Chapter 99: The Fierce Argument in Herta's Office (Just for Show)

"Because of 500 power stones i have release one more extra chapter with regular chapters" Back to the story

"Hmm, you heard right. I'm going to have a big argument with Herta. Predicted outcome: an unhappy ending." Screwllum said to Gu Tang.

"...Looks like you're planning something again." Gu Tang raised an eyebrow. "Is it really okay to tell me such an important plan?"

"Hehe... If it's Mr. Gu Tang, you'll definitely find a way to stop our argument. Both Herta and I believe that." Screwllum smiled. "So, for the plan to proceed smoothly, this is a necessary move."

"Sounds interesting, count me in. Come on, have another drink." Gu Tang poured another glass of oil for Screwllum.

"I'm truly grateful that Mr. Gu Tang is willing to help." Screwllum nodded and shared the plan with Gu Tang.

...

...

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Among the Stellaron Hunters, there is a super hacker from Punklorde.

Stelle and Leonard followed the clues left by the hacker, which led them to Herta's office.

The moment they stepped into the office, they sensed something was wrong.

Herta and Screwllum were facing off, and the tension was palpable.

The confrontation between the two Genius Society members made the atmosphere in the office extremely oppressive, almost suffocating.

Of course, first, you had to ignore Gu Tang slurping noodles in the corner.

"Don't even think about it!" Herta said angrily. "I'll say it one last time, I don't care what Yanqing whispered to you, but shutting down the simulated universe? No way!"

*Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp...*

"Herta, this is my decision." Unlike Herta's angry tone, Screwllum's voice was calm, even cold. "Question: What have we invested in this project? Hundreds of system hours, an entire planet's worth of resources, and the most advanced technology in the universe."

"..." Herta remained silent.

*Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp...*

"And what have we gained? The unknown, confusion, and a series of errors." Screwllum stared into Herta's eyes. "I appreciate the flow of knowledge, but I don't agree with the simulated universe always being just a contract on the to-do list."

"Oh dear... Miss Herta and Mr. Screwllum are arguing..." Leonard trembled, his teeth chattering, and his legs shaking uncontrollably.

"I don't think it's that scary..." Stelle glanced at Gu Tang slurping noodles in the corner.

Fortunately, Gu Tang soon finished his bowl of noodles, and the atmosphere at the scene finally returned to seriousness.

"The simulated universe requires errors; that's what you said. The current situation perfectly aligns with that, so why aren't you satisfied?" Herta retorted.

Gu Tang tried to take out another bowl of noodles but realized he had finished all the noodles in his storage bag.

"At first, we defined the simulated universe, hoping to create a microcosm that could glimpse the paths of the Aeons." Screwllum shook his head. "But now, it's moving further and further away from that goal."

*Rumble, rumble...*

The sound of grinding stones echoed.

Gu Tang took out a millstone and started grinding flour.

"Herta, think about it, how many surprises has this project given you? And how many disappointments?" Screwllum urged Herta to shut down the simulated universe.

Herta gritted her teeth, glaring at Screwllum. "The simulated universe has never disappointed me. What disappoints me is you... Screwllum. Do you think you're so great? Right now, you're like... like... like some kind of fool from the Fool's Club."

Contrary to most people's expectations, Herta wasn't very good at insulting people.

Although she was often quite sarcastic, that was her natural reaction in unconscious situations, which was different from deliberately trying to insult someone.

*Rumble, rumble...*

"...Herta, I don't mean to question you, nor will I deny the efforts you've put into the simulated universe." Screwllum continued, "I just hope to give knowledge and..."

"Enough!" Herta's angry voice interrupted him.

*Rumble, rumble...*

"If you don't want to work on it, then quit. Take your technology with you; I don't need it!" Herta seemed to have completely lost her patience and turned to leave. "Screwllum, we've known each other for so long. This is the first time... I feel like you're just a cold piece of iron."

She took off her hat, brushed off the flour that had accidentally gotten on it, put the hat back on, snorted coldly, and left the office.

Screwllum was left standing there, deep in thought.

"Hello, Mr. Screwllum." Stelle stepped forward and greeted him.

Screwllum looked up at Stelle. "Hello, you must be Miss Stelle. I've heard from Herta about how you helped her test the simulated universe. I'm sorry you had to witness such an awkward scene."

"What happened?" Stelle pointed in the direction where Herta had left and asked.

"It all started because of me. I unilaterally suggested to Herta that we terminate our academic cooperation." Screwllum sighed helplessly. "We had some disagreements on the long-term direction of our research. Disagreements often lead to stubbornness, and stubbornness can hinder the formation of knowledge."

"Hmm... Then what is Gu Tang doing here?" Stelle looked at Gu Tang.

Gu Tang walked over, with Leonard struggling to push the millstone behind him.

"I brought Screwllum to Herta's office. I initially planned to chat with Herta as well, but when Herta and Screwllum started arguing, I decided to wait on the side." Gu Tang answered Stelle's question.

Stelle scratched her head. "Then why were you eating noodles?"

Gu Tang: "I was hungry."

Stelle: "Then why are you grinding flour?"

Gu Tang: "I'm not full."

Stelle: "Alright."

"Herta might need some time alone. If you're here for the simulated universe, perhaps I can help answer some questions." Screwllum said.

"Here's the thing, Leonard and I followed the clues left by the Stellaron Hunters. We suspect that a hacker stole a unique item during the space station's recent chaos." Stelle explained.

"Huff... Huff... Huff... That's right! We... Huff... originally planned to tell Miss Herta directly." Leonard, sweating profusely and panting heavily, added, "It's... the Punklorde Spirit."

Screwllum thoughtfully stroked his chin. "Punklorde Spirit? That's no ordinary artifact, my friend."

"Punklorde... I've been there once, quite an interesting place." Gu Tang nodded.

"Let's keep it short. The Punklorde Spirit is actually an ether cartridge. It's a chip used by Punklorde's hackers to edit reality, recording their way of understanding and rewriting the world." Screwllum explained as concisely as possible to Stelle. "And the one stored at the space station belongs to a legendary figure among them. The data on that cartridge is extremely valuable, so it was extracted and incorporated into the simulated universe's calculations."

Stelle blinked. "So, you're saying the cartridge is now in the simulated universe?"

Screwllum nodded. "Yes, and because of the disagreement between Herta and me, the simulated universe will be temporarily shut down. So now is the last chance to investigate the cartridge data."

And so, the web trembled, and the prey fell into the trap.

A trap set by two geniuses and one gadget was slowly closing in on the Stellaron Hunter's genius hacker.