The shadow of the Black God appeared somewhat blurry, and his voice was clearly mixed with electronic echoes. It was unclear whether he was deliberately maintaining an air of mystery or did not want his voice to be leaked.
"Give me a reason to help you?" The Black God's voice was cold and ruthless.
“I…I will be loyal to Brother Black God for life…” Anirias pleaded.
“That’s not a reason,” the Black God replied coldly. “There are countless people willing to pledge allegiance to me. I cannot simply give away the precious Water of Life to everyone who is willing to pledge allegiance to me. Unless you can demonstrate your worth, I will not waste a single drop of the Water of Life.”
Anirias was silent for a moment, then sighed softly and said, "Alright! I'm willing..."
The memory abruptly ended there, and the next section became blank. After a moment, when the image reappeared on the computer, it showed Anirias sitting alone in a room, drinking red wine.
"Huh... Shin-chan... why wasn't the footage from just now complete? Did you miss some data when you copied it?" Zhou Ziwei really wanted to know what the Water of Life that the Black God mentioned was, and whether it was the same thing as the Water of Reincarnation that he possessed. He also wanted to know how Anirias ultimately managed to retrieve the Water of Life from the Black God.
These questions hung in his mind, and he was eagerly awaiting answers, but the scene was shamefully interrupted. It was like reading a novel, and just when the story was reaching its most exciting part, leaving behind a series of suspenseful moments that kept the reader on the edge of their seat, the author inexplicably abandoned it. Uh... it has to be said that at times like that, it's easy to feel the urge to kill.
“It’s impossible for anything to be lost,” Shin-chan’s voice replied. “The memory fragments that have been in Anirias’s brain recently and have been copied are all here. I moved the entire data from Anirias’s brain here, so it’s impossible for any part to be missing.”
Zhou Ziwei said somewhat exasperatedly, "If there's nothing missing, then... then what's with this blank space?"
Shin-chan hesitated and said, "Well... according to my analysis, this blank space is likely because Anirias's memories of this period were forcibly erased. Only in this way could a blank space in her memory be formed."
"Hypnosis... erased a part of her memory?" Zhou Ziwei asked in shock. "Could it be that Anirias was hypnotized and forced to forget what happened during that period? Hmm... if that's the case, then... is it possible for me to use hypnosis to make her remember those forgotten things again?"
"I'm sorry, Master..." Shin-chan's voice replied helplessly, "Shin-chan is just a chip, not a supercomputer. I don't even know exactly what hypnosis is, so I can't answer your question..."
Shin-chan's voice sounded somewhat forlorn and disappointed, which immediately brought Zhou Ziwei back to his senses. Yes... Shin-chan was just a tiny chip, and all its abilities were based on that chip. However, Shin-chan was too intelligent and too anthropomorphic, so Zhou Ziwei often forgot that Shin-chan was just a chip.
Moreover, from Shin-chan's tone, Zhou Ziwei could sense that Shin-chan was somewhat dissatisfied with its current abilities. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask, "Shin-chan... I know you're just a chip, but I think you're the smartest chip in the world. I'm sure you have a way to become more knowledgeable, right?"
Xiao Xinyan immediately became excited and said, "Of course! As long as I have a good platform, I can become a true supercomputer."
"Give you a carrier? A super... supercomputer." Zhou Ziwei asked, a little confused, "You mean... I should transfer you into a computer?"
"No, no, no... How can an ordinary computer do that?" Shin-chan said with great dissatisfaction. "I want my master to have the opportunity to customize a body for me, a robot body that can move and has the most advanced and complete computer configuration. That way, I can walk by myself, and... I can even have very strong fighting power. In the future, I can help my master fight bad guys."
"Wait, wait, wait..." Zhou Ziwei was even more confused when he heard this. "What you're saying is too sci-fi. Could you... be more specific and explain what you need as a carrier to give you those abilities? If you want me to build a robot myself... that's probably too difficult, isn't it?"
Xiao Xin chuckled and said, "Master, if you really wanted to build a robot yourself, I might not dare to actually live in it... Haha... And by the time you're capable of building your own robot, how long will it take for me, Xiao Xin, to get there? Hmm... I've seen some news in your memories, Master, and I know that there are actually some mechanical engineering robots in this world. In the US, there should be relatively mature research results in this area. However, the reason why their robots can't play a significant role is mainly due to limitations in their autonomy... In other words... the biggest drawback of current robots is the lack of artificial intelligence that can truly compare to the human brain."
