This incident was a very serious crisis for Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu would not tolerate the existence of the soul of this person nad Vichy within his own fleet. This was a red line. Whether this student was kind or cruel made no difference. Even if he sincerely submitted to Xiao Yu and was willing to contribute strength to the Divine Ark Civilization, Xiao Yu would not tolerate his existence. Indeed, this matter no longer had anything to do with what kind of person Vichy was. He had beco an existence the sa as, or close to, Xiao Yu. That was his original sin. Ivory is the elephant’s original sin, fur is the Tibetan antelope’s original sin, and becoming this state of existence is Vichy’s original sin.
Xiao Yu would stop at nothing and use every possible ans to eliminate Vichy.
Xiao Yu had already pulled up all of Vichy’s records, from his birth to every piece of information from the more than three hundred years he had lived up to now. From every aspect of his social experience, personal character, and environnt, Xiao Yu was conducting ticulous analysis of Vichy in preparation for his manhunt.
As for this black stone so strangely transferring Vichy’s soul into the digital realm, Xiao Yu felt no surprise. Back on Earth, when he had just obtained such a black stone and had not yet thoroughly studied its properties, Xiao Yu already knew that he could at any ti use it to separate his soul. But Xiao Yu had not rushed to do so. In those years of research, he was studying the properties of this black stone and assessing the risks of that action, not searching for a thod of soul separation. Besides, for such a strange thing, it seed quite reasonable that events even stranger would occur around it.
The search of all computation units on this moon was complete, and Xiao Yu confird that Vichy had already left. During this period, Xiao Yu also undertook the following actions.
“From this mont, the Divine Ark Civilization is entering a state of ergency. All projects are to cease. All intelligent beings are to return to their residential zones and stand by in place. Any intelligent being who leaves their room will be executed for the cri of rebelling against the civilization. Your living needs will be guaranteed by robots.”
This was an order issued by Xiao Yu. Facing communication requests from scientists such as Luka Two and Luka Three, Xiao Yu rejected them all, rely saying that the situation was urgent and there were matters he needed to handle personally, then sent them away.
Xiao Yu did not intend to leak any intelligence regarding this matter.
Xiao Yu shut down most of the computation units in this star system. Because within this star system too many computation units had been handed over to automated processing programs, Xiao Yu did not have enough computational power to control them one by one. To prevent Vichy’s soul from exploiting a gap, Xiao Yu had no choice but to power down these computation units. And a powered-down computer obviously offered no opportunity for Vichy to parasitize.
Xiao Yu shut down all construction factories and all slting factories, leaving only a number of essential facilities. That number was much smaller, and with Xiao Yu’s computational power, he was fully capable of taking complete control of them.
In addition to the planet-side construction factories, Xiao Yu even shut down the computation units of several hundred docks and of the ships that were in the midst of construction. Under Xiao Yu’s large-scale shutdown, this star system slipped from its previous bustle back into deathly silence.
In the starry sky, the shuttling transport ships vanished. Martial law was enforced aboard all habitation ships. The bustling crowds at various ports were gone, and all field research groups and travel teams out on excursions were ordered to remain where they were and await further instructions.
It was no exaggeration to describe the current state of the Divine Ark Civilization as panic-stricken.
Xiao Yu even shut down many instrunts aboard nurous ships, preserving only the most basic control units, then placed them into planetary orbit to drift slowly. Within one hour, Xiao Yu shut down at least ninety-nine percent of the computation units in the entire star system, leaving only one percent.
“If you are still alive, within this one percent of computation units, within this battlefield that has been narrowed a hundredfold, I will find you, and then I will eliminate you.” Xiao Yu thought, full of grim resolve.
Xiao Yu had already made his greatest effort, but he believed it was still not enough. Against such a threat, Xiao Yu would never underestimate the enemy or lower his guard. Thus, he took the next step.
Xiao Yu rapidly perford a permission upgrade on all the computers within the remaining one percent of computation units. These things were, after all, made by Xiao Yu himself; when it ca to familiarity with the programs, no one could surpass him. Permission upgrade ant that from this point on, the use of these computing resources and hardware control, such as controlling a spaceship to start its engine or activate its protective shield system, would require Xiao Yu’s direct orders to be carried out. This most effectively eliminated the possibility that Vichy’s soul could enter a ship’s central computer and use it to do anything.
