Paranoid Alpha Chapter 65: Sudden Change

Chapter 65: Sudden Change

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai

The morning sun shone brightly over Triss, the gentle breeze comforting, but the mood among those present was less serene. Lu Xingye, an Imperial diplomat, departing while being seen off by Lyss, Triss’s Chief, was already considered quite out of the ordinary. In the eyes of the public, he certainly shouldn’t engage in any more intimate gestures.

Just because he shouldn’t, didn’t mean Lu Xingye was concerned about such conventions.

“Thank you very much for your care over the past half month, Mr. Silverfang,” Lu Xingye chuckled, “I’m looking forward to our next meeting.”

The Empire’s reputation within the entire interstellar community had plummeted, and its diplomats across various nations were also experiencing repercussions.

Yet, Lu Xingye seemed completely oblivious to this situation. He smiled brightly, and even extended his hand for a handshake with Lyss. The other officials looked bewildered by this unexpected gesture.

Some who had seen Lu Xingye last night at the headquarters’ restaurant displayed even more subtle expressions upon witnessing this.

After the handshake, as Lu Xingye turned to board the starship, Lillia arrived, leading Lin Lang by the hand.Though the little girl hadn’t seen her father for five years, and in total, they had barely spent a month together, she was still quite attached. But she remembered what Aunt Lillia had told her before coming and restrained her desire to bid her father farewell, trying her best to remain calm.

Lyss, observing his daughter’s bittersweet expression, felt a pang of sadness. But before he could console her, Lu Xingye, far off and boarding the ship, suddenly paused and called out to Lin Lang, “Lin Lang—Sorry, I can’t go to the amusement park with you. To make up for it, I’ve left a little gift for you. Mr. Silverfang will give it to you when you get back home.”

Initially surprised by the sudden change, Lin Lang’s expression swiftly brightened upon hearing about the gift. Sensing her father’s consideration, Lyss gently reminded her, “Say goodbye to your brother.”

Lin Lang, with a clear voice, bid, “Goodbye, brother!”

Lu Xingye waved and said, “Goodbye!”

As the hatch slowly closed, Lin Lang gazed eagerly at the gradually ascending starship. She continued to stare until the ship’s silhouette slowly vanished into the sky. Only then did she try to compose herself, wiping a tear from her eye as she nestled into Lyss’s embrace.

After completing the remaining formalities, Lyss carried Lin Lang back home. From the gate to the front door, Lyss had walked this path holding Lin Lang countless times since her birth, but it had never felt as long as it did now.

“Mommy…” Lin Lang rubbed her eyes. “Please don’t be sad. Daddy will come back soon.”

Lyss hadn’t expected his daughter to console him. As they entered the house and he placed Lin Lang down at the entrance, he gently rubbed her head. “Yes, he promised me.”

After Lin Lang changed her shoes, a sudden thought struck her regarding the recent events. Excitedly, she turned and asked, “Mommy, what gift did Daddy leave for me?”

Lyss had no idea what gift Lu Xingye had mentioned, but in that moment, a realization struck him.

Noticing his hesitation, Lin Lang, with a touch of disappointment, lowered her head. “There’s no gift, is there? Daddy just wanted to comfort me, right?”

Shaking his head, Lyss replied, “He didn’t just comfort you; he did leave a gift for you.”

Instead of directly revealing what the gift was, Lyss took Lin Lang’s hand and sat down on the sofa. The girl looked up at him expectantly. The next moment, her hand was gently placed on his abdomen.

Confused, Lin Lang asked, “Mommy, does your tummy hurt?”

Lyss shook his head, “You might have a little brother or sister.”

Lin Lang was startled for three seconds, then her eyes widened in disbelief. “Really?!”

Overjoyed, she hesitated to retract her hand, mirroring her father’s cautious yet excited demeanor.

With a hint of amusement in his eyes, Lyss said softly, “Of course it’s true.”

Lin Lang was ecstatic but unsure how to react. Her tail wagged vigorously behind her, but she hesitated to move her hands, like an eager yet cautious little puppy.

Lyss lifted her into his arms. “It’s okay to touch.”

In a hushed voice, Lin Lang asked, “Really?”

“Of course,” assured Lyss.

Lin Lang gingerly placed her hand on Lyss’s flat abdomen. Holding her breath, she felt for a while, behaving as if she were up to mischief and whispered, “Mommy… why isn’t the little brother or sister moving?”

Lyss rubbed her ears gently. “It’s not been a month yet, and we’re not sure if it’s a little sister or brother.”

“Ahh,” exclaimed Lin Lang. “We’re not sure if it’s a little sister or brother?”

“That’s right,” nodded Lyss.

Curious, Lin Lang asked, “When will we know?”

“In one to two months,” replied Lyss, ruffling her head. “During this time, you can think of a name for your little brother or sister.”

Excited, Lin Lang asked, “Can I choose?”

“You and Dad can each choose a name,” Lyss explained. “Whichever sounds better will be used.”

Lin Lang was determined. “I’ll definitely come up with a better name than Dad!”

