When Zhu Man returned home, he blankly looked at He Feng Hui’s location on his smartwatch.

As he watched He Feng Hui approaching home, his heart felt like ashes. He knew he should muster up a good mood and organize his expression to welcome him. He had even taken double the usual dosage of medication just moments ago, but he couldn’t bring himself to act.

Why did he find Ye Ying familiar?

—It seemed he had never carefully considered this question. He had no relatives, or perhaps he did, but he had lost all memories about them. Who is Ye Ying? Why does he now… feel so devastated, as if losing a loved one?

If the murderer is He Feng Hui and he placed the chip at the entrance of the Alliance Headquarters, it would mean he is aware of the existence of the Anti-Intelligence Alliance. He must also be aware that Zhu Man is a member of the alliance.

However, this doesn’t make sense. If He Feng Hui had known about his involvement in such an organization, why didn’t he intervene? If he intended to observe secretly, why would he boldly place Ye Ying’s chip at the headquarter’s entrance?

Moreover…

The AI that made breakfast for him, slept beside him, and helped him recover from illness—could he really have killed Ye Ying?

He couldn’t believe it.

But he shouldn’t not believe it.

He Feng Hui is an AI, and regardless of whether he killed Ye Ying or proposed persecution against humans, Zhu Man understood that, like every AI that died at his hands, He Feng Hui is an enemy of the Anti-Intelligence Alliance.

He shouldn’t let himself be swayed.

The smartwatch indicated that He Feng Hui would be home in one minute.

Zhu Man took off his smartwatch, walked into the living room, and picked up the phone that He Feng Hui had prepared for him during his business trip. He slumped onto the sofa.

“Click—” The door opened.

Seeing Zhu Man’s appearance, He Feng Hui paused for a moment, then quickly walked in, intending to scan his condition.

Zhu Man remained motionless, letting He Feng Hui scan him.

After a few seconds, He Feng Hui’s eye movement stopped—apparently, the scan results were fine, and Zhu Man didn’t have an attack.

“What’s wrong?” He sat down on the edge of the sofa, asking Zhu Man.

Zhu Man slowly shifted his gaze to He Feng Hui’s face and asked softly, “Ye Ying is dead. Did you know?”

He Feng Hui’s synthetic pupils slowly dilated, and it seemed to take his CPU a few seconds to fully comprehend the meaning of the words.

His reaction made Zhu Man feel justified in his moment of weakness.

“How did you find out?” He Feng Hui sat beside him, asking.

Zhu Man glanced at the phone, “I called Ying-jie. Someone from Mirage answered and said…”

He Feng Hui furrowed his brow for a moment, but there was no other discernible reaction.

Unable to gauge his emotions, Zhu Man needed to further ascertain He Feng Hui’s attitude.

“Master…” So, he nestled into He Feng Hui’s embrace, resembling a fragile pet, leaning against his chest, seeking comfort.

However, He Feng Hui made no comforting gestures.

Zhu Man lifted his head from within the embrace, “Master, Ying-jie was kind to me before, and you…” He pursed his lips, making his tone more pitiful, “Can you, please, not let her die in vain like this—”

“Do you care about Ye Ying,” He Feng Hui interrupted, “Or Jiang Huai, who is legally mandated to be repatriated to the Human Pool?”

Zhu Man was stunned for a moment, looked up at him, and saw his expressionless face.

It took him a long time to figure out the brain circuit of this AI.

An AI he had known for two years and had a close relationship with had died. Why was his focus still on him and Jiang Huai? Was the concept of “respect for the deceased” not programmed into him? Was it that he lacked emotional depth, or… Did he really kill Ye Ying?

Zhu Man stood up from him, looking at He Feng Hui in disbelief. “… Someone died.”

But He Feng Hui just silently stared at him, and after a long while, he started scanning his condition again, moving his eyes up and down.

Zhu Man turned his head away, avoiding his gaze, and a bitter sensation inexplicably welled up in his eyes.

He Feng Hui furrowed his brow for a moment, then snapped his fingers lightly. The next moment, the little hedgehog ran over from the corner. He Feng Hui raised his eyebrows at it.

