Chapter 47 - Machinery and Life (5)

Zhang Xun was restless and nervous. Although the other party wasn't much older than him, he was a Chief, one of the ten most powerful people in Lost Paradise. Moreover, the self-confidence and aura of powerful talent that he naturally exuded also had an impact on the spirit of the other person in the conversation.

Especially when the other party opened his mouth and the first sentence he said was, "You have probably already noticed that I don't like you very much."

Zhang Xun was half panicked and half annoyed and he didn't know how to answer.

Miller raised his eyes and glanced at him with a bit of playfulness in his expression, "But it is undeniable that your abilities are superior and you are very smart. You also played an important role in the god descent plan and now Adam can be tamed. This level of contribution can't be ignored."

Zhang Xun froze for a moment, then squeezed out, "Thank you."

"But..." Miller said, cutting his rib-eye steak with a sharp knife, "I'm very curious, what are you using to control Adam?"

Zhang Xun was well prepared for such a question and answered fluently, "I have written about this in several reports. I have set up three levels to ensure that Adam cannot escape from me. If Adam displays any behaviours that may endanger the interests of Lost Paradise, I have corresponding measures to stop it and even when things get to the point of no return, I can destroy him."

"This was written in the reports, but judging from these photos, it's not just that." Miller said, lightly removing a napkin from his hand and gracefully pushing some photos in front of Zhang Xun.

There were a few photos, but none of them were very strange photos. Most of them were taken in the Lab, showing Zhang Xun and Adam working together to develop the invisible battle suits, or eating together in the cafeteria, or when Zhang Xun had dozed off on the sofa in the office and Adam was waiting obediently.

Judging from the angle, they were probably taken by a mechanic or researcher working in the Lab. Zhang Xun wasn't surprised, he knew that there should be some spies monitoring him in the Lab. He also considered himself cautious enough.

But when looking at those seemingly ordinary moments of getting along from a third party's point of view, only then did Zhang Xun realise that the way he looked at Adam turned out to be like this...

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, how hard he tried to control himself with reason, when their eyes met inadvertently, even with that smile, his eyes seemed to be sparkling.

It made him feel inexplicably ashamed.

"The Round Table has concerns about me, I can understand." Zhang Xun said stiffly, "However, I don't think there is anything wrong with these photos."

The Sixth Chief chuckled and raised his glass, "You shouldn't be unfamiliar with this tactic. There have been a lot of mosquitoes in Lost Paradise recently. Although they never fly into other people's homes, it would be disgusting to have so many in public."

Zhang Xun felt the hairs on the back of his hands begin to stand up, all he could do was remain silent.

"There's nothing suspicious about these photos, but don't you think there's something missing?" Miller sipped the wine that clung to his lips. The deep red of the grapes dyed his lips even redder, as if he had been drinking blood.

"What's missing?"

"You have absolute authority over him as a mechanic." Miller's eyes froze subtly, "If your method of controlling him is really like you said, that you rely on fear and oppression to coerce him, you should at least have used some violent means to control his behaviour, but you haven't laid a finger on him. To be honest, looking at these photos, I could believe that you two are lovers."

Zhang Xun explained immediately, "I just think that senseless violence can't..."

"I know what you're saying. True domestication should be thorough, voluntary and non-coercive." Miller snorted. "It makes sense, but it's too idealistic. Humans have never had such a thing as voluntary. The decisions we think are made of our own will are formed by various influences. Just like you, you thought that it was your own choice to become a mechanic and participate in the god descent plan, but in fact, as early as when you were very young, your teacher saw your possible talent and wanted to train you to be the successor of the god descent plan. So he asked your father to bring some related books home to give you a chance to read, asked a hunter who was close to you to bring back some toys that might interest you, and asked the manager at the garbage yard to give you the tools you need to make machines. You are nothing but their creation for Lost Paradise. Just like me, I'm also the polished work of my father and everyone in Lost Paradise."

Zhang Xun looked at him with some confusion and his mind felt a little deceived for a while.

He thought of Hassan who brought back Alloy for him and the old manager of the garbage processing yard...

Was it all arranged by his teacher?

"The question now is, are you polishing Adam, or is Adam polishing you?" Miller rested his cheek on his hand and the fingertips of the other hand circled carelessly around the rim of the glass, "You have such a weak personality, is it possible that you have been influenced by Adam too much and cannot continue to maintain authority? Or do you want to use something else to 'control' Adam??"

"Sixth Chief!" Zhang Xun couldn't suppress the anger in his heart. With shame, his voice hardened, "What exactly are you trying to say? Please stop beating around the bush. I have always faithfully carried out the Round Table's orders and Adam has never stepped out of line."

