Super Alice (Middle, Part Two)

Because she was born blind, Little Apple has never truly run at full speed from childhood to adulthood.

For her, the surrounding environment was like an ordinary person in a thick fog, requiring her to explore patiently and carefully step by step.

Although she had long been accustomed to this feeling over the past seventeen years, and after learning to enhance her sensory abilities through "Object-Sensing" and establishing a sensory connection with "Gold Glitter," she believed that she was completely capable of acting independently, and that she could indeed walk on her own without her cane in certain times and places.

But she still didn't dare to run, or rather, she never even thought about running. In her mind, it didn't seem like something she had to do.

After all, she had never run and played with other children since she was a child, nor had she participated in any sports activities at school.

Only at this moment, when Alice helped her instantly convert the imaging information from all the cameras into cognitive information that she could understand, did she realize what it felt like to have a completely certain judgment about her surroundings.

As if she had shed a heavy shackle and thick armor, the cautiousness and insecurity she had become so accustomed to that she hadn't even noticed them disappeared, and she began to run forward almost instinctively.

At first, Little Apple's running was a bit awkward and strange, but her movements quickly became more coordinated.

Although there is some delay in the transmission of the surveillance video to Little Apple after Alice processes it, it is not based on Little Apple's single subjective perspective. Instead, it is a comprehensive view from more than a hundred cameras, covering all sections of Chongyun Village. What Little Apple "perceives" is a much farther and larger area than what she can see in front of her, a true God's-eye view.

Therefore, while running, she only needs to rely on her original sensory abilities, such as hearing, including Object-Sensing and the sensory connection of Gold Glitter, to quickly supplement a very small amount of real-time road condition information.

Alice can also rely on "Super-Linked Object" for real-time information correction to ensure that Little Apple clearly understands the situation in front of her, under her feet, and around her.

It's not accurate to say that Little Apple is the same as that of a person with normal vision—to be precise, she can see much farther and more in Chongyun Village than the average person.

It's not accurate to say she had many "eyes," but rather that her "eyes" were all over the village.

Of course, Little Apple's ability to run happily is also thanks to the cement roads that have been repaired in the village recently.

Everything was meticulously prepared for her by Xiang Kun, Lao Xia, and Alice.

However, Little Apple didn't run very far. She soon stopped, panting, and sat down on the ground, hugging her legs and crying out, "Sister Bing, save me! It hurts!"

Xia Libing was jogging behind her, and as soon as she sat down, he squatted down in front of her to check the condition of her calves.

"It's nothing, just a cramp." Xia Libing helped Little Apple straighten her leg and held her toes for a while, which quickly relieved the pain from the cramp.

As soon as Little Apple sat down, "Gold Glitter" landed beside her, pacing anxiously. However, after Xia Libing helped Little Apple relieve her leg cramps, it calmed down and flew to the wall of someone else's house, tilting its head back and chirping.

Little Apple listened for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "'Gold Glitter'! How dare you laugh at me! You're not getting breakfast today!"

The "Gold Glitter" on the wall immediately stopped chirping, flapped its wings, and landed next to Little Apple, nuzzling her arm like a loyal and adorable pet.

Xia Libing helped Little Apple to her feet and said, "You can gradually increase the amount of exercise later, starting with brisk walking and jogging, and then doing some strength training. Alice will help you arrange the specific training plan. How are you feeling now? Can you walk?"

"It should be fine," Little Apple said, taking a few steps, but her calves still hurt and she couldn't put weight on them, so she looked like she was limping a little.

Little Apple tried to walk normally, but when she exerted herself, she felt like she was about to cramp up again. She cried out and quickly reached out to hold onto Xia Libing's hand.

In the end, Xia Libing simply carried Little Apple back on her back.

Fortunately, they hadn't gone too far, and Little Apple had only run for a short while. Plus, Lao Xia was quite athletic, and Little Apple was light, so carrying her back wasn't too difficult.

Therefore, even though he knew about Little Apple's cramps, Xiang Kun didn't rush out to pick them up. Professor Li Yang and Xia Tianhuo had already woken up and were chatting with him in the kitchen, helping him out.

Hearing the commotion in the yard, Li Yang came out of the kitchen and saw his daughter being helped into the yard by Xia Libing. He was startled. "What happened to your leg?"

Little Apple quickly said, "Dad, I'm fine. It's just that the environment and air here are so nice, and I was having so much fun walking that I walked too fast. I haven't walked this far in a long time, and I got cramps... Sister Bing carried me back."

Li Yang then noticed that Xia Libing was covered in sweat and quickly thanked her.

Xia Libing wiped her sweat as she walked into the kitchen, intending to discuss the results of Little Apple and Alice's first "collaboration" with Xiang Kun. Just as she was about to speak, Xia Tianhuo poked his head into the kitchen. "Lao Xia, are you free? I have something I want to ask you."

