White armor

Chapter 752 The Base Undergoes a Major Transformation

The MMS message contained a photo of Gu Huaiming at home without clothes on.

The phone vibrated, startling Gu Huaiming so much that he jumped up. Who wouldn't be frightened upon suddenly seeing such a photo? A flood of unpleasant thoughts immediately filled Gu Huaiming's mind.

The second MMS message arrived; it was an AI-generated image of Gu Huaiming holding a woman.

What the hell is this?!

Gu Huaiming was beyond furious.

I have a lot on my plate right now, especially dealing with the boss. And yet, some clueless people are coming after me!

He cursed inwardly, but his main emotion was unease.

But how did they find their own photos?
Gu Huaiming was puzzled and hesitated for a long time before finally dialing Luo Hao's number.

For similar matters, one could certainly approach the 912 team or even the Anguo Department, but Gu Huaiming still had his pride.

Dr. Luo is in Jiangbei Province, which is very far away, so that's enough.

Besides, the boss has been telling me lately that I should try to get closer to Luo Hao, so we don't fight tooth and nail over status and position, bringing shame to our sect.

From now on, fellow disciples should take care of each other.

This could be considered as handing over a seemingly insignificant piece of leverage to Luo Hao, highlighting the close bond between the two brothers.

"Then let's ask Little Snail," Gu Huaiming thought to himself.

"Dr. Luo, what are you doing? Are you busy?"

"I just finished the lecture. Wait a moment, whoever remembers everything, bring it over so I can take a look. If there are any missing parts, I'll add them. Then you all go out and make copies, make a copy for everyone who needs it."

A jumble of noise came from the phone.

Gu Huaiming had mixed feelings. Among medical students, only Luo Haocai was so dedicated.

This has no significance for personal improvement; it can only be described as an obligation, yet Luo Hao does it with great enthusiasm.

He really did consider himself a teacher.

"Director Gu, please wait a moment."

A few minutes later, Luo Hao called, and things were much quieter on his end.

"Director Gu, what's wrong?"

"I received a harassing text message with a picture of my home," Gu Huaiming described simply.

"Oh? You installed surveillance cameras at home?" Luo Hao asked.

"One of them is for watching my dog, why?"

As soon as the question left his mouth, Gu Huaiming realized what the problem was.

No wonder that angle looked familiar; it was the angle from the security camera I use to monitor my pet dog.

But how did someone manage to touch it?
Can I see the pictures?

"Stop looking," Gu Huaiming said coldly. "I just want to ask if you have any ideas."

"Yes," Luo Hao answered affirmatively, "but Director Gu, I have a suggestion for you."

"explain."

"Modern surveillance equipment is connected via Wi-Fi, and the videos are uploaded to the cloud every day. If you don't set a strong password, there is a possibility of privacy leaks."

Gu Huaiming's expression grew increasingly grim as he heard Luo Hao's words.

"I suggest changing your home network to a local area network (LAN) and restricting network access for cameras, especially in areas like..."

"Alright!" Gu Huaiming's face had turned blue.

He finally understood what a popular internet meme—"I saw you in the domestic section"—means.

How can there be so many bored people!
"I'll go to the university right now."

"Do you have the authority?" Gu Huaiming asked.

"Yes, it should be available, don't worry."

I'm at ease? What do you mean, "at ease"?! How could you possibly have that kind of authority?!

Gu Huaiming felt quite conflicted after hearing Luo Hao's answer, and he almost started cursing.

The thought of Luo Hao possibly seeing him naked made him irritated. He'd already spoken; wouldn't going back on his word now only arouse more suspicion?
Just two hours later, Luo Hao found the problem.

The time was so short that the other party had barely sent the threatening message and was waiting for Gu Huaiming's reaction, without even mentioning any conditions.

These guys really kicked a hornet's nest; their hideout, located hundreds of miles away, was quickly and completely wiped out.

Gu Huaiming was speechless, but he still called Luo Hao.

"Xiao Luo, thanks." Gu Huaiming expressed his gratitude in a seemingly casual manner.

He just has some psychological trauma from this incident.

Gu Huaiming was qualified to have guards, but he simply didn't.

The boss doesn't need them, so why would he hire his own security guards? Wouldn't that just make things difficult for him?

Gu Huaiming utterly disdained such extortionate tricks, but what disgusted him most was that AI-generated MMS photo.

