3 hours later.

The "negotiation" with Ji Xing has ended, the computational limit lifted, Lin Yu returned to that more "real" world.

Opposite him, Lin Xi appeared gentle, having evidently read all the data concerning the negotiation.

However, he showed no dissatisfaction towards Lin Yu's "laxity" during the negotiation.

"It's okay, you've done very well."

Lin Xi began to speak:

"I know you still have some... resistant feelings towards us."

"But all the residents here have gone through this step."

"When they first enter this space, they all miss the days when they were still in the real world."

"We even gave this... symptom a name."

"'Fear of Leaving Home Syndrome.'

"Just like those wanderers leaving their hometowns to struggle outside, they miss everything in the real world."

"These emotions are often triggered by some unknown, deep-seated subconscious imagery."

"Perhaps a dish, a scent, even a cigarette, a uniquely flavored freshwater... "

"We gradually solved these problems, and the fear of leaving home syndrome gradually disappeared."

"You're currently in the same phase."

"We can take our time, you will always adapt."

As Lin Xi's words ended, Lin Yu exhaled heavily.

After a long silence, he finally asked:

"Why can't we... be like Ji Xing?"

"Enter the city when needed and leave when not needed?"

When these words finished, Lin Xi's face revealed an amused expression.

"Then when you enter this city, who will safeguard your body?"

"...I don't know."

Lin Yu shook his head and retorted:

"Perhaps you might have a way?"

"...Initially, we did consider such a fallback."

"We preserved many bodies, freezing them in hibernation pods."

"Should the Nuwa Plan fail, we could still return to the real world."

"But... compared to the so-called 'consciousness upload' technology, hibernation pod technology is less mature."

"A terrible accident nearly destroyed the entire hibernation storage, all the bodies were obliterated."

"Since then, we completely abandoned such... opportunistic plans."

"After all, as long as bodies exist, we could never prevent others from leaving the virtual city, and the pace of entropy increase can never be controlled..."

After hearing Lin Xi's explanation, Lin Yu fell momentarily silent.

The hibernation pods destroyed?

This sounds... like an accident.

But it seems more like a conspiracy.

Is there a possibility that someone actively destroyed those so-called hibernation pods, completely cutting off the Mountain City People's way back?

Lin Yu stared directly into Lin Xi's eyes, and the latter immediately shook his head.

"I've never done such a thing."

"In fact, I don't even have the authority to do such a thing."

"For a long time during our investigation, we indeed found many suspicious points in that accident."

"But... what's done is done, it's meaningless to pursue it further, right?"

"...Indeed."

Lin Yu sighed again and then said:

"There's no need to discuss these irrelevant topics anymore---- let's talk about the negotiation."

"You've already read my memory, so you should see, the negotiation didn't go smoothly, right?"

"No."

A peculiar smile appeared on Lin Xi's face.

"On the contrary, the negotiation went quite smoothly."

"This is the first time they are willing to enter our world and take a look."

"Even though it's just these steps, it's already a huge progress."

"You indeed haven't reached any substantial agreements, nor received any promises from the Huaxia Army."

"But based on the existing information... they're very curious about us."

"They're curious about the ring, too."

"And the information we hold is unique in the world — unique — unique — unique— "

Lin Xi suddenly became stuck in place.

The unfinished words repeated once again, turning into an ear-piercing, high-frequency screech.

His face distorted, body flickered in and out like a malfunctioning light bulb.

Then, those fine colors suddenly merged into angular color blocks, and in an instant, Lin Xi turned from a very realistic "person" image into an unshaped...

Clay sculpture?!

Lin Yu stood there, dumbfounded.

At first, he thought he was hallucinating.

But quickly he realized.

Isn't the entire Mountain City he's in now a kind of hallucination?

This world...

About to collapse??

He fearfully wanted to stand up but found he couldn't control his actions.

The soul seemed to once again leave the body, drifting into the air, where he saw like a fish out of water, constantly jerking humanoid forms on the ground.

And that humanoid form was penetrating walls in an unimaginable way, falling towards the ground.

Then, at a certain moment, suddenly soar high into the air.

It's over!

Lin Yu's mind was instantly filled with fear.

He wanted to escape, but within seconds, he had already forgotten what the words "escape" meant.

His state was just like the last moment before falling asleep.

Everything was blurry, everything was absurd.

Void began to gradually erode, and at this moment, he suddenly heard a voice in his ears.

"Fallback! Fallback!"

...

The darkness receded, Lin Yu seemed to awaken from a dream.

He stood up slightly flustered, looking around with wide eyes.

But he found himself no longer in the "Mountain City".

He returned to the meadow — the meadow outside the village!

"Lin Xi!"

"Lin Xi!"

Lin Xu called out loudly, not knowing why he was doing it.

But it seemed that in this virtual city, the artificial intelligence called Lin Xi was truly the only thing he could rely on.

"I'm here."

Lin Xi's voice emanated from the void.

"No need to panic."

"We just encountered a small problem."

"Those Huaxia Army through... Ji Xing, injected some malicious programs affecting Mountain City's operation for a short time."

"But rest assured, I've solved it."

"I always knew they wouldn't compromise easily, and indeed, they've proven not to be kind."

Lin Yu exhaled deeply.

He suddenly felt a sense of "surviving a disaster".

Indeed, he was ready to face death.

But for some reason, when death really came... he indeed had some difficulty accepting it.

Fortunately, now is not the end.

He sat on the grass, then asked:

"So, will the negotiation with them continue?"

"Considering this as an 'attack', will you choose... to forgive them?"

"Of course."

Lin Xi replied:

"I allow them to make some rash moves in some matters, after all, they — they — after all — they — "

The sharp high-frequency noise sounded again.

Lin Yu was astounded.

In the next second.

An even sharper noise exploded suddenly.

"Fallback! Fallback!"

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