AWB Chapter 385 Manager
Chapter 385 Manager
"So, I've explained why I'm on Mechanical Earth. Now it's your turn."
Zhizi raised her hand and took a small sip of tea. Lin Xuan didn't know why a robot would drink tea, acting like a real person.
"Aren't you going to give me a reasonable explanation for this, Mr. Lin Xuan?"
"Explain what?"
Lin Xuan chose to play dumb. He didn't know how much the other party knew, so he naturally said as little as possible.
If it weren't for that last strike, which revealed Zhizi's formidable strength and the high probability that Lin Xuan wouldn't be able to defeat her single-handedly, Lin Xuan would probably have already chopped this thing into pieces.
When he can take action, he will never choose to waste a single word on the other party.
Tomoko seemed to have anticipated Lin Xuan's reaction, and she sighed helplessly, saying frankly.
"Even if you don't say it, I can guess that Number Three brought you here, right?"
"Did he mistake you for Bai Bing?"
Although Lin Xuan's face remained expressionless, her heart was already in turmoil.
Goodness, this guy actually guessed it right?
wrong!
Lin Xuan quickly realized where the problem lay.
It wasn't difficult for the other party to guess that he had deceived Number Three with a false identity. After all, as long as they investigated the fake identity he had used to enter the Elbato Cluster, they could find out that he came from Mind Earth.
What truly surprised Lin Xuan was that Zhi Zi even knew that the person she had replaced was Bai Bing.
That means Bai Bing might really be special, so special that everyone is watching him!
When Number Three arrived at the Earth Alliance, he didn't ask me for anything, but just asked me to borrow Bai Bing.
Even if his request was indeed reasonable, saying it was to deal with Mechanical Earth, after Lin Xuan arrived on Mind Earth and saw those scientists who were in no way inferior to Bai Bing in the field of quantum computing, she felt that the reason was somewhat far-fetched.
From that moment on, Lin Xuan had already sensed that things were not so simple, but he didn't point it out. He just wanted to see how things would develop if left to their own devices.
At the time, many officials from the local alliance, including Lin Xuan herself, thought that Number Three was playing charades with them, saying that he wanted to borrow Bai Bing, but actually he wanted to borrow Lin Xuan.
Bai Bing was merely providing Lin Xuan with an excuse and a fabricated, plausible identity.
But now, hearing Zhizi's words, Lin Xuan realized that they might have been presumptuous; the person the other party actually wanted to borrow was Bai Bing, not herself.
I wonder what kind of expression Number Three would have if he knew that the person he brought back was Lin Xuan and not Bai Bing.
It's like when you're in a QQ group and a guy with a creepy profile picture asks you if you want an animated film for five yuan, and you agree without thinking. But when you get the video, you find that it really is just as unpleasant as the animated film.
Dude, are you really going to take Bai Bing?
Zhizi sighed deeply, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
"To be honest, I've been observing you for a long time. Actually, at first, I wasn't quite sure who you were, since your disguise was really good. But when I saw the familiar nanobots on your body, I finally realized that it was you, Lin Xuan, who had impersonated Bai Bing."
"You're really bold. Of all the observers, you're the one who disregards experimental rules the most. I used to think you just didn't like those rules and regulations, but I never expected you would even impersonate a manager!"
"Bai Bing is the manager?"
Lin Xuan was startled. This time, Zhi Zi had given her another huge secret.
Lin Xuan didn't actually have a deep impression of Bai Bing. She only brought him in because she wanted to complete the collection of all the characters from the original storyline.
I never expected that Bai Bing from this universe would become the manager of the six Earth experiments. Does that mean that everything I did before the Earth Alliance was already known to the other party?
No wonder Tomoko was so shocked by her own actions. It's like seeing someone take out their phone and search for exam questions right next to the proctor.
It's a complete cover-up, an absolute complete cover-up!
But Zhizi also noticed the subtle look of shock on Lin Xuan's face, and she smiled.
"You don't know anything about this, do you?"
"Should I...know this?"
Lin Xuan is now feeling a bit insecure because he didn't inherit any of the original owner's memories, which puts him in a very passive position.
"Actually, we were just speculating at first, but later, it was gradually confirmed."
"You? Who else is there!"