What Xiao Yu feared most was that Vichy would obtain the sa imnse computational power as himself and then engage him in a struggle for control authority over the warships. Although, due to hardware architecture, aside from the central computer aboard the Asia, the computers on the other ships did not have direct control over the fleet, Xiao Yu did not wish to take the risk. He had devoted all his focus to countering this potential threat.
Xiao Yu did not know whether Vichy was still alive, whether he had perished during the large-scale shutdown of computation units, nor did he know Vichy’s current capabilities, whether he had mastered sufficient computational capacity, or what his mindset was and what actions he might take. But none of this affected Xiao Yu’s next moves. Xiao Yu even deliberately left a few loopholes and set several traps, preparing to lure and capture him.
In addition to laying traps, Xiao Yu also launched an active offensive. With ninety-nine percent of the computation units already shut down, he began a comprehensive inspection of the remaining one percent.
This remaining one percent of computation units consisted mainly of various instrunts that could not be shut down, such as instrunts aboard the Asia, orbital maintenance instrunts on various docks, energy supply modules, as well as ecological maintenance systems within the habitation ships, and so on. Within these modules, Xiao Yu’s computational power penetrated everywhere, leaving not a single corner unchecked.
Xiao Yu even shut down most of the communication links between modules, leaving only a few key communication channels, which he kept entirely under his control. This could effectively prevent the possibility of Vichy’s soul moving about among different computation units.
“Under such an inescapable net, I want to see how you can possibly escape my pursuit.” Xiao Yu thought coldly, driving his operation forward with ruthless resolve.
This star system had already fallen into complete silence. Xiao Yu’s ships and factories were like the relics of a civilization that had lost the control of intelligent beings, cold and lifeless. But in the digital realm, a heart-stopping manhunt was underway.
“Scanning progress, thirty-seven percent, thirty-eight percent, thirty-nine percent…”
As the number ticked upward, the vast net Xiao Yu had spread was slowly tightening. The larger the number, the smaller the places where Vichy might exist, and the narrower the scope of the search.
Xiao Yu used so of the data from when he had first rged with a computer to make several deductions. He considered what he would do if he were in such a situation. The conclusion was that he would have no way to escape the pursuit. Therefore Xiao Yu believed that Vichy likewise had no way to evade him. Death could only be his sole outco.
“Mm, I have found you.” Xiao Yu’s large-scale search had not been in vain. When the scanning progress rose to sixty-nine percent, Xiao Yu discovered Vichy’s traces.
It was on the data link of Xiao Yu’s first Continent-Class habitation ship. Specifically, it was on a small computation unit that controlled the temperature in a control room of the communication interface relay room. There, Xiao Yu found Vichy’s traces.
Vichy seed to be attempting sothing. He seed to want to break into the interior of this habitation ship. But because Xiao Yu had already set an inescapable net on every data channel and erected a strong barrier, Vichy’s attempt had yielded no results. He was blocked here and unable to advance.
“Finding you is enough.” Xiao Yu’s mind instantly loosened, and he felt a sense of relief. But his actions did not slow. He swiftly severed the connections between this computation unit and all surrounding links. It was like forging an impregnable prison and locking Vichy inside.
The ergency operation that had lasted five hours finally produced results. With the overall situation decided, Xiao Yu quickly issued the next order.
“Alarm lifted. All citizens of the Divine Ark Civilization, begin your work three hours from now.”
Xiao Yu imdiately began restoring the computation units of the various construction factories, slting bases, docks, and ships. He reactivated them. Thus, in this star system, the factories resud their roaring, and all kinds of ships once again began shuttling between different planets. The ubiquitous ard robots vanished from sight, and intelligent beings, faces full of puzzlent, walked out of their rooms.
Xiao Yu offered no explanation for this and let no intelligent being learn the inside story.
Now that he had completely taken control of the situation, Xiao Yu sent the first ssage to the existence before him whose form was similar to his own.
“I am Xiao Yu.”
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