nycdaug Chapter 325 Equipment Recycling, Karen's Intelligence
Chapter 325 Equipment Recycling, Karen's Intelligence
Yumi Kenmura's sudden appearance was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
She strode in through the side door leading to the control room, still wearing the white research coat from the science department. Her chest rose and fell slightly, clearly indicating that she had rushed over after receiving the news.
Her gaze swept urgently over Ye Rui, then over Karen nestled close to him, finally settling on Ye Rui's face as she repeated, "Ye Rui, where's Ye Ming? I received word that the battle here is over, but he hasn't returned to base on time, and we can't locate him yet!"
Her voice carried an unmistakable worry, the anxiety of a scientist's partner facing unknown danger, mixed with a hint of displeasure at not being formally informed of the situation.
She has her own sources of information, but it seems that the Victory team has not fully informed her about the specifics of Lin Yeming's involvement in this incident.
Ye Rui was taken aback by the question. His joy and relief seemed to have been punctured, letting in a gust of cold reality.
He then realized that since the virtual space crashed, his attention had been almost entirely focused on Karen, and he had almost forgotten to check on the exact situation of another "hero" and teammate.
He subconsciously looked at Daigo and Shinjo.
Daigo immediately stepped forward and explained in a calm tone, "Dr. Yumi, please rest assured. The battle is over, and the threat at the scene has been confirmed to be eliminated. Ultraman Naga has left after completing... uh, after completing the transformation of Kallen."
"Since Ultraman Naga has left, Yoru must be alright."
Shinjo added, "Yeah, Dr. Kenmura, Ultraman Naga, he was really fast when he left, he disappeared in a flash. Lin Yeming is quite capable, he's probably already drinking coffee in front of some vending machine!" He tried to ease the atmosphere with a lighthearted tone, but it had little effect.
Yumi Kenmura's furrowed brows didn't completely relax. She glanced at Daigo, then at Shinjo, and finally her gaze returned to Nozue. Her tone softened slightly, but it still carried a questioning tone: "Did he leave any message when he left? Or, Nozue, did you notice anything unusual about him in the virtual space? Was he injured?"
Lina, being perceptive, immediately looked at the communicator when Yumi Kenmura spoke. The signal on the communicator was gradually approaching her: "Dr. Kenmura, we are very close to Yoru."
"He should be nearby!"
Horii immediately activated the signal system on the Sherlock car and sent a call request to Lin Yeming.
As Kallen listened to the group's words, she became certain that the members of the GUTS team truly did not know Ultraman Naga's true identity.
Since Lin Yeming wanted to conceal his identity, and I had his permission, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to bring it up myself.
Therefore, after thinking about it, Karen decided that she should wait for Lin Yeming's permission.
However, at this point, she also needed to say something.
But what can we say?
This is her first time being a human being too.
Horii stared at the Sherlock vehicle's control screen, tapping his fingers rapidly a few times. He looked up and reported, "Signal established! The location is in the outer perimeter passage of the base, moving this way, and the vital signs are normal, absolutely normal!"
These words acted like a powerful soothing balm, causing Yumi Kenmura's tense shoulders to relax slightly. However, her fingers remained clenched, and her gaze was fixed on the automatic door leading to the inner corridor on the other side of the control room.
Karen took a soft breath. She felt Ye Rui's concerned gaze and sensed the silent concern of everyone present.
She mimicked Lina's earlier gentle pat on the shoulder, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and lightly touched the cuff of Kenmura Yumi's lab coat with her fingertips. The movement was awkward yet carried a strange sense of comfort. "He... Team Member Lin Yeming helped me," her voice was clear as she tried to organize her thoughts to express the complex situation, "At the last moment, he told me to leave first. He should be here soon."
Although brief, these words carried significant weight coming from someone who had experienced the event firsthand, especially Karen, who had just been rescued. Yumi Kenmura glanced at Karen, her sharp gaze softened by a complex gratitude. She nodded and whispered, "Thank you."
Just then, the automatic door slid open with a "whoosh".
Lin Yeming appeared at the doorway. He was dressed in casual clothes, and apart from being slightly pale and having some sweat on his forehead, he had no obvious external injuries.
His steps were steady, only a beat slower than usual. When he entered the control room, his gaze first swept quickly over everyone, paused for a moment on Karen, and when he saw that she was safe and sound and had materialized, he nodded almost imperceptibly. Then he met the anxious gaze of Yumi Kenmura.
“Yumi,” he said, his voice a little hoarse, but he tried to sound relaxed. “I’m sorry to have worried you. There was some…signal interference in the passageway just now, so we took a detour.”
Yumi Kenmura walked up to him in a few steps. The scientist's meticulous eyes quickly examined him from head to toe, and only after confirming that there were no visible serious injuries did she truly relax. However, her worry immediately turned into reproachful concern: "Signal interference? The passages inside the base? Yoru, why did your communicator's positioning fail? Also, what's wrong with your complexion?"
Daigo and Shinjo also gathered around. Shinjo patted Lin Yeming on the shoulder casually: "Kid, you're getting a little scared!"
Lin Yeming's body stiffened almost imperceptibly when Xincheng slapped him, but he quickly covered it up and forced a smile: "Xincheng! You should consider your current situation."
Xincheng casually asked, "Me?"
What could my current situation be?
"In Mayumi's words, I'm currently eating well, sleeping well, and in great spirits."
Lin Yeming shook his head and said, "That's not what I meant."
