The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 1026: Slow

“Huh?” Can started. “What, what’s wrong with me?”

“That kind of feeling is a sign of consciousness melting.” Vermilion Bird frowned. “When did you start feeling that way?”

“It...has been a while, I think,” Can said honestly.

“They should put your picture beside the definition for ‘biting off more than you can chew’!” Gray Bear snickered with schadenfreude. “Let’s not take her with us next time, Captain. We don’t want Can to become an empty can.”

“Nooooo!” Can raised her voice anxiously. “Why? You can’t just leave me alone!”

“Gray Bear is right,” Vermilion Bird said seriously. “You’re not going to the Heavenly Sea next time.”

“Fine.” Can pouted.

Xiran patted her shoulder gently. “Don’t be sad, Can. Newbie will be keeping you company.”

“Yeah, you seem happy when you’re with Dark Horse, no less than when you visit the Heavenly Sea.” Gray Bear smirked, stroking his chin.

“What, what, what nonsense is that?!” Can flushed red. “Have you drunk something bad tonight?!”

“Tsk, you got flustered because I was right.”

“You’re not!”

“Hahaha...geez, why are you pinching me? Doesn’t your hand hurt?”

...

Two o’clock in the morning, the seven of them left the bar, riding in an eight-passenger car.

A quiet exhaustion and emptiness followed the excitement, like the shells left on a beach after the tide receded.

Lithe Snake drove—although the driverless navigation system was now a mature technology, he still trusted himself more. Vermilion Bird sat in the passenger seat, bemused.

In the second row of the seats, Xiran sat by the window. The I Chip in his hand pulsed with light every once in a while. He always checked it and responded with a message.

“Chatting with your waifu again?” Gray Bear kicked the back of Xiran’s seat from the third row.

“Just an online friend,” Xiran explained seriously; he had said the same thing so many times he lost count.

“Seriously, Xiran, did you escape from a museum somewhere?” Gray Bear snorted. “Only fossils from the past do online romance.”

“You don’t understand, Uncle Bear. Theirs is a platonic romance.” Can curled into herself with her head resting against the window, speaking softly. “Ever heard the poem? Ere this age, the sun moves slow, the car, horse, and mail slower. A lifetime is but enough to love a single person.”

“Never heard of it,” Gray Bear shot back. “Not interested.”

Can turned around to look at Gao Yang with a smile. “Newbie, just like you, Xiran’s Lin Mengjuan doesn’t have an S Chip. She’s known Xiran for years, but they have only ever contacted each other through their I Chips. That’s what we call an online relationship.”

“We suspected it a now obsolete AI, fraud,” Ronnie teased.

“I looked her up. She’s not an AI, but a real person,” Vermilion Bird said lazily. The neon lights of the city quickly flitted across her face.

Xiran smiled bashfully. “Next week, Lin Mengjuan is coming to Moon City on a work trip.”

“Holy! You’re finally meeting in person!” Gray Bear got excited. “Nice, kid! You should win her over with this chance! I’ll reserve a room at a five-star hotel for you. Have a nice and long conversation with her. Better convince her to get an S Chip. Then even on two sides of the world, you’ll be able to fornicate mentally on Neunet. Won’t that be better than shooting messages every day?”

“That’s not necessary,” Xiran said. “We’re just going to meet and have a meal together.”

“Geez, skip the meal. Just return to your glass display in the museum together.” Gray Bear was ready to tear his hair out.

“I think it’s romantic.” Can looked over her shoulders at Gao Yang again. “What do you think, newbie?”

“Yeah.” Gao Yang nodded, distracted.

Can quickly responded with a smile and turned back around, hiding her disappointment.

She had never been strong-willed. She feared loneliness, being hated, and most of all, an awkward silence. That was why she loved a boisterous atmosphere, loved being with a group. As long as she was with her companions, she would enjoy a trip to the mysterious Heavenly Sea, time at a noisy bar, or a car ride back home.

