Starry Sky Railway: Opening Performance - Taixu Sword God

"I don't understand at all."

Screw Gum: "..."

After a moment of silence, Screwgoom continued:

"It was a planet built of data and characters, in Punklord, on the boundary between reality and illusion, as blurred as its day and night."

"The Ether cassette, on the other hand, was a chip used by Punk Lord's hackers to edit reality, recording their way of perceiving and rewriting the world."

"The Ether cassette is a record of a hacker's life, proof of their existence, and this one, contained in the space station, belongs to one of the legends among them."

Yan scratched his head, though he scratched at his camouflage helmet, but still couldn't help asking:

"So, that strange object is something like a videotape?"

Leonard added:

"Brother Huan, the Ether cassette is much better than the videotape."

Screw Gumm nodded:

“That’s right. But don’t worry, my friend, this cartridge has never left the space station.”

"It serves as an important reference for the simulated universe, so its data was extracted and incorporated into the calculations for the simulated universe."

Upon hearing this, Yan finally understood the whole story.

The strange object wasn't actually lost; it was taken away by Black Tower and his group.

Leonard breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Screw Gum's tone remained gentle and soothing:

"It must have been because no one else was not notified at the time that it was included in the list of missing persons."

Just as Leonard thought he had uncovered the truth and was about to leave with Yan Huan, Yan Huan narrowed her eyes and suddenly said:

"In my opinion, this matter cannot be that simple."

Leonard: "?"

ScrewGumm paused for a moment, then smiled and asked:

"Why not listen to Mr. Yan Huan's insights?"

Yan picked up his AK, his sharp, hawk-like eyes scanning his surroundings, and frowned.

"Since that hacker deliberately let Leonard discover the missing Ether cassette, it means she must still be after this artifact!"

Leonard quickly explained:

“Brother Huan, how could you let her deliberately let me find out? I went through a lot of trouble, following the clues step by step to figure it out.”

"...Come on, with her skill level, how could you possibly crack it so easily? You can't even see the complete mark of my Thousand Realms One Vehicle."

"Brother Huan, can't there be more trust between people? My skills aren't actually that bad..."

"...Damn it, all the clues you found point to this cartridge, and it's actually in a simulated universe now. This is clearly a conspiracy!"

Screw Gum: "..."

Listening to their conversation, Screwgoom finally interrupted:

"Friend, arguing is pointless."

Yan glanced at Screw Gum:

"Didn't you and Black Tower argue before?"

"This..." Screw Gum was speechless.

"..."

He quickly composed himself.

“Mr. Yan Huan, I understand your concerns. If the other party has tried to hack into Black Tower’s offices, then the simulated universe will naturally become her next target.”

"In that case, if you two don't mind, let me contribute my modest efforts to your investigation."

Seeing that Screw Gummies was going to personally take the field, Leonard felt flattered and quickly declined:

"Oh? This... this is so embarrassing! Mr. Screws, this is clearly within my job responsibilities, how can I let a guest like you do this!"

Yan glared at Leonard:

"What the hell are you doing? You're not taking free labor? This guy's a member of the Genius Club, you know. If you miss this opportunity, where are you going to find this level of workmanship?"

Screw Gum: "..."

Leonard remains very conflicted:

"But if I accept Mr. Screw's help, wouldn't that indirectly prove my lack of work ability? Brother Huan, I'm a professional, and I have to consider many things."

Yan's eyes widened:

"Those are Star Core Hunters, buddy! Knowing your limits is the most basic way to survive!"

Leonard still hesitated:

"But……"

Just then, Screws noticed Leonard's predicament and Yan's intentions.

So he comforted Leonard, saying:

"Friend, rest assured. If the other party is Silver Wolf from the Star Core Hunters, and you use my power as a result, I'm sure Black Tower won't blame you."

Leonard was on the verge of tears:

"Mr. Screw Goom, do you even think I'm a step below that hacker?"

"..."

Screw Gum fell silent.

It seemed as if he was constantly weighing the connections between the three words: Leonard, Silver Wolf, and slightly inferior.

"As you know, the simulated universe will be temporarily shut down. It will remain locked and will not be reopened until the Black Tower and I reach a definitive conclusion."

Upon hearing this, Leonard belatedly recalled the argument between Screws and Black Tower.

He immediately panicked and said:

"Then, does that mean we won't be able to investigate the data from the Ether cassette anymore?"

Screw Gumm nodded:

"Yes, this is the last chance to investigate the data on the cassette tape."

"I will use my unique abilities in the simulated universe to provide you with any assistance I can, which is also to express my apology for unilaterally shutting down the simulated universe."

"An apology?" Yan raised an eyebrow:

"Could you give me some money? Oh, and he also wants a promotion and a raise..."

"Brother Huan, watch your words!"

Screw Gum laughed again:

"The space station belongs to the Black Tower. I really can't help this friend with his promotion. If he has any other needs, I will do my best to help him as long as it's within my power."

"Then, could you give me some money?"

"Now, are you two ready?"

"So, could you give me some money?"

"You two, are you ready?"

"..."

"Wait, I'm not ready yet!" Yan said, raising his hand.

Screw Gum, Leonard: "..."

Yan said, "We'd like to go outside and discuss this further. Screws, you won't mind, will you?"

Screw Gum's tone remained calm and soothing:

"Of course not, my friend, I will wait here quietly."

……

Outside the Black Tower office.

Leonard took off his special forces gear and asked in confusion:

"Brother Huan, why did we come out? Didn't you say that with Mr. Screw Gum's help, we should seize the opportunity?"

Seeing that Yan Huan didn't speak, he continued to feel melancholy:

"Sigh, I never expected the simulated universe to be shut down. That was a key project for Lady Black Tower. I don't even want to think about how furious she'll be if it's gone!"

"..."

Seeing that Yan Huan remained silent and continued to stare at him, Leonard immediately realized something and became even more terrified:

"Wait! Brother Huan, could it be that this is my fault? If I had been able to stop the enemy's invasion, would Mr. Screws have been less pessimistic?"

"..."

Yan silently took off his helmet and solemnly placed it on the ground.

A deep, melancholy gaze:

"My friend, it's good to have ideals, but you also need to be realistic."

He also handed his AK to Leonard:

"Don't get involved in the simulated universe stuff. Just put on your gear and go find Alan. You two can check if there are any graffiti in the space station that can teleport the antimatter legion. Just take out all the monsters. Alan is from the space station, so he won't charge you."

Leonard, holding two AKs, stared blankly and asked, "Brother Huan, what about you?"

"Uncle, it's time for me to sprint!"

"?"

……