White armor

Chapter 759 He's back? He's back!
As a comprehensive key university, the equipment in the analysis and testing center of the university is more advanced than that of many top-tier hospitals and testing centers.

Luo Hao and his entourage took the samples directly to the mass spectrometry analysis room in the chemistry building and received the test report in less than two hours.

The results completely confirmed his suspicions—the so-called "all-natural" hair dye contained 17 times the standard amount of gallnut tannins and an astonishing 238 mg/kg of lead acetate.

The glaring red warning label on the report serves as a reminder that these substances are clearly nephrotoxic.

"Just as I suspected." Luo Hao handed the report to Chen Yong, his brow furrowed. "Long-term use of this hair dye will cause heavy metals to accumulate in the body, directly damaging the renal tubular epithelial cells."

Chen Yong glanced at the data and scoffed, "All-natural? This is even more toxic than chemically synthesized hair dye."

Luo Hao felt somewhat helpless, wondering what Professor Zhang was thinking.

After driving back to the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Luo Hao went directly to the Department of Nephrology, handed the report to Professor Zhang, and sat down on a chair next to the bed.

Professor Zhang leaned against the hospital bed, his hands, clad in reading glasses, trembling slightly. The data on the test report gradually blurred before his eyes.

“How is this possible?” His voice was dry, like sandpaper scraping, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the medical report. “I checked ancient books; the Compendium of Materia Medica clearly records that gallnuts can…”

Luo Hao gently pressed down on the old man's trembling wrist: "Professor Zhang, the ancients didn't know the dangers of heavy metal accumulation. Some prescriptions need to be updated to suit the times."

"It's nothing serious." Luo Hao gently placed the report on the bedside table, his voice gentle yet firm. "It's just acute kidney injury; with timely treatment, it's fully recoverable. Just avoid contact with these ingredients in the future."

Professor Zhang slowly took off his glasses and gently wiped the lenses with the cuff of his hospital gown.

The light from the monitor shone on his haggard face, outlining deep wrinkles.

"Sigh," his sigh was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it hung heavily in the air of the ward.

"Professor Zhang, no matter how important scientific research is, you must take care of your health." Luo Hao unscrewed a bottle of Bai Sui Shan (a type of Chinese herbal medicine) and handed it to him. "The liquid neural network project is still waiting for you to lead it."

Upon hearing this, Professor Zhang's eyes suddenly lit up. He straightened up, the IV tube swaying gently with his movements.

“Little Luo,” his voice suddenly came alive, his fingers tracing smooth lines in the air, “do you know about our latest breakthrough? Those liquid metal nanounits can now autonomously form brain-like neural networks in magnetic fields!”

The setting sun outside the window cast his shadow on the wall, which changed shape as he excitedly recounted his story.

Professor Zhang's fingers suddenly hovered in mid-air, like a symphony conductor gathering strength before the most powerful note. Even the ticking of the monitor seemed to slow down.

“Imagine a drop of mercury,” his fingertips began to tremble subtly, “that transforms into countless shapes when it comes into contact with different surfaces. Our liquid neural network is just like that—”

His thumb and forefinger suddenly came together, making a pinching motion: "Each nanoscale metal droplet is like a neuron, but even more wondrous than a biological neuron."

His withered hand suddenly opened, his five fingers blooming like lotus flowers: "They form temporary synapses through surface tension, changing in the electromagnetic field, and reconnecting in such a rapidly changing manner."

As he spoke, Professor Zhang clenched his fist.

“Last week, there was a case of myocardial infarction; traditional AI would need 200 milliseconds to analyze the electrocardiogram.”

"Our liquid network, upon contact with an electrical signal pulse, spontaneously forms a fractal pattern in its internal topology, similar to the conduction system of the heart. A diagnosis is completed in 297 microseconds, faster than a biological nerve reflex."

"The most amazing thing is that when it encounters a similar case a second time, it retains the optimal structural template, just like water remembers the shape of its container."

Professor Zhang seemed to have forgotten his illness; whenever he talked about related topics, he would unconsciously become excited.

"Professor Zhang, shall we work on the next batch of AI robots together?" Luo Hao asked.

"Yeah, I saw that Professor Qi's robot works really well. Old Li has been using it all along, but its speed is unbearably slow."

