Embers Ad Infinitum

Long Yuehong wanted to imitate his team leader by picking up his cup and tasting the so-called coffee.

But at this moment, a very short figure ran down the stairs.

Long Yuehong focused and realized that it was a small robot. It was more than a meter tall, and its metal bones were silvery-white. It wore a light-blue dress and a cute furry hat.

“Daddy, Daddy.” The little robot rushed out of the stairwell as it ran toward Genava.

Suddenly, it seemed to trip over something and fell to the ground with a clang.

“Be careful. What if you fall and injure yourself?” Genava instantly left his seat and ran over. He picked up the small robot and patted its back.

What if you fall and injure yourself… Long Yuehong stared blankly at the brownish-yellow floor—which had obvious potholes and cracks.

His facial muscles slightly twitched as he concealed his emotions and picked up the cup. He brought it to his mouth and took a sip.

An indescribable bitterness filled his mouth the next second, making him frown instantly as his entire being jolted awake.

What the hell is this beverage? Long Yuehong instinctively wanted to spit out the coffee; otherwise, he felt that he might be poisoned. But considering that this was someone else’s home and that the coffee was a beverage he had chosen, he forced himself to hold back.

It would’ve been very rude.

With the coffee in his mouth, he looked around and realized that Bai Chen had also taken a sip, only to frown.

See, I’m not the one being picky… Long Yuehong consoled himself when he saw this.

After they had all tasted coffee in its original form, Jiang Baimian exclaimed, “I forgot to tell you guys: you can add milk and sugar.”

She pointed at the few small paper sachets and a silver kettle that came with the coffee.

So that’s how it is… Long Yuehong was still very inquisitive about food. He held the coffee in his mouth, put down the cup, and tore open a paper sachet. He realized that it was sugar that had been compressed into a cube.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and added, “You usually put one. Two if you like it sweet, or even more.”

Putting one cube of sugar in just like that? How extravagant… Long Yuehong had never enjoyed such a comfortable life in Pangu Biology.

Even though he had been very extravagant after receiving his allowance and rewards, to the point of often eating sweets and drinking sweet beverages, he didn’t recklessly throw so much sugar into his water.

With a spirit of frugality, he only put one cube of sugar into his coffee.

At this moment, he gradually felt that the coffee in his mouth wasn’t as bitter as before and that it had an indescribable aroma.

Jiang Baimian saw that between Long Yuehong and Bai Chen, one put sugar while the other poured milk. However, not only did Shang Jianyao sit still, but he even drank a few mouthfuls. She asked curiously, “You’re not adding?”

With a beaming smile, Shang Jianyao replied, “The bitterness keeps me awake.”

Which Shang Jianyao is this… Jiang Baimian’s expression froze for a second, and she decided not to pursue the topic.

After Bai Chen and Long Yuehong mixed their coffee and slowly relaxed their brows, Shang Jianyao took the pot and filled his almost empty cup to 90% full. Finally, he added a cube of sugar.

Jiang Baimian couldn’t help but ask, “Doesn’t the bitterness keep you awake?”

Shang Jianyao replied seriously, “I’m awake; there’s no way I can be more awake.”

Everything you say is right, and everything you say makes sense… Jiang Baimian cast her gaze at Genava.

Genava had already coaxed the wailing child and introduced it with a smile. “My daughter, Rides. Born in Year 41 of the New Calendar.”

Maybe it’s the assembly date… Long Yuehong replied inwardly. Of course, he definitely wouldn’t say such words out loud.

Genava had also noticed the Old Task Force’s coffee drinking and smiled. “It’s always the same when it’s your first time drinking coffee. You’ll get used to it.”

You make it sound like you can drink it… Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen didn’t know how to respond.

Shang Jianyao sincerely asked, “What are you drinking? It seems different from ours.”

Genava let out a hearty and synthetic laugh. “We Smart Bots are still different from you. This is coffee-flavored lubricant. After it enters my body, many sensors will capture the corresponding information and transmit it to my main module, allowing me to obtain the correct feeling directly. Believe me, our experiences are the same in this regard.”

At that moment, Long Yuehong felt the same way he did when he attended Zen Master Jingfa’s preaching.

With that said, Genava lowered its head and spoke to its daughter, Rides. “Alright, it’s time for after-meal study.”

“Can I play a little longer, pretty please?” wheedled the silver-white robot, Rides. It mimicked a girl’s voice; it was also fluctuating and had an accent, but it sounded synthetic and emotionless.

It made Long Yuehong feel like he was watching a stage show with a poor script.

During Pangu Biology’s end-of-year report performance, there would sometimes be short and vigorous stage plays or operas.

