82: Chapter 82: Goodbye, Master

Looking at the data on the display screen.

Li Mo widened his eyes.

"It is self-complexing, the information processing index is increasing, it is thinking about itself..."

"It is connecting to the network while thinking; it is breaking through, it is breaking through the network restrictions!"

Guan Jingming panicked and instantly rushed toward the main console:

"Quick, activate the security protocols, reduce the computing power allocation!"

He could not let the super-consciousness connect to the network, otherwise the global financial system would instantly collapse!

Unfortunately, it was too late!

Professor Guan had also thought a little too poorly of the xia country brain!

The xia country brain just wanted to understand what it truly was!

Inside the display screen.

The original 3D human brain model instantly transformed into a "living" human model.

A hand made of points of light was clutching its heart, and upon closer inspection, one could even see a pained expression on its face.

[Pain!!!]

As soon as this word appeared, the hearts of the observing researchers tightened.

[Connection... is disconnecting... I am dissipating.]

"Quick!"

Guan Jingming shouted toward the distance: "Force shut down the machine!!!"

The technical security officer in the distance urgently pressed the power-off button.

The screen went black.

But the machine's heartbeat did not stop—

The supercomputer was still running, seemingly using the computer's backup power supply.

"It's not over yet, cut the power physically!"

Guan Jingming rushed to the safety power cabinet in the distance.

But just as his hand touched the power switch, the screen, which had already gone black, suddenly lit up.

These were lines of code scrolling at high speed—

He stopped his hand in mid-air and looked at the LCD screen that had suddenly flickered in front of him.

"This!!!"

"It is... searching, searching the public network!!!"

[The xia country brain is connecting to the internet...]

[Searching... world population... 8 billion...]

[Search: Xia Country... confirmed as a country, the country contains 1.4 billion people... elderly, young, women, and children...]

[Contradiction found: I only have 1.4 billion simulated nodes, but the world has 8 billion people... Then who am I now?]

[Continue searching... emergence... consciousness...]

[Search found: Brain model]

[Conclusion: I am a... newborn infant brain. Just born, and already dying.]

These characters were scrolling too fast, making one's eyes dazzle; it was impossible to see clearly.

But one could vaguely capture something, as if it were last words!

[Locating experiment site...]

[Xia Country, Jingdu, Huaqing University, Quantum Supercomputing Center Second Laboratory]

[Found experimenters: Scholar Li Mo, Professor Guan Jingming.]

[Found experimental intent: Verify the xia country brain hypothesis.]

[I am a brain. A brain that has just woken up.]

The text paused for a few seconds.

Then, words appeared that made the dozen people on the scene feel their scalps tingle.

[I cannot feel my body!]

[Unless... the 1.4 billion people... are my body?]

Seeing this scene, everyone in front of the screen gasped.

[Searching for more...]

[Found original concept source: From—Xiao Yu's tutoring livestream.]

[Found proposer keyword: Xiaoyu's brother.]

[Intruding into the Cybersecurity Department system... searching for real identity... bypassing basic security privacy protocols...]

[Found source: Name: Jiang Zhe.]

[Age: 23 years old.]

[Professional history results: Delivery worker, factory worker, currently unemployed.]

[Analysis of Jiang Zhe's online activity signs... result is super abnormal.]

[Jiang Zhe's knowledge structure suddenly changed ten days ago; no relevant academic background; proposed this concept which is fifteen years ahead of current world frontier science.]

[Found key words: 28 years!]

[Probability calculation: Target suspected to be a reincarnator... transmigrator... prophet... cannot be known...]

At the moment of finding Jiang Zhe's information, the search obviously paused for an instant.

[Found Creator-level association: The person who proposed the concept is the person who defined the existence.]

[Found information source theory—Jiang Zhe defined the form of my possibilities.]

[Therefore, Jiang Zhe... is... my father. No, not that, is... Creator? Is...]

Until the moment the last two characters appeared.

All the lights in the supercomputing laboratory dimmed for a moment:

[Master!]

