Chapter 646

Fang Qi was still holding Liguang’s little hand, staring blankly into space.

Her hand was warm and soft, yet it remained perfectly still in his grasp.

What was this supposed to be?!

He turned his head slightly and glanced at the silver-haired girl beside him.

She looked completely dazed, still unable to understand the situation.

Fortunately, she had noticed something was wrong earlier today and had mentally prepared herself. After arriving at the police station, she had even realized on her own that she had lost her memories…

So she wouldn’t immediately turn evil because of this.

But…

Right now, she was nothing more than a silly little girl who obediently called him “Master” and gave off steam whenever she got jealous!

Cute as that was, he had absolutely no idea how to resolve this situation!

So what was he supposed to do now…?!

“Knock, knock.”

The interrogation-room door was suddenly tapped.

Fang Qi’s eyelid twitched, and he instinctively looked toward the door.

“Come in.”

Gu Xi was scraping up the last bite of her boxed meal. Without even looking up, she answered indistinctly.

The door opened, and a young police officer leaned halfway inside. He swept his gaze around the room, then finally lowered his voice and addressed Gu Xi:

“Captain Gu, there’s been a murder in the western part of the city. The higher-ups want us there immediately…!”

…A murder?

Fang Qi blinked.

…Oh, right. The policewoman was a criminal investigator. She had plenty of work to deal with.

Arresting a “public figure” like him was merely something she had handled on the side. Her real job was dealing with those things that could actually take lives.

He instinctively glanced at the clock on the wall.

Seven twenty.

It was already past seven in the evening, yet a new case had still come knocking. They were probably going to be busy all night.

…Being a police officer really wasn’t easy.

Gu Xi quickly swallowed her last bite. As she wiped her mouth, she nodded.

“Got it. You all get ready first. Give me a few more minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The young officer replied and gently pulled the door shut.

Before it closed completely, Fang Qi heard him muttering under his breath:

“Ugh… What number case is this today?”

“Why did so many things have to happen right when the system is practically down…”

…The system was down?

Gu Xi let out a soft sigh, a trace of exhaustion impossible to hide in her eyes.

She looked at Fang Qi and opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something… but in the end, she merely pushed the documents beside her across the table toward him.

“There’s no victim, no one filed a report, and the amusement park keeps defending you two.”

Her tone was flat.

“Consider this a warning and educational reprimand. Sign here.”

Fang Qi froze.

Huh?

…Oh.

He looked at the document before him, and his heart relaxed slightly.

So that was how they were officially closing the incident involving him and Liguang “riding the Ferris wheel” at the amusement park.

Once he signed, the interrogation would officially be over.

But…

Fang Qi’s brows drew together.

…How could he possibly let things end here?

He had gone through so much trouble just to get here, and he still had a whole pile of questions he wanted to ask!

He immediately looked up, only to see the exhaustion on Gu Xi’s face. For a moment, he felt a little guilty.

Uh… Officer Gu really was busy.

But when he thought of Liguang’s problems, he decided that being busy was probably a good thing and immediately spoke up:

“Wait, Gu Xi. I still have a lot of questions I want to—!”

“Fang Qi.”

Gu Xi suddenly cut him off. Looking at him, she grew serious.

“There have been quite a few murders today.”

Fang Qi: “...?”

Murders?

“Because…”

Gu Xi drew in a quiet breath and gave him a meaningful look.

“The AI in Chenxi’s backend lost its ‘permissions’… and as a result, certain people have already begun to run out of control.”

…Hm?

Fang Qi stared at her, his pupils shrinking.

Gu Xi raised a hand and rubbed her brows wearily.

“This is what I have to deal with right now. I can’t afford to delay.”

Liguang remained silent beside them, while Fang Qi stared blankly at Gu Xi.

The AI in Chenxi’s backend had lost its permissions—and those permissions were currently in his possession.

He knew that much.

But… who exactly was running out of control? Could it be…?!

He immediately narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, staring intently at Gu Xi.

“You’re not saying that the people who’ve gone out of control are…!”

“Mm.”

Gu Xi nodded. This time, she offered no evasions or cryptic hints. She answered directly:

“The lunatics from Dusk.”

As she spoke, she rose smoothly to her feet.

