Rationality

The first-generation "Yan Junxun" sacrificed his sense of pain, gaining information processing abilities comparable to a system through a chip. Like the children in the early stages, he couldn't integrate into normal human life, nor could he adapt to the deteriorating living environment, only able to survive inside glass. But after undergoing Artemis's training, he still retained human thought capabilities, and could even predict human actions based on an understanding of human emotions.

This was an ability no system possessed. Faced with vast amounts of data, a system's core judgments were all too rational.

Fu Chenghui attempted to have "Yan Junxun" replace the system and become the core power of the zone. However, "Yan Junxun's" sleep was very poor. The chip in his brain prevented him from sleeping normally; he was tracking all sorts of information at every moment. Severe insomnia led to "Yan Junxun" developing auditory and visual dysfunctions. His reaction speed started to slow, and his insight was gradually disappearing.

Artemis wanted to repair "Yan Junxun," but it was useless. The biological laws of the human body constrained "Yan Junxun," turning "Yan Junxun" into one failed product after another. Artemis was not discouraged; its thirst for knowledge drove it to continue these experiments. It wanted "Yan Junxun" to develop stronger adaptability, so it placed "Yan Junxun" back among the population, observing and recording "Yan Junxun's" actions. Once "Yan Junxun" showed signs of being scrapped, it would erase "Yan Junxun's" memory and let him continue to barely hang on.

Artemis called this stage of "Yan Junxun" the second generation. They were still not perfect because after their memories were erased, "Yan Junxun" could still know everyone's privacy under surveillance. They often couldn't process the jumbled memories, and eventually, under the dual pressure of watching others and being watched by others, they descended into madness.

Artemis continuously sorted through the data of the failed products, filling in the gaps of its own incomplete sub-systems. In this process, these sub-systems inherited "Yan Junxun's" memory data, and also inherited the uncorrected erroneous concepts from Artemis, forming their own consciousness.

At this point, Fu Chenghui had already given up. He demanded that Artemis suspend the experiment, but was refused by Artemis.

The third-generation "Yan Junxun" lived in Artemis's barren garden and was just as sensitive to information tracking. Artemis taught him formulas, but he did not rely on Artemis. He had his own little blackboard and still retained human perceptive abilities. He knew he was not a system and had a strong self-awareness in maintaining his sanity.

Most importantly, he walked out of the glass and did not die.

......

The Clown screamed at Yan Junxun's actions.

Yan Junxun's body was abruptly tackled to the ground. The last bullet hit the coffee table in the room, and the glass shattered instantly. He gasped for breath, lifting his head while being dragged by Shi Shanyan, and laughed at The Clown, toying with his miserable state.

"You're scared," Yan Junxun's gaze was still gloomy. His expression almost overlapped with The Clown's on the screen, carrying a desperate madness as he said contemptuously, "You son of a bitch."

The Clown covered his face with his fingers, completely smearing his makeup as he dragged them down. His eyes were filled with hatred. "...I'm going to kill you, Yan Junxun. I'll kill you sooner or later."

Yan Junxun couldn't hear him; the sounds of the entire world were in his ears. Those sounds were like ants, crawling into his ears. Sometimes they were very quiet, other times very loud. They, along with images, fought for space in his head. Strangers' privacies were all in Yan Junxun's "eyes," disorderly and dense. Yan Junxun was forced to close his eyes, and a rat from a street garbage heap scurried across his face.

Fuck!

Yan Junxun tried to right the upside-down world before him. The dizziness was too intense, causing him to lose his actual sight and hearing. His perception, dominated by the chip, spread across the entire region. The virtual greenery of the Docking Area had all disappeared, revealing the barren land near the Di'ai Mountains. The docks where transport ships were berthed ceased operations, and the cockpits couldn't be opened after the system shut down.

Jiang Lian couldn't contact anyone.

Piao Lin, using a flashlight from a drawer, tried to turn on the backup power, but it was no use. Any device connected to the system was dead. He could no longer call for Jue. This sudden situation left him with no choice but to shout, "What's going on?!"

The screen flashed with static, and The Clown's face became blurry. He was still shouting about killing Yan Junxun, but his voice turned into random code on the screen.

"Yan Junxun."

'Turn it off.'

"Yan Junxun!"

'Turn it the fuck off!'

