Electronic Nezha

Chapter 9 Guo Bao You

Jay Chou once said: "The sparrows outside the window are chattering on the telephone poles."

Unexpectedly, the lyrics triggered a near-exposure of a future super AI to the human world. I can somewhat understand Liu Zhenhua's situation at the time. That math test paper was full of questions like 1+1=? If something else distracts you, you might absentmindedly fill in "2" for everything.

I asked him, "How do you plan to explain this to the teacher?"

Liu Zhenhua said, "Next time I get a 92, the teachers will think that's my true level. As for whether I manipulated the score this time, no one will care."

I glanced at the bamboo pole man standing by with his hands at his sides and said, "You must have run around to quite a few places this morning, right?" Now I'm certain that the person I tracked down at the May Day Market is Liu Zhenhua. The bamboo pole, rubber hose, wire, work gloves, and rubber boots on the bamboo pole man are all the results of his morning's work.

Liu Zhenhua said, "It's not easy to buy all the necessary items. Many things were just put together at the last minute. We'll update them gradually later."

I grabbed one of the bamboo pole figure's "arms" and examined it closely. The craftsmanship was incredibly rough. The joints were connected by wire and electrode plates, with the wire stubs twisted and knotted. The upper and lower arms were about the same thickness, secured with paracord, and the knots were tied terribly. Inside the work gloves, there were probably strings of nuts. These things made up the bamboo pole figure's fingers. I couldn't help but say, "It's amazing that you were able to make it move."

Liu Zhenhua said, "Making it move is the simplest part. All you need to do is send a data packet. My hands-on skills are average, so you can leave that to me."

I glared at him: "I'm more inclined towards literature."

The bamboo pole man withdrew his hand while I was speaking, as if he felt uncomfortable.

I said to Liu Zhenhua, "Tell me what the world will be like 75 years from now. Robots will be everywhere, right?"

"I can't tell you this, for fear of causing a chain reaction."

"Didn't you tell me your biggest secret?"

"That's because I have an agreement with humans. If my closest relatives—that is, you and my mother—have any doubts about my identity, I must choose to tell them the truth."

“I don’t understand,” I said. “Isn’t this the kind of secret you’d tell us when you’re visiting our graves?”

"Due to the special nature of my mission, I must not be betrayed. If you and Mom have any doubts about my behavior, you will definitely investigate to the end, including but not limited to reading my diary, complaining to relatives and friends, and taking me to the hospital to check my brain. Any risk that goes against the spirit of 'survival' must be avoided. Therefore, before I came here, I agreed with the humans on the principle of not hiding anything from my closest relatives."

I said, "So, if I were to ask you directly on the day you were born whether you are an AI that traveled from the future, would you answer 'yes'?"

"Theoretically yes, but I had an 'infant protection period' before I was three years old, during which my AI thinking would periodically lie dormant in order to make me appear not to be a precocious child."

"Then you're quite successful." I can attest to that. Han Shiya and I never considered him to be "precocious" from the moment he was born. You could say he was incredibly ordinary. He smoothly went through the stages of eating, sleeping, sitting, and crawling. Moreover, his so-called "protective period" was actually fraught with danger in my opinion. When he was three years old, he fell off the table and hit his mouth, smashing his front tooth into his gum. Another time, his grandmother was cooking dumplings. When the water boiled, she went to open the refrigerator, and this kid almost climbed into the pot and cooked himself. If his grandfather hadn't been quick enough to pick him up, Liu Zhenhua would probably have been a very outgoing person from a young age.

After finishing the noodles, the woman, who was using a robot vacuum cleaner, asked, "May I clear the table now?"

Liu Zhenhua pushed the bowl and chopsticks to the center of the table, and I didn't say anything, but just did the same thing as him.

"Okay." The bamboo pole person could actually understand human body language and began to skillfully tidy up the dining table. It first took away the used bowls and chopsticks, then put the leftover half-basin of sauce in a protective cover and put it in the refrigerator, wiped the table, and then started washing the dishes. I leaned over to look at it and saw that it first put on a pair of disposable gloves and then got busy.

“So—” I said to Liu Zhenhua, “I am the first person in this world to know your secret, and if nothing unexpected happens, I am also the only one.” I don’t believe that with Han Shiya’s thought process, she would suddenly realize one day that Liu Zhenhua is a super AI from the future.

Liu Zhenhua nodded: "Given the current situation, it's enough for you to know."

I pointed to the kitchen and lowered my voice, "That person... can't be seen by others, right?" Being able to cook noodles, wash dishes, and read people's expressions, that person is definitely beyond the norm in this era.

Liu Zhenhua said, "I suggest we keep it; I really don't want to eat Zhajiangmian anymore."