If a robot's every action still requires human control, then it can't truly be called a robot; it's merely a remotely controlled device. My existence... perfectly fills this gap. Master, if you can find me a brand-new, finished robot and implant me into it, making me the core controller, then... wouldn't I essentially have an independent body? Moreover, the robot has powerful enough specifications, and after connecting to the internet, I can learn even more knowledge online and store it in my own database. So, the next time Master asks me some strange questions, Shin-chan won't be so embarrassed by not being able to answer.
Zhou Ziwei paused for a moment, then said with sparkling eyes, "Hmm...you're right. If I give you a robot's body, you can become a supercomputer plus a super robot, artificial intelligence...hehe...but Xiaoxin, you're not just simple artificial intelligence...hmm...I think this is quite feasible. We can go to the US sometime and see if there are any good robots suitable for you. But...these high-tech things definitely can't be bought with money. The real core technologies are definitely controlled by some large companies. Whether we can find them depends on our luck."
"Oh...right, Shin-chan, since you can connect to a computer using infrared, can't you also connect to the internet through the computer? Then you can study online first, right?"
Xiao Xin said speechlessly, "It's impossible. Even if I connect to the computer via the infrared transmitter, I can't copy data from the internet more deeply. At most, I can only browse one webpage at a time, like you, Master. At this rate... when will I ever be able to master all the knowledge? Unless... you, Master, can build a powerful private network comparable to the Black Net, like the Black God. Only then will I be able to access the entire internet anytime, anywhere through this private network and receive pure data streams."
"Build a black network like Black God." This time, Zhou Ziwei was speechless. He didn't want to start an assassin group, so why bother building a black network? Besides, it was obvious that building a black network-style private network would require a huge investment of funds and technology. Zhou Ziwei didn't have the time or energy for that... So it seemed... it would be more reliable to just find a robot to be Xiao Xin's body.
Seeing that Anirias's memory fragments broke and went blank at crucial moments, Zhou Ziwei lost interest in continuing to browse. Just as he was about to completely delete the data file transferred to the computer, he suddenly saw Anirias on the computer screen stripping naked and walking into a large bathtub.
Originally, this scene was a memory from Anirias's own perspective, so Anirias herself shouldn't have appeared in the scene. However... now, there is clearly a completely naked Anirias in the scene, which left Zhou Ziwei dumbfounded.
"Wow... what a perfect figure... Master, you've hit the jackpot this time, getting such a top-quality female slave!" Xiao Xin was even more excited than Zhou Ziwei when he saw this scene, shouting in Zhou Ziwei's mind, "Master... you've really gotten a top-quality one this time, hehe... don't hold back when the time comes!"
"What are you yelling about?" Zhou Ziwei scolded Xiaoxin with some annoyance, then a black line appeared on his forehead. He never expected that an independent soul composed of pure energy would be so lewd... He really needed to hurry up and find Xiaoxin a body and remove him from his head, otherwise... when he was being intimate with Wang Xuewei, Chu Qiutang, or Liu Xiaofei, this Xiaoxin would be constantly causing trouble in his head. The feeling... would be like having someone watching him while he was doing that. This feeling... was really unacceptable...
"Wait... Shin-chan, if this is Anirias's memory, shouldn't the images in the memory be what she sees with her own eyes? But... how could her complete body form appear in this scene? Even if she sees herself in a mirror, that doesn't make sense... How come I can't see any reflection of herself in this image?"
"Hahaha...that's why I said Master, you've gotten a top-notch female slave this time!" Xiao Xin said excitedly, "If I'm not mistaken, the beautiful woman shown in the picture isn't actually Anirias, but someone who looks exactly like her..."
“What, someone who looks exactly like her…” Zhou Ziwei stared at the naked woman on the screen in disbelief. But no matter how he looked at her, she was no different from Anirias. Could it be that… Anirias has a twin sister?
Next, the scene gradually zoomed in, as if one person was looking for another. Then... to Zhou Ziwei's astonishment, he finally saw two identical women appear in the bathroom mirror at the same time. What made Zhou Ziwei even more unbearable was that... these two identical Anirias were actually naked and embracing each other, and then they started passionately kissing.
Holy crap... no way! They really are twin sisters, and... they're lesbian twin sisters! This is such a waste of resources! If all the beautiful women in the world went into lesbian relationships, what would become of the men in the world?!
The scene that followed was even more dazzling, but just as the two sisters were moving from the bathroom to the bed and reaching their most exciting moment, there was a knock on the door. It turned out that the military plane sent by the old commander had arrived.