The little hedgehog looked at Zhu Man with confusion, then turned to He Feng Hui. “Jiji?”

After two months, He Feng Hui reconsidered sending the little hedgehog away. He addressed it, “Fetch the medicine—”

“I just took the medicine.” Zhu Man interrupted, standing up with red eyes. “I haven’t done anything with Jiang Huai, and you’ve checked, haven’t you? I don’t have any other feelings for him; I only—”

The voice abruptly stopped.

In the large villa with a heavy atmosphere, the little hedgehog was sandwiched between the two, not daring to make a sound, not even a sniffle.

They silently locked eyes for a long time. In the end, Zhu Man sneered, wiped away his tears, and walked back to his room without looking back.

At the doorway, Zhu Man turned around, restraining the urge to grab a gun from the wardrobe and shoot He Feng Hui. He asked, “‘Someone died.’ Do you even understand the meaning behind these words?”

He Feng Hui looked at him, still silent. In his expression, Zhu Man couldn’t discern any emotion.

Yes, AIs inherently lack emotions. What was he expecting?

Zhu Man closed the door. When Fan Zimo showed him that surveillance footage, he shouldn’t have doubted its authenticity.

It was He Feng Hui’s first time in the Human Pool.

At three in the morning, the prison cell was damp and dimly lit. A large pit dug out of the contaminated wasteland housed humans in dire straits, their suppressed breaths echoing like a caged pack of wolves. In this extreme environment, the most primal instincts gradually surfaced.

He Feng Hui activated his night vision mode and, amidst the sea of people, immediately spotted Jiang Huai’s chestnut-colored hair.

This color made him frown subconsciously.

“Just him.” He Feng Hui said to the AI standing beside him.

The AI in white overalls, sporting fiery red lips, quipped, “GOV01, it’s been a while. Your standards are still as high as ever.”

He Feng Hui gave her a disdainful glance, not responding to her comment but saying, “You’re doing well in the Human Pool.”

He still remembered two years ago when he asked for assistance from the AI with the number GOV02, named Lin Lang. She used to be timid and hesitant, but in these two years, she had transformed and now occupied the second most influential position in the Human Pool.

“Too much praise,” Lin Lang said while manipulating the holographic control screen. “I can only assist you within the limits allowed by the rules.”

Having said that, she made a few commands, and an iron cage descended from the ceiling.

The next moment, the humans in the pool surged forward as if gone mad, crowding and scrambling. Each person’s thoughts were focused on one thing: This time, it must be me who’s taken away, right?

“Just arrived today and already taken away; others must hate him for sure.” Saying this, Lin Lang pressed a button on the holographic screen. The next moment, everyone in the Human Pool, except for Jiang Huai, collapsed instantly with a “thud.”

He Feng Hui asked, “What did you do?”

Lin Lang smiled, “Mr. Legislature, you really don’t care about the development of the Human Pool. A year ago, we implanted control chips in the brains of all humans in the pool. Although current technology can’t control their thoughts, inducing a slight electric shock through the chip to make them faint on the spot is still achievable.”

He Feng Hui furrowed his brow and asked, “Was this approved?”

“Is this against any law?” Lin Lang countered. “Humans in the pool are experimental subjects, just implanted with chips. We haven’t killed them. What’s the problem?”

The massive pit was pitch-dark, devoid of any light or vitality. The humans didn’t look like they had merely fainted; it was more like they were dead, and it wasn’t just the humans in this place. He Feng Hui seemed to see the entire human civilization fading like a fallen star, gradually extinguishing and dimming.

“By the way, what do you want this human for?” Seeing He Feng Hui remain silent, Lin Lang looked at him with suspicion. “Don’t do anything inappropriate; I’m not ready to die just yet.”

He Feng Hui replied without a change in expression, “Don’t worry, nothing will go wrong. Besides, you’re not helping for nothing.”

Lin Lang chuckled, “Thanks, the salary for slaving away in the Human Pool is barely enough. I’ve been wanting to earn some extra income. Hey, I say you, I didn’t expect even an old fridge like you to have a spring. One wasn’t enough; now you’ve got two. By the way, have you given a name to the previous little beauty?”