"I don't mean to rebuke you. I also passed the mechanic's assessment, I understand how a mechanic might have feelings for the works he has created." The Sixth Chief put down his wine glass and leaned back on the chair, looking at him with downcast eyes and said with a soft expression, "It's just that, as the head of the Round Table, I have to consider the interests of the entirety of Lost Paradise. Adam is such a complex and dangerous... hybrid human, if he is only controlled by you alone, there are too many variables and only a single point of failure. If something goes wrong with you, the bomb that is Adam, will blow up."

"...What do you want?"

"I want you to give me one-third of your control over Adam." The Sixth Chief said firmly, "I want to control the device on his forehead and have to have a two hour conversation with him once a week."

"Absolutely not!" Zhang Xun refused without thinking, standing up and planning to leave.

"Absolutely not?" Miller laughed instead, with a hint of contempt in his laughter, "Mechanic Zhang, you are not qualified to say this when facing the Round Table."

Zhang Xun tried his best to control his expression to remain calm, even though his heart was already burning with anger, "Sixth Chief, you asked me to come to your house today but instead of directly issuing the documents you have spoken about this. I think it's because the Round Table disagrees with your proposal, correct? That is to say, whether it's making the weapon AI or getting me to hand over control of Adam, it's not the Round Table's intention, only yours alone."

Miller laughed softly, "Don't think yourself too clever. The reason why I didn't issue the document directly was because I don't want to make the relationship with Commander Zhang too stiff. You should have voluntarily surrendered some control over Adam long ago. The Round Table gave you a chance, but you have been slow to move. I have to say, it's very disappointing."

If it was possible, Zhang Xun really wanted to throw his untouched glass of red wine over the Sixth Chief's face.

Fortunately, his self-control was still strong. He took a deep breath and said in a firm and steady tone, "I never tried to monopolise Adam. Anyone on the Round Table who wants to talk to Adam can arrange a meeting, but under certain supervisions. As for the coercive methods to control Adam, I will never hand those over to others. If the Round Table wants to force me to hand them over, I will resign as a mechanic now. Then you can try it and see if Adam will cooperate with you."

Miller narrowed his eyes, his expression became dangerous, "Are you threatening the Round Table?"

"I wouldn't dare." Zhang Xun replied coldly, "I'm just stating the facts."

After speaking, he no longer waited for Miller's reply and strode away from the Sixth Chief's mansion, but Miller's voice still came from behind him, "Zhang Xun, you think yourself too special."

............................................................

All the way back to the Lab, Zhang Xun was trembling with anger.

The Sixth Chief... even dared to covet Adam...

He finally understood why the Sixth Chief had always been hostile towards him. He clearly passed the exam as a mechanic, but he gave up for unknown reasons and became a politician. He was jealous of him, jealous of his ability to master the god descent plan and of him being Adam's mechanic.

But was it just jealousy?

The Sixth Chief was a Catholic, but judging from the conversation just now, he didn't believe that human beings have free will at all. This in itself contradicted the Catholic teachings, but he strictly abided by the Catholic precepts, never had an affair with the same sex, kept himself clean, drank moderately and insisted on attending Mass in the Catholic Church in the Eighth District every Sunday.

This was a man full of contradictions and thorns, unfathomable, but self-disciplined to the point of masochism. He couldn't even find any handle on him.

Entering the Lab with a gloomy face, he heard Pan say, "Zhang Xun, Adam said that you are going to create a new artificial intelligence."

Zhang Xun paused and said irritably, "It's not certain yet. Why did you suddenly ask this?"

"I hope I can help you." Pan's voice was as sweet as ever, with a healing power. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Zhang Xun thought that Pan also seemed to be looking forward to a new artificial intelligence?

Could AI also feel lonely? Zhang Xun laughed inwardly at his romanticism.

It was probably this romanticism that made him too easily influenced. As the Sixth Chief said, too weak.

"Ah-Xun!" Adam came out from somewhere on the second floor, leaned on the railing and looked at him, his expression half bright and happy, half worried and curious, "You're back very late, what did the Sixth Chief say?"

Zhang Xun unbuttoned his collar and let out a breath, "He was asking things about you. He wants to talk with you."

"Ah, okay," Adam replied simply.

Zhang Xun looked up in amazement and stared at Adam, "Would you be happy to talk to him?"

"I like talking to humans, it helps me to learn more." Adam's expression was simple and eager, "The Sixth Chief seems to be a very interesting person."

Zhang Xun was silent for a while, then hummed softly, walking towards the cafeteria. He couldn't put into words what this feeling was, like something being stuck in the pit of his stomach.