Stop Him

Creak—

The main door was pushed open a crack.

Blinding searchlight beams violently pierced through, so bright that it was impossible to keep one's eyes open!

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes, holding Liguang's hand as he took a step outside.

The night wind blew against his face, chilly and biting.

As his vision recovered from the glaring lights, he saw...

Muzzles.

Countless gun muzzles.

Black ones, silver ones, long ones, short ones.

All kinds of firearms... were now pointing directly at them in perfect unison!

The open space in front of the apartment building was densely packed with people!

Uniform black suits, uniform tactical helmets, uniform aiming postures!

They stood behind various covers, next to armored vehicles, under streetlights...

They had completely surrounded the building, leaving no way out!

Overhead, the roar of propellers was deafening!

In the night sky, seven or eight black helicopters were hovering, their massive searchlights illuminating the entire community as if it were broad daylight!

There were also a few smaller drones hovering a bit further away...

The cameras on their fuselages were pointed right at them, red indicator lights blinking.

They were live broadcasting devices.

Someone... was watching from the other side of the screens.

Fang Qi's gaze swept over those dark muzzles.

Swept over the pairs of eyes staring fixedly at him from beneath the helmets.

In those eyes...

There was hatred and hostility.

There was a fury that wished to riddle him with bullets on the spot!

In their eyes, he was a murderer.

A demon who instigated an AI to slaughter his colleagues.

The corners of Fang Qi's mouth twitched.

They weren't exactly wrong.

Fang Qi, you are surrounded!!!

A voice from a loudspeaker blared from one of the helicopters!

It was so loud it made people's ears ring!

You are suspected of instigating an AI companion to brutally murder armed personnel of the Dawn Company! A total of forty-three people!!

You even personally murdered An Lian, the senior commissioner who had been working with you!!!

You are insane!!! Utterly heartless!!!

Your actions have severely violated the Omnic Safety Law and multiple criminal laws!!!

Drop your weapons immediately!!! Put your hands on your head and crouch down!!!

Otherwise, we will take coercive measures!!!

Fang Qi chuckled lightly.

Forty-three people?

Oh, so Liguang actually killed that many in the building just now?

Crazy woman, you sure had fun killing them.

You guys are quite interesting, willingly sending your own people to die, and yet keeping such a clear count.

And...

He personally murdered An Lian?

Fang Qi's mouth twitched again.

Whatever.

It didn't matter.

He turned his head to glance at... the silver-haired girl pressing tightly against his side.

She was holding his hand tightly with one hand, while the other hung by her side, her slender fingertips slightly curled!

Her body was tense, like a fully drawn bowstring!

Are you scared?

He asked her softly.

Liguang looked at him.

In those heterochromatic eyes... was an almost overflowing fanaticism!

The corners of Liguang's lips curled up!

With Master here, Liguang isn't afraid of anything!

Her voice remained clear even amidst the roar of the helicopter propellers!

Master said I should trust Master!

Liguang trusts Master with everything now!

Her tone carried an absolute, blind trust in him!

Fang Qi smiled and was about to say something—

Bzzz—!!!

A piercing sound of electric current!

Then, the communicators in the hands of the armed personnel all let out a crackling explosion!

What's going on?!

Are the communicators broken?!

Is there interference?!

A commotion broke out in the crowd!

Fang Qi felt a slight prick in his brain!

A faint sting!

But it disappeared quickly.

However, the silver-haired girl beside him... suddenly stiffened!

Those heterochromatic eyes that were sparkling just a moment ago widened abruptly!

The scarlet in her red eye seemed to be forcefully snuffed out by something!

Suddenly extinguished!

Ma-Master...

Her lips trembled as she let out a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Then her body began to fall forward. Like a flower blown off by the wind.

Fang Qi's pupils contracted sharply!

He reached out suddenly and scooped her into his arms!

But as the soft, delicate body fell into his embrace... it was unprecedentedly stiff and weak!

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something in the night sky.

The black helicopter closest to them... its fuselage suddenly shook violently!

The sound of the propellers became sharp and piercing, as if... something was stuck!

What's happening?!

What's wrong with that helicopter?!

It's out of control!! Get out of the way!!!

