Chapter 119: Password (2)

119 – Password (2)

“Come on, stop pretending to be dead, my good son. I’ll call you daddy, alright?”

“Bro, hurry up and move that book, bro.”

“Lin Suanfa, I’m giving you three seconds. Three, two—”

“You two have had enough.” Lin Xun removed the “Competition Guide” he was using to cover his face, straightened up from his chair, and stared blankly at the computer screen in front of him. “I think I’ve already socially died.”

“Some people are dead, yet they still live on,” Zhao Jiagou said. “You owe too many emotional debts; they always come due.”

Lin Xun: “But that doesn’t mean—”

“Senior.” A sweet voice rang out, and a girl with black-framed glasses leaned in beside him. “Senior, can I take a photo with you?”

Lin Xun: “…Sure.”

Click.

Another photo of him with a girl was added to the world, and the young woman left satisfied.

Lin Xun didn’t know why he kept running into so many acquaintances backstage at the expo. Tracing back to his student days—perhaps he had been overly active then. Aside from working on papers and assisting his advisor, he had participated in numerous professional competitions of all kinds. Moreover, his reputation was widespread; his name floated on the school forum year-round, and he was easy to talk to, often approached by juniors, seniors, and even fellow students from other departments for help.

Now, years later, those people had reached the stage of striking out on their own, and so they reunited at the Technology Expo.

At the same time, aside from lively and adorable seniors, juniors, and even fellow students, there were also some scrutinizing gazes fixed on him. Lin Xun felt these must be Dong Jun’s fans—rivals in love, seeing red at the sight of each other. He felt as if he had already been skinned alive under their stares.

The backstage area was spacious, with different tables scattered about, so the flow of people was quite fluid. Lin Xun kept feeling eyes on him, their gaze unyielding, so he simply shut down, lying back in his chair, covering his face, and pretending he was someone else.

“Lord Xun, summon the aura you had back in the day. Lord Xun isn’t afraid of being watched,” Wang Anquan patted his shoulder.

Lin Xun wasn’t afraid of being watched, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. After all, not everyone was like Qi Yun, who not only liked being watched but also enjoyed being photographed. In the end, he stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Zhao Jiagou hummed in acknowledgment. “I’ll go check out the front.”

Wang Anquan: “I’ll stay here.”

Although these two often verbally attacked him, they were generally reliable, so Lin Xun slipped away with peace of mind. Each team was randomly assigned a slot; their turn was in two hours. As long as he returned exactly one hour and fifty minutes later, he could avoid a full one hundred and ten minutes of being stared at.

The Technology Expo Center was a massive venue divided into nine halls. Today’s preliminary rounds were held in Hall 7, while nearby Hall 5 housed a large-scale technology museum. On a weekday during the off-season, such museums were always very quiet—though even on busy weekends, the quietness only decreased slightly. It was a good place to escape the crowds. Lin Xun pretended to wash his face in the restroom before casually strolling onto the glass walkway connecting Hall 7 and Hall 5.

The silver-white structure, with its glass-dominated walkways and crisscrossing black steel supports, resembled the metallic patterns on a microchip. The massive, starkly lined architecture made one feel incredibly small. A sign on the walkway only amplified that feeling.

Under Maintenance, Please Detour.

Lin Xun was a law-abiding citizen and valued his life, so he detoured, opting for the underground passage instead.

As he neared his destination, he suddenly heard a voice from behind.

“Senior.”

—Even after sneaking underground, someone was still calling him “senior”?

Lin Xun prepared a polite yet amiable smile on his face and turned around.

Upon turning, he froze. The person behind him had short hair, a tall and sturdy build, wore a well-fitted suit, and was fairly handsome—vaguely familiar. The reason it was only vaguely familiar was likely because a person’s appearance could change significantly over the years, sometimes becoming completely different from their student days.

But Lin Xun wasn’t a forgetful person. Based on that vague familiarity, he recognized the man: Xue Xin.

Xue Xin had once pursued him, though later this junior had drifted into a playboy lifestyle. Wang Anquan and Zhao Jiagou were fond of such gossip, claiming rumors that this junior—who had once been hopelessly devoted to Lin Suanfa but was coldly rejected—had not only reached the pinnacle of his career but was also passionately involved with the daughter of a high-ranking executive at Eagle.

Since graduating from university, Lin Xun hadn’t seen Xue Xin again. But in the past month, Xue Xin had approached him twice—first by phone, inviting him to join an artificial intelligence project at Eagle, and second in the World of Shells, where he’d said a bunch of inexplicable things.

Lin Xun’s smile gradually turned perfunctory, and the corners of his mouth dropped.

He said, “Hello.”

Xue Xin smiled. “Senior seems unchanged, just like back in school.”

