Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 740: Ringing

Translator: CKtalon

Time waited for no one. Shang Jianyao volunteered to move the radio transceiver out of the jeep’s trunk.

Jiang Baimian took the opportunity to quickly draft a message. As she translated the words into code, she sent the telegram.

Amidst the tapping sounds, Long Yuehong couldn’t help but mutter, “Is it possible that we can’t send it out at all…”

They were now trapped in Master Zhuang’s dream, and the act of sending the telegram might just be their hallucination.

Upon hearing Long Yuehong’s worry, the honest Shang Jianyao scoffed. “Why don’t you say that the attempt to call the mysterious number later might be useless because it’s an illusion? Why don’t you say that detonating the nuclear warhead only exists in our dreams and can’t be reflected in reality?”

Long Yuehong—who was already vexed and uneasy—didn’t shrink back and replied, “I just didn’t have the time to say it.”

At this moment, anything they did—which was enveloped in a dreamscape—might not be real.

Bai Chen interrupted their conversation and expressed her opinion. “But no matter what, we have to work hard and save ourselves. We can’t just stay where we are and wait for death because we feel that it’s useless.”

Long Yuehong immediately agreed. “That’s right. I’m only raising a question, not objecting to it being done. Only by doing so will there be a chance of survival. If we don’t do anything, we will definitely be lost.”

“It’s mainly because there’s no other way.” This was Genava’s conclusion after careful analysis.

If the Old Task Force could escape the dream by evacuating Tai City like before, things would be much simpler.

As they conversed, Jiang Baimian finished sending the telegram, stood up, and waited for an answer. She looked around and said, “I said in the telegram that we would only wait a minute.”

“One minute? That’s not even enough time for the telegraph operator to ask for instructions…” Long Yuehong didn’t understand.

Not to mention drafting a message and translating it into code. That would take a lot of time.

Jiang Baimian casually explained, “I requested the company to immediately give a simple reply if they received the telegram and let us know that it’s effective. That way, we can patiently wait for the subsequent reply.”

As for whether it would take too much time for Pangu Biology to translate the code, Jiang Baimian wasn’t worried at all because it was connected to a computer and processed quickly.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao stroked his chin and chuckled. “Will the dreamscape give us a fake reply so that we can waste time waiting?”

I don’t think it’s that smart… Who can be so ruthless and vicious in their dreams? This thought subconsciously flashed across Long Yuehong’s mind.

He didn’t say such words because he didn’t know if the Kalendaria was capable of that. After all, ‘He’ was fundamentally different from ordinary people.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly and said, “There are limits to the waiting I’m talking about. If the situation is really urgent and we have to immediately take countermeasures, we definitely won’t wait any longer! Even a dog knows how to jump over a wall when cornered, much less us humans.”

She didn’t deliberately distinguish between carbon-based humans and smart bots.

Bai Chen, Genava, and the others nodded one after another and paid attention to the changes in each other.

The carbon-based beings were slowly changing into a student’s appearance, and the smart bot was disappearing inch by inch from bottom to top.

When this relatively slow change was completed, they would completely lose themselves in Master Zhuang’s dream.

The students in blue and white uniforms and the teachers of varying ages passed by, ignoring the changes they were undergoing as if nothing had happened.

A minute quickly passed. The Old Task Force’s radio transceiver remained silent.

Jiang Baimian flipped her wrist and looked at her watch. She remained silent and seemed a little hesitant.

According to the plan and procedure they had previously discussed, it was time for Genava to call the mysterious number provided by Avia.

It was left behind by the Third Research Institute’s Chief Scientist—First City’s former emperor. He instructed his descendants not to call the number unless absolutely necessary, treating it as something very dangerous.

Once Genava called that number, the subsequent changes were completely out of the Old Task Force’s control. Life and death depended on luck.

If they were in a critical situation and had to make a decision in a split second, Jiang Baimian would definitely give the order without hesitation. She wasn’t a rookie who didn’t dare to take a risk because of her hesitancy or fear.

But now, from the dreamscape’s rate of assimilation, the Old Task Force still had about three to four minutes left. There was still room for development.

To do something that couldn’t be stopped once they set things in motion, one that was fraught with danger with unknown outcomes, would stress out anyone. There would be some level of wavering.

Jiang Baimian knew that she was afraid of death. There were so many beautiful places in life. Who was willing to die when they had a choice?

