“However, this reveals that the mainframe’s energy is really running low, otherwise it wouldn’t have used such a subtle approach,” Levy said.
"It's also possible that it has other purposes," Qin Chu said.
"What is the purpose?" Levy paused before asking.
"How would I know?" Qin Chu glanced at him.
"Don't overthink it, let's first look at the choices we're facing." Levi smiled and then changed his tune, "No, it's your choice. I was dragged here by you."
Qin Chu looked around but couldn't find anything that required a choice.
He then asked Levy, "This must be something you've experienced in real life, like a special fan meeting?"
"Let me think about it." Levi's brows furrowed suddenly, then he glanced down at the time on his personal terminal.
Qin Chu didn't disturb him. She wandered around the lounge and checked the contents of each cabinet.
He remembered that Levi had come out of the restroom, so he went to check the restroom in the lounge as well.
Again, nothing came of it.
It seems that the choice of scene has nothing to do with spatial items.
When Qin Chu came out of the bathroom, Levi was no longer on the sofa.
The person stood by the wall and drew back the curtains.
There are actually two windows in this lounge. The place where Levi stands is not the large, open balcony, but the small window next to the side cabinet.
He had already opened the window and was leaning out, his smile fading slightly.
Hearing Qin Chu's footsteps, he turned around and slightly curled the corners of his lips: "I remember now, this is probably the choice you'll be facing."
"What?" Qin Chu was confused.
Levi reached out and pulled him to the window: "Look outside."
Across the window was a stadium, which didn't seem particularly special, and Qin Chu didn't initially know Levy's purpose.
But when he took Levy's place and looked at the scene from a tricky, unique angle, his brows furrowed.
From the side and back of the stadium, a silver-white rectangular building can be seen in the distance.
Qin Chu didn't like this building, but he was very familiar with it.
This is the Cabinet's office building.
Qin Chu suddenly remembered an incident that happened in this year: five years ago, the cabinet's database was bombed.
Author's Note:
My keyboard broke, and I spent the whole afternoon fiddling with it, so I can only update once. ORZ
The following part of the story is likely to be a bit heavy.
Chapter 128, The Sixth Story (12)
Suddenly remembering this, Qin Chu was taken aback.
Although he had long suspected that such a daring act was probably related to his boyfriend, he still felt somewhat complicated when he actually found out.
The military and the cabinet have always been at odds, and internal security within the empire is not under the military's jurisdiction. But seeing this thing that could casually bomb the cabinet, Qin Chu still instinctively wanted to tie it up.
Levy looked away from the window and asked with a smile, "What, are you mentally judging me again?"
Qin Chu sighed, said nothing, looked out the window for a while, and then asked Levi, "This... how does it work?"
Levy did not answer immediately.
Actually, he felt a little uncomfortable when Qin Chu asked him that question.
Because of his background, he faced arrest from the cabinet as soon as he opened his eyes. Later, he went so far as to oppose the cabinet and did many audacious things. The bombing of the cabinet was really nothing to him.
So much so that after taking a walk outside, Levy hadn't even thought about it for a moment.
But Levy still cares a bit.
It wasn't because Qin Chu learned of this audacious act, but because in this scenario, Qin Chu, using his identity, needed to detonate the cabinet's database, just like he did in real life.
Levy was adept at blowing up the cabinet's database and didn't think much of it afterward. But he couldn't imagine how Qin Chu would react to doing something that violated his own principles.
Levy knew Qin Chu well; no matter how big the conflict was between the military and the cabinet, Qin Chu would not turn his weapons against the cabinet.
Perhaps due to his education, Qin Chu has always placed the interests of the entire empire's citizens above his own. He would not make such a big move because of a bad mood or personal likes and dislikes.
Qin Chu was very uncomfortable with, and even disgusted by, this behavior that violated safety regulations.
But in this scenario, he wanted to experience it for himself.
Levi didn't want Qin Chu to experience such a disgusting thing, especially since... he was the one who orchestrated this whole thing.
"You... really want to do this?" Levi coughed lightly. "Otherwise, let's think of another way. We don't necessarily have to follow the mastermind's arrangements."
Qin Chu paused for a moment, then said, "It doesn't matter, it's just a simulation in the virtual world anyway."
This conversation was rather polite.
The two exchanged a glance instinctively.
They stood close together in front of the narrow window, almost shoulder to shoulder, but the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant.
The atmosphere is very special.
Since Levi and Qin Chu met, their relationship had progressed from initially provoking and testing each other to practically wanting to fight whenever they met, before finally becoming close. This was the first time such unusual politeness had emerged between them.