Professor Zhang began by discussing the AI ​​robots from an academic perspective, focusing on the concepts of Yin and Yang.

Luo Hao felt somewhat helpless.

That's how researchers are; there are people who have high IQ and EQ and can switch between them anytime, anywhere, but they are relatively rare.

Those who make money are mostly people with high emotional intelligence who know how to successfully monetize their influence.

As for those academicians who rose through the ranks due to nepotism or favoritism, Luo Hao couldn't be bothered to even think about them.

Luo Hao offered Professor Zhang a few words of comfort and agreed to contact him again after he was discharged from the hospital.

As he was leaving, Luo Hao waved and called out, "Xiao Meng, come and meet Professor Zhang."

"Xiao Meng" walked over with light steps, stood in front of the hospital bed and bowed slightly. Her movements were so smooth that it was impossible to tell whether she was a real person or an AI robot.

"Hello Professor Zhang, this is Xiao Meng. I will be responsible for your nighttime monitoring from now on."

Professor Zhang's eyes lit up instantly. He leaned forward instinctively, and the IV tube swayed gently with his movement.

The old man's gaze behind his glasses meticulously traced every detail of "Xiao Meng" like a scanner—from the highly realistic skin texture to its language and movements.

Just like the real thing, no wonder that perverted old Li has been so obsessed with AI robot research.

"This...this is the model you use in clinical practice?" Professor Zhang's voice trembled slightly with excitement, his thin fingers hovering in mid-air, wanting to touch it but afraid of being impolite.

When "Xiao Meng" considerately bent down to cooperate with the examination, the old man finally couldn't help but gently touch its wrist, then raised an eyebrow in surprise: "It even has a pulse simulator?"

Luo Hao stood up and smiled: "That's not all. Xiao Meng's body temperature regulation system changes with the environment, and the strength of his handshake also adjusts depending on the person he's shaking hands with."

As if to confirm his words, "Xiao Meng" gently grasped Professor Zhang's hand, with a gentle touch as if cradling a feather.

"Basically, Xiao Meng is very similar to a human. If you look closely, you can tell that it is an AI robot. But if a stranger meets it, they won't be able to tell the difference."

"Perfect!" Professor Zhang murmured to himself, his fingertips lingering on the name tag on "Xiao Meng's" uniform, where the faint light of the vital signs monitoring sensor shone. "If our liquid neural network could be applied to AI robots of this caliber, it would be like adding wings to a tiger!"

"So you need to recover faster," Luo Hao interrupted the old man's thoughts with a smile. "Once you're discharged, let Xiao Meng be your lab assistant."

He winked at the AI, and "Xiao Meng" immediately understood and stood respectfully by the bed, looking up to check the IV drip name tag. The old professor was so skilled that his eyes widened in surprise.

As Luo Hao turned to leave, through the glass window in the door, he saw Professor Zhang asking "Xiao Meng" about various technical parameters with great interest, just like a child who had received a new toy.

People who do scientific research are easy to fool, Luo Hao chuckled.

"Chen Yong!" Luo Hao waved and called Chen Yong over.

"Xiao Zhuang, you should go back now." Chen Yong shooed Zhuang Yan away and went to Luo Hao's side. "Is Professor Zhang alright?"

"It's nothing," Luo Hao said in a muffled voice.

He didn't say anything more, but went straight downstairs and got into his car.

Chen Yong remained silent, as if on cue. After getting into the car and fastening his seatbelt, Chen Yong said, "To Funiu Mountain."

"Midnight?"

“You wanted to know why, so I’ll show you,” Chen Yong said.

"What exactly are you doing?" Luo Hao asked, puzzled. "Can't you just tell me?"

“No,” Chen Yong said seriously. “I’ll take you to Funiu Mountain, and you’ll understand.”

Luo Hao was covered in dew.

What does Funiu Mountain have? There's Master Qi, Fangcun Mountain, and incense-burning guests.

Is he going to go to Fangcun Mountain for fortune telling in the middle of the night?
However, Luo Hao didn't ask any further questions. If Chen Yong wanted to go, then let's go and see what Chen Yong was up to.

The night was as dark as ink. Luo Hao's SUV rolled over the last stretch of asphalt road on the edge of the city and turned onto the winding mountain road.