Zhou Ziwei reluctantly closed the video file, then... somewhat guiltily asked the little Shin in his mind, "This... this memory wasn't deleted from your copy database, was it?"
Xiao Xin chuckled and said, "Master, please don't worry. This exciting part will definitely be saved forever. You can delete the files on your computer without worry! In the future, if you want to watch it, just find any computer and I can play it for you to enjoy."
Zhou Ziwei gave an awkward laugh, said nothing more, and quickly deleted the data that had just been transferred to the computer. Then he turned off the computer and hurriedly left the lounge that had been arranged for him...
Whether it was to ensure the safety of the important samples retrieved from the pilot plane or to get Zhou Ziwei and his team back to Beijing as quickly as possible, Chief Cai sent them a J-10 high-speed fighter jet this time. This guy, sitting in this plane, the speed was really exhilarating. After traveling nearly a thousand kilometers, Zhou Ziwei hadn't even had a chance to enjoy it before the plane started to slow down upon arrival.
These are fighter jets, so of course they couldn't fly directly into Beijing. Zhou Ziwei and his group were dropped off at a military base on the outskirts of Beijing, then transferred to an ordinary helicopter, which flew directly to Zhongnanhai and disembarked at the special helipad reserved for leaders there.
The old commander, dressed in a crisp military uniform, stood with several other generals who also looked quite old, as they came to the tarmac to greet Zhou Ziwei and his group. This kind of treatment... even President M probably wouldn't receive.
However, Zhou Ziwei also understood that the old leaders were not welcoming just the few of them, but rather what they had brought back, or rather, they were welcoming the hope of China's rise.
After getting off the plane, Zhou Ziwei walked ahead, and the three women behind him consciously lagged a step behind, following closely behind him. The four of them walked towards the old leader, while countless Zhongnanhai bodyguards around them carefully guarded against them and cast envious glances at them.
Volume 2 The Assassin's Nightmare Chapter 432 Priceless Treasure
The old leader was so excited when he saw Zhou Ziwei that his eyebrows trembled.
He couldn't believe it. He had only approached Zhou Ziwei to use his X-ray vision to find the mysterious cave hidden in the Kashgar Mountains. He never expected that Zhou Ziwei would insist on going into the cave with him to explore.
To be honest, the old leader really didn't want Zhou Ziwei to take this risk. After all, he had personally verified Zhou Ziwei's amazing superpowers, and if these abilities were used properly, they could bring countless benefits to the country. It could be said that Zhou Ziwei was a national treasure.
What exactly is in that mysterious cave is still unknown, and even if someone manages to return from there, whether what they bring back will be of any use remains to be seen.
Moreover, if it's about exploration, there are plenty of people in the country who can go; there's no need to let Zhou Ziwei, a national treasure, take that risk... If Zhou Ziwei really dies in there, the loss to the country would be immeasurable.
Unfortunately, Zhou Ziwei, for some unknown reason, insisted on going along to join in the fun, and claimed that if the old commander disagreed, he would go secretly on his own.
The old commander didn't know much about Zhou Ziwei, but he didn't know very little either. He knew that with Zhou Ziwei's abilities, even if a battalion of soldiers were stationed there to guard the area, they wouldn't be able to stop him.
Left with no other choice, the old commander had to agree to Zhou Ziwei's request. He was even pressured by Zhou Ziwei to prepare an extra set of equipment to give to Zhou Ziwei's wife, Wang Xuewei.
However, from the moment those people entered the cave, they disappeared without a trace. For three years, the members of more than a dozen expedition teams were nowhere to be found, whether alive or dead. This almost made the old commander regret his decision.
If he had known this would happen, he would never have let Zhou Ziwei participate in the mission to find that mysterious cave. As long as he didn't reveal it, Zhou Ziwei would naturally not know about this top-secret national secret, and of course, there would have been no risky venture into the cave later.
Actually, even without Zhou Ziwei, we might not have been able to find that mysterious cave. At most, it would have just taken a little longer. With more people searching all over the mountains, we could have figured out even a few rat holes in the mountains sooner or later, let alone such a large cave.
A year after Zhou Ziwei and his dozen or so expedition members went missing, the old commander, in his anxiety, decided to send another special operations team into the mysterious cave. This time, his orders were primarily to find Zhou Ziwei's whereabouts. As for other valuable items, it would be best to obtain them, but he wouldn't force it if they weren't found.
Unfortunately, when the second expedition, consisting of as many as twenty-five people, entered the cave, the result was the same: like throwing a stone into the sea, not a single person returned.
