Chapter 20: Chaotic Sequence 1

The vast amount of information delivered through the holographic projection plunged Liu Shaoyu into deep contemplation. Everything had happened so suddenly; he hadn’t expected that his old friend, whom he hadn’t seen in years, would bring him such a tremendous surprise upon their reunion.

Human life could become immortal? The very idea struck Liu Shaoyu like lightning.

He recalled the words his friend had spoken at the end of the video: “There are traitors in the military.” The ancient adage flashed through his mind: “A man innocent of wrongdoing becomes guilty by possessing a precious thing.” In an instant, Liu Shaoyu abandoned the thought of reporting to his superiors. Perhaps, if he did, he would be silenced before he could say another word.

He glanced at his friend, still sleeping deeply, then closed his own eyes, as if wrestling with a difficult inner decision.

All his life, Liu Shaoyu had lived in a state of acceptance, following the military’s orders step by step as he grew into his current role. His existence had always been relatively stable, never demanding hard choices from him—about life, about the future, about everything. Going to the Captain’s Training Course? To Command Academy? To the Seventh Army? None of these were true dilemmas, for there weren’t better options. But this incident shattered that equilibrium.

He’d never imagined he would face something like this.

It was simply…too much.

Liu Shaoyu, who rarely smoked, lit a cigarette.

No matter how advanced humanity became, it still couldn’t escape its dependence on cigarettes.

He casually flipped through the materials Wang Weifu had sent, mostly lab journals. Suddenly, one file caught his eye.

“A gift from an old friend,” read the title.

What was this? Liu Shaoyu wondered, opening the file.

“Personal computer system upgrading. Disconnecting from central computer. Reconnecting. Entering background upgrade mode.”

A cascade of voices from artificial intelligence echoed, leaving Liu Shaoyu stunned once again.

What was happening? He was overwhelmed with questions. Too much had happened today. Despite years of military training, he felt a hint of turmoil in his heart.

About the time it took to finish a cigarette passed.

“System upgrade complete. Please name your new personal computer.”

The AI’s voice sounded again, deepening Liu Shaoyu’s confusion. What was all this? Who could explain it to him? Looking at Wang Weifu, still unconscious in bed, Liu Shaoyu could only suppress his questions for now.

He still didn’t understand what the system upgrade actually was. Was this like those novels where the protagonist suddenly gains superpowers and becomes unstoppable?

He couldn’t help but fantasize.

“Please name your new personal computer,” the AI prompted again.

“Thomas,” Liu Shaoyu blurted out without thinking.

“Name confirmed. Initializing new personal computer. Initialization complete.”

The AI voice faded. Then, silence.

Liu Shaoyu, bewildered, took a minute to confirm he was not dreaming. Everything had truly happened.

“Thomas?” he called tentatively.

“Hello, I am your new personal computer, Thomas. How may I assist you?”

The response startled Liu Shaoyu.

“What are you?” he asked directly.

“Hello. I am your personal computer, upgraded to a new model. This upgrade includes intelligent features. For users with upgraded systems, you can set the scope of fully intelligent services to fit your needs, and decide whether to activate artificial intelligence at will.”

Thomas spoke calmly, with a tone that was surprisingly expressive compared to the cold voices of previous AI.

Liu Shaoyu began to grasp the concept. He’d read reports in the newspaper about personalized AI for computers. When the idea was proposed, it faced resistance from many sides. The project was shelved, though in theory, this kind of personalized AI was entirely feasible.

So this upgrade had made his AI more human-like, Liu Shaoyu realized.

“Yes, according to Robot Regulation No. 3745, independent personality AI is permitted, though widespread upgrades have not been implemented due to lack of authorization,” Thomas interjected, startling Liu Shaoyu.

Could it read his thoughts automatically?

“Yes, your personal computer is connected to the internal chip in your body, enabling real-time transmission of thoughts,” Thomas replied.

“Turn it off!” Liu Shaoyu ordered decisively.

“Yes. Thought transmission has been disabled.”

Of course! Who would want their thoughts monitored around the clock? Liu Shaoyu had no such penchant for surveillance.

As Thomas spoke, the text of Robot Regulation No. 3745 appeared on the holographic screen.

“It’s actually pretty handy,” Liu Shaoyu thought. He was an optimist, always looking for the positive side first. The upgrade could be explored later, but his friend’s plea for rescue was urgent.

He emptied his mind, organized the information chronologically, grouped similar events, and began analyzing the pros and cons.

When Liu Shaoyu opened his eyes, his gaze had changed, revealing a resolute determination.

Whatever happened, Liu Shaoyu had decided to help his friend. Regardless of the implications of immortal life, saving his friend came first.

But after deciding, he faced many questions. How to save him?

“Thomas, do you know how to rescue someone?” Liu Shaoyu asked, frowning.

“I think you need a ship,” Thomas replied.

“Obviously. What use are you then?” Liu Shaoyu retorted.

“............"

“You see, the old computer never crashed. I want to downgrade back.”

“............”

At that moment, voices drifted up from downstairs. The members of the Young Dragon Squad, gone all day, had finally returned. Walking to the stairwell, Liu Shaoyu saw Wen Shu lying motionless on the sofa and Li Tao animatedly gesturing as she spoke. And then there was Xin Qingyi, completely transformed. Why “transformed”? Because when she left, her hair was pinned up and she wore a simple short-sleeve shirt and jeans. Now, her hair was styled with bangs, a bun at the back, and the remaining strands draping to her waist. Her T-shirt and jeans had been replaced by a flowing white chiffon dress.

“How do I look?” Xin Qingyi asked with a gentle smile as Liu Shaoyu descended.

“Beautiful,” Liu Shaoyu answered, dumbfounded. Then he said, “Right, I have something to discuss with you all. Have A Long and the others returned?”

He sat beside Wen Shu in the living room, not noticing the astonished look on Xin Qingyi’s face.

“I’ll contact them now,” Wen Shu replied, activating the communicator.

Ten minutes later, the whole Young Dragon Squad had assembled.

“I am requesting, as an individual, that you join me in a rescue mission. If anyone wishes to opt out, you may do so—I won’t blame you,” Liu Shaoyu announced, then fell silent.

Each squad member reacted differently: some raising their eyebrows, some glaring, some silent, and some… munching snacks.

Feeling the lack of response, Liu Shaoyu glanced around and saw Li Tao, still munching away. She noticed his gaze, widened her eyes, but didn’t stop eating.

“Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my mouth?” Feeling awkward under his gaze, Li Tao swallowed her snack and wiped her mouth.

“I’ll go,” Xin Qingyi was the first to speak.

“I’ve done private jobs before,” Monkey chimed in.

“Might as well, nothing better to do,” Long Ruyuan said, crossing his legs.

“I thought joining the army would mean no more fights. Following the boss is always interesting. My brother and I used to… Hey! Ow, bro, you hit me again!” That was Luo Ping.

“I’m in,” replied Luo An succinctly, just after retracting his hand.

“And you?” Liu Shaoyu looked at the remaining members.

“We’re in!” three voices answered in unison—the triplet brothers from the Colonial Star System Military District: Xing Jun, Xing Tian, and Xing Li.

The first chapter was nearing its end! The second chapter would be even more exciting!

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Brothers, keep supporting and collecting! More chapters coming soon!