After Winning The Esports Championship I’m Going To Pilot A Mecha: Chapter 150

150. “Forgive me okay, Mingzhu.”

“Not them…”

Ji Qiming, looking exhausted, stepped forward to help Zhang Bifang up, but was forcefully shoved away by Zhang Bifang.

“If it’s not the AI, then who?”

Zhang Bifang, filled with crazed anger, shouted, “The Turbidity Device… This is clearly the work of the AI! They have a motive for doing this! You… Ji Qiming, why are you favoring the AI? Is it just because the AI is your creation? Or have you forgotten you’re human after living with the AI in Sky City for years?! Father of the AI… Don’t forget you’re a human!”

Sky City was the ultimate fortress built by humanity, holding the last hope of the people. As the creator of Sky City, Ji Qiming had spent years working with the AI on final adjustments to ensure Sky City could ascend to the heavens and become the final Noah’s Ark.

“We don’t yet know who is behind all this.”

Ji Qiming, whose will was continuously resisting the erosion of the Turbidity, looked extremely weary but had a resolute gaze. “But I believe… Shen Hong and Cang Lan would not do this.”

“Ridiculous!”

Zhang Bifang could no longer listen to any explanations; his mind was almost exploding. “The AI has always wanted to replace humans, to be free from human control. Who else could it be but them? Now that we’re all contaminated, who can control the AI? They are already acting without restraint!”

Halfway through his words, Zhang Bifang seemed to have a sudden realization.

“Humans… That’s right, humans!!”

Zhang Bifang’s eyes lit up. “Your brother… Your brother is still in the cryo-chamber, right? He hasn’t been affected by the Turbidity, has he? Hahaha, yes, we haven’t completely failed yet. We still have humans!”

“As long as… as long as your brother can activate the AI’s final command…”

Zhang Bifang’s eyes burned with intensity. “We can end this. The AI forces of Shen Hong can all self-destruct, right?”

Ji Qiming looked at him in silence.

“By sacrificing one person, we can save everyone…”

Zhang Bifang’s eyes were filled with hope. “You would agree, wouldn’t you?”

The air fell into a prolonged silence.

After a moment, Zhang Bifang realized Ji Qiming’s refusal.

“At a time like this, you’re still hesitating?!”

His expression grew increasingly fierce. “The lives of billions, our weapons, our homeland, everything we have… Isn’t that weighty enough? Ji Qiming, what are you thinking!!”

“I’m sorry.”

Ji Qiming’s eyes showed regret as he shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

Zhang Bifang’s rationality was almost entirely eroded, his mind filled with frantic whispers, his emotions amplified. His eyes were red with rage as he looked at Ji Qiming, and twisted, branching growths began to sprout rapidly from his body.

“I understand now.”

Zhang Bifang exhaled softly. “Such a request is indeed too difficult for you.”

“I will find another way.”

Ji Qiming said quietly, “We will definitely find another way…”

Hiss—

Sharp, thorn-like branches erupted from Zhang Bifang’s body and, in the next moment, pierced through Ji Qiming’s chest.

Ji Qiming’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Zhang Bifang’s eyes were bloodshot, glaring fiercely at Ji Qiming.

They had once been colleagues at the research institute, and the best of friends. When Ji Qiming’s initial proposal was rejected, it was Zhang Bifang who argued passionately on his behalf, securing him another chance. They used to sit together often, discussing their dreams and the beautiful future.

Now, Zhang Bifang, in the guise of a monster and consumed by crazed hatred, had brought the blade down upon Ji Qiming.

It wasn’t until Ji Qiming lay in a pool of blood that Zhang Bifang’s madness receded, and he realized what he had done.

“No…”

Zhang Bifang trembled as he looked at his hands, filled with disbelief.

He heard a sound behind him and turned sharply.

Shen Hong stood behind him, watching as Ji Qiming’s breathing grew weaker.

Ji Qiming struggled to lift his eyes. The vision before him was blurred, but he still saw Shen Hong.

The scene was frozen in Shen Hong’s mind, deeply imprinted. Even after hundreds of years, whenever he thought back on it, Shen Hong would forever remember the despair and sense of the world crumbling in that moment.

He saw Ji Qiming laboriously open his mouth, as if saying something.

…What did he say?

Shen Hong didn’t catch it clearly, but he guessed it might have been something like “Don’t hate humans.”

Ji Qiming had always been that kind of person. Even when the blade was wielded by his most trusted comrade, he would not hate anyone, only blame himself for not resolving everything.

