A live stream of someone hand-making a giant white robot attracted the attention of the government,

(This chapter has been revised because everyone seemed to dislike it.)

.....

"My father's friend?"

Bai Che held the phone, then froze for a moment.

His parents were ordinary working-class people, hardworking their whole lives, with interpersonal relationships so simple they were easily understood. They wouldn't even have many "friends" who sounded complicated, let alone such people; they barely knew any of their junior managers at work.

fraud?

In the dormitory, Wang Tao and the others' loud laughter gradually subsided, and they all looked curiously at Bai Che, who had suddenly fallen silent.

"Brother Che, who is it? They sound pretty serious," Wang Tao asked in a low voice.

Bai Che ignored him and simply asked the person on the other end of the phone in a calm, even tone, "Who is this?"

The man on the other end of the phone seemed to have anticipated his wariness and remained calm.

"Who we are is not important. What is important is that we have no ill intentions towards you, Bai Che."

These words are even more unsettling than a direct threat.

Bai Che tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This was no longer an ordinary harassing call; the caller could accurately call him by name, clearly indicating they had done their research.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"There are some things about 'Big White' that I need to confirm in person." The man got straight to the point. "We'll be on campus; just name a place."

This tone was more like a notification than a discussion.

Bai Che remained silent for a moment.

The other party's origins are unknown, but their aura is powerful. Hiding is definitely not an option. Rather than being passive, it's better to take the initiative.

"The 'corner' café next to the West Gate, half an hour later."

"it is good."

The call was abruptly ended.

The dormitory was quiet. Wang Tao leaned over and asked, "Brother Che, what's going on? It doesn't sound like good news."

Bai Che tossed his phone onto the table, stood up, and began packing his backpack.

He disassembled the large white shell components scattered on the ground one by one, then skillfully deflated and folded them. The originally 1.8-meter-tall, white, chubby figure was quickly transformed into a pile of "fabric" and parts that could be stuffed into a large hiking backpack.

Materials science in this world isn't that advanced yet. He had these polymer shells custom-made by a small workshop based on the basic knowledge given to him by the system, spending all the savings he had accumulated since transmigrating.

"Brother Che, are you going to run away?" Wang Tao was terrified.

"Meeting two friends." Bai Che zipped up his backpack, weighed it in his hand, and casually replied.

Half an hour later, at the corner café.

Bai Che chose a window seat where he could see outside. He ordered the cheapest Americano but didn't drink it.

Soon, the two men entered the coffee shop.

They were dressed in the most ordinary casual clothes, one a jacket and the other a T-shirt, and appeared to be around forty years old. But the moment they entered, an invisible pressure emanated from them. Their steps were steady, their backs ramrod straight, and although their gazes seemed to sweep casually across the room, they took in the entire café environment.

One of them walked straight towards Bai Che, while the other found a place to sit down not far away, pretending to play on his phone, but actually keeping Bai Che and his companion's surroundings under surveillance.

The man at the head of the group sat down opposite Bai Che; he was the one who had just made the phone call.

He didn't order anything, but simply placed his hands flat on the table, his sharp eyes staring directly at Bai Che.

"Bai Che, I am Li Jianguo."

A name that couldn't be more ordinary.

But Bai Che sensed a battle-hardened, iron-blooded aura emanating from him.

"Hello, Uncle Li." Bai Che looked like an innocent and well-behaved student.

Li Jianguo was clearly not buying it. He cut to the chase: "That robot you made in your dorm, 'Big White,' did you independently develop its technical principles and core program code?"

coming.

Bai Che's heart skipped a beat, but he remained expressionless.

He had prepared his explanation long ago.

"I guess it was a burst of inspiration. I usually like to watch science fiction movies and read programming books, and I just figured it out on my own. The code was pieced together and modified from various sources, and as for the underlying principles... to be honest, I'm still in the exploratory stage myself. Many parts were achieved by sheer luck."

This half-true, half-false answer acknowledged that he did it, while obscuring the key parts and attributing it to "luck" and "inspiration," leaving no room for further investigation.

Li Jianguo listened quietly, without asking any further questions or expressing either belief or disbelief.

He just stared at Bai Che for a good ten seconds before slowly speaking.

"You're very lucky."

These four words are very meaningful.

Bai Che didn't reply. The other party's visit today wasn't just to confirm this.

Sure enough, Li Jianguo changed the subject.

"Bai Che, I'm here today to make a request." His tone became serious. "We hope to borrow your 'Big White' for a while."

Bai Che's heart skipped a beat.

Getting involved with the authorities was the last thing he wanted to avoid. The system was troublesome, but at least it was still within a controllable range. Once he was caught in a national-level vortex, he, an ordinary student who "just wanted to graduate quietly," would probably be unable to control his own destiny.

"Uncle Li, I'm afraid this isn't very convenient," Bai Che politely declined. "It's only a semi-finished product, very unstable, and many functions are incomplete. I'm afraid..."

