Chapter 95: Replication Experiment 19
The chairs in the research team’s meeting room were hard acrylic. Zhuang Ningyu’s speed of sitting down was noticeably slow, and he kept his hand propped on his lower back. He Mo looked at him suspiciously, then suddenly turned pale with shock, leaned in, and asked nervously in a hushed voice, “How many months?”
How many months your head! Zhuang Ningyu raised his hand and almost threw a punch. What kind of leader puts these artistic chairs that look good but are useless in a meeting room? Do they think everyone is too comfortable during meetings? He said coldly, “My back hurts.”
He Mo clutched his stomach with a pained expression, pressed the call button, and asked someone to bring an ergonomic office chair from next door. He then personally made a welcoming gesture: Come, come, come, take the seat of honor. Ren Bing happened to walk into the meeting room at that moment. He Mo paused slightly in his act of supporting Zhuang Ningyu, then flashed a standard workplace smile at him: What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen an emperor before?
Zhuang Ningyu slapped He Mo’s hand away, sat down properly, and greeted Ren Bing: “Sorry, Team Leader Ren, my lumbar spine hasn’t been great lately.”
Ren Bing repeatedly expressed understanding. Understandable. In fact, after witnessing Zhuang Ningyu’s domineering behavior in Huo Ting’s office last time, he had gained a whole new understanding of the ecological food chain within the Jincheng Order Maintenance Department. Right now, forget an ergonomic chair—even if a Frozen Throne appeared in the meeting room, he felt he could quickly accept and digest it.
The theme of this meeting was still the iteration of the Rules Zones. He Mo said, “During this period, after several verifications by multiple countries globally, it has been basically confirmed that using a large number of artificial Rules Zones containing flawed logic chains to interfere with the original logic chain of the entire Rules System is entirely feasible.”
As for how many “a large number” actually meant, it was currently impossible to estimate an accurate figure. He Mo continued, “Between ‘global initiation of human intervention’ and ‘the complete collapse of the Rules Zones’ logic chains,’ there will be a transition period. The Rules Zones appearing during this transition period, just like those replicas before, will exhibit a series of unpredictable bugs due to human interference.”
Bugs meant an increase in “puzzle-solving difficulty,” and trapped individuals would likely face higher risks.
“So this transition period must be as short as possible,” Ren Bing said. “The capital has already started deploying an intelligent defense system. The next step will be to unite with several major countries to launch ‘Project Bedrock.’ We will jointly design and build a super-scale parallel processing system as quickly as possible. This system will perform real-time, all-domain perception and calculation, efficiently analyzing all core logic and mutation paths of current Rules Zones in milliseconds. Then, within the shortest possible time, it will generate massive amounts of artificial Rules Zones to continuously backfill into the ‘Mother’ system for logic chain interference. The scale will be in the billions.”
“As short as possible… how short is that?” Zhuang Ningyu asked. “A year?”
Ren Bing replied, “A month, or even shorter.”
Zhuang Ningyu nodded. “Understood.”
The intrusive entity that had plagued the world for decades suddenly had a hope of being uprooted. Zhuang Ningyu leaned back in his chair, turning his head to look at He Mo, then at the others in the meeting room. The air seemed to stop flowing along with the wind. The morning sunlight shone through the window. In this strange silence, “the world seemed to be waiting for something.” After a moment, someone suddenly piped up: “Does that mean we’ll be unemployed?”
Laughter erupted. Zhuang Ningyu said, “It’s fine, the state will settle you properly.”
Hope that could be tangibly touched was like a red berry hanging by the window in the sunlight—just looking at it felt wonderful. But before “Project Bedrock” succeeded, the routine work of the Order Maintenance Department had to continue. This time, Xinyin Biology’s Rules Zone was confirmed to be a replica. He Mo said, “Shi Cheng probably wanted to exploit the bug in Zhang Yunxia’s emotions to make the Rules Zone exist forever, becoming his unlimited-duration sanctuary. Based on this purpose, we reasonably speculate: first, he didn’t know Ningyu could also enter the Rules Zone; second, he didn’t know the experimenters would go mad because of the radio calisthenics music. The sanctuary he imagined was actually a death trap.”
“So the creator of this Rules Zone wasn’t him, but it must be someone he trusted completely,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “Only this person didn’t trust him, and even wanted to kill him.”