“No.” Genava patiently reasoned with its daughter.

Finally, Rides agreed to study for half an hour.

Satisfied, Genava opened its daughter’s head, took out a chip from its pocket, and inserted it.

“…” Upon seeing this, the three Old Task Force members’ expressions became complicated again.

Shang Jianyao had a look of envy as if he felt that it would save him a lot of time if he could directly ‘imbue’ himself with knowledge during his studying.

After leaving its daughter to study at the side, Genava looked at the four people from the Old Task Force and asked, “Apart from what has been mentioned, is there anything else?”

Jiang Baimian originally had a plan to extract information from Genava, but she suddenly had some inspiration. Multiple sources of intelligence have mentioned that many smart robots in Tarnan like to imitate humans and form families… Smart robots do things according to standard operating procedures and show sufficient fairness… Not only is Genava wearing a human military uniform, but it also has a wife and child. ‘Drinking’ coffee-flavored lubricant… It doesn’t seem like using rhetoric to create logical flaws is the best strategy against a smart robot…

As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao nodded slightly.

Indeed, I have to use Shang Jianyao’s directness and show my sincerity at such times… Jiang Baimian made up her mind and smiled as she replied to Genava’s question. “We heard that your Mechanical Paradise has a Mainframe.”

Upon hearing this, Long Yuehong—who was drinking his coffee and slowly experiencing its unique aroma—almost spat out the liquid in his mouth. Isn’t this too direct? What if this is a secret of Mechanical Paradise? Will we be attacked by the Genava family for ‘knowing too much?’

Genava ‘drank’ another mouthful of coffee-flavored lubricant. The blue light in his eyes slowly swept across Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others’ faces.

“You guys are very frank.” Seven to eight seconds later, Genava nodded slightly and said, “Although we won’t take the initiative to reveal the Mainframe’s existence to the outside world, certain partners still know about it. What’s your goal in asking about the Mainframe?”

“So here’s the matter.” Jiang Baimian organized her words. “We are a Ruin Hunter team that’s searching for the New World. It’s very difficult not to establish connections with the Old World’s legacy if we want to find the New World’s door. We hope to obtain some information regarding the Old World’s destruction from your Mainframe. It should’ve been in operation back then.”

Genava agreed with this reason. “I can understand that. I’ve also encountered some Hunter teams that are in pursuit of the New World.”

It paused and continued speaking in a mellow but emotionless male voice. “First, it’s no longer called Mainframe. Instead, it’s called a ‘Source Brain.’ Second, I can’t decide on behalf of the Source Brain on whether it will meet you. I have to report it according to the procedures. Yes, it might take one to three days for a reply.”

Geneva’s pronunciation was up to standard, so Jiang Baimian and the others didn’t confuse ‘Source Brain’ with another phrase. They just couldn’t figure out if it meant some other word.

One of Genava’s fingers immediately emitted a red glow as it wrote the word ‘Source’ on the strange curtain on the other side of the living room.

“Alright, we have no problems with that,” Jiang Baimian replied happily.

Things had developed better than she expected. Of course, if the Source Brain decided not to meet them, they would have to think of another way to move the intelligent core.

Wait a minute. Genava said that it’s the Source Brain’s decision to meet us? The Source Brain can directly make a decision on this matter? Jiang Baimian immediately felt a little confused.

Genava drank another mouthful of coffee-flavored lubricant. “You can head east next. There are several hotels there.”

Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others—who could tell that Geneva was sending them off—didn’t waste their remaining coffee. They stood up after finishing it and bade them farewell.

As for Jorgensen and the others, they remained here and were handled by the robot guards.

Outside, Long Yuehong sighed with emotion as he breathed in the night breeze by the river. “Why do the smart robots here feel strange?”

“Have you seen other smart robots before?” Shang Jianyao asked as he opened the jeep’s door.

“No,” Long Yuehong replied honestly.

“Then, what are you using for comparison?” Shang Jianyao asked with a smile.

“…” Long Yuehong flew into a rage out of humiliation. “Common sense!”

As they spoke, they got into the jeep and drove toward the bridge that led east of the river.

Along the way, the Old Task Force occasionally saw strolling, patrolling, and chatting smart robots. They realized that all of them were basically wearing clothes. Some even had shoes and socks.

The area beside the River West Bridge was quiet and peaceful at night.

As the jeep drove past the bridge and arrived at River East, the area ahead gradually became lively.

On the street closest to the bridge, the street lamps were bright. People came and went, and there were many stalls. It was like Weed City’s West Street, but they were laid out haphazardly.

Even with the windows closed, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others could hear the honking—it was another car urging the pedestrians to make way.

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