Chapter 342 - 284: Hive Level 4 and Data Deletion

"So, what’s next..." Chu Bamboo fell into thought, caressing the Antimatter Bomb.

’Should I wait for the Black Fog Monster God to descend, then see if I can take it out in one go with the Antimatter Bomb?’

’If I did that, I could probably get rid of the Big Orange Cat at the same time... Although, in a certain timeline, the Big Orange Cat did technically save my life, but considering that damn cat’s personality...’

’Hmm,’ Chu Bamboo mused, ’it’s not like I’m an ungrateful person—since the Big Orange Cat misses God so much, I might as well send it to meet God.’

"The only problem is..." Chu Bamboo gave a sudden, bitter smile. The arrival of the Black Fog Monster God would mean the sacrifice of the shantytown district, and that was a casualty count he could not accept.

"Looks like I’ll just have to send the Fifth Apostle on its way!"

Chu Bamboo glanced at the numerous aircraft again. He had only taken two steps toward the exit when he suddenly realized something and asked, "Hive, this is the fifth basement level, right?"

"Correct! The fifth level is a specially processed floor." Hive’s voice was calm. "The first level of the base is ten meters below ground, the second is at twenty meters, the third at thirty... But the fourth level is three hundred meters underground!"

Chu Bamboo’s eyebrow twitched. "So, what’s hidden on the first, second, third, and fourth levels, respectively?"

"The first level stores a large number of maintenance robots!"

"The second level stores a large number of robotic dogs."

"The third level stores small and medium-sized combat drones!"

"The fourth level stores a large quantity of standard-issue personal armaments."

Chu Bamboo sank into thought. His first reaction wasn’t joy, but doubt. ’A large number... of maintenance robots?’

He thought back to the first level he had seen earlier, with those few, scattered robots all busy at work... ’Could that number really be described as ’large’?’

He was suddenly struck by a bad feeling.

"Take me to the fourth level!"

...

"Just as I thought." Chu Bamboo looked at the empty fourth-level storeroom, let out a long sigh, and said, "Hive, can you tell me why everything is gone?"

"Initiating self-diagnostic... Data deleted, data deleted..."

Chu Bamboo shook his head, rather dispirited. "Get me out of here!"

In fact, back in the elevator when he had asked Hive and it had replied with "data deleted," he’d already had his suspicions. ’Something unexpected must have happened in the time between Lin Xin Bamboo leaving her last words and now! I just don’t know... what kind of accident it was.’

Back on the first level, Chu Bamboo asked, "Hive! How can I... contact you when I’m outside?"

"Initiating deep thought," Hive pondered for a moment before replying, "I have detected an electronic device on Father’s person! I can install a subroutine within the device to maintain constant contact with Father."

"...I see." Chu Bamboo’s eyes lit up. He had asked Nuwa this question before, but Nuwa had stated directly that it didn’t have that function. Although now that Nuwa Base had become an Ecological Garden, he could use a Little Mushroom Head as a signal terminal to contact Nuwa... but the Little Mushroom Head was just too conspicuous! Under normal circumstances, Chu Bamboo was unwilling to carry one around.

"I’ll have to trouble you, then!" Chu Bamboo took out his phone.

"It is my duty."

...

Leaving Hive Base, Chu Bamboo quickly pushed through the thatch covering the cave entrance. He gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, feeling for a moment as if he had stepped into another world.

"Mr. Chu, are you... all better now?" Mo Wen asked cautiously.

Chu Bamboo nodded. After a moment of thought, he glanced at the cave entrance behind him. "Can you build some camouflage... but in a way that I can still get in normally?"

"I know what you mean." Mo Wen understood instantly. He waved his hand, signaling that everything was understood. "You guys have placed orders like this before! I know exactly what to do. Don’t worry! It’ll take about three days... We’ll follow the format for your Captain’s Office base... Ahem! I mean, we’ll build a public restroom..."

Chu Bamboo was speechless.

’So that women’s restroom at the entrance of Nuwa Base... you guys built that?!’

Chu Bamboo felt there was so much to complain about. ’Building a restroom in the middle of nowhere... Are you sure... that won’t seem even more suspicious?’

’Whatever! Suspicious is suspicious!’ Chu Bamboo suddenly saw the logic in it and nodded in agreement.

"Right, and the bill...?" Mo Wen rubbed his palms together.

"Send the bill to the Hai Group." Chu Bamboo’s voice was completely flat. ’Isn’t this what Hai Mingyue is for?’

"...The Hai!" Mo Wen’s face twisted. He found hearing that name truly awkward. Of course, it was a good thing the Hai Clan had previously indicated they would settle past accounts; otherwise, if Chu Bamboo had said that, he would have definitely had a few words to say about it.

"Furthermore! This matter... must not be mentioned to anyone." Chu Bamboo suddenly stared right at Mo Wen, his voice icy as he spoke slowly and deliberately, "And by ’anyone,’ I mean *anyone*."

Mo Wen wasn’t surprised at all. He nodded and vowed, "I understand! Don’t worry... our reputation is solid. After all, in the past, all the jobs of this nature... for the Daqian side... were all done by us..."

Chu Bamboo nodded, rubbing the metal sphere hidden at his waist. Finally, he looked toward the nuclear facility.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Bamboo glanced at the time. It was almost ten o’clock. He immediately made a call. "Old Huo, what’s next is..."

...

「A moment later.」

A maglev car descended from the sky.

Chu Bamboo, Huo Qiming, and a timid-looking Wall Announcements stepped out of the maglev car, staring at the nuclear facility in the distance.

"So, what’s our next move?" Huo Qiming asked gravely.

Chu Bamboo thought for a moment, then removed the metal sphere from his waist. He took a civilian-grade Great River drone from the maglev car’s trunk, fastened the sphere securely to it, and then tapped on his phone screen, first having Hive link with the drone, and then...

"Hive, in a moment, I want you to follow the plan I’m about to lay out and drop this thing... on the enemy, as close as you can."

"Yes, Father!" Hive’s voice was serious.

"?" Chu Bamboo felt a strange look on him. He glanced up and saw it was from Huo Qiming, which he found odd. But before he could ask, Huo Qiming struck first. "Is this... a Divine Revelation from the Great Goddess Nuwa? How did you..."

"?" Chu Bamboo was stunned for a second. ’Hive and Nuwa sound nothing alike, how could you possibly think...’ But he quickly figured it out.

That’s right—Hive also spoke Chinese. Chu Bamboo had actually taken that into account, which was why he had been tapping on his screen, typing things out of Huo Qiming’s sight...