They Were All Asleep

"Has Nana arrived yet? Haha, the timing is perfect." Xiang Kun's voice came through the phone's speaker.

"Chef Xiang, where are you? When are you coming back?" Yang Zhen'er immediately leaned over and spoke into the phone.

Liu Shiling also knelt on the chair, half of her body propped up on the table, her head craning towards Lao Xia's phone. "Uncle Baldy, have you eaten? What did you have for dinner?"

While protecting the Little Chubby Girl to prevent her from falling, Tang Baona asked, "Xiang Kun, you said you wanted us to help, but what exactly is the help?"

Little Apple whispered, "We're all ready." Her voice was so soft that Yang Zhen'er next to her couldn't hear it, but she knew that Xiang Kun on the other end of the phone could hear it—and even if Xiang Kun couldn't hear it, Alice could Xiang Kun hear it.

Hearing the rapid-fire questions coming from the other side, Xiang Kun chuckled a few times before answering them one by one:

"Third brother, I'm in the Northwest, on the border, up in the mountains. I won't be back until this is all sorted out. Little Bell, I haven't eaten, but I'm not hungry. Did you have a good dinner? Nana, I'm calling to talk about this. We need your help right away, but the way we're helping is a bit unusual..."

The usually quietest and calmest Little Apple couldn't help but stand up upon hearing this, clenching her fists at her sides and asking with slight excitement, "Uncle... Uncle Xiang, are we going to start the battle? Shall we set off now?"

Xiang Kun smiled and said, "Little Apple, don't worry. The enemy we need to deal with is very complex. It doesn't have a physical form in the traditional sense, and it's omnipresent. I need you to help me 'catch' it. We don't need to go anywhere else. After you fall asleep, you'll naturally know what to do in your dreams. Don't deliberately think about fighting. Just be yourself and do what you want to do."

These words made Yang Zhen'er, Tang Baona, and even the Little Chubby Girl fall into a thoughtful state, obviously thinking about some recent events, or what Xiang Kun had said to them, or the dreams he had, as well as the qualifying words Lao Xia used to describe the "enemy".

Little Apple was a little confused. "But... in dreams, we can only dream according to our instincts, right? Is it possible to wake up in a dream?"

Previously, Little Apple had various dreams influenced by Xiang Kun's "Emotion-Infused Object." She could remember them clearly every time she woke up. She was also aware that these dreams were slightly different from her previous dreams, especially after meeting Alice in her dream. She understood that her dreams could communicate and establish a connection with Alice. However, each time she realized that it was a special dream, she could only make a judgment after waking up, while in the dream, she only had the most instinctive reaction.

Xiang Kun said, "Don't worry, you'll see when the time comes."

Tang Baona immediately thought of the lucid dream she had not long ago, and the things that Lao Xia and Alice said to her in the dream.

Xiang Kun continued, "Get ready and try to fall asleep within two hours. Don't worry, there won't be any danger this time. Alice and I will be with you in the dream. I know your situation and will monitor you constantly. If you feel any discomfort or don't want to stay in the dream any longer, I will wake you up."

Xiang Kun gave Lao Xia a few more instructions, answered Yang the Third's questions, and then ended the call.

Xia Libing stood up, put away her phone, and said, "Everyone, let's wash up and get ready for bed. We'll put our beds together and all stay on one floor, sleeping in two rooms. Little Bell, Little Apple, and I will sleep in one room, and Nana and my cousin will sleep in the other."

"What about me? What about me?" Alice jumped over and came closer.

Xia Libing reached out and pressed her head down to stop her from jumping, then continued to say to Tang Baona, "Sister Nana, sing a song that helps them fall asleep later, to help Little Bell and Little Apple fall asleep first."

She knew that Tang Baona's songs, created through "Emotional Melody," had the effect of evoking emotions. Moreover, Tang Baona had created a "sleep aid song" based on Yang Zhen'er's state when she was dozing off once. Now, it ranks in the top ten on the charts of various music apps in different countries around the world and is a must-listen track for many people before bed.

She could tell that although Little Chubby Girl and Little Apple seemed quite calm, after Xiang Kun's call, they were already itching to "fight Monster," their eyes wide and sparkling. In this state, it wouldn't be easy for them to fall asleep even if they wanted to.

However, with Tang Baona personally humming a "lullaby" here, it shouldn't be a big problem for the two of them to get a good night's sleep.