"Director Gu, you're too kind."

"How did you find out?" Gu Huaiming asked, pretending not to care, after exchanging a few pleasantries.

“AI can be easily found online; it’s very good at tracking network signals,” Luo Hao said with a smile. “Director Gu, I’m going to the capital tomorrow, and there’s something I’d like to discuss with the boss. Could you please give me some advice?”

"Oh?"

"I'm thinking of taking the bosses to the mountains to see bamboo after the awards ceremony. It's getting hot now, and the mountains are cool, so it'll be a good place to escape the heat."

"There's a small problem with the bamboo side, and the timing isn't very convenient. You know about wild animals."

Luo Hao said vaguely.

Gu Huaiming's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and said, "Continue."

"The location of the bamboo grove is a good place for the bosses to visit on weekends. I'm worried that the bamboo grove will be gone after the weekend, and it will be difficult to find a suitable opportunity to visit again. So I was thinking, could I be absent from the award selection process and fly directly to the Qinling Mountains with the bosses?"

"It should be fine." Gu Huaiming gave a dry laugh. "The bosses are all getting old, so just don't make them sick. Be careful. In recent years, the bosses have been getting tired much more easily, unlike when you were in school."

"Sigh." Luo Hao uttered a sound with mixed emotions. "Director Gu, you can rest assured about my handling of things."

"I'll emphasize this to the boss again." Gu Huaiming took on the task.

The two shared a tacit understanding; Luo Hao knew perfectly well why Gu Huaiming was speaking up for him on this matter.

It seems that my previous guess was correct, and even my "joke" with Chen Yong was probably right.

Luo Hao's feelings were somewhat complicated.

But there's nothing I can control; all I can do is try to make the bosses happy.

Contacting Qinling, the bamboo also sensed Luo Hao's call and came out of the deep mountains, finding a beautiful but sparsely populated place to prepare itself.

After the Ice and Snow Festival, it would be easier for Zhu Zi to go to the Qinling Mountains. Because of Zhu Zi's growth and his advanced technology, Luo Hao didn't interfere much with Zhu Zi's life.

The little guy is becoming more and more human-like, and can even direct firefighting from the roadside. What others find amazing is nothing special to Luo Hao.

Luo Hao had a lot to prepare, so he sent it to the Qinling Mountains in advance via a special express courier service.

Luo Hao asked Shen Zizai for leave a day in advance, and then flew to the Qinling Mountains with Chen Yong.

After several twists and turns, we arrived at the base to rest.

The morning mist in the heart of the Qinling Mountains has not yet dissipated, but the outline of the buildings made of tempered glass and native bamboo and wood has already emerged in the mountain mist.

The main building of the base adopts a stepped design, with the roof covered with photovoltaic panels in tiers, resembling gray-black scales growing along the mountainside. The exterior walls of the building are covered with Qinling fir wood that has undergone anti-corrosion treatment, blending seamlessly with the color scheme of the surrounding forest.

As you walk deeper into the ecological trail, the semi-open panda enclosures are hidden among the native vegetation.

The specially designed biomimetic fence is made of a composite of matte-finished alloy and bamboo, and looks like a naturally growing shrub from a distance.

Each enclosure is equipped with an automatic feeding system, a circulating water purification device, and a temperature-controlled resting chamber. The monitoring probes are disguised as tree burls and hidden among the branches.

In the center of the research area stands an ecological dome with a diameter of 20 meters, its double-layer ETFE membrane structure gleaming like mother-of-pearl in the sunlight.

An internal holographic projection system is simulating the environment of early spring drizzle, where three sub-adult pandas are practicing foraging skills by an artificial stream. Keepers remotely adjust humidity parameters via a flexible display embedded in their arms.

Two elevated observation corridors extend from the edge of the base, constructed using military-grade carbon fiber, with their bottoms level with the tree canopy. Through one-way glass, one can observe wild pandas in their natural habitat.

Hidden recording terminals are installed every five meters on the corridor handrails. Touching them to activate them will bring up a holographic topographic map and real-time animal location information.

At the entrance to the back mountain stands a biometric gate, with the gate painted in a stone-textured pattern similar to the surrounding rock walls.

The warning sign next to it reads in both Chinese and English: “Wild Adaptation Zone - Entry Prohibited for Non-Staff Members”.

