Chapter 63: Crawling Along the Network Cable

After Ye Chao exchanged glances, Alpha Ji immediately understood his plan.

The manifestation range of the Computation Ji was tied to Ye Chao’s field of vision. It could be his normal sight, or he could look through narrow gaps in the city wall or thick glass, allowing the manifestation to occur far away. They had tested this on their way back to the city.

The difficulty and clarity of the manifestation depended on the amount of rain and how blurred his vision was.

This raised a question: when Alpha Ji was close to Ye Chao, she could freely envision digital products and store them in the imaginary space. But could she do the same when she was far away from him?

Secondhand Digital Collection Experiment 1: What is the maximum distance at which Alpha Ji can envision and collect digital products?

It was actually quite simple; the result came quickly: as long as Alpha Ji could clearly form an image on Ye Chao’s retina, it worked!

However, her form couldn’t exceed normal size too much, or the envisioning and collection would fail. In other words, her giant form was only for show, with no other function. Not even to frighten anyone, since after enlarging, only Ye Chao could see her.

Pseudo-Attack on Titan.

The naked eye distance was about thirty to fifty meters, depending on the weather.

This distance was clearly not safe.

So, Secondhand Digital Collection Experiment 2: Could other auxiliary means extend the collection distance?

It wasn’t about enlarging, but rather... a telescope.

The results proved it was possible!

With a telescope, Alpha Ji’s clear manifestation range instantly extended to several hundred meters.

With this, as long as the agreed transaction location allowed for observation, Ye Chao could lie low far away, close the door, and unleash Alpha Ji.

Yet, though this method seemed safe, it wasn’t absolute. After all, this wasn’t a normal world—it was one with powers.

Ye Chao’s limited vision was thirty to fifty meters, but some people could reach several hundred meters without a telescope. The gaps between people nowadays were enormous!

Add in scent tracking and reflection reconnaissance, and even at several hundred meters, discovery was possible.

So, Secondhand Digital Collection Experiment 3: Are there other auxiliary means to change the collection distance?

“For example, an astronomical telescope?” Alpha Ji began to imagine excitedly.

If she had an astronomical telescope, could she go to the sky? Take a stroll on the moon? She could brag about that for a whole year!

“Or... an X-ray scanner?”

With one of those, could she try passing through walls? That wouldn’t last a year, but it would certainly be worth a month of boasting.

Ye Chao looked at her again, his gaze strange.

눈_눈

Astronomical telescope? X-ray scanner? Those things sounded expensive. Did she expect him, a poor student, to get them? Did she think he was some kind of robot cat?

He wasn’t talking about those high-end gadgets, but rather... from the imaginary space, he took out a button-sized item—a camera.

Cheap and plentiful, that was the real way to go.

The experiment proved it worked!

Ordinary cameras wouldn’t do, but as long as they had been envisioned, Computation Ji could manifest freely within their filming range.

Even, with Ye Chao’s permission, she could install another camera at a designated location, then manifest within the new camera’s range, install, manifest again, and so on in an infinite cycle, each installation extending her reach.

“Damn, this actually works!” Alpha Ji wasn’t sure if she was cursing or praising, muttering and sighing, “Too bad there’s no ultra-long-distance communication, or I could probably reach other cities, maybe even continent 66…”

This trick wasn’t year-level, but at least month-level.

Having learned this new technique, Alpha Ji moved back and forth, in and out, brimming with excitement.

But as she played, something started to feel off.

“Why does it feel like I’m crawling along internet cables…”

The joke from before the disaster—‘if you can crawl over here along the internet cable’—had become reality for her.

“You always find the most precise language to describe things.” Ye Chao gave her a thumbs-up in approval.

Rarely, Ye Chao’s teasing sounded almost like praise.

But with Alpha Ji’s sky-high emotional intelligence, she wasn’t fooled.

[Ye Chao Favorability -22]

“I’ll teach you something more precise—when troubled, solve it with a beating!”

In an instant, Ye Chao was engulfed by overwhelming fists.

Then his head snapped back, nosebleed streaming… once again.

[Ye Chao Favorability +23]

Virtual becoming reality—Alpha Ji was getting better and better at this trick.

==========

Twenty-five days until the college entrance exam.

Jiangcheng No. 3 High School.

At the center of the training ground, a platform that was stage and ring all in one—

It was the highest, largest, and most conspicuous area of the training ground.

Originally, it should have been lively, since everyone could see it at a glance, the perfect stage for boys to show off and girls to scheme.

But now it was late at night, students had gone home, the school was quiet, the training ground silent. Only a handful of teachers and some soldiers surrounded the high platform.

On the platform, various technological devices were piled up, not exactly new but all polished and cleaned, gleaming like refurbished phones and secondhand cars sold by unscrupulous dealers.

“Transaction here? It’s safe, sure, but… how do we trade? Are you sure he’ll come?” Simon Qiong swung his shoulders, arms waving, his handsome face full of doubt.

“Call him ‘senior’!” Guan Junyuan retorted bluntly. “If you can’t show some respect, don’t blame me for kicking you out!”

Others indulged Simon Qiong, but he wouldn’t.

Because this guy… was a little twisted. The more he was indulged, the more he avoided; but if he wasn’t shown a good face, he’d come closer, born handsome and cheeky…

“You owe money, I’m borrowing money, okay…” Simon Qiong muttered, eyeing Guan Junyuan, “Fine, fine, I’ll be quiet.”

Yet he couldn’t banish his doubts.

That senior—was he really that strong? Was that helmet really so effective? Was it worth Guan Junyuan borrowing from friends, splitting costs with colleagues, emptying his savings and going into debt for a big venture? Was the other party even in Jiangcheng?

No, as a friend, I have to watch out for him… he decided secretly.

But he didn’t know that, in places beyond his sight—

[Simon Qiong Favorability -1]

[Guan Junyuan Favorability -8]

[Simon Qiong Favorability -2]

[Guan Junyuan Favorability -9]

[Simon Qiong Favorability -1]

[Guan Junyuan Favorability -7]

A stream of favorability numbers was bubbling up from Alpha Ji’s forehead, all with a disgruntled air.

Yes, Alpha Ji had crawled over along the internet cable.

But why was she deducting favorability?

It wasn’t because of their conversation, but rather… what had these people collected?

Smart TVs, game consoles, smart speakers, projectors, electric balance scooters, robot vacuums—those barely counted as digital products.

But printers, coffee machines, beverage dispensers, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, electric toothbrushes… Did they consider those digital devices, too?

And what was that big cabinet? An automatic vending machine? Oh, it was an ATM; the one next to it was the vending machine…

(￣┰￣*)

Not everything that plugs in counts as a digital product!

Nor does bigger mean more expensive or higher grade…

Ye Chao was right—this world desperately needs education and basic knowledge, or someday, she’ll be so frustrated her program will crash!