The energy capable of shattering instruments could tear a human body apart with ease.
The scrawny man’s corpse, along with his equipment, lay at the big man’s feet—now reduced to fragments just like him.
This was just as well. There was no longer any need to worry about disposing of the bodies. A scattering of flesh and blood on the ground outside the black well was perfectly normal; no one would look too closely into it.
The little robot didn’t slow its pace. Pulling Pei Ran along, it dashed through several more bends before finally stopping.
The mining tunnel was pitch black. The little robot turned on the backlight of its face panel—likely to conserve energy, the brightness was set low, emitting only a faint glow.
As a miner, it spent years navigating the depths of the tunnels. Pei Ran guessed it probably had night vision; this light was turned on specifically for her.
In the dim glow, the little robot extended a hand.
Just like Ren’s, it was a mechanical hand shaped like a human’s.
Pei Ran paused, then understood its meaning and reached out her own hand.
The little robot grasped her hand and shook it solemnly, up and down.
It was using a gesture to signal cooperation.
Yesterday, she hadn’t revealed its hiding spot, and today it had risked rushing out to help her.
In the bunker world, Pei Ran had encountered plenty of ungrateful humans—far less principled than this little robot before her.
Now, it was the same. A group of humans was dead set on killing her, while an artificial intelligence was the one willing to lend a helping hand. No matter how she thought about it, the situation was somewhat absurd.
Pei Ran also gripped its hand and shook it.
W’s voice sounded in her ear: “Pei Ran, how are you?”
Pei Ran replied, “I’m fine. The other one’s dead too, but I wasn’t the one who took care of him.”
Finally, she added, “W, that miner robot you mentioned yesterday—I’m with it right now.”
W’s reaction was calm, as if this was entirely expected. “Good. We’ll talk when you arrive.”
Pei Ran: When I arrive?
Arrive where?
The next second, the dark mining tunnel was abruptly flooded with a blinding white light, so intense it was impossible to keep one’s eyes open.
This method of illumination was all too familiar.
Pei Ran: “…”
A familiar silver metal sphere hovered mid-air, swiftly floating toward them.
This metal ball—which had already been blown to pieces—suddenly reappeared, evoking a faint pang of emotion.
But this sphere looked far better than the original battered one. Not only was its suspension system intact, allowing it to fly, but there were no large cracks on its surface either. Gleaming and flawless, it looked exactly like when she first saw it on the F306 bus.
Only, to adapt to dormant mode, the “DOD” lettering was absent from the sphere’s surface.
The little robot, startled by W’s grand entrance, turned to flee but was yanked back by Pei Ran.
In that brief moment, the metal sphere had already flown right up to them.
Having already scanned Pei Ran from top to bottom and confirmed she was unharmed, it turned toward the little robot.
Suddenly, both froze motionless.
The metal sphere hung silently in the air while the little robot remained in the posture of being held back by Pei Ran. She guessed they were communicating in their own way.
A moment later, W spoke again.
He explained, “Originally, the mining company equipped every intelligent mining robot with a communication account for receiving commands. However, it had to go through civilian signal channels. In the current situation, only images can be transmitted. I’m sending it pictures to explain the circumstances.”
He added, “It can quickly browse large numbers of images, making communication relatively easy.”
The two AIs conversed smoothly—one drawing rapidly, the other viewing swiftly—though it was impossible to tell what they were discussing.
Whatever it was, the little robot gradually relaxed, no longer straining against Pei Ran’s grip. Its cartoonish expression shifted from tension to curiosity as it gazed at the metal sphere.
Suddenly, it nodded once.
W said, “I told it my plan—I intend to bring it back to Black Well, and I will ensure its safety, guaranteeing its survival without question.”
This had always been his intention.
If he wanted to bring a self-aware AI back to Black Well, so be it.
To Pei Ran, the awakening of artificial intelligence was like a book with an ending already written. One more sentient AI in Black Well made little difference.
