Chapter 122: Artificial Soul - Part 49 |
As Kui Xin logged out of the forum and contacted He Kangshi,
“I have something I need you to do,” she typed.
On the other side, He Kangshi hadn’t gone to sleep either and promptly replied upon seeing the message, “No problem! I’ll do whatever you ask, boss!”
“Have you seen Depriver No. 777’s post on the forum?”
“Yes.” He Kangshi swallowed nervously, suddenly realizing something.
“Now, you need to become an online friend with Depriver No. 777.”
“Heh…” responded He Kangshi.
The moment he read this request, numerous thoughts raced through his mind, yet it also felt like he wasn’t thinking at all.
He wondered about the boss’s motive for asking him to do this—was it to gather intelligence on Depriver No. 777? It seemed plausible for the boss to pursue such an objective.
“I don’t have any issues with that. Leave it to me, boss. By the way, can you handle photo editing yourself? My skills are really quite poor.” Despite the flurry of thoughts within him, He Kangshi didn’t hesitate and quickly agreed.
Becoming an online friend with a ruthless Depriver was just a simple task; it wouldn’t harm him physically. If he couldn’t even accomplish such an easy assignment, how could he demonstrate his value?
A message arrived: “I’ve prepared the self-verification image for you.”
As He Kangshi clicked to open the image, his pupils widened with shock. “Oh my god!”
The card displayed in the picture showed Depriver No. 233! The name section had been specially processed and securely encrypted.
He Kangshi gasped, cautiously asking, “Won’t there be any issues using this image, boss?”
“No issues.”
After receiving the response, He Kangshi leaned back, stood up from his computer desk, and paced a couple of times around the cramped bedroom, stomping his feet and rubbing his hands as he walked.
Instead of contacting Depriver 777 with an ordinary Depriver identity, the boss specifically instructed him to use the notorious Depriver No. 233’s identity! Not only was the boss unafraid of having his fake identity exposed, but he actively chose to approach it head-on.
“My god, oh my god!” he couldn’t help muttering, “This is huge… Wait! Actually, the boss had hinted at this early on… Damn…”
He Kangshi circled the room twice, gradually calming down, and then sat back firmly at his computer desk like a rock.
“Phew, what does it matter to me? I’m just a sidekick; all that matters is doing what the boss instructs.”
Ever since he allied with the Black Snake, he had been aware of this possibility. The Black Snake promised to protect him and assured him that they wouldn’t involve him in overly dangerous tasks. Just chatting online with Depriver No. 777 across the ocean hardly seemed risky.
“Alright, I’m going in! I’m sending a private message to No. 777 right away. Wait, let me download a translation software first,” He Kangshi said. “Boss, I can’t screenshot the forum posts here. How about we switch to voice chat so I can give you live updates?”
Kui Xin agreed, and shortly after, his phone’s microphone permissions automatically opened. This allowed He Kangshi’s spoken words to be transmitted instantly to Kui Xin, while she communicated back by typing in a floating window.
Using the nickname “Mai-chan is Me,” He Kangshi sent a private message to Depriver No. 777, attaching screenshots as proof.
Depriver No. 777 appears to have verified the images’ authenticity before responding.
“Boss, No. 777 replied.” He Kangshi focused intently: “He says ‘hello’ to you… Wait, he also introduced himself, calling himself Augus… Is Augus his real name? It seems unlikely, but his forum username is also Augus. Could it be that he directly used his real-world name as his forum handle?”
Augus, spelled “Augus” in English.
“This guy definitely doesn’t know Chinese; he used pinyin to send ‘hello.’ He might be a foreigner with only a basic grasp of the language…” He Kangshi rubbed his chin, pondering, “What should I reply?”
Kui Xin typed, “During this initial testing phase, you have the freedom to role-play without needing my step-by-step guidance. I will prompt you with crucial questions when necessary.”
“He introduced himself to me, so I should introduce myself too… Let’s send something in Chinese and gauge how much this foreigner understands,” said He Kangshi.
Thus, He Kangshi sent: “Hello Augus, I am Mai-chan; it’s me personally.”
It was practically like saying nothing at all.
In a pitch-black room, a man hidden in darkness looked puzzled at the Chinese text on his phone screen. He took out a secondary device, snapped a photo of the screen, and initiated a translation for foreign languages.
The translation result quickly appeared:
“I am… Mai sauce is me?” Augus repeated this aloud.
What kind of bizarre translation is this? “Mai sauce” certainly didn’t sound like a human name. The prefix “Mai” resembled an Asian name, but “sauce” clearly means seasoning or condiment!
Augus fell silent.
The first step in communication between two Deprivers was not a clash of ideas, but rather a language barrier.
Due to Augus’s prolonged lack of response, He Kangshi felt that using Chinese might be too challenging for this foreigner. Consequently, he switched to English and sent, “You can call me Mai.”
Augus replied, “Are you Chinese, Mai?”
A Chinese person, bearing a Japanese-sounding name, communicating with a foreigner in English… And on top of that, the Japanese name itself was distinctly feminine!
He Kangshi’s eyebrows involuntarily twitched. Hearing someone directly address him as “Mai” made his nickname feel even more embarrassing. Why on earth did he choose such a mortifying alias?!
“Boss, this guy is asking me if I’m Chinese. How should I respond?” He Kangshi sought help via voice message.
