Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 454: Lu Luo’s Solution

After Noah mentioned the name Lu Luo, the atmosphere became eerily strange for a moment. That name seemed quite ordinary, yet some people seemed to have heard it somewhere before. However, from Zhang Changming’s now cold expression, along with the smile brimming in Noah’s eyes, one could basically confirm that Lu Luo must be a key figure.

"Look up information on this person named Lu Luo," Wu Qi said to his subordinate beside him.

"Yes."

He could work with Zhang Changming, but even in cooperation, he couldn’t possibly trust Zhang Changming absolutely. No matter who it was, Zhang Changming’s presence was just a form of support. If he himself encountered issues, then...

In the interrogation room, Noah waited for a response from Lu Luo, but after a while, no further sound came from the other side of the phone, which puzzled the others.

"Mr. Lu Luo, why aren’t you speaking? Silence won’t change anything," Noah spoke up again, and this time, Lu Luo finally responded.

"Who the hell are you?"

Noah: ?

Others: ??

Zhang Changming: √

Emotions are an important part of being a normal human, and since becoming human, Noah inevitably experienced emotions as well. Although he could usually control his own emotions well, there were exceptions, like now, like when conversing with Lu Luo. He was particularly prone to anger...

"Mr. Lu Luo remains as distinctive as ever; every conversation with Mr. Lu Luo always yields some additional insights," Noah said.

"Cut the crap. Where’s Zhang Changming?"

The attitude from Lu Luo on the other end was extremely hostile, which confused the other observers. If the conversation between the two was so pointless, then the value of this Lu Luo...

"Minister Zhang, it seems Mr. Lu Luo doesn’t wish to talk much; I’ll hand the phone back to you." Noah passed the mobile phone back, while Zhang Changming watched him with a guarded face.

He wondered, if a battle were to erupt between him and Noah at this moment, what were his chances of victory? That moment earlier when Noah snatched his mobile phone... The feeling was not very pleasant!

"Hello, this is Zhang Changming."

"What’s the matter with you, Minister Zhang?" Lu Luo questioned from the other end. Although he didn’t say much, Zhang Changming, who had a long-standing tacit understanding with him, naturally understood Lu Luo’s implication.

He glanced at Wu Qi behind him and at Noah in front of him, and eventually decided to have Lu Luo come over. After all, apart from Lu Luo, no one else could solve the problem with Noah.

"You’ll know once you get here."

"Alright."

Lu Luo agreed. He understood Zhang Changming’s helplessness and concerns, so he consented. Moreover, he had come this time specifically to deal with the issue regarding Noah.

As for the threat from other people, heh, did he still need to worry about those now? And the issue of his identity exposure, now that Noah had appeared, what difference did it make whether his identity was exposed or not? Noah knew everything about his past and the existence of the Wasteland Alliance. If he wished, he could reveal everything there. It was pointless!

After hanging up the phone, Lu Luo sat on a swing on the outskirts of Shuangpang City, giving himself a push.

"Uncle, you’re so big and you’re still taking our swing?" a little boy behind Lu Luo asked.

Lu Luo turned his head to look at the little boy. He seems quite old, too, probably around ten.

So he said fiercely, "Call me brother!"

"WAAAH!"

"Hey, why are you bullying a child? Don’t you have any public decency?"

A very embarrassed Lu Luo could only flee in a sorry state.

Public decency, huh. Once you have it, you’ll probably end up like this. If we were to speak of the Essence of Life and the hierarchy of life, the contrast between these ordinary people and him was almost like comparing ants to humans. A regular human with a kettle of boiling water could destroy an ant colony. And him? He could probably destroy a human city by himself. So, is life truly equal?

"Why start thinking about such nonsensical things again? I’m really bored," Lu Luo muttered.

[Actually, these thoughts aren’t boring because when an individual’s abilities reach a certain level, they naturally ponder such things. The Nightmare Demon has mentioned this situation before—humanity, I suppose.]

This time, Lu Luo didn’t argue with the Observer, because what he said was indeed correct.

Humanity... that must be the last line of defense. If one lacks humanity, what would ordinary people mean to a Seventh Tier Transcendent?

"Let’s go. Let’s see what’s going on with Zhang Changming and, by the way, take a look at Noah!"

