Hearing Herta say that, Bai Luan became even more flustered.
Big crisis!
Super big crisis!
He had been in this world for so long, and this was the first time he had encountered such a major crisis!
"You saying that makes me really scared."
"So, what's the situation now?"
Bai Luan explained the current situation in detail.
"Your phone had no signal, and you didn't even notice… I didn't expect you to make such a basic mistake."
"You know I'm usually very focused on what I do… I rarely get distracted, but I didn't expect…"
Bai Luan scratched his head.
The expression on his face was as if he was about to be executed at noon.
"Unless you come up with something that interests this genius, don't expect to get through this smoothly."
"…Do you think researching the source code that can turn robots into sentient beings is interesting?"
"Hmm… So-so. How far along are you with what you're doing on that planet?"
"That batch of robots is almost repaired. I found a self-aware robot on that planet.
It was trying to repair the robot manufacturing factory on that planet, and it still lacks this final source code. I brought its chip back this time, preparing to research the source code at the Space Station."
"Still somewhat interesting."
"But earlier, you looked for me, and I didn't reply to your message."
"Then you… Wait, I looked for you?"
Herta's voice had an extremely brief pause.
Immediately, a knowing smile, tinged with a hint of mischief, quietly bloomed on her lips.
She instantly understood—what her "real" self wanted Bai Luan to do.
She had just asked Bai Luan to see Ruan Mei, and now, most likely, it was to have Bai Luan meet Screwllum.
Bai Luan noticed the change in Herta's expression, thinking Herta had some brilliant plan, so he asked:
"Is there any way for me to avoid this catastrophe?"
"Just go find me, and honestly repeat the situation, that's all."
"Really? That's all it takes? Did you guess something?"
"I guessed it."
Herta admitted it frankly, but then immediately closed the door to the truth.
"But I'm not going to tell you."
"Why?"
"Who told you not to reply to my message?"
"No… I didn't do it on purpose."
Herta enjoyed Bai Luan's annoyed but helpless expression, and said with a smile:
"I have to say, when it comes to encountering something you're interested in and wanting to do it regardless of anything else, you are indeed like me, like my assistant."
But then Herta's tone changed again, and she said:
"But because of this advantage, you ignored this genius's request. That's not good."
"Will I still see the sun tomorrow?"
"It's not that bad. If you do as I say, it won't be as terrible as you imagine."
"Why?"
"I won't tell you."
"Don't be like that, you're really scaring me."
Unknown danger is the most terrifying.
Even more terrifying is facing such unknown fear without being able to use sufficient firepower to deal with it.
"Compared to the ways you're imagining I'd torture you, making you anxious for a while is very light."
Herta snorted lightly, then said:
"There are only a few people in this universe who dare to ignore me. I didn't expect, I didn't expect, my assistant, who should theoretically fear me the most, didn't reply to my message."
Bai Luan keenly sensed something was amiss and asked:
"I say, you're not intentionally scaring me and then finding amusement in my fear, are you?"
"Not bad, you figured it out?"
Seeing Herta in the Little Black Room say that, Bai Luan breathed a sigh of relief.
At least she didn't seem truly angry.
Although Herta in the Little Black Room hadn't experienced waiting for a month, she should be similar to the real Herta… right?
Since things had come to this, he could only brace himself.
Thinking this, Bai Luan exited the Little Black Room and began walking towards Herta's laboratory, reporting his safety to his friends who had messaged him on his phone along the way.
Looking at the laboratory door in front of him, Bai Luan had never felt it so oppressive.
How should he begin?
How would he explain later?
How could he be so foolish about something like this?
Just as Bai Luan was hesitating in front of the laboratory door like a student with a zero-score report card arriving home, his phone vibrated.
Bai Luan opened it and found a message from Herta.
Herta: What are you doing standing in front of my lab door?
Herta: What?
Herta: Can you do it but not take responsibility?
