Chapter 377 - 263: Capturing Qi Ling Alive

(Happy New Year everyone! We’ve all heard "Happy 2024" enough times, so here’s an early "Happy 2025")

...

The clouds above the night sky occasionally sprinkled tiny raindrops, enveloping the city streets in haze, pushing the roses in the hands of the steel creations to the extreme of poignant beauty.

Just as Su Mo was distractedly staring at the card that read "Goodbye, My Love," a call suddenly came from behind: "Boss!"

Su Mo turned around and, upon seeing Future standing there unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine. Boss, let me tell you something." Future approached and whispered something into Su Mo’s ear.

Su Mo’s face filled with shock upon hearing it, incredulously asking, "The data’s all back?!"

Future couldn’t contain his joy, nodding continuously: "It’s back, all of it!"

Su Mo: "Wasn’t it said that our database and all kinds of backups were wiped out by the virus?"

Future explained: "Yes, they were wiped out, but before the virus destroyed our mansion’s various systems, it executed another command - it backed up all the data and placed it on a virtual cloud server."

"Just now, I got an anonymous email, the server address was written in it, and when I went in, all the data was there!"

Su Mo: "Not a single piece lost?"

Future: "Not a single piece lost!"

Su Mo fell silent again and gazed at the rose bouquet in Overlord Titan’s hand, lost in thought.

Future leaned in and asked: "Hey, wasn’t there a war outside just now? Boss, how did you end up fighting and producing a bouquet of flowers?"

"Uh..." Even Su Mo didn’t know how to explain, he could only shake his head and say, "It’s a long story, let’s not dwell on this. You call Dongdong, KK, and Xiaochu to my room, I’ll sync the information I learned with you guys."

"Okay, right away." Future ran back to Edge Mansion.

Just as Su Mo was about to follow, he stopped there, unable to help but look back.

The bouquet lay quietly in the silent Titan’s hand, faintly visible in the rain.

Finally, he slowly reached out and took the bouquet, cradling it gently in his arms.

...

Edge Mansion meeting room, several core members gathered, Su Mo briefly described Venus Eden Garden, the intelligence brain plan, Xiaoqi and Zero, and all related matters.

"Hold on a moment, let me sort this out." Chu Nanyi felt a bit confused after hearing the narration, rubbing his temples and pacing back and forth, "Boss, let me try to summarize, you check if I’m right."

Su Mo: "Hmm, go ahead."

Chu Nanyi: "First, the girl named Qi Ling, was the child who was considered a monster, Zero, not Xiaoqi."

Su Mo: "Yes."

Chu Nanyi: "Qi Ling approached you for two goals. One was to lull you into a false sense of security, then use your equipment to plant a virus in our mansion, paralyzing the defense system and locating Luo Mingsheng for assassination."

Su Mo: "Correct."

Chu Nanyi: "And the second objective was to fulfill the unfulfilled wish of childhood friend Xiaoqi—to date and have a romantic relationship with an outstanding and reliable guy."

Su Mo: "That’s right."

Chu Nanyi: "So she approached you for a date, whether hugging you, holding your hand, or kissing you... it was all playing the role of Xiaoqi, unrelated to her own desires, a kind of imaginary substitute behavior."

Su Mo: "That’s the idea."

Chu Nanyi was momentarily stunned: "Wow, what kind of reverse proxy literature is this? Playing even more sophisticated than me!"

Dongdong also widened her eyes and asked: "Boss, was your first kiss actually given to Zero, or Xiaoqi?"

KK elbowed her waist, scolding softly: "Don’t bring up the awkward topics."

Dongdong covered her mouth, cautiously glancing at Su Mo.

Su Mo sighed softly: "Let’s not talk about those annoying things for now, there’s one thing I can’t figure out, what does this bouquet of roses mean?"

He looked at the bouquet just retrieved from Titan’s hand on the table, murmuring: "Previously, on the morning of the date, Qi Ling also gave me roses."

"But as I understand it, that time the flowers were given playing ’Xiaoqi’, unrelated to Qi Ling’s personal intent, as mentioned just now, it’s merely an imaginary substitute behavior."

"However, now, Qi Ling has embarked on her revenge, in other words, she’s no longer playing Xiaoqi, but has reverted to her true self - Zero."

"So here’s the question, since it’s Zero, what does her giving me this bouquet of roses mean?"

Chu Nanyi almost couldn’t hold back laughter: "Boss, you’re playing dumb?"

Su Mo was puzzled: "Huh, what playing dumb? I really don’t understand, explain it to me?"

Chu Nanyi replied irritably: "You said it yourself, the current Qi Ling is just herself, no longer playing anyone, but truly herself."

"Then, amid carrying out the most important revenge of her life, she still remembers you, even though you once scolded her, hit her, she still wants to give you a tender bouquet of roses, and you ask what this means???"

Su Mo scratched his head, looking confused: "Don’t get it."

Chu Nanyi rolled his eyes almost to the back of his head, waving dismissively: "No wonder you’re single from birth, I’ve got nothing more to say, find out for yourself."

Su Mo looked puzzledly at Dongdong: "Dong, did you understand?"

Dongdong: "Understood."

Su Mo: "What does it mean?"

Dongdong: "Figure it out yourself, blockhead."

"???" Su Mo only felt puzzled, "What’s going on with you all, turning into riddlers. KK, did you understand?"

KK: "Understood."

Su Mo: "So what’s the meaning? No saying figure it out yourself!"

KK: "Then I have nothing to say."

Su Mo: "...?"

Chu Nanyi said with deep meaning: "Boss, although I didn’t see your date myself, I want to ask, was she really always ’Xiaoqi’ that day?"