In the rearview mirror, the lights of the provincial capital gradually collapsed into a blurry halo, like a cluster of stars sinking into the deep sea.

The car window was lowered halfway, and the mountain breeze, carrying the scent of pine needles and dew, rushed in.

The blue light from the dashboard reflected on Luo Hao's face, outlining his slightly furrowed brows. In the distance, the outline of the Funiu Mountains undulated in the moonlight, resembling a reclining giant beast.

"Why are you driving so slowly?" Chen Yong complained to Luo Hao for the nth time.

"Be careful in the middle of the night." Luo Hao glanced at the Fangcun Mountain marker getting closer and closer on the navigation screen, the tires making a soft crackling sound as they rolled over the gravel.

For a moment, the car headlights startled a night owl by the roadside, and the sound of its wings flapping was exceptionally clear in the silent valley.

As we rounded the last sharp bend, a few flickering lights suddenly pierced the darkness.

The lights of the Taoist temple on Mount Funiu swayed gently in the night breeze, casting flickering light on the vermilion mountain gate.
Further away, the electronic signs of fortune-telling stalls flashed an eerie blue light, a bizarre coexistence of modern technology and ancient metaphysics in this mountain valley.

Several pilgrims wrapped in military overcoats were huddled on the steps of Luodao Temple—anyone still on the mountain at this hour is either a madman or a fraud.

"Why are they still here?"

"We're waiting to burn the first incense of tomorrow," Chen Yong said. "This is just a normal time; there are even more people staying at the entrance of the Taoist temple on Funiu Mountain during festivals."

"I never expected that Funiu Mountain would become a tourist attraction so quickly. I heard that it's very difficult to get the first incense offering at Wudang Mountain?"

"That's a lie. My master was willing to go to Wudang Mountain to burn the first incense. Only after he finished burning incense could the leaders in line come in to burn incense."

These words were a bit harsh, and Luo Hao clicked his tongue.

"Do you know who built the Guanyin statue in Hainan? It's said that after it was built, typhoons would detour around it."

"I've heard people talk about that, but I don't know about typhoons," Luo Hao said vaguely.

He usually kept his distance from such matters, but the fact that his assistant was a Taoist priest was beyond Luo Hao's expectations.

Looking at the system panel in the upper right corner of his vision, Chen Yong's luck value, which he had prayed for, remained unchanged.

"Chen Yong, when will you be able to level up?" Luo Hao asked.

"I don't know. I've been trying to digitize the body recently, but I can't seem to get it right," Chen Yong said, somewhat frustrated. "I'll try liquid neural networks, and we'll have to work on the AI ​​side as well."

He started rambling on about his ideas to Luo Hao, switching between metaphysics and science.

As Chen Yong continued his rambling explanation, Luo Hao parked the car and entered the Taoist temple on Funiu Mountain through the back door. "Meow~~~"

A tabby cat darted out from the darkness.

The tabby cat leaped down the stone steps of the Taoist temple like a streak of yellow-brown lightning, landing precisely at Luo Hao's feet. It raised its bushy tail and affectionately rubbed against Luo Hao's trouser leg, leaving a few soft strands of fur behind.

"Oh, you actually recognize me?" Luo Hao squatted down, his finger hovering in front of the cat's nose. The tabby cat tilted its head and sniffed, then suddenly stuck out its pink tongue and gently licked his fingertip—the barbed touch made Luo Hao chuckle softly.

Under the moonlight, the cat's pupils were round and gleaming with an amber light. Suddenly, it raised its front paw and placed it on Luo Hao's knee, its tail tip playfully curling into a question mark shape.

"The worshippers say he's the temple's 'little Taoist priest.'" Chen Yong stood on the steps with his arms crossed, his Taoist robe fluttering in the mountain wind. "He specifically stops those with predestined connections."

Luo Hao scratched the cat's chin, which elicited a purring sound in response.

The cat rolled over, revealing its furry belly, and lay on its back with its paws in a gesture of surrender. Just as Luo Hao was about to touch its belly, the tabby cat suddenly sprang up, grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him toward the mountain gate with astonishing force.

"What is it going to do?" Luo Hao asked.

"How would I know? Aren't you good at communication?"

The tabby cat dragged Luo Hao's sleeve all the way to Master Qi's door, then suddenly let go and plopped down on the bluestone slab with a "thud".

