Chapter 175: Dream Net’s Technological Rhapsody

Chapter 175 -74: Dream Net’s Technological Rhapsody

“It’s too cold outside.”

The two of them pushed open the balcony door, stepping back into the corridor with its gray sound-absorbing carpet, and finally returning to the warmth of the lounge.

Outside, it was completely pitch-black. Inside, only a single wall sconce was lit, casting a dim light.

Shi Zuozhou and Shao Yiyi had been huddled together whispering, wearing mischievous grins that said, “Let the show begin.” Seeing the two enter, Shao Yiyi looked as though she already had some interrogation lines fully prepared.

But when they saw the expressions on Yu Xian and Wen Xiao’s faces, they opened their mouths, only to force back all the jokes that had been on the tip of their tongues.

“Um…” Shi Zuozhou scratched his head awkwardly and mumbled, “Finished talking?”

Yu Xian grunted in affirmation. He walked over to the sofa, sat down, and exhaustedly rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Shao Yiyi handed Wen Xiao a cup of hot water. Wen Xiao took it and took small sips.

The atmosphere in the lounge grew oppressive again. Everyone harbored their own thoughts, as murky and unclear as the rainy night outside the window.

“Ahem.” Shi Zuozhou cleared his throat, glanced at everyone, and then checked his phone. “I mean, today is Friday.”

The other three looked up at him.

“So much has happened this week. Professor Ning, the Great Flood, Su Mingyuan… everyone is wound too tight.” Shi Zuozhou stood up and stretched. “Since it’s Friday, the best night of the week, shouldn’t we… relax a little? Moping around like this won’t do us any good.”

He looked at Yu Xian and asked tentatively, “Old Yu, want to go out for a nice meal? We can treat it as a celebration for the new version of Rabbit Hole.”

Yu Xian originally wanted to refuse. Under the current circumstances, he was in no mood to celebrate.

Senior Sister Yang Yiyi was still hiding in her apartment, physics seemed to be on the verge of collapse, and the Great Flood hung over their heads like the Sword of Damocles. The Dream Net project harbored hidden dangers, and the Midnight Bus with its unknown origins was biding its time…

But when he saw Wen Xiao’s pale face and the exhaustion deep in Shao Yiyi and Shi Zuozhou’s eyes, the words of refusal caught in his throat.

They had all been dragged into these massive whirlpools, and whether mentally or physically, everyone had reached their limit.

Like a fully drawn bow, if they didn’t loosen the string a bit, they would likely snap before the truth ever came to light.

“Let’s go.” Yu Xian rubbed the space between his eyebrows and stood up as well. “Where are we eating?”

“South Gate is too far, and the roads are messy in the rain.” Shi Zuozhou had clearly planned this. He pointed out the window. “Let’s head straight out the North Gate to the commercial center! I’ve been craving food from a few places over there for a long time.”

No one had any objections. After packing their things, Wen Xiao and Shao Yiyi changed their coats. The four of them left the North Campus dormitories, seeding the new version of Rabbit Hole into various nodes as they walked out the school gates.

***

The commercial district outside JCU North Gate was completely different from the bustling, lively South Gate pedestrian street, which was packed with street stalls and hole-in-the-wall eateries.

This was Jiangcheng’s newly developed CBD from the past few years, filled with towering skyscrapers and wide, immaculate streets.

Just a few blocks further ahead was the PIC, where Wen Yu’s studio was located.

It was still raining. Neon lights flashed, turning the fine drizzle into a colorful, luminous mist.

Holding their umbrellas, Yu Xian and the others walked along the wet sidewalk.

Huge glass facades lined both sides, reflecting the brilliant, flowing lights of the city’s nightscape. Displayed inside were expensive-looking trench coats and exquisite jewelry.

A massive LED screen on a high-end mall played a commercial for a luxury perfume. The model’s glamorous, aloof face looked slightly distorted through the misty rain.

Here, there were no noisy vendors shouting like at South Gate, nor was there the sizzling smoke of barbecue skewers.

There were only cool-toned streetlights, the SPLASH of puddles as cars hurried past, and an occasional strain of jazz music drifting from somewhere unknown.

This world was refined, decent, and orderly.

That kind of peace, prosperity, and order created an inexplicable sense of detachment from the panic in the School of Physics, the eerie Midnight Bus that haunted the dorms, and the prophecy of the Great Flood.

Yu Xian walked in the back, watching the retreating figures of his three companions.

Neon lights flickered across their bodies and umbrellas.

Shi Zuozhou was drooling over a Japanese restaurant’s signboard, while Shao Yiyi and Wen Xiao shared an umbrella, lingering in front of a shop window with a French name.

“Wow, there’s barely any standing water here!” Shi Zuozhou exclaimed, walking on the marble-paved tiles.

“Of course, this is the CBD. The drainage systems are top-tier.”

Shao Yiyi was like an old horse that knows the—ahem, moving with practiced ease, she pulled Wen Xiao along as she ran ahead. After weaving through a few streets, she pointed not too far in the distance and shouted, “That place just ahead! Let’s eat seafood today! We need to replenish all the brain cells we’ve burned these past few days. My treat!”

“Seafood? Here?” Shi Zuozhou looked in the direction she was pointing. It was a restaurant named “Deep Blue.” There were no flashy neon lights at the entrance, only a minimalist black-and-gold signboard.

Despite its low profile, they could all tell it was expensive.

Shi Zuozhou’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, but he remained principled. “Um… Yiyi, I appreciate the thought. But how about we find a slightly more affordable place? Even though we didn’t spend much last week with classes suspended, one meal here would probably cost enough for me to live on for a month.”

Yu Xian nodded in agreement. Although the goal was to relax, aside from Shao Yiyi, the rest of them came from ordinary families. There was no need to burden themselves with psychological pressure just for a meal.