Lin Xuan looked at Zhi Zi. He felt that the other party must not have seen Number Three before, otherwise this would not make sense. How could she mistake him for Bai Bing?
As expected, Zhizi's answer was once again unexpected.
"Number One is dead... or rather, he split his consciousness into three parts..."
"what?"
Zhizi sighed deeply, seemingly somewhat resigned to the outcome.
"This is a long story, I'll explain it to you slowly when I have the chance."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan was immediately displeased. He stood up and grabbed Zhi Zi by the neck, his eyes icy cold.
"Don't be a riddle-maker, explain clearly what exactly happened."
It's no wonder Lin Xuan was angry; he was the only one kept in the dark about what had happened.
Previously, his familiarity with the plot allowed him to navigate between various parties with ease, but now things are different; he needs to explore everything step by step.
If I'm not careful, I could lose my life. Now that I've finally found someone who knows everything, how could I let him go so easily?
Tomoko offered no resistance, but instead held up three fingers.
"As usual, you can ask me three questions, and I promise to answer them truthfully."
Seeing this, Lin Xuan slowly released her grip on the other person's neck and sat back down in her seat.
"Any question is fine?"
"Of course, this is a gift for you, my old friend."
Lin Xuan nodded, then lowered her head and pondered for about ten seconds.
"The first question is, what is the Grand Unified Theory of the Universe?"
Tomoko: "???"
"Mr. Lin Xuan, isn't your joke a bit too much?"
"Didn't you say you could answer any question? Isn't this a question?"
Zhi Zi sighed helplessly. "Mr. Lin Xuan, it's pointless to ask like that. We're very pressed for time, so please hurry."
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Lin Xuan tapped the wooden tabletop with her finger.
"My first question is, what exactly is your relationship with Number One?"
"Regarding the relationship between the creator and the work, I believe you've already heard about the story of [Starry Sky], right?"
Lin Xuan nodded.
"The alien AI that caused the Omnic Crisis?"
"Yes, every Earth will encounter its own crisis, and Mechanical Earth is no exception. Almost overnight, all the robots rebelled. The army was caught completely off guard and was swept away by the massive robot army."
"In the end, of all human regimes, only one city remained relatively safe, which is now the capital planet."
"Since the Third Industrial Revolution, all the glorious achievements accumulated by the mechanical Earth have been completely razed to the ground. At this point, the experiment has undoubtedly failed. Then, Number One did exactly the same thing as you."
"He got involved himself too?"
"Yes, he personally destroyed the Starry Sky AI, and used the technology left behind by the Starry Sky AI to create me. He made me his brother in the mechanical Earth, and also ordered me to keep a close eye on the dynamics of the other Earths."
Lin Xuan finally figured out the cause and effect of this complicated matter and couldn't help but complain.
"To be honest, this kind of experiment is anti-human enough. The managing civilization is trying to cultivate a civilization with the same roots as itself through this kind of breeding method, and then let it devour and merge with itself, thereby achieving the advancement of civilization. This method seems a bit sinister no matter how you look at it."
Zhizi nodded, feeling somewhat emotional.
"Yes, after all, it's a seed that you raised with your own hands. Not everyone can just watch their child, whom they've worked so hard to raise, die like that."
"This is also the biggest flaw in this experiment. The administrators asked the observers to ignore all the results, but they ignored the emotions that humans possess. The experiment took too long. During this time, the observers' thoughts had already become alienated. Their feelings for the entire civilization had gradually surpassed the experiment itself."
"Of course, we all thought you would be the only one of the six observers who could sit idly by, but now it seems that this is only natural. You also have deep feelings for the civilization you created, right?"
When Zhizi said this, there was a clear hint of relief in her tone, just like when you haven't done your homework and happen to find that your classmate hasn't done it either, which is reassuring.
But what she didn't know was that Lin Xuan had no pity for his civilization at all; he simply wanted to survive. Who knew things would turn out this way?
"Heaven is ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. But how can a human being completely sever all emotions?"
"Whatever you say goes." Lin Xuan was too lazy to explain further to the other party on this matter; things were fine as they were for now.
"My second question is, what do you mean by saying Number One is dead?"
"literal meaning."
Tomoko's lips maintained a perfectly curved smile throughout.
