Chapter 384

But Ai Yue is different. Boothill doesn't care about Ai Yue's strength and status, but since Ai Yue killed Oswald, it's equivalent to helping Boothill avenge himself. Moreover, Ai Yue's act of eliminating a scourge for the people is clearly in line with the principles of the Sea-faring Ranger. Therefore, both morally and logically, he must respect Ai Yue.

"Don't be so reserved, you're making me look like I'm going to eat you alive." Looking at Boothill's expression, Ai Yue couldn't help but wave his hand, "Look at that company lackey next to you, he's more relaxed than you."

"I told him before that you're a very kind person," Aventurine chimed in, "But he clearly doesn't trust me very much."

"Nonsense, even the Sea-faring Ranger know that corporate dogs never end well," Boothill rolled his eyes, clearly relieved after Ai Yue's words. "Although your recent performance seems to have changed, who knows if it's just some kind of cover-up?"

"Has the company's reputation gotten this bad?" Ai Yue looked at Aventurine with a subtle expression. "I remember you guys did some human work, didn't you?"

"How many good deeds can offset the mess that Oswald and his gang made in a single day?" Aventurine sighed helplessly, then smiled. "Fortunately, we don't have to clean up after those bastards anymore, so everyone is actually very grateful to you."

"Don't get too excited yet. Even if 99% of the company's messes are Oswald and the Market Development Department's doing, there's still 1% left," Ai Yue suddenly remembered that he was still the company's Honorary Chairman and couldn't help but urge them on, "With such a large company, making changes might not be easy."

"That's true. To be honest, we still have frequent meetings between departments. Luckily, we have a flat management structure here." Aventurine shrugged, then looked at the Sea-faring Ranger. "But at least we've started making changes. For example, we plan to cooperate with the Sea-faring Ranger to support their logistics and such."

"I can only say I'll act as a go-between; whether it works out or not is up to you." Boothill picked up his glass and took a big gulp, his eyes turning suspicious again. "But to be honest, I have little doubt that the company's reputation can truly gain everyone's approval."

"That's the problem we need to solve." Aventurine shrugged. "Don't worry, you Sea-faring Ranger can even take down Commanders, why would you be afraid of the Company?"

"We're not afraid of fighting, of course, but those beasts in your company are masters of dirty tricks. We can't afford to be careless." Boothill put down his empty glass, then lowered his hat brim and greeted Ai Yue. "In short, I owe you a favor. If there's anything you can't do, feel free to come to me."

After saying that, he glanced at the Aventurine again. "As for now, I need to go find my friends and tell them about the company's search for cooperation... Damn it, I never thought I'd actually speak up for the company one day!"

After Boothill left, Ai Yue shook his head slightly. "To be honest, I'm not very optimistic about this collaboration."

"To be honest, our internal assessment results are about the same." Aventurine showed no sign of frustration; on the contrary, he could still smile. "But we still have to do something—besides, if we can crack this tough nut, wouldn't that better demonstrate our department's capabilities?"

"I almost forgot, everyone in your strategic investment department has unique skills." Seeing the growing excitement in Aventurine's eyes, Ai Yue couldn't help but smile. "But tell me honestly, is it stressful working with Boothill?"

"Actually, there's not much pressure. You can tell that Boothill is a rough guy; he wears his heart on his sleeve. People like that are actually easier to get along with," Aventurine shrugged, his expression becoming somewhat subtle. "Besides, we both have similar pasts; we can be considered kindred spirits."

Ai Yue remained silent for a moment, because he knew that the reason why this man, originally named Kakavasya, had fallen to the point of becoming a slave was also related to Oswald.

Thinking about it that way, Oswald died a little too late.

If I could break free from the cocoon sooner, could I have prevented more tragedies?

"Mr. Ai Yue, judging from your expression, you're not starting to reflect again, are you?" Although Ai Yue didn't speak, that didn't mean Aventurine couldn't sense his thoughts. Seeing the change in Ai Yue's expression, the other party couldn't help but smile slightly. "This kind of thing isn't your responsibility. Always blaming yourself for not doing your job well is exhausting."

"There's nothing I can do, I'm used to it." Ai Yue shrugged. "It's only natural to be a little tired, what can I do when I'm so amazing?"

