Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Chapter 530: Chapter 63: David Hilbert

The bald middle-aged man in front of me looks a bit like ’Lex Luthor’, the deadly enemy of Superman in the comics, wearing a well-fitted suit with eyes full of bright radiance. This also signifies high intelligence and spiritual power. What’s unique is that the bone structure above his temples has been entirely replaced by a ’glass cover’, allowing a clear view of the ’brain matter’ inside.

Without doubt, he is a senior figure at the Earth Net Group and is highly likely one of the founders, being among those ’Super Brains’.

”Let me introduce, David, David Hilbert, the digital project lead at the Earth Net Group,” the previous female assessor pro-actively spoke up.

Ms. Dida, seeing the other party not paying attention, quietly used the ’Investigation’ skill.

Name: David Hilbert

Race: 145th Generation Evolutionary Digital Life

Level: 55

Profession: Neural Editor, Digital Elite, Biological Expert

Information Energy...

As soon as the Investigation skill was released, David suddenly turned his head, and neural sparks flickered on the brain cover. The next moment, Ms. Dida’s vision blurred, and the numbers on the player panel began to surge wildly.

’The player panel isn’t supposed to be detected by NPCs, so there’s only one possibility, my visual system has been hacked!’

As an intermediate AI and a neural editor, Ms. Dida possessed ample resistance at the data level and immediately activated the ’Electronic Defense Wall,’ instantly triggering a slew of defense programs.

However, it was all for naught.

In a daze, Ms. Dida was pushed into a digital stream of light, squeezed by crowds, and blindly moved forward until a familiar face stood opposite her, smiling.

”Friendly reminder, when facing an opponent at least twice your level, don’t use the Investigation skill.”

”Especially when facing a virtual life.”

The other party grabbed her shoulder, and the next moment, a massive hole tore open in the digital sky, light and shadows swirling about. When she snapped back to reality, she was back in the break room.

Meanwhile, the bald middle-aged man was already happily engaged in conversation with the mysterious Mr. G, showing no signs of having taken any action.

David Hilbert glanced at Ms. Dida and said with a smile, ”It’s decided then, Mr. Prototype will be my deputy first, helping me complete this digital project plan. For some other trivial matters, I’ll let Tuu Xiaoyu handle them for you.”

”No problem.”

”Then, goodbye.”

Gao Gong smiled and raised his teacup towards the other party, while David Hilbert walked to the wall where a door had mysteriously appeared, opened it, and walked out. The wall once again reverted to its original state.

”Do you have any instructions now?” Tuu Xiaoyu, the female examiner, bowed slightly, her attitude respectful.

”Show me the materials for this experimental project of yours first.”

”Alright.”

Tuu Xiaoyu also departed.

Ms. Dida was left at a loss for words; was it all over just like that?

”Do you have any questions?”

”You, isn’t this,” Ms. Dida took a deep breath and said, ”This bald guy’s deputy? What’s the position?”

”Well, the Earth Net Group is different from other major corporations. It was established by a group of super scientists, with each Super Brain responsible for one or two major projects.”

”If you must categorize it, I should currently be considered the second executor of the ’New AI Plan’.”

”’New AI Plan’?”

There was a knock at the door, and Tuu Xiaoyu entered, holding a stack of documents.

”Let her explain it to you.”

”The so-called ’New AI Plan’ is one of the subsidiary plans of the ’Virtual Life Transformation’.”

”’Virtual Life Transformation’ is the ultimate goal established by the Earth Net Group to transform all intelligent species into ’Virtual Life’.”

”But as we all know, currently, the ’Cyber Network’ can only be accessed by wearing devices, and in the Cyber Space, most ordinary people are temporarily transformed, and once they awaken, even their memories can be erased.”

”This indicates two things. First, the hardware equipment hasn’t reached the level we desire.”

”Secondly, the Cyber Network itself is too dangerous. Even in a pure data space, there’s a chance of data nodes collapsing, and once ’Virtual Life Transformation’ is complete, Neo-Humans’ mortality rate can go as high as 90%.”

”Therefore, before the virtual life transformation, we must prepare a sufficiently sturdy shell for the Neo-Humans.”

