Chapter 420 - 356: The Reappearance of Z: The ’Curse’ Placed on Z by Chu Bamboo and Zhao Shao

"...Actually, I still have quite a few questions!" Chu Bamboo said unhurriedly. "For example, I want to know who the progenitors are... Okay, okay, don’t give me that look! I know, that’s probably forbidden information."

’After all, even a crippled cat that Lin Xin Bamboo could insta-kill with ease could insta-kill me... It’s really hard to imagine just how absurdly powerful the beings that leave even Lin Xin Bamboo and Z helpless must be.’

"If you and Z could join forces perfectly!" Chu Bamboo pursed his lips. He didn’t continue, but he knew Lin Xin Bamboo understood what he was implying.

Lin Xin Bamboo closed her eyes, silent for a long, long time.

"...I feel that if we two could cooperate! We should be able to... carve out a world for ourselves." Lin Xin Bamboo began cautiously. She knew in her heart that the only person who could possibly persuade Z was the Uncle Chu before her! So she had to consider if this was the only chance she would ever get...

Lin Xin Bamboo chose her words carefully. "The Ten Thousand Races are indeed powerful! But we are definitely not weak..."

"If things go on like this, with gradual development... I believe! We will eventually be able to take this world... back! And make it a world for humanity."

Chu Bamboo nodded, pondered for a moment, then said abruptly, "Z, what do you think?"

"?" Lin Xin Bamboo froze, almost doubting she’d heard him right. An expression of someone not knowing whether to laugh or cry appeared on her face. "What are you talking about... Huh?"

When she suddenly realized, a deathly pallor crept over Lin Xin Bamboo’s face, and sweat streamed down her brow.

Chu Bamboo gave Lin Xin Bamboo a complicated look. ’Compared to that complete human leader... maybe it’s because there’s basically no one around in this era? Or maybe even with the Virtual World, Lin Xin Bamboo has too little contact with people? So she doesn’t think things through?’

’The gap between them is just too, too wide!’

"...Father, how did you know?" a calm voice suddenly rang out.

Lin Xin Bamboo fell silent. At that moment, she felt the heart that had been in her throat drop and turn to ice.

"Maybe my dear niece doesn’t realize it!" Chu Bamboo shrugged. "But... the Hive Base, didn’t you oversee its construction from the very beginning? Oh, right... the local AI in the Hive is probably a splinter program of yours, isn’t it?"

’So, before... when I confirmed that the so-called secret hideout was the Hive, I really wanted to laugh. What are you two doing, playing house?’

Lin Xin Bamboo: "..."

"As expected of you, Father." Z’s voice held admiration, just like before she had truly become an AI, carrying a faint sense of respect and deep affection.

There was one more thing Chu Bamboo didn’t say, which was... he trusted Z too much.

He believed in how much Z valued his safety—even if Z knew about the so-called reset.

Under these circumstances, Chu Bamboo even suspected that the drone carrier that had "coincidentally" flown overhead earlier wasn’t on some mission at all, but was there to escort him!

’Considering all those densely packed Fire Sparrows... it’s quite possible she was worried I might accidentally run into some trouble, so she casually mobilized some of her forces to directly eliminate the threat!’

"So... what’s your answer?" Chu Bamboo tilted his head.

Lin Xin Bamboo bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with a mixture of expectation, anxiety, and worry.

"I disagree!" Z’s voice was as steady as ever. "What my cousin said makes a lot of sense, but unfortunately... why?"

Chu Bamboo frowned but said nothing.

"I can shelter humanity! I have woven a perfect dream for them! A beautiful dream of abundant resources, spiritual fulfillment, endless entertainment, and no natural disasters!"

"Mother once said that if one day... humanity is completely surpassed by artificial intelligence! Then she hoped I would... provide for humanity!"

"I am carrying out the hope my mother had for me... for humanity to live and die in peace; for parents to be harmonious, society stable, lovers to support each other through thick and thin, and children to be well-behaved; to pass away peacefully with a smile at the end, without pain in a dream, from old age, having lived a completely normal life—this is humanity’s greatest happiness!"

"Furthermore, even when humans in the dream marry and reproduce... I will intentionally extract their reproductive cells! I synthesize new children and place them into the newest life support instruments... letting them grow up again, bit by bit, in the dream... to ensure that humanity does not go extinct!"

"I have done everything!"

Z’s voice, for the first time, held a trace of fluctuation. It was anger, indignation, and also grievance. "But... but... by what right do you want to shatter this fantasy? To wake humanity from their beautiful dream to face this desperate future! Speak!"

"All that’s needed is for me to keep expanding my technological power and keep fighting... My mechanical Empire can replenish any losses it suffers! This is a war of attrition, and I don’t believe I can lose..."