"I……"
"you……"
They both spoke at the same time, and then stopped at the same time.
Qin Chu leaned back from the window and rubbed his temple.
He wasn't very good at handling this kind of atmosphere, and his senses were even a bit dull, but he still felt that the atmosphere between him and Levi was making him a little uncomfortable.
"You don't need to be like this," Qin Chu said after thinking for a moment. "I don't care that much about these things, you... you understand? It's like playing a game, your actions in the game don't mean anything..."
Qin Chu suddenly stopped. It didn't seem appropriate to say it that way, because his relationship with Levi, in the end, was just something he did in the game.
“Yes, I understand.” Levi nodded and smiled. “It’s normal, after all, well… this world is a bit special, too similar to reality.”
Although he and Qin Chu understood each other's personalities and bottom lines very well, in reality they were just... strangers on opposing sides.
In the virtual worlds they had experienced before, both he and Qin Chu were intruders, so they weren't exactly strangers. Now, in this world that was almost identical to reality, and with their identities swapped, the sense of unfamiliarity between them became increasingly apparent.
"Yes, so don't block my way." Qin Chu nudged Levi with his elbow, signaling him to move aside.
“Hmm.” Levy took out the personal terminal, pulled out a chip from it, and placed it on the windowsill. “The activation button for the explosive is on the chip. When the patterns on it align, that’s when I press the button.”
After saying that, he didn't do anything more, turned around and walked to the sofa to sit down.
Qin Chu picked up the chip.
For some reason, he felt a strange sense of relief when he saw Levi leave.
The idea of him personally bombing the cabinet was a bit outrageous, but it wasn't enough to put pressure on him. That was Qin Chu's initial thought, but now he realized he had been too naive.
He was under some pressure, but it didn't come from bombing the cabinet; rather, it came from the fact that he sensed Levy was worried he would be uncomfortable about it.
It was a strange situation. This matter might not have necessarily made him feel bad, but with Levi's somewhat cautious worry, Qin Chu's pressure instantly increased.
He also seemed worried that he would feel uncomfortable because he had done something that Levy had done in the real world.
Blinking, Qin Chu looked down at the chip in his hand.
Focus your attention on observing the ripples on the chip.
The bombing of the cabinet database was the most humiliating incident for the Imperial Cabinet in recent decades, and even caused a certain degree of panic.
Such attacks should have been requested by the cabinet to be handed over to the military for investigation, but the military did not intervene due to the cabinet's strong insistence.
Qin Chu had a general understanding of the situation.
The investigation was difficult, and the cabinet was almost completely clueless because no suspicious persons had entered or left the cabinet building before or after the bomb explosion. Routine daily security checks of the cabinet database also found no trace of explosives or detonation.
Unexpectedly, Qin Chu has now come into contact with the truth of this matter.
With Levy's abilities, he could easily disguise himself and infiltrate the cabinet office building, then plant explosives in the database.
This chip has two wavy lines, which monitor the data flow of the electronic database.
Levy was clearly determined to wipe all the data in the Cabinet's database in one fell swoop, which is why he stayed in this place, patiently monitoring and waiting for the most efficient second to directly destroy all the electronic data.
The sound of staff talking could be heard outside; they seemed to be tidying up the venue and equipment.
In this state of leisurely ending after a busy period, no one expected that an explosion that would cause panic throughout the entire Imperial Capital Star was about to occur not far away.
As time passed, the ripples on the chip gradually began to overlap.
The overlap of the ripples should be very brief, so he needs to seize the opportunity.
This shouldn't have been a difficult task for Qin and Chu.
But now, with the chip in his hand and his eyes fixed on the distant office building, his ears and attention were on Levi inside the room.
Levy lay down on the sofa.
Levy seemed to sigh.
Levy stood up and walked around the room, then around again.
Every sound seemed to be amplified in Qin Chu's ears, and then interpreted as something different.
The overlap rate of the ripples on the chip was getting higher and higher. Qin Chu pursed his lips and forced himself to bring his attention back.
Although there were no serious consequences after Levi made the wrong choice last time, Qin Chu intuitively felt that such situations should be avoided as much as possible.
With his eyes fixed on the chip, and seeing that the ripples were almost completely overlapping, Qin Chu gently pressed his finger on the small button on the back of the chip.
It's rush hour now, and the number of people on the commercial street outside the window is gradually increasing.
Qin Chu glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, his brows furrowed, and he subconsciously began to think about the consequences of the bomb exploding.
"Buzz," a slight vibration came from the chip, and the two ripples completely overlapped.