“Wang Daqiang wanted to kill him, and the Rules Zone creator also wanted to kill him. Currently, we can’t be sure if there’s the same mastermind behind both,” an investigator said. “We found that Wang Daqiang’s overseas account received a huge remittance about an hour before the crime, which should be the payment for this operation.”
“Who is the remitter?” Zhuang Ningyu asked.
“Also related to the Invisible Giant,” the investigator replied.
He Mo added, “Although Xinyin Biology’s Rules Zone and the Zeus Grand Hotel’s Rules Zone both appear to be replicas orchestrated by the Invisible Giant, I feel their creators aren’t the same person.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The replica of Zeus Grand Hotel was extremely crude and full of bugs, an experiment just for the sake of experimenting. But Xinyin Biology isn’t; Xinyin Biology was an experiment for a purpose. If the purpose was ‘to kill Shi Cheng,’ then the design of this replica could be considered quite concise and perfect. It deleted all unnecessary rules, leaving only two streamlined logic chains. The first is what Shi Cheng believed: as long as he controlled Zhang Yunxia well, he would be safe forever. The second is the hidden one: once the radio calisthenics music changes, the experimenters will attack the administrators—Shi Cheng would die in a completely defenseless situation.”
The only bug was Zhuang Ningyu’s entry. regarding this point, Captain Zhuang stated: “You can ignore me for now.” He always felt he was an “uninvited guest” to this rule set, an “outsider” who entered accidentally under circumstances even the rule creator hadn’t anticipated. This was why his suspicion of Fu Han had never faded.
He continued to ask, “What’s the situation with Fu Dong?”
“Oh, he tried to use Fu Han’s incident to go abroad last night, but we stopped him,” the investigator said. “He’s starting to get restless.”
The “Super Perfect Human Praise Group” was also keeping an eye on Fu Han’s movements, but the result was always the same. The white fog seemed firmly rooted on the sea surface; not even hurricanes could blow it away, and its range was gradually spreading outward. Old Mr. Fu personally guarded the port, pushing forward rescue matters with Fu Han’s friends. However, it was said that neither side fully trusted the other. Old Mr. Fu felt the friends had ulterior motives, while the friends felt Old Mr. Fu and Fu Dong were plotting something in private. No one knew which side was sincere.
The incident occurred in international waters, but as the white fog expanded, it was now approaching the territorial waters governed by a small island nation in the ocean. The spread of a Rules Zone would trigger global joint rescue conventions. Major powers already had an obligation to shoulder more responsibility, and since Fu Han was a legal citizen of China, in other words, nine times out of ten, this job would fall back on the Jincheng Order Maintenance Department.
AAA Professional Fishing Little Wang: Why Jincheng? For a national-level matter like this, why isn’t the capital sending people?
Jing Lan: Because Old Mr. Fu doesn’t know the Capital Order Maintenance Department, but he knows Jincheng. He knows Captain Zhuang is reliable. I even suspect he meets the basic conditions to join our Praise Group!
Yi Ke would never let his wife go to some island nation, but he wasn’t opposed to going to save Fu Han himself. On a professional level, Little Yi was very reliable and wouldn’t let personal preferences interfere—but if his wife wanted to interfere, that was another matter. That afternoon, Yi Ke finished training and went to the Administrator Center to pick up his new medical examination report. Upon opening it, the main data showed no changes, but the note read: “Since the current treatment method is well-tolerated and shows significant efficacy, it is recommended to maintain the existing treatment with regular follow-up assessments.”
Modern-day Hua Tuo, Director Wang!
When Yi Ke returned to the apartment holding a large bouquet of red roses, Zhuang Ningyu was in the kitchen boiling dumplings. Turning around after turning off the stove, he asked in confusion, “Why did you buy flowers?”
“Because I suddenly realized,” Yi Ke held his hands, “after we officially got together, I never bought you flowers again.”
What kind of conduct is this for a gong? Forgetting the essential romantic elements of love after winning over his wife? He was even standing by the stove wearing a pink apron right now! How can my fragrant wife wear an apron? He should only wear haute couture, Order Maintenance Department uniforms, training gear, cashmere, silk, polyester fiber, 9.9 yuan pure cotton yellow banana pajamas (free shipping)… Thinking about it, there’s a lot he can wear, but it definitely doesn’t include an apron!