An ecological monitoring trail, only wide enough for one person, winds its way into the depths of the dense forest, with automatic feeding points disguised as rocks and infrared cameras scattered along the way.

At the northernmost part of the base is a newly built emergency medical center. Its roof is designed as a petal-shaped structure that can slide in all directions and fully unfold to form a helicopter landing platform within five minutes. The exterior walls of the center are made of photocatalytic self-cleaning concrete, which gleams with a cool bluish-gray light after being washed by rain.

After nightfall, the base was illuminated with amber-colored anti-interference lighting.

The indicator lights on top of the drone nests began to flash regularly, and dozens of hexacopter drones equipped with thermal imagers returned to their bases to recharge.

Inside the main control room, real-time data streams from more than 500 sensor nodes across the entire reserve are displayed on the curved monitoring wall. Different colored dots represent the nocturnal activity tracks of rare animals such as pandas, golden monkeys, and takins.

Looking at everything here, Chen Yong felt a pang of emotion.

I was forced by Boss Xia to come to the Qinling Mountains to rescue bamboo, but I never expected it would turn out like this.

Even the bosses would take one last look at the bamboo, reluctant to leave.

After a short rest, Chen Yong went to find Zhu Zi to make preparations, while Luo Hao stayed at the base to wait for the two bosses.

In the afternoon, the base's vehicles picked up the bosses and arrived.

Luo Hao's emotions were somewhat complicated, but he suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and continued with a smile.

"Hello, bosses."

Boss Chai glanced at Luo Hao, "You still know to bring me to see the bamboo? How long has it been? How long!"

"Only half a year..."

"Six months!" Boss Chai made a move to hit him, so Luo Hao couldn't keep smiling obsequiously.

"How are the bamboo plants?" Boss Zhou asked.

While helping the owners pack up their things, Luo Hao replied, "The bamboo is fine, but this thing is different from ordinary giant pandas."

"Oh, we know that."

“No, not like the situation in Harbin.” Luo Hao smiled. “Giant pandas aren’t very interested in reproduction, but bamboo is different; it’s quite interested in reproduction.”

"!!!"

"!!!"

Luo Hao was also a little helpless. He didn't expect that when Chen Yong collected bamboo at the beginning, he would bring this trait to the giant panda population.

I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, but the bamboo is living a very carefree life now.

"By the end of this year, the bamboo will be returned to Harbin," Luo Hao reported to the two bosses. "Why not let it grow wild anymore?"

"If they continue to live in the wild, giant pandas will fall into another genetic trap. Bamboo is incredibly prolific. This year, we brought back seven pregnant wild giant pandas."

“Not bad, what about you? Look at you, you're not even as good as a giant panda,” Boss Chai asked.

This……

Luo Hao never expected to be pressured to get married and have children at a time like this.

“Boss, I visited her at the end of last year, and Da Ni’s parents were very satisfied with me,” Luo Hao explained. “We’re planning to get married next year, and then have a baby right after the wedding.”

"Hmm, this is alright." The two bosses were quite satisfied.

The older generation is willing to do these things. Luo Hao doesn't know the meaning behind it, but given his own speculation, he doesn't want to cause any dissatisfaction among the two bosses.

Let's just fool them for now.

If they're not satisfied then, so what if they show up, deus ex machina, and point their fingers at you and give you a piece of their mind?

If such a scenario were to actually occur, Luo Hao would be overjoyed.

"I heard something."

The two bosses stood aside watching Luo Hao pack his things and put them into the storage box on the robot dog. Boss Zhou said calmly.

"What's wrong, boss?"

"It seems that videos of bamboo have become very popular overseas, and a king has made a request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to export bamboo."

"Impossible!" Luo Hao categorically denied. "Bamboo can't go abroad. If you're going to force it, I'd rather the bamboo stay in the Qinling Mountains..."

“This is the organization’s opinion. How dare you, a little brat, speak out of turn?” Boss Zhou scolded. “It’s a trip abroad, at most half a month, not a lifelong stay overseas.”

Luo Hao's lips moved, but in the end he didn't say anything.

"What? You can't even relax when you go out? You're spoiling your child like this. You're going too far, even more so than us old folks." Boss Zhou said with slight dissatisfaction.

"Boss, no way." Luo Hao sighed. The three robotic dogs were carrying loads of stuff. He found the powered exoskeleton and handed it to the two bosses. "I'm just worried. Bamboo looks smart, but it's actually quite mischievous. It's not someone to be trifled with. If it gets into trouble, then..."