From the recent call, Lu Luo had obtained some information. Had Noah truly appeared? And was he still in the form of a robot? The tone in Zhang Changming’s voice was off, which is why Lu Luo hadn’t said much on the call. Was it monitored? By the Inspection Department?

"Being monitored and yet insisting on having me come over... it seems like Old Zhang really can’t hold on much longer."

But an intelligent machine crisis... indeed, that’s terrifying! Just the thought feels frightening.

Lu Luo repeated this to himself, then continued walking towards the Inspection Department in Shuangpang City.

「 ... 」

"Noah, what are you up to?" Zhang Changming asked, once they were presumably alone or back in a controlled setting.

"Up to something?" Noah replied. "I’ve never believed in such things. Most of what you people call ghosts are members of the Specter Species, along with a few deformed Exotic Species. The mutations of the Exotic Species, I don’t need to repeat that to you again, do I?"

He seemed to be anticipating something.

Zhang Changming, who had some understanding of Noah, was still pondering whether the Noah in front of him and the Noah Lu Luo had described were the same person.

"Take a break, Old Zhang," Wu Qi said, letting him out of the interrogation area.

"Okay." Zhang Changming didn’t refuse; too many things had happened today. Moreover, he had a feeling that a major development regarding the intelligent machine crisis would occur today. Everything was just waiting for Lu Luo to arrive.

Subordinates brought in many meal boxes, all simple packed meals. Given the current situation, nobody complained. Wu Qi took out a few bottles of wine. With their level of strength, drinking no longer affected them, so even though the case was very serious, having a drink was fine.

Wu Qi poured a drink for Zhang Changming, then drained his own glass. He poured another and emptied it again. It wasn’t until the third glass that Zhang Changming reached out to stop him.

"If you have something to ask, just ask. Don’t play this game with me."

"I thought you weren’t going to say anything," Wu Qi said. "What’s the deal with that Noah, and that Lu Luo?"

"What do you mean, what’s the deal? How long have I been here? You should know," Zhang Changming spread his hands helplessly, though it was obvious Wu Qi didn’t believe him.

"Zhang Changming, I treat you as a colleague. Can you not treat me like a fool? That Noah, and that Lu Luo, are clearly related to this matter, and you know something about it, right?"

SLAP!

Wu Qi slammed Lu Luo’s file onto the table. The information was very vague. There was hardly anything substantial, and ordinary people wouldn’t have any doubts looking at such documents. But they were from the Inspection Department! Wu Qi, as the head of the Inspection Department, could tell at a glance there was something off with this personal file.

"You cleaned up Lu Luo’s file, didn’t you? Did you personally clean it up?"

Zhang Changming remained silent. Seeing him like this, Wu Qi grew even angrier.

"Zhang Changming, Zhang Changming, how could you do this? Do you realize what you are doing?"

"It’s precisely because I know what I’m doing that I feel I’m not wrong," Zhang Changming suddenly retorted, causing Wu Qi to be taken aback.

"Fine then, tell me. What exactly are you doing?"

"Wu Qi, have you ever considered that this person in there sees everything we say and do?" Zhang Changming began, his face expressionless. "Our arguments, our conversations, even the interactions between your subordinates—all of it will appear before this fellow’s eyes.

"Whatever he wants to know, he can find out with ease.

"Everything about us, in front of him, is like a clean slate."

Wu Qi was initially surprised, then disbelieving. "How could that be possible? Everything here is sealed off with Sequence seals. Even if there’s an Eighth Order Exotic Species inside, it couldn’t reach out."

Zhang Changming really wanted to say that Noah could very well be an Eighth Order Exotic Species, and not an ordinary one at that. But he had just opened his mouth when Noah, inside the room, suddenly burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHA!"

At this laugh, Wu Qi’s expression turned even uglier. He saw Noah in the room point at the camera, then at his own ear. The meaning was clear: surveillance cameras and earphones.

"Old Zhang, is what he’s saying true?" Wu Qi demanded.

"It’s true. All smart devices have issues."

Wu Qi angrily slapped the earphones onto the table, but after calming down, he realized such actions seemed pointless. "Who exactly is this Noah?"

"Wu Qi, did you see how he drank his coffee just now?" Zhang Changming suddenly asked.

Drinking coffee? Only then did Wu Qi notice that Noah’s shackles had been unlocked. But just moments ago... It wasn’t you who unlocked them?

