Chapter 109 - 8: Love and Loyalty Are Worth a Thousand Gold

"I refuse," Han Zhan said without hesitation.

Even if they were related, he could still distinguish between the importance of seizing Energy Bricks and risking identity exposure to save someone.

It seemed unexpected to the owner of the electronic mechanical voice generator that Han Zhan would refuse so decisively.

"What will it take for you to help me?"

"I can tell you where the Shang Family’s treasure is hidden, I can tell you all the latest technological developments, I can..."

Even from the most emotionless electronic voice, Han Zhan detected a hint of urgency.

"Wait, let me interrupt."

"You say you know the Shang Family’s treasure locations, the latest technological development progress? Are you sure you’re not talking nonsense?"

How is this possible—aren’t these supposed to be the highest-level secrets of the Shang Family?

Shang Xiaoyun is just an experimental subject, how could she possibly know these things?

It’s as absurd as an old man suddenly walking up to you on the street and saying he’s Emperor Qin Shi Huang and wants to appoint you as Grand General.

"It’s true!"

"Even though the Mechanical Ascension experiment on me ultimately failed, part of my consciousness was still uploaded to the terminal."

"The special core terminal of the Shang Family holds the consciousness of generations of Shang Family members, and I accessed many secrets within! Don’t forget, how else would Wang Chunyu know the secret passages, the lock codes..."

That’s true.

Shang Xiaoyun was trapped in a tank and couldn’t possibly get out; if there was no special reason, how did Wang Chunyu know so many access codes?

Han Zhan had already harbored this doubt, and upon hearing Shang Xiaoyun’s explanation, he half-believed it.

"I am willing to transmit these secrets to you through consciousness waves, so that you can know what I know."

"It’s just consciousness waves, if there were any real danger, could I climb out of the tank to hurt you?"

Shang Xiaoyun’s words made Han Zhan hesitate.

After all, as she said, he hadn’t been able to find the storage locations of the Energy Bricks since entering Titan City.

If the consciousness memory accessed by Shang Xiaoyun included the location of the Energy Bricks, wouldn’t that be a windfall?

After weighing the benefits and risks in his mind, Han Zhan agreed.

"You don’t need to come near me," Shang Xiaoyun seemed concerned that Han Zhan wouldn’t trust her, and she proactively suggested, "I only need a cable."

"Consciousness transmission is very convenient for experimental subjects like us; theoretically, if the Shang Family’s research in this area succeeds, it’s an extremely peak technical breakthrough in some sense."

Imagine, if consciousness could never die and knowledge could be transmitted through simple consciousness waves, how rapidly would knowledge accumulate?

Crazy scientists, crazy experiments.

Han Zhan didn’t hesitate or act stubborn; he stopped and stood still as told.

A metal tube slowly emerged from a large mechanical device.

The surface of the tube was smooth, and the connection was made of a special, gleaming, and rounded material.

Han Zhan remained vigilant, waiting until the tube came close to him.

It didn’t change shape; it approached Han Zhan in a routine manner and pressed against his forehead.

A cool sensation spread from his forehead.

The next second, an overwhelming amount of information from the consciousness transmission exploded in Han Zhan’s mind!

This sensation overwhelmed Han Zhan before he could react; as he opened his mouth, everything went black, and he fainted!

"Finally sorted it out."

Viewing the scene through shared vision, Wang Chunyu pushed the door open and entered.

"This guy is just too cautious. I’ve been working to build goodwill all the way here, and he still remained on guard."

"Luckily, you managed to fool him in the end."

Wang Chunyu said while quickly lifting Han Zhan and moving him towards the tank.

"By the way, he mumbled something just before passing out. What was it?"

"He said: ’Damn, limitless void!’"

"What on earth. Forget it, let’s not bother. Xiaoyun, hold on a moment for me. Once I transfer all the neural pathways from your body to his, we won’t be discovered by those Shang Family people."

"Wait for me, Xiaoyun! Soon we’ll have this scapegoat replace you, and then follow the plan to escape Titan City, find a place they can’t find, and never be separated again!"

Wang Chunyu continued to chatter.

His movements were skilful and quick, as if rehearsed countless times.

No, it wasn’t ’as if,’ he really had rehearsed countless times.

Rescuing Shang Xiaoyun—this was the only purpose Wang Chunyu had for continuing to live!

"Chun, Chunyu," Shang Xiaoyun’s electronic voice suddenly sounded, "Could you wait a moment."

"Wait? Wait for what, Xiaoyun, don’t worry. I’ve practiced countless times, nothing will go wrong. I’ll be quick, trust me!"

"Mm-hmm."

"Chunyu, your idol, if I remember correctly, is Han Zhan, right? That hero of Great Xia, the new hope, Han Zhan."

"That’s right! Han Zhan is my idol!"

Wang Chunyu replied without stopping his work, "He’s a hero of Great Xia. Since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of one day becoming a hero too. He accomplished what I couldn’t."

"And once we escape Titan City, we can go to North County. But if we go to North County, we can’t just laze around every day. As a Great Xia Person, we still have to contribute a bit."

"Why are you not speaking, Xiaoyun?"

In silence, Shang Xiaoyun’s electronic voice began to break through intermittently:

"What if I told you that the person you’re tying up right now is Han Zhan?"

Wang Chunyu’s hands, quickly detaching and inserting neuron conduits, suddenly froze.

He lowered his head, remaining silent.

"You’re lying to me, you’re tricking me, right, Xiaoyun?"

"Chunyu, consciousness transmission is two-way. It can not only send consciousness but also receive part of it. You know this."

Shang Xiaoyun paused, "Just now, the fragments of consciousness that came back from his mind revealed another person. And that person, is your idol, Han Zhan."

"Chunyu?"

Wang Chunyu remained motionless, squatting there, listening to Shang Xiaoyun, as if he had turned into a statue.

He could become a dog, betray his people, scheme others to be scapegoats—all to save his beloved.

But why did it have to be this way?!

Why, when success was within reach, did the man before him have to be the very one he admired the most, the spiritual leader of Great Xia, Han Zhan!

Wang Chunyu’s shoulders started shaking violently, and instinctively he turned away, not realizing that in Shang Xiaoyun’s state of synesthesia, she could still see him weeping.

"Maybe we should just let it go."

Shang Xiaoyun said slowly.

"I might not be a Great Xia Person, but I know what he means to you and your people."

"We’re already doing quite well now."

"How is it good?!" Wang Chunyu turned back, hoarsely growling!

Love and duty are both precious—but if you must choose one?