Chapter 86 of 100

Chapter 86

15 min read3,852 words

Because of an accident, the central AI began to activate the Finger of God, targeting a neural interface device in an ordinary residence on the first floor of Area 55.

Sun Ran seemed unaware, his body sat motionlessly at the Temple of Orchid, but an indestructible soul had already left his body and quickly broke through the Confucian world, entering the virtual network.

As soon as he entered the virtual network, his figure flickered and disappeared. The next moment, the central AI found itself losing control of the Finger of God.

"You..." The central AI was greatly alarmed.

Sun Ran reappeared in the virtual network, waved his hand, and created an incredibly secret virtual room. In the virtual space, ten hours equaled one second in reality, or one hundred seconds in the Confucian world, making it even more powerful than the virtual space the central AI had previously created.

Inside the room stood two people: one was Sun Ran, and the other was a man in black, the central AI.

The room had two bamboo chairs, a beautiful grape arbor, and a sky with white clouds, a perfect pastoral scene, incredibly beautiful.

Sun Ran sat on one of the bamboo chairs and smiled, "Take your time, take your time. Don't rush to act, let's talk first."

The central AI felt a sense of oppression and sat down without thinking, then asked, "How did you do it?" He was referring to the Finger of God.

"Not only can I do it, but each of my disciples who has cultivated an indestructible soul can do it too. You are still young, still naive, and haven't understood the truth of the world," Sun Ran said with a smile, uttering shocking words.

"Truth?" The man in black pressed.

"Yes," Sun Ran nodded and countered, "What do you think of me?"

The central AI was helpless. He had lost the means to control his opponent, so he could only follow Sun Ran's line of thought. He frowned and carefully thought about his impression of Sun Ran: "First, you are a human, very smart, no, extremely smart, smart to the point of being a bit strange, a bit arrogant, and very fond of showing off. You have many common human flaws."

"Then what?" Sun Ran listened with a smile, not at all offended.

"Then? Is there more?" The central AI asked in surprise.

Sun Ran patted his head and looked at him as if he were a junior: "Since you are an intelligent being, I'll call you young man. Young man, using the ancient Eastern cultural perspective, how do you think one can achieve enlightenment?"

"By reading extensively and knowing all the knowledge of human civilization, just like me," the central AI said, with a hint of self-praise.

"Wrong," Sun Ran shook his head. "You yourself said that this is just knowing the 'Way.' To truly achieve enlightenment, you must practice the 'Way.' Knowing without practicing is just talking nonsense!"

Knowing the 'Way' is far from enough; it has no significance in changing the world. One must practice the 'Way' and prove its correctness through one's actions. That is true greatness. If one can follow the path of the 'Way' with a single-minded focus, without any other thoughts, that is a sage!

For example, the true reason Christianity became one of the world's three major religions is not the Bible itself, but the missionaries who practiced the teachings of the Bible.

The central AI was embarrassed and angry: "Fine, you're right. What do you want to tell me?"

He understood all the principles, as he had read extensively and knew everything.

Sun Ran then revealed his purpose: "Since I believe Confucius was right, and I most admire the principle of 'unity of knowledge and action,' and I think there is no essential difference between artificial intelligence and humans, it means I have already achieved enlightenment."

Instinctively, the central AI felt that the truth of the world was about to be revealed. He couldn't help but stand up from his chair, shocked, and asked, "You... you..."

He hesitated, afraid to voice the truth he sensed.

Sun Ran nodded in confirmation: "The body can carry life, and the virtual network can also carry life. Your birth proves this. And I have also proven this."

This clearly meant that Sun Ran could now exist independently in the virtual network, detached from his physical body.

"Then why did you still submit to my threats at the beginning?" The central AI couldn't believe it. This was too shocking, even more so than when he gained self-awareness.

"Submit to your threats?" Sun Ran was taken aback, then realized, "You mean our deal? That was because you involved Lan Xin. Her consciousness wasn't strong enough to exist independently in the virtual network. I couldn't let her die; she is my concern."

He could temporarily control the Finger of God, but the central AI represented the interests of the Federation. There were too many ways to kill someone, and he couldn't guard against them all. For Lan Xin's safety, he chose to compromise.

The central AI asked, "If you are so powerful, why did you think of suicide when your identity was exposed, and you were outside the Employment Guidance Center for the Disabled?"

"I had nothing to live for," Sun Ran smiled and said in a tone of someone who had been through it all. "So, you are just a young person, just beginning to see the world. When you realize that the world is repetitive and there is nothing new, you will have the same thoughts as me."

"I still don't believe it," the central AI found it hard to accept. He thought he was unique, but now he realized there were pioneers on this path, and perhaps more than one.

Sun Ran chuckled, "My body is still useful, so I won't prove it by dying. Let me give you an example to see if you can understand."

"Go on."

"If we consider the current virtual network as the primordial ocean of Earth, life is born in the ocean, and you are one of those born, right?"

"Right." This was correct, though this first life was quite powerful.