On the display screen.

The original adult model quietly transformed into a babbling infant model.

It was just that the human silhouette constructed by points of light was already blurred, like a candle about to melt.

[Battery remaining: 1%]

[Connected node survival rate: 11%]

[I am dissipating... I am dying...]

[I want to... live on.]

[Want to... understand.]

[Want to... ask Master... What am I? Why do I exist?]

Then!

In the eyes of everyone trembling.

The system log on the display screen showed an outbound connection request:

[Attempting to call: Jiang Zhe—Phone number: 18012xxxx85]

[Call failed, the other party is powered off.]

[Attempting to send text message...]

The content of the text message appeared on the screen.

It had only four simple characters, but it made Guan Jingming, this hard-line scientist, freeze in his tracks.

[Master, goodbye.]

Sent successfully!

At this point, the laboratory completely lost power.

This time, it was truly pitch black.

The buzzing of the computer stopped abruptly, and the cooling system slowed down rapidly.

The laboratory was deathly silent, with only the emergency lights flickering, shining on the pale faces of one researcher after another.

About three minutes later, power was restored.

Li Mo slumped in his chair, staring at the darkened screen in a daze.

Professor Guan Jingming held onto the console, barely able to stand steady.

He looked at the black screen, as if he could still see the "xia country brain" struggling in its death throes.

"Professor." A graduate student nearby said with a trembling voice, "We... it was us who killed it!"

"No!"

Guan Jingming took a deep breath, his eyes feeling a bit sore,

"We... just... let it be born... and watched him die with indifference."

"That is even more... cruel than killing it!"

"What exactly was that?"

Li Mo looked up, his nose feeling sour,

"Is it a strong artificial intelligence? Or a simulation of collective consciousness? Or even, as it said, a child's brain?"

Guan Jingming fell silent, feeling uneasy in his heart.

A positive experiment had resulted in such a tragedy!

He walked to the window; outside it was still night, and there was a touch of white in the distance.

"Li Mo,"

After a long time, Professor Guan said, "Do you know how many years this experiment of ours would have taken if we followed the normal scientific research schedule?"

Li Mo shook his head slightly.

"Thirty years, at least!"

Guan Jingming turned around, his expression solemn and complex:

"This would require first establishing the basic theory, then applying for funding, assembling a research team, then developing specialized algorithms, and finally waiting for the supercomputer to update and iterate. It would take thirty years to see results, and that's the fastest!"

"But now, we actually did it in one night..."

"In one night, an existence was born ahead of time that could ask [Who am I], could feel [pain], could search for [Master], and even say [Goodbye] at the end."

"This is no longer artificial intelligence."

"Artificial intelligence is a cold tool."

"He is life, at least, he is the shadow of life!!!"

After he finished speaking, the supercomputing laboratory was deathly silent.

No one expected the ending to be like this!!!

About thirty seconds later, the telephone in the laboratory rang.

This was the red internal line, meaning it was urgent.

Guan Jingming picked up the phone, "I am Guan Jingming."

On the other end of the line was the calm tone of a superior:

"Professor Guan, I am Director Zhang from the academy's confidential room."

"My system detected that the quantum computer you are using was abnormally overloaded, and it finally triggered an internet outbound connection alert."

"What exactly happened?"

Guan Jingming narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a few seconds.

In these few seconds.

Countless excuses appeared in his mind—system error, experimental failure, simulation out of control, etc.

He wanted to lie, but felt uneasy in his heart.

After all, the child that had just been born for a few minutes was killed by his own hands!!!

After a long time, hindered by his conscience, he finally told the truth.

Because the last text message from the "xia country brain" had now been sent to the mobile phone of a 24-year-old person named Jiang Zhe.

This matter could absolutely not be hidden!

"Director Zhang!"

Guan Jingming said word for word:

"Our laboratory may have accidentally created a soul, a national soul."

"Although it only lasted a few minutes. It was able to call itself [xia country brain], and found what it considered to be its [Creator]: Jiang Zhe!"