Long Yuehong wanted to imitate the team leader, pick up his cup, and taste what this so-called coffee was like.
But just then, a very short figure came running down the stairs.
Long Yuehong took a closer look and discovered it was a small robot. It was a little over a meter tall, with a silver-white metal skeleton, wearing a light blue dress, and a cute plush hat on its head.
"Daddy, Daddy," the little robot shouted as it rushed out of the stairs towards Genaeva.
Suddenly, it seemed to trip over something and fell to the floor with a clang.
"Be careful, what if you get hurt?" Genaeva instantly left his seat, rushed over, picked up the little robot, and gently patted its back.
What if you get hurt... Long Yuehong stared blankly at the brown-yellow floor, which now had obvious potholes and cracks.
The muscles in his face twitched slightly as he raised the cup to his lips and took a sip, as if to hide his emotions.
In the next second, an indescribable bitterness filled his mouth, causing his face to instantly wrinkle up, and he became extremely awake.
What kind of hellish drink is this? Long Yuehong instinctively wanted to spit out the coffee, otherwise he felt he might be poisoned. But considering he was in someone else's home and the coffee was a drink they had chosen, he forcibly held it back.
This would be very impolite.
He held the coffee in his mouth and glanced to the left and right, discovering that Bai Chen had also just taken a sip and then frowned.
See, it's not just me being picky... Long Yuehong consoled himself inwardly upon seeing this.
After they had all tasted the authentic coffee, Jiang Baimian exclaimed, "Oops!"
"I forgot to tell you, you can add milk and sugar."
She pointed to several small paper packets and a silver kettle that came with the coffee.
So that's how it is... Long Yuehong had a very exploratory spirit when it came to food. He held the coffee in his mouth, put down the cup, tore open a paper packet, and discovered that it contained sugar compressed into a square shape.
"Normally, add one piece; if you like it sweet, add two," Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and added, "or more."
Directly putting such a piece of sugar in? How extravagant... Long Yuehong had never enjoyed such a comfortable life in Pangu Biology.
Even after receiving subsidies and bonuses, and having been extravagant for a while, frequently eating sweets and drinking sweet beverages, he had never recklessly added so much sugar to plain water.
Upholding the spirit of thrift, he only put one sugar cube in his coffee.
At this time, he gradually felt that the coffee in his mouth was not so bitter anymore, and it had a strange fragrance after the first sip.
Jiang Baimian saw that Long Yuehong and Bai Chen were adding sugar and milk, while Shang Jianyao was not only sitting still but even took a few big gulps, and asked with great curiosity,
"Aren't you adding any?"
Shang Jianyao replied in a deep voice,
"Bitterness keeps me awake."
Which Shang Jianyao is this again... Jiang Baimian's expression froze for a second, and she decided not to continue this topic.
After Bai Chen and Long Yuehong had both adjusted their coffee and slowly relaxed their brows, Shang Jianyao picked up the kettle and filled his cup, which was less than half full, to about ninety percent.
Finally, he added a sugar cube.
"Isn't bitterness supposed to keep you awake?" Jiang Baimian couldn't help but ask.
Shang Jianyao replied seriously,
"I've already been awake, there's no way to be more awake."
Whatever you say is right, everything you say makes sense... Jiang Baimian turned her gaze to Genaeva.
Genaeva had already comforted his "crying" child and introduced her with a smile,
"My daughter, Redus, born in the 41st year of the New Calendar."
Maybe assembled... Long Yuehong replied in his heart.
Of course, he would definitely not say such words out loud.
Genaeva had also noticed the Old Task Force drinking coffee and said with a smile,
"It's like this the first time you drink coffee. You'll get used to it."
As if you can drink it... Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen didn't know how to respond.
Shang Jianyao then asked sincerely,
"What are you drinking? It seems different from ours?"
Genaeva let out a hearty, somewhat synthetic laugh:
"We, the Artificial Intelligences, are still somewhat different from you humans. This is lubricant oil with coffee flavoring.
"After it enters my body, multiple sensors will capture the corresponding information and transmit it to my main module, allowing me to directly obtain the correct feeling.
"Trust me, in this regard, our experiences are the same."
At this moment, Long Yuehong once again had the feeling he had when facing Jingfa Chanshi lecturing on Buddhism.
After speaking, Genaeva lowered his head and said to his daughter, Redus,
"Alright, it's time for post-meal study."
"Can I play for a little longer?" the silver-white little robot, Redus, asked coquettishly.
It was simulating a little girl's voice, with fluctuations and intonations, but it had a synthetic feel and lacked emotion.
This made Long Yuehong feel like he was watching a stage play with clumsy acting.
—The year-end report performance at Pangu Biology sometimes featured short and精悍 stage plays or dramas.
"No." Genaeva patiently explained the reasons to his daughter.
