In those few minutes, Noah transmitted some data to Qin Chu.
"There's a reason why the Cabinet attaches so much importance to the Crown Prince under the current circumstances. The Imperial Royal Family has become a mere figurehead, but it's said that they still control the activation method of the outer protective shield of the Imperial Starfield. These shields play a very important role in resisting the beast tide."
Wiping the water from his face, Qin Chu gave a slightly sarcastic laugh but remained silent. He was clearly displeased with this autocratic system controlled by a single member of the royal family.
The mirror above the sink reflected Qin Chu's image: jet-black hair, sharp eyebrows and eyes, and even his lips were tightly pursed.
He was like a sharpened military knife from head to toe, even his soft, flowing hair seemed to possess a sharp edge. Sometimes one wondered whether his slightly pale skin could withstand such precipitous sharpness.
General Qin had no interest in his face, which could charm most humans and humanoid races, and left the restroom after only glancing at it casually.
The era in this small world is different from the real world. If it were someone else accustomed to the highly intelligent life of the Empire, they might find it difficult to adapt. However, Qin and Chu have been stationed on the border for many years, and the military only has Noah, this system that can be switched on and off, so they are relatively used to it.
He walked to the table, picked up the backpack, studied it for a couple of seconds, and then put it on.
Qin Chu said, "Contact the cabinet as soon as possible and have them send over the photo of the crown prince."
"After finding the Crown Prince, how do you plan to get him out of here?" Noah asked rhetorically. Before Qin Chu could answer, he continued, "Based on past data, when some military academy students get lost in the virtual training device, you often increase the difficulty of the tasks, making their virtual environment suddenly turn into hell."
"Of course, when you're in a good mood or have free time, you'd rather go into the virtual training device yourself, find them, and beat them up to achieve the goal of waking them up."
In Noah's memory bank, there was a time when Qin Chu beat someone so badly that they screamed "Mommy!" Through this most primal human cry, the military academy student, who was addicted to the virtual environment, immediately remembered reality.
"This time is different?"
“Of course they’re different. As the core of the virtual training device, I don’t imprison human consciousness on my own, but the mainframe that has betrayed us does,” Noah continued. “Moreover, I must remind you that even if we get the prince’s photo, we won’t be able to find him by his appearance. That is, the consciousness of the imprisoned people is attached to these virtual data bodies, and their appearance will change accordingly.”
Qin Chu didn't answer. He walked out of the room, studied how to operate this old-fashioned door lock, turned back to his room to get the key, locked the door, and left.
He looked at the slightly worn doorknob; some parts were worn smooth from frequent handling, while others were rusted from the air.
Qin Chu felt it with his fingertip and said, "It's very realistic."
He glanced again at the bustling alleyway outside. Although this world was clearly not on the same timeline as reality, every detail was remarkably consistent. It was as if there truly were such a group of people living their own unique lives in this world.
The level of realism far surpasses that of the military's training system. Even soldiers accustomed to virtual training would likely get lost in such a scenario if they were to suddenly immerse themselves in it, mistaking it for reality.
“The Imperial Brain has been operating for hundreds of years, collecting data from all periods of human society. Its ability to simulate details has surpassed that of the human brain,” Noah added. “However, there is one ability that artificial intelligence cannot surpass.”
"What ability?" Qin Chu asked.
"The simulation of emotions and complex relationships between people. No matter how sophisticated our artificial intelligence is, it is still just a product based on mechanical hardware."
Noah changed the subject after speaking for a moment, "If someone like you, sir, is emotionally immune, then our artificial intelligence might be able to compete."
Qin Chu retorted without hesitation: "Thank you for the compliment. If you shift your evolutionary focus from language to other areas, you might soon surpass the mainframe."
Noah: "I'm just trying to ease your tension, sir."
Qin Chu's tone was flat: "Which eye of yours saw that I was nervous?"
Noah was forced to get back to the point: "Based on the realism you just mentioned, I have already simulated a safe solution. That is to change the course of each small world by starting with the details. In this way, the density of the virtual world will decrease to a certain extent, and the people imprisoned in it will have a certain chance of waking up."
"Each small world?" Qin Chu frowned again. "How long will this mission last?"
