Chapter 289: This Vengeance Must be Avenged_1

In front of Luo Ji, three spheres suddenly appeared; they were three Sophons!

Two words appeared on the spheres simultaneously: "Stop!"

Luo Ji felt himself tense to the extreme, his chest even experiencing a twinge of pain, "Can I start discussing terms now?"

Sophon: "First put down the gun, then we can negotiate."

"This isn't a negotiation!" Luo Ji strained to keep his spirits taut, "It's a demand for me to continue living. I just want to know if you agree or not."

Sophon: "State your demand!"

Nearly roaring, Luo Ji shouted, "Immediately stop all attacks on Jiang Yu!"

...

"...Two!" Just as Jiang Yu was about to count the last number, he suddenly found that the streak of light had stopped.

Jiang Yu suddenly let out two strange laughs, "Ha ha, it's truly a hair's breadth escape!"

At the same time, the last "Stealth" that Jiang Yu had purchased from the "shop" had been used up.

Jiang Yu cheered, "Luo Ji has succeeded! Luo Ji has succeeded!"

Just as Number Three was about to ask what happened, he suddenly saw that the light ring at the tail of The Waterdrop lit up again.

In that instant, Jiang Yu already understood; the Trisolarans were going to play dirty, they could simply tell Luo Ji after both parties involved here were dead, "We're sorry, but Jiang Yu had already died before you began negotiating your terms with us."

In the blink of life and death, Jiang Yu suddenly raised his arm and yelled, "You think this is just a timer? I've already connected with the Cradle System during the time I was out of Sophon surveillance!

"If I die, the nuclear bombs will still explode.

"Come at me! I will wait for you in the underworld!"

The Waterdrop of Number Three stopped yet again, by then it was only a few kilometers away from the two men, and Number Three could clearly see the Waterdrop's rounded head.

His heart leapt into his throat because he knew Jiang Yu didn't have any connection to the Cradle System at all!

Seizing the moments, Jiang Yu hurriedly sent a communication video to Luo Ji, "Teacher Luo Ji, your plan has worked, The Waterdrop of Number Three has stopped its attack, we are safe now!"

After sending the communication video, Jiang Yu finally relaxed.

Soon a three-dimensional Sophon appeared in front of Jiang Yu, with a line of text on the spherical Sophon: We have not detected any signal from your timer.

Jiang Yu laughed, "Idiots! Of course, not! It's just a timer!

"But it's too late for you to make a move now. Although it'll take more than forty minutes for Teacher Luo Ji to receive my communication video, he already knows that The Waterdrop of Number Three has stopped the attack.

"If I die, it will definitely be because you played tricks!"

The Sophon paused there for a while before squeezing out two words: Pitiful!

Jiang Yu laughed, "It is a pity, this was your only chance to kill me!

"From now on, Sophons are no longer an obstacle to me!"

The Sophon disappeared, it appeared the Trisolarans had already swallowed the bitter pill of defeat.

Jiang Yu asked Number Three, "Where is the ship that's coming to rescue us?"

Number Three checked, "It'll be here in an hour and a half."

Jiang Yu casually remarked, "Let's enjoy the Milky Way for a while..."

Suddenly, as if sensing a murderous aura, he swiftly looked towards The Waterdrop of Number Three!

He saw the head of The Waterdrop of Number Three shake violently; Jiang Yu wondered if his eyes were deceiving him, but soon he saw a blast wave heading his way!

This is space!

How could there be a blast wave!

Yet in the blink of an eye, the "blast wave" had hit Jiang Yu, and in that moment, he felt his entire body was about to fall apart.

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"Cough, cough!" Blood gushed forth as Jiang Yu coughed violently.

He suddenly felt dizzy.

Turning back to Number Three, he saw its face locked in a frozen grimace, as if it had crashed.

Looking at The Waterdrop, he saw its halo reappear behind it and rapidly recede away.

Jiang Yu mustered all his remaining strength to finally secure the rope from Number Three around his own body.

Gulping down heavy breaths, he looked towards the direction of The Waterdrop's retreat and said, "This, this vengeance shall be avenged..."

The world in front of Jiang Yu turned a deep shade of red, and he saw a giant red tree with a simple swing hanging from its branches.

There was a woman as beautiful as a painting, sitting on the swing, gently swaying her legs as she read a book.

She seemed to notice Jiang Yu's gaze and looked up, giving him a slight smile.

It was Yang Dong!

Then, from behind the tree, many people emerged: there was Chief Ji, with a kindly smile; Chang Weisi, with a worried expression; his parents, with warm smiles.

And there was the resolute Zhang Beihai.

Jiang Yu asked, "Have you come to take me away?"

No, that can't be right—Yang Dong and Zhang Beihai were not dead!

In a daze, Jiang Yu felt as if he was being dragged into a red spaceship.

And with that, his last bit of consciousness came to an abrupt end.

...

Back on Earth, in front of Luo Ji, a line of words reappeared on the sphere: We've done as you said, but...

When Sophon previously communicated with Luo Ji, lines of text would appear all at once, but this sentence appeared one letter at a time.

Luo Ji immediately grew tense upon seeing the word "but" and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sophon paused for a few seconds before slowly responding letter by letter: Sorry, in our haste to convey orders to Number Three The Waterdrop, some chaos ensued...

Luo Ji shouted, "Don't try to stall for time!"

Sophon: We have ceased all attacks on Jiang Yu. He is safe now, and he has sent you a communication video, though you will only be able to receive it in more than forty minutes.

Luo Ji sighed in relief, "That's good to hear!"

He then commanded sternly, "Order Number One The Waterdrop to stop transmitting radio waves to the sun."

Sophon: We have done as you instructed.

Luo Ji immediately sensed a subtle change and was almost certain Sophon was telling the truth, "Order the other nine The Waterdrops to change their course immediately and cease pursuing the Starship Fleet.

"Command all The Waterdrops to leave the Solar System!"

This time, Sophon's reply was delayed by several seconds: We've done as you instructed, but while Number Three The Waterdrop was retreating, its engine's aft waves accidentally affected Jiang Yu and Number Three due to their proximity. They have both sustained varying degrees of damage, but rest assured, their lives are not in danger. The rescue ship that Jiang Yu arranged will proceed with his plan and rescue both him and Number Three.

Upon hearing that Jiang Yu was still able to arrange a rescue ship, assuming he was not seriously harmed, Luo Ji began to put forward other demands to Sophon.

After several minutes of negotiation, and as the Trisolaran invasion fleet began to turn away.

Luo Ji realized that he had finally completed his mission. He lowered the gun from his chest, drained of all strength, and collapsed beside Ye Wenjie's gravestone.

Two Sophons disappeared, leaving only one with a line of text appearing on it: We have still failed in terms of strategy.

Luo Ji smiled lightly and said, "Actually, you had many chances to see through my plans, but sadly, you were all too focused on Jiang Yu.

"Your last chance to interfere was when Number Three The Waterdrop first entered the Solar System.

"At that time, not all the hydrogen bombs had reached their designated positions. Luckily for us, Jiang Yu attracted all of your enmity, making your first task upon entering the Solar System to kill him!"

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