"We need its diagnostic capabilities," Li Jianguo interrupted him, speaking each word with exceptional clarity. "We need it to make a diagnosis for a very special patient."

Bai Che fell silent.

The words "special patient" carried an astonishing weight when uttered by Li Jianguo.

He didn't want to get involved in trouble, but the other party was clearly prepared, and the consequences of refusing were unpredictable.

Li Jianguo noticed his concerns and hesitation, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice.

"Rest assured, we will only use its diagnostic functions for research reference and will not disassemble or crack it in any way. Afterwards, we will provide a generous 'borrowing fee,' and the country will remember your contribution."

Generous borrowing fees?

Bai Che wasn't particularly interested in money, but the phrase "the country will remember" made him waver somewhat.

Just as he was weighing the pros and cons and struggling with his inner conflict, that cold, familiar notification sound rang out in his mind without warning.

[Ding! Special opportunity mission detected!]

【Quest Name: Dragon's Heart】

[Task Description: This task involves intersecting with a key national research project. Use "Big White" (a mobile phone assistant) to provide a successful health scan and data analysis for a key personnel.]

[Mission Reward: 100000 Influence Points! And unlock the next stage of the tech tree—the basic blueprint for "Ark Reactor"!]

Bai Che's fingers trembled suddenly.

100,000 points of influence!

This is almost several times more than what he spent half a day working on on Bilibili before! More importantly, it unlocks the next stage of technology!

This was no longer a simple "trouble"; the system had directly laid a broad road to heaven in front of him.

He didn't want to cause trouble, but the system was giving him way too much!

Li Jianguo keenly caught his momentary wavering.

The time is right.

"How about it, Bai Che? This is a good thing for you and for us."

Bai Che looked up and met Li Jianguo's imposing eyes. He didn't answer immediately, but instead slowly picked up his phone.

This action slightly surprised Li Jianguo.

"Uncle Li, this sounds like a big deal." Bai Che's finger slid across the screen, finding the school office's public phone number on the school's official website. "According to school rules, if an external organization contacts students for project collaboration, I have to report it to the school. You don't mind, do you?"

His tone was polite yet distant, as if he were discussing a perfectly normal business matter.

Li Jianguo looked at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his sharp eyes, which then turned into almost imperceptible approval. This kid is more cautious than he imagined.

"Of course I don't mind."

Bai Che nodded and dialed the number directly.

The call connected, and a formulaic female voice came through: "Hello, this is the USTC Presidential Office."

"Hello teacher, I'm Bai Che, a freshman in the School of Computer Science." Bai Che got straight to the point. "I'm currently at a coffee shop off campus. There are two people claiming to be from a national key project team. One of them is named Li Jianguo, and they want me to cooperate with them on a research activity. According to the student safety manual, I need to verify their identities with the school."

There was a visibly pause on the other end of the line, followed by a somewhat impatient reply: "Young man, we don't verify this kind of information. Have you dialed the wrong number? Or have you encountered a scammer?"

"They claim their identities are confidential, and the higher authorities should have already informed the school," Bai Che said calmly. "Please check with the office director or security department to see if there are any special notices regarding student Bai Che. This concerns the student's personal safety and the school's reputation, so please make sure you confirm."

These words were reasonable and well-founded, and they even raised the issue to the level of the school's reputation, which made the administrative staff on the other end of the phone take them very seriously.

"...Then please wait a moment."

Music played on the phone, and Bai Che was put on hold.

He leisurely put his phone on speakerphone on the table, picked up the now-cold Americano, and took a small sip.

A bitter taste spread across the tip of the tongue.

Li Jianguo watched his performance the entire time without saying a word. His companion behind him seemed a little nervous, as if he wanted to say something, but Li Jianguo stopped him with a gesture.

About three minutes later, the music on the phone stopped.

A completely different, calm and respectful male voice came through: "Is this Bai Che? I am the director of the school office. I just received a notification confirming this matter. Please cooperate fully and unconditionally with Comrade Li Jianguo's work. The school will provide you with all necessary assistance."

The way he addressed her changed from "classmate" to "Bai Che classmate," a complete change in attitude.

"Understood, thank you, Director."

Bai Che calmly hung up the phone and then put it back in his pocket.

He looked up and met Li Jianguo's gaze again, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.

"Excuse me, Uncle Li, this is just a formality."

After saying that, the smile on his face faded slightly, and he added, "One last question. After this is all done, my 'Big White' won't become yours, will it?"

This blunt, almost offensive remark caused the air to freeze instantly.

His companion, who was not far away, froze.

Li Jianguo stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, a smile that seemed much more genuine than before.

"The government operates according to rules. A loan is a loan, and once it's used up, it will be returned to you in perfect condition." He spoke each word clearly and firmly. "That's a promise."

"Okay." Bai Che nodded readily. "I agree."

Li Jianguo stood up with satisfaction and gestured to his companions not far away.

"The process went very well," he praised. "Without further ado, the car is waiting outside."

He looked at Bai Che and added a sentence.

"Let's set off now."