Chapter 16 You Are the Best Choice
-------------------------------------
Translator: JayM
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: You Are the Best Choice
-------------------------------------
Shen Yi brought the metal block close to the U-75. A faint light bloomed from its surface, and then it melted entirely into liquid, flowing through the seams of the robot and into its body.
Mo Qiu's eyes went completely wide.
Shen Yi, by contrast, wore an expression of total calm — even though this was his first time witnessing the scene as well.
This kind of Artificial Intelligence Module Array cost eighty thousand points per unit — its level of technology far exceeded imagination. Beyond its programming, its carrier was a quantum computer composed of nanoparticles.
According to its description, it could be integrated into any electronic hardware whatsoever.
Even installed into an old-fashioned radio, it could still function.
Of course, its capabilities would be drastically reduced in that case.
At most, it could control wireless signals within a certain range of frequencies or something of that sort.
But now…
As the Artificial Intelligence Module Array fully integrated into the robot, the red light in its eyes blazed intensely.
Its right hand rose and pressed against its left chest, and it gave Shen Yi a salute.
"U-75 Model Multi-Function Combat Robot, reporting for duty. Master."
Its voice was saturated with a metallic tone, utterly devoid of any emotion.
The Tier-II Artificial Intelligence Module Array didn’t possess an emotion module.
Only Tier-III and beyond possessed that, and Tier-IV could already be called an artificial intelligence lifeform.
"Go to the kitchen and bring the food out." Shen Yi gave it an order.
"Yes." The U-75 walked directly into the kitchen.
As simple as this command appeared to be, it actually tested a great many things — for instance, which room was the kitchen, and which items counted as “food.” Shen Yi's words hadn’t specified "prepared food" in any way.
The result was excellent.
Because the U-75 completely disregarded the unprocessed ingredients and failed attempts still sitting in the kitchen, and brought out only the two completed dishes that had already been made.
Just like a loyal servant.
In truth, this was also the hallmark of a Tier-II artificial intelligence — the ability to comprehend the vast majority of commands, and to grow to a certain degree.
"That's incredible." Mo Qiu was left with nothing but amazement at this point. She felt not the slightest fear toward its fearsome appearance, and instead drew closer to it, running her hand along its cold shell before turning her head and asking curiously, "Can it learn to cook?"
"You're welcome to try teaching it." Shen Yi smiled and sat down.
However, he suddenly glanced out the window.
A car had pulled up and stopped at the entrance.
It was Chu Lin.
He had come all the way from the base to ask about a few things.
He first tidied up his appearance at the door before pressing the doorbell.
The smile he put on his face was what he believed to be his most approachable one.
But the moment the door opened, his smile froze on his face.
Because what stood behind the door was neither Shen Yi nor the gentle and beautiful Mo Qiu, but a metal robot whose eyes radiated crimson light — one that looked even more extreme than the Terminator.
Chu Lin instinctively rubbed his own eyes.
Yes, it was a robot.
The metallic sheen of its shell, the joints and gears brimming with mechanical beauty, and even the red glow emanating from its chest.
It looked as though it had walked straight out of some Transformers film.
"Identity confirmed. Mr. Chu Lin, please come in." The red eyes shifted up and down once, and then it stepped aside, its movements impeccably precise, like that of a perfect butler.
He had definitely just been scanned!
Chu Lin's throat bobbed.
He very much wanted to compose himself. It was just a robot, after all. Just a robot that could talk, could scan, and happened to look like a weapon of war.
Stay calm.
Chu Lin kept reminding himself of this in his heart, yet it wasn't until he had made his way to stand before Shen Yi that he managed to tear his gaze away.
The robot's movements were far too natural! If one were to put a simulated human skin over it, it would be indistinguishable from a real person!
"Mr. Shen, I apologize for the unannounced visit."
The Shen Yi before Chu Lin was still dressed in the same wizard's robe as before, but the latter's gaze had undergone a clear change.
It was like a deity from a mythological tale had suddenly reached into his sleeve and produced a spaceship, and was now engaged in an intergalactic battle.
The tone of it all felt completely off.
And in the very next moment, the robe Shen Yi was wearing transformed directly, changing in the blink of an eye into casual home clothes.
"Something the matter?" Shen Yi looked at the man with perfect composure.
Despite the dishes laid out on the table, he had no intention of inviting Chu Lin to sit.
"There’s indeed something." Chu Lin quietly pinched himself, forced himself to ignore everything he couldn't comprehend, and pulled his focus together. "We noticed that Mr. Shen made no attempt to conceal himself when stopping the plane crash."
"Why would I need to conceal myself?" Shen Yi countered with a question.
"That’s indeed true. However, if news of the apocalypse were to become known to everyone, the chaos that would ensue at that point might well be detrimental to our efforts to organize resistance against it." Chu Lin put on a troubled expression.
This was the art of communication.
He hadn't brought up any other reasons, but had instead spoken about "resisting the apocalypse" — a goal that had originated from Shen Yi himself.
‘Resisting the apocalypse was something you brought up. So if I express some opposition to things that might be detrimental to resisting it, that should be alright, shouldn't it?’
That was the substance of what Chu Lin had wanted to convey.
But Shen Yi simply looked at him.
Those deep, penetrating eyes gave Chu Lin the feeling of being seen through completely.
"In your view, why do you think I appeared before you so openly, and even told you everything — my origins, my purpose, and the news that the apocalypse is coming?" Shen Yi asked slowly.
A subtle shift occurred in Chu Lin's gaze.
This was a question that they had already thought through in careful detail, and even discussed at length.
If Shen Yi had no other ulterior motive, then there could only be one reason.
"We believe," Chu Lin said, choosing his words with care, "that it’s because you consider us people who’re capable of assisting you in preserving the Human Order of this world."
"Correct."
Shen Yi rose from his chair. His spine was straight, and this subtle change caused a certain inexplicable air of authority to settle over him.
He looked at Chu Lin like that, and said calmly.
"People aren’t the same. When the end of days arrives, some will fight back with everything they have, struggling until the very last moment. Some will straighten their clothes and meet death with calm composure and dignity. Some will be consumed by hysterical terror, and meet their end in a state of panic. Which kind of people do you think I would rather see?"
"Naturally, those who fight back with everything they have." Chu Lin answered quickly this time.
The other party had come to save this world, not to attend their funeral. Neither acceptance of fate nor descent into fear was what he wanted.
This was an easy question.
Chu Lin seemed to have grasped something, if only vaguely.
"You see — don't you already know the answer perfectly well?"
Shen Yi reached out and placed his hand on the other man’s shoulder, his expression entirely serious.
"I said before that I come from a parallel world. The language we’re speaking right now is my mother tongue. My culture has no Noah's Ark, and no all-powerful God either. What choices other Savior Commissioners make is no concern of mine, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re the best choice available to me at this stage."
-------------------------------------
T/N - There it is. But I’ll cut the novel SOME slack. I mean, if you were in the MC’s shoes, wouldn’t you be biased to your country as well? If you’re American, you would rather cooperate with the US, if you were British, you’d rather cooperate with the UK. While some people might not prefer to cooperate with their own countries for some reasons, like mine being a 3rd world country, so it won’t be my first choice, don’t tell me that you’d let your home country hang out to dry just because of that?
Well, at the very least, it doesn’t seem like it’d go as far as racism at least. I hope. Please! 🙏😅