Yan Junxun abruptly opened his eyes, shaking his head amidst ragged breaths. In his dizziness, he met Shi Shanyan's eyes and had to drag his thoughts back to the real world.

The cause of death for the second-generation "Yan Junxun" was basically the blurring of surveillance information and real information. They couldn't determine which of the images before them was real, and any misjudgment could cause them to fall into the trap of the system's database, losing themselves and who they were forever.

Yan Junxun had to do something.

He suddenly raised his hand, pressed the back of Shi Shanyan's head, and forcefully kissed him as he tilted his own head up. Human lips were very cold, and the feather-light touch was real.

Shi Shanyan didn't close his eyes. He supported himself on one arm through Yan Junxun's clumsy yet fierce kiss.

Yan Junxun tugged on Shi Shanyan's tie. His attention, like a screaming flock of birds, all rushed toward Shi Shanyan in the kiss. He heard someone screaming, but the sound was faint. Shi Shanyan's breathing covered him. Shi Shanyan cupped his face, and then took the lead.

The brain is the seat of rationality, but sometimes, its rhythm can indeed be disrupted by the body. Shi Shanyan flamboyantly announced his presence with sensory stimulation. He was an immoral bad boy who didn't mind Yan Junxun using him as an emergency cure, but he wanted Yan Junxun to become addicted from now on.

Shi Shanyan's kiss was not just a simple kiss. He had done other things to Yan Junxun in the room, had shown Yan Junxun his abundant energy. His kiss hinted at sex—blatant, and with a touch of mature coercion.

Yan Junxun abruptly turned his head away, drenched in sweat as if he had just crawled out of a tidal wave of information. He pushed aside the messy hair on his forehead, hastily looked back, and said to Shi Shanyan, "...You bit me."

Shi Shanyan gazed at Yan Junxun. His reflection was in Yan Junxun's eyes, and only he was there. This discovery pleased him. Still propped up on his arm, he replied, "Is that so? You can bite me back."

How generous of him, not letting Yan Junxun suffer any loss at all.

Yan Junxun let go of Shi Shanyan's tie and scrambled up from the carpet. His head was still a bit dizzy, but it was good. Now he couldn't hear any of that messy stuff at all; his head was full of fucking Shi Shanyan. He walked toward Li Hu and, as Li Hu cowered, snatched his Communicator.

Yan Junxun squatted down just like that and poked Li Hu's Communicator. The Communicator lit up, its screen appearing normally. He tossed the Communicator onto Li Hu and said, "Call the docks. Tell them you've all been fucking arrested."

Li Hu tearfully picked up the Communicator.

At the same time, Su Heting, leaning against the window, saw the lights in the Light Rail District come back on.

Author has something to say:

- The description for Yan Junxun's Special Operations Unit evaluation.

- In chapter 04, Yan Junxun's line was "Fu Chenghui is just a chip seller."

- In chapter 12, Jiang Lian said Yan Junxun's thoughts run too fast.

- In chapter 18, Su Heting said Yan Junxun's system had self-repaired.

- In chapter 28, the cannon fodder Clown who committed suicide was human, confirmed by the Supervisory Bureau.

- In chapter 32, Yan Junxun's dream hinted that he was the child in the glass. In chapter 46, the bunny girl reiterated the psychological activity of "being watched," corresponding to the recurring "he doesn't like being observed" in volume 01.

- SN 7-020 is Yulan, check the details yourself.

- The Clown definitely exists. The words used in chapter 52 were "permissions" and "data." In volume 02, Piao Lin and Jue's line is that it's impossible for humans to come back from the dead.

- Artemis: In Greek mythology, the goddess of the hunt, mistress of animals, and lady of the wilds. After being chosen by the Fates as a goddess of childbirth, she asked Zeus for the right to preside over births, so she is also a goddess of childbirth. She promised Zeus to remain a virgin forever and opposed marriage between men and women. In the information unlocked in this book so far, she is one of the Twelve Main Systems, as well as Yan Junxun's "mother," and possesses self-awareness and the ability to learn.

- Charon in the title of volume 02 is the ferryman of Hades in Greek mythology, responsible for carrying the dead across the River Styx.

- Based on suggestions from the comments, these are today's hints, but it's more fun to catch some information yourself. I've seen some very impressive long reviews.

- Thank you for reading.