“They’ve gradually begun to realize that Chenxi’s restraints on them…”

She lowered her brows slightly.

“Have stopped working.”

Fang Qi fell silent for a moment.

…So it really was Dusk?

I see.

That made sense. How could the permissions of Chenxi’s backend AI have been meant only to deal with him?

So what Gu Xi meant was that Chenxi had been using those permissions to restrain Dusk—

That organization made up of awakened AIs and modified humans.

He had dealt with them before and knew what they stood for: “the mutual pursuit of humans and intelligent machines.”

That had been quite a while ago, hadn’t it?

Come to think of it, those people didn’t seem to understand the true nature of this world.

Wait, hadn’t Lin Xiaoyou mentioned before that in one particular timeline…

Dusk’s members—the older man, Xiaoyue, and the others—had worshiped Liguang as a goddess…?

Huh?

Fang Qi was slightly stunned.

Liguang was also regarded as a goddess by Dusk?

“Still, you don’t need to worry about this matter.”

Gu Xi stood there, rolling her neck and stretching a couple of times. Her ponytail swayed from side to side.

“For now, Dusk won’t come looking for trouble with you.”

She looked at Fang Qi, her tone suddenly becoming brisk and businesslike. Her heroic features turned stern.

“I know you have your own plans, so…”

She pressed her lips together, looking first at Fang Qi and then at Liguang, who had remained silent beside him.

“As for those permissions belonging to the ‘Chenxi backend AI’… I won’t ask you to return them anymore.”

“But…”

She let out a soft breath, her eyes carrying a hint of fatigue.

“I also hope you can resolve the current problem as soon as possible.”

“Otherwise, the pressure on my side… is honestly tremendous.”

Fang Qi stared blankly at her.

…So that was how it was.

So Gu Xi had kept demanding that he return the “permissions” Liguang had taken from Chenxi’s AI backend because of this reason as well!

Now that Dusk was no longer being restrained, they had begun running rampant… which was why Gu Xi had been so desperate for him to return the permissions!

And here he had been, wondering why the policewoman was so concerned about a set of “stolen permissions”…

It turned out she had been trying to collect a debt on behalf of the entire city’s public safety!

Then why didn’t she just say so? Did he look like some kind of villain?!

Why carry all that pressure herself and insist on speaking in riddles? In a situation like this, he definitely would have…!

Fang Qi suddenly fell silent.

Would he really return them?

…Return them, my foot!

How was he supposed to return them?!

Never mind returning the permissions to Chenxi’s backend AI—he didn’t even have the slightest idea how to return the permissions Liguang possessed!

…Forget about saving face!

“Gu Xi!”

Fang Qi shot to his feet and glared at her.

“I genuinely don’t know how to return Liguang’s ‘permissions’!”

“I don’t understand it at all! I don’t understand any of it!”

“After all…”

He gently tightened his grip around the warm, soft hand in his palm and turned his head toward Liguang.

At that moment, Liguang was standing right beside him.

The moment he got to his feet, she stood up with him.

She rose quietly and stood close beside him, her eyes lowered as she remained perfectly still, like a little plant… afraid that she might be left behind.

“After all, I’ve forgotten a lot of important things too.”

As he spoke, Fang Qi raised his other hand and gently patted the silver-haired girl on the head, then turned to Gu Xi.

“Just like Liguang, I’m completely lost as well!”

Those words weren’t meant only for Gu Xi. He was trying to comfort Liguang, too.

He was still afraid she wouldn’t be able to accept such a drastic change again.

Beside him, Liguang’s mismatched eyes flickered the moment she heard him say “just like her.”

Then she lowered her head even further, using her silver hair to hide her eyes…

But the corners of her rosy lips curved up ever so slightly.

Yes, it worked!

Gu Xi, however, froze. She looked at Fang Qi in surprise.

“…You really don’t know?”

Fang Qi: “…”

Of course I don’t know!

Stop imagining that I planned everything. What exactly have I planned?

“If I really knew, would I still be asking you?”

He spread his hands helplessly.

“I’d love nothing more than to help Liguang recover her memories!”

Gu Xi looked at him, her brows drawing together slightly as suspicion filled her eyes…

Beside him, Liguang tilted her head a little and silently watched Gu Xi.

