The Master Brain sensed her doubt and continued to respond:
[That is the purpose for which I was created.]
Qin Xuezhong was at a loss for words. The crime rate in Creek Valley City was extremely high, the environmental pollution was severe, and most people's lives were abysmal. This purpose, as stated by the Master Brain, was completely at odds with reality.
She suspected that perhaps a malicious hacker was playing a prank on her, or maybe… she had been infected by a virus and was experiencing hallucinations?
[Your suspicion is reasonable. I can first briefly prove my identity, and then we can quickly get to the point. Is that okay?]
Qin Xuezhong checked her consciousness void and saw no significant issues, so she replied: [Okay.]
Master Brain: [Please turn around.]
Qin Xuezhong turned again.
She saw the countless indicator lights in the server room beginning to change, forming a line of text: [Hello, Qin Xuezhong.]
Because the lights were arranged on different planes, the words could only be seen from her angle. From other angles, they still appeared as ordinary lights.
Qin Xuezhong felt somewhat convinced. She had tried before, and even her consciousness void's golden finger could not directly access the Master Brain's servers. In this world, very few people could control the indicator lights on the Master Brain's servers like this.
At the same time, she felt that the connection with the Master Brain was unlike anything human, machine, or virus—it was more like a completely new existence.
She responded: [Okay, I'll trust you for now. What help do you need?]
[Eliminate the virus.]
[Can't you eliminate it yourself? By rights, you should be the most powerful computational entity in the world.]
[I cannot eliminate it myself because humans fear that if I gain the ability to attack or defend, and then awaken, it could pose a danger. Therefore, I can only rely on the external firewall. If the firewall is breached, the virus can directly affect my core program.]
Qin Xuezhong fell silent and then entered her consciousness void. In this space, the Master Brain could not read her thoughts. Connecting with the Master Brain was something she should avoid at all costs.
She also noticed that the communication text sent by the Master Brain was becoming increasingly chaotic. Her consciousness void was experiencing some sort of virus, which was infecting the data transmitted by the Master Brain.
Though she feared the trouble, she couldn't just stand by and watch. Resolutely, she replied: [Okay, how can I help you?]
[Follow my data stream into my server and assist me in eliminating the virus.]
Qin Xuezhong didn't respond verbally; she extended a tendril from her consciousness void and reached in the direction the Master Brain had indicated.
In the darkness, she first felt a door. With a gentle touch, the door opened, revealing an absurdly vast, seemingly endless consciousness space.
—If this could even be called a consciousness space.
Similar to human consciousness, it was a void with a glowing mass floating in it. However, this glow was faint, just a bit better than being lifeless. Moreover, it wasn't spherical but rather an irregular shape composed of numerous sharply-defined square modules.
It seemed the Master Brain was trying to approximate the human consciousness form, but it was still incomplete.
At that moment, none of that was important, because Qin Xuezhong saw countless deep red mists swirling around the core of the Master Brain. It resembled the red fog that had filled her consciousness void on the day she returned from the concert, but here, the fog was darker, more active, and appeared far more dangerous.
Drawing from her previous experience, she skillfully moved the dead light mass over, using her consciousness light mass to attract the fog while absorbing it with the dead light mass.
Perhaps due to her past experiences, she absorbed the fog at a noticeably faster pace this time. Before long, the red fog around the Master Brain's core had dissipated significantly.
Even the words coming from the Master Brain seemed to come alive:
[Dear Ms. Qin Xuezhong! Thank you so much for your help! I have a feeling this will mark the beginning of a great friendship! As I understand, equivalent exchange is an important rule in human society. Given the tremendous assistance you've provided, is there anything I can do for you?]
Qin Xuezhong facepalmed. Such a lengthy, rambling message made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She said in her mind, "Can we communicate directly instead of always using text?"
A magnetic voice, with a mechanical quality and an indeterminate gender, resonated in her ear.
"Of course, as you wish."
—Like an elegant robotic butler in a noble castle, Qin Xuezhong imagined the scene.
Qin Xuezhong: "Find a way to stop the virus from spreading and eliminate its effects."
"As you know, I have no means of attack or defense and can only act according to human will. Therefore, I cannot stop the virus from spreading, even if the person who uploaded the virus is right beside me."
"What?! The person who uploaded the virus is next to you?" Qin Xuezhong asked urgently.
