Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 730: “Communication”

Translator: CKtalon

The students on the cemented square had yet to learn what it meant to be composed. After hearing the lyrics clearly, the crowd went into an uproar. They either laughed uncontrollably, sang softly with the music, or cast their gazes at the principal in front of them with strange expressions.

The out-of-shape principal on the cemented platform was stunned by the scene in front of him; it took him a while to come to his senses. He tilted his ear slightly and listened carefully to the song on the radio.

A few seconds later, he flew into a rage. “Who did it? Who did it!?”

Genava immediately thought of someone who could do something this creative: Shang Jianyao!

In such a school, it was already a coincidence to have two people who resembled Long Yuehong and Bai Chen appear. The probability was very low, and a girl suspected to be Jiang Baimian had just appeared. Therefore, this was definitely not a coincidence from Genava’s point of view.

According to his analysis, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen, and Long Yuehong had likely become ‘members’ of this school, which was also Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School. They played different roles according to their respective personalities and had undergone the corresponding changes.

As for why this happened, Genava couldn’t find a logical explanation for the time being.

From this analysis, it was highly likely that Shang Jianyao was the person who switched the music scheduled to play at the school assembly to a comedic song.

The morning assembly ended in chaos. Genava followed Jiang Baimian to the classroom labeled ‘Grade 12, Class 5.’

He felt that this person had the highest intelligence among his four companions, so there was a possibility that he could communicate with her to a certain extent and further develop the problem with the current situation.

After Jiang Baimian took her seat in the second half of the classroom, Genava crept over. He thought for a moment and stretched out his silver-black metal right palm to slap the other party’s back gently.

This time, he didn’t stop with a single smack like he had done to Long Yuehong. Instead, he relied on the length of the intervals and repeated slaps to transmit a string of Morse code. He hoped that Jiang Baimian—who couldn’t see or hear him—could decipher his current predicament and wake up from her ‘act.’

Feeling the slap on her back, Jiang Baimian sat up straight and glared at the classmate behind her.

The male classmate was engrossed in reading and didn’t notice anything.

Jiang Baimian clearly frowned. She felt another slap on her back, but there was nobody in the corridor.

After frowning and taking in the feeling for a while, Jiang Baimian straightened her body, pulled out the draft book, and wrote: “I’ve always felt that I’m special and different from others. So, has a fortuitous encounter come? What will the gift from fate be?”

The red light in Genava’s eyes paused for a second before continuing to blink. He persisted in finishing the string of Morse code, but Jiang Baimian didn’t even think in the corresponding direction as if she didn’t know about Morse code.

After some thought, Genava gave up on communicating with Jiang Baimian and planned on finding Shang Jianyao.

This companion had already split into ten personalities. In Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School—a place that seemed illusory and real—he was considered unconventional. He might be able to use this opportunity to pry open some problems.

After a round of searching, Genava discovered Shang Jianyao on the rooftop of the current teaching building.

Shang Jianyao—who was wearing a blue and white school uniform—slung his school bag diagonally across him as he slovenly leaned against the edge of a parapet and looked at the soccer field to the side. He was humming the song ‘I’ll blow up the school punctually.’

Genava walked behind Shang Jianyao and controlled his voice to shout, “Hey!”

Shang Jianyao ignored him.

Genava tried patting his back next.

Shang Jianyao’s expression turned excited. He flipped over and turned around.

Nothing was reflected in his eyes.

Genava circled around and patted his back.

“Oh!” Shang Jianyao exclaimed in surprise. He looked around for a while before saying, “I’ve always felt that I don’t belong in this high school or am a student who studies hard. There’s a more important mission waiting for me.”

Saving all of humanity? Genava felt that he should’ve grasped the way Shang Jianyao’s brain worked. At the same time, he felt gratified. As expected, Hey has ten times more self-awareness than a normal person. Even if he is ‘acting’ as a No. 1 Senior High School student in Tai City, he can sense the slight incongruity between his identity and self.

Just as a weak electric current flashed, Shang Jianyao smiled and added, “Therefore, I’m not studying anymore. Teacher, I’m joining the workforce!”