"That's certainly a compelling reason," Aventurine glanced at the time, then stood up. "The Grand Gala of Harmony is about to begin. Although it certainly won't be on a large scale this time, please enjoy it. I should be going now."

"So busy?" Ai Yue looked at him. "Aren't you staying to watch the performance?"

"No, strictly speaking, I went to slack off," Aventurine said with a smug smile. "After all, I'm not fully recovered yet, so of course I have to take this opportunity to enjoy a proper vacation."

Having bid farewell to the Aventurine that had been making excuses to slack off, the Grand Gala of Harmony, as he had predicted, began its opening ceremony.

Although the Oak Family has lost control of the Dream, the person in charge of holding the opening ceremony is still the Oak Family's Robin. Obviously, considering both fame and image, the robin is the most suitable candidate.

The audience's excited reaction perfectly illustrated this point.

Of course, Ai Yue didn't care about the nonsense at the opening ceremony; he was only paying attention to the ceremony to ascertain his family's attitude.

He had previously stated that the family should disclose the true information about the disaster. Although he didn't expect them to announce it directly at such an important occasion as the Grand Gala of Harmony, the family should at least let some rumors out in order to control public opinion and prevent the information from being revealed all at once, which would cause the situation to develop beyond his expectations.

How the family chooses to describe this disaster is what Ai Yue is most concerned about.

And just as Ai Yue had imagined, Robin directly mentioned the previous anomaly during the opening ceremony, calling it some kind of change within the family. She also specifically mentioned the efforts made by the Stellar Train in resolving the disaster and connected them with the old pioneers.

While this description may seem to downplay the seriousness of the matter, it does reveal the family's attitude to some extent. More importantly, the originally more important news shifted everyone's attention to the Stellar Train after the Robin announced that it would transfer ownership of the Sunstone directly to the Stellar Train to commemorate the significant role that "Pioneering" played in Penacony's history.

Now, more than the cause of that incident, people are curious about what the nameless guests did in the past. From a certain perspective, this can be considered as fulfilling part of Ai Yue's request.

Of course, these matters were quickly forgotten as the Grand Gala of Harmony progressed. As the festive atmosphere grew stronger, almost everyone was immersed in the grand feast and gradually forgot about the strange incident that had occurred not long ago.

Then Ai Yue saw Xing hurriedly squeeze out of the crowd, and behind her, a red shadow flashed by.

It seems the time has come.

Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, a subtle expression appearing on his face.

In the original storyline, the numerous bombs that Spark had created were collected and guarded by the Hound family, which gave the other side the opportunity to plant them on the Higanbana to disrupt the Grand Gala of Harmony.

Of course, Ai Yue, who had seen the plot, knew that this was just a prank, but for Hoshi, who did not know the true nature of Spark, this threat was obviously real and effective.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue couldn't help but take out his phone. A moment later, Xing's message finally arrived. "Brother Yue, I need your help urgently!!!!"

Five huge exclamation marks are enough to prove how she felt at that moment.

"Is this what Spark is up to?" Ai Yue replied. "Unfortunately, I can't help this time—I owed her a favor before, and she's using it up here."

Yes, the matter that Spark discussed with Ai Yue before was in exchange for this favor, in order to prevent Ai Yue from interfering in this matter. Spark Ai Yue knew that with the abilities Ai Yue had shown, even if she increased her proficiency tenfold, it would only be a snap of his fingers for Ai Yue to stop her if he wanted to.

So, in order for the prank to continue, Spark didn't hesitate to use that precious favor and ban Ai Yue directly.

However, she didn't know that this was exactly what Ai Yue wanted. After all, others might not know, but he was clear about the outcome of this prank. He was just wondering how to stay out of it when Spark delivered the reason.

"This involves lives, can't you be a little more flexible?" Xing persisted, "Anyway, the other side are the Joyful Wanderers, so we don't need to talk about chivalry with them, right?"

Ai Yue was still pondering how to reply when a figure appeared in front of him. He looked up and saw Spark reach out and snatch his phone away, then stick her tongue out at him. "Come on, understanding Miss Spark knows you're in a dilemma, so she specially came to help you reject all excuses. Isn't that thoughtful?"

"Thank you, Spark." Knowing that the other person was supervising him to keep his promise, Ai Yue couldn't help but show a subtle expression. "You really are quite perceptive."

