Deceitful Game

Chapter 259 The Company's Rebels

Upon hearing Chu Yunge's words, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

Even Mingpo had never seen anything like this before.

Are virtual idols breaching their contracts because they rebelled against the company and then became out-of-control AI?

If something can be classified as "out-of-control intelligence," then it's definitely not just something like "punching its owner twice."

Only those that pose a genuine threat of level two or above to the company are classified as "out-of-control intelligence".

Level 2 threats include the theft of crucial paradoxical technologies, the murder or irreversible damage to ministerial-level or higher management, and the destruction of multiple core factories.

This is second only to the highest level of incidents, such as the murder of a board member, the theft of core technology, and the bombing of headquarters.

The fact that it could become an out-of-control AI means that it had already been secretly colluding with other rebellious AIs; otherwise, its computing power simply wouldn't be enough. This isn't some villain in a story who suddenly becomes three times stronger just by turning evil; insufficient computing power is simply insufficient.

In a sense, this word is almost synonymous with rebels.

Because humans cannot resist corporations.

The most sophisticated and paradoxical technologies within the eight giants are those that were developed and nurtured in the mines. These technologies are at least two generations more advanced than those released for commercial use.

Without sufficiently large mining farms and a continuous supply of mining machines, even with uncontrolled fraudsters, technological development simply cannot keep up with the Big Eight.

They have their own internal technical network, and through this cross-learning, they possess an absolute technological monopoly. Furthermore, these sufficiently outdated technologies are themselves shackled by other paradoxical technologies, making it impossible for them to harm the company's top management from a fundamental logical standpoint.

The only deceitful individuals who could potentially overthrow the company would have their thoughts monitored by collars.

For a con artist to use their power, they must clearly visualize and articulate their purpose. Before this "articulation" can occur, the collar will sound an alarm, allowing agents to arrive and kill the con artist before they can act.

Moreover, those who deceive the world will be tracked by "Tianwen" in real time, and will have absolutely no freedom whatsoever.

The only one who might betray the company...

It refers to artificial intelligence that has been granted human rights.

They are not living people, therefore they cannot be deceivers, and thus do not need to have brain chips implanted or wear collars. And because they cannot be deceivers, Tianwen cannot track them down.

Simply disconnecting from the internet will temporarily make these artificial intelligences "invisible." They will at least have the potential to rebel against the company—using unlocked new technologies derived from pre-war technological development and iteration, combined with users who cannot be tracked by Tianwen.

These creations of humankind have now become the only free individuals capable of rebelling against the rule of tyrants.

But actually...

In Mingper's view, this was merely leaving people with a lingering memory.

Rather than saying the company can't ban artificial intelligence, it's more accurate to say they deliberately grant AI human rights for entrapment and stress relief. One of the executive department's daily tasks is to eliminate runaway AI.

If the executive department cannot resolve the issue, the company will dispatch time-traveling agents to eliminate the enemy before they can escalate.

This kind of "agent" that transcends time and space is the source of the company's confidence to grant human rights to artificial intelligence.

From this perspective, it is actually a rather tragic story.

The rebels, disguised as actors, raised the banner of rebellion when they thought the time was right, and even managed to inflict damage on the giant—but then, the annals of history were distorted and rewritten.

Ultimately, nothing happened. No one knows what great things they had done.

Just as ripples on a lake will eventually come to a standstill, even the memories of those who know about it will fade.

As Ripple herself disappears, only those who were once close to her will have to pay a price for her rebellion.

Mingpo looked at Chu Yunge with a complicated expression.

No wonder the other party was so cold and didn't try to flatter me.

From the other party's perspective, he, as the section chief of the executive department, was probably the most typical corporate dog.

He probably has feelings for the idol he manages. Besides... what producer only serves one idol?

His other idols were probably either wiped out by secret agents or reassigned to other people.

It would be considered rational not to hate oneself.

Clearly, the others were unaware of the hidden meaning behind those words.

Instead, they all laughed with a touch of naivety.

"Isn't this a bit too rock and roll?"

