Reality Programming Association

Chapter 155 -65: Waiting for You After Class

Yu Xian’s speculation made Shi Zuozhou shiver. He didn’t dare reply.

“Forget it. Wild guesses won’t help us here.” Yu Xian reached out and pulled Shi Zuozhou to his feet. “Once Wen Xiao finishes her evening class, we’ll get Shao Yiyi and meet up. She might be able to think of some useful clues.”

He checked his phone. It was only 7:20 PM. There were still over two hours until Wen Xiao’s class ended at 9:40 PM.

“Let’s go, Old Shi.” Yu Xian put away his phone and opened his umbrella. “Let’s use these two hours to spread the new version of Rabbit Hole. If a great flood really is coming, we’ll need Rabbit Hole and Whale Song more than ever.”

Shi Zuozhou regained some of his fighting spirit. He tapped the Rabbit Hole icons on both his phone and his Enoch Bracelet.

Shortly after seven, the rain on campus eased slightly, though the night remained thick and dark. Yu Xian and Shi Zuozhou moved like two wandering ghosts, weaving through various corners of the campus under the cover of the rainy night and their black umbrellas.

Yu Xian kept his phone in his pocket with the screen brightness turned down to the lowest setting; Rabbit Hole was working silently. Shi Zuozhou, meanwhile, occasionally raised his wrist to glance at the pixelated rabbit interface on his Enoch Bracelet.

The two of them acted as mobile signal towers. The “gossip protocol” designed by Wen Xiao was unleashing its terrifying efficacy. They didn’t need to manually visit every node to upload the new version. All they had to do was transmit the update package and the compressed audio files to a few key hubs, and the network would handle the rest. Like a virus, the new version would silently infect every node within the network. The “infected” public computers would instantly become new broadcast sources, seeking out the next potential device running the old version within the range of their Rabbit Hole node signals. One device spread to ten, ten to a hundred—a silent conquest without a single shot fired.

Looking at the pixelated rabbit on his screen, Yu Xian could feel an invisible net quietly casting itself over the silent campus in the pitch-black, rainy night.

The cafeteria, the Second Main Building, the administration building…

As they walked through these areas, isolated zones lit up one by one, and fractured islands reconnected. This wasn’t just a software update; these were torches being ignited in the long, rainy night.

Before they knew it, the time had jumped to 9:50 PM. The faint ringing of the dismissal bell drifted from the distant academic buildings.

The two stopped at an intersection. The left path led toward the bustling boys’ dormitories in the South District, while the right path headed toward the relatively quiet Second Main Building.

“That should do it.” Yu Xian glanced at his phone. The key hubs in several core areas had been seeded; the rest just needed to propagate on its own.

“Yeah. I think I’ll head back to the dorm first and change my pants. Sitting on the ground earlier completely soaked them,” Shi Zuozhou said, tugging at his trousers. “Then I’ll drop by a few dorms and send them the installation package via Bluetooth. Manual spreading.”

Yu Xian nodded. That was indeed the best approach. Manual, peer-to-peer transmission was the safest and hardest method to trace. As long as Shi Zuozhou distributed the installation package, the others would naturally spread it on their own for the sake of the “audio files.” That way, even if someone wanted to investigate later, they would only find a group of students privately sharing files with one another, never the original source.

“Don’t be too obvious about it. Make sure you’re careful,” Yu Xian warned.

“Don’t worry. Once I’m done, I’ll head straight to the North Campus to meet up with you guys. Hurry up and get Wen Xiao, don’t keep her waiting.” Shi Zuozhou winked at him.

They parted ways under the streetlights. After watching Shi Zuozhou’s figure disappear down the small path by the bridge, Yu Xian turned and walked toward the Second Main Building.

The Second Main Building was relatively new to JCU. With its dark gray tiles and transparent glass curtain walls, it looked like a massive industrial ship quietly anchored in the rainy night. Since evening classes had just let out, the covered bridge was bustling with people. Students were opening and closing umbrellas, shaking off the water droplets clinging to them.

Yu Xian stood behind a pillar in the lobby, his gaze slightly unfocused as he watched the elevator doors repeatedly open and close.

He was waiting for Wen Xiao. However, it wasn’t just to escort her back to her dorm. More importantly, a heavy stone was weighing on his mind.

Su Mingyuan.

The man whom Professor Ning claimed had issued the warning of “Torrential Calamity Waters,” the mastermind who had allegedly driven Professor Gao to his death.

Yet, he was also Shao Yiyi’s martial uncle.

Judging from their recent interactions, the Evil Bun Head in the dinosaur pajamas didn’t seem involved in any dark conspiracies whatsoever.

But…

In a time when truth was so hard to distinguish from lies, he couldn’t afford to gamble on human nature. What if Shao Yiyi was also a member of that organization? What if she was an informant planted in the school by Su Mingyuan? Or, even if she was completely oblivious, could Su Mingyuan be exploiting their connection to monitor the school’s activities through her?

If he rashly questioned Shao Yiyi directly, he not only might fail to get any answers, but he could also tip them off, completely exposing their group to Su Mingyuan’s scrutiny. Therefore, he had to ask Wen Xiao first.

Wen Xiao, the Kind Bun Head, was pure-hearted, and she was Shao Yiyi’s best friend. He had heard earlier that they had known each other long before starting college; perhaps she would know something.

The elevator doors opened, and a crowd of students poured out amid a cacophony of footsteps, chatter, and laughter. Yu Xian pulled the collar of his jacket a little higher, scanning the surging throng.

It wasn’t long before he spotted that familiar figure.

Wen Xiao didn’t squeeze through with the crowd. Clutching a few books to her chest and keeping her head down, she walked out closely hugging the wall.