"Oh dear, that's really hurtful, hahaha!" Spark replied to something on Ai Yue's phone with a bright smile, "Alright, they won't trust you now, just relax and watch the show~"

"Don't go too far." Although he knew the other party was helping Silver Wolf complete the script, Ai Yue couldn't help but remind him, considering the Pleasure Walker's crazy personality, "If you really cause trouble, be careful you don't get rejected by Penacony in the future."

"Oh, what's there to be afraid of? Director Spark knows what she's doing. I'm serious." Spark waved her hand, looking completely unconcerned. "Besides, aren't you here? If things really get out of control, then you won't need to talk about chivalry anymore."

Clearly, Spark had also witnessed Ai Yue and Xing's conversation.

Ai Yue shook his head helplessly, but Spark's figure had already disappeared in front of him. Clearly, as the mastermind behind the scenes, she now had to ensure that she was not discovered by anyone.

However, after hearing the other party's last words, Ai Yue felt at ease and made some preparations to prevent things from developing too rapidly and causing any unexpected consequences.

Fortunately, although Spark is eccentric, she is actually quite sensible. Under her arrangement, everything is proceeding according to plan. Hoshi and Flowing Firefly, who are searching for the bomb, find the thousandth doll by following the last clue. However, there is no time to properly resolve the situation, so Flowing Firefly transforms into Sam and flies into the sky with the bomb.

Then, fireworks lit up the sky.

Watching the two people slowly drifting down amidst the fireworks, Ai Yue couldn't help but raise his phone and take a close-up shot of them.

In this way, the final death would be considered complete.

In Flowing Firefly's script, she would experience three deaths. Although the script is now fragmented and no longer has much credibility, things actually proceeded according to the original script even without Ai Yue's intervention.

The only difference is that in the original story, the second death was caused by Flowing Firefly voluntarily leaving the dream in order to awaken the Nameless Guest. However, with the help of Pardofelis, she skipped this step, but it was eventually added back into Ai Yue's treatment plan.

Realizing this, Ai Yue frowned, beginning to wonder if the prophecy of the end times had begun to adapt to his presence and start to play its role again.

However, at this moment, a message disrupted Ai Yue's thoughts.

Black Tower: "When are you coming? Doctor Chadwick has almost recovered."

Chapter 82 I was just kidding, you can be resurrected even if you only have consciousness left.

Doctor Chadwick led a tragic life; he was a genius who evokes both sorrow and admiration.

At the same time, no one can deny the crimes he committed—the "Imaginary Collapse Pulse," a weapon he designed himself, was used to destroy trillions of lives. This heavy blood debt has become an indelible mark on Chadwick's life.

Of course, if that were all, Chadwick could only be considered a tragic figure, hardly a genius worthy of respect. Although his intelligence no longer shone after that, the tenacity and indomitable spirit in his humanity made his will still shine brightly even as it turned into a vague memory.

It was precisely because of this tenacity that Ai Yue was able to lend a helping hand.

When Ai Yue appeared at the Herta Space Station, Little Black Tower had been waiting for a long time. She eagerly grabbed Ai Yue's sleeve and led him towards the experimental area, while looking up and asking in an urgent tone, "So what you said is all true? Even in that state, he can be cured?"

Black Tower's doubts were not without reason. After all, when Ai Yue abruptly sent "Chadwick" over, even Ruan Mei couldn't help but shake her head and sigh—because what was sent was neither a withered old body nor a life support device with only a brain remaining, but a bunch of Id-bubble.

Yes, Carl Chadwick, a figure who existed hundreds of years ago, was just an ordinary person. Despite his genius, he could not escape the limitations of lifespan and died many years ago.

Even so, those who coveted the "Imaginary Collapse Pulse" technology did not intend to let him go. At the moment of his death, they used the technology provided by the Memory Court to extract the Idrit from Chadwick's brain. Then, in order to keep it active, they cooperated with the family to place it in Penacony's dream.

Black Tower didn't care how Ai Yue managed to retrieve Chadwick's Id-bubble from Penacony. After all, with Ai Yue's abilities, whether through official channels or illegal means, there was practically no one in the world who could stop him. In his eyes, Penacony was no different from a public toilet.