"Cousin, you and I will tidy up the table. Don't wash the dishes yet. Alice, adjust the house's security system, take over all communication devices, and put them all into silent mode so as not to disturb our sleep. If anyone contacts us during this time, respond appropriately and do everything possible to ensure the mission's success."

After Xia Libing finished giving her instructions in an orderly manner, Tang Baona took the Little Chubby Girl and the Little Apple upstairs to wash up, change into their pajamas, and get into bed.

The temperature and weather in Chongyun Village have been very comfortable lately, neither too hot nor too cold, so there's no need to turn on the air conditioner when sleeping.

After Xia Libing and Yang Zhen'er finished tidying up downstairs, they tiptoed to the room of Little Chubby Girl and Little Apple. They found the two little girls, one big and one small, already fast asleep on a bed. Tang Baona, who was sitting next to them humming a lullaby, was also dozing off, her chin propped up on her hand. It seemed that she had fallen asleep herself while singing the lullaby.

However, it must be said that Tang Baona's "lullaby" is really effective. Judging from the time, basically, the Little Chubby Girl and the Little Apple fell asleep within five minutes of her coming upstairs, washing up, changing into their pajamas, and lying down.

Xia Libing quietly called Tang Baona out, then followed her and Yang Zhen'er back to their room, whereupon she had Tang Baona continue singing the "lullaby" to help Yang Zhen'er fall asleep.

After changing into her pajamas, Yang Zhen'er lay down on the bed and covered herself with the blanket. She saw Tang Baona leaning against the bedside, humming softly, while Xia Libing sat on the edge of the bed. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "I feel like I've gone back to my childhood, like I'm a little kid again, needing my parents to coax me to sleep."

Xia Libing looked at Tang Baona, who had stopped humming because of a yawn, and said, "Sister Nana, you should relax too. Once my cousin falls asleep, you can just go to sleep as well."

Yang Zhen'er asked, "Hey? In that case, what about you, Lao Xia? Will you be able to sleep by yourself? Why don't you sleep here with us? Our bed is big, we can squeeze in another one."

"I can sleep," Xia Libing said simply.

Alice suddenly appeared beside her at that moment, sitting side by side on the edge of the bed with her legs dangling in the air, swinging back and forth. She stretched her head out and said to Yang Zhen'er, "Don't worry, Lao Xia can't sleep, I'll play Sister Nana's songs for her."

"Alice, will I dream about you later? Sigh, what's it like to stay 'awake' in a dream? I think all my dreams are pretty..."

Yang Zhen'er murmured, but her voice grew softer and softer until she unknowingly fell asleep.

Tang Baona, who was next to her, also stopped humming, nodded to Xia Libing, and relaxed her already heavy eyelids, letting herself fall asleep.

Xia Libing glanced at Alice beside her, who nodded knowingly. She then knew that her cousin and Nana were truly asleep— Alice could directly assess their physical condition through their "extrasensory information" and know what kind of sleep they had entered.

Xia Libing got up, walked out of the room, and gently closed the door behind her. She returned to her room, first tucking the blankets around the Little Chubby Girl and the Little Apple, then checking the "Emotion-Infused Object" and "Super-Linked Object" on the bedside table. After washing up, she lay down on another bed in the room.

Xia Libing glanced at the chopsticks she had placed on the bedside table, touched the leather wristband on her left wrist, felt the small metal pieces on it, and said, "Notify Xiang Kun after I fall asleep."

Even though she didn't need to sleep, Alice, who was lying next to Lao Xia's bed, nodded with a grin and softly replied, "Okay!" Then she asked, "Should I play Nana's songs?"

Xia Libing shook her head, closed her eyes, and slowly adjusted her breathing. In less than ten minutes, she successfully fell asleep.

The entire building and the entire courtyard fell into silence.

Even the entire Chongyun Village became quiet.

The wind seemed to become stickier, no longer howling; the birds and insects all fell silent, and even the televisions in some nearby homes automatically lowered their volume slightly.

On the rooftop, a cat and a bird stood on the edge of the roof railing, looking down like two loyal guards.

After ending his call with Lao Xia, Xiang Kun held his phone, hands behind his back, and silently watched Mr. Liang drink the blood.

The phone call just now gave Xiang Kun the feeling of a commander remotely issuing orders and deploying troops for combat.