Finally, Redus agreed to study for half an hour.
Genaeva satisfiedly opened his daughter's head, took out a chip from his clothing pocket, and inserted it.
"..." The expressions of the three members of the Old Task Force who saw this scene became complex again.
Shang Jianyao, on the other hand, looked very envious, as if he felt that if one could directly "implant" knowledge like this when studying, it would save a lot of effort.
After letting his daughter study to the side, Genaeva looked at the group of four from the Old Task Force and asked,
"Besides what I mentioned earlier, do you have anything else to discuss?"
Jiang Baimian already had a plan on how to extract information, but at this moment, she suddenly had some inspiration:
Multiple sources of information mentioned that many Artificial Intelligences in Tarnan liked to imitate humans and form families... Artificial Intelligences did things according to prescribed procedures, showing sufficient impartiality... Genaeva not only wore human military uniforms but also had a wife and child, and "drank" coffee-flavored lubricant oil... Facing such an Artificial Intelligence, using rhetoric to create logical loopholes might not be the optimal solution...
In a flash of thought, Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao.
Shang Jianyao nodded slightly.
As expected, this is the time to use Shang Jianyao's direct approach, showing sincerity... Jiang Baimian made up her mind and answered Genaeva's question with a smile:
"We heard that your Mechanical Paradise has a Mainframe."
Hearing this sentence, Long Yuehong, who was drinking coffee and slowly appreciating its unique beauty, almost spat the liquid out of his mouth.
Isn't this too direct?
What if this is a secret of Mechanical Paradise?
Will we be attacked by Genaeva's family for "knowing too much?"
Genaeva "drank" another mouthful of coffee-flavored lubricant oil, and the blue light emitted from his eyes slowly swept across Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others' faces.
"You are very candid." After seven or eight seconds, Genaeva nodded slightly and said, "Although we don't actively disclose the existence of the Mainframe to the outside world, some collaborators are aware of it. What exactly is your purpose in asking about the Mainframe?"
"It's like this," Jiang Baimian organized her words. "We are a relic hunter team in search of the New World, and it is difficult to find the door to the New World without connecting it to the remnants of the Old World. We hope to obtain some information about the time before and after the destruction of the Old World from your Mainframe. It should have been put into operation at that time."
Genaeva expressed agreement with this reason:
"I can understand. I have also encountered some hunter teams searching for the New World."
He paused and continued in a mellow but unemotional baritone voice:
"First, it's no longer called the Mainframe; it's now referred to as the Source Brain.
"Second, I cannot decide on behalf of the Source Brain whether or not to meet you. I have to report it according to the procedure. Well, it may take one to three days to wait for a response."
His pronunciation was very standard. Jiang Baimian and the others did not confuse "Source Brain" (源脑) with "Elder" (元老), but they were a little unsure whether it was "Source Brain" (源脑) or "Origin Brain" (元脑).
Genaeva then emitted a red light from one of his fingers and directly wrote the character "源" on a strange curtain on the other side of the living room.
"Okay, we have no problem," Jiang Baimian replied with a slight sense of joy.
Things were progressing more smoothly than she had expected.
Of course, if the Source Brain decided not to meet them, they would have to find another way to impress this intelligent central processing unit.
Wait, Genaeva said that the Source Brain would decide whether or not to meet us? The Source Brain can directly make decisions about this matter? Jiang Baimian immediately felt some doubts.
Genaeva took another "drink" of coffee-flavored lubricant oil:
"You can go to Hedong next. There are several hotels there."
Hearing the hint to leave, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others did not waste the remaining coffee, stood up, and bid farewell.
As for Jorgensen and the others, they would stay here and be dealt with by the robot guards.
Outside, breathing in the cool evening breeze from the riverbank, Long Yuehong sighed,
"The Artificial Intelligences here feel kind of strange."
"Have you seen other Artificial Intelligences before?" Shang Jianyao asked as he opened the Jeep's door.
"No," Long Yuehong honestly replied.
"Then what are you comparing it to?" Shang Jianyao asked with a smile.
"..." Long Yuehong became angry and embarrassed. "Common sense!"
As they spoke, they all got into the Jeep, and Bai Chen drove it towards the bridge leading to Hedong.
Along the way, the Old Task Force occasionally saw Artificial Intelligences strolling, patrolling, or chatting. They noticed that they were basically all wearing clothes, and some even had shoes and socks.
The bridge area west of the river was quiet and peaceful at night.
As the Jeep drove across the bridge and arrived in Hedong, the area ahead gradually became lively.
On the street closest to the bridgehead, the streetlights were bright, and there were many people coming and going, with many stalls, like the West Street of Wild Grass City, but without any planning.
Even with the windows closed, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others could hear beeping sounds, which were other vehicles urging pedestrians to make way.