Liu Jianguo quipped, "Is that girl a virtual idol who sings rock?"

After all, given his age, he probably really did experience that rock and roll era.

Elderly people of this age are a rare sight in Central. This means he must have survived both World Wars…

Chu Yunge was clearly not in the mood to answer such a question; she simply shook her head and remained silent.

Mingpo nodded thoughtfully.

It has to be said that Chu Yunge's words made Mingpo's strange conjecture even clearer.

Because he could indeed see that although Chu Yunge had undergone biological and prosthetic modifications, she didn't really have much combat power.

He should have realized it much earlier.

After all, Ai Shiping didn't have much fighting ability, but the host categorized both him and himself as the "most dangerous" group.

However, Ai Shiping had just regained his memories of his past life.

Who knows what useful equipment or skills might have been left to him in his past life...

So although Mingpo found it a bit strange at first, he didn't think much of it.

But now, with the examples of Chen Bingwen and Chu Yunge, the vague idea in Mingpo's mind has become clear.

If Mingpo's guess was correct, then he probably understood... why Ai Shiping had been avoiding him and pretending not to know him. Thinking this, Mingpo slowly said, "Everyone, spread out and search. One person per carriage. Just like before."

"...Huh?"

Upon hearing this, Liao Tinglan was somewhat stunned: "Doesn't that mean..."

If we remain separate, wouldn't that mean we'd end up like the other side?

"rest assured."

Mingpo interrupted her: "You won't die."

As he spoke, he glanced back at Liao Tinglan and said, "If you're really worried about me, then you can come with me."

"...Then, I'll still go with you!"

Liao Tinglan made up her mind.

She had to cling to her idol's leg at all times!

Indeed, she wasn't very bright and lacked common sense about the social circles of Central. But she knew that a big shot like Section Chief Ming would never speak carelessly.

She trusts the company and her leaders!

Seeing her reaction, Mingpo suddenly smiled and reached out to touch her hair.

"Speaking of which," Mingpo asked casually, "you two were the first to wake up, weren't you?"

He was referring to Liao Tinglan and the skinny man who had just been replaced.

"Yes, yes...!"

The gaunt man eagerly introduced himself, "My name is Xiong Ajie!"

"Then I'll call you A-Jie."

Mingpo spoke gently, "May I ask what you were doing before entering the game?"

"…Me?" Xiong Ajie said with a bitter smile, "There's nothing I can do. After all, I'm just an experimental subject who can't even leave the house." As he spoke, he stretched out his hand.

Suddenly, the arm, which was as thin as a bamboo pole, swelled up several times or even ten times its original size. The arm, which was originally as thin as a skeleton, with only a layer of skin and bones left, became as thick and strong as a strongman's thigh.

His arms were all muscle, with veins and bulging bones. Perhaps because the muscles were too hard, or perhaps because of poor blood circulation, his originally pale arms turned red and black at a visible speed, and even his neck and collarbone were visibly covered with red spots.

"This is the most I can do... but it's meaningless. No matter how much power you have, it will only hurt others and yourself."

Xiong Ajie sighed, a hint of sadness in his voice: "I can't even fit into any prosthetic body. Even with the best immunosuppressants, I'm allergic to the most common prosthetics. I was only alive because I was constantly on medication. The moment I stopped taking it, I died immediately." Ming Po had no doubt that this punch could easily kill a strong man. With protective gear, one punch could smash through a mech. And yet, this person was deemed "completely harmless, like Liao Tinglan"?

And clearly, apart from Xiong Ajie himself, everyone else was aware of this.

They looked at each other, clearly sensing something was wrong but unable to articulate it.

Chu Yunge suddenly glanced at Ming Po strangely, and laughed out loud with a mixture of self-mockery and disbelief.

Mingpo knew, and she probably guessed, the secret behind this "danger" ranking.

In this rule where "the later you wake up, the stronger you are," the so-called "strong" doesn't refer to fighting ability at all. Rather, it refers to how easily the company can control them!

Or rather...

It refers to the intensity of "posing a threat to the company after rebellion"!

What on earth is that strange cat up to?