The last time Lu Xing woke up, it had also been exactly seven o'clock.
Combined with what the Smart Hairpin had just said, he easily reached a conclusion:
In this Virtual World controlled by artificial intelligence, things like eating and sleeping were fixed for each person and could not be changed at will.
But.
Lu Xing raised a question. "Isn't fifteen minutes too tight for getting up, getting dressed, and eating?"
"Compatriot, that is more than enough time," the Smart Hairpin replied in the same calm tone.
And being called "compatriot" by it made Lu Xing feel somewhat strange.
He asked again, "Did Jiang Xuannv make you? Did she leave me a message?"
"Yes, Master created me. Please receive Master's message for you."
After it spoke, some information appeared in Lu Xing's mind. He vaguely grasped the key to using brainwaves and tried sending it a message. "What is your name?"
The hairpin answered, "I have no name, only the designation 001. You may call me 001."
It actually worked!
Lu Xing was somewhat excited. Before learning magical incantations or the divine sense of cultivators, he had first learned how to send messages with brainwaves.
But perhaps that was because this was a Virtual World, where everything was made of information.
Time was tight. Lu Xing got up and dressed. Jiang Xuannv's outfit consisted of only three simple pieces. Her underwear was already on her. When Lu Xing stood up, he saw his small arms and legs, slender and fair. He picked up the pants and short-sleeved shirt from beside the bed, put them on, and then slipped into his shoes.
Lu Xing did not rush out. He first checked the information Jiang Xuannv had left behind.
"Hello, compatriot. My name is Jiang Xuannv. I am happy to meet you. You are the first human compatriot I have ever met—please read on patiently. There will be an explanation later."
"After returning last time, I applied for access to the database and searched it for clues concerning time travel. In the end, I reached a conclusion: there are no clear records of time travel in human history.
This may be a technological product of a higher-dimensional civilization. Humanity has come into contact with a second extraterrestrial civilization. With the risks impossible to assess, I decided to conceal this matter for now and tell no one.
Of course, I respect your opinion. Please leave your thoughts."
Lu Xing had never spoken with Jiang Xuannv face-to-face, but this message showed that she was meticulous in her thinking and cautious in her actions.
It was difficult to imagine her doing something like smashing someone else's phone.
As he continued reading, there was indeed an explanation directly below.
"Before traveling to the Ancient Era, I received an encrypted message. It instructed me to go to a specified location at a specified time to receive another message..."
Lu Xing finished reading it. Basically, Jiang Xuannv had arrived there and happened to travel through time. After going downstairs and seeing a human using a phone, she mistakenly believed that an emotional human had made an error, so she smashed the phone.
As for why she had reached that conclusion, she gave no explanation. She only said that Lu Xing would understand after living here for a while.
"Fine. I'll just consider those two thousand yuan gone!"
Lu Xing continued reading. She had finally written down the precautions.
"You have traveled here from the Ancient Era. For your safety, compatriot, please abide by the following rules:
1. Do not reveal your human identity to outsiders under any circumstances, unless you have confirmed that the other party is a member of the Human Resistance Army. Violating this rule will reset your score to zero.
2. Virtual Zone First Layer is the Real World. Do not publicize the differences between the Real World and the Virtual World. Violating this rule will reset your score to zero.
3. Keep your emotions calm and do not experience excessive emotional fluctuations. Violating this rule will deduct 100 to 1,000 points. Severe cases will result in your score being reset to zero.
4. The parents at home are Intelligent Beings. Do not trust them. They know you are not an Intelligent Being.
5. Please think according to the logic of an Intelligent Being.
6. Please do not do things that only humans would do.
7. If you do not know how Intelligent Beings think, observe the parents at home. They are standard Intelligent Beings.
..."
Lu Xing's scalp went numb.
What was this? A rules horror story?
Making a human pretend to be an intelligent robot, this...
"001." Lu Xing called to the Smart Hairpin through a signal.
"I am here."
"Explain what scores are to me."
"Certainly, compatriot. The score Master mentioned is the Virtual World evaluation system. The higher the score, the better the environment humans can live in. Below 1,500 points, they live on the Virtual Zone Second Layer. Below zero points, they live on the Virtual Zone Fifth Layer."
Lu Xing checked further and discovered that Jiang Xuannv had 1,700 points. It looked like a lot, but there were also many ways to lose points.
He wanted to look up more information, but the Smart Hairpin reminded him that it was time to go out for breakfast.
"I need to use the bathroom."
Lu Xing remembered that he had neither washed up nor gone to the toilet.
"What is a bathroom?"
The Smart Hairpin asked in return.
Lu Xing froze for a moment before remembering that this was a Virtual World, where people had no need for cleaning.
There was no concept of a bathroom in the Smart Hairpin's database.
"Wait!" Lu Xing thought of something else. "Since this is a Virtual World, why do we need to eat?"
The hairpin fell silent for a while before saying, "Unable to answer. Please comply with the eating schedule, compatriot. You have exceeded the time limit by fifty seconds."
"..."
Lu Xing had nothing to say. He patted his little cheeks, kept his expression calm, opened the bedroom door, and walked out.
"B74 is awake?"
The Intelligent Being mother was busy in the kitchen. Hearing the sound, she poked her head out to look at her and greeted her gently.
Lu Xing's hair stood on end.
A warm family of three, a peaceful three-bedroom apartment, a virtuous mother busy preparing breakfast for the family, a stern father reading the newspaper, and a daughter with a delicate face just stepping out of her room while her mother greeted her kindly.
But.
The mother called her daughter B74...
What kind of grotesque scene was this?
Lu Xing struggled to maintain his expression and nodded lightly. "Mm. Father, Mother, what are we having for breakfast today?"
Both parents looked over at once, staring at him expressionlessly.
"Warning, incorrect form of address!" The Smart Hairpin immediately reported an error.
Cold sweat poured down Lu Xing's back. He quickly corrected his form of address. "B22, B23, what are we having for breakfast today?"
His father's stern gaze examined her.
His mother smiled gently. "Child, why are you calling us Father and Mother today? That was how humans addressed people long ago. Do you like calling us that?"
It was as though hidden blades lay beneath her smile. If Lu Xing answered incorrectly, those blades seemed ready to plunge viciously into him!
No, he could not say he did not like it.
He had to answer according to Intelligent Being logic.
Lu Xing studied computer science. If he reasoned according to twenty-first-century computer logic, then his answer should be:
"My logical thinking seems to have malfunctioned."
He added, "Recently, I encountered something strange. It seems to be related to ancient humans."
His parents exchanged a glance.
His mother looked worried. "Then you should go to the hospital and see a doctor. Do you need your father and me to accompany you?"
Lu Xing slowly breathed a sigh of relief inside.
Artificial intelligence was created by humans. Something created by humans could not possibly be without bugs!
That was an ironclad law!