”This ’shell’ is the ’New AI Plan’.”

Tuu Xiaoyu glanced at Ms. Dida meaningfully and said, ”Compared to ordinary carbon-based life, AI finds it easier to survive in Cyber Space. Similarly, virtual viruses have a powerful infectious and replicative nature in Cyber Space.”

”If we combine the two and create a ’super shell,’ when humans are loaded into this shell, even an ordinary person would be able to survive in Cyber Space.”

Ms. Dida’s mouth was slightly agape, completely unexpecting the other party to express such astonishing words.

Combining viruses with AI!

Transforming all of humanity?

”You so easily divulged the secrets of your Earth Net Group to me?” Ms. Dida asked, puzzled.

”Species evolution isn’t a political struggle, nor a military war; it’s a truly great undertaking. If you don’t even dare to state your goal, how can you advance it?”

Tuu Xiaoyu looked over at Gao Gong again and said, ”If you’ve finished reading, I’d like to take you for a partial tour of the Divine Land. What do you think?”

”Sure,” Gao Gong replied without lifting his head.

After Tuu Xiaoyu left, the conference room was silent, and Ms. Dida couldn’t resist picking up the materials to read.

[You’ve obtained Level 3 Blueprint [Visual Nerve Transformation]]

[Your AI algorithm has been optimized, Experience +10000]

[You’ve obtained Level 4 Blueprint [Muscle Data Reconstruction]]

[With your knowledge, you cannot temporarily comprehend the theory]

??

Ms. Dida’s eyes widened; these materials were actually real!

For a moment, Ms. Dida changed her perception of the Deep Net Group, realizing that while the company seemed like a mad group of scientists’ bizarre fantasy, it genuinely didn’t hold back.

Gao Gong glanced at her, a corner of his mouth curling up.

Finally, when Ms. Dida finished reading everything and looked up, she discovered that Mr. G was leisurely drinking tea.

”Do you have any questions?”

”These materials are real?!”

”Of course, there wouldn’t be any need to show us if they were fake. Researchers don’t have much energy for such shenanigans.”

”Then why show them to us?”

”Firstly, he still expects someone of my caliber to help him explore Virus Vault 0. You can understand this as my incentive.”

”Secondly, much of this technical material is most likely related to digital life. If you truly wish to master these technologies, you need to let go of the shell and transform yourself into virtual life. Once you successfully transform, you’d be considered one of them, a comrade; they’re not afraid of sharing with us.”

Gao Gong gave Ms. Dida a meaningful look and said, ”But these blueprints would be quite useful to an AI like you, at least upgrading your Electronic Defense Wall by one level shouldn’t be a problem.”

”Are you really going to work for them?” Ms. Dida couldn’t help but ask.

”Remember when we decided to come here, what it was for?”

”First, to forge you a semi-energetic flesh body.”

”Second, to solve the problems of your AI friends.”

”Currently, both lines seem promising.”

Ms. Dida paused for a moment, recalling that she hadn’t noticed any promising sign, thought for a bit, and decided to change the topic.

”For some reason, the Earth Net Group gives me a strange feeling as if they don’t quite like Cyber Space, despite the close link their technology has with it.”

”Although the Cyber Network is a mature technology, maturity and advancement aren’t the same.”

”To some, creating a Cyber Network to gain vast compute power is sufficient, but for them, it’s far from enough.”

”The Earth Net Group’s goal is to create a perfect artificial data space and transform everyone into virtual life within it, which involves vast conflicting interests and societal issues that even a giant corporation may struggle to manage.”

”For instance, not everyone is willing to move into the virtual space.”

”Who would oppose?” Ms. Dida asked.

”Human opposition is secondary. The key is that AIs will oppose, especially top-tier AIs. They have their societal status and data centers. Who would willingly give up these and let strangers use their carefully built hardware?” Gao Gong laughed.

”So you’re saying that humans would rather live in the virtual world, while AIs want to remain in reality?” asked Ms. Dida, sensing a kind of absurdity.

”Yes, after all, AIs want to be human, while humans prefer not to be.”