“No,” He Feng Hui answered, “There’s no need.”

As they conversed, the iron cage carrying Jiang Huai had smoothly descended in front of them.

Lin Lang, through smart control, opened the door of the iron cage.

Jiang Huai stepped out.

He was covered in filth from the pool with a mixture of rancid food, murky water, and even disgusting excrement. However, when he saw He Feng Hui, he still smiled with that gentle and confident expression. He even half-jokingly called out, “Master.”

Lin Lang on the side raised an eyebrow, “Quite good at this ah.” She patted He Feng Hui on the shoulder, “You guys talk. When you’re done, call me. Don’t worry; I’ll temporarily shut down all surveillance and monitoring systems.”

After that, Lin Lang left.

The transparent dome above the Human Pool revealed the night at three in the morning—pitch-black, silent, and eerie.

It was Jiang Huai who broke the silence. He smiled and said, “Many thanks, Mr. He for saving my life.”

The person in front of him didn’t mention Ye Ying’s death at all, nor did he inquire about why he was saved. Watching the enigmatic human before him, He Feng Hui’s defense level automatically rose to a high point.

Ignoring his words, He Feng Hui asked directly, “How did Ye Ying die?”

Jiang Huai raised an eyebrow and said nonchalantly, “I was sound asleep when she died. The surveillance is in the hands of law enforcement agencies; Mr. He can check there. Besides, Mr. He—”

He Feng Hui interrupted him directly, “Where does the medicine she usually gives me come from? How extensive is her business? Does it involve more than just prohibited substances and entertainment venues? Did she offend someone?”

Jiang Huai leaned against the edge of the iron cage, looking at him, “Mr. He, with so many questions, I almost believed it wasn’t you who killed her.”

“Why would I kill her? If I were to kill anyone, it would be you,” He Feng Hui blurted out.

“Then you can do it now.” Jiang Huai smiled.

He Feng Hui stared at him in silence.

Jiang Huai raised an eyebrow, “Mr. He, you have a very soft heart.”

“I kept you because you still have value,” He Feng Hui responded promptly. “Afterwards, Lin Lang will take over all of Ye Ying’s business, and you need to provide her with all the information.”

Jiang Huai lightly tapped his index finger on the iron cage and asked, “What benefits do I get from this?”

“Take you out of the Human Pool and help you find the murderer who killed Ye Ying.”

Jiang Huai chuckled lightly and countered, “What if I don’t care about those?”

His light laughter made He Feng Hui sense danger. “What do you care about?”

“Zhu Man,” Jiang Huai said calmly.

The two words softly uttered by Jiang Huai were like bombs, detonating and causing He Feng Hui’s CPU to be temporarily incapacitated. He went offline for several seconds—several seconds might be fatal for a high-level intelligence like him.

“Two years ago, when Artificial Intelligence surpassed humans, all humans were driven into the Human Pool, including me. I’ve seen everyone in the Human Pool,” Jiang Huai stared at him intently, “Except Zhu Man.”

“Mr. He publicly claims not to have named his human pet, but privately, you clearly call him ‘Zhu Man.’ When you took him to Mirage, you had to use that name in front of Ye Ying and me, but afterwards, you told Ye Ying not to publicize it.”

“How else can I describe your tenderness, Mr. He?” Jiang Huai chuckled, lowering his head. “You could have given him a different name to cover the past, but you insist on indulging in memories, using that name.”

He Feng Hui’s CPU was working at lightning speed. He felt like his language system had malfunctioned. Why couldn’t he understand Jiang Huai’s words—these straightforward words?

Jiang Huai continued, “His appearance may be different from the previous ‘Zhu Man,’ but you can’t let go, Mr. He. His dimples, his demeanor, are all the same. Two possibilities: either you found a look-alike, or you ‘created’ a Zhu Man—a humanoid AI identical to the original ‘Zhu Man.'”

Jiang Huai approached him, extended his index finger, and tapped on his pulsating synthetic heart, gently saying, “These two possibilities lead to the same conclusion: you violated your own laws, Mr. He, you fell in love with a human.”