"I can die, but I need to spread the news of my death."
Facing the Saotome before him, Sun Jack calmly expressed his thoughts.
"Clap, clap, clap," the UO at his side clapped again, "You indeed deserve to be locked up here, in fact, you should be in cell number one."
Sun Jack glanced at the other party and said to Saotome, "But first, I need to know how you plan to help me. What methods will you use to help me escape? Share your plan, I need to see if it's worth risking my life for."
"Escape? No, of course not, you obviously can't escape now. Since you're not afraid of dying, then I do have a way to make your death more valuable. We'll find a way to smash this place. As for the reward, once I escape, I can spread the news of your death."
Upon hearing this, Sun Jack furrowed his brow. This guy just opens his mouth and expects me to die for his escape.
However, it made sense, considering they hadn't known each other for long. If Saotome really offered to help without asking for anything in return, with full sincerity, he would seriously suspect foul play.
"First, tell me your method," Sun Jack asked.
"Come with me, first we need the help of another person," Saotome led Sun Jack to a cell at the very edge.
As the cell lit up, Sun Jack saw a white man with an extremely exaggerated look. He was wearing a loose T-shirt with large, repetitive LOGO patterns and thick, exaggerated metal jewelry around his neck, along with tattoos all over his face and dirty braids in his hair, dressed like a street rapper.
Facing the approach of Sun Jack and Saotome, the man did not respond but stared fixedly at the empty wall, as if envisioning something.
No sooner had Sun Jack taken a step forward when the man suddenly spoke, "What do you want with Poet?"
"Poet? You?" Sun Jack realized this wretched place was filled with oddities.
"What's the matter? Doesn't it seem fitting? Improvising raps and writing poetry are the same, both are forms of linguistic creation within a set framework, enough to rhyme. I think every rap is a free poet."
With a fluid set of breakdancing moves, the man smoothly laid down in front of the two. "Want me to freestyle a poem for you?"
"Maybe next time, Poet," Saotome stepped forward, "I've found a helper, maybe we can escape from here."
"Escape? From here? How's that possible, the only thing left in here is brains. How will you escape? Mind control? Hahaha~" Poet laughed as if he had heard a joke, almost bursting into tears.
Sun Jack looked sideways at Saotome. "Stop speaking in riddles and just tell us your plan."
"This consciousness prison is an independent entity, isolated from both the physical and cyber layers. But they made a mistake—the entire prison AI has a vulnerability. I need your cooperation to make this system self-aware."
"She can actually awaken self-awareness in the system AI? What on earth is her identity? No wonder there are no simple characters locked up here," Sun Jack thought to himself as he looked around.
"Why choose us?" asked Poet, lying sideways on the ground, tilting his head.
"Because you're not afraid of dying. There's a part of the plan where inside the entire prison system AI is an anti-invasion protocol. Anyone trying to interface with it, will die immediately. But death is a process, and you can fulfill the objective before dying."
It was at this moment that Sun Jack finally understood her purpose. "You're using us as pawns."
"Aren't you afraid of nothing? Aren't you willing to forsake everything?" Saotome looked fiercely at Sun Jack, her tone tinged with something... resentment?
Recalling the other party's nonsensical questions, Sun Jack managed to deduce quite a lot.
"I'm not afraid to die, but I fear dying pointlessly. How can you guarantee that my life will be used with honor and you'll keep your promises instead of just forgetting me?"
"I can guarantee it. If I can get out, then I can join too," UO suddenly popped up and said.
Sun Jack looked disdainfully at the other. "You guarantee what? Who the fuck are you? Does a rogue AI have any credibility?"
Before UO could speak, Poet suddenly burst out, his eyes shining as he exclaimed, "Ah~~~Fuck~ I'm inspired, I'm going to compose a poem on the spot!"
"You have no other choice; you can only trust us now," Saotome replied.
"Ah~ Fuck, I'm holding a Fleshlight, bullshit-talking that it's a warm nest, until the cum spurts out, shivering bullshit-talking me that this isn't a world of despair."
Unmoved by the other's words, Sun Jack scoffed. "Heh, in fact, I do have a choice. I can choose not to work with you and find another way."
Saotome slowly shook his head. "There are no other options. I've been imprisoned here for over ninety years. I've searched for every possible escape. This is the only loophole I've found."
"Ah~ Fuck~ Without a woman, Fuck's delighted because it gets stroked so oft~ With a man, Fuck's equally elated, for it finds a warm home."
"Is that so? Heh, I don't believe it. I want to try it out." With that, Sun Jack walked out, accompanied by Poet's heartfelt singing.
"This world slapped me, I couldn't stand it. I slapped Fuck; it still stood tall. Maybe Fuck is better suited for being human than I am."
Just as Sun Jack was about to leave the prison, Saotome instantly teleported, blocking his path, "Don't forget, a fake Sun Jack is out there on your turf, wreaking havoc with your identity."
"Someone shot me, I withstood it. I shot Fuck; it went down. Maybe I'm more suited to be Fuck."
Sun Jack slowly shook his head. "I'm not afraid to die, but I fear a worthless sacrifice. I don't see how using my death carelessly would help the situation outside. If you want to use me, show me your sincerity."
Sun Jack left, returning to the emptiness of his own prison cell, where only Poet's chanting continued to echo.
After a few lines of poetry, Sun Jack once again saw Saotome appear before him, "To show my sincerity, I can try contacting your people now and give them payment."
Hearing this, Sun Jack was first stunned, then spoke incredulously, "You can contact my people? Didn't you say this prison was an independent entity?"
"You don't need to worry about that. If you agree, then swear upon those who died because of you that once you get the payment, you will carry out my earlier plan."
"Deal."
With the end of Poet's poem, the two parties finally reached an agreement.
"Ah~~ Maybe I am Fuck, and Fuck is me. Maybe I'm not myself, and Fuck isn't Fuck. Perhaps it's really Fuck that grew on me and not me who has a Fuck."
"I don't need anything to prove myself, nor does Fuck... skr~"