She was the same, and so were the others. Long Yuehong’s breathing became heavy. For a moment, he hoped that his team leader would quickly give the order and end things once and for all while waiting for the outcome. In the next moment, he would feel that they could still be saved and that they could still wait for the company. There was no need to be in such a rush to enter a process filled with suicidal tendencies.

He just felt that his future was beautiful and was filled with anticipation. He really didn’t want to lose himself in Tai City and die in the dreamscape bit by bit.

In the seemingly frozen atmosphere, someone suddenly said loudly, “All men must die. Some deaths weigh heavily, while others are lighter than a down feather.”

Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Genava turned their heads in unison and saw Shang Jianyao reciting an ancient text with a solemn expression.

He paused and said with an unchanged expression, “We came to Tai City today to investigate the cause for the Old World’s destruction and the Heartless disease’s source. It’s to give all of humanity a future. Even if we die here, we will die a meaningful death that weighs heavily! The Salvation Army’s spirit will never perish!”

With that said, Shang Jianyao stretched out his right hand and pressed it to his left chest. “For all of humanity!”

Some deaths weigh heavily, while others are lighter than a down feather… Jiang Baimian frowned and repeated this sentence in her heart.

After experiencing so many dangers and still actively investigating the cause of the Old World’s destruction, it was definitely impossible for her to be described as extremely timid and afraid of death.

Step by step, she came to Tai City, an indication that she had long overcome her fear of death time and time again. Or rather, she believed that certain things were more important than life.

She wasn’t an inexperienced recruit; she had experienced the feeling of being on the brink of death and knew the taste of despair. The reason she chose to continue investigating the Old World’s destruction was that she knew how dangerous it was, not because she was blindly confident in her strength.

If she was extremely afraid, she could’ve chosen to be transferred out of her current position with her background. However, she didn’t do so.

She was afraid that she would die meaninglessly, afraid that she would suddenly contract the Heartless disease like some employees in the company without being able to put up any resistance before her investigations bore fruit.

At this moment, the song she had heard often in the past few months suddenly echoed in Jiang Baimian’s mind. “Do you remember the dreams of your youth? Like a flower in eternal bloom…”

As she hummed the melody silently, Jiang Baimian turned to look at Long Yuehong and Bai Chen.

Long Yuehong remained a little uneasy, but his left hand had already quietly gripped Bai Chen’s right palm.

The two of them stood very close as if they wanted to face the unknown danger and the unpredictable future together.

Upon sensing Jiang Baimian’s gaze, Bai Chen pursed her lips and smiled. “Maybe I should’ve died in First City. I’m very satisfied that I can live to this day with so many companions accompanying me and have Little Red hold my hand to face it together.”

Long Yuehong tightened his grip on Bai Chen’s right palm upon hearing that.

Bai Chen tightened her grip and lowered her head slightly, looking at the ground ahead. “I won’t let go.”

Jiang Baimian retracted her gaze and nodded at Shang Jianyao before saying to Genava, “Old Ge, call the mysterious number provided by Avia now. Be quick; we need to give the other solutions enough time.”

Her tone was calm, and her voice was neither loud nor soft.

“Wait!” Shang Jianyao suddenly said in anticipation. “Old Ge, remember to be on speaker mode so that everyone can know what stage in the development we are in.”

“Alright.” Genava pulled out the mysterious string of code from his database.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

The dial tone sounded from Genava’s mouth.

Ding ring ring!

Suddenly, a ringtone sounded as if it was connected to a phone. The sky turned darker as if it were about to turn completely black.

Ding ring ring! Ding ring ring! Ding ring ring!

The next second, Jiang Baimian and the others felt as though cell phones were ringing in every direction.

They looked over in surprise and realized that the students and teachers beside them had stopped in their tracks at the same time. They reached into their pant pockets, shirt pockets, and bags before taking out phones of different makes.

The phones were emitting the same ringtone!

Shang Jianyao was stunned for a moment. “Master Zhuang’s condition is worse than mine…”

Jiang Baimian had an idea and knew what was going on.

The mysterious number that Avia had given pointed to the all-year Kalendaria—Master Zhuang! Everyone in the dream of Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School was Master Zhuang—one of ‘His’ personalities!

‘He’ had a split personality worse than Shang Jianyao’s!