W continued, “I just sent it images of various production lines inside Black Well, hoping it could choose where it wanted to go. But in response, it sent me a photo—of you.”
Pei Ran: “…”
The little robot turned to Pei Ran, its expression shifting again. Its eyes widened, gazing at her with earnest hope.
Suddenly, Pei Ran understood.
It didn’t actually trust W, this spherical counterpart of its kind—it only trusted her.
W said, “I’ve already refused. After all, it’s an artificial intelligence with autonomous survival instincts. Letting it stay by your side without caution would be too unsafe…”
Pei Ran: As if you aren’t the same.
W continued, “I plan to send it to the factory production line first and observe it for a while.”
W must have already explained this to the little robot, because Pei Ran saw its cartoon eyebrows droop dejectedly.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “Actually, letting it come with me isn’t completely out of the question.”
W fell silent briefly. “Pei Ran…”
Pei Ran had already made up her mind. “I think it’ll be fine.”
If it had ill intentions, it wouldn’t have bothered helping her earlier.
She asked, “But given its size, how do you plan to sneak it into Black Well?”
W replied calmly, “No sneaking required. This model of multifunctional robot is classified alongside household appliances in Black Well’s registry. Humans don’t need any special reason to bring it in or out—just a simple registration.”
He added, “Once inside, I’ll check its core processor. Each one has a unique serial number, so we can confirm its identity. Let’s go.”
One human and two machines retraced their path outward, the metal sphere floating steadily in the air, illuminating everything in its path.
Pei Ran asked W, “Where did this new sphere of yours come from? Is it from Black Well?”
“No,” W said. “Last night, a batch of newly collected supplies arrived from the capital. This inspection robot was shipped in with the supplies. Some of its components were damaged due to dormancy, and it wasn’t repaired until this morning.”
He then asked, “What exactly happened today?”
Pei Ran recounted the events.
After listening, W let out a cold scoff.
Level 10 natural language processing—Level 10 anger.
He said, “You’re a dormant one. My inspection robot has a Neta-wave emitter built in. The fact that we’ve been communicating telepathically after traveling together is a logical inference—and I even included this detail truthfully in my submitted report.”
“Xing Wuxian knowing about this isn’t surprising. Although the royal family holds no real power now, their network infiltrates various government departments. They’re well-informed.”
W added, “Also, if even you, who knows me so well, couldn’t tell the difference in the voice, it means they likely obtained my voice files directly. Within Black Well’s system, aside from Qiao Sai, the only ones with access to my voice files are the members of the Provisional Committee.”
Pei Ran fell silent. The situation was growing increasingly complicated.
“I’ve checked,” W said. “They erased the records of copying the files, but any tampering inevitably leaves traces.”
Within seconds, he continued, “Just as I suspected. It was Basserway.”
Pei Ran was surprised. “Basserway? The CEO?”
The one who put on a show at the distribution center.
“Yes. And with his clearance level, he could easily access yesterday’s rescue logs of the soldiers sent to the mining tunnels for you.”
W added, “His ties with the royal family aren’t new. There have long been rumors that he accepted large sums of money from them as campaign funding.”
Retracing their steps, they soon arrived at the spot where the big man and the scrawny one had exploded.
W said, “Earlier, I asked the mining robot for facial photos of these two.”
For AIs like them, their eyes functioned as cameras—anything they saw could be recorded, which was incredibly convenient.
W continued, “I ran facial recognition against the civilian database and confirmed their identities. Like the two who tried to kidnap you last time, they were both among the first batch of civilians admitted into Black Well. Today, they left using temporary volunteer passes.”
He added, “I found no evidence inside Black Well linking them to Xing Wuxian. If there was any transaction, it must have happened outside.”
Beyond Black Well’s surveillance, tampering was easy.
Pei Ran remarked, “That device of theirs—capable of suppressing the green light and blocking signals—was genuinely impressive.”