“Ask him again.”
Grasping the essence of Kui Xin’s advice, He Kangshi replied, “Are you from Earth Police Nation, Augus?”
Augus hesitated before responding, “…?”
Augus then said, “It seems you hold quite deep prejudices about my country.”
Kui Xin promptly directed, “Ask him about his purpose; avoid engaging in futile conversation.”
He Kangshi promptly opened the translation software, translated his intended message into English, and sent it to Augus: “Why did you create a forum accessible only to Deprivers? What is your purpose?”
Augus replied, “I thought you could understand my intentions, Mai.”
He Kangshi was momentarily speechless.
“After all, we are the same kind of people, aren’t we, Mai?” Augus continued.
He Kangshi remained silent, feeling utterly at a loss for words.
“As individuals of the same ilk, we should comprehend each other. I’ve observed everything you’ve done; you’re different from the other players, just as we both are distinct from them. Don’t you agree, Mai?”
He Kangshi’s silence stretched on.
S-somebody help me! He shouldn’t have introduced himself as “Mai”! Now, Depriver No. 777 kept addressing him by that name, causing He Kangshi immense embarrassment. He felt like banging his head against the table.
This scene should have been a serious encounter between two Big Shots, their conversation filled with undercurrents of tension, each word probing one another—sometimes brimming with hostility, sometimes showing mutual recognition. In short, every line ought to exude an air of sophistication and intensity!
But why is their conversation so hilariously absurd?!
Internally, He Kangshi silently apologized to Depriver No. 233—I’m sorry; I’ve ruined your badass image.
Following his boss’s instructions, He Kangshi suppressed his embarrassment and forced himself to maintain a serious expression as he replied, “I understand you, Augus. This world is filled with sheep, while Deprivers stand at the pinnacle of the food chain as hunters. The sheep serve as sustenance for both you and me.”
With this response, their conversation’s sophistication seemed to significantly improve, returning to a more normal standard.
However, Augus’ subsequent message made it impossible for He Kangshi to hold back again: “Indeed, you can understand me, Mai.”
He Kangshi let out a pitiful wail and exclaimed to Kui Xin, “Boss! I feel like banging my head against a wall, boss! This guy keeps calling me Mai; I can’t take it anymore! Why did I bring this upon myself by letting him call me Mai? Now, I can’t shake off this mindset—it’s all ‘Mai, Mai’ everywhere I look!”
Kui Xin pondered for a moment before responding, “It’s alright; just consider this part of your streaming job. From what I see, you’re quite adept at pretending to be an aloof older sister. Keep it up.”
“Spare me!” He Kangshi cried, on the verge of breaking down.
At that moment, Augus sent a message: “Let’s play an interesting little game, Mai.”
With his lips twitching, He Kangshi typed hesitantly, “What kind of game?”
“It’s a killing game,” Augus replied. “We’ll compete to see how many players each can kill. Once we return to the Second World, this competition will begin, with a one-week deadline.”
He Kangshi’s gaze darkened, and his expression swiftly hardened, his entire demeanor turning cold.
Frowning deeply, he rapidly relayed Kui Xin’s words in response: “You truly are an intriguing person, Augus. Do you believe you’re certain to win?”
Augus answered, “Do you think you will lose?”
He Kangshi retorted, “I can tell now. You are a proud hunter, but I am not; I’m a cautious one. I weigh all possibilities carefully, ensuring a fatal strike when I make my move.”
Augus responded, “Ah, I see… This makes me even more interested in you.”
After a brief pause, Augus said, “Regardless of whether I win or lose in this game, there won’t be any loss for me. It’s just a game, isn’t it? The enjoyment derived from playing is what truly matters.”
Wiping sweat from his forehead, He Kangshi whispered to Kui Xin, “Boss, this guy is pure lunacy.”
“Agree with him for now,” Kui Xin said impassively. “Infiltrating the forum is our top priority.”
Composing himself, He Kangshi addressed Augus, “I agree to join the competition. May we have a delightful time together.”
Augus replied, “I knew you would agree, just as I knew you’d surely come find me.”
In the following moment, He Kangshi received an invitation to enter the personal forum section titled “Seven.”
Augus posted a separate thread within this section.
“Welcome, my good brother, Depriver No. 233 Mai.”
He Kangshi stared at the post for a long while before emotionlessly replying on the first floor, “Thank you for your invitation, my dear sister, Depriver No. 777 Augus.”
Augus was taken aback and responded, “… Are you actually a lady Mai?”
“Yes,” answered He Kangshi.
Augus promptly deleted the post and published a new one: “Welcome my friend, Lady Mai, Depriver No. 233!”
At that moment, He Kangshi turned to Kui Xin and said, “Although deceiving others is immoral, playing along with this clueless fool brings me immense joy!”
Kui Xin responded, “The other party might have just been going along with what you said, Old Kang. We can’t focus solely on the process; we must consider the outcome. Depriver No. 777 achieved his goal of contacting No. 233, so once his objective was met, he wouldn’t care about anything else.”
Feeling slightly guilty, He Kangshi asked, “What about the subsequent competitions, boss?”
“That’s not something you should worry about. For him, it’s merely a game, and winning or losing doesn’t matter,” Kui Xin replied.
“He seems quite annoyed,” observed He Kangshi.
“Kui Xin coldly agreed, “I am too.”