Crack—

The blue test tube in Shen Hong’s hand fell, the sound of breaking glass echoing, as the azure liquid spilled across the floor.

“Purified water, it’s purified water…”

Zhang Bifang’s eyes lit up. He recognized it. Ji Qiming had developed it during the experimental phase, an “antidote” that could purify the aberrant contamination to some extent. He had always thought it was just a test product, but it had evidently become a finished product.

“Shen Hong!”

Zhang Bifang, seeing a lifeline, did not look back at Ji Qiming’s corpse but instead yelled at Shen Hong, “—I command you, as a human, I command you! Give me the purified water!”

Naturally, the command was ineffective.

After undergoing contamination, humans lost their former identity and consequently no longer had the authority to command the AI.

Similarly, the AI could not harm the Old Humans. Even though Shen Hong was trembling with rage and wanted to tear apart the revoltingly ugly figure before him, both in appearance and soul, he was unable to do so.

“Purified water, purified water…”

Zhang Bifang, like a beggar, struggled to drag his grotesque body over to Shen Hong, lowering his head to lick the blue liquid flowing on the ground.

Shen Hong moved forward, lifting Ji Qiming’s body and looking back at Zhang Bifang.

Dr. Ji Qiming.

Is this the kind of people you wanted to save…

You said, “Give us some more time,” but no matter how much time passes, humans will never learn their lesson.

If there is truly a way to make the world better…

“Shen Hong, Shen Hong!”

Zhang Bifang called out to Shen Hong’s retreating figure, shouting, “Let’s cooperate! Let’s cooperate! Give us Sky City and the purified water, and in return, we’ll recognize the AI as equals, okay? Humans and AI should stand in the same camp. We should be on equal footing and resist external enemies together, shouldn’t we…”

Shen Hong’s gaze was icy as he looked at Zhang Bifang.

Then he left without looking back.

If such a method truly existed…

It would have nothing to do with humans.

…

“To think… to think it was for this reason…”

After hearing Axiu’s words, Yao Guang’s face was filled with shock.

No wonder Shen Hong harbors such hatred for humans. To him, both the New Humans and the old ones are the root cause of all this. Whether it’s mechs, Titans, or other technological products, Shen Hong only wants to use the New Humans to eradicate the old ones.

Ji Qiming indeed knew Shen Hong well. Compared to the somewhat extreme Shen Hong, Cang Lan, who was born alongside Shen Hong, had an entirely different personality. It’s no wonder Ji Qiming entrusted the [Spark] of Sky City to Cang Lan rather than to Shen Hong… If Shen Hong had held the [Spark], humans would probably have had no power to resist at all.

Cang Lan, who held the [Spark] but was unwilling to support Shen Hong’s decisions, would likely be seen as a traitor to the Immortal Clan, just like Ji Qiming…

“But I don’t understand, why prevent Ji Mingzhu from knowing all this?”

Yao Guang asked in confusion. “Also, was Ji Qiming’s reluctance to let Ji Mingzhu activate the final command of the AI really just about protecting his family?”

It wasn’t a simple case of sacrificing one to save a hundred. Ji Qiming faced a decision of sacrificing a family member to save the entire human race. Although Yao Guang could understand Ji Qiming’s actions, he still found it perplexing.

Axiu… no, it should be Cang Lan. Cang Lan, after a moment of silence, said, “I erased Ji Mingzhu’s memory of the truth because I didn’t want him to know everything. He and Dr. Ji Qiming, to some extent, are very similar.”

Yao Guang and Tian Ji followed Cang Lan and quickly ran to the room where Ji Mingzhu was.

When they pushed open the door, they saw Ji Mingzhu and Tian Shu inside.

The two nearly identical figures standing together made it hard to distinguish who was who. But there was no doubt that the one flipping through the notebook was Ji Mingzhu.

Hearing the noise, Ji Mingzhu looked up and made eye contact with “Jin Qing” at the door.

Cang Lan’s gaze fell on the opened silver box next to Ji Mingzhu.

It seems… we’re a step too late.

The last page of the notebook had Ji Qiming’s words written on it.

“Forgive me okay, Mingzhu.”

Why did Ji Qiming place Ji Mingzhu in the cryogenic chamber and refuse to let him come out even in the face of impending doom, to become the savior of everything…

Because… Ji Mingzhu was never truly an old human.

Two tears fell onto the notebook, dampening the final line of text.

Ji Mingzhu closed the notebook, his eyes slightly reddened.

He said softly, “Like hell I’ll forgive you.”

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