First, it raised its tail tip and shook it quickly three times. Then it raised one front paw and slapped it twice with its paw pad towards the door, just like a magistrate beating a drum to appeal for justice.

"Meow!" The first meow was clear and distinct, and the tail was held straight.

"Meow~" The second sound suddenly changed tone, the last syllable trembling with a wronged tone.

The last "Meow!" cracked, accompanied by its sudden lying down and belly-exposing act, while its front paws dramatically covered its eyes, peeking at Luo Hao's reaction through the gaps in its claws.

Seeing that there was no movement inside the door and that Luo Hao hadn't spoken or stood up for it, the little guy suddenly scrambled to its feet, stood upright with its front paws gripping the door frame, and frantically winked at Luo Hao.

It was giving me meaningful glances while meowing, as if it had suffered a great injustice.

Under the moonlight, its round cat eyes blinked rapidly, its right paw kept patting its furry chest, then it pointed to the door, and finally made a "pushing the door" gesture—the whole set of movements was smooth and natural, just like a little talking person.

"What's this?" Luo Hao couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you tattling? What did Master Qi do to you?"

The door creaked open, and Mr. Qiu came out in his cloth shoes, carrying an enamel teacup.

Under the moonlight, his gray hair stood on end with a few stray hairs sticking out, making him look like a ruffled old cat, as if he had just woken up and had a grumpy face.

"It's you again, you scoundrel!" Old Mr. Qiu squatted down and slammed his teacup on the ground. "Yesterday you stole my Longjing tea, the day before yesterday you stole my wolfberry tea, and today you even dared to taste my Malva nut tea!"

He pointed his index finger at the cat's head, and the tabby cat immediately meowed. It almost stood up, put its hands on its hips, and meowed at Mr. Qiu.

The person and the cat started arguing, and it looked quite intense.

Luo Hao didn't find it interesting; instead, he was horrified.

Boss Chai and Boss Zhou have both disappeared, all of a sudden.

In Institute 209, it is most common for someone to suddenly disappear on a secret mission, and Luo Hao also has his own methods to try to leave himself an escape route.

This does not include Mr. Qiu.

He never expected to see Mr. Qiu in Funiu Mountain. Luo Hao knew that the Mr. Qiu at this moment was not the real him, but an AI robot.

but!

"Don't give me that!" Old Mr. Qiu pulled his hand back, his mustache twitching. "Last time you said you'd only try a sip, and you ended up ruining half a jar of my premium Mao Feng tea!"

As he spoke, he pulled a small notebook from his pocket. "Look! I've written it all down—March 18th, I secretly drank Biluochun tea; April 2nd, I secretly drank Tieguanyin tea."

Upon seeing this, the tabby cat immediately lay down, exposing its soft belly, and hooked the tip of its tail affectionately around the old man's ankle.

Old Mr. Qiu's stern face immediately fell, and he helplessly scratched the cat's chin: "You, you drink it, fine, but every time you have to stick your paw in and stir it up! Is there any way you can do that! Not only do you steal my tea leaves, but you also bring people to complain."

"Meow~~~" The cat rolled over, its front paws scratching at the edge of the teacup, its round eyes blinking.

"Alright, alright, I'll give you half a jar." Old Mr. Qiu sighed and actually poured half a cup of water and placed it in front of the cat.

The tabby cat wasn't in a hurry to drink. First, it rubbed its head against the old man's hand before taking small sips of the drink. After a couple of sips, it would look up at the old man, its whiskers glistening with water droplets.

Luo Hao stood aside, watching the shadows of the old man and the cat overlap under the moonlight.

Old Mr. Qiu casually combed the cat's fur, muttering, "Drink slowly, no one's going to take it from you. Ouch, don't stick your paws in there! You little rascal!"

He found it strange that even though Luo Hao and Chen Yong were right in front of him, Mr. Qiu seemed to ignore them, and he couldn't even see Chen Yong.

"What's going on? Your master is back?" Luo Hao frowned and asked in a low voice.

This is an incredible secret, and Chen Yong just miraculously achieved it. Isn't this exactly what's known in Northeast folklore as divine possession?

"This is what I wanted you to see." Chen Yong's voice was also very low. "Didn't you make AI robots for Boss Chai and Boss Zhou? I made one for my master after I came back."

