Ailei did not disappoint Xu Xi.
This time.
She no longer rigidly followed the data.
Instead, she genuinely expressed her thoughts, thinking from her own perspective.
"Master, it is curiosity."
Ailei gave her answer, the result of countless days and nights of contemplation, combined with extensive data and self-reflection.
This was exactly what Xu Xi wanted to hear.
However, Ailei's tone also carried a hint of confusion.
She couldn't understand why the object of curiosity was the starry sky, and not something else.
"Because what truly attracts you, Ailei, is not the stars in the sky, but all things unknown," Xu Xi said with a look of satisfaction, supplementing the thoughts of his mechanical companion.
"Because it is unknown, we are curious about the truth."
"Because of curiosity, we want to explore."
"Because of exploration, we come to understand the world."
"This is the growth of a person, and the completion of the heart."
"In this process, following your own thoughts and doing what you love is the meaning of life."
Under the night sky.
A familiar and warm hand once again rested on Ailei's head, gently caressing her smooth black hair, the movements tender.
Xu Xi didn't know if his mechanical companion could understand.
But he felt.
That this approach was meaningful.
It would plant a seed unique to the heart within the cold machinery, guiding Ailei to walk a better path.
"Let's go, Ailei."
"If you can't figure it out, let it be. There will be plenty of time to think about it later," Xu Xi said, holding the girl's hand as they walked back.
The girl allowed herself to be led.
Together with Xu Xi.
Strolling under the starlight of the night.
The evening breeze blew again, scattering specks of starlight, blurring the menacing ruins in the darkness.
"Following your own thoughts, doing what you love..."
Along the way, Ailei kept recalling Xu Xi's words.
The loyal mechanical companion felt that Xu Xi's earlier thanks to her were indeed unnecessary.
Because from beginning to end.
The mechanical companion's thoughts were to help Xu Xi.
It wasn't because Xu Xi gave orders that she helped.
But because she wanted to help Xu Xi, she followed his commands.
It might seem like there was no difference, but swapping the order of these thoughts revealed two completely opposite ways of thinking.
"Master."
"What is it, Ailei?"
"Please give me as many commands as possible in the future."
"Huh?"
In the desolate ruins, the man's surprised voice echoed clearly. He vaguely felt that his education might have gone wrong again.
…………
[You have successfully conquered the world]
[You have fully inherited the legacy of the old Federation]
[Whether it be resources, intelligent machines, or the most advanced starship technology, you have taken it all]
[As long as you master the technology, you can leave the planet and truly set foot in the universe]
[You deliberately searched for the remaining four virtual network bases within the Federation's territory, but unfortunately, all you found were piles of bones, with no valuable information]
[You looked down at the devastated apocalyptic world, filled with emotions]
[You had no intention of reviving civilization, nor did you care to restore this planet. The only thing you wanted to do was to decipher the mature starship technology, build a fleet, and leave this place]
[You decided to calm down, carefully study the starship technology, and accompany Ailei during this process, witnessing her growth]
Southern Federation.
Sixth Satellite City.
This was Xu Xi's starting point, and the place he was most familiar with.
Research on starship technology could be conducted anywhere, so Xu Xi chose to return to the familiar laboratory base.
The reason was simple: nostalgia.
Whether it was the main base city or the capital, the once-prosperous metropolises of the Federation had long become historical ruins.
Living there or not made little difference.
"Master, please wait a moment. I will clean the room for you."
"Ailei, there's no need to trouble yourself."
"No, for the sake of your health, this is necessary. It will effectively prevent dust from affecting you."
"Well... alright."
The loyal mechanical companion always considered every aspect of Xu Xi's well-being.
During the war, she was Xu Xi's most capable AI assistant. Now, in peacetime, she remained a diligent and capable maid.
The sunlight was warm and bright, slanting across the flowers and plants in the courtyard.
Amidst the sound of gears meshing and machinery operating.
Ailei directed a group of intelligent machines to thoroughly clean the long-unoccupied house.
During this time.
Xu Xi took the elevator alone and descended into the underground laboratory, intending to organize the equipment and prepare for future research work.
The steel cables creaked, and the electric lights buzzed.
Xu Xi entered the underground, skillfully pressing the red button on the side of the door. In the next moment, the laboratory lights turned on, illuminating every object inside.
"It's been a while. I miss this place."
Xu Xi glanced around.
The familiar layout, the large alloy workbench, the orderly mechanical arms suspended overhead, and some old friends piled in the corner.
Everything.
Was so nostalgic.
In the early years of the simulation, these items had helped Xu Xi greatly, especially the exoskeleton mechanical arm and the production machine, which played a significant role.
"Let's see, Gauss dual guns, a catalog of intelligent machines..."
"And power batteries, small reconnaissance drones..."
His voice echoed in the empty laboratory.
Xu Xi walked, his hand gently brushing over each item. When he saw the thick catalog of intelligent machines, he couldn't help but pull it out and flip through it.
It contained Xu Xi's collected intelligence on intelligent machines.
In the early stages, before the intelligent machine forces had developed, this thick handwritten catalog was what allowed Xu Xi to accurately avoid danger time and time again.
But now.
As he was about to venture into the universe.
This catalog was completely useless.
"The passage of time is always the most ruthless and poignant," Xu Xi said, closing the catalog and placing it back in its original position.
He glanced around the laboratory once more, ensuring nothing was missed, then casually sat down on a chair.
The light was bright, and the room was silent.
Xu Xi sat, looking down at his right hand, observing the intricate lines on his palm and the faint mechanical energy shimmering between his fingers.
He fell into deep thought.
"Cultivators, consuming qi to attain longevity, comprehending the great Dao."
"Mages, connecting with the divine world, mastering the laws."
"Martial artists, observing the heavens to nurture their spirit, creating realms with their qi and blood."
"In the previous three simulations, each path of transcendence had its own unique way of advancement."
"Although technology is not transcendent, it also has its own logic, using pure reality to dissect and observe the essence of the universe..."
"Up to now, I have mastered much knowledge and gained the qualifications to step into the universe."
"But this alone is far from enough."
"The higher you stand, the more you realize the vastness of the mountain. With my current knowledge, I not only cannot understand the simulator, but I also see it less clearly."
"Is this thing really what I thought it was, a product of the sci-fi side?"
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
