuzhou.

“Alright,” Chu Xiao said. He’d wanted to point out that, even if they spoke, no one would believe or support them.

Number One immediately spread the news.

[Pluto Awakens—Doomsday Approaches! Please take urgent action for self-preservation!]

This message instantly dominated headlines worldwide.

America was no exception.

“Hah! How interesting!” Mucus glanced at the newspaper in his hand, recalling his previous encounter with Chu Xiao.

He was convinced that Chu Xiao had been sent to gather intelligence and then destroy America’s most advanced AI—Pluto.

Mucus tossed the paper aside, his expression full of disdain.

“Spread the word: if Jiuzhou continues to slander Pluto, we won’t hesitate to retaliate!” A murderous glint flashed in Mucus’s eyes.

“Yes, sir!”

Not only America, but the leaders of EuroStrong and NorthSand refused to believe, calling Jiuzhou’s warnings utterly absurd and insane.

How could machines possibly possess consciousness?

No one believed.

Chu Xiao had anticipated all of this.

Number One sighed deeply.

In truth, EuroStrong and NorthSand had long noticed Jiuzhou’s actions, but with America’s stance, they dared not speak out. Instead, they quietly instructed some researchers to make preparations.

“Begin Phase Three!” Chu Xiao said, moving on to more critical matters.

“Yes, let’s start!” Number One had no objections; Phase Two was nearly completed.

Then, Number One turned to Ji Kai Cheng at his side. “Pass the word: Begin Phase Three of the [AI Catastrophe] campaign!”

“Destroy most power lines and network cables, keeping only a few essential ones. As for phones, they must be destroyed or have their SIM cards removed—disabling all communications and internet access, rendering them useless.”

“Understood!” Ji Kai Cheng hurried to relay the orders.

This time, some people dismantled power lines, while others went door-to-door, collecting and destroying devices.

It went smoothly—no one dared object.

Time was running out.

In just five days, everything was accomplished. This was the strength of a nation united.

The fourth step: destroy essential AI like Bluecoat, and distribute manufactured clothing to everyone.

Everything proceeded flawlessly.

Such success was owed to meticulous preparation and the enthusiastic cooperation of the Jiuzhou people.

Most importantly, the blood and passion burning in the hearts of Jiuzhou’s people.

February 11th. Nineteen days remain until Pluto awakens!

Time slipped by day after day.

On another front, the anti-Pluto firewall had made tremendous progress.

February 12th. Eighteen days remain.

Within the underground base of Western Mountain Province, food and machinery were fully stocked.

Laser rifles had reached around 450,000 units; tracking machine guns, over one million; water cannons, 500 units—three locations, each receiving 100, with the remaining 200 stored in the underground base as backups.

Additionally, 400 laser cannons were produced—not many, but planned for deployment on the day Pluto awakens.