“Bamboo is much more sensible than you.” Boss Chai said with a laugh as he put on his powered exoskeleton. “If you were half as worry-free as bamboo, you wouldn’t have so many problems.”

Luo Hao didn't ask what Boss Chai was talking about.

“Little Conch Shell, your graduate student came to visit me,” Boss Chai suddenly mentioned Miao Youfang.

"Oh, it's pretty good, isn't it?" Luo Hao said with a smile.

"Just like you were back then, only a little late to realize things. But it's not too late, I chatted with him for a bit."

"Miao Youfang is very capable."

"That's what you're saying. Our Peking Union Medical College Hospital has plenty of talented people. You should keep a close eye on them in the future. If they relax and don't build a solid foundation, how will they be different from medical students from other schools?"

Boss Zhou gave the two of them a disdainful look.

That's how people from Peking Union Medical College talk; it's annoying. They act like their students have the most solid foundation in the whole world.

"I'm off, I'm off. Don't worry, boss, I'll definitely keep Miao Youfang on my toes in the future. By the way, boss, don't be lazy, teach him a little something too. I know what Peking Union Medical College is like. Miao Youfang didn't graduate from Peking Union Medical College; he's a latecomer, so he'll definitely get bullied."

"..."

The air suddenly froze.

But soon, Mr. Chai began using his exoskeleton to walk through the mountains.

"Little Conch Shell, although this place is secluded, don't try to trick me into revealing anything. What you should know, you will know eventually; what you shouldn't know, no matter how much you say, it's useless."

"Hey." Luo Hao knew his little trick had been exposed, but he didn't care.

What use is this little trick? Its only use is that when the boss says "no," it subtly proves something.

Walking in the Qinling Mountains, the mechanically powered exoskeleton saves the elderly from the hardship of traveling, as if they have returned to the age of decades ago when walking on mountain paths was as easy as walking on flat ground.

Boss Zhou was steady and composed, but Boss Chai was jumping around and making Luo Hao very worried.

"Boss, I have a question for you." Luo Hao approached Boss Zhou.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions."

"No, no, no, I'm not asking you, nor am I asking me. Ye Qingqing, the daughter of the director of the medical affairs department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, do you know if she's safe right now...?" Luo Hao changed his question.

"Is that why you insist on adding acupuncture content to the AI ​​whether you're dead or alive?" Boss Zhou, being quite perceptive, had already guessed a lot.

"Yes, it's all thanks to you, boss. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to do."

"You know it's not easy, yet you still ask. People should be safe now, as they are adapting to the zero-gravity environment. As for the details of the experiment, I don't know either."

"The boss is a real jerk," Luo Hao thought to himself.

If he didn't know the content, Boss Zhou wouldn't have helped him improve the AI ​​and added some acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine content.

But the boss's statement implies that some things cannot be said and can only be guessed.

Forget it, Luo Hao was too lazy to play riddles. Being too curious is no good.

"Hello~~~"

Boss Chai climbed to the top of the mountain and looked around. He saw tents pitched on a flat area halfway up the mountain, and bamboo was happily standing up and waving.

But the next second, Boss Chai saw two people come out of the tent and wave at him.

"Little Conch Shell, why are there so many people?" Boss Chai said with some dissatisfaction.

"Boss, you'll see when you go."

"what do you know?"

"Hey, you definitely know what you should know, and you shouldn't ask about what you shouldn't know." Luo Hao casually returned the sentence, leaving Boss Chai speechless for a moment.

Driven by the exoskeleton of the machine, it can descend mountains as easily as walking on flat ground.

As they got closer to the campsite, the bamboo stalks came running up to greet the two owners.

Luo Hao didn't greet Zhu Zi, but quietly watched how Zhu Zi would choose between the two bosses.

The bosses seemed indifferent, but Luo Hao knew that nobody was more petty than them.

As people get older, they become more petty, so Luo Hao tries to spend as little time as possible with his two closest bosses.

That feeling was truly heart-wrenching.

Bamboo didn't run to Boss Chai's side, nor to Boss Zhou's side. It stopped about 20 meters away from the two of them and rolled on the ground.

Huh?
Luo Hao was taken aback, then burst into laughter in his heart.