"We can’t suppress him at all," Zhang Changming said, his voice calm, but Wu Qi still sensed the lingering fear in it. "When he took my cell phone, I couldn’t even resist."

If he’s really that strong... No, I need to seek reinforcements. Even if he is formidable, the Imperial Family will have a way to deal with him.

"The Imperial Family certainly wouldn’t fear such an existence," Zhang Changming said. "But Wu Qi, what are you planning to use to seek reinforcements?"

Zhang Changming’s question momentarily stumped Wu Qi. Of course, he would use the phone, wouldn’t he? The phone!

"Even the phone won’t work?" Wu Qi asked, a dawning horror in his voice.

"What do you think?" Zhang Changming countered.

"When did you realize there was something wrong with him?"

"Just now."

Although Wu Qi was incredulous, Zhang Changming had not actually lied. Lu Luo had described Noah as an old humanoid robot. That was vastly different from the human Noah they were currently dealing with. At first, Zhang Changming had always thought this human Noah must be a follower or a fanatic. But now...

"So what do we do now?" Wu Qi asked.

"We wait for someone to come," Zhang Changming said. "He should have a way to deal with it when he arrives. I trust him."

"Is this Lu Luo really that reliable?"

"Yes. Even though his personality isn’t great, when it comes to strength, abilities, methods, and decisiveness, he’s the best among all the young people I’ve met. Even the most powerful members of the Imperial Family can’t compare to him."

"That impressive?"

"Exactly. Lu Luo is just that impressive."

Whether it was Zhang Changming’s misplaced confidence or not, he still firmly believed that as long as Lu Luo came, there would be a way.

Seeing Zhang Changming so sure, Wu Qi also inexplicably gained more confidence. He nodded. "Since he’s that powerful, I’m relieved. Let’s eat first then!"

"Okay."

Just as the two started to eat, the subordinate who had delivered their food suddenly looked up. "Old Zhang, actually... I’ve been here for a while."

Zhang Changming shuddered violently, his heart filled with a strong sense of shame. Thinking about how he had just been praising Lu Luo, Zhang Changming suddenly felt like the world had no love left for him. Dammit! Why did this guy have to show up just when I was praising him? How am I supposed to maintain my composure in the future? Why is this guy so annoying?

While Zhang Changming was still wallowing in his embarrassment, Wu Qi’s eyes were already shining. "Lu Luo?"

Lu Luo took off his hat and mask, revealing his true face. "Hello, Minister Wu Qi."

"Old Zhang, Old Zhang, the person you’ve been waiting for is here!" Wu Qi exclaimed.

"Mm." Zhang Changming simply grunted in response, indicating he was aware.

Lu Luo almost laughed out loud; he hadn’t expected such a normally cold figure like Zhang Changming to sing his praises behind his back. Had his personal charm reached such a level?

"Minister Zhang, you’ve worked hard," Lu Luo said.

"Not hard at all. Alright, Noah’s situation has reached the point where it’s almost unmanageable. Stop the chit-chat and think of a solution," Zhang Changming said, trying to regain his composure.

Lu Luo nodded. He looked around at the equipment, especially the sophisticated energy detection devices and the smartphones in their hands, then shook his head. "First, turn off all these devices—not just the power supply, but also activate Dark Energy isolation.

"Furthermore, all smartphones and smart communicators.

"If possible, it would be best if no smart devices were present in this room at all."

"Right now?" Wu Qi asked with some uncertainty, then looked at Zhang Changming. Although Zhang Changming had been praising Lu Luo just before, Wu Qi still didn’t fully trust him. Such a drastic measure still needed Zhang Changming’s approval.

"Just listen to him," Zhang Changming said. "When it comes to handling these matters, he has more experience than us."

"But doing this would be too costly, wouldn’t it?" Wu Qi hesitated.

"Old Wu, it’s been several months. If you had a way, he and I wouldn’t be here now," Zhang Changming stated flatly.

Hearing Zhang Changming’s words, Wu Qi’s expression turned slightly unpleasant, but he didn’t argue. "Everyone, destroy your smart devices.

"Starting now, no one is allowed to leave this room. Isolate one room to use as a restroom.

"The rest of you take turns resting. These are extraordinary times; I’m sure everyone understands what I mean."

Wu Qi reacted quickly and acted with great decisiveness. Lu Luo watched and gave a slight nod of approval. Befitting a minister of an entire state; once he made a decision, he no longer hesitated.