Yi Ke stuffed the flowers into his arms. “You go watch TV, I’ll cook.”
“I’ve already cooked, what are you making?” Zhuang Ningyu let Yi Ke serve the dumplings while he went to the living room to arrange the flowers. He then fished out the medical report from Yi Ke’s bag and sat on the sofa to read it carefully. The results showed that Yi Ke’s brain development hadn’t stopped. Even now, he could clearly remember every anti-human scene in Xinyin Biology and recount them accurately. However, this memory didn’t attack other parts of his nervous system. To explain it more simply, he had put them into an infinitely compressible “file cabinet,” only taking them out when needed.
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t think this evolution was related to their sex life, but Yi Ke held an opposing view to his “didn’t think.” During this time, Zhuang Ningyu tried to reason with him: “How could I possibly influence your evolution?”
Yi Ke: “No, no, no, you can.”
Zhuang Ningyu couldn’t get through to him, so he planned to chat with Director Wang personally the next day. He fully trusted the medical ethics and skills of this senior figure in the Treatment Department. So, at the appointed time, he entered the consultation room on the dot and asked without any concealment or buffer: “Does sex life really affect his evolution?”
“Yes.” Director Wang, indeed accustomed to storms and waves, didn’t ask for reasons. He simply gave a concise answer and then added a detailed explanation, ranging from the cortex to the prefrontal lobe, from cardiac pumping capacity to IgA immune system antibodies, endorphins, amygdala, serotonin… Zhuang Ningyu actually didn’t understand much of it, but he remembered the modern Hua Tuo’s resounding “Yes”!
While watching TV that night, Yi Ke peeled grapes for him and remembered to ask, “What did the doctor say?”
Zhuang Ningyu leaned on him, watching the bizarrely melodramatic plot on the screen, and replied, “He said sex life can also be considered one of the treatment methods.”
Yi Ke turned his head. “Then give me a kiss.”
Zhuang Ningyu chewed on a grape, looked back at him, and said sincerely, “I think sex life should be 100% based on love and shouldn’t carry any other purpose. What do you think?”
Yi Ke: “Makes sense.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “Then why are you hard?”
Yi Ke: “It’s okay, I can go to the gym.”
After saying that, he stood up and walked away briskly, ready to work out immediately. Then, he braked sharply in front of the treadmill, turned back around, and without a word, scooped his wife up horizontally and ran towards the bedroom. Tomorrow was the weekend, so Friday could accommodate some loving activities. Zhuang Ningyu wrapped one arm around his neck to steady himself, laughingly scolded him, and let himself be pressed onto the bedroom bed. Yi Ke’s kisses were somewhat urgent, only reluctantly pulling away after tasting all the remaining sweet scent of grapes. Foreheads resting against each other, Yi Ke looked into his eyes and asked in a low voice, “Does it still hurt?”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t answer, only cupping his face and rubbing it gently. Some time had passed since the last time, and although the injury had healed, Yi Ke felt a bit sorry for him, so he had been taking good care of him and hadn’t had the heart to touch him again until tonight’s cautious probing. Zhuang Ningyu wrapped his arms around Yi Ke’s back and whispered in his ear, “Be gentle.”
Yi Ke proceeded very gently this time. Only when he was sure the person in his arms had fully accepted him did he begin to conquer territory with wide, sweeping motions. Lying on the bed, Zhuang Ningyu frowned tightly. In his daze, he felt his waist being lifted, so he obediently propped himself up with his knees and elbows. The next moment, however, Yi Ke snapped out of his lust-filled haze, hurriedly turned his body over, and then planted fine kisses on those old scars on his knees.
This session of lovemaking was gentle and long. Towards the end, Zhuang Ningyu’s hands grabbed blindly at the sheets, nails digging deep into his palms. Yi Ke pulled his hands up, wrapped them around his own shoulders, then pressed his whole body down, hugging him very, very tightly. Against the snow-white ear damp with sweat, he constantly coaxed softly, “It’s okay, baby, relax, don’t be afraid.”
Zhuang Ningyu obediently relaxed, then collapsed completely limp on the bed. Yi Ke didn’t let go but continued to hold him until the body in his arms stopped trembling before slowly withdrawing. Yet Zhuang Ningyu shivered uncontrollably again and instinctively reached out his arms. Yi Ke immediately hugged him tight again. “I’m here, I’m here.”