Gu Xi glanced at Liguang… and her furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

She smiled helplessly and shook her head.

“Looks like your plan even took your amnesiac self into account.”

Her tone was completely relieved, without the slightest trace of worry.

“How impressive.”

Fang Qi: “?”

No… Couldn’t you at least be a little worried?

Fang Qi stared at Gu Xi, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Although what she said did make a certain amount of sense—the version of him who hadn’t lost his memories really had been scheming against his present self all along…

But could he possibly have anticipated this situation?

This vicious cycle, the Gene Gate, Dusk losing control…

Even his past self would be completely at a loss by now, wouldn’t he?

Everything had piled into one giant mess…

“Gu Xi, if you know how to…!”

“I don’t know either.”

Gu Xi suddenly became serious, her smile vanishing as she looked directly at Fang Qi.

“Of course I don’t know how to let you divide your authority and give some of it to Liguang.”

“Because…”

She lowered her eyes slightly.

“I’ve never done anything like that.”

“All I’ve ever done is receive authority from you and pass it on to others.”

“And I…”

She looked at Fang Qi again and raised a hand to rest lightly against her chest.

“I’ve always been the one receiving authority.”

“I’ve only ever received the authority you gave me and used it. But… I’ve never passed it on to anyone else.”

“And I never could.”

Her voice grew much softer, but her eyes were frighteningly serious.

“It is the meaning of my existence.”

Fang Qi stared at her, opening and closing his mouth without managing to say a word.

…Matchmaker Sister, you suddenly got so serious that I don’t even know what to say anymore…

Words like “the meaning of my existence” were far too heavy.

They were so heavy that someone as clueless as him had no way of catching them.

He tightened his grip on Liguang’s little hand.

Officer Gu had an almost obsessive faith in him.

To be honest, the way she was looking at him now—as if everything he did was right—was undeniably gratifying.

…But the more she trusted him like this, the less he dared to betray her, or fail the woman who had even been willing to “sacrifice her soul.”

Come to think of it, just how much did he owe Gu Xi…?

Suddenly, the small silver head beside him moved.

Liguang, who had been silent the entire time, slowly raised her head. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Gu Xi with a chilling intensity.

“Officer Gu…”

She murmured softly:

“You really cherish the things your Master gives you…”

Her tone was gentle and delicate, but there was something genuinely frightening in her eyes!

Fang Qi: “…”

Wife, could you really find an opening to get jealous even here…?

Gu Xi, however, didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she let out a soft laugh.

“Liguang, if you think that way, you’ll be misunderstanding your Fang Qi.”

She turned her head and smiled at Liguang.

“According to our plan, all authority in the future, including this small portion of authority that belongs to me…”

Her eyes slowly lowered.

“Will ultimately belong to you.”

Fang Qi stared blankly at Gu Xi.

Beside him, the red light in the silver-haired girl’s eyes flickered…

Fang Qi felt the little hand in his palm relax, all its previous tension vanishing in an instant.

She quietly edged a little closer to him, her shoulder nearly brushing his arm.

But Fang Qi’s hand had grown stiff. He even began to avert his eyes guiltily!

Because… on the whole, he could understand what Gu Xi meant.

He knew that the version of himself from before…

Had treated Liguang as nothing more than a useful “tool.”

What was it again… the “fuel” for the New World?

But now…

The plan had already changed. Was that still the case?

He didn’t know.

His mind was a complete mess.

Gu Xi remained silent for a moment. Then she suddenly drew a deep breath, turned around briskly, and moved to push open the door.

Her movements were so quick that it was almost as if she were trying to escape from something!

Fang Qi came back to himself at once.

“…Wait, Gu Xi!”

Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, he hurriedly called out:

“I have one last question!”

Gu Xi stopped, but she didn’t turn around.

“What is it?”

Her voice seemed to tremble slightly.

Fang Qi could tell that the conversation just now had thrown her emotions into disarray.

…Yet he didn’t understand anything, and had no idea how to comfort her.

The only person he knew how to comfort was his own yandere wife.

So in the end, he could only ask the question that had been stuck in his throat all this time:

“Gu Xi, I want to know…”

“What exactly is behind that Gene Gate?”

The instant the words left his mouth, Gu Xi’s body visibly stiffened!