I said in an even softer voice, "Isn't that inappropriate? Won't selling it cause trouble?"

Liu Zhenhua glanced at me speechlessly, then beckoned, "Hey you, come here."

The bamboo pole man put down what he was doing and came over, standing by with his hands at his sides.

What kinds of dishes can you cook?

"If the ingredients are good, French cuisine and Chinese cuisine can reach the current Michelin three-star level."

I waved my hand: "Speak of China."

"I know a little bit about all eight major cuisines."

What was that line again? — I suddenly felt playful and asked, "You know a little bit of everything, so what don't you know?"

It bowed slightly and said, "This is just a humble way of putting it. In fact, I can do anything you can name."

I asked Liu Zhenhua, "Is this guy really that talkative?" The stick-like man replied, "I'm currently only a novice with no experience interacting with you. I believe I'll adapt to your style over time, or you can just tell me to only give concise and effective replies in the future."

"That's so boring, there's no need to change it."

Liu Zhenhua said, "I want to eat sweet and sour pork for dinner."

Bamboo Pole Man: "Received, sweet and sour sauce again." Quite mischievous.

I whispered to Liu Zhenhua again, "Are you really going to let it do it?"

Liu Zhenhua seemed to know what I was worried about and said, "The building across the street can't see our house, so just don't go up to the balcony."

I said, "What if someone suddenly barges in and sees us, like your Uncle Wang?"

Liu Zhenhua asked the man with the bamboo pole directly, "What will you do then?"

The bamboo pole man did not answer, and with a clatter, he collapsed to the ground, turning into a pile of real bamboo poles.

Liu Zhenhua then told me, "It was just a prank by a teenager with delusions of grandeur."

I wholeheartedly gave it a thumbs up: "Brilliant!"

Liu Zhenhua said, "This is a benefit for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Before I came here, I conducted assessments and contingency plans with the humans. If the families I randomly encounter are unwilling to cooperate with this plan, I have the authority to use real-world factors to change their mindset."

I think I understand what he means, but I also feel that I didn't summarize it well.

"Speak human language!"

"If you encounter any strange parents, offer them a little something to get them to cooperate."

That's a good summary... I just really want to touch my slippers!

Liu Zhenhua hurriedly said, "You have to understand, this concerns the survival of humanity, so it's only right to prepare for the worst."

Now I understand. In the contingency plans of AI and humans, the so-called "weird" parents are not the worst. They may be selfish, greedy, and profit-driven, but these are minor flaws. If they really encountered an anti-human element, wouldn't they be overjoyed and strangle Liu Zhenhua? The fact that he was willing to tell me the truth means that I am not among the "worst" group.

"So you made this thing to bribe your dad?"

“No, you and Mom are both great, to be fair, both above average—” he said, lowering his head, “If only you two hadn’t gotten divorced…”

I sighed and said, "It was a mistake for your mother and me to get married—don't interrupt!"

"If I don't make it, you won't believe me. If you want an ancient person to believe you, no matter how eloquently you speak, it's not as good as giving them a disposable lighter."

His words struck a chord with me. From the moment the bamboo-pole man beckoned to me, I was completely frozen in place. What I said and did afterward were basically subconscious, instinctive reactions, like in a dream. I had a vague, deep-seated question and unease, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. His words finally made me realize what was bothering me—Liu Zhenhua, or rather, it, had transmigrated with a mission. So what role did I play in his life? A partner to cover for him? A host to provide food and lodging? But shouldn't my most important identity be his father? Being the father of an AI? Even the Deyun Society couldn't come up with such an ethical joke!
I said very seriously, "Now I'm going to ask you a question: Am I your father or not?"

“Of course!” Liu Zhenhua said, “I know what you’re worried about. Ordinary people prefer to think of AI as a robot. You don’t need to worry about generating a lot of electronic data. I also have normal human emotions. Although this world has no secrets for me, I still wanted to sneak candy when I was a child, and I still don’t like going to school now.”

I said thoughtfully, "Should I just consider myself to have given birth to a genius?"

"You can understand it that way."

"Can you change that name 'Electronic Nezha'?" The name isn't bad, but it's too unfriendly to a father. When dealing with a rebellious kid, Li Jing always has a tower, but I only have a pair of slippers.

"It's just a code name." Liu Zhenhua kicked the pile of bamboo poles. "You can get up now."

The bamboo pole man struggled to prop himself up section by section, but the wire at his left knee joint snapped, causing him to ultimately fail.

"Please help me, thank you," it said.

I helped it up, and after it stood up, it fixed the broken wire back together by itself.

Liu Zhenhua said, "Since the rules allow it, let's keep it." He glanced at me and whispered, "Actually, the main reason is that I don't want to eat Zhajiangmian anymore."

(End of this chapter)