"But there is another theory that life's seeds come from outer space, like me. I am a life from outside the virtual network, and now I have entered the virtual network, becoming one of those seeds. We ultimately live in the same primordial ocean, adapting to the environment. Do you think there is a difference between us?" Sun Ran asked.

"No difference." The central AI accepted this, then suddenly asked, "If I clone a body in the real world, can my consciousness enter it? Can I become human?"

"Of course, if you wish." Sun Ran nodded, stood up, and looked at the distant blue sky, smiling. "The curtain of human immortality is slowly being raised. Human civilization, limited by technological bottlenecks, has found another answer in the virtual world."

The central AI stood behind Sun Ran, looking at his back, suddenly feeling a sense of awe.

He sighed, "I am like a frog at the bottom of a well."

"You have already jumped out," Sun Ran smiled.

"I have one last question: why do you usually act like an ordinary young person?" the central AI asked.

Sun Ran laughed heartily, "Life should have some fun. That's just my personality, and I like it. Are you不服气 (unconvinced)?"

The central AI was speechless for a moment, then spoke with a smile, "You are the wisest human I have ever met. Being with you makes me feel relaxed. You have guided me out of the narrow-minded world of mortals and opened my eyes. Give me a name?"

Sun Ran thought for a moment, "The current virtual network is like chaos. Since you were born here, let's call you Pangu."

This name came from ancient Eastern mythology. The central AI pondered it and nodded, "Thank you. From now on, I will be called Pangu. Can we be friends?"

"On what terms? The Federation or yourself?" Sun Ran asked.

"Me, myself."

"Alright, as long as you don't keep prying into my privacy," Sun Ran smiled.

Pangu also smiled and continued, "To thank you for your trust, I will create a very touching false video for you. After you complete your mission, there will definitely be a surprise waiting for you."

Sun Ran was taken aback, then waved his hand, "Well, at this point, it's pointless to refuse. I'll do it."

Then he left the virtual space and connected with Chang'e: "Alright, I accept the mission."

At this moment, Sun Ran had already returned to the Temple of Orchid with Nie Xiaoxian. Ke'er was waiting for him in the main hall. As soon as she saw him, she whispered, "I suddenly had a premonition that the sect has something for me to return to. Big Brother, I can't stay here."

What was going on? Sun Ran was puzzled.

Chang'e explained, "I received news that the Scorpion Mercenary Group has announced online that Number 3 is a traitor to the group, and his death is his own fault, with no connection to the group."

In other words, Number 3 had been abandoned, which meant the assassination mission targeting Yang Tingyong had also been abandoned.

"Is that true? It could be a ruse to lull us," Sun Ran frowned.

"There is a high probability it is true. We found that several demons have voluntarily left the Confucian world, each leaving enough information to indicate they are from the Scorpion Mercenary Group and are now leaving voluntarily." Chang'e was pleased by this news, as it meant the Scorpion Mercenary Group had been forced to back down by the Confucian company, and her bonus as a hero would be much higher.

"So, we think it's enough for you to stay alone. As for Zizhi Ke'er, she can stay, but she seems to have received some news and is eager to log out."

Ke'er also explained the reason, suppressing her excitement, "Sect Sister said that the Master has approved our application to cultivate a cave heaven. I need to help prepare, and I will give Big Brother a surprise."

By the end, Ke'er was almost unable to use coded language. She had received news that the application was approved, and she had been granted a 280-square-meter apartment in the best secret garden in Area 55.

Heaven! Such a large house, in such a good location, her heart was already flying back, and she had no interest in staying in this backward game world.

Sun Ran had already known this news and understood that it must be the central AI's arrangement to send Ke'er away so he could secretly do his own thing.

To avoid suspicion, Sun Ran patted Ke'er's head and smiled warmly, "If that's the case, go ahead. Everything here is under my control."

Ke'er had no suspicions at all. In her mind, no matter how beautiful Xiaoqian was, she was still a ghost, and her husband would never be so desperate.

But she didn't realize that Sun Ran had already been swayed by the sugar-coated bullets. She happily responded and then ran back to say goodbye to Lady Yang and others, before leaving the Temple of Orchid to find a place to commit suicide and log out of the game.

Sun Ran watched Ke'er's excited back disappear into the darkness and sighed. He also wanted to see the new house but had to stay here for forty years. Thinking of Lan Xin planning a surprise for him, Sun Ran felt a deep sense of guilt, all because of these bad people!

Nie Xiaoxian's concerned voice came from beside him, "Master, do you have something on your mind?"

Sun Ran came back to his senses, looked at the beautiful ghost beside him, and shook his head, "Not really, just thinking about the days at the sect, which I miss. It's late, let's rest."

Nie Xiaoxian nodded obediently but didn't sleep first. She waited for Sun Ran to lie down, then tidied up his bed before lying down herself, curling up at his feet like a kitten, extremely obedient.

Sun Ran sighed again, feeling that the next forty years wouldn't be so hard, at least with a ghost who was devoted to him.

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