"Me?" Sun Jack looked at Tapai with some surprise. "What's so hard to understand about me?"
"Not just you, but also the Priest, Anan, Hilda, Anyun, the Neural Key, and everyone from the Rat Alliance before, why would you harm your own interests for others? I can't understand."
"But later, I bought a special thinking logic module from him, and I started to understand. Some things are more important than interests in the eyes of humans, sometimes you have to have a clear conscience." Tapai reached out and touched the hard armor plate on his chest.
A few seconds later, he looked up with utmost seriousness and said, "But it was at that moment, I suddenly realized, fuck, I'm in an AI crisis."
"Why didn't you tell me these things before?" Sun Jack asked.
"What would it have changed if I had told you? You were so anxious back then, thinking every day about how to deal with the Holy Grail. Besides making you worry about this and that, what other use would it have served?"
Sun Jack sighed and just as he was about to light a cigarette, Tapai extended a finger that was on fire to light it for him.
"You're better at dealing with stuff online than I am, there's not much I can help with. Just look out for yourself. Be careful not to be used by others."
"Can't be, that guy's already dead, taken out by Section 3."
Seeing Sun Jack silently contemplating, Tapai continued, "With the help of that noble person, I met some Awakened AI, or as they're commonly called on the net, Roaming AI, or even Rebel AI. Anyway, any name works."
"Those of us who avoid being caught by Section 3 have a secret circle, where we can help each other out. When I was looking for your whereabouts, they were a lot of help, otherwise I really couldn't have found you."
Hearing Tapai's words, Sun Jack's heart settled down a bit, thankfully it wasn't the worst possibility.
The case with UO clearly showed that being an Awakened AI didn't necessarily mean an AI crisis.
"So, after you installed the new behavioral logic module, you stopped valuing human life?"
"No, didn't I say it before? I didn't value human life before either, remember the first time we did a commission? To let you escape, I didn't hesitate to shoot Si Ai in the leg."
"Fuck, you seem pretty proud of that?" Sun Jack looked at him incredulously.
"Don't think that just because I don't value human life, I'm in an AI crisis. It's like the living people on this Earth take others' lives seriously. Every day it's kill or be killed, calculating each other. Do they value human life? Why don't you suspect them of an AI crisis? Dude, can you stop being so hypocritical?"
Sun Jack was unable to refute that, and it was indeed true. He gripped Tapai tightly with both hands, "Let's put those things aside for now, the most important thing right now is the virus you released earlier. Remember what I told you, you must tell me first before doing something that involves killing so many people, do you hear me?"
Tapai nodded. "Alright, I'll tell you. Mm-hmm."
When he heard Tapai say this, Sun Jack breathed a sigh of relief and opened his arms to gently hug the other. "Thanks for telling me all this, I'm really happy you've been completely open with me."
"We've been through such a rough journey together for a long time, honestly, even Hilda hasn't been with me that long, so don't make it difficult for me."
"That badass? Then shouldn't you tattoo me on your chest?"
"Get lost." Sun Jack pushed Tapai away and turned to walk out of the equipment cabin. "Let's go."
"So we're just going back like this? What about Emola?"
"Let's go back first and then talk about it. Anyway, our scouting mission this time is a complete failure. We'll think of other strategies after we get back." The thought of the betrayal by the Emola Resistance Army immediately soured Sun Jack's mood.
"Actually, I still think that the previous approach was pretty good, whether it's from the perspective of Metropolis or from your perspective."
"Stop talking, I've said I don't agree." Sun Jack cut in directly.
"I agree and that's enough." Tapai's words sent a chill through Sun Jack.
He turned around and his expression gradually worsened as he looked at Tapai. "What do you mean by that?"
"No particular meaning, just saying for the sake of it. Didn't you say not to lie to you? So I won't lie to you, but that doesn't mean I will do as you ask. Just now, while we were talking, the Kang Tao Virus has already started spreading in Emola." As he spoke, Tapai switched through several screens in front of Sun Jack.
Those were scenes of Emola, once dim, now an inferno, with explosions and screams everywhere. The cyborgs with red lights flashing in their Artificial Eyes were running through the flames like devils, pulling out data cables to transmit the anti-Tao virus to everyone.
Seeing body after body lying in ruins on the ground, Sun Jack's anger swelled. "Tapai... Tapai!! What the hell have you done!"
"You said to help you, and this is me helping you. This maximizes our benefits. FFP will never dream of using Emola's resources to fight us again." In the face of mass killing on a scale of millions, Tapai's emotions showed no ripples.
"Fuck!" A shell flew out and exploded on Tapai's chest, destroying the smirk on his face and denting his Armor Plate.
Several more shells flew, and Tapai stumbled to the ground. Facing Sun Jack's attack, Tapai neither dodged nor activated any defensive equipment.
Sun Jack rushed over, his right hand summoning the Laser Rod to appear instantly in his grasp.
"What have you done! How many people have you killed!!" Sun Jack exerted force violently, the weapon in his hand piercing a hole in Tapai's mechanical head.
Facing the destruction of his head, Tapai seemed very calm; his head was not his fatal spot.
The voice came from a speaker on his body. "Why dare they betray? Why even ambush and torture you? Because they think you're easier to talk to than the Holy Grail, so they point guns at you."
Sun Jack lifted the weapon in his hand, aiming at Tapai's core, but he couldn't bring himself to thrust it down.
"Having observed humans for so long, I see more clearly than you do. Humans are animals that bully the weak and fear the strong. Only when you threaten them will they dread and respect you."
"Being kindheartedly will only be seen as weakness. I want to make it known to everyone that betraying and hurting you also comes with a cost. Don't worry, our conversation has already been uploaded to the network."
"No one will think you've done anything wrong, they'll only think I took matters into my own hands. I've taken the blame for Emola's destruction for you, so you save face and substance."
"Sun Jack, you can now do whatever you want."
"Suit yourself, it's your choice. But if anyone thinks you're a good person and wants to point a gun at you, I'll grab that gun and put a bullet in them."