The old leader was so devastated by this incident that his already gray hair almost turned completely white.
After two failures, the old commander no longer had the courage to send anyone to their deaths.
Although with his influence, a single mobilization order would guarantee that a large number of passionate soldiers would be willing to die for him, the old commander did not want anyone else to sacrifice for this cause.
Three years later, just when the old commander had given up all hope for the two expeditions, he unexpectedly received a call from Zhou Ziwei through the military hotline. This made the old commander extremely excited. He even seemed to forget the rheumatoid arthritis that had been troubling him for the past two years. He was full of energy and seemed to have become decades younger.
"Young man... I'm so glad you're back safe and sound."
The old leader quickened his pace, met Zhou Ziwei, grabbed his hand, laughed heartily, and patted Zhou Ziwei's shoulder. His weathered old face smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Zhou Ziwei could tell that the old man was genuinely happy, which touched Zhou Ziwei's heart.
Whether the old man was happy because of what he brought back or because he was happy to be back, he was genuinely happy, wasn't he?
"Old commander... I haven't even ridden in that helicopter you gave me more than a few times, how could I bear not to come back, right?" Zhou Ziwei said jokingly. "Oh... by the way, is my helicopter still parked at the Kashgar La Mountain outpost? I'll have to go back and pick it up later..."
The old commander was taken aback by Zhou Ziwei's words. His face flushed slightly, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "Hehe... You've been missing for so long without a word. That helicopter can't just stay in that freezing place forever. Otherwise... the maintenance problem alone won't be solved. If that helicopter really stayed there for three years, it probably wouldn't be usable anymore. Hehe... It's just a helicopter, right? As long as you can make a big enough contribution this time, let alone a helicopter, even if you want a space shuttle, I can arrange to send you... um... send you up into the sky for a ride."
Zhou Ziwei was genuinely excited when his old commander said he was going to send him a space shuttle, but his interest vanished immediately after hearing what the commander said next. He rolled his eyes and said, "Alright... old man, I know you're after what I brought back this time... Don't worry, I won't let you down. What I brought back from there, along with some information, is enough to keep you up at night for three days. But... well, let's be upfront. We need to get this straight... don't forget my share of the benefits!"
"Insolence!" Before the old commander could speak, a general with slightly graying hair jumped out from behind, pointing angrily at Zhou Ziwei and shouting, "The interests of the country are sacred and inviolable. As soldiers, we should naturally serve the country in everything we do. How can you make any demands on the old commander or the country, or worry about personal interests at this time? You are committing a crime, do you know that?"
"Bullshit!" Zhou Ziwei glanced at the old man and saw that he resembled the Second Young Master Hong, one of the Four Young Masters of Beijing whom he had tricked to death. He immediately guessed his identity and snorted coldly, saying, "General Hong Gang, is it? I'm talking to the old commander here. Please don't release odorous gases in public, okay?"
"You...you...you..." Hong Gang never expected that this kid would dare to be so presumptuous and say such vulgar things in public. He was so angry that he trembled all over. He pointed at Zhou Ziwei with his mouth wide open, but after stammering for a long time, he could only utter the word "you" and could not say another word.
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" Zhou Ziwei curled his lip in disdain and said, "The interests of the nation are indeed sacred and inviolable, but does that mean personal interests can be violated at will? If General Hong Gang dares to say a single 'yes,' believe me, I'll go and ransack your house! I'll take all your private property and let you taste what it's like to have your private property violated at will! Hmph... Do you know how many dangers the three of us have gone through this time? We risked our lives to get some benefits, and we have to give them all to the country without compensation. How come it's a crime for us to make a small request?"
Hong Gang was speechless upon hearing this. Although he knew Zhou Ziwei was spouting nonsense, what could he say under Zhou Ziwei's questioning? Could he say that only national interests are inviolable, while private interests can be violated at will? If he really said that, he would bet that this lawless kid would actually go to his house and ransack it.
"Alright...alright..." The old commander saw that the two started arguing as soon as they met, and naturally understood what was going on. He could only temporarily play the role of peacemaker, coughing lightly and saying, "General Hong is certainly not wrong to think about the interests of the country. However...Director Zhou has made such a great contribution to the country and should also receive corresponding rewards. Even if he makes some personal requests, that is reasonable."
After finishing his sentence, the old leader turned around and gave Hong Gang a light glare, signaling him not to talk nonsense anymore. Then, without continuing the conversation with Zhou Ziwei, he immediately invited Zhou Ziwei and the others to sit for a while at his lotus pond, since there were too many people here and some things were not suitable to be discussed in detail.
