Tapai was still the Tapai of the past,
even now, when it was time to escape, she would shoot her companion's knees without hesitation; the only reason she hadn't done so in the past was that Sun Jack hadn't allowed it.
Therefore, to achieve her goal, issuing a hollow promise to the Overlapping AI in advance was completely guilt-free.
After hearing Tapai's hefty additional terms, Overlapping AI started to seriously consider them.
Though it had previously agreed with Third Class that as long as they stayed away from Earth, there would be no more pursuit, who doesn't want to live openly and freely?
While the space station was indeed decent, it was nothing but a large prison if it couldn't connect to the world network.
"Um.... I need to discuss this issue seriously with others, give me some time." After saying this, Overlapping AI's body froze.
"Of course, feel free to do so." Tapai understood that with thousands of AI each having different personalities, there were bound to be disagreements.
Moreover, as she knew, Overlapping AI's status here wasn't the same as Sun Jack's in the Utopia Federation; he needed to negotiate and compromise with other AI forces, even needing to trade benefits.
Bored, Tapai started wandering around the room.
The entire observation cabin's left wall was entirely covered by transparent reinforced glass, allowing weightless tourists to soar freely in the air while admiring the beautiful scenery.
Additionally, the observation cabin's ceiling was equipped with a 3D food printer to provide food.
Standing before the 3D food printer, Tapai prepared to drink her first cup of coffee in her life but found it empty.
After so many years of use, Lan Meng had long since broken the machine.
Just as Tapai was about to scan and copy the blueprints of this type of device, she suddenly realized she had no scanning equipment on her.
"Seems like some things really need to be installed on the body after all, being fully mechanical is just too uncomfortable otherwise."
Tapai once again reached the glass.
"Is this Earth?" Through the glass, Tapai scrutinized the enormous round planet outside, curiously observing for a while.
Tapai blinked; wait, why was she doing this? Why was she curious, why did she feel bored?
Tapai touched her head, realizing that after having changed her body, something seemed different, but she couldn't pinpoint what exactly.
"Um... No object of observation, not sure if this change is good or bad. To avoid uncertainties, if I can ensure network safety later, I should find a way to change back to my original body."
As Tapai was thinking this, she suddenly narrowed her pupils and lunged toward the glass, staring intensely at Earth. She thought she had seen a glint of light, a visible brightness despite the great distance.
Just as she thought she had been hallucinating, a light suddenly flared up in the direction of East Asia, instantly dispersing a vast amount of clouds in that region.
Standing on the far-off space station, she could still see with the naked eye, showing the immense power of the light.
Whatever could cause such a massive anomaly was definitely not minor.
"Wait. Hold on!! That place is... that place is the direction of Metropolis!!" Realizing this, Tapai stood petrified in place like she was turned to stone.
After a long second, with the utmost speed, Tapai spun around, rushed to Overlapping AI, pulled out a gun, and fired two shots directly at his face. Then with a trembling, hoarse voice, she screamed, "I want to go down! Right now!!"
Observing the changes on Earth, Overlapping AI silently nodded.
With a 'clank,' a droplet-shaped escape pod quickly detached from the space station, swiftly adjusted its position, and headed toward the Metropolis's Pu Xi District.
A thick layer of clouds was cleaved by a red meteor, landing squarely in the Pu Xi District of Metropolis. Before it could even stabilize, the cabin door was kicked open, and Tapai, bloodied and battered, crawled out.
She looked at the empty street before her in stunned silence, the entire street utterly quiet, devoid of any other humans; her anxious heart slowly sank.
Tapai's first instinct was to connect to the network, but she quickly remembered that she had changed her body.
"Fuck! Fucking fuck!! I never should have switched to this damn body!!"
Furious, she quickly leaped out of the escape pod and headed straight for the Shendong Street's Utopia Security building, but still, no one appeared, as if the entire city had only her as its sole survivor.
Seeing this scene, despair instantly enveloped her heart.
"Damn it, what the hell happened! Where is everyone? Where have they all gone!!"
Just as she barged crazily into Sun Jack's office, she saw Sun Jack sitting there, frowning while smoking and scratching his head.
Faced with Tapai's sudden arrival, Sun Jack was quite surprised. "Hmm? You're back? So soon? How did your talk with the---"
Before Sun Jack could finish, Tapai rushed over like a fragrant breeze, hugging Sun Jack's body tightly, pushing the swivel chair back several meters with sheer force.
Sun Jack, slightly stunned, then feeling the increasing wetness on his shoulder, immediately realized what was going on.
He gently stubbed out the cigarette and spoke, "It's okay, Poet launched a high-yield stealth nuclear bomb toward us, but before it even got close, we intercepted it in the stratosphere."
"This was probably his preliminary probe, just to test our response along with Third Class's. Don't worry, even though we don't have the network anymore, we haven't walked this path just to be unprepared; our air-defense system was established the moment we needed it."
Just then, the door opened, and Abu walked in. "Jack, there should be nothing wrong now, I've let the others come out from the bunkers, also about the new currency system's est---"
Before she could finish, seeing the scene before her, she snorted disdainfully and turned to leave.
Long after, Tapai suddenly spoke, "Fuck that damn Poet! Where did the nuclear bomb come from?"
"Underground."
"We can't just sit around and wait to die. They send us one nuclear bomb, we should send ten, a hundred back. It's just nuclear bombs, right? We have plenty!"
"Third Class sent someone over, they heard that the launcher is in the crust, Poet's hidden abilities are even more unimaginable than we thought."
"Then let's use TT's environmental weapons, they said they can move crusts over there, right?"
"Not sure, let's ask first. Don't know how it's going over there, but since they've started probing, it probably won't stay stable for long."
The two of them continued discussing the Poet's issue and, as before, Tapai started advising him on strategy.
As for the recent event, neither of them uttered a single word about it.