Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 551: Volume 6 Chapter 34 Independent Command Authority_2

Mother Ann smiled nonchalantly, ”Little Jian is a boy, he looks better when he’s chubbier.” Saying that, she used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of rib and placed it in Fatty’s bowl, tenderly saying, ”Look at him, when did his face ever get this sharp? Don’t you all feel sorry for him?”

”We?” Milan was startled, gave a quick glance at the embarrassed Ann Lei and Bonnie, and stammered, ”Why should I feel sorry...” For a moment, she couldn’t figure out if Mother Ann had said it intentionally or simply made a slip of the tongue. In the end, feeling guilty, she mumbled a few words and shut her mouth.

”Err...” Fatty was also so shocked that he shivered, nearly choking on the rice in his mouth.

Mother Ann hurriedly patted Fatty’s back as he coughed repeatedly, while giving him a reproachful look. That look seemed to understand everything, making Fatty break out in a cold sweat.

Parents always have an astonishing insight into their children. Fatty still remembers that whenever he did something secretly as a child that needed to be concealed, Mother Ann was always the first to find out.

Fatty looked up at Bonnie with a grieving expression, giving her an inquiring look, ”Didn’t you say Mother Ann didn’t know?”

Bonnie couldn’t help but shake her head, mouthing this time, ”I said I didn’t know if she knew or not.”

Fatty lowered his head, feeling utterly defeated.

The atmosphere became awkward. Ann Lei was the first to finish eating and found an excuse to leave the table, followed by Bonnie, and lastly Milan slipped to the living room sofa.

”You’re all grown up now.” Mother Ann looked at the three girls talking and laughing in the living room, lovingly tugging at Fatty’s earlobe, and softly said, ”I can’t control your affairs, but a boy should take responsibility and not abandon things halfway.”

”Mother Ann...” Fatty’s face stiffened.

”I’m not a stubborn person,” the elderly woman sighed, ”In such times, I think a lot by myself at home, more clearly than you do. We don’t know what tomorrow holds; human lives are cheaper than grass. In the cities we see on TV, so many people just vanish.”

As Mother Ann spoke, her eyes reddened, she rubbed them with her hand and continued, ”Times are chaotic, we don’t know how long this war will last. I think to myself at home, how wonderful it would be when you and Ann Lei are no longer in the army and come back to stay with me.”

”Mother Ann.” Seeing the old woman upset, Fatty uncomfortably held her hand, comforting her, ”The war won’t last long... see, both Ann Lei and I are perfectly fine.”

Mother Ann patted Fatty’s hand, ”Little Jian, don’t deceive me. I’m old but not senile. I know about you and Ann Lei. I also like that girl Milan. When you two aren’t around, she often comes to talk to me, and when she mentions you, she has much to say. I can see she genuinely likes you.”

Mother Ann glanced back at the living room, lowered her voice and curiously asked, ”What’s the story with that girl Bonnie?” Seeing Fatty mumbling, the elderly woman playfully tapped Fatty’s forehead with a finger, ”I heard from Milan that she’s a noble from Gazalin, how did you trick her into coming here! You sly boy, you’ve got some skills.”

Fatty was stunned, not expecting the old lady to have such a talent for gossip.

”I’ve watched you grow up. Although you’re mischievous at times, I know your character.” Mother Ann switched the little kid she was holding to another leg, sighing, ”This is how the world is now, live happily in whatever way you can. You and Leilei have been close since childhood. I’m not worried about how you live in the future. Young people should resolve their own matters. I’m just anxious about when you’ll let me have a grandchild.”

Mother Ann’s words made Fatty feel both a headache and sadness. With his deep psychological insights, he knew that the old woman was afraid. Afraid that one day, he and Ann Lei might leave and never return. Afraid of being left alone in this world.

Tears involuntarily welled up in Fatty’s eyes. In front of him, Mother Ann looked at him eagerly, like a child yearning for candy.

*********

A confidential supercomputer construction plan was submitted to the Supreme Command Department of Leray.

In Boswell’s plan, this supercomputer would be the headquarters for artificial intelligence programs. Its role would not only provide undisturbed and self-sufficient computing power for artificial intelligence but would also establish observation and control programs in the fields of military, science, information, and economy, truly integrating Leray into a coherent whole.

This grand plan brought immense joy to President Hamilton and the entire Command Department. Especially the President, who, upon learning that Tian Xingjian had brought back an artificial intelligence with a completely independent personality from Gazalin, had not slept well for several days.

Everyone understood the significance of artificial intelligence, but no one knew how to employ it.

Could it guide the affairs of Leray? How powerful was it exactly? What kind of changes would it bring to this country? Would it replicate scenarios from science fiction movies, where it proliferates its intelligence limitlessly, eventually sparking a robot rebellion, overthrowing human rule, and turning humans into slaves of robots?

Everything remained unknown. Boswell’s report provided hypotheses to these questions. However, without practical application, hypotheses remained just hypotheses.

After a whole night’s consideration and reviewing a new war report from the Staff Department early in the morning, Hamilton approved the plan, demanding its implementation at the fastest possible speed without sparing any effort.