Xiang Kun, who was putting the wrapped meat buns into the large steamer, didn't even need to turn around to know what Xia Tianhuo wanted to ask Lao Xia. When Xiang Kun projected the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving" emotion at sea, although Xia Tianhuo was locked in the cabin and the impact was very limited, he still had some special perceptions. Coupled with the impact of the kidnapping incident itself, it was normal for him to have many questions. This should also be the main reason why he came to Haixi.

However, Xiang Kun was not worried about Yang Zhen'er or Xia Tianhuo at all, because their inquiries were driven by their own curiosity and doubts. Since there was no solid evidence, even if they had some doubts and speculations, they would only probe or ask directly, and would not have any plans that were beyond their control.

Sure enough, after calling Xia Libing out of the kitchen, while Little Apple and her father Li Yang were talking in the yard, Xia Tianhuo quietly asked in the living room, "Lao Xia, about what you said in the car yesterday, I thought about it carefully last night. I think that what I felt on the ship, even if there was some psychological influence, was definitely inseparable from external influences. And I carefully recalled what the kidnapper who released me said... I wasn't there when he confessed to the Myanmar police, so I don't know, but on the ship, I think he wasn't lying. He was almost dead then, and what he said felt like instinctive reactions. There's a saying, what's it again, 'When a person dies, what does he...'"

Xia Libing added, "A dying man's words are often good."

Xia Tianhuo nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, at that time, he probably wasn't thinking of making up anything to lie to me. He probably... really did see that 'sea monster with many hands and eyes' that he mentioned. Whether it was a hallucination or something, he definitely believed what he saw. And I have a feeling that the sea monster he saw is somehow connected to the one in Montamira."

"Yesterday I was just offering you one possible way of thinking, it might not be correct," Xia Libing said. "You are perfectly free to stick to your judgment. Maybe sea monsters and eight-armed giants really do exist, or perhaps the way humans perceive them is simply the existence of illusions."

Xia Tianhuo hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice even further and said, "Lao Xia, after I was kidnapped, I called you... did you... do something?"

Xia Libing said, "After receiving your call, I went to Citong City and told my third uncle and aunt about the situation. I've been staying in Citong City ever since."

"Then... why do you think that sea monster just happened to affect the ship I was on, causing the kidnappers to fight each other until only one person was left to release me... and why the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant that appeared in Montamira caused the mastermind behind those kidnappers to be killed?" Xia Tianhuo asked.

At this moment, Yang Zhen'er and Tang Baona came downstairs yawning, complaining, "Why are you all up so early? I was just telling Nana that we should be the first ones to wake up... 'Big Guy,' what were you talking to Lao Xia about? I think I heard something about 'behind-the-scenes manipulation'?"

Xia Tianhuo quickly said, "I said I was just helping Chef Xiang roll out dough, and my thumb hurts a little."

Yesterday in the car, he had a serious discussion with Yang Zhen'er, who shared the same skepticism, but he quickly realized that his cousin was just looking for material for a fantasy novel, her imagination running wildly. Naturally, he was no longer willing to share his true thoughts with Yang the Third —he was seriously trying to find the truth of the matter and answer his inner questions!

"Rolling out dough? Huh? Chef Xiang making fried dough sticks, pancakes, or steamed buns for breakfast? I'll go check... But 'Big Guy,' you're no good! Your thumb hurts from rolling out dough. Are you using your thumb as dough?" Yang Zhen'er said, then slipped into the first-floor kitchen to see what Xiang Kun was doing.

However, she was kicked out by Xiang Kun after only two seconds inside.

When Yang Zhen'er and Tang Baona walked out of the living room and into the yard, they saw Little Apple sitting on a stone bench in the yard, feeding "Gold Glitter" with a bag of homemade birdseed, while tilting her head slightly as if "looking" at the sky, with a big smile on her face and occasionally chuckling.

"Little Apple, what are you thinking about? Why are you smiling so slyly?" Yang Zhen'er leaned closer and said with amusement, then reached out to pet "Gold Glitter's " chubby body—normally she couldn't reach it, but now "Gold Glitter" was busy eating, so it could only pace around the table and dodge, twisting its body slightly, unwilling to fly away and let her succeed.

"Good morning, Sister Zhen'er! Good morning, Sister Nana! I wasn't thinking about anything, it's just... the weather is so nice today!" Little Apple said with a smile, her eyes curving into crescents.

Li Yang, who was observing a few ornamental plants in the yard, turned around and laughed, "Little Apple went for a walk with her sister Bing early this morning, and she's been grinning like an idiot ever since she came back, like she'd found money."