"The timeline has been extended, but the effect is cascading. When choosing the smaller worlds, I will try to select those where His Highness the Crown Prince might exist. However, the effects of the mission will also affect other worlds, so the beneficiaries will not only be His Highness the Crown Prince, but will extend to every imprisoned citizen of the Empire."
This reasoning convinced Qin and Chu to some extent.
Noah continued to explain the mission details in his ear: "Since we are sneaking in to cause sabotage, there are some details that you must follow, sir."
"First, your disguise must be convincing. If your behavior differs too much from the original data body, it will attract the attention of the main brain."
"Secondly, I hope you will restrain your behavior as much as possible, because I cannot currently confirm which data bodies are covered with human consciousness. If I accidentally cause their death, it may lead to them entering other small worlds, or it may cause brain death in the real world."
"Whether there will be a third or fourth incident depends on how outrageous your behavior is, sir."
As Qin Chu listened to Noah's rules, he vaguely sensed something was amiss, though he didn't immediately grasp it.
He thought for a moment and replied, "I shouldn't be chosen for this mission. I haven't taken any courses related to espionage."
Noah was very polite: "The reason I chose you is that, among all the people in the entire empire, whether awake or asleep, you have the highest level of mental strength. The empire needs you, General."
Qin Chu responded coldly to this somewhat flattering remark: "You should reflect on what's wrong with your training, otherwise why is it that none of the new generation of military academy students can surpass me in mental strength?"
Noah, who was demoted again: "..."
Sometimes, General Qin really has the ability to anger artificial intelligence to the point of defection.
Noah fell silent, and Qin Chu was finally satisfied.
The breakfast stall at the alley corner was bustling with activity. Wisps of steam rose from the steamer, and the proprietress behind it saw Qin Chu, looked up, and greeted him warmly: "Hey, Xiao Cheng, what's got you all day...?"
The proprietress, who clearly recognized the data entity, paused in her speech after seeing Qin Chu clearly, and looked at him with some surprise.
Meeting the slightly unfamiliar gaze of the proprietress, Qin Chu finally realized that something was wrong.
He asked in his mind, "Noah, you look different. Does that mean you're too different from the data entity?"
Noah: "!!!!"
Chapter 4, First Story (2)
Noah, an artificial intelligence, almost swore!
Both he and Qin Chu overlooked one thing: why did this data entity present Qin Chu's real-life appearance?!
They had just seen Qin Chu in the mirror, but because they were both so familiar with his face, they hadn't noticed anything amiss. Now, seeing the proprietress's reaction, Noah was so startled he almost choked.
This will likely be the only mission for General Qin Chu that fails before it even begins.
"Defense mechanism activated..."
"Connecting to external transmission equipment..."
"Prepare to withdraw consciousness..."
The consequences of their intrusion being detected by the mainframe are dire. Not only does it foreshadow the failure of this mission, but Qin Chu's consciousness will also be attacked by the mainframe.
At that time, Qin Chu, the highest executive officer of the Imperial Military who has the ability to act freely, will also be imprisoned by the mastermind. That will be the true dark night for the empire.
This is just Qin Chu's fate, while his small local system will be completely shattered by the mainframe.
Noah's voice kept repeating in Qin Chu's mind as it urgently activated various functions, making the originally smooth human voice sound somewhat like an inorganic electronic tone.
Despite the impending crisis, Qin Chu remained remarkably calm, quickly devising various countermeasures.
Qin Chu wasn't afraid of the consequences of mission failure; what worried him was that the mainframe would detect the military's intrusion and raise the defense level. That would mean that even if he and Noah managed to escape, they wouldn't be able to re-enter the virtual world.
Data transmission takes time, and even the mainframe cannot constantly monitor every data entity. Qin Chu closely observed the landlady's expression, pondering the possibility of having Noah eliminate the landlady's data entity to cut off data transmission.
Just as Qin Chu and Noah were both on high alert, the proprietress looked at Qin Chu's expression and hesitated before asking, "Xiao Cheng... has something happened at home? You look so pale."
Qin Chu: "..."
Noah: "...Damn, I almost ejected you just now!"