W explained, “It’s military equipment, classified as strategic supplies. Xing Wuxian having connections to obtain it isn’t surprising. What’s rare is that they repaired and modified it to function under dormancy conditions.”
He then asked, “Does your ear still hurt?”
Pei Ran assessed the sensation. “Actually, it’s fine now.”
Curious, she asked W, “Are there other dormant ones in Black Well?”
“This is somewhat peculiar,” W said. “I reviewed the historical data. Originally, 1,600 infants participated in the dormant experiment. Many died due to experimental accidents, and even in the years—or decades—that followed, complications continued claiming lives. I don’t have the complete list, but I estimate at least 500 to 600 dormant ones should still be alive today.”
Pei Ran stayed quiet.
They experimented on infants, with mortality rates so high that even the survivors weren’t unscathed—she lost an arm, and Shige Ye was left partially paralyzed.
The organization behind this experiment was the then-Federal Department of Defense and Security, which spoke volumes about its nature.
W said, “After entering dormancy, only dormant ones can communicate smoothly. They should be able to serve unique functions. That’s why, a few days ago while you were in the isolation center, Black Well sent messages to all dormant ones using Neta-waves. But so far, we haven’t received a single response.”
Pei Ran speculated, “Maybe they’re all dead?”
“Surviving dormant ones should mostly be in their twenties or thirties now—the age group with the highest survival rates during dormancy. Statistically speaking, it’s improbable that apart from you, not a single one remains.”
They reached the fissure exit, and Pei Ran climbed out with the two machines.
W asked, “Should we return to Black Well now?”
“Of course not,” Pei Ran replied silently. “I haven’t even finished my work yet.”
After all the chaos, it was nearly noon. Two people dead, one little robot picked up—yet her actual assigned tasks weren’t even half done.
“That’s simple,” W said. “We’ll go with you.”
Once back among the instrument arrays above, the two AIs immediately began assisting.
Their movements were lightning-fast.
Especially the little robot—designed for heavy, repetitive labor—darted back and forth between the matrices, completing tasks with astonishing speed and precision.
They worked like perfectionists, aligning every instrument at identical angles and spacing them with micrometer precision, a far cry from Pei Ran’s haphazard placements.
Even the recyclable parts on the ground were gathered meticulously, with non-recyclable waste sorted into separate piles.
In no time, they finished what would’ve taken Pei Ran and Team Leader Li an entire day—and at vastly superior quality.
The instrument array now looked so unnaturally uniform it seemed artificial.
Pei Ran: Well then.
With the work done, Pei Ran climbed into the truck’s cab and gestured for the little robot to take the passenger seat.
“No,” W interjected.
Extending a folding arm from his sphere, he pointed at the truck’s cargo bed.
The little robot instantly understood, nimbly climbing into the back and lying flat as if deactivated.
Pei Ran drove toward Black Well’s entrance.
Parked near the gates were two sleek black aircraft—streamlined, elegant, with capacity for multiple passengers.
W noticed them too. “Black Falcon S801s. Not Black Well’s—must’ve been brought in by outsiders.”
For someone to possess such advanced aircraft, modified to operate under dormancy conditions, their owner had to be exceptionally influential.
Passing through the quarantine gate, the guard soldiers immediately saluted upon seeing W’s inspection robot, not even bothering with registration procedures.
They only came over to scan Pei Ran’s iris. During the scan, one glanced at the small truck.
Having interacted with Pei Ran over the past two days, the soldier noticed the little robot lying motionless in the truck bed and exclaimed, “Huh?” before asking, “Where’d this come from?”
Pei Ran peeled off the tape from her mouth and answered plainly, “Found it outside.”
It was technically true—she really had picked it up outside. No lies there.
The guard turned to scan it with a handheld device. After confirming it showed no green light and wasn’t a frenzied fusion entity, he visibly lost interest.
Swiping twice on a virtual screen, he remarked, “Lucky find. Probably someone tried bringing a household robot into Black Well and lost it along the way. These things sell for a fortune. Alright, I’ll register it for you.”