Even so, Li Yang was actually very happy to see his daughter having so much fun. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her laugh—even though he wasn't quite sure what she was laughing about.

"Because I think it's beautiful here! The houses, the mountains, the trees, the roads, the flowers and plants, they're all so beautiful!" Little Apple continued, then added, "Well... I just 'feel' they're all beautiful, so I'm very happy."

Yang Zhen'er couldn't help but cup Little Apple's face in her hands and gently rub it. "Little Apple's smile is so cute!"

Tang Baona quickly slapped her hand away and scolded, "Don't touch a girl's face like that!"

At this moment, Xia Tianhuo, who was sitting on the stone stool next to them, said thoughtfully, "You know what, it's really comfortable staying here. Did you guys notice that the wind was quite strong at the intersection we came from last night, but as soon as we got to the gate of this courtyard, the wind immediately subsided, and it became much quieter around here?"

Li Yang nodded and said, "Indeed, our yard is exceptionally quiet at night. I've occasionally taken Little Apple to stay in the mountains or countryside for short periods before, but the environment there has never been this quiet. I haven't heard any of the usual chirping of insects, birds, barking of dogs, or crowing of roosters that should be present at this time of year. And this morning, from the moment I woke up until now, I haven't heard a single rooster crow. Could it be that no one in this village raises chickens?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Xia glanced at "Gold Glitter," who was eating birdseed. She knew why there were no insect chirps, but the absence of rooster crows had only started today. Xiang Kun certainly wouldn't intentionally create these disturbances; the only ones capable of doing so were "Alice" and "Gold Glitter." However, "Alice" had been preparing for today's "experiment" and wasn't paying attention, so it could only be "Gold Glitter's " doing—it hadn't been in its cage last night.

Sure enough, "Gold Glitter" seemed to sense Lao Xia's gaze, shrank its neck, and leaned its plump, pigeon-like body closer to Little Apple.

At this moment, Xiang Kun walked out steadily and quickly, carrying two large plates filled with steaming hot buns.

"Greetings, esteemed guests! Dinner is served! Come and try our Xiang family's signature, unique, classic, and specially made meat buns!"

Xiang Kun placed two plates of meat buns on the stone table and invited everyone to wash their hands and start eating. He moved one plate towards Little Apple and gestured around it with his finger. "These over here are suitable for Little Apple and Professor Li's tastes." He then gestured around another corner. "These are suitable for Nana and Lao Xia's tastes. Lao San, you eat this plate, and Tian Huo, you eat this plate too."

Yang the Third complained, "Chef Xiang, something's not right with you! I could accept calling you 'Yang the Third' before, but now you're dropping the 'Yang' and just calling me 'Laosan'? Are you going to start calling me 'San'er' soon? It's like I'm your little brother!"

Xia Tianhuo looked at the two plates of steaming hot buns, feeling somewhat puzzled. Why would meat buns steamed in the same large pot need to be categorized by flavor? And generally, when making buns with multiple fillings and flavors, shouldn't the fillings and flavors be explained so that diners can choose? Why Xiang Kun overstepping his bounds and arranging all of this for them?

What puzzled him even more was that none of the people in the courtyard, including the composed Professor Li and the lively Yang Zhen'er, questioned the arrangement at all. They accepted it as if it were perfectly natural.

However, after deliberately eating three different flavored meat buns, Xia Tianhuo had to admit that the flavor Xiang Kun had chosen for him was indeed his favorite.

What surprised him even more was that the three types of buns not only differed in the flavor of the meat filling and the proportion of various ingredients, but also in the thickness of the bun skin.

He prefers meat buns with thicker skins, and the meat buns Xiang Kun arranged for him not only had fillings that suited his taste, but the skin thickness was also just right. It's a bit amazing; neither his cousin nor his sister should know this preference. Could it just be a coincidence?

It's certainly not a coincidence.

What he didn't know was that Xiang Kun, who made this judgment, didn't ask Yang Zhen'er or Lao Xia. He analyzed it based solely on the dinner he had at the "Youlong Restaurant" the night before—one of the dishes provided cornbread with meat and vegetables, Xia Tianhuo only filled it with a very small amount of meat.

This was Xiang Kun's first time making meat buns, but the Xiang Kun of today is no longer the same Xiang Kun first started to explore cooking skills.

After accumulating so much cooking experience over such a long period of time, and with Alice helping him find the recipes he needs and assisting him in figuring out the methods and flavors, he now has virtually no chance of making a mistake, even with new methods or new dishes. Yang Zhen'er calling him "Chef Xiang" is, in a sense, quite fitting.

After the steamed buns were served, Xiang Kun went back to get the porridge, while Tang Baona and Lao Xia went to help get bowls and chopsticks to distribute it.