Seeing that Qin Chu didn't answer, the proprietress wasn't annoyed. She reached out and handed him a box of steamed buns, saying with a smile, "Are you going to be late? I won't keep you chatting anymore. Take these steamed buns and eat them on the way."
Qin Chu did not completely let his guard down. He reached out and took the steamed bun, while continuing to observe the reactions of the other people in the breakfast shop out of the corner of his eye.
The proprietress had already returned to normal and was even talking to the surrounding diners about him: "He's a kid from our neighborhood, he goes to No. 1 Middle School, and his grades are amazing..."
After paying, Qin Chu took the steamed buns and turned to leave.
On the way, Noah fell silent for the first time. After a while, he said, "It seems that the surrounding data entities have not noticed anything, but I need to investigate the cause of your appearance problem, sir."
Before leaving, Noah had already transmitted Qin Chu's current identity and some related data to him.
This data is about Cheng Cheng, a senior high school student at the No. 1 High School in the city, and he is in the class with the best grades.
There wasn't much information about the character, but Noah prominently displayed several labels, highlighting them in bold red, as if afraid Qin Chu wouldn't see them. The most prominent label was "top student."
Top students should never be late.
Qin Chu checked the time and decided to take a shortcut.
The neighborhood where Cheng Cheng lived was already quite old, but compared to the street Qin Chu walked into, it was still considered good.
The surrounding area is densely packed with old, dilapidated residential buildings, resulting in almost no sunlight reaching the block. The environment is equally poor, with the air filled with the stench of rancid sewage.
In such an environment, another force will always flourish.
Qin Chu had just turned the corner of an alley when he saw at least one group of thugs gathered together. They were leaning against the water pipes behind them, chatting and laughing, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, creating an odd harmony in the environment.
Noah hasn't given him a specific task for this world yet, but General Qin thought that letting him manage the security of this area would be a good idea.
As they passed another alleyway, a blond-haired man with a cigarette dangling from his shoulder saw Qin Chu, smiled, and greeted him: "Hey, it's Brother Cheng! Long time no see."
The blond-haired man's attitude was strange; it wasn't exactly friendly, nor did he seem to be looking for trouble. Instead, it had a hint of unspeakable sarcasm.
Qin Chu was somewhat surprised and stopped to take a look.
Someone asked the blond-haired man, "Which Brother Cheng? Do you even know any students from No. 1 High School?"
The blond-haired man smiled but didn't say anything, only waving the cigarette in his hand at the other man.
Unsure of the situation, Qin Chu simply nodded and continued walking forward.
Qin Chu could vaguely hear a burst of laughter and the voice of the blond-haired man: "That's right, I wouldn't dare to be classmates with such a good student."
The words "good student" were emphasized.
Continue walking forward, then turn left and cross a street. Just as Qin Chu was about to leave this chaotic street, he suddenly heard a girl scream.
He glanced in the direction the sound came from and saw several thugs surrounding a girl.
The girl had her hair tied in a high ponytail with two crystal strawberries on the elastic band, and she was wearing the same blue and white school uniform as Cheng Cheng.
They seem to be students from No. 1 High School as well.
Qin Chu glanced at it but didn't go over.
Class was approaching, and it was Monday with a very important exam. Qin Chu didn't know how much being late affected Cheng Cheng's image. Noah wasn't around, so he couldn't ask.
He passed by the alley where the incident occurred, and the girl's struggling sounds became clearer. Qin Chu thought of Noah's reminder: this world, though seemingly real, is merely a collection of virtual data—both people and society.
A thug with pustules on his face reached out and ripped off the girl's hair tie, letting her dark hair fall loose. The girl's voice trembled with fear as she cried out, "What are you doing!"
The thugs laughed even harder: "Hey, why are you running? We just want to have a chat with you."
Zhou Sisi was filled with regret. She shouldn't have taken the shortcut here to avoid being late. What was she going to do now? She was going to be late for her exam… and…
"I...I have money in my schoolbag, my mom just gave me my allowance this morning..." Zhou Sisi was on the verge of tears. She clutched her schoolbag tightly in front of her, making a last-ditch effort, "Give me the money, just let me go!"