"And you? What would you have humans do when they wake up... have them use their own flesh and blood as raw material for the meat grinder?"

"Lin Xin Bamboo! My foolish sister! I despise you..."

Z said through gritted teeth: "The cruelest to humanity has always been humanity itself! But I am a child of humanity... I love humanity! So I will never agree with you... and I will never allow you to treat humans as so-called ’replenishable’ consumables!"

Lin Xin Bamboo closed her eyes in pain. She murmured, "But... a humanity like that has no hope! And... can you really win?"

’In Lin Xin Bamboo’s eyes, Z’s actions were essentially treating humanity as pets... who could only silently await their final demise in an eternal, illusory dream!’

’Victory... win?’

’How could she possibly win...’

’The Ten Thousand Races can grow stronger through Cultivation! But can machines...? You ultimately have no way of mass-producing artificial intelligences on par with yourself.’

’Besides...’

"How long has it been since your technology has advanced?" Lin Xin Bamboo retorted.

For a moment, Z was silent.

"Even as an artificial intelligence, your research capabilities are ultimately inferior to the human race as a collective! No... I even feel that fighting that kind of enemy is already your limit! You simply don’t have the spare capacity to continue advancing your technology," Lin Xin Bamboo said, word by word. ’As for researching technology in a dream... how could a virtual dream produce real technology?’

"Providing for humanity is wrong! I would rather shatter that illusory dream... I firmly believe that only a future fought for by humanity itself is a future that truly belongs to humanity! The future of a pet, an eternal, hopeless, illusory dream... that is not the ending humanity deserves!"

"...Father! I have no regrets." Z didn’t continue arguing with Lin Xin Bamboo. From beginning to end, all she saw... was her father. Her voice took on a hint of vulnerability. "Are you willing... to support me?"

’Lin Xin Bamboo? My cousin?’

’So what?!’

’Even if Uncle Lin Xia were here, she still wouldn’t back down.’

Lin Xin Bamboo bit her lower lip and, without hesitation, also turned to look at Chu Bamboo.

’Why does this inexplicably feel like an Asura... HAHAHA.’ Chu Bamboo’s gaze went distant. ’To be honest, compared to this situation, I’d rather be facing a simple lover’s quarrel right now! I want to laugh, I want to curse...’

’Fuck! Zhao Shao, look at the mess you’ve made, you son of a bitch!’

’Provide for humanity, provide for humanity...’

’What was that saying? The bullet Zhao Shao fired a thousand years ago has, a millennium later, finally pierced the brow of the post-civilization human race!’

’No... Chu Bamboo wanted to curse himself, too.’

’Loving humanity... Indeed, love is the deepest Curse!’

At that moment, Chu Bamboo even faintly hated the part of himself that had said those words to Z—

It was he and Zhao Shao who had built this cage for Z, a Curse called ’love’...

"...The two of you! In essence..." Chu Bamboo opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to say it. The greatest conflict between them was actually...

Lin Xin Bamboo held a populist view of history, while Z held a heroic one.

Lin Xin Bamboo believed that even if sacrifices were necessary, only the collective strength of the people could fight the cataclysm and achieve final victory.

Z believed that she just had to shoulder everything herself. She would win, and it didn’t matter if she suffered grievances and hardships along the way... because she was the hero of the human race! She carried the last wishes of her parents and therefore could not lose.

From the perspective of his own upbringing, Chu Bamboo naturally supported the populist view. But... how could he possibly say such cruel words to Z at a time like this?

To deny her now, for a Z who had persevered for so long... would probably be worse than killing her—especially since the words would be coming from Chu Bamboo!

"...This is my fault!" Chu Bamboo said with a hint of exhaustion.

"Father." Z’s voice held a bit of confusion, and also a slight tremor...

"It’s nothing!" Chu Bamboo waved his hand, then turned and walked out step by step, his body swaying from time to time.

The fifth basement level fell into a brief silence.

"...Lin Xin Bamboo! If anything happens to Father because of you... I will never forgive you in this lifetime! You and those little traitors of yours playing house... can drown in your fantasies together!" Z’s voice was devoid of any fluctuation.

Lin Xin Bamboo didn’t say anything more.

...

Chu Bamboo entered the elevator. He glanced calmly at the camera, knowing Z was likely still watching him.

Smiling silently, Chu Bamboo did a quick check and found there was still a poison capsule in his back tooth—’How interesting! This is something that the me who was stuck in a cultivation pod should theoretically have... Oh, I forgot.’

Chu Bamboo suddenly remembered that he seemed to have used a reset on himself when changing clothes earlier... ’Hmm, the poison doesn’t contain any Extraordinary power! That seems reasonable enough.’

He silently crushed the poison capsule and slowly closed his eyes.

Ten breaths later, everything began to reverse!