Upon seeing this message, Bai Luan, on the contrary, felt a sense of calm.
Whether destruction lay ahead or not, the monk would walk in.
With this mindset, Bai Luan entered Herta's laboratory.
The Thousand Paper Cranes he had given Herta flew over to Bai Luan when they saw him, landing on his shoulder.
Then, it affectionately rubbed against Bai Luan with its small head.
Bai Luan forced a smile at it, then looked at Herta.
Herta sat on a chair, looking at him:
"Tell me, what had a higher priority than this genius, making you so busy that you forgot to reply to my message?"
Bai Luan wanted to explain that there was no signal on that planet, but then he remembered Herta's words in the Little Black Room.
Find her, and tell her the truth.
…
He trusted her.
So Bai Luan swallowed the explanation he wanted to utter and began to recount what he had done over the past month.
After he finished telling his experiences of the past month, Herta stared at him expressionlessly, making Bai Luan's heart pound again.
So he added at the end:
"Of course, there's one more thing I need to state: the priority of this matter in my heart is not higher than Ms. Herta's… it's just that I foolishly overlooked the fact that there was no signal on that planet."
Herta looked at Bai Luan, not knowing what to say.
How could this kid's mistakes not be so difficult to accept?
If she wanted Screwllum to acknowledge Bai Luan, then this matter was an excellent starting point.
Sentient machine civilizations in the universe were not many, and Screwllum would be very happy to have one more.
Originally, she only wanted Screwllum to come to Herta Space Station, to let Screwllum see the Space Station's repairs, and then evaluate whether Bai Luan was qualified to join the Simulated Universe Project based on this matter.
Who knew that her assistant would disappear for a month and create a nascent sentient machine civilization?
Although he had been missing for a month, he brought back something even more likely to be recognized by Screwllum.
It was too coincidental, so much so that Herta even thought Bai Luan did it on purpose.
But looking at Bai Luan's cautious demeanor, it didn't seem like he was faking it.
"Regarding this matter, I can help you."
"Really?"
"I don't have time to lie to you, but I also have a request."
"What request?"
"I'll have Screwllum come over, and you'll need to take him to see that world."
"Is that true, Ms. Herta?"
Bai Luan was already worried about how to handle the sentient machine civilization on Beta Star once it was on the right track; a carbon-based life form leading a sentient machine civilization seemed unreliable no matter how he looked at it.
But if it was handed over to Screwllum, then there would be no problem at all.
Could this even be considered a request?
These were clearly two pieces of good news!
Moreover, Herta didn't say she would punish him, which was great.
"Oh, right," Herta's voice sounded again, with a hint of subtle playfulness, "There's one more thing. You, come closer."
Still immersed in immense joy, Bai Luan stepped forward almost without thinking.
"Oh, okay."
The moment he approached, Herta flipped her wrist, and that uniquely shaped magic staff appeared in her hand as if by magic, raised high with a whooshing sound:
"This one."
Her voice was cold, with a hint of punishment.
"Is to make you remember."
The magic staff, carrying the sound of wind, precisely descended towards Bai Luan's head.
"Eh!?"
Bai Luan first yelped, then closed his eyes.
Seeing Bai Luan looking very scared, Herta's magic staff paused slightly, slowing down considerably before landing on Bai Luan's head.
The magic staff landed on Bai Luan's head with a light thud, like a flick to the forehead.
"Ugh… (> ‸ < ‶)"
Bai Luan clutched the spot that had been hit.
It still hurt a little.
But in an instant, a strange sense of relief welled up in his heart—taking this blow for the future of a civilization… it was worth it.
When practicing the piano, he hadn't experienced the Herta Puppet's hammer punishment, but here, in this way… he had made up for it.
Hmm… he had even felt a little regretful back then.
Truly, what you constantly think about will eventually echo.
[Is the 'echo' referring to the sound of pain echoing in the laboratory when you get hit?]
You shut up, System.