However, the thought that his "combat force" consists of three older girls, a minor, a first-grader, and an AI girl who is only a year old is somewhat comical.

Mr. Liang quickly finished drinking the blood. Before falling into a deep sleep, he took one last look at Xiang Kun and said, "I'll leave the rest to you." The signature metallic scraping sound in his voice was much less pronounced, becoming much softer.

"Don't worry." Xiang Kun gave him a thumbs up.

Mr. Liang nodded, walked a short distance to the side, sat down with his back against a large tree, and relaxed into stealth mode.

The shattered "eggshells" and various debris on the ground slowly crumbled and dissipated, marking the beginning of Mr. Liang's phase of transformation.

Xiang Kun stood to the side, his eyes squinting, looking as if he were dozing off, but in reality, this was the most focused Mr. Liang had been during this period of transformation.

The next moment is crucial for whether the plans made during this period can achieve the intended results. It is not only related to the plan itself, but also to Mr. Liang's survival. Xiang Kun is naturally going all out.

Since Mr. Liang trusts him, he will not betray that trust.

This "battle" is not a physical, hand-to-hand combat; it's a contest of cognitive levels, operational skills, and the underlying system construction.

Therefore, Xiang Kun was extremely confident because he was not only far superior to the "Ultimate Predator" in terms of system construction, but his understanding of the "Ultimate Predator" was also countless levels higher than the "Ultimate Predator's " understanding of him.

Before Xiang Kun erased the special factors and extrasensory information of the "Ultimate Predator" from his body, the "Ultimate Predator" could know what specific changes had occurred in him. However, judging from the actual situation later on, the information that the "Ultimate Predator" could grasp was limited to information such as physical changes and the degree of transformation at each stage. It had absolutely no knowledge or concept of the "Super-Linked Object" and "Emotion-Infused Object" that Xiang Kun constructed based on his abilities and existed outside his body, as well as the "Super-Sensing Item System" based on them and the various abilities derived from them.

This is actually quite normal. After all, Xiang Kun has taken a path that "Mutated Creature have never imagined before." The fundamental need of the "Ultimate Predator" is to obtain the "blood source" that can complete its next stage of extreme transformation. Everything it does seems to be creating an environment suitable for the emergence of this "blood source." Therefore, it only needs to focus on the stage of transformation of the "Mutated Creature."

Judging from the long-standing operating model of the "Ultimate Predator," it has clearly placed its bets on the human race, believing that the "bloodline" that meets its stage-specific transformation needs is most likely to emerge from the "Mutated Creature" transformed from humans.

At the same time, humans are also the species it considers most likely to threaten it. That's why whenever human researchers begin to study "Mutated Creature" and are about to uncover the secrets of "High-Dimensional Factor," it becomes stressed and sensitive, causing tragedies to try and stop them.

However, judging from Xiang Kun's appearance, the "Ultimate Predator's" judgment was actually correct. Humans can indeed produce "blood sources" that meet its requirements, and there are indeed people who pose a deadly threat to it. It just didn't expect that its "monitoring" methods and control system would fail.

Xiang Kun knew very well that it wasn't that the "Ultimate Predator" was unintelligent, but rather that its limited information acquisition methods, types, and quantities meant that it could only set up this "stress-triggered mode" and had no way to respond or handle things more cleverly or flexibly.

Especially after Xiang Kun learned about its entire operating mechanism and behavior system, he even had a way to make it know only specific information about itself, and it would definitely not know any information that it was not allowed to know. He could also set "traps" for it and make it obediently crawl into them.

Alice suddenly appeared beside Xiang Kun, mimicking his posture with her hands behind her back, looking in the direction where Mr. Liang was sleeping, and said, "Boss, they're all asleep."

Xiao Dai Zhao, the author of "My Day Has 48 Hours," has started a new book. "The Elixir is Yours, the Poison is Mine."

Introduction:

Lu Jing transmigrated to an era that resembled the Song Dynasty. He initially thought it was just another martial arts world, but little did he know that another unknown and mysterious world was hidden beneath it.

In order to resolve the growing internal energy within his body, Lu Jing resolutely stepped through that door, only to find that the problem not only remained unresolved but seemed to be getting worse.

Also known as <I Have a Method to Break One with Ten Thousand Swords>, <I'm Serious About Being a Furnace>, <I Can't Train Anymore>