The armed personnel below fell into chaos!

The helicopter spun crazily in the air, like a struck moth!

Then—

Boom—!!!

A loud crash!

The helicopter violently crashed into the exterior wall of a nearby residential building!

Glass shattered! Walls crumbled!

A massive fireball exploded instantly!

Illuminating half the night sky!

Ah—!!!

Get down!!! Get down now!!!

The shockwave of the explosion swept over!

Flying debris hit their backs, causing sharp pain!

Waves of heat swept over their heads, scorching their skin hot!

Fang Qi bent over, protecting Liguang tightly in his arms!

Unmoving, he merely narrowed his eyes to observe the surroundings.

It wasn't over yet—

Boom boom boom—!!!

Flames burst out from the windows of the residential building one after another!

Those windows were like lit powder kegs, exploding one by one!

Flames shot into the sky! Thick smoke billowed!

Fire!!! Fire!!!

Call the fire department!!! Hurry!!!

Screams, sirens, and explosions all mixed together!

The entire community instantly fell into complete chaos!

Holding the stiff Liguang in his arms, Fang Qi quietly watched the surrounding chaos.

Her small, bloodstained face rested against his chest, her eyes still open.

She seemed completely unconcerned about the chaos around them; she only looked at him.

Her red eye had dimmed, turning dark red. Her amber left eye had also lost its former luster.

Ma... ster...

Her lips moved again.

In those dim eyes, there was actually a hint of... guilt?

As if to say—I'm sorry, Master, Liguang failed to protect you well.

Fang Qi simply lowered his head, resting his chin on the top of her silver hair.

Very lightly.

Very calmly.

Endure it a little longer.

Endure it a little longer, crazy woman.

For our future... I need to verify some things first.

It will be soon.

Everyone, do not panic!!!

The loudspeaker blared again!

That voice was still cold, still urgent!

We just used an exclusive, super-powerful directional EMP on the target AI!

This is to prevent the deranged Fang Qi from continuing to use the AI to cause more casualties!

The directional EMP will also affect nearby electronic devices to some extent; that helicopter lost control because it flew too close!

But this is only a temporary cost! It is to prevent a greater disaster!

Everyone retreat immediately! Reorganize the defense line!!!

Fang Qi listened quietly to these shouts.

EMP?

He didn't understand.

But he saw...

The Corporation would rather let a helicopter crash, rather let all the electrical appliances in several residential buildings within the company community burn out, rather trigger a potential massive fire...

Just to paralyze her!

Why?

Because they didn't want the world to see... what exactly was hidden inside their AI companions?

Because they didn't want Liguang's laser blade... to be caught on those live broadcast devices?

Fang Qi couldn't be entirely sure, but...

"Heh..."

Amidst the fire and thick smoke, amidst those panicked armed personnel...

He smiled.

Good.

Very good.

He looked down at the pale little face in his arms.

Looking at those heterochromatic eyes that, even though dim, still stared at him stubbornly.

"Liguang."

His voice was very soft, carrying a hint of a smile.

"Look, it seems... we've got leverage on them."

Liguang's eyelashes fluttered again, and something seemed to light up faintly in her dim mismatched eyes.

In the distance, flames shot up into the sky.

All around, the chaos continued.

Fang Qi just squatted there, holding his crazy girl...

Smiling very calmly.

Then he raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek.

The bionic skin was a bit cold, lacking its usual warmth.

"Liguang."

He called out again.

Liguang's eyes moved, her gaze locked firmly on his face.

Although those heterochromatic eyes had dimmed, what was inside them was still there.

That...

That fanatic, blind devotion that treated him as her entire world!

The curve of Fang Qi's lips deepened.

"Do you trust Master?"

He asked.

Amidst the fire and chaos, his voice was very gentle.

Liguang's lips moved slightly, as if wanting to say something, but she couldn't make a sound.

But her eyes could speak, and those dim mismatched eyes clearly said—

I trust you! Liguang will always trust Master!

Always!!!

Fang Qi looked at her little expression...

He really wanted to kiss her hard, right in front of all these heavily armed personnel!

Such a good girl, my crazy girl.

His hand moved away from her cheek and reached toward his waist.