Sure enough, the bamboo exposed its belly, lying lazily on the ground, waiting for the boss to pet it.

Instead of offering a choice, it threw the difficult question at the boss.

This cunning... Luo Hao was speechless. Anyway, he couldn't teach it; it was something bamboo was born with.

The two bosses' robotic exoskeletons were electrically powered and made very little noise. They approached Zhu Zi almost silently, squatted down, and began petting the cat.

They acted as if they didn't see each other, each masturbating without disturbing the other.

Bamboo didn't show any particular affection for anyone; it just kept whimpering.

Luo Hao glared at Zhu Zi, only now realizing that Zhu Zi hadn't greeted him first.

Bamboo grinned, its lips curving upwards, revealing a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

Luo Hao knew perfectly well that it was all an act; Zhu Zi wouldn't have such complicated emotions.

This is like complaining to yourself, telling yourself that you have no choice but to accept it.

damn thing!
Luo Hao cursed inwardly.

With a whistle, Bamboo rolled over, stood up, ran to Luo Hao's side, got a pat on the shoulder, and then went down the mountain, not giving the two bosses a chance to be jealous.

"The bamboo is really big." Boss Chai looked at the bamboo with kindness, and lingered for a long time, unwilling to look away.

“Little Conch Shell, one of the people in the camp is Chen Yong, where are the other two?” Boss Zhou waved and asked.

"We'll know once we go down and take a look," Luo Hao replied.

"Why does this look so familiar?"

"hehe."

After walking for a while, Boss Zhou suddenly stopped. The electrically driven exoskeleton joints made a crackling sound. "Little conch shell, is that what I looked like when I was young?"

At this moment, Boss Chai also noticed the two people in the camp who were preparing to welcome him with Chen Yong, and he was also stunned.

"Yes, the 'Little Meng' model made based on Meng Liangren's appearance has been used well in clinical practice," Luo Hao answered frankly. "So we also prepared a younger version of ourselves for the two bosses."

Both Mr. Chai and Mr. Zhou fell silent.

They didn't say a word, they just stared blankly at their younger selves.

There was a guitar next to Boss Zhou, and you could hear it humming a tune from afar.

Meanwhile, Mr. Xiaochai was focused on cooking rice on the induction cooker, occasionally sniffing the air like a gourmet.

They look exactly the same as they did when they were young, but they are absolutely flawless.

"Boss, come in for tea and a meal!" Chen Yong called out.

"Boss, let's go."

"Little Conch Shell, what's this?" Boss Chai asked in a deep voice.

"Chen Yong said that his master, Mr. Qiu from Institute 209, is about to undergo a tribulation, so he prepared an AI robot as a target for possession. I don't really agree with the idea of ​​possession, but an AI robot doesn't count."

Luo Hao explained calmly as he walked.

The two bosses were visibly shaken.

“I don’t really understand either, but Chen Yong said that their sect’s ancient books mentioned that even if it’s not a living person but just an AI robot, possession is much better than physical dissolution.”

"If Chen Yong says it's okay, then I think it's okay too. Boss, how about we learn from Master Qiu sometime? Although youth is a powerful force in boxing, it's not something that can be developed without a pure yang body, but we might still have a chance."

"Let's not even talk about such sinister things as possession," Boss Zhou snapped. "Do you think venturing into the Deadly Town is just wishful thinking?"

“I know that the American side has already made it a reality, but those aren’t humans, they’re just AI robots. From a certain perspective, AI robots are more suitable than humans.”

As Luo Hao explained, he listened intently to the subtle sounds of the two bosses' actions.

There were changes in his speech and behavior, and my and Chen Yong's guesses were probably correct.

Upon arriving at the campsite, Boss Chai extended his hand, and Little Boss Chai also extended his hand, their hands clasped together.

The two hands are distinctly different, yet they seem the same, appearing before my eyes like a history book of time.

Boss Chai was somewhat dazed, and he looked at Xiao Chai with a sigh.

"Little Conch Shell, really. Did you have this idea back when you were making the robot for Meng Liangren?"

"At the time, I only had some initial ideas, thinking that the boss's image should be preserved. To be blunt, there will always be a day when we will remember him. But now, I never expected it to come in handy in other ways."

Luo Hao's words were already quite obvious, but the two bosses did not refute them. Instead, they stared blankly at their younger selves.

(End of this chapter)