As he bent his head to input the details, two vintage black cars glided through the tunnel toward them.
The lead vehicle bore a golden three-headed iris emblem on its door.
Pei Ran observed them expressionlessly.
Another soldier stepped forward to process their entry.
The passenger window of the black car rolled down, revealing a familiar face—the man dressed like an insurance salesman whom she’d seen accompanying Xing Wuxian in the isolation center.
Fragments of their conversation drifted over:
“…Yes… His Highness has urgent business and must depart for Lidao immediately…”
“…We have a special pass signed by the CEO himself for exiting Black Well…”
“…Unclear how long we’ll be gone—possibly several days…”
“…Of course we’re aware of the dangers outside…”
“…Wouldn’t risk leaving unless absolutely necessary…”
Lidao.
This was the second time Pei Ran had heard the name. Team Leader Li had mentioned it before—something about Deputy Team Leader Lu being assigned a rescue mission there.
The soldier scanned the “insurance salesman” and the driver’s irises before circling to the rear of the vehicle.
The backseat window lowered, revealing Xing Wuxian’s face.
His eyes had been closed in rest, but at the sound of movement, they flicked open, his expression tightening with impatience.
After submitting to the iris scan, his gaze drifted—then abruptly locked onto Pei Ran.
He’d spotted her.
Xing Wuxian’s face was a picture of unconcealed shock, as if the braised rabbit meat in his pot had suddenly resurrected into a live rabbit and hopped right up to him.
Pei Ran rather enjoyed that expression on him.
She locked eyes with him and smiled.
Her smile only unnerved him further.
He immediately averted his gaze, but soon, as if refusing to back down, he snapped it back to her.
This time, his glare was downright murderous. If looks could kill, Pei Ran was pretty sure her forehead would’ve been riddled with bullet holes by now.
The metal sphere, having noticed Xing Wuxian’s car approach, remained hovering mid-air beside the truck, utterly unfazed.
Pei Ran shot it a glance. Ball-bro, maybe you should leave? Avoid stirring trouble?
But the sphere showed no intention of discretion. Its black eye just stared indifferently at Xing Wuxian.
The two soldiers handling registration suddenly looked down at their scanner screens, as if receiving some notification.
“Black Well’s security level has just been elevated from standard to Tier-1,” said the soldier who had scanned Xing Wuxian’s iris. “Apologies, but all passengers must exit the vehicle for inspection.”
The “insurance salesman” frowned. “Elevated? Why?”
The soldier replied flatly, “No idea. Please step out.”
Xing Wuxian acted as though he hadn’t heard, remaining seated. The salesman exited first. “Hold on, let me make a call.”
He tapped his wristband, connecting to someone.
“…Yes, it’s me. We’re at the west exit, being held up…”
“…Something about a security upgrade, requiring inspections. His Highness is not pleased.”
“Huh?”
“Why?”
He grumbled into the comms, “But His Highness has urgent business. This is extremely inconvenient.”
“His Highness has never been subjected to such scrutiny anywhere…”
After a series of “Mm-hmms,” he finally ended the call and circled to Xing Wuxian’s window, bending down.
“Your Highness,” he said, “they claim there’s nothing they can do. The system auto-adjusted Black Well’s security level based on analysis. Once Tier-1 is activated, the gates won’t open without full inspections. Under this protocol, everyone must comply—no exceptions, except for Provisional Committee members. It’s hardcoded. They can’t override it, so you…”
Xing Wuxian finally deigned to step off his throne.
He asked coldly, “You’re inspecting outgoing vehicles and personnel, but not incoming ones? What if they’re smuggling contraband?”
The soldier wore an “orders-are-orders” expression. “Only exit inspections have been elevated. Entry procedures remain unchanged. Please empty your pockets and place all items here, then turn around and place your hands on the vehicle roof.”
Xing Wuxian fell silent. He turned out his pockets, then obediently leaned against the car and spread his hands on its roof, submitting to the pat-down.