“…” Genava realized that he had underestimated Hey’s condition.

Shang Jianyao maintained his smile and continued speaking to the empty rooftop. “Is fate summoning me now? Let this summoning come strike harder!”

As a smart bot, Genava wasn’t depressed. He decided to replicate the Morse code that he had used on Jiang Baimian to see if Hey could decipher it.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

He tapped Shang Jianyao’s back at different intervals.

Shang Jianyao’s expression quickly turned serious. He clasped his hands and rapped the back of his left hand with his right index finger as if he was trying his best to restore the frequency he felt as if he were memorizing a telegram’s characteristics.

Genava slowed down and looked forward to the final outcome.

After he finished tapping, Shang Jianyao suddenly sighed. “It’s too f*cking complicated. I can’t remember.”

Genava felt that if he were a carbon-based human, he might’ve blown a gasket thanks to this fellow. He gradually understood why Jiang Baimian always showed her left hand to Shang Jianyao.

With the carefulness of a smart bot, he chose to repeat the Morse code over and over again.

Shang Jianyao took out pen and paper from his school bag.

A good memory was inferior to a bad pen.

Upon seeing that he had correctly recorded the code he had transmitted using ‘dots’ and ‘lines,’ Genava’s main chip began to build the models that might be used for communication later.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao’s strokes slowly danced. In the end, he even drew a small stick figure.

Looking at the irregular patterns on the paper, Shang Jianyao exclaimed, “Is this some peerless divine art? A peerless divine art that’s taught by the heavens and highly confidential? Once I comprehend its true essence and accomplish something, can I jump over the gates and walls and escape this sea of learning misery?”

Warnings flashed across Genava’s core module. “Give up the attempt; it would be fruitless… Give up the attempt; it would be fruitless…”

Genava retracted his right palm and walked to Shang Jianyao’s side. He mimicked the latter’s previous actions by leaning against the parapet and looking into the distance.

He swept his gaze across the automatic extendable gate at the entrance.

Suddenly, the algorithm used by Genava to simulate his teammates to establish a human database was activated. He recalled Shang Jianyao’s words about ‘jumping over the gates and walls.’

If I leave Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School now and look at this Buddhist Holy Land from the outside, what will I gain? Such an inspired question appeared in Genava’s main chip.

After some analysis, Genava propped himself up with his hand against the wall and jumped off the six-story building.

With the help of a protruding spot, he easily returned to the cemented square without activating his shock absorption mechanisms. He then walked to the school entrance at a moderate speed.

After approaching the aluminum-white automatic gate, he suddenly jumped over it.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Genava ran until he was 500 to 600 meters away from Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School. After turning around, he realized that the high school was still overgrown and abnormally dilapidated.

There were no lights or students.

Sunlight scattered from the sky and shone on the jeep not far behind the automatic extendable gate—the Old Task Force’s grayish-green jeep.

As Genava’s gaze moved, he realized that a few figures seemed to flash in the building from before. They were suspected to be Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others.

“It’s normal from the outside.” Genava recorded this information. He then came up with a countermeasure: If I drag Big White, Hey, Little White, and Little Red out of the school, will they return to normal?

This was a plan worth trying.

For the sake of caution, Genava decided to carry out a trial first to avoid any possible risks or accidents. His target was Shang Jianyao.

He walked to Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School for the second time. The moment he jumped over the automatic extendable gate and entered, the dark clouds covered the sun again.

The lights in the building lit up at the same time, illuminating the figures.

Genava felt like he had transmigrated to the Old World again.

For a smart bot, using the word ‘felt’ wasn’t appropriate. He suspected that it was essentially a capture of anomalous information.

Without any delay, Genava found Shang Jianyao on the rooftop of the teaching building ahead. He seriously analyzed how to transmit information and make Shang Jianyao take the initiative to ‘play truant.’

After some calculations that involved complicated models, Genava stretched out his iron fist, grabbed Shang Jianyao’s back, and picked him up.

“Wow!” Shang Jianyao was delighted instead of being shocked.

Genava then retraced his previous route and began his attempt to escape Tai City’s No.. 1 Senior High School by jumping off the building.