Xincheng frowned slightly: "Then what do you mean?"
Lin Yeming's words also aroused everyone's curiosity.
He patted Xincheng on the shoulder and added, "What I mean is, Ye Rui is no longer single."
Horii, who has always been Shinjo's love-hate partner, continued to add insult to injury: "It's strange, but Daigo, who partnered with you, got out of being single, and so did I."
"As for yourself, that's hard to say."
"Also, I, Chizuru, am planning to get engaged."
When Lin Yeming said this, the control room fell silent for a moment, then burst into good-natured laughter and exclamations.
"Huh?!" Shinjo's eyes widened suddenly, his smug expression instantly crumbling. He pointed at himself, then at Nori, whose face was flushed but beaming with smiles, and then at Karen, who was nestled next to Nori, tilting her head slightly though she didn't quite understand the specific meaning of "getting out of being single" but could sense the atmosphere. Finally, he wailed, "No way! Nori, you...you're too fast! And Horii! Did Chizuru-san agree before you said you were engaged!"
"I'm telling you, don't you dare falsely convey imperial edicts!"
Horii puffed out his chest, his chubby face full of pride: "Of course! Chizuru and I have already discussed it, the date is next month! The invitations will all be prepared, Shinjo, you'd better make sure your red envelope is generous!"
Daigo shook his head with a smile, patted Shinjo on the back, and silently expressed his sympathy. Lina couldn't help but laugh and leaned close to Karen, quietly explaining the meaning of "getting out of singlehood" and "getting engaged." Karen seemed to understand, but seeing Nori's happy expression, she smiled faintly as well.
Ye Rui's ears turned red from everyone's laughter, but he didn't let go of Karen's hand. He mustered his courage and said loudly, "Karen is the most important person to me! We...we will be together!" After saying that, he lowered his head shyly, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.
This delightful interlude transformed the tense atmosphere into a relaxed and joyful one, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.
Yumi Kenmura watched the group of playful young people, a hint of a smile flashing across her eyes, but her attention quickly returned to Lin Yeming. She noticed that while everyone was laughing, Lin Yeming was also laughing, but the smile didn't fully reach his eyes. His posture remained upright, but there was a faint trace of forced composure, and his face seemed a little paler under the light than before.
“Alright, enough joking.” Yumi Kenmura cleared her throat, her voice regaining its scientist’s composure, but her tone was much gentler. “Horie, congratulations on your engagement. Shinjo, good luck with your personal life.” She paused, then turned her gaze to Lin Yeming. “As for you, Yeming, a thorough examination at the medical center, now, immediately.”
"Yumi, let's put this matter aside for now. I need you to safely dismantle all the necessary equipment."
"The equipment here is no worse than TPC's!"
Lin Yeming's words were like a rock suddenly thrown into a stream, instantly changing the direction of the water's flow. The relaxed laughter in the control room abruptly ceased, and everyone turned their gaze to him, the air once again filled with a serious and solemn atmosphere.
Yumi Kenmura was about to reiterate the order for medical examinations when she heard this, but she paused. She keenly caught the undeniable seriousness in Lin Yeming's tone; it wasn't an excuse, but a priority order based on professional judgment. The concern on her face didn't fade, but the rationality of a scientist quickly took over.
"Equipment?" Yumi Kenmura's gaze swept over the instruments and terminals in the main control room, which gleamed with an unusual light and were clearly different from the TPC standard, especially near the area where Kallen materialized, noting the intricately designed interfaces and traces of residual energy. "You mean... the core equipment that supports the 'Computer Game City' and performs life data conversion?"
“Yes.” Lin Yeming nodded, his face still pale, but his eyes sharp and clear. “It’s not just the servers that support the virtual world. This place,” he gestured around, “was modified and had many things added to it during the enemy’s control. Some energy circuits, data extraction devices, and possibly even backdoor programs that reverse-compile our TPC system. Their design concepts and technical level should not be underestimated.”
He looked at Ye Rui and Karen: "Ye Rui, Karen, you know the original architecture here best. We need to identify all non-native device units with aggressive or high-value technological features, especially those that have been connected to your core data, Karen."
Ye Rui immediately understood, her expression becoming focused: "Understood! Karen, can you help me mark it?"
Karen nodded slightly, a subtle glint of data flashing in her eyes. She knew every inch of the structure of this space where she had once existed as a "god." "Alright. Mark all abnormal access points and energy mutation modules." She walked to a main control terminal, her fingers hovering above the keyboard. Seemingly without touching it, the structural diagram on the screen automatically began to light up different colored markers.
Horii also dropped his joking expression, moved closer to another device, and pulled out his multi-functional detector: "Leave the energy residue analysis to me. Tsk tsk, this coupling method... I've never seen it before. It's very valuable for research, but also extremely dangerous. Unstable energy leakage is no joke."
Shinjo scratched the back of his head. Although he wasn't an expert on the technical details, he understood the seriousness of the situation: "So, these things might explode or leak? We definitely need to deal with that right away! Daigo, Rena, let's not just sit idly by. Help demarcate the quarantine zone and move the tools!"
Daigo and Rena immediately replied, "Understood!"
Yumi Kenmura watched her team members quickly get to work, then glanced at Lin Yeming. With Nori's help, he had already pulled up a preliminary equipment distribution map and was pointing to several key nodes with his finger, explaining in a low, rapid voice. His profile was still pale in the dim light of the screen, but his focused and responsible demeanor made her unable to insist on dragging him to the medical center immediately.