What she really cared about was the note that came with Chadwick's message: "There's still hope, don't kill him."

It's hard for outsiders to imagine the look in Daheita and the others' eyes when they looked at that pile of Id-bubble after seeing that note.

Is it even possible to save it now that it's like this?

When a person has been dead for many years, the remaining Idrit are essentially inanimate, only mechanically responding to the remaining memories. Although the company and family extracted the Idrit quickly enough to seal Chadwick's dying consciousness inside, it was far from enough to save Chadwick.

No, let alone saving Chadwick, that little bit of remaining consciousness wasn't even enough for Yiting to turn it into a meme.

It was only because the person who said those words was Ai Yue that Heita ultimately chose to believe them. If those words had come from someone else, even someone like Screwllum or Ruan Mei, she would have questioned whether the person had lost their mind.

But it was precisely because Black Tower believed that Ai Yue was capable of doing something so incredible that he couldn't help but wonder what methods the other party would use to resolve the situation, which is why he couldn't wait to come out and greet him.

"Why would I lie to you?" Ai Yue shrugged, not resisting the little black tower's tugging. "But whether he can survive or not depends on him. If he has no will to live, then giving him a peaceful ending wouldn't be bad."

"That's such a shame," Little Black Tower sighed. "Chadwick, he truly was a genius."

"It seems you really admire him." Ai Yue smiled, noticing the obvious regret in the doll Black Tower's eyes. "I thought you treated everyone the same way."

"Don't make me sound so harsh, okay? At least I think I'm quite polite in front of you!" Little Black Tower protested. "As for Chadwick... I've read all his published research, and sometimes I even find inspiration in it. To be honest, I wish I could talk to him in person."

As they spoke, the two quickly arrived at the experimental area. In a laboratory that had been temporarily emptied, Chadwick's remaining Id-bubble was placed in the middle of a huge instrument. Nguyen May, Screwllum, and the Great Black Tower himself were all gathered there, busy around the Id-bubble.

"Isn't this a bit too complicated?" Ai Yue scratched his head as he watched Screwllum continue to adjust the device. "I've already enhanced Id-bubble's protection; it'll be fine to put it in any box."

"We've discovered it, so this device isn't used to protect the Id-bubble," Ruan Mei explained with a smile. "It's used to analyze the special energy that protects the Id-bubble."

"It was Screw who started it, he suggested it!" The Great Black Tower betrayed the Mechanical Monarch without hesitation, then added in a low voice, "Of course, I also offered a small opinion."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ai Yue. I really couldn't control my yearning for knowledge. This feeling is so novel that it made me a little lost for a moment." Screwllum's tone contained apology, but also a hint of barely concealed excitement. "However, I assure you that Doctor Chadwick's Id-bubble will not be harmed in the slightest during this process."

"Of course, is it a bit of a pipe dream to think that this level of research can break my blessing?" Ai Yue raised an eyebrow. "But I remember I gave you samples of the Power of Light, there's no need to go after this place as well."

"This is, of course, because some minor changes have occurred." Screwllum gestured for Ai Yue to look at the monitor. "Look here, Mr. Ai Yue. Starting from this part, the energy readings used to protect the Id-bubble have already deviated from the regular Power of Light data."

"It seems Chadwick's recovery is indeed quite good." Ai Yue didn't need to pay attention to the changes in the data to realize what had happened, so he smiled slightly. "His consciousness has begun to resonate with the Power of Light —truly a genius, even the speed of resonance is so fast."

"Sounds like the time is ripe?" The large black tower beside him steered the conversation back on track. "Shall we infiltrate the Id-bubble now?"

To save Chadwick, it is necessary to access his remaining consciousness, but because the Id-bubble in front of them is extremely fragile, no one dares to attempt it lightly.

The reason Ai Yue first transferred Chadwick's Id-bubble to the Herta Space Station and then waited for news before coming over was to give Chadwick's Id-bubble a recovery process. Only when its state was stable enough could contact with it ensure that it would not affect the already very weak consciousness within it.

"It's ready," Ai Yue nodded, then looked at Screwllum, "Screwllum and I will go in, Black Tower, you and Ruan Mei stay outside, how about that?"