To be honest, the old leader had never really liked Hong Gang. He knew that Hong Gang was narrow-minded and lacked a sense of the big picture. If he had a choice, the old leader would have kicked him to the second line to retire long ago.
While most people's sons rise to prominence because of their fathers, Hong Gang's son brought him honor. He must have had some incredible luck to have such a genius son who, at a young age, has made numerous inventions and become the chief doctoral researcher at the military research institute. Every major research and invention he makes has the potential to significantly enhance the country's military strength.
So... even for the sake of Hong Gang's genius son, the old commander was unwilling to easily offend this brute Hong Gang.
They arrived at the residence by the lotus pond where Zhou Ziwei first met the old leader. Everyone sat down on both sides of the spacious hall. Only then did the old leader curiously ask about Anirias's background.
Looking at Anirias's strange attire, the old chief was already beginning to suspect that this person might be an alien that Zhou Ziwei had abducted from another dimension.
It's really hard to explain to Zhou Ziwei about Anirias. Even if he talked to the old chief about the black market assassin network, it would be a waste of time. The Black God is so well hidden that no one knows anything about him or where his hideout is. Even using the state apparatus wouldn't be of much use.
After all, within the country's territory, the old leader's words still carry some weight, but once abroad... they'd be completely constrained. And the possibility that Black God's lair was within the country was extremely low, so Zhou Ziwei didn't intend to reveal all the details. In the end, he simply said that Anirias was a friend they met on their way back to the country, and that was how he got away with it.
Upon hearing that this woman, who resembled a beautiful snake, was not an alien, the old commander's vigilance immediately rose again. He then used a very polite excuse to have someone invite Anirias away and arrange for her to rest.
The matter they were about to discuss concerned important national development, and they couldn't let some foreign woman of dubious origin overhear it.
It wasn't until Anirias was taken away that the old chief eagerly inquired about Zhou Ziwei's gains this time.
The old man actually wanted to ask this as soon as they met, but he managed to hold back until now, which shows he has a lot of self-control.
Zhou Ziwei smiled and took out a handful of black seeds from a hidden compartment in his alloy jacket, carefully placing them on the glass coffee table.
"What are these things?" The old leader picked up a few black seeds that looked no different from ordinary grains of sand, but after looking at them for a long time, he still couldn't figure them out.
"This is the seed of a plant from a new and exciting world we've come to."
Zhou Ziwei said with a serious expression.
"Pah... These are just some worthless seeds. How dare you show them off like this?" Hong Gang hated Zhou Ziwei to the core and was just waiting to see him make a fool of himself. When he saw that what Zhou Ziwei had taken out was such an insignificant piece of junk, he immediately seized the opportunity to hurl insults at Zhou Ziwei.
"Ahem... General Hong, can you be quiet for a moment?" The old commander glared at Hong Gang with a stern expression and said, "Since Director Zhou went out of his way to collect the seeds of this plant, it must be a plant species that has never appeared on our planet before. Well... even if it doesn't have much practical value, it can at least allow our country to take a step ahead of other countries in biological research, which can be considered as making some contribution to the country."
Zhou Ziwei, somewhat amused and exasperated, said, “I risked my life to collect these seeds, not for biologists to study the origin of species. This is a treasure. If those biologists can successfully cultivate these seeds, I believe… it will play an unparalleled role in our country’s economic development and environmental protection.”
"Oh... Is this thing really as good as you say? Then tell me in detail... What kind of plant is it that deserves such high praise from Director Zhou?"
Upon hearing this, the old leader immediately perked up. He had actually been quite disappointed when he first saw the seeds, but he had only said those words to comfort Zhou Ziwei so as not to embarrass him too much. Now that he heard that these seeds were of great use, he was naturally overjoyed.
Zhou Ziwei nodded and said, "This is the seed of a dark red vine plant. I named this plant Fire Lotus. Fire Lotus is a plant that grows in the desert. It has extremely strong vitality, is drought-resistant, heat-resistant, and can withstand low temperatures. If it can be planted on a large scale in the desert areas of our country, it will play a significant role in alleviating the environmental degradation crisis."
"Oh...that really is a good thing!" The old commander nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with eagerness as he looked at the few sesame-seed-sized seeds inside.
“However… protecting the environment is just a side effect of this plant. Its true value lies in…” Zhou Ziwei paused for a moment, then, seeing everyone staring intently at him, he finally said the rest: “Its greatest value lies in its ability to solve the current energy crisis on Earth.”