Upon arriving in Penacony, people always face one question: Why does life fall asleep?
And this question often doesn't have just one standard answer.
Because people always wake up from dreams—this is Stelle's answer, and the answer of many pragmatists, but it is not the only answer.
If you pose the same question to Bai Luan, he would shrug indifferently—
"Because I'm sleepy, of course."
Why do you care why I sleep?
I sleep when I want to, when I'm tired.
No one can force me into a dream, and no one can force me to wake up.
"Uncle, what are you doing?"
Stelle curiously leaned next to Bai Luan, tilting her head to observe him.
Ever since Bai Luan joined them, he had been tapping and swiping on his phone, which successfully piqued her curiosity.
She also really wanted to know where Bai Luan had gone and what he had done during the entire day he was missing.
Bai Luan looked up, a gentle curve forming on his lips:
"Nothing, just doing a good deed."
"A good deed?"
"Exactly."
He put away his phone, a hint of slyness in his eyes.
"A good deed of the 'Highly Praiseworthy Morality' level."
After saying this enigmatic statement, Bai Luan and Stelle met up with Screwllum.
Bai Luan also saw Chadwick's current appearance: a memory bubble floating above the Dream-Entering Pool, emitting a cerulean glow.
He had been guarding the fruits of his research in this form, until now.
Bai Luan took out the Anywhere Door and, together with Screwllum, brought this memory bubble back to the Space Station.
Herta rushed over upon hearing the news, and seeing Chadwick's current state, a hint of regret flashed in her eyes.
"What a pity... If he were still alive, the simulated universe project team might have gained another genius member."
Three geniuses gathered to discuss what kind of ending to give Chadwick.
Ultimately, they chose to grant Chadwick a dignified farewell, with each person sequentially shutting down the life support system maintaining Chadwick's memory bubble and bidding farewell to this genius.
The first to shut down the life support system was Screwllum.
"My understanding of you is not profound, Doctor; after a hundred years of acquaintance, you and I have met only a mere three times.
But please allow me to call you—'Friend.'"
Screwllum manipulated the control panel in front of him, shutting down a quarter of the life support system.
After Screwllum came Herta, who still regretted Chadwick's passing.
"Ahem... Dr. Chadwick, although I've never met you in person—I deeply admire your intellect and research.
You know, I don't often praise people... but our research fields have many overlaps, and your published theory on Imaginary Application has inspired me more than once, even making me... hmm... envious."
Third, it was Bai Luan's turn.
Bai Luan glanced at the control panel in front of him.
In his previous life, when he played through the story, he never imagined he would participate in this plot from a non-player perspective.
Bai Luan initially didn't intend to say much, but under everyone's gaze, silence seemed out of place.
"You once yearned for worldly recognition, and for this, you deliberately ignored the potential harm of the weapons you developed, ultimately leading to the Corporation destroying three life-bearing planets to test those weapons."
His voice was calm and clear, each word carrying significant weight.
"Because of the souls on those three planets, I cannot simply call you a good person.
Afterward, unable to bear the moral condemnation, you resolutely disbanded your research team, took away core data, and even took medication to erase that memory.
Facing imprisonment, coercion, and even the threat of death, you never yielded. I believe many lives were saved because of your steadfastness.
Because of these saved lives, I also cannot arbitrarily classify you as a bad person."
Bai Luan paused slightly, his gaze fixed on the memory bubble containing Chadwick's consciousness, and slowly said:
"So, Mr. Chadwick, looking back at your life, my evaluation of you is:
You are a person who was not thoroughly bad, nor purely good, and many of the hardships you suffered largely stemmed from this contradictory personality.
Human nature is always difficult to define with simple good or bad. But I think, the current you, is already worthy of the title 'good person'.
So, in the end, please leave this world as a good person."
Bai Luan pressed the control panel, turning off his quarter of the device.
Finally, everyone's gaze turned to Stelle; she was the last one.
Bai Luan thought Stelle would say something, and she herself felt she should say something, but in the end, she just scratched her head and said:
"Rest in peace, Dr. Chadwick."
Then, through the control panel in front of her, she shut down the last quarter of the life support system.
The memory bubble swayed, gradually shrinking within the now-deactivated life support system.
But at this final moment, Chadwick's voice came from within the memory bubble; he requested Herta to touch her forehead to the memory bubble.
He was preparing to bestow all his life's work, everything about the 'Imaginary Collapse Pulse,' upon Herta.
Herta did as told, thus obtaining all the knowledge about this technology.
Bai Luan gently gripped the necklace around his neck, instructing Ark to replicate the relevant memories and then input them into his mind.
He naturally wouldn't use this weapon lightly—unless someone threatened Herta.
At that time, he would use this weapon like a firecracker.
The memory bubble, which should have remained silent, once again emitted Chadwick's voice, but this time, he was asking Bai Luan:
"Did you... also... ever feel anxious... because your talent... was not recognized by the world?"
Although he didn't know why Chadwick only asked him, Bai Luan still thought seriously.
After all, this was a genius at the end of his life; his departure should not have any regrets.
He had indeed been anxious at one point, and it was divided into several stages.
Initially, he was indeed worried that his displayed talent wouldn't be enough, and he'd be kicked out of Herta's Home by Ms. Herta.
But afterward, he was anxious about the geniuses praising him too highly and his rapid ascent.
Nowadays, this anxiety has significantly lessened, the most fundamental reason being that he has now completely accepted his identity as a genius.
However, he felt that speaking the truth would make Chadwick call him a 'Versailles'.
So, Bai Luan decided to tell a white lie. He nodded and said:
"Yes, I have."
"What is... your... answer?"
Uh... talk to the Knights of Beauty?
Facing the initial answer that surfaced in his mind, Bai Luan pondered for a moment.
Then his genius brain told him it was best not to say that.
"I am a genius; I don't need to prove myself to anyone. Those who doubt me are the ones who need to prove to this world—that I am not a genius."
"Heh... You indeed... live... more purely... than I do."
After Chadwick said this, he fell completely silent, speaking no more.
The memory bubble, along with its faint glow, completely vanished.
The light flickered slightly before disappearing, like a belated, relieved smile.
From then on, the universe lost a member of the Genius Society, but before he left this world, he became a sharp sword, and personally appointed its wielder.
His consciousness had dissipated, but it transformed into an eternal sharp sword, hanging over the Corporation's head, bringing an unspoken deterrence to the one of major faction in this universe...