“A few days ago, I discovered that the AI ​​robot had started drinking tea.” Chen Yong smiled wryly. “I saw it when I was video chatting with Master Qi. A surge of energy rushed straight to the top of my head, and I almost had my brain pop out.”

"Speak properly, don't say such disgusting things," Luo Hao scolded.

"It was just a simple sketch. At the time, I felt like my master had returned, you know?"

“I understand. Why is it Mr. Qiu? Why don’t Boss Chai and Boss Zhou have it?” Luo Hao said to himself, looking at Mr. Qiu’s AI robot with his chin on his hand.

“It’s different, not like I imagined,” Chen Yong said. “After my master came back, he only became somewhat lively when he was with this cat. He couldn’t even see me.”

"So how did you contact the institute?"

“No contact? My master has friends in the institute. He’s been with Institute 209 for a long time. Ask someone to take care of me. Isn’t that more useful than Boss Chai and Boss Zhou?” Chen Yong said smugly.

"..."

Luo Hao frowned as he looked at Mr. Qiu, realizing he had completely misunderstood.

Luo Hao's breath hitched slightly.

The old Mr. Qiu in front of me was wearing an ordinary vest and shorts, and his squatting posture was as usual, but his eyes were flashing with an unnatural light—a light that looked like the faint light unique to the operation of a quantum processor.

"Elder Qiu, is that you?" Luo Hao's voice was a little tense.

The old man ignored Luo Hao and continued petting the cat.

“I can’t see it,” Chen Yong said.

Where did things go wrong? Luo Hao wondered.

Luo Hao noticed that the old man's gaze was always following the cat, showing no reaction to the surrounding scenery. When Chen Yong approached, Old Qiu mechanically turned towards the source of the sound, but his eyes remained fixed on the cat.

“I suspect that my master sees everything else as pixelated,” Chen Yong said in a low voice. “And he can’t hear anything either. I’ve called him many times, but he doesn’t seem to notice me at all.”

Luo Hao knew there was definitely something wrong; Mr. Qiu's behavior didn't seem like that of an AI robot.

Similar to "Xiao Meng", AI robots already have a certain level of emotional intelligence, and their conversations, speech, and actions are not much different from those of humans.

But now Mr. Qiu can only see one cat.

"What about the area of ​​activity?"

"There's only one room; you can't get out."

Luo Hao fell into deep thought. Where did the problem lie? But this was a good thing; it must be that the people on the other side were contacting him and Chen Yong in some special way.

But why haven't we heard from Boss Chai and Boss Zhou?

Luo Hao took out his phone and called Wang Jiani.

"Da Nizi, how's it going on your end?" Luo Hao asked directly, getting straight to the point.

"Huh? My side? Nothing's wrong."

"The AI ​​robot hasn't caused any trouble, has it?"

“No, it’s just that seeing Elder Chai and Elder Zhou’s robots makes me miss them.” Wang Jianni’s tone was somewhat somber. “Luo Hao, will I ever see them again?”

"Yes, the bosses are going on a mission. Don't worry about it, it's a highly confidential mission." Luo Hao reassured them a few more times, then hung up the phone and sighed.

He stared blankly at Mr. Qiu's AI robot.

"My master is awesome, right?" Chen Yong said. "I knew back then that getting my master to go with us would require some fighting skills. My master is incredibly powerful!"

"By the way, how did your master fail his tribulation?" Luo Hao asked.

Chen Yong felt that Luo Hao was mocking him, but when he turned around and saw Luo Hao looking worried, he sighed as well.

"The idea of ​​transcending tribulation and ascending to immortality is just a legend. Even my master didn't know how to do it, otherwise, how could he have endured it for so long? This time, the institute approved it, so I gave it a try. I don't know the specific process. Later, the director called me and said to contact him if I had any difficulties."

"I knew Master had failed his tribulation and gone on a mission."

As he spoke, Chen Yong let out a deep sigh.

He stared blankly at Mr. Qiu, who was petting the cat, his eyes gradually welling up with tears.

"You're alright, you can see it. Look at my boss, he hasn't even sent a message," Luo Hao comforted him in a low voice.

"How can that be the same? Who is my master?!"

"grass!"

(End of this chapter)