Chapter 408 349: Should I Call You Nuwa No. 17, or Z?

"Nuwa No. 17!" Chu Bamboo suddenly called out.

But there was no response.

'?' Chu Bamboo's pupils contracted sharply. He called out again, "Nuwa No. 17!"

"I'm here," a crisp and gentle voice replied.

Chu Bamboo didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head and looked at the light screen materializing before him with an inscrutable expression.

'The light screen's format is completely different from what Nuwa usually generates! But that's to be expected… The base itself has changed, after all. Who said the format had to stay the same?'

'But why did she only answer on the second call?'

'Could it be the AI didn't hear me? Or was its attention elsewhere?'

'Most importantly…'

"Nuwa No. 17, your voice… it sounds a little different from before," Chu Bamboo said softly.

"I don't understand what you mean." Nuwa No. 17's voice was unchanged.

"Maybe so." Chu Bamboo stared at the light screen for a long moment, then gave a dry laugh and rubbed his face.

'Thoughts surged through his mind. What was happening outside? Were Eunuch Huang and the others still holding them off? Given how things are, there should be a lot more drones left than last time, right?'

'They should be able to clear it!'

'But the same question remains… Is the Emperor a Transcendent or not…'

"What a headache… Forget it. I'll check the diary first…"

Suddenly, the main door opened.

Chu Bamboo froze, looking toward the door in confusion. 'Eunuch Huang and the others are coming in now?' Then, his expression turned rigid.

He instinctively rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. His breath hitched for a second before he quickly composed himself…

"…What's wrong?" Ning Linglong tilted her head. A flicker of panic crossed her face, and she glanced down at her clothes. 'Is something wrong with them?'

"Tomboy! It's obvious Ah Zhu doesn't like you anymore," Guan Fei taunted, taking a bite of a chicken leg.

Guan Fei was completely different from the quiet and composed person he used to be. He was wearing a strange suit that shimmered with a metallic luster, exuding a futuristic, almost Modern Era feel.

His physique was also nothing like the mountain of flesh he once was. He was still heavyset, but it was more like the brawny build of an ancient general—all muscle under a layer of fat. It was a healthy, powerful kind of fat!

"Sleep well?" Li Kang raised an eyebrow, casually tossing a cup of a dark beverage over. "Here's the cola you wanted. Seriously, you're so demanding! Insisting on one that's hand-mixed by humans… Get it yourself next time! I can't be bothered to bring it for you."

Li Kang's muscles were lean and well-defined, like a natural bodybuilder, not someone who looked like he was about to ascend to Planet Steroid.

Chu Bamboo silently took the drink, his gaze fixed calmly on the others. Panic slowly began to creep onto their faces. Ning Linglong even blurted out instinctively, "Ah Zhu… you're scaring me…"

"Hahaha!" Chu Bamboo suddenly burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Gotcha! I was just messing with you!"

"…You jerk!" Ning Linglong's cheeks puffed out. In a huff, she pounced on Chu Bamboo, pinning him to the bed and stretching his cheeks with both hands. Her attitude was less angry and more petulant. "Even if it's you… I'll never forgive you for that…"

On the surface, Chu Bamboo looked helpless, but deep in his eyes, there was only doubt, confusion, vigilance, and even a flicker of killing intent—though he quickly suppressed it.

'Something's wrong!'

'Something is very, very wrong!'

'What kind of worldline did I end up in…'

'And… would Ning Linglong really treat me like this?'

'The girl who seemed so love-struck, who'd get swayed by Hai Mingyue and tie herself in knots overthinking things, who wanted to make a move but never could… would she really initiate this kind of intimate contact, something that completely crosses the line of friendship?'

'Most importantly…'

Chu Bamboo glanced to the side.

Guan Fei was watching them with a pleased expression; Chu Bamboo had the strange feeling the guy was shipping the two of them. Bi Xuanzhang let out a sigh of relief. Li Kang's expression was complex, as if he were sighing for someone. 'For Li Min?'

'This group… they don't find Ning Linglong's behavior toward me strange at all? In other words, in their version of reality, my relationship with Ning Linglong is just this intimate!'

"Bamboo! Mingyue, Muxue, and I made plans to go shopping!" Ning Linglong said in a sweet voice. "You're coming with us to carry our bags! No objections, right… Don't give me that look. I know things are busy for you at the guild… and your pay isn't great because you don't ask for much!"

"Besides! It's fine… We already agreed we'd take care of you, didn't we?"

"…So you're saying Hai Mingyue and Lu Muxue can be this… close with me, too?" Chu Bamboo asked, his lips twitching into a half-smile.

"…Are you running a fever?" Ning Linglong panicked, pressing her forehead against Chu Bamboo's. Her breath tickled his face. "Hmm? Your temperature's normal… Hey, hey, you're not messing with me again, are you! Wait… Can you say Hai Mingyue's and Lu Muxue's full names again?"

Ning Linglong pulled out her phone and opened the voice recorder, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"…Mingyue? Muxue?" Chu Bamboo asked casually.

"…Hey!" Ning Linglong deflated, giving Chu Bamboo two sharp kicks with her stocking-clad foot. "You are doing this on purpose!"

"No, no, no!" Chu Bamboo chuckled, holding Ning Linglong's shoulders, an indulgent smile playing on his lips. "It's just… I suddenly remembered something urgent for the guild! Hmm, how about… you give me a moment to think?"