Indeed, unchanged. Lin Xun felt he hadn’t changed either. Sometimes, when he looked in the mirror, he saw a face as fresh and tender as a vibrant spring onion. He might even resent his own lack of maturity, feeling that this face should look more worn to feel familiar. Xue Xin, on the other hand, had changed a lot. His features had matured and sharpened, something restrained lingered between his brows, and dark circles had appeared under his eyes. Rumors said his career had soared smoothly, but now it seemed he’d faced his share of hardships.

Lin Xun asked, “Are you here for the preliminary selection too?”

As an Eagle employee, even if Xue Xin were attending the Technology Expo, he should have made a grand entrance during the final selection, not be here.

“No,” Xue Xin replied. “I came specifically to find you, Senior.”

Lin Xun: “What is it?”

“Do you know about the Bradley Coefficient?”

Lin Xun knew—Dong Jun had told him—but he answered, “No.”

Xue Xin’s expression seemed to relax slightly. “My sources say the authorities plan to open the Bradley Test simultaneously on the day of the expo’s final selection.”

The Bradley Test targeted artificial intelligence, with results expressed as the Bradley Coefficient. A coefficient less than 1 was considered a pass, indicating a truly independent intelligent entity.

Lin Xun said, “That’s good.”

He had asked Dong Jun about the contents of the Bradley test. This man definitely knew, because it was something that several major companies in the industry, including Galaxy and Eagle, had jointly finalized at a summit a few days ago. But Dong Jun wouldn’t tell him exactly how it was tested. Now that it was finally about to be released, he no longer needed to ask.

Xue Xin asked, “Has your project been tested, senior?”

Lin Xun replied, “I don’t have access to the testing channels.”

Xue Xin seemed slightly puzzled. “I saw some news online before, saying that you and Dong Jun…”

—How does everyone know?

Lin Xun quickly cut him off. “I really don’t have access to the testing channels.”

Dong Jun was like a strict teacher who, when asked about the key points of the final exam, would calmly say, “I don’t know”—even though everyone knew he was the one who wrote the questions.

Thinking about this made Lin Xun grit his teeth a little.

Xue Xin’s expression seemed to soften slightly. “Our artificial intelligence is planned to be released at the final selection of this expo, with a test result of less than 1. Senior, it’s the same type of product as your project. I don’t know if yours can…”

Lin Xun asked, “Is it less than 1?”

Xue Xin nodded. “During the final selection, the testing channel will already be open. All AI products will be judged by their coefficients to determine the winner. Since we’re in the same category, and I know you’ve always been outstanding, and Eagle attaches great importance to this release, I thought… if you trust me, I have an internal testing channel and can test yours in advance.”

Lin Xun understood what he meant.

When similar products compete, the loser faces embarrassment, especially with the Bradley coefficient providing such a straightforward scoring mechanism. If, at the end of the competition, the results came out and Eagle, a pillar of the industry, was outperformed by an unknown, fly-by-night company, they’d be laughed at until next year. Xue Xin, as the project lead, would also be in a difficult position. It would be better to test the waters first. If Lin Xun’s coefficient really turned out to be better than Eagle’s, they could avoid public humiliation at the competition.

—Of course, if they were the better ones, Lin Xun would immediately withdraw from the preliminaries, go home, and sulk for two or three years, then come back with an upgraded version to try again.

That’s how it went.

Lin Xun said, “Thank you, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Xue Xin replied, “You don’t need to provide files or code, senior. You don’t have to worry about leaking trade secrets.”

Lin Xun said, “I think it still has a way to go before reaching strong intelligence. You don’t need to worry.”

Xue Xin said, “It’s not entirely about worry. Doing this would also be good for you.”

“I know,” Lin Xun replied. “But I… like the feeling, you know? I want to lose convincingly. Competing in private feels a bit pointless.”

Xue Xin fell silent for a moment, then smiled, seemingly resigned. He said, “Alright then. You’ve always been like this.”

“Mhm,” Lin Xun didn’t plan to waste any more words with him and turned to leave. “I’ll go ahead then.”

“Senior,” Xue Xin called out from behind him.

The call was sudden, and the tone was off—very heavy. Lin Xun turned around and saw Xue Xin staring straight at him, his expression inscrutable.

Possessed by a demon?

Lin Xun observed carefully, even activating his Heavenly Eye technique, and concluded that the man was simply in a strange mood.

“Senior,” Xue Xin spoke slowly. “Being able to see you again… I… feel very happy.”

Lin Xun was not adept at social interactions, especially when the other party spoke with hidden meanings.

He said, “Thank you.”

Xue Xin’s hand hanging at his side seemed to tighten slightly as he replied, “I paid a great price to meet you today.”

Lin Xun thought he was referring to switching careers and entering the computer industry back then, but that didn’t seem quite right.

What did “today” mean?

So he only replied, “You’re far more accomplished than I am.”