Tucked there was a small handgun, which he had swiped from Lao Zhang before coming down.

He pulled the gun out.

The metal felt icy cold, heavy in his hand.

"He's got a gun!!!"

"Alert!! Alert!!!"

"Drop your weapon!! Drop your weapon immediately!!!"

The armed personnel around them, who had been in disarray, instantly reacted like cats whose tails had been stepped on!

Muzzles were raised in unison!

Dark, densely packed, all aiming right at him!

For a moment, the tension was explosive!

Yet Fang Qi didn't even bat an eyelid. He couldn't even be bothered to look at them.

He just kept his head down, looking at the person in his arms.

Liguang's eyes were trying hard to widen!

Reflected in her dim mismatched eyes were the gun in his hand and his calm face.

Her lips moved again.

Fang Qi smiled so widely that his eyes crinkled.

"Next..."

He whispered into the silver-haired girl's ear.

"Some things are going to happen."

His thumb rubbed against her smooth cheek again.

"They might scare you, they might make you panic, they might make you want to cry."

"But Liguang, you have to trust your Master."

His voice paused.

"Master will always be with you."

"Always."

Liguang stared at him unblinking.

The initial confusion, worry, and fear in her eyes... gradually faded away.

Then, that light flickered again... the light that treated him as her entire world!

—What Master says is right!

—What Master does is right!

—Liguang only needs to trust Master!

Good girl.

Smiling, Fang Qi slowly raised the hand holding the gun.

The surroundings instantly grew even more chaotic!

"What is he doing?!"

"Don't move!! Don't move!!!"

"Put the gun down!!!"

Fang Qi ignored them, simply raising the gun and placing the muzzle...

Gently against his own temple.

The icy touch against his skin felt very real.

He could also feel the delicate body in his arms tremble slightly as he made this move.

He flicked off the safety but didn't pull the trigger. Instead, he looked up at the largest black helicopter still hovering in the night sky.

The searchlight shone straight down, blindingly bright!

But he squinted at it, waiting for something.

"Wait, wait, wait—!!!"

A voice suddenly blared from the megaphone!

But this time, it was no longer in that cold, commanding tone!

Instead...

Were they panicking?

"Fang Qi! Don't do anything rash!!"

"Put the gun down! We can talk this out!!"

Oh...

Just as expected.

"Listen to us! If you put the gun down now, there's still time!!"

The voice continued to shout!

Speaking as fast as a machine gun!

"Even though you broke the law! Things can still turn around!!"

"Everything is the fault of the awakened AI!!"

"As long as you cooperate! You can still live! You won't be sentenced to death! You might even get bail!!"

"Don't go to extremes! Suicide won't solve anything!!!"

"Think about the people who love you, think about your deceased parents!!!"

The corners of Fang Qi's mouth curled up slightly.

Oh.

They're anxious.

As expected.

It really is like this.

The Corporation... really didn't want him to die.

Even though he had ordered Liguang to kill forty-three people, even though he had personally murdered An Lian, even though he was now... being pointed at by hundreds of gun barrels.

They still didn't want him to die.

Why?

He didn't know.

The unfinished words An Lian spoke before she died might hold the answer.

But it didn't matter.

He didn't need to know right now.

He only needed to know one thing—

The Corporation cared about his life far more than he had imagined.

They cared about his life even more than he did!

That was enough!

The silver-haired girl at this moment...

Was staring intently at him!

Staring at the gun pressed against his temple!

Something was trembling in those dim mismatched eyes.

It was confusion!

It was fear!

It was the terror of Master, please don't scare Liguang!

But...

That trace of fanatical trust was still there!

She knew what her Master was going to do, but she...

Still chose to trust him!

Just because her Master had said...

You have to trust Master!

Not trusting him would mean getting spanked!

What a... silly crazy girl.

Then how could I, your Master, let you down?

"Liguang."

He called her softly.

Liguang's eyes moved, her gaze locked firmly on him.

"See you in the next life."

He said.

His voice was very light, very gentle, carrying a smile.

"Stop him!!!"

A furious roar echoed from the helicopter!

But it was already too late.

"Bang—!!!"

The silver-haired girl's eyes instantly widened!