Lyss smiled gently. “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

Two days passed since Lu Xingye departed, and there was a dramatic change in the interstellar situation. Apart from Serica and Triss, nearly all other nations issued condemnation against the Empire.

If the Chudai System was successfully restarted, regardless of potential artificial intelligence issues, the first to be affected would be those small federations. Due to technological limitations, during the previous technological boom, the first to be annexed were the micro and small-sized nations. With the advent of the Chudai System, tech monopolization reached its pinnacle.

History’s lessons were vivid, and now those small nations were naturally on edge. Though some medium-sized nations like Sheng Dan merely verbally opposed, the united resistance of several smaller countries had a significant irreversible impact on the Empire.

The Empire seemed indifferent, continuing on its course. At least, that was the appearance it displayed.

A week passed, and the interstellar public opinion escalated, yet Lu Xingye hadn’t sent any messages. Lyss was occupied with various matters. In the rare moments of leisure, he considered contacting Lu Xingye several times, but ultimately restrained himself.

At the moment, contacting Lu Xingye might bring unnecessary trouble amidst the current uncertain situation. Hence, despite Lin Lang’s occasional questions about when her father would return to take her to the amusement park, Lyss patiently reassured her, “He’ll come back when you’ve given a good name to your little sister.”

Fortunately, Lu Xingye didn’t keep them waiting for long. After three more days, he sent a video call request.

Lyss was just warming nutritional fluid for Lin Lang when he heard the terminal’s ringing. Lin Lang rushed in, holding the terminal, “Mommy—Daddy wants to video chat with you!”

Before Lyss could respond, he turned and faced Lu Xingye on the video call. Nearly ten days since they last met, his heart skipped a beat.

“Your Excellency, what are you doing?” Lu Xingye paused and revealed a surprised expression. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Lyss looked down at the apron he was wearing, and for some reason, caught Lu Xingye’s subtle thoughts. He blushed and cleared his throat, “Just bought it… Have you lost weight?”

“From thinking of you, perhaps,” Lu Xingye teased, “Lin Lang, has Mommy been eating properly these days?”

Lin Lang leaned on the kitchen counter, nodding, “He eats well, but it’s always nutritional fluid with different flavors every day!”

Before Lyss could say anything, his daughter had already ratted him out. He raised his hand and pinched Lin Lang’s ear, “Looks like someone isn’t satisfied with the meals I make.”

Lin Lang immediately said, “No, I love Mommy the most!”

Lu Xingye chuckled, “The little one has come to me with a complaint, showing that you’re not eating well at home. Why are you having nutritional fluid every day?”

“If you’re not home, what else can I eat besides nutritional fluid?” Lyss handed the warmed nutritional fluid to Lin Lang. “Be a good girl and go out to eat. I’ll chat with your Dad for a while.”

Lin Lang blinked, “Okay… Has Daddy picked a name for my little sister yet?”

Lu Xingye was taken aback, “What?”

“Mommy said that both Dad and I get to choose a name for my little sister,” Lin Lang explained very seriously. “Whichever name sounds better will be used.”

Lu Xingye’s eyes lit up, “Has it been confirmed that it’s a little girl?”

Lin Lang frowned, looking a bit unhappy. “Not yet… it will take a month to know.”

“Oh, I see.” Lu Xingye fell silent for three seconds, but after a moment, he immediately asked, “What name have you given to your little sister? Can you tell Dad?”

Lin Lang was about to say, “Lin—” Mid-sentence, she suddenly snapped back to attention. “Wait, Dad isn’t trying to draw inspiration from the name I gave to my little sister, is he?”

Lu Xingye froze for a moment. Seeing this, Lyss chuckled. “Your dad’s intentions have been uncovered by you.”

Lin Lang snorted and glanced at Lu Xingye. “I’m not telling you!”

Without waiting for Lu Xingye to react, she turned and left.

Lu Xingye paused, then chuckled. “This girl is more clever than me.”

Lyss, with a bag of nutritional fluid in hand, asked, “How is it on your end?”

Lu Xingye, upon hearing the question, didn’t answer immediately. After assessing the surroundings, he turned and said, “The situation is quite complicated. The simulated imitation learns very quickly, and I haven’t found its operational mechanism yet. All I know is that it’s using the Empire’s newly developed learning program.”

Lyss frowned. “Most artificial intelligences have self-learning capabilities. What makes this learning program different? Can you describe its specific manifestations?”

“The specific manifestation is…” Lu Xingye glanced around again. “It initially exhibited a very mechanical behavior, like a primitive clockwork machine. But soon, there was a change. By the time I saw it again, he seemed to have turned into…”

Lyss keenly noticed that Lu Xingye had initially used “it” but changed to “he” as he continued speaking. Before Lu Xingye could elaborate further, the video abruptly ended. Lyss’s pupils contracted, and an unexplained sense of unease struck him. Almost instinctively, he attempted to reconnect, but there was no response on the other side.

An inexplicable fear spread through his heart, and soon enough, that fear became a reality—Lu Xingye had lost contact.