But Gao Yang was different.

Perhaps it was a side effect of the virus. He always seemed gloomy and distant, wandering between reality and unreality. He cared about everyone in Dreamrise, yet he seemed to be keeping his feelings under control as much as he could.

Passion, indifference, composure, fragility, self-reflection, absurdity, reservation, insanity, gentleness, and sickness...he seemed to embody so many things.

Every time Can met his eyes, she felt a pang in her heart. She was helpless. She felt like getting closer and holding him...

“Stop the car!” Vermilion Bird called out, interrupting Can’s musings.

Lithe Snake hit the brake. The others started and immediately went into alert mode, readying their weapons and superpowers. @@novelbin@@

Vermilion Bird’s prosthetic eye flickered for a few seconds before she broke into a smile. “Everyone, we’re getting a big gig. Mind working overtime?”

“Big gig? How big?” Gray Bear caught the operative word.

Vermilion Bird thought for a moment. “If we succeed, we won’t worry about our livelihood for the next three years. We can spend all our time looking for Qilin.”

“Haha! Then what are we waiting for?” Gray Bear was already excited.

Lithe Snake asked calmly, “How dangerous?”

“Don’t know,” Vermilion Bird said.

Lithe Snake frowned. “What?”

“Head to the old harbor in District 17 first.”

Lithe Snake started the car once more and made a turn.

“Coincidentally, it has something to do with Gui Zhe.” Vermilion Bird lit a cigarette with practiced ease. “I copied one week's worth of his memory. According to the rules, I didn’t keep it, but I did browse it quickly. I found out that they once threatened a technician working at Cloudland. I made a note of it then.”

“Last week, I happened to learn that three Cloudland technicians went missing, one of them was the guy Gui Zhe threatened.” Vermilion Bird took a drag. “Something seems fishy about it, so I headed to the Heavenly Sea and investigated. I found some clues.”

“The technician’s consciousness has melted in the Heavenly Sea. I caught some of the remaining snippets: his family was kidnapped as leverage to make him sell out Cloudland, working as a spy to steal one of Cloudland’s S-class weapons for some organization.”

“After the theft was exposed, he killed himself to avoid dragging his family into the mess. Craving data immortality, he scattered his consciousness across the Heavenly Sea.”

“What was the organization threatening him?” Xiran asked.

“Dunno.” Vermilion Bird frowned. “I only know that many factions have been eyeing the S-class weapon. After some clash, it ended up in Moon City’s black market.”

“Haha, Moon City is where everything ends up.” Gray Bear remembered the line many used in jest.

“I shared the clue with an old client. He was interested and immediately investigated with all his connections.” Vermilion Bird chuckled. “I thought nothing would ever come of it, but he found it.”

“At the old harbor in District 17?” Lithe Snake put two and two together.

“That’s right.” Vermilion Bird nodded. “Right now, a group of smugglers is moving something out mysteriously. It could be the S-class weapon.”

“Let’s have a look first to check if that is the weapon. If we can take it, we do. If we can’t, we go. We’re not committing to it.”

“Alright,” Lithe Snake said.

“Captain,” Can said worriedly. “If we do grab that thing, won’t that get us into great trouble?”

“It will be trouble. The old client didn’t send his people to seize it exactly because he fears the consequences.” Vermilion Bird’s eyes gleamed. “But fret not. If we do get it, I’ll transport it to the client secretly. He’ll be the one to deal with it. I’m just going to get our payment.”

Gray Bear thought otherwise. “Why the rush, Captain? Let’s check what weapon it is first. If it suits me, just let me put it on. I’ll pay you for it!”

“That’s some appetite you have,” Vermilion Bird said with a wry smile. “You’re going to have that?”

“Didn’t you get the Red Scorpion yourself? That’s quite the appetite, too!” Gray Bear smiled confidently. “This is Moon City, fellows. Anyone can become a legend here!”