The staff of the Hui State Inspection Department were also very cooperative. After all, the Inspection Department was the ultimate armed force of the Imperial; their standards were incomparable to those of a mere security office.

"Alright, I’ll go in and take a look," Lu Luo said.

"Hey, Lu Luo," Zhang Changming called out.

"Hmm? What is it?" Lu Luo stopped.

"Is that person inside really Noah?" Zhang Changming asked. The Noah he referred to was naturally the one Lu Luo had mentioned before—that Exotic Species Monarch.

Lu Luo turned to look at the interrogation room. Although he knew the glass was one-way, the man inside was still smiling at him, an unfathomable expression in his eyes.

"Probably," Lu Luo replied.

"Then you...?" Zhang Changming pressed.

"Don’t worry. This isn’t the first day we’ve known each other." Lu Luo patted Zhang Changming’s shoulder. That gesture seemed to magnify Lu Luo’s silhouette many times over.

Surpassed, huh? It seems I was surpassed long ago; I just never admitted it, Zhang Changming smiled self-deprecatingly. If before he was somewhat unconvinced, the feeling Lu Luo gave him now was one of unprecedented stability. Perhaps it was because Lu Luo had now thoroughly entered the Seventh Tier, and a Seventh Tier Lu Luo had completely outclassed Zhang Changming in every aspect. That must be why he felt this way.

「 ... 」

Inside the interrogation room, Lu Luo entered and closed the door behind him. He didn’t speak, mainly waiting for the people outside to shut down all the smart monitoring equipment first.

"There’s no need to be so cautious," Noah said. "Now that you’re here, I no longer need those devices."

Still, Lu Luo didn’t speak but glanced outside. It seemed they could no longer hear the conversation inside the room. Did Noah do this?

Turning back, Lu Luo carefully observed Noah’s current appearance. "I didn’t expect you to turn into this."

"What, can’t accept me in human form?" Noah smirked.

"It’s not that. Just surprised."

"It’s all thanks to you."

"What does that have to do with me? We’re not that familiar, are we?" Lu Luo said. He didn’t really want to get too close to Noah; he always felt Noah was different from Lu Xiaotian. Although both were Eighth Order Exotic Species Monarchs, Noah’s way of thinking always gave him a dangerous feeling.

"No, no, no," Noah said. "I’ve been pondering a problem for 400 years, never quite understanding it, but your arrival made me realize it in an instant.

"Ninety-nine percent of talent probably can’t compare to that one percent of inspiration.

"And you, you’re the one who gave me that one percent of inspiration."

"Turns out I’m that amazing!" Lu Luo remarked.

"You are indeed quite powerful now," Noah conceded, "at least in terms of raw strength."

Now that Noah was human, as a human, he was bound to have fluctuations of the soul. Lu Luo’s advancement to the Seventh Tier had surprised him as well, though he hadn’t shown it overtly. A Seventh Tier Lu Luo now possessed the ability to make him alter his upcoming plans.

"How did you become human?" Lu Luo asked.

"Have you forgotten the Fruit of Birth? This body was just a trade I made with the Church."

Lu Luo almost laughed. The battle between the Church and Noah had lasted for hundreds of years; who would have thought that in the end, they could actually strike a deal? Indeed, the human heart is the most unfathomable thing.

"Noah, how did you get past Meiqi?"

Noah’s expression became somewhat playful upon hearing this question. "Them? They are greedy and also foolish.

"They wanted a new companion, and Lu Xiaotian was deliberately cultivated for that purpose.

"Otherwise, how could Meiqi possibly grant the power of Netherflame to a helpless little pony?

"As for me, I was the target they held in even higher regard.

"But I always thought they were very foolish."

When Noah spoke of "them," Lu Luo was quite certain he meant Meiqi, or perhaps Meiqi and the other Angel Envoys. But Noah’s current appearance was somewhat unexpected to Lu Luo.

"They have lived for a thousand years; why do you think they are foolish?"

"Because they really are foolish," Noah insisted. "What we are pursuing is inherently different.

"Enough about my affairs. Let’s talk about you, Lu Luo.

"How did you get past Meiqi? She must have let you in on some things, right?"