For a while, only the panting of the two after the act filled the room. This time, Yi Ke didn’t immediately take him to shower but lay lightly on top of him, continuing to kiss him sporadically as if to comfort him. Half-closing his eyes, Zhuang Ningyu resignedly indulged all his hints, only rasping with a nearly parched throat, “Let me rest a bit first.”
Water was fed mouth-to-mouth. Zhuang Ningyu couldn’t swallow in time; a large wet patch soaked the dark gray pillow. The sheets were wet, and the person was wet and soft like a cloud just fished out of the water—impossibly beautiful and clean. Yi Ke’s eyes darkened. He tossed the cup aside, and amidst the crisp sound of shattering, he interlaced his fingers with Zhuang Ningyu’s and pressed them heavily back against the pillow.
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t wake up until the next day. sunk deep into the soft bed, he stared at the complex light fixture on the ceiling for a full ten minutes, unable to reasonably connect the fragmented pieces of last night. Instead, he remembered some ambiguous love talk he shouldn’t have recalled. The glass shards on the carpet had been cleaned up, but the changed sheets hadn’t been washed yet; they were piled messily in the corner just like last night, crumpled and displaying traces that glaringly announced everything that had happened on the bed. Zhuang Ningyu simply pulled the duvet over his groggy head again, not wanting to get up.
As soon as Yi Ke entered the bedroom, he saw the person curled up in the middle of the bed. He leaned over and carefully pulled the duvet back a little. Instantly, the scent of body wash mixed with the aura of lust steamed out with the warmth. Zhuang Ningyu looked up at him—messy hair, pale face, slightly swollen lips, and red eyes that seemed to still hold the lingering moisture from last night. Yi Ke’s heart melted instantly. He planted a small kiss on his forehead, his voice softening by several degrees: “Are you okay?”
Not great, but at least no fever, which was an improvement from last time. Zhuang Ningyu didn’t get a chance to get out of bed; he was carried directly into the bathroom. Peach-flavored toothpaste burst into fresh white foam in his mouth. As he brushed his teeth, Zhuang Ningyu looked in the mirror at Yi Ke hugging him from behind—wearing puppy loungewear, his un-styled short hair looked very soft, no earrings, smiling obediently, with a hint of acting spoiled.
“What are you thinking about?” Yi Ke asked.
Zhuang Ningyu rinsed his mouth clean. In his mind, he still saw those eyes under the deep night, full of plunder and possessiveness, looking down from above, firmly suppressing him, as if every breath he took couldn’t escape the other’s control—how can a person be so split?
Yi Ke: “Wife, kiss kiss kiss.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “Get lost.”
Yi Ke wouldn’t get lost. He ran back and forth serving his wife breakfast, then carried him back to the sofa to give him a massage. The technique was novel; at least Zhuang Ningyu, who loved the blind massage place downstairs at Fuxing Garden, had never experienced this wonderful method before. From cheeks to ears, to chin, to the top of the head, and then all the way down the back. It didn’t seem like he was finding acupoints, just pure touching. But because the pressure was moderate, it was quite comfortable. So he lay there lazily, 100% relaxed, until finally, Yi Ke’s hand inexplicably started rubbing his belly. He raised his hand and slapped him: “Not here!”
Viral internet short video—How to pet a cat.
Steps detailed: Please strictly follow the process to successfully obtain a flat cat pancake. But note, never touch the belly casually, because this is the kitty’s sensitive zone. Touching the belly might trigger a defensive reflex!
Yi Ke replied under an alt account: Yes, yes, yes!
Zhuang Ningyu asked in confusion, “What are you laughing at?”
Yi Ke, straight-faced: “Nothing, watching short videos. Should I go pick up U-Shield now?”
Zhuang Ningyu waved his hand. Go ahead.
They had originally planned to take U-Shield to the dog park today, but since Zhuang Ningyu was sore all over, Yi Ke planned to bring the dog home instead, and casually invited U-Shield’s owner over as well. Upon hearing the news, the delinquent friend was moved to tears on the phone and asked, “Can I bring my mom too? She really misses her big boy.”
Yi Ke sought his wife’s approval.
Zhuang Ningyu agreed generously: “Sure.”