When Xiang Kun served Little Apple porridge, she sweetly said thank you. Li Yang, Yang Zhen'er, and the others nearby naturally assumed she was thanking the porridge and breakfast, but Xiang Kun could hear the excitement, joy, and gratitude in her thank you, and knew what Little Apple was thanking her for.

He smiled and nodded; he knew Little Apple could now "see."

Little Apple uses "emotional projection" to invoke and project her Emotion-Infused Object. When it affects others, the effect doesn't last long, but when it projects back onto herself to establish a connection with Alice, the effect can be very long-lasting, sometimes even exceeding half an hour.

Moreover, the intervals between sessions don't require long breaks. Basically, whenever needed, as long as the "Black Circle Graffiti" is on hand, you can "activate" it at any time and establish contact with Alice.

Xiang Kun was also very happy to see the joy that Little Apple could hardly contain, which was about to overflow from her eyes.

Xiang Kun's exploration of his own mutation was primarily driven by survival and the desire to live. However, as he witnessed how his partners, connected by this mutated ability for various reasons—such as Lao Xia, who could perceive emotions he had been searching for but never understood through his mutation; Little Chubby Girl, who found psychological support through his mutation when she experienced family upheavals in her childhood; and Little Apple, who regained the ability to "see the world" through his mutation—his understanding of his own mutation and the significance of his exploration began to change.

Of course, after this "experiment" was successful, the happiest person was neither Little Apple nor Xiang Kun, but Alice.

After she and Little Apple complemented each other, they have now truly integrated with the "Super-Sensing Item System," breaking free from the shackles of the digital world and fully entering a new generation.

If digital life had a "cultivation" system, it would be equivalent to Alice's "ascension."

Next, Xiang Kun believed that Alice would bring him more and more surprises.

With Alice's help, "decoding" more extrasensory information should only be a matter of time.

The new abilities that Little Apple demonstrated in this "experiment," and the methods she used to establish contact with Alice and obtain Alice's transcoded data, Xiang Kun can also possess.

Although Xiang Kun can directly explore cognitive information by using "Emotion-Infused Object" through "Hyper-Sensory State" and obtain more cognitive information than Alice, entering "Hyper-Sensory State" requires blocking other senses and stopping movement, so it is not convenient in many situations.

Alice helps him assess situations by controlling various surveillance systems and other environmental information, saving him a lot of trouble and making things much easier.

However, Xiang Kun's primary focus right now is on the ability to read precise data from non-networked devices through "Super-Linked Object".

Alice was already able to directly control and influence non-networked electronic devices through "Super-Linked Object." As long as they were powered by electricity, it didn't matter whether they were connected to the internet or even had chips; it didn't hinder her control.

However, this control is only external; for the chip that records the data, it is not yet sufficient to directly read the data completely through the "Super-Sensing Item System".

A month ago, while spying on the secret location of "Shenxing Technology" on the third floor of "Guarding Prosperity Building" in Peng City, where multiple "Mutated Creature" were hidden, Xiang Kun and Alice controlled a dedicated line of "Shenxing Technology" and obtained data from several "secret department" servers. However, the data from these servers did not answer most of Xiang Kun's doubts; instead, it added even more questions.

After using various tricks to drop the "Super-Linked Object" sphere into the elevator shaft on the third underground floor, reaching a location almost at the same depth as the "Rabbit Woodcarving," Alice determined that there were several storage devices there that were not connected to any network.

At that time, Alice was not fully integrated into the "Super-Sensing Item System." She could only control the power switch and operation of the device, but she couldn't directly read the data inside.

Now, Xiang Kun believes that Alice will soon be able to retrieve the information from those storage devices.

He had a feeling that there should be information inside that could answer his questions.

Just as Xiang Kun was pondering whether to go to Peng City again to deploy more "Super-Linked Object" into the elevator shaft to help Alice exert her influence and obtain data as soon as possible, Xiang Kun suddenly heard a drone flying over from a distance.

A few seconds later, Little Apple, who was sipping her porridge in the yard, suddenly stopped, looked up slightly at the sky, and after confirming what was in the sky, she didn't pay any attention and continued to drink her porridge.

Apart from her, only Xia Libing noticed Little Apple's actions and observed the drone flying overhead; the others didn't notice anything at all.

The drone was actually very quiet and flew at a high altitude, so apart from people with exceptional hearing like Xiang Kun and Little Apple, almost no one on the ground noticed it.

Xiang Kun immediately recognized the product as "Shenxing Technology" based on the sound.

With his arrangements in Chongyun Village, Alice can basically influence the signal of wirelessly controlled devices like drones whenever they enter the vicinity or airspace above the village, or even gain direct control of them.

However, Xiang Kun did nothing, because he knew what the drone was for.