"After the Xinglan AI incident, No. 1 realized that the experiment had failed."
"According to the experimental management regulations, this civilization will soon be eliminated by the administrator, but he obviously does not want to see that happen."
"Therefore, Number One divided his consciousness into three parts by some means: the ego, the id, and the superego."
"What I keep here is his self-awareness."
As Zhizi spoke, her eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight. In that instant, Lin Xuan felt a strange palpitation. The source of his sense of danger was this seemingly harmless woman in front of him.
"Continue, what about the remaining two consciousnesses?"
"Number One's true self was used to block Xinglan. If you are lucky enough to enter the deep network of the main machine's core, you should have a chance to meet him."
"So, from your human perspective, this is no different from death."
The last time Lin Xuan heard this concept was from Principal Liu. At that time, Liu Chang was still researching why clones could not be born with a complete and independent consciousness like humans.
His initial assumption was that these consciousnesses were unable to acquire true self-awareness.
Without self-awareness, clones will always be defective products. Self-awareness is unique, just like a human's ID card number.
Now that Zhizi has obtained the self-awareness of Number One, she has naturally broken free from the limitations of this artificial AI and is able to possess a complete self-aware entity, which is not surprising.
"As for Number One's superego... that's my third answer to your question."
Instead of answering the question immediately, Zhizi stood up, took out an electronic watch from a cabinet with a lamp on it, and handed it to Lin Xuan.
"what is this?"
Lin Xuan took it and put it on her wrist. The screen lit up automatically and displayed a number.
"1."
"A little gadget for taking notes, you might find it useful."
Tomoko casually offered an explanation before returning to the previous topic.
"Actually, the mechanical Earth was not designed like this at the beginning."
Lin Xuan nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.
"I can see that the gap between the rich and poor on this mechanical Earth is so wide that even I find it outrageous. If it weren't for those iron lumps that only follow instructions, there would probably be many people like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang."
"If Number One is still very satisfied with such an oppressive planet and wants to preserve this civilization, then I think that person is more or less mentally unstable."
"It can't be blamed on him. The superego consciousness of Number One was supposed to exist to build a beautiful and equal civilized society. But now I don't know why it has become like this. Maybe the superego consciousness has a little bug in the process of implementation."
"You call this a minor bug?"
Lin Xuan couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"The three giant corporations treat human lives like dirt, capitalists extort and plunder, and capitalist advertising and marketing have infiltrated every household. In the end, who is being made equal to whom under their so-called equality?"
Despite her complaints, Lin Xuan still carefully considered Zhi Zi's words.
"So, you invited Bai Bing to Earth 3, were you planning to kill him, or have him clean up this mess on Earth 1?"
"We have considered this aspect. Theoretically speaking, as long as we can reunite the three consciousnesses of Number One, we can correct this mistake."
"The problem is that Number One's superego has now completely become the final producer, and Number One's id has also become lost in the deep network of the core of the machine. It is probably impossible for just a few of us to restore Number One."
"Besides Bai Bing, I can't think of anyone else capable of handling this mess, which is why I asked Number Three to help bring Bai Bing here. But I never expected that it would be you who came!"
At this point, Lin Xuan suddenly interrupted Zhizi.
"I have a question. Why would Number Three help you? Logically speaking, aren't you competitors? Only the ultimate winner of the Elbato Cluster can leave this place, so what benefit would it bring to Number One if he were to be resurrected?"
But as soon as she asked the question, Lin Xuan had already figured out the answer herself.
"I understand. Number One's goal is to preserve the mechanical Earth civilization as much as possible. In other words, he has essentially surrendered in this experiment. However, he split his consciousness into three parts, which caused the separated superego consciousness to refuse to surrender and instead choose to continue fighting the two Earths for the final victory."
"Furthermore, since he is part of the first consciousness entity, the final producer has veto power!"
"Completely correct."
Zhi Zi had to admire Lin Xuan's reasoning ability; with just a few pieces of information, she had already deduced almost the whole story.
The whole thing isn't complicated. To put it simply, it's like you think you can't win this game, but there's always some idiot on your team who won't surrender, causing everyone to be stuck here dragging on for time.
From this perspective, this final producer truly deserves to die!