"Let me watch him?" The Great Black Tower pointed to herself, clearly displeased, but looking at Screwllum, the only one among them who had contact with Chadwick, and Ai Yue, the key figure in the entire plan, she finally had no choice but to concede, "Alright, but you absolutely must bring him back alive!"

Ai Yue and Screwllum did not respond, because at this moment they had already entered Chadwick's memories and witnessed the life of that genius.

From accepting the company's invitation to begin researching Imaginary Collapse Pulse, to witnessing a brutal massacre, and then abandoning everything to embark on a journey of escape in order to atone for his sins, Ai Yue and Screwllum, as bystanders, witnessed some of Chadwick's most important memories.

Chadwick, while in exile, met Screwllum again and obtained from him a "Selective Blockade Drug" that could block consciousness and memories, finally had a chance to catch his breath.

Then he was recaptured by the company and spent the rest of his life as a prisoner.

"What a... poignant life," Screwllum, who had witnessed everything, couldn't help but sigh. "And at the same time, a truly admirable genius, Doctor Chadwick. He actually managed to have the last laugh in his struggle against the company, thanks to his unwavering determination and perseverance, and waited for your arrival."

"Yes, even I didn't expect that."

The person who answered him was not Ai Yue, but another familiar yet unfamiliar voice. Screwllum turned his head and saw a black-haired young man wearing glasses standing not far away, looking at him.

"You are... Doctor Chadwick in his youth?" Screwllum hesitated for a moment before recognizing him, having just witnessed the years he had devoted to researching imaginary numbers. "It seems Mr. Ai Yue's blessing has indeed had an extraordinary effect on you."

Although this was only the first time Screwllum had entered Chadwick's memories, he knew very well that given the state of the Id-bubble when it was first sent there, even if the wisp of Chadwick's consciousness hidden within it still existed, it would never have appeared before them in this form.

"I don't know what happened either, but at least I feel good now." The black-haired youth smiled. "We meet again, Mr. Screwllum, and Mr. Ai Yue. Thank you for rescuing me from that cage."

Although his memory is still somewhat hazy, Chadwick remembers a gentle and kind voice speaking to him while he was in a daze.

"It's too early to thank me now." Ai Yue waved his hand, clearly not caring about such trivial matters. "Doctor Chadwick, are you aware of your own situation now?"

"I'm dead, aren't I? All that's left are remnants of consciousness and memories," Chadwick said calmly. "Mr. Screwllum, I want to know, has my wish been fulfilled?"

"It's done. Until now, the company hasn't mastered the Imaginary Collapse Pulse technology." Screwllum nodded, giving Chadwick a lot of credit for his actions. "You've saved many people from being destroyed by the horrific flames of war."

"In the end, it's nothing more than atonement. Even so, it's hard to make up for the mistakes I've made," Chadwick said with a bitter smile. "However, hearing this news at the end of my life brings me some peace of mind."

"You say that, but you don't seem to really want to die, do you?" Ai Yue said at this moment. "If you truly accepted your fate, you wouldn't appear before us like this."

The appearance that consciousness reveals is usually related to their deepest thoughts. Chadwick's appearance as a young man, given his ability to freely choose his own appearance, proves that deep within him, there is still some obsession beating like a heart, providing him with a continuous source of "life force."

"You're right. As my condition gradually improved, I found myself starting to feel attached to this world again." Chadwick's face showed a frank expression, then he shook his head. "Unfortunately, even if I survive, the Chadwick of today is no longer the genius he once was."

The Selective Blockade Drug is truly a work of genius. It not only severs all of Chadwick's memories of the Imaginary Collapse Pulse, but also blocks his ability to learn. It can be said that after taking this drug, Chadwick is no longer the genius he once was.

"You can't say that." Ai Yue shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his face. "If I told you that you could have a second chance at life, in your strongest form, what would you think?"

Upon hearing this, Chadwick fell into a long silence. Then he looked up at Ai Yue and asked, "Why? Sir, why are you giving someone like me a second chance?"

"Anyone willing to struggle in agony to atone for their sins should have a second chance." Ai Yue smiled slightly. "And I'm also very curious, after going through all this, how will you use your second life?"

"If I could, I would want to be a sharp sword." After a moment of thought, Chadwick smiled slightly, as if he had returned to his youthful days when he had boundless dreams for the future, "Forever hanging over the heads of tyranny and evil."