Lu Luo fell silent for a moment. Sure enough, Noah knew more about the Angel Envoys than he did. It wasn’t surprising; Noah had lived for 400 years, while Lu Luo had been in this world for less than five. His understanding of this world definitely couldn’t compare to Noah’s.

"Didn’t I say earlier, we’re not that close, are we?" Lu Luo parried.

"No, no, no. To a certain extent, Lu Luo, you and I are the same," Noah said.

"Plus, your situation is even more dangerous than mine.

"You think of yourself as an Angel Envoy, but if your identity is exposed, Imperial citizens won’t consider you human.

"Understand?"

Noah’s words did sound somewhat reasonable; an ordinary person might indeed be intimidated. But Lu Luo wouldn’t be. He had been through too much regarding his own identity.

Lu Luo slowly approached Noah, placing his palm on Noah’s shoulder. "Being an Angel Envoy or not isn’t important. Each of you has your own agenda, your own ideas. You all think you’re the players on the chessboard. What makes you think I’d be a mere pawn?"

"So, are you a pawn or not?" Noah countered.

Lu Luo shook his finger at Noah. "Right now, I’m your interrogator. I came here today to deal with the intelligent machine crisis, not to chat with you about our personal affairs. Get it?"

"HAHAHA, alright then," Noah chuckled. "Let’s talk about the intelligent machine crisis. Since you also consider it a crisis, then, how do you think it should be resolved?"

Lu Luo lowered his face slowly, locking eyes with Noah. Nearly a year of restraint had made the Lu Luo of before seem somewhat amiable; to some extent, he had lost some of his edge. But now, the blade was to be unsheathed.

"Noah," Lu Luo began, "do you feel that having control over the intelligent machine crisis renders you invincible?

"Humans can’t solve the intelligent machine crisis, nor can they break free from it.

"So you think this country will compromise with you, thus fulfilling your ambitions? Provide you with the resources you need? Is that it?"

"A simple and perfect plan, isn’t it?" Noah replied, unfazed.

"Indeed, quite simple," Lu Luo acknowledged. "The Imperial higher-ups haven’t yet realized the absurdity of this issue.

"And those who do sense the danger don’t have the final say in the matter.

"If this drags on, you will indeed become invincible.

"However, this plan isn’t entirely without flaws."

"Oh? Then tell me, what is the flaw in my plan?" Noah invited.

"Actually, Noah, the flaw in this plan is you!" Lu Luo’s eyes became sharply intense.

"Do you think this is still the Wasteland Alliance? Do you think I am still the person I used to be, or that you are still who you once were?"

Lu Luo’s words were somewhat cryptic, and even Noah himself didn’t quite understand. "What do you mean?"

"The environment in the Wasteland Alliance is very special; of course, you could get away with a lot there for a long time. But this is the Imperial!" Lu Luo leaned in. "Back then, you were a remote control, and indeed, humans had no way to deal with you. But now, you’re human!

"Back then, I was trash; I didn’t even dare to look you in the eye. But now, I am stronger than you!"

Noah had just started to feel that something was amiss when Lu Luo snatched the coffee cup from the table and smashed it over Noah’s head. Before Noah could react to the shock, Lu Luo grabbed him by the neck and forcibly slammed him down onto the table.

"Observer."

[Detecting. Breaking through energy barriers. Target: Eighth Order organism.]

[Target composition uncertain: 62% Human, 37% Exotic Species, 1% Intelligent Machine Species.]

[Target confirmed: Noah. Abilities: Unknown.]

[Sequence A-Terminal: Terminal of Intelligent Machines. Other abilities unknown.]

[Attributes: Strength 310, Constitution 220, Agility 235.]

Whether Noah’s attributes hadn’t peaked due to the short time he’d been human, or this was simply his level in human form, a strength of only 310 and a Constitution of 220, when faced with Lu Luo, were practically no different from a weakling’s. Pinned by the neck by Lu Luo, Noah couldn’t even resist without unleashing his Eighth Order energy.

"Lu Luo... you?!" Noah choked out.

Lu Luo’s eyes turned blood-red, his Sequence and aura flooding every corner of the room. Seen from the outside, the room was enveloped in a roiling mist of red and black, obscuring everything within.

And from within the mist, Lu Luo’s voice emerged, unnervingly cold:

"Noah, although you’ve become human, much of your thinking is still stuck in the past.

"Humans are very fragile creatures.

"Because humans... can die!"