Chapter 123: The Most Technologically Advanced Lighting Method

Gu Tang and Ruan Mei returned to the containment module. Inside the chamber, the cat-like cakes and Ruan Mei's creations coexisted harmoniously. The playful interactions between these adorable little beings created a scene that was especially heartwarming.

At this moment, Gu Tang noticed there was an extra cat-like cake. It was black with purple, decorated with delicate purple flowers.

It seemed that Herta had already achieved her goal.

"Meow meow meow! (Become my star slave!)" The Herta-catcake charged at Gu Tang.

Gu Tang quickly lifted Ruan Mei, using her as a shield. The two catcakes collided, their soft and elastic bodies compressing for a moment before bouncing back to their original shapes.

"Meow—" The Herta-catcake was sent flying backward.

Ruan Mei blinked and patted her body. "Turns out, I'm pretty strong."

"This is nothing. Your real talents will come into play shortly," Gu Tang said as he set her down in front of another catcake.

Ruan Mei inspected the catcake before her.

… It seemed quite ordinary.

Whether it was the Star-catcake, March-catcake, or Herta-catcake, each had its own distinct characteristics. But the one in front of her seemed mass-produced, lacking any special decorative features.

"Hello…" Ruan Mei greeted it.

The wise catcake nodded in return. "Hello, do you need something?"

"Um… Gu Tang said you might know how to unlock the sealed chamber doors…" Ruan Mei asked, not holding out much hope.

To her surprise, the wise catcake responded right away. "Oh, that's simple. Input #199SWK545, and enter emergency mode. After that, with Gu Tang's authority, the door will open."

Ruan Mei blinked in surprise.

This ordinary-looking catcake turned out to be quite capable.

The wise catcake continued, "There are several other locked doors inside, some of which are due to system errors. I'll give you the methods to unlock those as well. Be sure to remember them."

"Ah, sure, thank you…" Ruan Mei nodded, still a bit dazed.

Though she'd turned into a catcake, Ruan Mei was still a member of the Genius Society. She memorized the information from the wise catcake immediately.

Come to think of it… she was the one who had been using the sealed chamber, so why did it seem like the catcake knew more about it than she did?

The wise catcake went on, "There are also some damaged small robots inside. I'll tell you how to reboot them as well. Be sure to remember."

"Ah, sure, thank you…" Ruan Mei replied, now feeling a bit overwhelmed.

After what felt like quite a while, the wise catcake finally finished relaying all the information.

"That should be all. Please give my regards to Lord Gu Tang and let him know that the wise one is always at his service." The wise catcake nodded.

"Right… um, thanks…" Ruan Mei hopped back to Gu Tang's side.

Gu Tang had been playing with the other catcakes. When he saw Ruan Mei return, he asked, "So, did you find out how to unlock the doors?"

"I learned a lot… Honestly, why does it know so much?" Ruan Mei was still puzzled by the whole situation.

Gu Tang picked her up. "Because it's the wise one."

"The wise one… What exactly is that?" Ruan Mei wondered aloud.

…

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Using the method the wise catcake provided, they easily opened the sealed door.

After passing through a corridor, they arrived at an elevator.

Gu Tang stepped into the elevator, still holding Ruan Mei, and pressed a button. The elevator descended silently, like a giant bowing its head in slow, deliberate motion.

Around them, the lights dimmed, leaving only the faint flicker of the elevator's interior lights, casting soft glimmers on Gu Tang's face.

Soon, the elevator reached its destination and came to a smooth halt.

Gu Tang stepped out, surveying the surroundings.

It was pitch black and eerie, with faint red lights flickering in the darkness. The oppressive atmosphere sent a chill down one's spine.

It was deathly quiet, with only the sound of their breathing audible in the void.

This place felt like a forgotten corner of the space station, filled with unknowns and danger.

"Hmm… the atmosphere here is great. Reminds me of *Dead Space*, that game set on a spaceship." Gu Tang rubbed his chin, seemingly pleased with the ambiance.

"Video games… I can never get into modern entertainment. But things like traditional opera or embroidery—those classical hobbies—I find much more intriguing," Ruan Mei mused.

Gu Tang glanced down at her in his arms. "Don't worry, I'll make a controller that even a catcake can use, so you can play games too."

"Your good intentions are noted," Ruan Mei responded coolly.

"So, what else did the wise one say?" Gu Tang asked, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

"Hmm, according to the wise one's intel, we'll encounter a robot up ahead," Ruan Mei recalled.

Sure enough, a small white robot floated into view in front of them.

These small robots were scattered all over the space station, with a wide range of functions—from assisting in research to preparing meals for staff. They provided comprehensive support to everyone on the station.

"And then, the robot will turn around, and you'll see a terrifying red eye," Ruan Mei continued, following the wise one's detailed instructions.

The small robot did indeed turn around.

Its twitching mechanical limbs and glowing red eye, in the dark environment, did look pretty frightening.

But Gu Tang, expressionless, seemed unimpressed.

Ruan Mei went on, "Next, the surrounding lights will turn red, and the elevator will go back up by itself."

Gu Tang turned and glanced at the elevator behind them.

Indeed, the elevator was ascending.

Honestly, this series of events was quite scary.

But having been "spoiled" ahead of time, it was a completely different experience.

"Right now, I feel like I just watched a walkthrough of a horror game, and then played it myself afterward," Gu Tang sighed.

"Overly detailed guides can reduce the fun," Ruan Mei agreed.

Gu Tang continued walking forward, still holding Ruan Mei.

The darkness was oppressive, the silence absolute, with only Gu Tang's footsteps echoing through the space.

"By the way, it's pretty dark here. Didn't you turn on any lights when you worked in this area?" Gu Tang asked.

Ruan Mei responded with a hint of exasperation, "Of course, I could turn on the lights, just by giving a verbal command… But now the system doesn't recognize my voice."

What could she do? After all, she was just a catcake now.

"No problem, then. Let me show you the most technologically advanced way to light things up," Gu Tang said confidently, pulling a white circular ring from his storage pouch.

"What's that?" Ruan Mei asked curiously.

With a proud smile, Gu Tang replied, "One of my finest creations, the *Dimensional Interference Imaginary Array*. It can directly disrupt the laws of this universe and draw near-infinite energy from the Imaginary Tree."

"Amazing!" Ruan Mei marveled.

Then, Gu Tang took out a torch.

The ring emitted a thin red laser, igniting the torch.

The flames at the top of the torch flickered, banishing the surrounding darkness.

"Alright, let's move forward." Gu Tang put away the high-tech ring and hoisted the torch.

"............" Ruan Mei was at a loss for words.

"Go ahead, admit it. This lighting method is technologically advanced, right?" Gu Tang grinned, predicting her thoughts.