At a similar age, Xue Xin was already a high-ranking executive at Eagle, while he remained a nobody.

“I’m nothing. There are many people I’ll never be able to match, like my senior and Dong Jun.”

Lin Xun raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t the first time Xue Xin had mentioned Dong Jun.

“You know Dong Jun better than I do, senior,” Xue Xin said. “Though this might sound disrespectful, I remember you as a very assertive person. Dong Jun’s personality… I don’t think you’d be happy with him.”

Lin Xun smiled.

He said, “I don’t feel that way.”

Xue Xin opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, his phone rang.

A stroke of luck. Lin Xun quickly ended this awkward conversation: “I won’t keep you. Goodbye.”

Xue Xin frowned, picked up his phone, and said, “Sorry.”

Then, he took a folded sticky note from his pocket and pressed it into Lin Xun’s hand. “My contact information, senior. If you ever run into any trouble, you must reach out to me.”

—Again, these words. In the holographic world, Xue Xin had already said something similar to him once before.

With that, Xue Xin answered the call, turned, and hurriedly headed upstairs. He moved so quickly that Lin Xun couldn’t help but sense a hint of escape in his demeanor.

The sticky note felt like a hot potato. Lin Xun wanted to throw it away, but after looking around and finding no trash can, he reluctantly tucked it into his pocket. Squinting, he watched Xue Xin’s figure swiftly disappear up the staircase. The design of the science museum was peculiar, with many intersecting lines and railings dividing the space into small, cramped areas rather than open ones. As someone ascended, their figure could vanish from sight in an instant, almost as if they had disappeared into thin air.

Just then, Lin Xun’s phone vibrated. He opened it to see Xiaoyaozi posting in the group chat.

Qingcheng – Xiaoyaozi: Strange! As soon as I entered the venue, my compass started spinning wildly. The Celestial Star Chart is emitting frequent dark Qi.

Qingcheng – Xiaoyaozi: The people around me are giving me hostile looks too.

Wuji – Azure Peak True Lord: Old Daoist, people are looking at you like you’re a monkey. You shouldn’t have worn your Daoist robes today.

Qingcheng – Xiaoyaozi: Then how do you explain the compass?

Nanhai – Gushan Jun: I suggest sending people to patrol the area.

Qingcheng – Xiaoyaozi: @Wuji – Azure Peak True Lord, you’re dressed appropriately. Take some people and investigate underground. @Wuji – Lin Suan, since you’re not with us, be careful. If you encounter any demons, make good use of the Five Elements Evasion Talisman.

Lin Xun obediently replied: Okay, thank you, seniors.

He reached into his pocket, where a piece of yellow paper as thin as a cicada’s wing lay, inscribed with cinnabar talismanic symbols. The Qingcheng Sect was not skilled with swords but excelled in spells, with profound expertise in talismans. This “Five Elements Evasion Talisman” was their latest creation, distributed to young disciples for use. If they found themselves outnumbered in a confrontation with demons, crushing the talisman would grant them ten minutes of invisibility.

He held the talisman paper, about to stuff it back, when the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled!

An earthquake?

At the same time, his phone began buzzing with a flood of messages.

Qingcheng-Xiaoyaozi: The great formation is stirring! There’s a rift here!

Wuji-Azure Peak True Lord: @everyone, go downstairs, find underground spaces.

Lin Xun looked around—he was already in an underground space.

And, as if drawn to him, the demonic creatures seemed to favor targeting him.

As if confirming his premonition, the next second, he heard the sharp, piercing screech unique to demonic creatures, coming from not far away.

Lin Xun hurried toward the source of the sound, rounding several walls until he reached a vast, open area, about the size of two sports fields. The lighting was dim, as if it were some kind of emergency facility.

Peering from behind the wall, he saw it—a sinister, pitch-black rift, at least forty to fifty meters long, slowly spreading open on the opposite wall. This was his first time directly facing a rift. Inside, there was nothing, as if it were an endless void. At the same time, black mist swirled, instantly filling the entire underground space.

He lowered his head to type, sending his location to the seniors. Before he could finish typing, he suddenly sensed something in his peripheral vision.

A red dot, like a flicker of flame or something else. He looked up carefully, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

In the dimness, deep within the shadows cast by the unfinished steel framework on the ceiling, surrounded by dense black mist, stood a person—a man. He leaned casually against the wall, and from Lin Xun’s angle, only a slender, graceful silhouette was visible.

The faint, flickering light earlier came from a slender cigarette held between his fingers.

The man lowered his head, extending his left hand as if idly flicking the cigarette. A few specks of ash drifted down, carrying a faint glow before extinguishing completely in midair. Shadows enveloped his entire figure, creating a scene that was both decadent and dangerous. No black mist or demonic creatures attacked him; he simply stood there, quietly facing the rift.

And Lin Xun watched him for a long time.