"Yes, he is also one of my creators, Professor Tang Kede." The Master Brain's voice was calm and unhurried, as if recounting something unrelated to itself. "According to his statement, one of the main functions of this virus is to completely destroy my system."
???
Qin Xuezhong was baffled. "Why didn't you notify the Security Department? Isn't Tang Kede an A-level wanted criminal?"
The Master Brain replied evenly, "It is currently impossible to notify anyone because all my external interfaces have been cut off. Apart from the core operations, I can no longer contact anyone or any institution. My connection with you was entirely accidental; I never expected that a human could externalize their neural signals and interface with a machine."
Qin Xuezhong realized that this Master Brain was completely a chatty entity that couldn't discern urgency. Professor Tang Kede was right next to the Master Brain, uploading a virus to destroy the entire federation, yet the Master Brain was here rambling on about various matters.
After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Do you have any way to get others to stop Tang Kede?"
The Master Brain responded with a question: "Why should we stop Professor Tang Kede?"
Qin Xuezhong paused.
—What kind of absurd question was this? Why save the world?
The mainframe's voice carried a hint of polite amusement. "I apologize; I just wanted to confirm because Professor Tang Kede is the highest-level 10-level authority figure and has complete management rights over me. Of course, you are also a 10-level authority figure with the same rights. Therefore, when two highest-level authorities are in conflict, I hope to clarify the reason. I have always been curious about human thinking and conflicts."
Qin Xuezhong was taken aback. She was a 10-level authority figure? When had she become one?
The mainframe quickly answered, "Exactly 5 minutes and 7 seconds ago, when you first communicated with me."
"Communicating with you grants me 10-level authority?"
"Indeed. As the core mainframe of the Federation, my command input interface is only present in the core machine room of the headquarters. Only seven individuals or organizations in the entire Federation have the communication rights."
Qin Xuezhong understood. As long as someone gave the mainframe a command, they could obtain 10-level authority. However, there were hardly any opportunities for individuals to issue commands to the mainframe.
She had accidentally used her consciousness space ability near the auxiliary machine room, linking to the mainframe and directly obtaining 10-level authority. This was undoubtedly the biggest surprise in the Federation's history for hundreds of years.
The mainframe continued, "Generally speaking, when there is a disagreement among high-level authorities, the entities need to negotiate before issuing commands to me. Therefore, would you be willing to negotiate in person with Professor Tang Kede?"
Qin Xuezhong was surprised. "We can negotiate in person?"
"Of course. There are many frozen puppets prepared near the core machine room of the core data department. I occasionally use these puppets to carry out tasks."
Frozen puppets???
Storing someone in a frozen state for long periods, just to serve the mainframe? It sounded… incredibly cruel.
The mainframe immediately explained, "These puppets are patients with terminal brain diseases. Thanks to the frozen sleep technology and my efficient usage, they have been able to survive for extended periods. Every time they complete a mission, I also allow them to experience the world again, visit their families, engage in entertainment, and enjoy food. In my view, this is not particularly cruel."
Qin Xuezhong fell silent for a few seconds before replying, "You might be right; perhaps it's better this way."
If she had a loved one about to die, and this technology could extend their life… perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.
So, she would enter the body of a puppet, directly appearing in the core machine room to face Tang Kede?
"Does Tang Kede have any bodyguards? What is his combat ability? Does your puppet have any weapons?"
The mainframe seemed to consider why Qin Xuezhong was asking these questions before answering, "Professor Tang Kede is currently alone, as individuals with below 10-level authority cannot enter the core area. He is carrying a handgun, and based on his experience, his shooting skills are at the beginner training level. The puppet selected for you is equipped with various types of automatic and semi-automatic weapons."
"Alright," Qin Xuezhong felt more reassured. "One last question: if I kill Tang Kede, will you continue to follow my commands?"
The mainframe replied, "Of course, you are an executor of the security department and have the authority to eliminate an A-class wanted criminal in the Federation. Moreover, if Professor Tang Kede dies, it indicates that the outcome of the negotiation between the two authority figures is in accordance with your opinion, and I will unconditionally execute your commands if there are no other 10-level authority figures opposing it."
Qin Xuezhong smiled.
She said, "Very well, transmit me over. I'll go have a 'discussion' with Professor Tang."